Leonard's Rocky Road
An easy, melty, chocolatey classic passed down with love.
This isn’t just any rocky road—this is Great Grandpa Leonard Patton’s rocky road, a sweet treat that’s been passed from one generation to the next in our family. First whipped up decades ago in his cozy kitchen, this recipe has been a favorite at birthdays, holidays, and just-because days ever since.
It's incredibly easy to make—no baking, no fancy equipment, just gooey marshmallows, crunchy nuts, and rich, melty chocolate all mixed together into bite-sized squares of joy. It’s the kind of dessert that melts in your mouth and makes memories at the same time.
Whether you’re making it with your kids or sharing it with friends, this timeless treat is proof that the sweetest things in life are often the simplest—and best when shared.
Ready to make your own batch of family magic?
Ingredients:
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of butter
3 cups slated dry roasted peanuts (optional)
1 package 10-12 oz mini marshmallows
Directions:
In saucepan combine chocolate chip, milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat stir in marshmallows. Spread in 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan, refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares and enjoy.
Bain Molasses Cookies
One recipe. Endless memories. Sweet with a little crunch.
Bain Molasses Cookies are more than just a holiday favorite, they’re a family tradition, full of sticky fingers, laughter, and the warm smell of spices drifting through the kitchen. This recipe comes from Grandma Linda’s collection, and it’s one I baked by her side with my cousins Leora and Dellah.
What makes this recipe so fun? Even though we all used the same ingredients, each cousin’s cookies came out completely different. Some were chewy, some crisp, all delicious in their own special way. It’s the perfect reminder that baking isn’t about precision, it's about the fun of baking and a whole lot of love.
These cookies are especially great for the holidays, and if you sprinkle a little extra sugar on top before baking, you’ll get a lovely sweet crunch that makes them sparkle on the cookie tray.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 cups lard
6 eggs (well beaten)
3 cups molasses
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons of ginger
6 teaspoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 cup of the molasses
½ cup coffee
10 cups of flour
Directions:
Step 1:
Combine sugar and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2:
Start adding flour 2 cups at a time, making soft dough.
Step 3:
Cut with cookie cutters. Add sprinkles of sugar on top for a little extra sweetness and crunch.
Step 4:
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Bright, zesty, and full of little poppyseed polka dots!
These Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are sunshine in a cupcake liner—light, cheerful, and super easy to make. This is one of those recipes where you just mix it all together, slap it in the pan, and boom: you're baking!
It’s a great one for kids (and impatient grown-ups too). No fancy steps, no special equipment—just the fun of watching poppyseeds swirl into the lemony batter and filling the kitchen with the smell of fresh-baked joy.
They come out looking so nice too—like little bakery muffins with a golden top and happy speckles throughout. Perfect for weekend breakfasts, school snacks, or just because you feel like baking something bright and beautiful.
Simple. Tasty. Totally kid-approved.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (optional)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest plus ¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons poppy seeds and more for sprinkling
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven and prep muffin tin:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups.
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients; Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, zest, juice, and milk. Whisk in butter.
Step 3: Mix wet ingredients into dry; add poppy seeds:
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined. Stir poppy seeds into batter.
Step 4: Transfer batter to muffin cups; sprinkle with sugar and seeds:
Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, adding a scant 1/4 cup to each. Sprinkle with sugar and poppy seeds, if desired.
Step 5: Bake and cool:
Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Grasshopper Pie
A minty, dreamy, chocolatey cloud of joy.
Grasshopper Pie is one of those magical desserts that feels like it came straight out of a storybook—and in our family, it kind of did. This cool, creamy pie has been passed down from Grandma’s kitchen, where it was always the most exciting part of the dessert table (and often the first to disappear).
With its fluffy mint filling, crunchy chocolate cookie crust, and that signature green color, this pie is as fun to make as it is to eat. It’s a favorite for spring holidays, St. Patrick’s Day, or anytime you need a dessert that makes people smile.
Best of all, it’s no-bake and kid-approved. It's perfect for kids like me who love to help mix, pour, and sneak a few chocolate cookie crumbs along the way. To make this one extra special, we added some cookie shavings to the top in a smiley face for a little extra crunch and flair.
It’s sweet, simple, and unforgettable, like a minty hug!
Ingredients:
15 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
24 large marshmallows (or a 13-oz. container of marshmallow fluff)
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 Tbsp. creme de menthe liqueur, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp. creme de cacao liqueur
Drop or two of green food coloring (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
Extra cookie crumbs, for sprinkling
Directions:
Step 1
Place the cookies and melted butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulverize (or, if you have some aggressions or energy to expend, you can crush them in a large zip-top bag). Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan, reserving a few to sprinkle over the pie later. Place the crust in the freezer while you make the filling, at least 15 minutes.
Step 2
In a saucepan, heat the marshmallows and half-and-half over low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as it's all melted and combined, place saucepan in a bowl of ice to cool down quickly. (Stirring occasionally will hasten this process.) Once cool, add creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Taste and add more creme de menthe if needed. Add one to two drops green food coloring, if using.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff. Pour the cold marshmallow mixture into the whipped cream and fold together gently.
Step 4
Pour the filling into the chocolate crust. Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumbs over the top. Place the pie in the freezer and freeze until very firm, at least 2 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes or so before you want to slice and serve.
Grandma Linda's Peach Cobbler
Grandma Linda's Peach Cobbler
Warm, juicy, slurpy, and straight from the heart.
This peach cobbler is the stuff of family legend. Passed down from Great Grandpa Leonard to my grandmother Linda, it’s the kind of dessert that makes you dance around the kitchen while it bakes (and then try not to burn your mouth because you can’t wait to dig in!).
The peaches come out soft and juicy, swimming in a creamy, gooey filling that’s just the right kind of slurpy goodness . And that golden crust? Warm, buttery, and just a little crisp around the edges—it’s like the crown on top of the cobbler kingdom.
It’s messy, magical, and made for sharing—though we won’t judge if you try to keep the last scoop for yourself.
Best served warm… if you can wait that long.
Recipe: COMING SOON!!
