​My mom wasn’t a lover of baking, but she had a few simple, delicious ‘go-to’ recipes She got this one from her friend Candy when we lived in St. Maarten. It’s a yummy way to use up stale bread - and it couldn't be easier to make!

Ingredients:
1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple – well drained
½ pound (2 sticks) of butter or margarine – melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 well beaten eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 to 10 slices of bread cut into bite sized pieces. My mom used to remove the crusts, but I keep them on. Either way works!

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease or spray (Pam for baking) a 2-quart casserole dish and set it aside.
In a large bowl mix the pineapple, melted butter, sugar and eggs. Fold in the bread. Pour everything into the casserole dish and sprinkle the top with cinnamon.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm. Allow to cool for 15 minutes then serve with vanilla ice cream for the kids or rum sauce and toasted coconut for the grownups!
 
Rum Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon dark rum – or to your taste
Directions:
Combine the heavy cream, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over low heat. Do not let it boil or the mixture will crystallize! When sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the rum. Pour the warm rum sauce over the pineapple pudding and enjoy.

I couldn’t share recipes without including cheesecake. It’s my family’s favorite. Always requested for birthdays and celebrations! This recipe makes a rich, decadent cheesecake... that's worth the calorie splurge!

One important point – it requires chilling overnight, or at least for 12 hours, before serving. 
 
​

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter

Cheesecake Filling:
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter, cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or lemon or orange, or any flavor you prefer)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
​
Lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan with baking spray. Set aside.

For the graham cracker crust:
In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the ½ cup melted butter. Press crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before adding the cheesecake filling.

For the cheesecake filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in the ‘cooled’ melted butter and vanilla extract (or the flavor extract that you prefer). Pour mixture into spring form pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven while it cools. The center of the cheesecake will still appear a little jiggly. This is okay. Leave the cheesecake in the spring form pan and place in your refrigerator overnight or for at least 12 hours before serving (the cheesecake firms up as it chills).
 
To serve, remove the sides of the spring form pan. Garnish with whipped cream and fruit. Enjoy!!

​Sugar cookies are a classic. And they're perfect with a dusting of sugar or a dash of sprinkles! Of all the recipes I've tried, this one is my favourite.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.
 
Ingredients:
1 cup of white, granulated sugar.
1 cup of butter or margarine softened to room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
1 egg
2 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking soda

Place an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a bowl to roll your cookie dough in. Set aside.
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until it’s creamy. Add the flour and baking soda.

Using a small ice cream scooper, shape dough into balls. Roll the scoops of cookie dough in the bowl of sugar then place on your cookie sheet. Dip a fork in sugar then press down lightly on the top of the cookie. This gives your cookie that classic sugar cookie ridge - and the perfect spot for sprinkles!

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. Let the cookies cool then enjoy! 

​
​Every Bermudian has a banana bread recipe – or knows someone who does! When a stalk is ready, there’s a whole lot of fruit that ripens quickly. Beyond selling them and giving them away, we make banana bread. The best bananas for baking are the ones that are over-ripe and turning brown. They yield the sweetest taste for your banana bread.
 



Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup of granulated sugar
¼ cup of light brown sugar. I recommend light brown sugar because the darker brown sugar contains more molasses and browns faster.
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (this is roughly 3 to 4, medium sized bananas)
½ cup milk or buttermilk. I prefer buttermilk but either works
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
 
Optional ‘add-in’s’:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup of mini chocolate chips
Or a ½ cup combo of both!
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease bottom of 1 loaf pan measuring 9x5x3 or two pans that measure 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½. Alternatively you can line the pans with parchment paper or tin foil.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the buttermilk (or milk) and the mashed bananas. Beat until smooth.

Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon just until incorporated. If using the optional ‘add-ins’, stir them in.

Pour into pans. Bake the two 8 inch pans for an hour. Bake the 9 inch pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the loaves in the pan. Loosen the banana bread by gently sliding a knife between the bread and the sides of the pan. Slice and enjoy!

Cookie muffins are basically cookies baked in a muffin pan. This recipe combines the delicious taste of oats, peanut butter and chocolate chips! You don’t need a mixer – the dough can be made by hand. They are crispy on the outside with soft chewy centers.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, or margarine, melted and cooled
1 large egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar
½ cup of creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup of quick oats
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a regular sized muffin pan with 12 cupcake papers. If you don’t have cupcake papers, spray the pan extremely well with a cooking or baking spray. Set the pan aside.
 
In a medium sized microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly (otherwise the egg will scramble when you add it).

​Once the butter has cooled, add the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the peanut butter, the vanilla and the egg. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add the flour, the oats, the baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips. The dough will hold its shape and look like soft cookie dough.
Divide the dough equally between the 12 muffin pan cavities. I like to use a large ice cream scooper for this. If you don’t have one, it doesn’t matter – just make sure to divide the dough equally.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. The tops should be set and golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Oven temperatures vary so check at 12 minutes and bake for additional 3 minutes if needed. Let the cookie muffins cool in the pan then ENJOY!

​In Bermuda we all have a special Nana or Aunt who makes a ‘mean’ cookie. My mom wasn’t a lover of baking, but she always made oatmeal cookies, loaded with raisins and chocolate chips.

Recipe:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shortening (I prefer Crisco)
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 ½ cups of all purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
​1 teaspoon salt
                                                        3 cups of oats (quick or old fashioned – uncooked)
                                                        1 cup raisins
                                                        1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your baking sheets by lining them with tin foil or parchment paper. DO NOT grease the pans.
In a large bowl combine butter, shortening, brown and white sugar, vanilla and the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Add the oats, raisins and chocolate chips. Mix well.
Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto your prepared cookie sheets. Space them apart by 2 inches in case they spread while baking. Press down lightly on the top of the cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan. Then enjoy!!

 
Bake yourself happy with these jumbo chocolate chip cookies! The recipe makes 1 ½ dozen delicious cookies! If you're gluten free, exchange the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten free flour.

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
½ cup of butter or margarine at room temperature
¼ cup of vegetable shortening (I use Crisco)
1 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
                                                               2 eggs
                                                               2 cups of chocolate chips
                                                               1 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
                                                               1 tablespoon of orange zest (optional)

​Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add the vanilla and eggs. Stir until completely mixed. Add the flour, baking soda and salt until blended. Add in the chocolate chips, and chopped nuts and orange zest if using.

Chill cookie dough in the fridge for a half hour.  Once the dough has chilled, use a large ice cream scoop to form the cookies. Place scoops of dough on your prepared cookie sheet, allowing 3 inches between them because the cookies spread as they bake. (If you don’t have a large ice cream scoop, use a ¼ cup of dough for each cookie.)
​
Bake cookies for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool on the pan. Enjoy!!!

I love baking cutout cookies for the holidays. I've tried different recipes and this is my favourite. The cookies keep their shape while baking. The key is chilling the dough. Get the kids in the kitchen and have some cookie fun!

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Chill dough: 2 hours or overnight
Bake time: 7 to 10 minutes per batch
Oven: 375 degree Fahrenheit
Cookies: approximately 36 cookies when using a 2 ½ inch cutter

Ingredients:
2/3 unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions:
With an electric mixer beat butter for 30 seconds (if you don’t have an electric mixer you can cream the butter and sugar by hand). Add the granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla. Add almond extract, if using. Beat in the flour. Chill this cookie dough for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight. This is important – don’t skip it! Chilled dough is easier to work with.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of your dough. I recommend working in small batches and keeping the dough you aren’t using chilled. Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using 2 ½ inch cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. Place the cutout cookies on a baking pan that’s lined with foil or parchment paper.
Place the pan with the cutout cookies in your refrigerator to chill while the oven preheats to 375 degrees. This helps the cookies retain their shape while baking.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cookie edges have browned. Let the cookies cool then decorate and enjoy!
Baking Tips:
Chill the dough! Please don’t skip this step, especially in our humid weather. Chilled dough is easier to roll out and keeps its shape when baking.
If you don’t plan to decorate the cookies, sprinkle them with granulated sugar before baking.
Lining baking pans with foil or parchment paper cuts down on clean up time.
Oven temperatures vary. Check your cookies at the first suggested baking time of 7 minutes. If they aren’t ready, let them bake for an additional minute at a time. 

Nothing's more delicious than homemade hot fudge sauce. Especially paired with cookies and ice cream! This recipe is easy, quick and delicious. It makes 12 ounces (or 1 1/2 cups).

Ingredients:
¾ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli’s)
½ cup of light corn syrup
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of salted butter
½ teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly over a low heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Once it boils, continue stirring and let it boil for 30 seconds.
Remove from the stove and add in the chocolate and the butter. Stir until it is smooth and glossy. Mix in the vanilla.
The fudge sauce will thicken while it cools. Enjoy!

​Long ago, cookies that were quick and easy to make were given the silly name ‘snickerdoodle’. Whatever they’re called, these cinnamon-sugar coated cookies are delicious.

This recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Ingredients:
½ cup of butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
In a small bowl, set aside – 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar                                                                            mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
 
Directions:
In the bowl of your stand-up mixer, cream the sugar and butter (or margarine) for 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Add the flour, the cream of tartar and baking soda. Mix until completely combined. Cover and chill the dough for ½ hour.
While the dough is chilling, pre-heat your oven to 375 F. Line your baking pans with foil or parchment paper.
Remove chilled dough from the fridge and scoop into balls using a medium sized ice cream scoop. Roll the cookie dough scoops in the cinnamon-sugar mixture that you set aside. Place the coated scoops on your baking pans, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.  Cool on the pan. Enjoy!!