Author name: The Food Charlatan

Shamrock Shake

If you don’t know what a Shamrock Shake is, sit yourself down for some learnin. A smooth, creamy, minty milkshake, in an Elphaba-worthy shade of green, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry just because. It’s quite possibly the best thing to come out of McDonald’s besides the Big Mac. This recipe is even…

How to Make Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is basically the pixie dust of desserts. A dollop here, a swirl there, and suddenly your entire life is better. It’s surprisingly easy to make homemade (like, charlatan easy.) All you need is heavy cream, a little powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla. Seriously, once you’ve tasted this recipe, you’ll be ignoring…

My Favorite Lemon Bars are Ridiculously Tart

If I had to choose a last meal, it would be Lemon Bars for appetizer, main, and dessert. You don’t even KNOW how fast I can finish off a pan of these bad boys; it’s embarrassing. There is just some thing incredibly bright and cheerful about them, from the crumbly-tender buttery shortbread crust, to the…

Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is usually the thing at a Mexican restaurant that I WANT to order, but can’t, because tacos. (I mean, you get this, right?) But I’m tellin you guys, don’t sleep on this recipe. IT’S SO GOOD. Like a party in your mouth. It’s perfectly spiced, creamy, warm and comforting, and healthy to…

My All-Time-Favorite Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread Cookies: do not sleep on this classic! You might think shortbread sounds boring, but that’s because you haven’t watched Rebecca’s face as she eats it on Ted Lasso yet. I’m telling you guys, classic shortbread is to-die-for. It’s simple, it’s easy, there’s not much to it…but that’s not an apology. Sometimes the simplest things…

How to Stock Your Pantry and Fridge

Some people are good at sports. Some people are amazing artists. My flex? I’m really good at having 5 tubs of sour cream on hand at all times, and enough butter to spread a thousand rolls. 🤣 Read on for all the items I keep in my fridge, pantry, and freezer, plus a long list…

Pariserwafiers (Swedish Cream Wafer Cookies)

I am O B S E S S E D with these Swedish Cream Wafer Cookies, you guys!! (Pariserwafiers? Vanilla Cream Cookies?) This is a recipe the world forgot, and I’m still mad about it. How could the previous generation have let us down so hard?? Perhaps because until you taste them, they look unexceptional:…

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (Chocolate Snickerdoodles)

These Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies could also be called Chocolate Snickerdoodles. A moist and tender chocolate cookie, with slightly crisp edges and a perfectly crackly top, rolled in cinnamon sugar for the perfect chocolate-cinnamon combo! Originally published August 24, 2018. I just bought a dresser from someone on Craigslist yesterday. Charlotte and Truman share a…

Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cake Mix

It really doesn’t get any easy (or tastier!) than this Pumpkin Dump Cake!  The two main ingredients are pumpkin and cake mix.  Mix up a can of pumpkin pie mix with a few simple ingredients, then “dump” a dry yellow cake mix on top. Drizzle with butter and bake! Voila! If you are not into…

How to make Pancake Muffins

These muffins really do taste just like Blueberry Pancakes! Not the rubbery, gummy, flavorless kind. The moist, fluffy, give-me-that-whole stack kind! The buttermilk flavor really comes through and they are irresistible with a drizzle of maple syrup on top! Originally published August 2, 2017. We recently visited Eric’s family up in Montana. We were driving…

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

The peanut butter pie to end all peanut butter pies! It’s frozen but still smooth and creamy, has a Nutter Butter crust (!!) and a thick layer of fudge at the bottom. Oh my! Did I mention it’s a no bake?? Originally published July 29, 2017. I was looking for my planner everywhere this morning and…

Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad

A classic Italian pasta salad, made with cheese-filled tortellini, tons of pepperoni, Parmesan, olives, cherry tomatoes, and more. A very simple balsamic dressing pulls it all together. It’s perfect for potlucks, BBQs, family gatherings, and lunch all week! Originally published May 4, 2017. We went camping last weekend. I always forget how much I love camping!…

Turkey Bone Broth (or Turkey Stock)

Learn how easy it is to make Turkey Stock from the bones of your Thanksgiving turkey! All you need is a picked over turkey carcass and some vegetables and herbs that you probably already have on hand from cooking your turkey. You are going to love using this flavorful turkey stock in your next soup!…

Prime Rib Recipe To Impress Your Guests

I thought prime rib must be overrated. But boy-oh-boy does it live up to the hype! There is something magical about this roast! The whole process can seem daunting, but I’m here to show you how to cook it step by step, with tons of pictures. With the right techniques (plenty of time + salt),…

The Only Caramel Apple I Will Eat

I am a Caramel Apple snob. So much of a snob, actually, that I usually don’t even bother eating them. But all that changed recently when I discovered the secret to the BEST homemade caramel sauce. These caramel apples are easy to dip, a dream to bite through, with the most FUDGY caramel texture; they…

Soft Homemade Caramel Candy

I’ve had my fair share of ho-hum Caramel Candy. Caramel is all about the texture, and too often, wrapped caramels are hard to bite into, locking your jaw in place, pausing all conversation. Even if the flavor is good, it doesn’t make up for the unpleasant chewing experience. THIS recipe, however, is absolute perfection. My…

Thick & SOFT Sugar Cookie Recipe (That Holds Its Shape)

A secret ingredient in this sugar cookies recipe makes these cookies the SOFTEST and most flavorful cookies of your life! And they even hold their shape after baking, so you get exactly what you want instead of sad blob cookies. (Frost them with The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies or Royal Icing!) Originally posted…

Biscotti For People Who Thought They Hated Biscotti

Guys, don’t judge me, but I went for years thinking that Biscotti was for old ladies only. Maybe even just the Italian ones. I mean who is eating this cardboard? People whose tastebuds have all died off, obviously. But ohhhh was I wrong. Fresh, home baked biscotti is a delight to the soul. A crispity,…

Best Corned Beef Recipe (Crockpot or Oven)

My absolute favorite recipe for corned beef and cabbage! This easy dinner is made in the slow cooker or in the oven, you can just set it and forget it! (Crockpot to the rescue, right?) This method gives you the most tender and juicy corned beef you’ve ever had. Serve it with Roasted Red Potatoes…

The Best Scone Recipe I’ve Ever Made

No, your scone is NOT supposed to be a sad dry heap of useless carbs! The best scones are crispy on the edges and tender in the middle. They are buttery, flaky, perfectly moist pieces of breakfast perfection that are surprisingly easy to make with a few tips. Don’t let the sad coffeehouse selections fool…

Leftover Roast Beef, Carrot, and Creamy Potato Pie

What to do with leftover pot roast when all the mashed potatoes are gone? Make it into a delicious savory pie! This pie has all the roast beef from your favorite meal, wrapped up in a huge amount of pie crust. Pot roast, carrots, and creamy potatoes have never been happier together. Originally published January…

The Only Breakfast Burrito Recipe You Need (Freezer Friendly!)

Welcome to the only Breakfast Burrito recipe you will ever need! Once you know the basics of this amazing make-ahead meal, you are going to be unstoppable. The possibilities are endless! I will show you all my tips and tricks for how to customize, how to store in the freezer, how to defrost and reheat,…

Roast Leg of Lamb with Blackened Honey Dijon Crust

Roast leg of lamb makes an unforgettable main dish for your Easter celebration! Roast lamb is so delicious, moist, and tender when it is done right. The secret is to crank up the oven to 500 degrees for a few minutes to get that blackened honey Dijon crust, then lower the temperature to get the…

Perfect Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies: my most recent discovery for yet another way to fill my life with jammy-almond shortbread-ish cookies. They are delicate, buttery, and dusted with powdered sugar like a Christmas village. Too often Linzer tart cookies are dry and crunchy. But this recipe is oh-so-tender, delicate, and bursting with buttery-almond flavor. And that’s before we…

White Chocolate Brownies

White chocolate brownies are like Blondies in disguise. You THINK they are just a less-cool, less-flavorful version of chocolate brownies, but oh are you wrong. They are basically Clark Kent with the glasses. Let’s see you take that shirt off Clark. Okay it got weird, just try these brownies, the white chocolate flavor is unreal!…

Scroll to Top