Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

On Wednesday nights, I cook with the youth group at church. The idea is to teach them some basic kitchen skills while also preparing meals that can be given to church members who need them. It’s often the highlight of my week, partly because I have a ton of fun and partly because the kids are constantly cracking me up with their lack of kitchen common sense.


One night we were making brownies and I noticed one senior student reaching over to plug in the electric hand mixer. “Don’t bother with it,” I told him. “Just mix them by hand.” I stepped out of the kitchen to check on Q and returned a few minutes later to find the student wrists-deep in the bowl of brownie batter. After I caught by breath from laughing so hard, I explained to the group the vital distinction between the phrases, “mix by hand,” and, “mix using your hands.”

What does that have to do with Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies? Nothing, really, but that’s okay. We can take a sec to talk about the recipe. I’m a chocolate-covered strawberry junkie, so making these cookies was a no-brainer. They turned out to be perfectly chewy and sweet, and the berries, after baking, were just a touch sour. The combination is an addictive cookie that I ate way too many of.

Add a whole bunch of chopped berries to a classic dessert recipe and you get these sweet, chewy, tart, and decadent Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake

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This Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake combines three dessert favorites –  moist vanilla cake, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and tart strawberries – into one mouthwateringly decadent dessert.

This Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake combines three dessert favorites -  moist vanilla cake, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and tart strawberries - into one mouthwateringly decadent dessert.

Today my five-year-old looks up, as I’m in the kitchen and she’s in the playroom, and casually says, “Mama, I’m jammin’ the wifi.” (<— imagine this is said with the most country Southern accent you’ve ever heard). I’m not sure where my little aspiring hacker comes up with these things, but between her, her big brother, and her little sister, there’s literally never a dull moment. I love it.


Speaking of jamming the wifi. If there was a ever a cake that possessed the power to do just that, it’d be this Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake. This cake can jam wifi, slay dragons, settle feuds, and turn even the crappiest day good. It’s the cake equivalent of laughing baby videos.

This Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake combines three dessert favorites -  moist vanilla cake, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and tart strawberries - into one mouthwateringly decadent dessert.

At first glance, it might seem like an ordinary cake. I use, as usual, a cake mix, but I add a bunch of stuff to fancy it up. Sandwiched between each of the cake layers are gorgeous slices of fresh strawberries and a generous amount of homemade cream cheese frosting. The tender cake and the creamy frosting are uh-mazing on their own, but the addition of the tart berries rockets the whole thing into another stratosphere. Does that sound like hyperbole? Perhaps it is, but ask anyone who’s had a slice of Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake; they’ll vouch for me.

This Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake combines three dessert favorites -  moist vanilla cake, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and tart strawberries - into one mouthwateringly decadent dessert.

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Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Look, I’m just as eager as the next person for the arrival of fall. Probably more eager, actually, because a lot of people don’t live in the sweltering humidity of summer in Mississippi. But while I’m 100 percent ready to embrace sweatshirts, football, and all things pumpkin, there are at least a few parts of summer that I’m not quite ready to let go of.


Case in point: strawberries, particularly when they’re in these Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. These little beauties are a twist on a cake I’ve been making for years, which is a twist on a cake my mom has been making for years. I’ve yet to share that cake recipe because I can’t seem to keep it around long enough to get photos. Moist and delicate cake, fresh strawberries, and homemade cream cheese frosting? Yeah, you can see why the cake disappears to quickly.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

These cupcakes are simply the cute portable version of that family favorite. I do my usual jazzing up of a store-bought cake mix, which results in fluffy cupcakes. Instead of layering sliced berries between big cake rounds, I make a fresh homemade sauce that’s packed with berry flavor. The thickened sauce gets spooned into a little pocket in the center of each cooked cupcakes, but it seeps into the cake to create an incredibly satisfying flavor combination. Neither the cake or the filling are overly sweet because the whole shebang is topped with the lightest, most decadent cream cheese frosting.

While you’ll certainly find me baking my fair share of pumpkin cupcakes and scones, you’ll also see me clinging to the last days of strawberry season, mostly in honor of these must-make cupcakes.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Brown Sugar Strawberry Cobbler for Two

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With rich brown sugar, gorgeous berries, and a delightfully crispy crust, Brown Sugar Strawberry Cobbler for Two is the perfect treat for sharing… or not!

With rich brown sugar, gorgeous berries, and a delightfully crispy crust, Brown Sugar Strawberry Cobbler for Two is the perfect treat for sharing... or not!

Y’all know strawberries are, by far, my favorite berry to bake with. I’ll put those things in baked donuts and on top of brownies and in decadent frostings. I’ve even got two more strawberry recipes lined up this month from back when I bought a flat from the local FFA club.


The newest addition to the vault of strawberry recipes on the blog is this Brown Sugar Strawberry Cobbler for Two. I love the combination of strawberries and brown sugar, which is why this cobbler is one of my favorite desserts. I also love the way the cobbler batter and the melted butter bake up together to create a gorgeous light and perfectly-crunchy crust.

In my house, this is the kind of dessert meant to be enjoyed during those few hours after the kids are bed. Whether you want to share with your significant other is up to you.

With rich brown sugar, gorgeous berries, and a delightfully crispy crust, Brown Sugar Strawberry Cobbler for Two is the perfect treat for sharing... or not!

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Strawberry Balsamic Baked Donuts

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Looking for a new favorite summer treat? Strawberry Balsamic Baked Donuts with Balsamic Glaze are light, easy, and a perfect balance of savory and sweet.

Looking for a new favorite summer treat? Strawberry Balsamic Baked Donuts with Balsamic Glaze are light, easy, and a perfect balance of savory and sweet.

My local FFA club sold flats of strawberries a few months ago. I bought one and decided to bake my way through the whole thing. The result was a whole lot sweet strawberry goodness, including these Strawberry Balsamic Donuts with Balsamic Glaze.


The flavor combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar is one of my favorites. I love to sprinkle sliced strawberries with brown sugar and balsamic and eat them that way. I just knew I could turn those flavors into a delicious baked donut. I was worried the donuts would be too taste-specific, but I was wrong. I shared the leftovers with my high school English students and they loved them!

Looking for a new favorite summer treat? Strawberry Balsamic Baked Donuts with Balsamic Glaze are light, easy, and a perfect balance of savory and sweet.

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Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies

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What happens when you combine two of the richest, most decadent desserts? You get Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies.

What happens when you combine two of the richest, most decadent desserts? You get Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies.

When I set out to use up the flat of strawberries in my fridge, I knew at least one of my recipes had to include chocolate. Chocolate-covered strawberries have to be one of my all-time favorite treats. They’re seriously the way to my heart. Posting a “recipe” for those would be way too boring, though, so I decided to take the concept and use it to top my homemade brownies.


My original brownie recipe has chocolate chips thrown in, but I skipped those in this version. Instead, I melted a few cups of them to spread over the sliced strawberries on top. I thought my homemade brownies couldn’t get any better, and I thought I’d never top chocolate-covered strawberries, but then I made Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies.

I might as well stop now, y’all. I don’t think I’ll top this one.

What happens when you combine two of the richest, most decadent desserts? You get Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies.

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Summer Berry Crostata

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This summer berry crostata is a rustic homemade dough packed with juicy strawberries, plump blueberries, and the perfect complement of spices.

I’m taking a short blogging break to soak up time with my sweet newborn baby. Things won’t be silent around here, though; I’ve got some awesome bloggers lined up to step in and share some great content. Today, Lecy from A Simpler Grace is here sharing a must-make summer berry recipe.

I’m so excited to be here, on Winstead Wandering, and sharing my Summer Berry Crostata with you today!


This summer berry crostata is a rustic homemade dough packed with juicy strawberries, plump blueberries, and the perfect complement of spices.

One of my favorite things to do is cook traditional Italian food and the only thing I love more than that is baking Italian pastries. Ok, maybe eating Italian pastries ranks up there too. I created this crostata recipe for a cookbook draft I’m working on and it’s one of my family’s favorites, so when Abby asked me to share a recipe with you all, I knew this was the one!

The term crostata might sound fancy, but it’s really just a free-form tart or pie and can be filled with a variety of things, but summer fruits are the best!

This summer berry crostata is a rustic homemade dough packed with juicy strawberries, plump blueberries, and the perfect complement of spices.

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Strawberry Crumb Bars

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Strawberry crumb bars have a buttery crust, a layer of fresh berries, and a sweet topping that bakes up golden brown for the slightest hint of crunch.

strawberry crumb bars3

My love of strawberries is no secret. From ice cream to frosting to a sauce that makes just about everything taste better, I love to cook and bake with them. So when my mother-in-law texted to say she had extra, and did I need any, I said, “of course!” I didn’t know what I’d use them for, but I knew I’d think of something.


Enter these strawberry crumb bars. I decided I wanted to make some sort of bar to take to school to share with my coworkers. When I came across these gems, I was sold.

The berries don’t require any special treatment and the crust comes together quickly. Then you just layer the ingredients, let everything get cozy in the oven, and it’s not long before you’re enjoying baked strawberry goodness.

The bars were a hit with my coworkers; they raved about how delicate they were, how sweet without being too sweet.

Strawberry crumb bars have a buttery crust, a layer of fresh berries, and a sweet topping that bakes up golden brown for the slightest hint of crunch.

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Homemade Tropical Summer Stovetop Potpourri

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Bring fresh summer scents inside with this homemade tropical summer potpourri made of lemons, strawberries, and coconut extract.

Bring fresh summer scents inside with this homemade tropical summer potpourri made of lemons, strawberries, and coconut extract.

My easy fall stovetop potpourri got a very good reception. I guess I’m not the only one looking to create a homey-scented house without the use of artificial sprays or waxes. I made that potpourri many times through fall and winter and enjoyed how comforting it made our home smell.


I had a thought, though. If cooling temperatures merit a homemade potpourri, what about hot summer days full of smelly shoes and sweaty little people? Yeah, we need a stovetop potpourri for that, too. So I set out to create a summery version of the smell-good stuff.

I knew I wanted to use coconut extract because it’s such a distinctly summer scent. I didn’t want the whole concoction to smell like sunscreen, though, so I added lemon juice. To me, there’s not much more fresh- or clean-smelling than citrus. And then, because I had a few sad-looking strawberries in the refrigerator, I sliced those and tossed them in, too.

All the ingredients in this summer potpourri come together to make a sweet, fresh concoction that’ll perfume your whole house in the most light, refreshing way. It’s as close as you’ll get to a tropical vacation without the sunburn and the sand in your swimsuit.

Bring fresh summer scents inside with this homemade tropical summer potpourri made of lemons, strawberries, and coconut extract.

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Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

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You don’t have to head to your favorite restaurant to get an over-priced glass of this stuff. You can whip up a sweet, refreshing glass of homemade strawberry lemonade at home.

Strawberry lemonade has long been a favorite drink of mine. When we lived in Oregon, one of our favorite inexpensive date night restaurants was Red Robin. I’m addicted to their fries, and their freckled lemonade never ceases to brighten my day.

homemade strawberry lemonade3


Now that we live in Mississippi, the closest Red Robin is more than three hours away. I’m sure there are other, closer restaurants that serve it, but I don’t need them anymore. I perfected this homemade strawberry lemonade more than three years ago and I haven’t looked back since.

I grab a pound of strawberries and whip up a batch to celebrate the start of strawberry season every year, and I spend the rest of the spring and summer looking for any excuse to make it again. I tend to keep a pitcher of homemade lemonade in the fridge, making the whole recipe that much easier to throw together.

This homemade strawberry lemonade gets rave reviews from everyone I serve it to. The lemonade itself is wonderfully tart, with a perfect balance of sweetness. With the addition of the flavorful strawberry sauce, the whole thing is refreshing and sweet and drinks like a glass of summer.

You don't have to head to your favorite restaurant to get an over-priced glass of this stuff. You can whip up a sweet, refreshing glass of homemade strawberry lemonade at home.

[Read more…]