Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Allllrighty then. It’s heating up. It’ll only get warmer from here. Ah. MAY I say it — I’m looking forward to the rest of what this month brings (see what I did there? ((hint: I capitalized it for even more emphasis)).

Anyway.

I’ve got not one, but two styles in this collage here for you today. Because I am currently loving two fashion things equally: lettuce hems. And ruching. Today, ruche is reigning and I’m raining you with ruche. Also today, lettuce discuss the virtues of lettuce edges.

Btw. A lettuce edge is that crinkly, unfinished looking hem on a stretchy fabric, be it by way of a sleeve hem or skirt hem or top hem or dress hem or collar hem, that is oh so cute. And ruching is that tightly gathered fabric that creates the tiniest pleats that are oh so flattering.

Above are fifteen lettuce-edged garments and thirty-three ruched options, which makes forty-eight in total, pictured in ascending price order. And the first thirty-three pieces depicted are under $100.

Get lettucy and ruchey (both not words).

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

OHHHHH YEAH. The summery shoes be coming out now. FO REAL.

Mules. Ah, mules. My faves. When compared to classic sandals, that is. I’d pick a mule over a sandal any day. And why wouldn’t I? Mules are backless. No strap around that ankle. It makes (footwear) life way more dicey and exciting, okay? And. Mules are like slippers. But with heels. They’re heeled slippers! Weird concept, right?! WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?!

Anyway. Whether or not you agree with the above. I have a big collage of mules up above for you to browse through. How many mules? Fifty-six, to be exact. That’s a lot of mules. That’s a mule mania, one could even venture to say. And those fifty-six mules — they’re pictured in ascending price order. And the first thirty pairs of mules depicted — they’re under $100!

You’ve also got height options here. Opt for a short, block heeled mule. Or a tall, thin (stiletto, essentially) heeled mule. Or a combination of the two (tall and block heeled. or short and thin heeled ((kitten heel, hello)).

Mule over these, then.

Alright, NOW we’re really starting. It’s the first week of May, so I’m bringing out the summery desserts already. Cuz I can’t wait no longer. S’mores be going down right now.

Not just any s’mores. Not graham crackers with chocolate squares and store-bought marshmallows. NOOOOO. We mean business here. We mean rich, dense, gooey, flourless peanut butter bars that are packed with hot, dark, melty chocolate chunks and then get slathered with a sticky, glossy, homemade toasted marshmallow cream.

These peanut butter s’more bars are gluten-free and dairy-free and insanely decadent and indulgent and quite a satisfactory way to ring in the warmer season. If I may be so bold as to say so myself.

Let’s start with the bars. These peanut butter bars consist of a 5-minute, one-bowl dough that contains just peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chunks.

No flour, no butter or oil, no machines, no hassle.

These gluten-free peanut butter bars are so rich and dense. And so thick and gooey. And so soft and melt-in-your-mouth. And so flavorful and packed with hot pools of bittersweet chocolate.

When I was creating these peanut butter s’more bars, I considered leaving out the chocolate chunks. And just making peanut butter marshmallow bars. But then I came to my senses and realized that chocolate chunks make everything better, and also, they provide that key s’more ingredient, and also, the bittersweet chocolate complements the sweet marshmallow cream so well.

And then. The marshmallow cream.

It’s so very simple. Because it’s actually just a meringue batter. Which means: egg whites, sugar, salt, vanilla extract. That’s the whole marshmallow shebang.

Whip that mixture up until it’s airy and glossy and sticky and spread it over those thick, gooey peanut butter bars and torch that marshmallow cream until it’s browned and toasty and slice those bars into squares and sink your teeth into this first-week-of-May s’more delight.

Soft, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth, rich, chocolatey peanut butter bars. Topped with sweet, sticky, fluffy, toasty marshmallow cream.

Gluten-free peanut butter s’more bars — please sir, can I have s’more?

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter S'more Bars

Yield: 16-20 squares

Bars:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (best if it’s not natural peanut butter)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg + 1 egg yolk (save egg white for marshmallow cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks/chips

Marshmallow Cream:
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some excess hanging over the rim for easy removal later.

2. Bars: in a large bowl (or stand mixer), stir together the peanut butter and sugar until mixture is smooth and no longer grainy. Add in the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in chocolate chunks.

3. Spread dough evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown but center is still slightly under baked. Let bars cool before lifting out of the pan by the excess parchment paper and topping with marshmallow cream.

4. Marshmallow Cream: pour the egg whites, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or any heat-safe bowl) and place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Whisk the mixture frequently for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (110 F). 

5. Transfer the bowl to your machine fitted with a whip attachment. Whip the mixture for about 5 minutes, starting on a low speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed, until stiff, glossy peaks forms.

6. Spread the marshmallow over the bars and then toast marshmallow with a kitchen torch. Slice into bars of desired size.

Click on an image to shop

It’s May! We’re over a month into spring. It’s getting hotter. Things be gettin serious. The season of shorter hems is upon us. WHO’S EXCITED? I AM. Let’s get to it, then.

I’ve got short skirts here for you today. Forty-eight short skirts. Forty-eight mini and above-the-knee length skirts under $60. Solids. Patterned. Ruched. Pencil. Buttoned. Zippered. Denim. Faux-leather. Slippy. Satiny. Pleated. Wrap. Dressy. Casual. All the colors and shapes and styles. But all of one particular length: SHORT.

Picture it: a mini blue denim skirt, a white v-neck tee, thick socks, white sneakers, a zebra printed shoulder bag, an oversized pair of sunglasses, thick gold hoop earrings, a pastel hair claw — whoops, sorry, I’m getting caught up.

Also. That mini faux-leather skirt with the faux fur trimming pictured somewhere close to the bottom of this collage — YUM.

Click on an image to shop

Hello, and welcome to this post on crop tops. Particularly, cropped t-shirts. With a few cropped blouses and cropped knit stuff and cropped wrap things and zippered things thrown into the mix.

Yes. Crop tops. In April. What do you want me to say? That I’m probably getting ahead of myself? That we’ve got two months until summer begins and sweaters are still a necessary commodity some days? Maybe you’re right. But. I couldn’t control myself. I had a strong urge to compile a collage of affordable crop tops for you, and I simply couldn’t ignore it.

And so. Here we are. With this collage. Of affordable crop tops. Forty-four crop tops, to be exact. All under $20, to be precise.

I particularly am a fan of styling a crop top with a midi skirt. I like the juxtaposition of the flirty with the classy. Of the high with the low. Of the short with the long. Now you know.

I can’t believe I’ve never posted a soft sugar cookie recipe on the blog before. I mean seriously. This is a dessert blog. And sugar cookies are one of the most classic and ubiquitous desserts ever. Am I okay?

Also. It’s been a while. Since my last no-butter cookie post. No-butter cookies have become somewhat of a series on this blog. I’ve shared many no-butter cookie recipes over the years (these no-butter chocolate chip cookies were the first I posted, I believe), but again, never a no-butter soft sugar cookie. Alright. I decided. I'm not okay.

But anyway. Here they are at last. No-butter soft sugar cookies. FINALLY!

Instead of butter, I used my favorite butter substitute — coconut oil. REFINED coconut oil. Because refined coconut oil has a completely neutral taste, which means no coconut flavor whatsoever in your cookies. Not that I’m necessarily opposed to tropical coconut flavor in my cookies, but sometimes it’s nice to stick to classic flavors, especially when it comes to something as classic as a sugar cookie, where you want that full-bodied vanilla flavor to shine.

So. Coconut oil. You melt it. And then stir it with the sugars, the egg and extracts, the dry ingredients, and you’re done. One bowl, super quick and easy and hassle-free, and no machines required.

These no-butter soft sugar cookies are, well, SOFT. So soft and tender. And so thick and dense. And so rich and gooey. And so chewy all around and crispy at the edges and pillowy in the center and crackly on the outside from the granulated sugar that the cookies get rolled in before baking.

For those classic sugar cookie vibes and that signature pale color, I used mostly white sugar in these soft sugar cookies. But. I did add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar into the mix, because I couldn’t help myself and because who can hate that extra chewy texture and rich flavor brown sugar provides.

I also opted to add a bit of almond extract to these sugar cookies (in addition to vanilla extract, obviously). Just a hint of almond extract brings out that nostalgic sugar cookie flavor that I can’t get enough of. If you can’t stand almond extract, totally skip it, but tbh, almond extract is one of my favorite flavors everrrrrr, so I’ll judge you a little bit.

A note: you’re gonna want to roll those cookie dough balls very generously in the sugar. Like, roll all the balls in sugar. And then roll them all in the sugar again. And then sprinkle any remaining sugar over the cookies. Because 1- these aren’t overly sweet sugar cookies, and you want that extra sweetness from the sugar rolling, and 2- if you want the sugar crystals to be visible, as well as provide that lovely extra crunch to the outside of the cookies, they’ll need that double rolling.

Soft and tender. Gooey and dense. Thick and chewy. Rich and flavorful. Dairy-free and hassle-free. Quick and easy. Classic and nostalgic.

No-butter soft sugar cookies — you pillowy goddesses.

No-Butter Soft Sugar Cookies

Yield: 16-18 medium/large cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil,* melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 1/4 cups packed flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
-3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil and sugars until combined. Add in the egg and extracts and whisk vigorously until mixture is smooth.

3. Pour the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet ingredients and stir everything together until just combined.

4. Pour the sugar into a small bowl. Round medium-large pieces of dough between palms and roll generously in the sugar. Re-roll all the cookies in sugar again. Space balls out onto baking sheet. Sprinkle any remaining sugar over the cookies.

5. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until tops just begin to crack and you can just lift the edge of a cookie off the sheet with your hand. Let cookies cool and firm up on sheet for 10 minutes before moving them.

*Note: use refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor in your cookies.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Oversized tops. I’m a fan. Big, big fan (get it??).

I wear oversized tops all the time. With leggings and tall boots, in the winter. And with sneakers and a skirt, in the summer. Ah, the summer. That’s when I ESPECIALLY love my oversized tops.

Oversized tops are lightweight and breezy and breathable and easy and the perfect thing to throw on on a sweltering summer day. But. I’m getting ahead of myself. It is still only spring. Which is totally okay. An oversized top in the spring is definitely a thing too.

Ooh, imagine an oversized white shirt paired with some ribbed cream leggings and a chunky beige boot or a chunky white sneaker. THAT’S what I’m talking about for spring.

Above are forty-four oversized shirts, blouses, and t-shirts (and a couple sweaters), pictured in ascending price order. And all but the last three tops featured are under $100!

Your turn to become a BIG fan.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Well. Here we are. With our second Spring 2021 trend. Which means we’ve been doing spring posts for over two months now! Whoa. Wait. Oh gosh — it’s almost winter again!! Okay, I’m being dramatic. But I’m only half joking. Anyway.

Behold. Be bold. On your shoulders. That’s the trend. Bold shoulders. Padded shoulders. Pointy shoulders. Puffy shoulders. Any garment that draws attention to the shoulders, because that shoulder area is covered in something big or weird or eccentric or cool or in any way out of the ordinary. Any and all dramatic shoulders. That’s what’s trending. Particularly: oversized blazers with padded shoulders. Grandpa blazers be everyyyyywhere these days.

Above are forty-four bold shouldered tops and dresses and blazers, pictured in ascending price order. And the first twenty-eight options featured are under $100. And mostly everything above is under $200.

Be shoulder brave, bebbbbbe.

Earl grey STRAWBERRY loaf cake — GAH, I can’t believe ittttt! We’ve made it! The time has finally arrived. The time when it is appropriate to post desserts containing berries. It’s the first berry dessert since last summer on the blog, and I am so thrilled.

I’m beginning my summer fruit debut with strawberries. Big, juicy, tart, sweet, succulent strawberries. Because apparently, strawberries come in season before the OG berries such as raspberries and blackberries do. So. Strawberries it is.

Strawberries. Inside of a moist, tender, rich loaf cake that’s filled with irresistible earl grey flavor and a hint of bright lemon and aromatic nutmeg and also, I have a video tutorial for this earl grey strawberry loaf cake. Go to town:

Or, watch it on YouTube.

I’m obsessed with this earl grey strawberry loaf cake for many reasons.

One of which is the fact that its flavor profile is so unique and flowery and fruity and bright and warm and full-bodied and sophisticated and dare I say it — pretentious. What can I say? Sometimes it feels good to be a flavor snob.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m down for a classic vanilla or chocolate cake any day. But those flavors are expected and common. This early grey strawberry cake? Unexpected. Uncommon. It’s special and different and delicious.

So. Let’s discuss all these flavors then.

First, we’ve got almond flour. In addition to regular flour, this earl grey loaf cake utilizes a generous amount of almond flour. The almond flour makes this strawberry cake extra rich and moist and squishy and tender.

Then. Earl grey tea. Three (we ain’t messing around) earl grey tea bags get steeped in some hot milk (use non-dairy milk to yield a completely dairy-free loaf cake) and then get squeezed out into the cake batter to release all that liquid and flavor. The earl grey-steeped milk adds delicious bergamot orange flavor and spiciness and warmth to the cake.

Additionally. Fresh lemon zest. Not too much. Just from half a lemon. This isn’t a lemon cake. But we still want a little of that bright, citrusy lemon flavor to complement the bergamot orange flavor and the juicy strawberries.

And. A kick of ground nutmeg. For that nutty, earthy spiciness to pair with the earl grey tea deliciousness.

And lastly. Strawberries. A hefty amount. Slice them up, stir them in, and you’ll be getting a hunk of succulent, sweet, tart strawberries in every bite.

As for texture. This earl grey strawberry loaf cake is soft and tender. It’s even more squishy and moist than your average cake, thanks to the almond flour and a nice amount of oil.

The edges are crispy, and the top — it’s extra crunchy and crackly from granulated sugar that gets sprinkled over the cake before it’s baked.

Yes — this earl grey strawberry cake is winning on ALL fronts. Who said life was fair?

Soft and tender. Moist and squishy. Sweet and bright. Spiced and citrusy. Floral and aromatic. Quick and easy. Dairy-free and hassle-free. Unique and sophisticated.

Earl grey strawberry loaf cake — I’m never gonna quit loafing around with you.

Earl Grey Strawberry Loaf Cake

Yield: 9x5” loaf/8 servings

1/4 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)
3 earl grey tea bags
2/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
-1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan well.

2. Heat the milk till it just begins to boil. Add the tea bags to the milk and let steep while preparing rest of the batter.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and stir everything together until just combined.

4. Squeeze the tea bags into the milk to release all the liquid. Discard tea bags and stir the steeped milk into batter. Mix in strawberry slices (save a few to garnish top of batter).

5. Spread batter evenly into pan. Garnish top with a few strawberry slices and then sprinkle the tablespoon sugar over. Bake loaf cake for 50-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cake cool before releasing from pan and serving.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Ooooooh. Who’s ready for summery dress season? Who’s ready for dresses in lightweight fabrics and flowery designs and flowing silhouettes? Who’s ready for dresses in semi-formal styles that are perfect for throwing, and attending, a tea party in? Or throwing, and attending, an outdoor semi-formal event in? I AM!!!!!

Ah, tea dresses. How delightful you are. How perfect you are for a summer soirée or an actual tea party (we should definitely bring those back) or an outdoor wedding or a festive daytime occasion.

Above are forty-eight tea dresses, in mini and midi, in solid and patterned, in flowing and form-fitting, in frilly and muted, pictured in ascending price order. And all but the last four dresses featured are under $200!

It’s officially tea dress time, and I like to be punctual, so imma get to it.

Well well well. What have we here? SOFT BUTTERY BREAD ROLLS. That’s what we got. YEAHHHHH BUDDY. Good stuff going downnnn.

Passover is over. And I’m bringing bread back. I felt it only right that I should provide a recipe for the most gluten-full of all the baked-goods as the first recipe post-Passover.

Bread is pretty much my favorite food. Bread, and pizza. And pasta. So wheat, basically. And a soft, buttery, fluffy, tender, rich dinner roll? DEFINITELY up there on the favorites list. BREADDDDDD. GIMMMMMME.

Here’s the thing. I actually don’t make new bread recipes that often. Like, not often enough that I am able to share new bread recipes regularly on the blog. So. When I do eventually get around to posting a bread recipe up here. I make sure it’s an AMAZING one. So yeah. Just saying. These are some of the BEST bread rolls I’ve ever had.

First of all. These buttery bread rolls are literally not scary to make at all. Even if you’re wary of yeast/bread making.

Because. These dinner rolls come together in one bowl. And can be made either in a machine or by hand. I prefer making these rolls by hand, because kneading dough is kinda therapeutic and also makes me feel like a more legit baker, knowwhatimsayin?

And! These buttery rolls require only one rising! As in — no need to let the dough rise in a bowl for an hour, and then shape the dough into rolls, and allow the rolls to rise for another hour in the pan. NAH.

As soon as you finish kneading the dough, the rolls are ready to be shaped into little mounds of doughy heaven, after which they’re spaced out into your baking pan and allowed to rise (once!) until doubled in size and puffy and filling up all the spaces and edges.

There’s a full stick of butter in these fluffy bread rolls. Which is what makes them so rich and buttery and delicious and addictive. Aside from the fact that bread is always addictive, regardless.

There’s also an egg in the dough, i.e. more richness and flavor. And a little sugar, for a little sweetness.

And, for liquid, these bread rolls use a mixture of milk and orange juice. That’s right — there is no water in these dinner rolls. We’re going for all the rich flavor and tenderness here.

I love a little orange juice in my bread doughs (and cake batters, for that matter). FLAVOR FLAVE. But not too much orange juice, that the rolls take on an orange taste. We want just enough for extra flavor, without knowing where all that extra flavor is coming from. Which is why we’ve got the milk too, to make up the remaining portion of liquid these soft dinner rolls require. And milk provides more richness and flavor in its own right, obvs.

If you have any interest in sinking your teeth into a hot, steaming bread roll that’s sweet and buttery and rich and fluffy, I’d suggest considering making these soft buttery bread rolls sometime soon. Slathered with some more butter, but of course. And dunked into soup, perhaps.

Soft buttery bread rolls — 20 rolls are one serving, right?

Soft Buttery Bread Rolls

Yield: 20 bread rolls

2/3 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm orange juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3-3 1/2 cups packed flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
-Egg, for brushing
-Sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

1. Grease a 9x13” baking pan.

2. Pour milk, orange juice, sugar, and yeast into a large bowl and stir together. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast is fully activated/foamed.

3. Mix in the egg and melted butter. Add in 3 cups of flour and the salt and mix until all flour is incorporated.

4. Drop dough onto floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until dough is soft and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add up to 1/2 cup more flour. (Alternatively, knead in machine for a few minutes until dough releases from the sides of your mixing bowl.)

5. Divide dough into 20 equal pieces. Cup your hand and roll pieces between your palm and work surface to form balls. Space balls into greased baking pan (I do five rows of four rolls).

6. Cover pan with plastic wrap or towel and allow rolls to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size and filling the whole pan, 1+ hours.

7. Preheat oven to 350 F. Gently brush the tops of the rolls with a beaten egg and sprinkle over sesame seeds. Bake rolls for 17-24 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order per category.

Oh damn. It’s April. And I’m posting footwear of the non-boot variety. Winter is REALLY over now, on the blog. Because you know how I feel about my boots. I make like ten+ posts that exclusively feature boots on the blog each season. So, when I stop posting boots and move on to other shoe types, you know I’m serious about spring and transitioning to warmer-weather apparel.

Well. Here we are. With not one, but two shoe styles that aren’t boots. Loafers/oxfords. And sneakers. The commonality between those two footwear options? Chunkiness.

Generally, I’m down for an entire post on solely chunky sneakers. But. Been there done that. So. This year. I decided to reserve only half a post for chunky sneakers (dad sneakers, grandpa sneakers — you know the type), and the other half for chunky loafers and oxfords. Because, I guess one could say, chunky loafers are the new chunky sneakers. I mean. Chunky sneakers are still in. They aren’t being replaced just yet. But the spotlight is being shared. Spring/Summer 2021 is now celebrating the chunky oxford as well.

Above are twenty chunky oxfords and loafers and twenty-four chunky sneakers (that makes forty-four options total, I did the math myself), pictured in ascending price order per category.

Go to townnnnnn.

Hey yo. Happy Passover! Have I got the Passover muffins for you!!

I’m talking moist and soft and gooey and squishy gluten-free muffins that are filled with fresh, bright, tart, citrusy lemon flavor and are packed with crunchy almond bits and are topped with a spoonful of a sticky, sweet, tangy, glossy lemon syrup.

That’s the typa muffin I have for you today. READYYYYY?

I just realized (maybe a little too late). I’ve really gone all out on the lemon love these past few weeks. I posted lemon curd meringue nests last week (another Passover recipe you definitely may wanna have a look at like immediately after this one). And a lemon mustard salad a few weeks back. Which makes this the third lemon-centered dessert in this month alone.

What can I say? I’m just really excited about the end of winter and winter-style recipes and the beginning of the bright and fresh and cheery dessert adventures that spring has to offer.

And since it’s not QUITE the time yet for berries and nectarines and such, LEMON IT IS.

These gluten-free lemon almond muffins have got a pretty unique texture.

These lemon muffins aren’t exactly crumbly and caky and dry. How could they be? There’s no flour in these muffins.

Almond flour is the base for these lemony muffins. And all almond flour is is blanched, ground up almonds. Which means you’re getting all the gooey, fatty, rich goodness here. And low-carbs, if you’re into that sorta thing.

The almond flour is mixed with solely brown sugar, for ultimate moistness and flavor and richness. Then there’s the zested lemon rind and a generous amount of fresh lemon juice. For that fresh, tangy lemon action.

And. Sliced almonds. Or slivered almonds. Or chopped almonds. Whatever the preference may be. Mixed into the rich batter for added nutty flavor and crackly crunch.

And last. But most certainly not least. That special lemon drizzle. That syrupy, sticky, citrusy, tangy lemon drizzle.

Basically. All you’re gonna do. Is stir together some sugar and lemon juice and heat ‘em up for a minute or so until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot and bubbly and syrupy.

And, once the lemon almond muffins are baked. But while they’re still warm from the oven. You spoon that lemon syrup over the hot muffins and let the syrup seep into the cake and make it even more lemony and sweet and tangy and sticky and moist.

Also. Aside from being completely gluten-free. These lemon almond drizzle muffins are also totally dairy-free. And totally quick and easy to make. And totally delicious and indulgent and decadent.

Soft and tender. Moist and squishy. Gooey and rich. Sweet and tart. Lemony and nutty. Quick and easy. Dairy-free and gluten-free.

Gluten-free lemon almond drizzle muffins — you bright yet nutty things, you.

Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Drizzle Muffins

Yield: 10-12 muffins

2 cups + 2 tablespoons almond flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
3 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced/slivered/chopped almonds

Lemon Syrup:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the rest of the ingredients aside from the almonds. Whisk until smooth. Mix in almonds last.

3. Using a large ice creams scoop, divide batter evenly between molds. Bang pan against countertop a couple times to remove air bubbles. Bake muffins for 19-24 minutes, until golden-brown and toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out with a few moist crumbs. Muffins will be somewhat gooey and wet even after fully baked.

4. Heat the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a pot or in the microwave until mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Spoon syrup over the muffins while they’re still hot/warm.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

I know. I’m surprised at this one too. I didn’t see this happening. A post on chocolate brown? WHAT??

Chocolate, sure. I’ve done loads of that here. But chocolate brown? The COLOR?! It’s a whole new world to me, albeit one I’m very much enjoying delving into.

So here’s the thing. I’ve actually always been a closeted dark brown lover. I had a secret affinity for the hue but couldn’t own up to it, and I stayed away from dark brown when I was shopping. Up until very recently, I think I had a total of two chocolate brown pieces in my entire wardrobe. And I hadn’t worn those pieces in years. I just had this false belief that 1- dark brown didn’t suit me, and if it’s a dark color I’m seeking, I like my black tyvm and 2- brown was weird and best suited for branches and mud and the like.

But now. I think dark brown suits me. And I don’t think it’s weird. I mean. I think it’s a little weird. But the good kind of weird. I’ve had a paradigm shift, and I’m quite thrilled about it.

Above are forty-four chocolate (mostly dark chocolate, not much milk chocolate — the darker the brown the better imho) brown tops and pants and skirts and dresses and jackets, pictured in ascending price order. And the first twenty-four options depicted are under $100.

GIMME ALL THE CHOCOLATE BROWN.

We’re nearing the end of March. Which, amongst other things, means that Passover begins this very Saturday night.

Commencing, PASSOVER DESSERTS. Also commencing, BRIGHTER, SPRINGIER DESSERTS. Just like, in general. Because it’s almost April hellllllo.

YESSSSSSS. Very excited. This one is a good one. These Passover lemon curd meringue nests ring in the season and holiday and dessert time for all the occasions and ages MOST adequately.

Not gonna lie. These lemon curd meringue nests came out like EVEN BETTER and OUTSTANDINGLY MORE GORGEOUS than I was expecting them to. And I was expecting great results, to begin with.

I mean. All I knew I wanted when I envisioned these meringue nests was a mini, chewy, sweet, airy, marshmallow-like meringue nest that was piped high and narrow and filled with a velvety, tangy, bright, addictive lemon curd.

But that’s where my brainstorming ended. Truth is. The fruit for these meringue nests were a last minute addition. Right before photographing these, I decided that some fresh fruit would be a beautiful and delicious garnish to these lemon meringue nests. And they are! A beautiful and delicious garnish! Right?

First things first. The lemon curd.

Literally, first. I make the lemon curd first. Before the meringue. For a couple reasons:

• I want the lemon curd to have ample time to cool and firm up a bit in the fridge.

• I bake my meringues at a higher temperature, which requires much less baking time, and also produces meringues that are way chewier and less dry than your average. So. My point is. It’s not like the meringue nests are sitting there in the oven and baking for hours. Nah. By the time the curd is cooled, the meringues are ready to be filled, pretty much.

Now. This lemon curd. It is so rich and flavorful. It’s so tart and fresh and bright and citrusy. It’s got the perfect sweetness to tanginess ratio. And it’s so velvety and creamy and smooth.

I highly advise eating the leftovers that don’t fit into your meringue nests by the ladle-full.

As for the meringue nests.

I utilize the double boiler method, which I find yields a stiffer, glossier meringue batter that is less finicky and bakes up into ideal meringues (you can read up some more about this method here).

These meringue nests are light and airy. But also. Not dry and crumbly. They’ve got chewy insides and crunchy outsides.

They are sweet and sticky. And almost marshmallow-like. They are tender and melt-in-your-mouth, and the sweetness pairs so wonderfully with the tart lemon curd.

In other words. They are perfect.

Light, chewy, crunchy, sweet, marshmallow-like meringue nests. Filled with a citrusy, tart, velvety, addictive lemon curd. Garnished with juicy, fresh fruit.

Lemon curd meringue nests — you make forgoing gluten look easy.

Lemon Curd Meringue Nests

Yield: varies greatly depending on size, but about 15 nests

Lemon Curd:
4 whole large eggs
4 large egg yolks (save all 4 egg whites for meringue)
Zest and juice of 3 lemons
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
5 teaspoons potato starch
Pinch of salt
½ cup coconut oil* or butter

Meringue Nests:
4 large egg whites (saved from lemon curd)
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-Fruit for garnishing, if desired

1. Lemon Curd: whisk together the eggs, yolks, and lemon juice and zest in a large metal bowl (or any heat-safe bowl). Stir together the sugar, potato starch, and salt and add into egg mixture, whisking to combine.

2. Place the metal bowl over a simmering pot of water, creating a double boiler. Whisk/stir mixture occasionally over a medium flame until it thickens (about 6-11 minutes). 

3. Remove bowl from heat and stir in coconut oil/butter right away until it melts and is fully incorporated. Strain the curd to remove any lemon pits or clumps. Cover and chill in fridge while preparing meringue nests.

4. Meringue Nests: preheat oven to 275 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Pour the egg whites, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or any heat-safe bowl) and place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, creating a double boiler. Whisk the mixture frequently for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (110 F). 

8. Transfer the bowl to your machine fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in vanilla extract and whip the mixture for 6-8 minutes, starting on a low speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form.

9. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a medium/large round tip. Pipe a spiral base of desired size, staring in center and working outwards, and without lifting the tip, pipe a few more spirals on top of the outer edge, creating a high nest. Alternatively, drop a large spoonful of meringue onto baking sheet and swirl in a circle, creating a large hollow in the center with the spoon.

10. Bake until the bottoms of nests are dry and lightly golden and nests can be cleanly lifted off the sheet, about 20-45 minutes (varies depending on size of your nests). Let cool before spooning lemon curd into the nests. Garnish curd with fresh fruit if desired.

*Note: use refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor in your curd.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Hello. I haven’t been up on this blog since the official start of spring two days ago. So. I will now take this time to wish you all a VERY HAPPY SPRING!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO.

Okay. Now we can begin.

I’ve had an obsession with satin for YEARS now. I find satin evening dresses so enchanting and lovely. And satin skirts so swishy and flattering. And satin tops so breezy and chic. And seeing as it’s now spring, and time for the more lightweight, summery fabrics to take center stage, it was only a matter of time before I bombarded you with a post full of satin garments. I held out two whole days, basically. I’m impressed with my self-control.

Above are forty-eight satin (and some real silk, too!) tops, jumpsuits, shorts, skirts, dresses, and jackets, pictured in ascending price order. And all but the last four items depicted are under $100!

Start your satin session STAT.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

My apologies for mentioning this topic for the 728346834t57456832782348527835t78345738648th (no, I will not be putting commas in that) time, but SPRING IS ALMOST HERE. But this time. It’s really, really almost here. As in. In one day. TOMORROW. It’ll officially be spring!!!!! YAY.

And I always like to commemorate the onset of each new season with an accessories post. Because accessories include a whole variety of options. And accessories go with everything. They’re the accompaniment to every outfit. The finishing touch.

What I’m saying is. I don’t wanna just cover one singular style or garment to honor the beginning of spring. I wanna cover lots of things. Spring deserves that much. Hence. An accessory collage. Cuz there are lots of accessory categories. Like bags and sunglasses and jewelry and hair accessories and scarves and belts, all of which you’ll find in this collage.

Above are fifty-two spring accessories, pictured in ascending price order. And the first forty-seven accessories featured are under $100. So. Almost all of them.

HOLY CHOCOLATE COOKIES, MY GOODNESS.

Triple chocolate cookies, that is. Thick, puffy, pillowy, soft, tender, chewy, gooey, dense, deep, rich brown butter chocolate cookies packed with hot, oozing pools of deep dark chocolate and creamy milk chocolate and undertones of caramel and butterscotch and a kick of flaky salt for that ultimate sweet and salty contrast.

Like I said. HOLY CHOCOLATE COOKIES.

Another thing. That I didn’t say yet. I have a video tutorial. For these brown butter triple chocolate cookies. Make it rain:

Or, watch it on YouTube.

If you think I covered everything about these triple chocolate cookies in that first paragraph up above, perhaps you’re right. But I will go on. Regardless.

Can we discuss the fact that these chocolate cookies encompass like all the best things in one cookie? Things such as

• BROWN BUTTER

• RICH CHOCOLATE FLAVOR

• MELTY CHOCOLATE CHUNKS (TWO TYPES!!!)

• A GOOEY, PILLOWY, CHEWY TEXTURE

• SWEETNESS AND SALTINESS

I mean. I know I’m using a lot of Caps Lock in this post, and I apologize, but I can’t help myself. These cookies require all the capitalization.

Brown butter, which, to create, requires you melting your butter for a few minutes past the melted point to the amber-specks-appearing-in-your-skillet point, yields the most delicious flavor.

Regular butter — good stuff, for sure. But brown butter? You’re getting DEEP flavor, flavor with caramel and butterscotch and nutty undertones. Flavor that enhances the already rich, deep, dark, intense, incredible flavor of these super chocolatey cookies.

If you like cookies. And you like chocolate. And you like good things. You’d be doing yourself a great service by trying out these brown butter chocolate cookies.

These triple chocolate cookies are indulgent AF.

And since next week I’ll be starting in on the Passover recipes, I figured these thick chocolate cookies would be the perfect last hurrah before the gluten break I’ll be taking on this here blog for the next few weeks.

These brown butter chocolate cookies have soft, gooey, chewy centers with slightly crisped edges (cornstarch helps with that texture contrast). They’re hefty and dense and thick. They’re deep and dark and rich. They’re puffy and pillowy and tender. And they’ve got the ideal balance of sweet and bitter, with that kick of (optional, but highly recommended) flaky salt on top.

Oh. And let us not forget about those hunks of bittersweet chocolate and chunks of sweet milk chocolate dispersed throughout the thick chocolate dough, that get all hot and melty and creamy in the oven.

I gotta say. Those milk chocolate bits. They SERIOUSLY take these chocolate cookies to the next level of sweet indulgence, and these cookies already had a lot of that going for them.

Soft and tender. Chewy and gooey. Thick and puffy. Pillowy and hefty. Dense and rich. Deep and dark. Caramely and chocolatey and buttery and sweet and salty.

Brown butter triple chocolate cookies — YOU’VE CAUSED MY KEYBOARD TO HAVE A CAPS LOCK MALFUNCTION.

Brown Butter Triple Chocolate Cookies

Yield: about 24 medium/large cookies

1 3/4 sticks (7 oz. or 14 tablespoons) butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons greek yogurt
2 cups flour (well compacted, not spooned into measuring cup)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)
2/3 cup chopped milk chocolate
-Flaky salt, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a light-colored (so you can observe the browning) skillet, brown the butter: chop the butter and place it into the skillet over a low-medium flame. First, butter will melt. Then, it’ll start foaming and bubbling rapidly. Stir the butter frequently with a rubber spatula. After a few minutes, the bubbling will subside and golden specks will appear on the bottom of the pan and the butter will start smelling nutty. This means your butter is browned! Warning: butter should have golden/amber specks, not completely brown ones. If the butter is too browned, the cookies may have a burnt/bitter taste.

2. Immediately remove skillet from the flame and pour the browned butter into a large bowl to stop the cooking. Make sure to scrape in all the golden specks from the bottom of the pan. Let butter cool five minutes.

3. Stir sugars into the butter. Vigorously whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture turns a lighter shade. Whisk in yogurt till incorporated.

4. Pour the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the wet ingredients and stir everything together until just combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate last.

5. Round about 24 even sized balls of dough between your palms and space them out on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. (Optional: for even thicker and puffier cookies, refrigerate the shaped cookies for 40+ minutes, until the dough balls are cold and hardened.)

6. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, until you can just lift the edge of a cookie off the sheet with your hand. Let cookies firm up on baking sheets for 10 minutes before moving them.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Yes, friends. At last. We have made it! We have entered the week in which spring will officially begin (5 days people, 5 days). AND! We’ve also made it to the first Spring 2021 trend of the season to be posted on this blog.

Well. The trend. What is it? It is pastels. Pastels! My favorites! They’re trending! Big! For this spring! So, I have a plethora for you. I just realized. Color trends, in general, I’m generally a fan of (well, only if I appreciate the particular color that’s trending, but semantics).

Above are forty-eight pastel tops, bottoms, and dresses, pictured in ascending price order. And the first thirty-three garments depicted are under $100. Pastel hues above include baby blues and powder pinks and butter yellows and sage greens and lilac purples. And that just might have been my favorite sentence that I’ve written in a while. THOSE colors. They have my heart.

Click on an image to shop. Items pictured in ascending price order.

Coats, begone! I am done with you. Finished. No more coats. At least here. On the blog (maybe not on my body). For this season. We’ll circle back to you next year, mmmkay?

Because hello. It’ll be spring in just about one week! And spring equals jacket season, but of course. And jacket season equals you need a collage of sporty jackets to browse through and salivate over and add to your shopping cart, right away.

Why sporty jackets, specifically? Partly because sporty looks are quite trendy this season, partly because sporty jackets are practical and serviceable, and partly because I’m personally into sporty looks at the moment.

So. Above are forty-four sporty jackets. Pictured in ascending price order. And the first thirty-seven jackets featured are under $200. We’ve got sporty jacket styles such as bomber jackets. And trucker jackets. And boyfriend jackets. And lightweight puffer jackets. And parka jackets. And rain jackets. And sherpa jackets.

Have at this sporty selection, then.