Got a little extra time to bake?

Hello Reader,

A long weekend feels like a good excuse to make something that takes just a little more time than your everyday baking.

Nothing here is especially complicated, but these are the recipes with an extra layer to make, dough to shape, pastry to fill, or a technique you might not tackle on a busy weekday. If spending a little time in the kitchen sounds like a nice way to enjoy the weekend, I’ve got plenty of ideas for you.

Buckeye Brownies
Fudgy brownies layered with creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate ganache.

Monkey Bread
From-scratch dough, plenty of cinnamon sugar, and all those gooey pull-apart pieces make this one worth the extra time.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Creamy white chocolate cheesecake and bright raspberry flavor make a beautiful dessert for when you want to bake something special.

French Crullers
Light, airy choux pastries are fried until golden and finished with a simple sweet glaze.

Marble Cupcakes
Chocolate and vanilla get swirled together in both the cupcakes and the frosting for twice the marble fun.

Chocolate Hand Pies
Flaky individual pastries filled with rich chocolate make all that rolling and assembling well worth it.

Millionaire Shortbread Bars
Buttery shortbread, gooey caramel, and rich chocolate come together in three very worthwhile layers.

Kolaches
Soft homemade yeast dough wrapped around sweet fillings makes these a particularly satisfying baking project.

Cream Puff Cake
Classic cream puff components come together in a layered dessert that’s an approachable introduction to choux pastry.

Black and White Cookies
These classic bakery treats pair soft, cake-like cookies with half vanilla, half chocolate icing.

Whether you’re in the mood to shape some dough, try a different technique, or just build something delicious one layer at a time, I hope you find a baking project here that sounds like a good way to spend part of your weekend.

Happy baking!

Jennifer