The way the top of this pie shatters under a fork — that brittle, caramelized shell of pecans and brown sugar giving way to the … Read more

I was supposed to be making a pumpkin roll. Let me just put that out there right now. It was a Thursday afternoon, the kids … Read more

My neighbor Karen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder on a crisp October afternoon, and the smell hit me … Read more

My six-year-old nephew, Leo, watched me roll out sugar cookie dough for what felt like the hundredth time last October. “Why can’t you just cut … Read more

For a few autumns in a row, I just accepted that pumpkin bundt cakes were going to be dry. Or dense. Or worse—that weirdly gummy … Read more

The butter was browning in the pan, the marshmallows were deflating in a sticky white heap, and my four-year-old was standing on a chair, face … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday in early October, and I had a ridiculous, specific craving for something that didn’t exist. I wanted … Read more

I want a cheesecake that tastes like fall, but I don’t want to boil a water bath or deal with a cracked top. That’s the … Read more