baking

Quick Cinnamon Roll Recipe | Video
recipes

Cinnamon Rolls: Sinfully Sweet and Simple

There's nothing better in the morning than a warm, gooey cinnamon roll, but traditionally these pastries take forever to make, thanks to yeast and rising time.
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There's nothing better in the morning than a warm, gooey cinnamon roll, but traditionally these pastries take forever to make, thanks to yeast and rising time. Skip the overnight process and try our recipe for cinnamon rolls, which taste just as good as the original but only require 30 minutes of time from start to finish. We promise they're so good, it'll be hard to stop at just one.

Alcohol-Infused Cupcakes Recipe | Video
baking

Toast to Any Occasion With Kiwi-Melon Champagne Cupcakes

What happens when we combine two of our favorite things, Champagne and cupcakes?
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What happens when we combine two of our favorite things, Champagne and cupcakes? Find out when host Brandi Milloy joins Dannielle, co-owner of Sin City Cupcakes, in the kitchen to create an exclusive POPSUGAR cupcake. Watch as we learn the secret to an ethereal cupcake batter (hint: the lightness comes from two unique ingredients), then see how to build layers of fruit flavor with a tart kiwi filling and a melon-vodka-infused frosting. Check out our video, then see the recipe below.

Sweet and Savory Pie Recipes
Dessert

5 Traditional Pies For Pi Day

Happy 3.14, or Pi Day!
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Happy 3.14, or Pi Day! While some people observe the mathematical holiday with secret handshakes or memorization competitions, we couldn't think of a better way than by rounding up our best pie recipes. All of the desserts are different but delicious in their own right — click on to choose which celebratory pie you'll be making tonight.

Apple Pie Chicken Pot Pie Cherry Pie Sweet Potato Pie Pecan Pie
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How to Cut Calories When Baking Cookies
Weight Loss

How to Save Calories on Your Next Batch of Cookies

When you're in the mood for something sweet and homemade, nothing beats a batch of warm cookies straight out of the oven.
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When you're in the mood for something sweet and homemade, nothing beats a batch of warm cookies straight out of the oven. It's a cookie crime if you don't devour a couple while they're cooling on the rack, and if the rest make it to the cookie jar, you'll have a hard time walking by it without grabbing a few more. At 100 to 300 calories per cookie, those calories can really add up, which isn't great news if you're trying to watch your weight. But it is possible to bake your cookies and eat them too. Here are some ways you can save calories on that next batch.

  • Use healthier alternatives to high-calorie ingredients: Butter, eggs, oil, sour cream, and heavy cream are full of calories, so make a few lower-cal switcheroos such as avocado for butter, applesauce for oil, a banana for an egg, or Greek yogurt for sour cream, and your tastebuds won't even notice.
  • Eat a few, freeze the rest: The cookies will call to you from the kitchen, so avoid the temptation by enjoying a few and then popping the rest in the freezer. Or if you know freezing the leftovers won't keep you away, give them away. You can't consume calories from cookies you don't have.
  • Make the portions smaller: If the recipe yields two dozen regular-sized cookies, make cookies half the size to yield 48 cookies. You'll feel satisfied gobbling down a few of these smaller cookies but for fewer calories than if you ate the same amount of the larger-sized ones.
  • Use less sugar: Cookies are meant to be sweet and decadent, but you can get away with decreasing the amount of sugar without making them taste like they were made for a health food convention. Experiment with your favorite recipes to see how low you can go.
  • Go grain-free: Ditching the flour is one way to save on calories. Here's a delicious recipe for almond and coconut macaroons.
  • Omit the extras: Nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, candy bits, and dried fruit add calories to every bite, so either use less than the recipe calls for, or omit them altogether.
Scottish Shortbread
recipes

Classic Shortbread Is Easy Yet Altogether Exceptional

Sometimes less really is more; case in point: these tender, pared-down bars of Scottish shortbread made up of little more than butter, sugar, salt, flour, and cornstarch.
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Sometimes less really is more; case in point: these tender, pared-down bars of Scottish shortbread made up of little more than butter, sugar, salt, flour, and cornstarch. Sure, one could jazz them up with a hefty pinch of citrus zest, a drizzle of melted chocolate, chopped nuts, or a vast variety of other additions, but something about their simplicity and purity of buttery flavor is what makes them a star in my eyes, and those just about everyone who's tried them.

I've been making this particular recipe for over a decade, and for good reason. Their effort-to-reward ratio is shockingly high — I've been making them unassisted since my tweens — they keep well, and their rich comforting flavor is soul-soothing whether nibbled on unadorned or generously dolloped with a bit of jam or preserves. Given their short ingredient list, use the best butter you can get your hands on; it will make all the difference.

So what are you waiting for? Make this shortbread today.

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Vegetarian

Fulfill Nostalgic Needs With Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Hostess may have shut down last year, but that doesn't mean you can't still get your chocolate cream-filled cupcake fix!
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Hostess may have shut down last year, but that doesn't mean you can't still get your chocolate cream-filled cupcake fix!

Start by making an easy, classic chocolate cupcake that's fluffy and moist.

Build a surprise on the inside of each cupcake with a vanilla marshmallow filling using marshmallow fluff as a base. If you have any leftovers, make a fluffernutter sandwich with the marshmallow cream and peanut butter.

To fill the cupcakes, simply dive the star tip of the pastry bag into each cupcake's center. To fill each cupcake with the same amount, twist off a small section of the pastry bag (toward the tip) and only squeeze that amount (or less) into the cupcake. This little technique allows you to keep everything consistent, since you can't see how much marshmallow filling is actually in the center of each cupcake.

Take your time when icing the curlicue pattern: try to pipe the circles so that the edges touch each other.

OK, enough already! Time to dive in to discover that always-exciting cream center. See the Hostess-inspired cupcake recipe.

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust | Video
baking

How to Make a Gorgeous Lattice Pie Crust

Your pie crusts are rolled out and filled with spiced apples, but what about the lattice?
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Your pie crusts are rolled out and filled with spiced apples, but what about the lattice? Decorating a pie with a lattice crust might seem out of reach — until now. Our detailed tutorial will have you weaving a masterpiece in practically no time. Really, it's easy as pie!

Interesting Cupcake Recipes
recipes

9 Unconventional Cupcake Recipes

While the cupcake market may have reached its saturation point, it's safe to say most people aren't over the cupcake craze and are still as likely to bake a dozen at home as they were a few years ago.
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While the cupcake market may have reached its saturation point, it's safe to say most people aren't over the cupcake craze and are still as likely to bake a dozen at home as they were a few years ago. If you're yearning for something other than run-of-the-mill vanilla and chocolate, then take a look at these unique recipes — from vegan alternatives like pumpkin and chocolate-chip cupcakes to booze-filled ones like Champagne cupcakes. Prepare to bust out the muffin tin!

Double-Lemon Cupcakes Chocolate Stout Cupcakes With Whiskey Ganache and Irish Cream Frosting Gin and Tonic Cupcakes Double Chocolate Cupcakes With Gooey Peanut Butter Center Carrot Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting Champagne Cupcakes German Chocolate Cupcakes
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Black Pepper Beer Bread
beer

Have an Hour to Spare? Make Black Pepper Beer Bread

While few kitchen endeavors instill a greater sense of accomplishment than baking up a loaf of yeasted bread from scratch, quick breads (like beer bread) are often more practical and fill the doughy void with panache.
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While few kitchen endeavors instill a greater sense of accomplishment than baking up a loaf of yeasted bread from scratch, quick breads (like beer bread) are often more practical and fill the doughy void with panache. Take for example this tender, craggy, and all-around delectable loaf. Unlike its twice-risen brethren, it can be yours in just under an hour from start to finish — a boon for the instant gratification set. Even better, its yeasty aroma will perfume your home in an intoxicating manner as it bakes; it's a true twofer if there ever was one.

I prefer mine toasted and slathered in butter, but it's also an excellent accompaniment to soups of all stripes — especially this cheddar-beer showstopper.

Don't think you'll be able to finish up the whole loaf within a day or two? Slice up the remainder of the loaf and freeze it tightly sealed; the next time you're yearning for a slice just toast it up per usual (it may need an extra minute cook time); the freezer staves off staling exceptionally well. (This tip also translates well to near-all manner of bread, muffins, and unfrosted cake, though with cake, simply allow it to thaw at room temperature before frosting or devouring plain.)

Keep reading for the fast and easy recipe.

How to Use a Pastry Bag
cooking tips

How to Neatly Fill a Pastry Bag

Pastry bags are an indispensable tool when it comes to neatly piping cupcake fillings, frosting, icing, and even pâte à choux pastry treats like gougères.
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Pastry bags are an indispensable tool when it comes to neatly piping cupcake fillings, frosting, icing, and even pâte à choux pastry treats like gougères. That is, if you know a few simple steps that'll transform filling a pastry bag from a messy endeavor to an easy task that requires little cleanup.

To get started, you'll need a pastry bag — a large resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off works in a pinch — a pastry tip (if using), and a pint glass.

  1. First, if you're working with a pastry tip, nestle it into place. If you're not, or if you're using a disposable or reusable bag, don't bother snipping off the tip of the bag just yet; that'll come later.
  2. Place the pastry bag in the pint glass, pushing the bag's tip down until it hits the bottom of the glass, then fold the top of the bag over the rim of the glass. This way you'll have some wiggle room between the filling and the top of the bag, which makes it far less likely for the filling to overflow when in use.
  3. Load the bag to the brim of the glass with your filling, and then unfold the bag and twist it until it's taut and no air bubbles remain. If working without a pastry tip, snip off the tip of the bag and get to work piping!

Bonus: the pint glass makes for a great resting place for the filled bag when not in use.