With just enough nut crunch to keep the chocolate forever interesting, these chewy Walnut Brownies have been on heavy rotation in our house lately. Sometimes, they disappear faster than I can pull the next pan out of the oven.

After several rounds of our homemade cosmic brownies, I was craving a chewy, nutty brownie. Walnuts won out. They hold their crunch against the fudgy base in a way that makes the second bite just as interesting as the first.

Walnut Brownies

Brownies are easily the most-requested baked good in our house. A quick scroll through the recipe index will turn up at least a dozen variations we’ve made over the years, and we keep finding new ones to try. What can I say? Chocolate has staying power!

The walnuts soften ever so slightly, giving the chocolate wonderful texture. Whether I’m eating these warm from the oven or slicing slivers off each time I pass the pan on the counter, I am one happy camper. But, I must warn you, these brownies are very susceptible to sliver theft. Walking past the pan without cutting off a teensy piece? Not in my house.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Walnuts – I use walnuts in this recipe because I like the bold, slightly bitter flavor with the sweet chocolate. You can swap for pecans, if you want.

Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet is the right fit for these brownies. I like dark and bittersweet chocolate too, but semi-sweet is my preference when pairing brownies with walnuts.

Vanilla – Ever wonder why we put vanilla in chocolate baked goods? It sounds odd,

Pasta salad is the ultimate potluck hero! It’s easy to make ahead, endlessly customizable, and guaranteed to disappear fast. We’ve rounded up 15 of our favorite easy pasta salad recipes. Whether you’re heading to a backyard barbecue, a neighborhood block party, or a holiday gathering, a big bowl of pasta salad is always a welcome addition to the table.

Classic & Crowd Favorites

Every great potluck spread needs at least one of these. The recipes in this section are the classics, the ones people have been making and loving for decades, and for very good reason. If you are feeding a big group and need something guaranteed to disappear fast, start right here.

Crispy bacon, gooey cheese, and scrambled eggs, all wrapped in a crunchy tortilla? It’s no wonder that this Breakfast Quesadilla has become one of my favorite breakfast options. Try it and you’ll see why this is one I make on repeat.

I will always love a good, hearty breakfast recipe with components I can prep in advance. With this quesadilla, having the bacon, eggs, and toppings ready in the fridge means breakfast comes together in just a few minutes. (It’s the same trick I use with my breakfast grilled cheese.) You can also make it all to order on the day of.

Breakfast Quesadilla

Friends, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know how much my family and I love quesadillas. We could eat them for breakfast, as a late-night snack, in a box, with a fox. On any given week, it’s likely that either I or my boys will be trying out a new variation of one of our favorite quesadilla recipes.

In fact, this recipe for breakfast quesadilla was inspired by the breakfast grilled cheese sandwich I linked above. I love the salty, cheesy, rich flavors, and just had to try them with a crispy flour tortilla. The result? I could tell you how good this is, but this is definitely one where you have to taste it to believe.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Tortillas – I reach for

Sweet Cream Biscuits are a flaky biscuit made with heavy cream! This is the BEST biscuit you’ll ever make – completely from scratch and very easy to make. Using simple ingredients like flour, butter, baking powder, sugar and cream you’ll be busting out tender biscuits for Sunday brunch every weekend!

My favorite way to enjoy these biscuits is to make my famous strawberry shortcake (I have the easiest tip for the strawberries that makes strawberry shortcake the best summer dessert!) or with a little swipe of freezer jam on a lazy weekend morning.

Why This Recipe Won’t Fail

Cream Biscuits are the perfect biscuit, especially if you’re not used to making biscuits from scratch. They’ve got a sugary, crunchy outside and a soft and fluffy inside.

The heavy cream makes the difference! The fat from heavy cream makes these biscuits soft and moist because the water doesn’t evaporate out as quickly as milk.

Unsalted Butter is king!! During baking, the water in the butter evaporates into steam, this steam leaves behind air pockets that contribute to the craveable flaky texture of a biscuit! 

Ingredients in Southern Sweet Cream Biscuits

• Heavy Whipping Cream: This is one of the most important ingredients in a sweet cream biscuit. It adds liquid to combine the dry ingredients AND adds fat required for a tender and moist biscuit.
• Flour: I always use all purpose flour because it’s simple and has the correct protein for a flaky biscuit. See below for self rising substitute.
• Sugar: We are making sweet biscuits so a hint of sweet is essential. I especially love the crunchy texture on top with the sanding or turbinado sugar.
• Baking Powder: Give those babies height!
• Butter: Bringing the fat and the chemistry behind flaky layers.
• Egg: Adds a little richness so the biscuits bake up soft and tender.
• Salt: Just enough to balance the sweetness and bring out the flavor.
• Egg White: Brushed on top for that pretty golden shine.
• Sanding Sugar: The sparkling, sweet crunch that makes them feel extra special.

How to Make Sweet Cream Biscuits

1. Prep: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Toss: Toss the butter in the dry ingredient until well coated. Use a pastry cutter to mix in the butter.
4. Cream: Beat the egg into the heavy cream and stir into the dry ingredients until combined. Mixture will be wet.
5. Fold and Press: Turn the dough out onto a floured