Weekend Baking at the Allan’s

Weekend Baking at the Allan’s Helping home bakers make cozy, confidence-building recipes
Bread • sweet bakes • comfort food
From my kitchen to yours 🤍

Have you ever had a baking project that seemed determined not to happen?This cake started with a request from my friend ...
06/16/2026

Have you ever had a baking project that seemed determined not to happen?

This cake started with a request from my friend Martha Rodriguez for a lemon pound cake. Simple enough, right?

Then the power went out Friday night.

Saturday turned into the Roots & Tides drive because what else do you do when your house has no electricity? Sunday was spent catching up on laundry, cleaning, and all the chores that pile up after a 24-hour outage. This morning we rented jet skis and spent time on the South River.

By 3:30 this afternoon I finally decided it was time to bake.

Of course, the adventure wasn’t over.

My lemon juicer was already a casualty from making homemade lemonade last week. The cake rose high enough to hit the oven rack. I had to remove the rack mid-bake, leaving the top looking a little rough around the edges.

But sometimes the best recipes come from the messiest days.

This Blueberry Lemon Curd Pound Cake turned out incredibly moist, packed with fresh blueberries, and layered with ribbons of homemade lemon curd. The cake itself isn’t overly sweet, but every bite that hits a pocket of lemon curd delivers a bright burst of tart lemon flavor.

And if you’ve ever been intimidated by homemade lemon curd, don’t be. If you can scramble an egg, you can make lemon curd (thank you Sally's Baking Addiction - Recipes for the introduction to lemon curd). It takes just a few ingredients and is absolutely worth the effort.

A huge thank you to Martha for the recipe request. What started as a simple lemon pound cake turned into something even better.

When Chris took his first bite, he said it was delicious. When I asked, “Just delicious?” he corrected himself and called it extraordinary.

I’ll take that review. ❤️

What’s a recipe request you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t made yet?

06/13/2026

Well was supposed to do some baking projects today. But we got hit with a very small but mighty storm cell last night. She only lasted 15 mins and only about 1 mile on either side but she took out our power over 12 hours ago. So I guess I have to wait to tomorrow.

Have you ever avoided making a meal because you thought it would take too long?Tonight was Chicken Parmesan, pasta, roas...
06/11/2026

Have you ever avoided making a meal because you thought it would take too long?

Tonight was Chicken Parmesan, pasta, roasted broccoli, and garlic knots from the freezer.

When I started pounding out the chicken, Chris poured himself a bourbon and settled in to watch golf. He figured Chicken Parmesan meant dinner was at least an hour away.

A little while later, I flung open the doors between the kitchen and living room and announced dinner was ready.

The truth is, some of the best homemade meals aren’t complicated at all. A few simple ingredients, a good jar of sauce, and a little prep can turn into a restaurant-worthy dinner faster than most people think.

And yes, pounding the chicken was probably the hardest workout of my upper-body day. 😄

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that homemade doesn’t have to mean difficult.

What’s a meal you think is complicated but have always wanted to try making at home?

Have you ever started a recipe and immediately decided it was more of a suggestion than a set of instructions? 🍓😂Today’s...
06/09/2026

Have you ever started a recipe and immediately decided it was more of a suggestion than a set of instructions? 🍓😂

Today’s project was Strawberry Cheesecake Bites, and somewhere along the way things got… creative.

The graham cracker crust got an unauthorized splash of vanilla. Then I made way too much crust. Then I accidentally put the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg into the bowl all at once. At this point, the recipe and I were simply traveling in the same direction.

Fortunately, Lady Whiskington’s trusty companion, The Viscount of Vanilla (trusted hand mixer), was on duty. As Chief Improvisation Officer, he firmly believes that recipes are merely recommendations and that vanilla should be added whenever possible.

Despite our best efforts to ignore proper cheesecake protocol, the results were delicious. Fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries gave them a subtle, natural strawberry flavor, the graham cracker crust added the perfect crunch, and Chris declared them “exactly one bite” and “high-end restaurant worthy.” To be fair, he says nice things about most of my cooking, but I’ll take the compliment anyway.

The best part? These are exactly the kind of treat I was hoping for. Not too sweet, easy to grab from the fridge, and just the right size for an afternoon coffee or a little something after dinner.

So tell me… are you a strict recipe follower, or do you have a little Viscount of Vanilla living in your kitchen too? 🍓🧁

From my kitchen to yours — Weekend Baking at the Allan’s

What is your favorite bread for sandwiches? 🍞This weekend’s bake was a new one for me: Brown Butter Honey Oat Farmhouse ...
06/09/2026

What is your favorite bread for sandwiches? 🍞

This weekend’s bake was a new one for me: Brown Butter Honey Oat Farmhouse Bread.

I wanted a loaf that would be sturdy enough for roast beef and chicken sandwiches but still soft enough for toast and morning coffee. After an overnight cold proof, a little brown butter, a touch of honey, and a warm honey-butter glaze, this loaf came out even better than I hoped.

The kitchen smelled absolutely incredible while it baked. The kind of smell that makes you stand in front of the oven pretending you’re checking on the bread every five minutes.

The best review came from Chris. His official feedback was simply, “Delicious,” followed by a dramatic eye roll of happiness. 😂

I’d call that a success.

From my kitchen to yours — Weekend Baking at the Allan’s ❤️

What’s your favorite sandwich bread: classic white, honey oat, sourdough, or something else?

What’s your favorite afternoon pick-me-up—coffee, tea, or something sweet?There may be fancy bakeries out there, but som...
06/08/2026

What’s your favorite afternoon pick-me-up—coffee, tea, or something sweet?

There may be fancy bakeries out there, but sometimes the best afternoon treat is a homemade biscotti and an iced coffee enjoyed right at home.

Today’s coffee break featured homemade chocolate cherry orange biscotti and a cold iced coffee from my coffee bar.

Simple ingredients. Simple moments. And honestly? Those are often the best ones.

What’s your favorite afternoon treat?

Getting my groove on!!!!!
06/08/2026

Getting my groove on!!!!!

Have you ever made a recipe that was good, but you immediately knew how you’d make it even better next time?Tonight was ...
06/07/2026

Have you ever made a recipe that was good, but you immediately knew how you’d make it even better next time?

Tonight was slow cooker baby back ribs, honey butter cornbread, and bacon garlic green beans.

The ribs were as tender as ever, and I tried adding Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. The change was subtle, but it added a little extra depth to the flavor.

The real surprise was the green beans. Chris loved them, but I learned something too. I boiled them for 5 minutes before finishing them in bacon grease with garlic. Next time I’ll only blanch them for 2–3 minutes to keep a little more bite and texture.

One of my favorite things about cooking at home is that every meal teaches you something. You don’t have to be a chef—just willing to make a note and try again next time.

What’s a recipe you’ve tweaked over the years that is better now than when you first made it?

What’s your favorite treat to enjoy with an afternoon coffee? ☕️💛Ever since I finished setting up my coffee bar, I’ve fa...
06/07/2026

What’s your favorite treat to enjoy with an afternoon coffee? ☕️💛

Ever since I finished setting up my coffee bar, I’ve fallen into a new routine—an iced coffee and a biscotti every afternoon.

After making lemon white chocolate almond biscotti earlier this week, I decided the coffee bar needed another flavor in the jar. This time I went with Dark Chocolate Cherry Orange Biscotti made with freeze-dried cherries, dark chocolate, and fresh orange zest.

There was a brief moment when the freeze-dried cherries decided to form what can only be described as a cherry glob and refused to stay crushed. 😂🍒 But a little persistence (and a knife) won the battle.

One of my favorite things about baking is that recipes like this look impressive but are made with simple ingredients and a little time in the kitchen. You don’t need a bakery to enjoy bakery-style treats at home.

The dark chocolate, cherry, and orange combination turned out rich, bright, and perfect alongside an iced coffee. I have a feeling these are going to disappear from the coffee bar jar pretty quickly.

So tell me… if you were grabbing one to enjoy with your coffee this afternoon, would you choose lemon white chocolate almond biscotti or dark chocolate cherry orange biscotti? ☕️🍒🍫

From my kitchen to yours — Weekend Baking at the Allan’s

Have you ever come home from a great day and realized you still have to figure out dinner? 😄Chris surprised me with a hi...
06/05/2026

Have you ever come home from a great day and realized you still have to figure out dinner? 😄

Chris surprised me with a hike at Patapsco Valley State Park today. While we may disagree on what officially qualifies as a hike (my definition starts at 5+ miles and his is somewhere under 3), we compromised at 4 miles and spent the day exploring beautiful trails. It definitely did not disappoint.

What also didn’t disappoint was the Maryland heat. After hiking 4 miles in 90-degree weather, spending hours in the kitchen was not on my list of things I wanted to do.

That’s exactly why I love meals like this.

These Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls came together with frozen Asian stir-fry vegetables, cauliflower rice, and a simple honey garlic sauce that took just minutes to make. Minimal prep, minimal cleanup, and maximum flavor. The chicken gets sticky and caramelized, the vegetables add color and crunch, and the whole meal feels like something much more complicated than it actually is.

One of the things I want to share here is that home-cooked meals don’t have to be difficult to be delicious. You don’t need fancy ingredients, complicated techniques, or hours of prep work to put something flavorful on the table. Sometimes the best dinners are the ones that come together quickly after a full day of living life.

From my kitchen to yours — Weekend Baking at the Allan’s ❤️

What’s your favorite quick and easy dinner when you’ve had a busy day but still want something homemade?

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Annapolis, MD
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