A perfect baked potato is simple to prepare in the oven, with crispy skin and a fluffy interiors. This basic recipe for how to bake a potato is foolproof.

Perfect Baked Potato

A perfect baked potato is so easy to make and this simple method is my go-to. Although you can make it fast in the microwave, baking it in the oven allows the outside to brown and crisp. Once you cut into it, the inside is soft and fluffy. Enjoy this baked potato recipe as a side dish with your favorite protein or make it a meal and top it with chili or broccoli and cheese like the Chili Baked Potato and this Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes. Potatoes are a whole food, a good source of fiber and are also full of antioxidants. You may also like this Baked Sweet Potato recipe.

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Anyone who has ever been tasked with making Thanksgiving dinner knows that prep work is an essential part of the puzzle. Anything that can be made ahead of time, should. Make your life a little easier on Thanksgiving day by making some of these beautiful bakes ahead of time. These bakes can either be made completely and stored, or prepped partially in the days leading up to the big celebration.

 

1. Pecan Pie Cake

Combining the beloved flavor of a pecan pie with the delicate texture of a 1-2-3-4 layer cake, this cake offers the best of both desserts. Hidden beneath a generous coat of Brown Sugar Buttercream is a moist brown sugar cake and a Pecan Pie Filling that’ll immediately call to mind your favorite deep-dish dessert.

 

2. Crescent Rolls

Is there any roll that sets the scene for a convivial dinner better than a breadbasket piled high with buttery crescents? If you’re anything like us, you and the crescent go way back. Dressed up with sea salt, this roll’s timeless shape and versatility make it a family favorite as well as a busy baker’s go-to recipe. (The dough can be made ahead for a worry-free addition to the dinner table.)

 

3. Sweet Potato Muffins

These soft sweet potato-packed muffins are complemented by a crunchy oat and walnut streusel while the sweet heat of cinnamon and nutmeg add a cozy level of spice.

 

4. Creamy Spinach Galette

Fresh baby spinach and an aromatic cheesy crust prove a winning combination in our Creamy Spinach Galette. And, if you’re looking for more shareable treats perfect for the holidays, be sure to check out our “Movable Feast” feature in our November/December 2021 issue.

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The most wonderful time of the year is finally here, and with it, our December Bundt of the Month, the jolly and joyous Vanilla-Peppermint Swirl Bundt Cake! Like the swirls of a candy cane, this red-hued beauty holds a magical surprise in its center. To create the magnificently marbled interior of this Bundt, one base batter is split into two and then layered one upon the other, with one colored red and brightly flavored with peppermint extract and the other delicately flavored with vanilla. The resulting cake is deliciously moist and tender, not to mention incredibly festive in flavor. Baked in Nordic Ware’s newest pan, the Let It Snow Bundt® Pan, the outside of this cake is just as merry and bright as its striped interior. Dusted with finely crushed soft peppermint candies, this cake will sparkle just like a dusting of freshly fallen snow.

Looking for more Bundt inspiration? Sign up for the Bundt of the Month Club here and get baking today!

 

Convert This Recipe Into Bundtlettes

These sweet Bundtlettes are the answer to all your single-serving needs, regardless of whether you decide to save them all for yourself or share with family and friends. Follow the recipe below for perfectly portioned Vanilla-Peppermint Swirl Bundtlettes.

 

Bundtology

Our Bundtologists share their expert tips to help master our December Bundt. Click the image to enlarge. Note that each of these tips is specific to this recipe and the Let It Snow Bundt® Pan. Results may vary for other recipes and other pans.

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The holidays came early this year! We’re celebrating our 12 Days of Holiday Cookies in full force with our friends at Kerrygold, C&H Sugar, Wolf Gourmet, Simply Organic, Valley Fig, Good Cook, Eagle Brand, and Kana to bring you 12 days of epic giveaways! Starting December 1st through December 12, we’re sharing 12 holiday cookie recipes on Instagram, each one a must-bake favorite. From beautiful royal iced cookies to perfectly rolled rugelach, these recipes deliver the sweet festive cheer bakers crave. 

Iced Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

Is there a more classic holiday cookie than the gingerbread cutout cookie decorated with icing? With the quintessential blend of warm spices and a spritz of lemon zest to brighten the flavor, these cookies might become your new go-to.

Mocha Rugelach

These light and flaky pastries, popular among American and European Jews, get a rich chocolate espresso filling for a twist on the jam-filled classic. Cream cheese is the secret to these incredibly tender cookie crescents, and the sweet- bitter combination of dark chocolate and espresso powder in the filling makes for a delicately delicious treat.

Peppermint Nanaimo Bars

Blending the flavors of a wintry mocha with a Canadian classic, these Nanaimo bars receive a boost from an espresso-spiked ganache, a dose of peppermint extract, and a lightly spiced cinnamon filling. At the base, rich macadamia nuts and sweet coconut flakes add a satisfying element of chew.

Star of David Cookies

Royal icing cookies get a warmly spiced, buttery twist in this take on a classic. The citrusy, herbal hit of cardamom is balanced with the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter. Decorated as bright, glittering stars, these cookies are sure to be showstoppers.

Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

With just a touch of aromatic orange zest mixed in with the creamy condensed milk and flaked coconut base, these classic macaroons pair notes of chocolate and citrus within their sweet snowball packages.

Pinwheel Cookies

If you are feeling entranced by the perfectly sweet, hypnotizing swirl of these Fig Pinwheels, that sensation is completely normal. Just wait until you take your first bite. This simple slice-and-bake cookie boasts a buttery dough filled with nature’s candy—a filling made from dehydrated figs lightly sweetened with orange juice.

Pressed Marzipan Thumbprint Cookies

These thumbprints are light and bright like the fresh fallen snow of winter and ornate enough to rival even the loveliest snowflake. The buttery, shortbread-like cookies get a spike of homemade almondy Marzipan, and a dollop of white chocolate filling adds the perfect hint of sweetness to round out their flavor.

Red Velvet Peppermint Cookies

Dipped in smooth white chocolate and finished off with soft peppermint candies, these chewy red velvet cookies are sure to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth.

Sugar Cookie Wreaths

Is it really the holidays if you don’t have festive sugar cookies? These classic cookies are topped with an elegant Royal Icing wreath that’s easier to create than you might think. Follow our step-by-step decorating guide and you’ll be decking the halls with these jolly cookies in no time. 

Glazed Fruitcake Cookies

Studded with candied fruit and spiked with rum, these Glazed Fruitcake Cookies are the from-scratch version of our editor-in-chief, Brian Hart Hoffman’s grandfather’s cookies. We finished them off with a Rum Drizzle to make them extra merry. From our family to yours, these cakey cookies are sure to become a part of your own holiday traditions.

Chocolate Linzer Cookies

These gorgeous cocoa-rich Linzer cookies receive a sweet boost from both brown sugar and granulated sugar. Sandwiched together with a tangy Cream Cheese Frosting, the cookies get a final snowy dusting of confectioner’s sugar for a wintry holiday finish.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies

Don’t be a square this holiday season. We spruced up the traditional blondie formula with some spices, white chocolate, and cranberries. Topped with a velvety White Chocolate Frosting, these bars will be on your to-bake list all year long.

The post 12 Days of Holiday Cookies 2021 appeared first on Bake from Scratch.

Cinnamon Crunch Cheesecake is packed with the decadent flavors of a cinn-a-bun! Topped with a crunchy cinnamon crumb and a drizzle of caramel, this easy cheesecake recipe delivers crowd pleasing results! 

Who among us can resist the aroma of a fresh baked cinnamon roll?

I use cinnamon buns as my inspiration for all kinds of recipes. Remember this Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake and these Cinnamon Roll Muffins?
Today, we’re bringing all of that cinnamon sugar goodness to another classic dessert: Cheesecake! 

SAVE THIS CINNAMON ROLL CHEESECAKE RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

This Cinnamon Crunch Cheesecake takes an easy cheesecake base and packs it with cinnamon roll flavor. To make the cinnamon roll cheesecake even more indulgent, I added a luscious swirl of caramel on top.

If you’re looking for a dessert to make jaws drop, this cinnamon cheesecake is just the ticket!

Ingredients for Cinnabon Cheesecake

For the cheesecake crust, you will need:

• spice cookie crumbs 
• butter
• brown sugar 

For the filling:

• cream cheese
• sugar
• sour cream
• eggs
• vanilla
• flour
• cookie crumbs (the same ones you used for the crust)

And for finishing touch:

• cinnamon sugar
• caramel sauce
• more cookie crumbs!

What kind of cookies are best in this cheesecake crust?

We use iced oatmeal cookies crushed into crumbs. It makes every bite taste like a frosted cinnamon roll. You can use any spiced cookies you like or even cinnamon graham crackers!

How do you store this cinnamon cheesecake?

Cinnamon Crunch Cheesecake should be stored covered in the refrigerator. It tastes best served cold, straight from the fridge!

Can I make this cinnamon crunch cheesecake as bars instead?

Yes, this recipe works as cheesecake bars too! Just add the crust and filling to a square or rectangular baking dish instead.

Once cooled and chilled, slice into squares and serve!

More Tips and Tricks

• Drizzle each slice of cheesecake with more caramel sundae topping before serving!
• The center of the cheesecake should look a bit soft and jiggly when it comes out of the oven. It will continue setting as it cools and chills overnight.
• Don’t forget to spray your springform pan with baking spray to make it easier to remove from the baked cheesecake.

Easy Cheesecake Recipes

Fun fact: this was the first cheesecake recipe I ever made back in the early days of this blog!

After that first cheesecake endeavor, I branched out to explore the wide world of cheesecake flavors! Check out these other beginner-friendly cheesecake recipes next.

• Cookies and Cream Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Nutella Cheesecake
• Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Cinnamon Recipes

Cinnamon lovers, you’ve come to the right place. Make your house smell amazing by baking up some of these cinnamon-sugar packed treats.

• Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers
•  Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Apple Cinnamon Scones
• Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn
• Baked Apple Cinnamon Pancake
• Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls 
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon sugar and caramel make this Cinnamon Crunch Cheesecake the best! Delicious flavor, beautiful presentation and, best of all, easy enough for beginner cheesecake bakers to make! 

This post was originally published 6/28/11. It has been updated in format and with pictures on 1/13/21

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