Copycat Chipotle Vinaigrette

Craving the Chipotle honey vinaigrette but want to make it at home? This copycat Chipotle vinaigrette is quick and easy to make and will satisfy all of your cravings. This post contains affiliate links. I’m not gonna lie to you guys. I spend a lot of time on TikTok.  I know I’m not a Gen …

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Craving the Chipotle honey vinaigrette but want to make it at home? This copycat Chipotle vinaigrette is quick and easy to make and will satisfy all of your cravings.

Spoonful of chipotle vinaigrette being held above a jar of the dressing.

This post contains affiliate links.

I’m not gonna lie to you guys. I spend a lot of time on TikTok. 

I know I’m not a Gen Z cool kid, but I love that app, ok? My feed is mostly beauty and food and it’s fun to just scroll through.

I’ve been influenced by TikTok to try a few different recipes before. The cinnamon rolls with heavy cream and the grinder sandwich are now two of my favorite recipes. 

So when I saw the Chipotle honey vinaigrette coming up a lot along with the viral quesadilla hack (come back later this week for that one), I knew I had to try my hand at making the famous dressing at home.

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Apple Galette with Salted Maple Glaze

This apple galette is easier than pie, but just as delicious. Drizzled with a salted maple glaze and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is the tastiest way to eat the season’s best apples.  As much as I love a fancy dessert, this time of year what I love even more is …

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This apple galette is easier than pie, but just as delicious. Drizzled with a salted maple glaze and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is the tastiest way to eat the season’s best apples. 

Spoon drizzling salted maple glaze over a slice of apple galette.

As much as I love a fancy dessert, this time of year what I love even more is a dessert that seems fancy but is actually really easy to make.

Galettes are perfect for this! They are meant to look rustic and are quick to throw together, but somehow end up looking really pretty when sliced and served up with a scoop of ice cream.

This apple galette recipe originally comes from my friend Allison over at Some the Wiser. It is so simple to make, but when paired with the salted maple glaze, is a real stunner! 

If you haven’t yet settled on a Thanksgiving dessert, I think this should be it. It will definitely be a hit!

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Cranberry Apple Crisp

Cranberry apple crisp is sweet, tart, and perfect for the holiday season.  This post contains affiliate links. What are you planning to make for Thanksgiving dessert this year? Is your family all about one big statement dessert – such as pumpkin cheesecake or chocolate pecan pie – or do you like to have a few different …

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Cranberry apple crisp is sweet, tart, and perfect for the holiday season. 

Spoon taking a spoonful of cranberry apple crisp out of the corner of a white baking dish.

This post contains affiliate links.

What are you planning to make for Thanksgiving dessert this year? Is your family all about one big statement dessert – such as pumpkin cheesecake or chocolate pecan pie – or do you like to have a few different desserts?

I have to say, I like the idea of having two or three simple yet flavorful desserts so that everyone can try a bit of everything. Pecan bars, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, and an apple crisp would be a dessert spread to go crazy for! 

The idea for this cranberry apple crisp originally came from my friend Emily over at Jelly Toast as a spin on her grandma’s traditional holiday apple crisp. 

I love the combination of the tart cranberries with the apples and sweet oat topping and think this would be a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

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Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin butter is a rich, delicious way to celebrate fall. Made in the slow cooker, this recipe is simple to make and is as delightful on toast as it is jarred up as a hostess gift. This post contains affiliate links. One of my favorite fall recipes is also one of your – my readers …

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Pumpkin butter is a rich, delicious way to celebrate fall. Made in the slow cooker, this recipe is simple to make and is as delightful on toast as it is jarred up as a hostess gift.

a butter knife or spreader with pumpkin butter on it lies next to a jar

This post contains affiliate links.

One of my favorite fall recipes is also one of your – my readers – favorite recipes: apple butter!

There is nothing quite like putting apple butter in my crockpot before bed, setting it to low, and waking up to the amazing smell of cinnamon and apples in the morning.

With how much I love pumpkin, I couldn’t believe that I had never yet made homemade pumpkin butter!

This was the year to change that. This pumpkin butter is so dreamy and the perfect way to start off your morning. 

Toast topped with pumpkin butter alongside a cup of coffee? Nothing could be better.

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Apple Hand Pies

Apple hand pies are everything you love about fall in one tiny, edible package. Flaky, tender pie crust with spiced apple pie filling will just make your day! This post contains affiliate links. Is there anything that screams fall more than apple pie? There’s just something special about the combo of flaky pastry, tart apples, …

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Apple hand pies are everything you love about fall in one tiny, edible package. Flaky, tender pie crust with spiced apple pie filling will just make your day!

Two apple hand pies drizzled in caramel sauce, set in front of a glass of milk.

This post contains affiliate links.

Is there anything that screams fall more than apple pie?

There’s just something special about the combo of flaky pastry, tart apples, and warm spices that makes me feel happy from the inside out.

Last year I was all about making apple crumb pie, and this year I am all about making these little apple hand pies.

They are so much fun to make, and who doesn’t love a mini dessert?

In fact, I think they’d be right at home on your Thanksgiving menu alongside mini pecan pies. How cute would it be to have a whole lineup of mini pies for dessert? 

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How to Brown Butter

What is brown butter and why is it used in recipes? Learn about the magic of this simple yet flavorful ingredient and learn how to brown butter to add a nutty flavor to so many of your recipes. Brown butter is one of those ingredients that sounds so fancy and posh. Before I knew how …

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What is brown butter and why is it used in recipes? Learn about the magic of this simple yet flavorful ingredient and learn how to brown butter to add a nutty flavor to so many of your recipes.

Gold spoon set next to a jar of brown butter on a marble countertop.

Brown butter is one of those ingredients that sounds so fancy and posh. Before I knew how to brown butter, I assumed it had to be really hard to do.

I mean, it’s used a lot in French cooking, so it had to be complicated, right?

WRONG!

Browning butter is actually really easy. You just have to have a few minutes of time and a bit of patience and you’re on your way to elevating nearly any recipe.

This is a trick you’ll add to your arsenal right alongside my buttermilk substitute that you’ll be coming back to again and again. 

If this is your first time browning butter, don’t panic. I’m going to walk you through exactly what it is, how to make it, and how to use it!

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Quick Marinara Sauce

Need a quick and easy weeknight dinner? Whip up this quick marinara sauce to go with pasta, on pizza, or use as a dipping sauce. It’s simple to make and has so many uses!  I say this every single year, but it keeps being true: back to school season is absolutely bananas. Between meet the …

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Need a quick and easy weeknight dinner? Whip up this quick marinara sauce to go with pasta, on pizza, or use as a dipping sauce. It’s simple to make and has so many uses! 

White bowl filled with marinara sauce, set on a wooden and marble board and surrounded by tomatoes and basil.

I say this every single year, but it keeps being true: back to school season is absolutely bananas.

Between meet the teacher nights and figuring out the new fall schedule for Elle’s after-school activities, I’m absolutely exhausted just thinking about dinner.

Thankfully, I’ve built up a good list of quick and easy dinners for busy weeknights. Recipes like one-pot mac and cheese, taco casserole, ham and cheese sliders, and one-pot spaghetti are all things that are easy to make and that I know my family will love.

This quick marinara sauce is another recipe I like to keep on my weeknight dinner list. There are so many ways to use it and it takes me only minutes to throw together!

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Ginger Peach Crisp

This ginger peach crisp recipe is made with a warm ginger-vanilla peach filling and topped with a crispy almond oat topping. Does it get much better than a hot bowl of peach crisp and a melty scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on a summer day? ♡ My go-to ginger peach crisp recipe is one […]

This ginger peach crisp recipe is made with a warm ginger-vanilla peach filling and topped with a crispy almond oat topping.

Ginger Peach Crisp

Does it get much better than a hot bowl of peach crisp and a melty scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on a summer day? ♡

My go-to ginger peach crisp recipe is one of those summertime faves I look forward to all year long. The moment that fresh, ripe, juicy peaches finally arrive on the scene, we turn on the oven (ever so briefly) to bake up a hot and bubbly pan to serve after dinner as the evening sunshine lingers. Then any leftovers are — of course — absolutely happening for breakfast the next morning. But once you finish up one pan, somehow another gathering always has a way of popping up that calls for one more batch, followed by more peachy breakfasts, followed by one more batch…and the delicious cycle keeps going. I mean, once you get going with this ginger peach crisp, why stop?

I’m especially partial to this particular recipe because it’s quick and easy to prep, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and the addition of fresh ginger makes all of the flavors here absolutely shine. It’s also a very flexible recipe, so feel free to sub in different kinds of fruit, nuts or seasonings that you love best. And if you really want to go decadent, I also sometimes serve this peach crisp drizzled with my favorite bourbon caramel sauce, which our friends and family absolutely adore.

So round up a few pounds of peaches while they’re still in season, and let’s bake up a delicious crisp together tonight!

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How to Soften Brown Sugar

Excited to make a recipe only to discover that your brown sugar is hard as a rock? Learn how to soften brown sugar with 4 simple methods, plus a tip for keeping your brown sugar soft so this never happens again. This post contains affiliate links. If you think that being a full-time baking blogger …

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Excited to make a recipe only to discover that your brown sugar is hard as a rock? Learn how to soften brown sugar with 4 simple methods, plus a tip for keeping your brown sugar soft so this never happens again.

Several white bowls on a marble countertop filled with soft brown sugar and hard brown sugar clumps.

This post contains affiliate links.

If you think that being a full-time baking blogger means that I always have things together in the kitchen, please think again.

I can’t tell you how often I have to throw together a buttermilk substitute because I forgot to pick up buttermilk at the store, or how often I need to reference my own post on how to make self-rising flour.

Knowing some simple baking tips and tricks has saved me a trip to the store more times than I can count.

I recently used my brown sugar substitute to throw together a batch of brown sugar after forgetting to buy some. As I was mixing it together, I realized that I’ve never shared with you how to soften brown sugar.

Give these tricks a try next time you find yourself staring at a bag of rock-hard brown sugar.

White bowl filled with hard clumps of brown sugar.

BAKING PREDICAMENT: HARDENED BROWN SUGAR

I think we’ve all probably been in this situation. You are excited to be making banana oat muffins or grilled peaches, but when you open up your container of brown sugar, you find that it is lumpy and hard as a rock.

Brown sugar needs moisture to stay often. It hardens when the moisture in the sugar evaporates.

I used to think that was it, end of story. Time to throw it out and buy a new bag of brown sugar.

But not only is that a waste of money, it’s also totally not true! 

Not only is it possible to soften brown sugar, there are multiple ways to do it using things you probably already have in your kitchen.

So next time you’re making brown sugar simple syrup or  overnight cinnamon rolls (or the famous TikTok cinnamon rolls with heavy cream), don’t stress if your brown sugar has hardened. 

Hand stirring soft brown sugar in a white bowl with a fork.

HOW TO SOFTEN BROWN SUGAR

There are 4 methods for softening brown sugar that I really love, plus a bonus 5th method that works with some caveats.

All of these methods bring moisture back into the sugar. Some do so quickly, while others take a bit of time. They all work well, so pick the one that works best based on what you have available and how much time you have to work with.

While there are other methods out there, these are my favorites and the ones I think work best.

Hand placing a damp paper towel over the top of a white bowl.

The microwave method

If you need to know how to soften brown sugar quickly, the microwave method is for you. This is definitely the fastest method, so it’s great if you need soft brown sugar right now.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Place the hard brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Wet a paper towel and wring it out so it’s slightly damp.
  3. Cover the bowl with the damp paper towel and microwave in 10-second increments until the brown sugar is crumbly again, using a fork between intervals to help break up the sugar.
Hand using a fork to break up clumps of brown sugar in a white bowl.

How long will this take? Well, it’ll depend on how much brown sugar you’re trying to soften and just how hard and dry it is.

Be patient and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see much progress after the first couple of intervals. Keep going – all of a sudden, you’ll find yourself stirring beautifully soft brown sugar again.

Hand placing a lid on an airtight container. Through the lid you can see a slice of bread inside.

The bread method

This next trick sounds weird, but I promise that it works. 

For this one, all you have to do is place a slice of fresh bread in an airtight container with the hardened brown sugar.

Let the bread sit in the sugar container for about a day. At that point, the sugar will have absorbed enough moisture from the bread to become soft again.

Use a fork to break up any remaining clumps of sugar and remove the bread so it doesn’t mold.

Clumps of hard brown sugar on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

The oven method

The oven method isn’t as quick as the microwave method, but it is still a good trick for softening brown sugar pretty quickly. And it works well if you don’t have a microwave handy.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Place the hard brown sugar on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Place the baking sheet in a 250°F oven.
  3. Check on the brown sugar every few minutes and break it up with a fork. Return it to the oven and repeat until the brown sugar is soft.
  4. Let the brown sugar cool slightly before using in your recipe.

DO NOT try to speed up this process by raising the oven temperature! Just like with the microwave method, it’s hard to predict how long it will take, so be patient and keep at it.

Fork stirring soft brown sugar on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

The terra cotta method

This method is the only trick that might require you to buy some special equipment, since it uses a piece of terra cotta.

You can purchase special terra cotta brown sugar savers – disks of terra cotta that are the right size to pop into a container of brown sugar. You can also purchase special brown sugar storage containers that have a spot in the lid made to hold a terra cotta disk.

If you have a small, clean terra cotta plant saucer, you could use that instead, but you want to make sure that it has never been used for plants and that it will fit in your brown sugar container. 

I think it’s easier to buy the disks made for this purpose, since the size is better and you know they’re nice and clean.

Hand placing a disk of terra cotta in a bowl of water next to a container with hard brown sugar lumps in it.

To use terra cotta to soften your brown sugar:

  1. Soak the terra cotta disk in water for 20 minutes.
  2. Pat the terra cotta dry with a clean towel to remove excess water.
  3. Place the dry disk in an airtight container with the brown sugar. The terra cotta will revive the sugar in about a day, or keep new brown sugar from drying out.

BONUS! The apple method

I promised you 4 methods, but here’s a bonus 5th method!

I am listing it as a bonus method because it does come with some caveats.

Use the same instructions as the bread method, but use a few apple slices instead of a slice of bread. 

Place the apple slices in an airtight container with the brown sugar and give it about a day to do its job. Make sure you remove the apples after the brown sugar has softened.

Here are the caveats: The apples can get pretty mushy and it can transfer some of its flavor to the brown sugar. (So it would be fine for making apple coffee cake but maybe not in other recipes.)

Definitely keep all of that in mind if you plan to give the apple method a try!

Soft brown sugar inside of a closed airtight container.

HOW TO KEEP BROWN SUGAR SOFT

It’s helpful to know how to soften brown sugar, but it’s even more helpful to know how to keep it soft so it never hardens to begin with!

Always store brown sugar in an airtight container, rather than the bag or box it came in. That will help extend its shelf life quite a bit.

Some people will keep a slice of bread in their brown sugar container to keep it soft, but that’s a mold situation waiting to happen if you ask me.

In my opinion, the best way to keep brown sugar soft is to use the terra cotta method. The soaked terra cotta kept in an airtight container will help maintain the correct moisture level for your brown sugar.

The terra cotta will keep your brown sugar soft for 3-6 months. Make sure you re-soak it as needed according to the manufacturer’s directions. 

That way, you never have to worry about rock-hard brown sugar again and you always have perfectly soft brown sugar for all of your favorite recipes!

White bowls on a marble countertop. One is filled with soft brown sugar, another is filled with hard brown sugar clumps.

How to Soften Brown Sugar

Excited to make a recipe only to discover that your brown sugar is hard as a rock? Soften your hardened brown sugar with these 4 simple methods.

Materials

  • Hardened brown sugar

Tools

Instructions

Microwave method

  1. Place the hard brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Wet a paper towel and wring it out so it’s slightly damp.
  3. Cover the bowl with the damp paper towel and microwave in 10-second increments until the brown sugar is crumbly again, using a fork between intervals to help break up the sugar.

Bread method

  1. Place a slice of fresh bread in an airtight container with the hardened brown sugar.
  2. Let bread sit for about a day. Use a fork to break up any remaining clumps of sugar and remove the bread so it doesn’t mold.

Oven method

  1. Place the hard brown sugar on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Place the baking sheet in a 250°F oven.
  3. Check on the brown sugar every few minutes and break it up with a fork. Return it to the oven and repeat until the brown sugar is soft.
  4. Let the brown sugar cool slightly before using in your recipe.

Terra cotta method

  1. Soak a terra cotta disk in water for 20 minutes.
  2. Pat the terra cotta dry with a clean towel to remove excess water.
  3. Place the dry disk in an airtight container with the brown sugar. The terra cotta will revive the sugar in about a day, or keep new brown sugar from drying out.

Did you make this project?

Show me! Tag me on social. @jamiemba

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Grilled Peaches

Grilled peaches are a fun and easy way to celebrate one of summer’s best fruits. Topped with brown sugar and spices, these peaches are amazing when served with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of honey. This post contains affiliate links. One of our favorite summer fruits is peaches. However, the ones that …

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Grilled peaches are a fun and easy way to celebrate one of summer’s best fruits. Topped with brown sugar and spices, these peaches are amazing when served with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of honey.

Honey being drizzled over grilled peach halves arranged on a wooden platter.

This post contains affiliate links.

One of our favorite summer fruits is peaches. However, the ones that we typically purchase from the grocery store here in Ohio are totally hit or miss. 

Some are delicious and some are bland and mealy. If you’ve ever bitten into a mealy peach, you know why my daughter thought she disliked fresh peaches for an entire summer when she was around 3. 

A few years ago, we ordered fresh peaches from The Peach Truck, but your girl is not made to wait in long lines to pick up a crate of peaches that seemingly go bad within a few days, so I wisened up and ordered a dozen at a time from their website along with their peach jam.

I know mail order peaches may seem a little ridiculous to some, but to us, those peaches are worth every single penny. And if you’ve ever had one, you know exactly what I am talking about – they are truly peach perfection. 

We typically enjoy the peaches fresh, but we also love whipping up peach desserts like these simple grilled peaches. Top them off with ice cream or whipped cream for a sweet and delicious summer dessert.

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