what I've been up to in the kitchen lately

If you're looking to elevate your homemade treats and enjoy a variety of flavors in your kitchen, these recipes offer fantastic ideas to try. Starting with strawberry preserves, this simple and fresh recipe uses just strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar simmered to your preferred consistency without pectin, resulting in a naturally runny and delightful jam perfect for spreading on toast or adding to yogurt. For those who prefer rich and creamy desserts without baking, the no-bake vanilla bean pistachio cheesecake combines a crunchy graham cracker crust with a luscious pistachio and vanilla bean filling. This recipe emphasizes gentle folding and chilling to achieve the perfect set, topped with melted pistachio spread or chocolate for added indulgence. If you enjoy dairy-free options, the non-dairy cold foam recipe is ideal, especially for iced coffee or matcha lovers who are lactose intolerant. It uses dairy-free cream and soy milk with customizable syrups, creating a light, frothy topping that can be pre-sweetened or flavored to your preference and lasts up to two weeks in the fridge. For baking enthusiasts, brown butter cornbread cookies offer a unique twist by incorporating browned butter and cornmeal for a slightly nutty flavor and crispy texture. Chilling the dough before baking helps maintain the cookie shape, baking to a perfect golden-brown finish. Those exploring dairy-free sweetened condensed milk recipes will appreciate this soy milk adaptation, gently simmered with sugar, vanilla, and salt to create a thick, flavorful milk alternative that can be used in vegan tres leches cake or Vietnamese iced coffee recipes. The key is slow cooking and frequent stirring to avoid scorching and control thickness. Finally, the chocolate custard bundt cake combines the richness of chocolate custard, melted chocolate, and classic cake ingredients baked to a moist texture with a delicate crumb. Using Prairie Farms Chocolate Custard adds a unique depth to this bundt cake, making it a standout dessert dusted with powdered sugar. These recipes showcase versatility and creativity in the kitchen for anyone looking to enrich their home cooking with both dairy and dairy-free options, simple jam making, and decadent dessert choices.