It was 11:47 PM on a random Tuesday, and I had this ridiculous craving for something pumpkin-spiced and slathered in cream cheese frosting. The kind … Read more

I was at the farmers’ market last October, hovering by the apple bin like I always do, when the woman running the stall—Marta, I later … Read more

My neighbor, a woman named Carol who has lived three doors down for the better part of a decade, swore she hated pumpkin desserts for … Read more

My friend Jen asked me why I couldn’t just skip the pastry crust and press the whole thing into one pan. I started to explain … Read more

I was standing in the spice aisle of our local grocery store last October when the smell hit me—that warm, dusty-sweet scent of someone nearby … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked between a laundromat and a used bookstore in my old neighborhood—the kind of place with a handwritten … Read more

Introduction Jenny wasn’t trying to show off. I’d stopped by her place to pick up a book I’d loaned her months ago, and the smell … Read more

The church bake sale was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their grandmother’s legendary pies, those mile-high layer cakes … Read more