I love making bread from scratch in my kitchen, and this is one of my favorites. It’s a sweeter bread, but it’s not sweet enough to be a dessert bread, which I like. It’s ideal for breakfast, slathered in some butter or jam, or as the basis for French toast.

This makes two loaves, so keep one for yourself and give one to your friend this holiday season. People love a gift they can eat.

Hello, fall! Even though you don’t exist in Florida the same falling-leaves-cute-scarves way you do in other states, I know you’re still there. And you’re on your way. I can feel it.

This recipe is aimed squarely at those mornings in October when you walk outside and catch your first whiff of crisp, 70-degree air.

It’s a warm and cozy coffee cake made with warm and cozy spices like cinnamon and cloves. It’s also got tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, and toasted sesame seeds, crucial additions from the ever-inventive food blogger Molly Yeh. If you don’t have tahini, peanut butter works great, too. I love the deep flavor and fragrance of cloves and cardamom especially here - they give this crumbly coffee cake a little extra something.

It was one of those serene kitchen days when everything just kind of works out.  

My husband and I were home on a Sunday, tending to our new puppy (!) as storm clouds gathered outside, and I set out to prep for dinner. Two of our friends were coming over, and we had decided to make potstickers from scratch. We would get the food ready and they would bring the cocktails. (More on that later because wow they were good.)

At the last minute, I decided we needed a homemade dessert, because I am nothing if not Very Extra when it comes to menu planning.