Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast)

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You don’t have to choose between popping open a can or spending half your day tending to dough. Packed with gooey filling, smothered in rich glaze, and made without yeast, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls can be ready to enjoy in under an hour.

You don't have to choose between popping open a can or spending half your day tending to dough. Packed with gooey filling, smothered in rich glaze, and made without yeast, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are ready to enjoy in under an hour.

I recently heard the period of April and May described as the Christmas season’s slightly less hyper sister. It’s true, y’all. Even without the insane busyness of wrapping up the time-consuming project for the capstone class of my Masters degree, we’ve still got T-ball games, science fairs, awards days, state tests, and more. I don’t mind being busy, but I don’t like when that busyness keeps me from doing something I love — baking.

I realized last Sunday morning that I hadn’t made a new recipe in quite some time. My kitchen is my happy place, so of course that realization got me thinking about what I could whip up to share with my Sunday school classmates at church. These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls were the clear winner. Because they lack yeast and don’t require rising time, they’re super easy to make in just a couple hours.

I used my beloved KitchenAid stand mixer to stir and knead the dough, but it can be done by hand, too. With a straightforward filling and a two-ingredient glaze, this recipe is easier to make than you probably thought Homemade Cinnamon Rolls could be. They’re perfect for lazy Saturday mornings or special occasion brunches.

You don't have to choose between popping open a can or spending half your day tending to dough. Packed with gooey filling, smothered in rich glaze, and made without yeast, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are ready to enjoy in under an hour.

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Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

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Lemon Meringue Pie Bites are wonderfully light, refreshingly tart, and absolutely satisfying. Don’t let the fanciness fool you- these little bites of perfection are surprisingly easy to make.

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites are wonderfully light, refreshingly tart, and absolutely satisfying. Don't let the fanciness fool you- these little bites of perfection are surprisingly easy to make.

Most weeks I incorporate taking recipe photos into everyday life. After all, nearly every recipe I make is meant to be enjoyed by my family. It isn’t uncommon for me to make dinner and then take photos before serving the food.

Lately, though, life has been a little crazier, and making time for photos has been tough, especially with the sun setting so early. So a few Saturdays ago I had a marathon recipe session. I made Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes, Lighter Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, Crispy Baked Potato Wedges and, of course, these adorable little Lemon Meringue Pie Bites.

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites are wonderfully light, refreshingly tart, and absolutely satisfying. Don't let the fanciness fool you- these little bites of perfection are surprisingly easy to make.

I knew I’d be making these as soon as I realized I had leftover lemon curd from making Baked Lemon Hand Pies, as well as leftover egg whites from making the Homemade Lemon Curd. There wasn’t quite enough curd left to make a full pie, plus these meringue nests are just too darn cute to resist.

I’m not prepared to admit how many of these guys I ate. It was a few, okay? They’re so light and airy! I got too excited and filled all the meringues, meaning they needed to be eaten that day. Looking back, I should have left some of them empty, stored them in the fridge, and then filled them to be eaten on Sunday.

Oh, well. Looks like I’ll just have to make them again!

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites are wonderfully light, refreshingly tart, and absolutely satisfying. Don't let the fanciness fool you- these little bites of perfection are surprisingly easy to make.

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Classic Homemade Cream Puffs

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Don’t be intimidated! Classic Homemade Cream Puffs, with their fluffy dough and their lighter-than-air filling, are surprisingly easy to make and totally worth the effort!

Don't be intimidated! Classic Homemade Cream Puffs, with their fluffy dough and their lighter-than-air filling, are surprisingly easy to make and totally worth the effort!

Caution: the words in the following paragraphs are potentially hazardous to your kitchen and your waistline. You’ve been warned.

Y’all, Classic Homemade Cream Puffs are way easier to make than you might think. The dough doesn’t have any finicky steps, and the cream filling is literally just whipped cream (it’s also called Chantilly cream; use that term if it makes you feel fancier).

The dough is made on the stove top, which at first glance makes it seem a little trickier than most doughs, but there’s nothing to it. No thermometer or special gadgets required. Just a little bit of stirring and, voila, you’ve got your dough (called pâte à choux, another fancy term) faster than it takes to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Don't be intimidated! Classic Homemade Cream Puffs, with their fluffy dough and their lighter-than-air filling, are surprisingly easy to make and totally worth the effort!

The puffs bake for under 25 minutes and then, because they’re light and airy, they cool quickly. The whipped cream filling, which you can totally customize based on your own preferences, comes together in just a few minutes. Fill those little beauties with cream and your done!

So if you’ve been avoiding making your own classic homemade cream puffs because you feared they were far too difficult for the average home cook to pull off, let me tell you, you’re wrong.

Like I said, you’ve been warned.

Don't be intimidated! Classic Homemade Cream Puffs, with their fluffy dough and their lighter-than-air filling, are surprisingly easy to make and totally worth the effort!

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Easy Instant Pot Baked Beans

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With a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky, Easy Instant Pot Baked Beans will be your new favorite side dish for every cookout and picnic.

With a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky, Easy Instant Pot Baked Beans will be your new favorite side dish for every cookout and picnic.

As a food blogger, I take nearly any available opportunity to test out recipes on people other than family. That’s why I recently volunteered to make baked beans for the hospitality room at the district basketball tournament at the high school. I knew right away I’d be making Easy Instant Pot Baked Beans.

With no soaking necessary, these guys are the perfect balance of sweet and smoky and spicy. Though there’s little work required, the end result is a batch of beans that taste like they’ve simmering all.day.long. It’s not hard to see why this will quickly become your go-to baked beans recipe.

With a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky, Easy Instant Pot Baked Beans will be your new favorite side dish for every cookout and picnic.

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Homemade Lemon Curd

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The recipe possibilities are endless and the flavor is unbelievable. You won’t regret taking a little extra time to make your own Homemade Lemon Curd.

The recipe possibilities are endless and the flavor is unbelievable. You won't regret taking a little extra time to make your own Homemade Lemon Curd.

My mom has been making her own homemade lemon curd for as long as I can remember. She makes these to-die-for shortbread cookies – I’ll share the recipe one day – and stuffs some with chocolate ganache and some with lemon curd. She uses it in other recipes, too, and of course it’s amazing straight from the spoon.

I’ve used my homemade lemon curd to make Baked Lemon Hand Pies and Lemon Meringue Pie Bites. I’ve also got about a dozen more ideas brewing that I’ll hopefully get to share sometime soon.

What would you make with homemade lemon curd?

The recipe possibilities are endless and the flavor is unbelievable. You won't regret taking a little extra time to make your own Homemade Lemon Curd.

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Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes

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Why not combine two of your all-time favorite party foods and make these perfectly cheesy and irresistibly savory Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes?

Why not combine two of your all-time favorite party foods and make these perfectly cheesy and irresistibly savory Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes?

Are you ever awed by your own brilliance?

I’m not, at least usually, but one exception would be these Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes. I can’t remember what led to that stroke of culinary genius, but I remember standing in front of the refrigerator, both doors open, and thinking, “I should make jalapeño popper twice-baked potatoes!”

And so I did.

Why not combine two of your all-time favorite party foods and make these perfectly cheesy and irresistibly savory Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes?

I poppered these puppies up in a few different ways. First, I added diced jalapeños to the potato filling. I tossed in some cream cheese, too. Lastly, I topped each potato half with a mixture of Parmesan and bread crumbs to give the whole dish that golden crunch you expect from good jalapeño poppers.

I know I’m not the first person to combine these two particular food favorites, but damn is it a good combo.

Why not combine two of your all-time favorite party foods and make these perfectly cheesy and irresistibly savory Jalapeño Popper Twice-Baked Potatoes?

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Baked Lemon Hand Pies

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Filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy lemon curd and finished with a sprinkling of sugar, Baked Lemon Hand Pies are adorable, yummy, and super easy to make.

Filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy lemon curd and finished with a sprinkling of sugar, Baked Lemon Hand Pies are adorable, yummy, and super easy to make.

My church throws baby showers the way I imagine a well-trained military unit conducts missions.

From the food sign-up list to the decorating to the gift-opening, every aspect of the shower is planned for and anticipated. J and I were the lucky recipients of a shower when we were pregnant with Q; she was our third baby, but our first as members of our church in Mississippi, so our church family celebrated with us. I don’t remember exactly what food was served (sausage balls were likely involved), but I can guarantee I went back for second (and probably wanted to go back for thirds).

Filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy lemon curd and finished with a sprinkling of sugar, Baked Lemon Hand Pies are adorable, yummy, and super easy to make.

We’ve thrown a few showers since then, and every time I volunteer to bring something sweet. Triple Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes were both shared at a church baby shower, and I made Oreo Cupcakes for a joint shower thrown for us at school (I made Strawberry Limeade Cupcakes for the shower first before discovering I had the day wrong…). Most recently, I made Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes for a coworker’s shower.

There’s a clear cupcake trend there, but today, for a virtual baby shower honoring Madison from A Joyfully Mad Kitchen, I’m sharing these Baked Lemon Hand Pies instead. They’re super easy to make, and the bright citrus flavor pairs perfectly with the hint of crunch from the sugar sprinkled on top. Anything individually sized like these pies is adorable, but throw in delicious, too? They’re irresistible.

Filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy lemon curd and finished with a sprinkling of sugar, Baked Lemon Hand Pies are adorable, yummy, and super easy to make.

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Chewy Southern Molasses Cookies

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Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

During our nearly ten years of marriage and seven-plus years of parenthood, I’ve spent much more time away from J, and then from J and the kids, than he’s spent away. I’m not gone a lot, but there’s been work training and a few visits home to Oregon. Recently, though, for the first time ever, J left all three kids and me for three days while he chaperoned a school trip.

I’ve never been secretive about the fact that J is a better parent than I am. I don’t think I’m a bad parent, and I think in many ways we complement each other well, but if there was a scorecard, he would come out ahead. He’s the exclusive handler of all bodily fluids that don’t come inside a diaper, and he is the reason our kids always have clean clothes to wear.

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

Despite my status as the lesser parent, all four of us survived in J’s absence. We weren’t late getting anywhere, everyone got fed, and I even managed to wash a load of laundry (I literally mean wash; the clothes got moved to the dryer, but not fully dried).

I also found time to whip up a batch of Chewy Southern Molasses Cookies. I was left with a big jar of homemade molasses after my mother-in-law gave it to me to use to make Instant Pot Baked Beans, and I knew I’d use at least some of it for these cookies. A molasses cookie is super similar to a gingersnap, but where gingersnaps are typically crunchy (snappy), molasses cookies are soft and chewy.

Whatever you call them, just be sure to make a batch or two soon. You’ll wonder why scrumptious spice cookies like these aren’t a staple in your kitchen!

Flavored with rich notes of molasses and a few complementary spices, Southern Molasses Cookies are chewy, moist, and just a tad crispy without being crunchy.

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Easy Instant Pot Seasoned Chicken

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Did you know you can make Easy Instant Pot Seasoned Chicken? It’s great for eating as-is, but it’s also wonderful for using in recipes or freezing for later!

Did you know you can make Easy Instant Pot Seasoned Chicken? It's great for eating as-is, but it's also wonderful for using in recipes or freezing for later!

It took me a long time — like, nearly a year — to really find a groove with my Instant Pot. I just didn’t take the time to figure it out. Even during that time, though, I was still using it regularly to make chicken.

We eat a lot of shredded chicken. While we rarely have it as a main dish, I use it often as a condiment of sorts, an ingredient in our meal, like these Baked Green Chile Chicken Taquitos. You’ll almost always find a container of seasoned shredded chicken in our fridge for use in recipes or just for whipping up a chicken and cheese quesadilla.

You might also like: Honey Balsamic Chicken Marinade

In the last year, all of that chicken has been prepared in the Instant Pot. Here’s the beauty of Easy Instant Pot Seasoned Chicken: it’s easy (I know, I said that already), it’s flavorful, it’s fast, and it’s totally customizable. I love that I don’t have to tend the chicken like I would if it was cooking on the stovetop, and it’s ready much faster than if I baked it. The pressure-cooking of the Instant Pot seals in the flavor, and I swap out spices to develop any profile I’d like.

Did you know you can make Easy Instant Pot Seasoned Chicken? It's great for eating as-is, but it's also wonderful for using in recipes or freezing for later!

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Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two

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Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

 

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t usually keep pre-made desserts in the house. You’ll rarely find a box of cookies in the pantry or a pint of ice cream in the freezer. Mostly, I do this because J and I both have pretty insatiable sweet tooths (teeth?). Those cookies and that ice cream wouldn’t last long at all in our presence. In order to avoid weighing 300 pounds, I just don’t buy the stuff.

The problem lies in my love of baking. I don’t mind heading to the kitchen in the evening, after the kids are in bed, to whip up something sweet. That’s actually the story behind Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dessert Quesadillas, Mug Brownies, and Chocolate Caramel Lava Cakes. And now, it’s the story behind my Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two.

This recipe is exactly what it sounds like: a perfectly-portioned cookie made for sharing. It’s got all the must-have qualities of a good chocolate chip cookie, plus the delightfully crunchy edges that are courtesy of the adorable mini skillet. J and I prefer to enjoy ours with a glass of cold milk, but it’s also wonderful topped with ice cream, chocolate syrup, or fresh fruit.

Made in one bowl and ready in under twenty minutes, this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two recipe is gooey, rich, and irresistibly decadent.

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