Snackable Bakes - Halloween edition

Hello peeps. So despite the fact that this letter is sliding into your inboxes on Halloween, the actual Halloween content in here is on the light side. I mean, yes, of course, I am sharing my Giant Reese's PB Cup from Snackable Bakes with you because a) Reese’s PB Cups are my fave candy - Hallows’ Eve or not and b) because it is extremely easy and tasty and needs to be in your collection of candy recipes regardless of the time of year, holiday, etc.; and c) because I posted an Instagram reel today of me making it, and I love the synergy of that. 

One note, though, about the recipe that I wanted to share after remaking it last week for the reel: please consider rubbing oil into the pan before preparing the treat, or spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. For the first time ever, and I’ve made this massive cutie many times, I had some difficulty removing the cup from the pan post-freeze, which I THINK may be because it was quite frozen by the time I tried to do so - the directions instruct you to let it hang in the freezer at least 45 minutes, and I think I’d try to remove it around then. Also when applying the final layer of chocolate, try to keep it inside the pan, as opposed to letting it seep over the edges, as once the chocolate seepage freezes it makes removal extra tricky.

Alright, that’s the Halloween portion of the letter and now we’re onto the banana bread content - but not just any banana bread, but one with creme fraiche and cocoa powder and chocolate chips and prunes . . . Prunes are my new fave thing, as they are delicious and oh, so good for you. CA Prunes sponsors my podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie, so yes, I have a soft spot for them, BUT I have also been told by my own doctor to eat more prunes for healthy bones - and so I do so each day, either straight-up or in a smoothie. This chocolate banana bread with prunes is a brand new recipe and I could not be more excited to share it with you here.

Speaking of She’s My Cherry Pie, the new season dropped this past Saturday and my first guest is Melissa Weller. Melissa is known for her sticky buns, bagels, and babka and it is her babka that we go deep on during the episode...

And, we are taking the pod on the road! Next week we’re having an event in Los Angeles at the amazing bakery/cafe/restaurant, Republique on Monday, November 6th at 1:00 pm PST - so if you live in Los Angeles or are LA-adjacent, I hope you’ll come. I will be interviewing four, iconic LA bakers and tickets are available here. 

I’m also going to be baking on two different LA morning shows while I’m there: one on CA Live and one on KTLA. I’m going to be making a variety of pies on CA Live, in light of the fact my podcast is called She’s My Cherry Pie, and the pod is the reason I’ll be in LA in the first place. 

And one of those pies (okay, tarts) that I’ll be sharing on TV, is my pumpkin tart with a chocolate cookie crust and a chocolate drizzle. I love that a tart has less filling than a pie; and thus that the crust is a bit more front and center (particularly here, as I am not a HUGE fan of pumpkin pie (sorry, haters)) and yet adore a chocolate cookie crust). And pumpkin and chocolate are not only wonderful together in terms of flavor (the vegetal sweetness of the pumpkin plays beautifully with the slightly bitter, yet sweet flavor of the cookies), but they also look great together. Try Oreo Thins instead of Nabisco Chocolate Wafers for the crust, as the wafers have been discontinued. Oh, and did I mention that you serve this tart with cinnamon whipped cream? Well, you do, and in my book, a flavored whipped cream is always a good idea. The recipe is from my second cookbook. The Vintage Baker, and can be found here.

Finally, wanted to share that when I return from LA, it will almost be time for Cooks & Books - a fab Cherry Bombe event that celebrates cookbooks. The event takes place on Saturday November 11th and I’ll be hosting a baking panel at the event with Yossy Areffi, Samantha Seneviratne, Zoe Francois and Rose Wilde. I hope you’ll consider coming - tickets are here.

Finally, if you enjoyed this newsletter and liked being the first to see a new recipe, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to our paid newsletter that comes out once a month. That’s where you’ll see and hear all about my next cookbook, a savory version of Snackable Bakes (it actually has a title, and if you subscribe to the newsletter, I’ll tell you what it is!). In addition to exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and interviews, you’ll also get a recipe from the new book, months ahead of everyone else. Our next paid edition comes out on November 7th - so don’t sleep on subscribing!

See you next time!