The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Sourdough Starter Tips for Beginners

If you are like me, you’ve never made a sourdough starter nor cared for one. The responsibility of having something else besides my cat to feed did not seem like something I wanted to take on. I’ve ...

Making French Crullers is Easier Than you Think

Our new Donut Boot Camp course has inspired me to make fresh donuts at home. This is a project I would typically save for the weekend, but with my family and I going out of town this weekend, ...

Banana Coconut Upside-Down Cake

My obsession with upside down cakes hasn’t ceased, nor has my conviction that my mom makes the best banana bread on the planet. After travelling last month to the Southern Caribbean islands of Aruba, ...

The Perfect Meal to Celebrate the Leap Year

Once a month, I meet with several of my colleagues to discuss new and exciting ideas for class curriculum. It's a great way to allow everyone's creativity to come to the table, and it's exciting ...

Lime Curd Bars with Coconut Crust

I recently had a dinner party themed around citrus carnitas tacos, and I wanted to change up what I was going to make for dessert. Almost every dish I made that night contained lime in it, so I ...

Cake Decorating Goals

It has become something of a tradition for me to make birthday cakes for our two favorite little girls. We’ve known them since they were born & Auntie Karen loves to bake – it’s a match made in ...

Dressed Up Sugar Cookies

One of the things I love most about the holidays is the memories that flood my mind from my childhood. My mother and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen making sugar cookies. I think my mom chose ...

A Guide to Holiday Baking

Whoever had the bright idea to stuff all of the holidays on which you’re obligated to cook for other people into one month should be punched. I mean, really! There’s at least two pumpkin pies, ...

Pumpkin Date Nut Bread

Pumpkin season is in full swing for me. While I’ll admit that I like to indulge in the occasional pumpkin spice latte, I generally find that pumpkin is underappreciated and underutilized.

Baking and Decorating for your Audience

In my circle of friends, I am known as the hostess and cake lady. I consider it an honor that my friends have deemed me their baker for life events whether it be a casual Sunday dinner or a ...