Shortbread Cookies Recipe

This shortbread cookie recipe is easy to make with 5 simple ingredients. The cookies are tender and buttery. They practically melt in your mouth!

Shortbread cookies are perfect for the holidays, but they’re so delicious that I make them all throughout the year. They have crisp edges, a buttery flavor, and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. When I want a little treat to enjoy with a coffee or tea, shortbread cookies always hit the spot. I’ve previously shared a lemon shortbread cookie recipe and an orange shortbread cookie recipe, but this classic shortbread recipe is the one I make the most. The cookies are simple, scrumptious, and easy to make with 5 ingredients. Add them to a Christmas cookie plate this season, or keep them…

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Homemade Mac and Cheese

This homemade mac and cheese recipe will be a hit with the whole family! It's insanely cheesy, so creamy, and baked with crispy breadcrumbs on top.

If your family is anything like ours, then this baked mac and cheese recipe will be a huge hit. Jack can’t get enough of it, I keep finding myself going back for more, and our kiddo has been asking for “MAC!” ever since the first time he tried it. It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, and it’s packed with gooey noodles and crispy, toasty breadcrumbs. Seriously, comfort food doesn’t get better than this. I’ve been wanting to add a baked macaroni and cheese recipe to the blog for a while now. A few years back, I ran an Instagram poll about holiday…

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Vegan Pie Crust

Learn how to make vegan pie crust! This recipe yields a tender, flaky crust that's easy to make in the food processor and delicious in any pie recipe.

This vegan pie crust recipe rivals any regular pie crust I’ve tried. It has a perfect tender, flaky texture, and it’s easy to make in the food processor with just 4 ingredients. Even beginners can pull it off! I adapted this vegan pie crust from my all-butter pie crust, making a few minor tweaks to the recipe. For starters, I used dairy-free butter and omitted the salt because good-tasting vegan butter is always salted. Then, I reduced the amount of butter in the recipe. Vegan butter is significantly softer than regular butter, so I needed less to make a pliable…

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Best Peanut Butter Cookies

The BEST peanut butter cookies! They have soft, chewy middles, crisp edges, and a delicious nutty flavor. The recipe is easy to make with 9 ingredients.

I’ve made a LOT of peanut butter cookies over the years. These peanut butter cookies are the best ones yet. They have soft and chewy middles, lightly crisp edges, and a delicious peanut butter flavor. I love that the recipe is easy to make with 9 ingredients, all of which I keep on hand in my pantry. And because I have zero patience when it comes to cookies, I also love that you don’t have chill the dough. What can I say? When I want homemade peanut butter cookies, I want them ASAP. So if you need a no-fuss peanut butter…

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Best Guacamole Recipe

The BEST guacamole recipe! It's easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients like ripe avocados, onion, and lime juice. Great with chips, tacos, and more!

If you don’t already have a go-to guacamole recipe, let me introduce you to mine. This guacamole recipe is easy to make. You can whip it up in 10 minutes or less! It calls for simple, fresh ingredients. Think ripe avocados, onion, cilantro, and lime. It’s DELICIOUS. This homemade guacamole is creamy, zesty, and bright. I developed the recipe while I was living in Austin, Texas. The city has incredible Tex Mex and Mexican food, and I ate a TON of great guac at local restaurants there. It inspired me to learn how to make guacamole at home. With a…

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Air Fryer Cauliflower

If you're craving a savory side dish or snack, make this air fryer cauliflower recipe! Spices like smoked paprika and cayenne fill it with bold flavor.

This air fryer cauliflower recipe is about to become your new favorite veggie side dish! It’s crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and seasoned to perfection with a blend of savory spices. I love regular roasted cauliflower, but I have to admit—this air fryer cauliflower recipe is on another level. What makes it so delicious? Before I cook the cauliflower florets, I dredge them in a quick panko coating. It crisps up beautifully in the air fryer, giving the cauliflower an irresistible crunchy texture. I love this cauliflower on its own as a side dish or snack, but…

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Margherita Pizza

This margherita pizza recipe is a celebration of simple, fresh ingredients! Juicy tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese top a crisp, chewy crust.

I think of margherita pizza as the heartier cousin of Caprese salad, with a crisp, chewy crust supporting the delicious trio of tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. You’ll find this classic pizza on the menu of any Neapolitan pizza joint, but you can also make a really great homemade version. This margherita pizza recipe is here to prove it! Margherita Pizza Ingredients My biggest tip for making margherita pizza is to use the best ingredients you can find. Because this classic dish is so simple, the quality of each component counts. Here’s what you’ll need: Pizza dough, of course! We make…

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21 Types of Squash

Types of squash go WAY beyond butternut and zucchini! Keep reading to learn how to cook some of my favorite summer and winter squash varieties.

How many different types of squash have you tried? There’s good reason to go beyond butternut and zucchini. Each variety of summer or winter squash has its own unique taste and texture, and it lends itself well to different cooking methods and dishes. Delicata squash wouldn’t be my first choice for soup, for example, but acorn squash or kabocha would be fantastic. I might not stuff a patty pan squash, but I would sauté it to make a delicious side dish. Below, I’m breaking down 21 common types of squash and sharing my favorite ways to cook them. I hope…

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Coffee Smoothie

Learn how to make a coffee smoothie to kickstart your morning! Made with banana, almond butter, and more, it's a delicious healthy breakfast or snack.

This coffee smoothie recipe is perfect for busy mornings. You know those days when you have time to make a cup of coffee or a healthy breakfast…but not both? Now you don’t have to choose! Blend up this coffee smoothie, and you can enjoy coffee + breakfast in a single glass. I love this one-and-done morning treat. Made with simple ingredients like coffee, frozen banana, almond butter, and dates, it’s super easy to put together, and it’s so delicious. The banana and almond butter give it an amazing creamy texture, and the dates make it rich and sweet. And of course,…

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Falafel

Packed with fresh herbs and spices, this crispy baked falafel recipe is bursting with flavor. Stuff it into a pita wrap with all the fixings, and enjoy!

I’ll never forget the first time I tried falafel. Stuffed into pita bread with fresh herbs, crisp veggies, and a big slather of hummus, it was crispy, rich, and bursting with earthy, aromatic flavor. I devoured the entire wrap in minutes, amazed at the medley of tastes and textures dancing across my tongue. Falafel has been one of my favorite foods ever since. I still order it out to eat whenever I get the chance, but these days, I more often make this homemade falafel recipe. What Is Falafel? I’m getting ahead of myself. What is falafel, anyway? In case…

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Mango Smoothie

This cool, creamy mango smoothie is easy to make with just 5 ingredients! Blend it up in minutes for a healthy breakfast or ultra-refreshing snack.

This mango smoothie recipe is like sunshine in a glass! It’s cool and creamy, with a sweet, tangy tropical flavor and the cheeriest color around. It tastes so good that it could pass as dessert, but it’s really an easy, healthy option for any time of day. This mango smoothie recipe calls for 5 simple ingredients and comes together in under 5 minutes. What’s not to love about that? Mango Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you need to make this healthy mango smoothie recipe: Frozen mango chunks – Grab a bag of frozen mango from your grocery store, or get…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.