A recent rhubarb harvest inspired a baking project over the long weekend. I tossed rhubarb with lavender sugar and creamed butter with oats for the first ~ exquisite ~ fruit crisp of the season.

While I worked, I thought about how this rustic dessert is a perfect example of a zero waste recipe. I also realized I’ve never written about crisps or crumbles on this blog, despite the fact that I bake them up all. year. long.

So here we go! Kicking off this post are my genius zero waste tips for fruit crisps. By the end of this post, you’ll have a handy fruit crisp formula: a master recipe for this beloved dessert. And in between, I’ll inspire you to get creative with alternative ingredients for both fillings and toppings.

I’m also sharing my recipe for gluten-free, zero waste Nutty Fruit Crisp Topping. And I had to include instructions for a do-ahead, big-batch fruit crisp topping for those weekends when you’re feeding a crowd.

We have a lot to cover in this post, so let’s jump right in.

A simple tutorial for an old-fashioned doughnut recipe, with helpful cooking tips and suggestions for toppings.

A snow day last week provided the perfect occasion for an impromptu doughnut-making party. My youngest, Clara, and I rolled, cut, fried and glazed a perfect dozen. They didn’t last long.

My best doughnut recipe is for yeasted, lighter-than-air treats, scented with nutmeg, and not too sweet. We usually toss half in cinnamon sugar and glaze the rest with maple – a Canadian classic.

I know most of the country is in a deep freeze, and many (most?) of you have children home from school. This seems like an ideal time to share my best doughnut recipe.

Read on for tips, the tutorial, and – in my opinion- the best kept secret for making doughnuts at home.

A small-batch version of our family favourite, these Chocolate Swirl Meringue Cookies are festive and fun.

Meringue cookies, in any shape and any flavour, are always the first treat to disappear from the holiday cookie plate. Snatched up by my kids, there are usually only a few crispy shards remaining by the time I’m ready for something sweet.

This year I am wising up and creating nearly the whole cookie tin or plate with meringue cookies. I’ll leave room for a few shortbread, of course. Since my family are about the only guests I’m baking for, I may as well keep the customers happy.

Read on for a recipe you’ll want to add to your permanent repertoire and bake up for years to come.

Maple syrup. Toasted pecans. Pure vanilla and softened butter. These are our transitional ingredients as we head into fall baking season.

Still to come are the bolder flavours, like dark chocolate and peppermint, candied orange peel and rum. For now, however, these cookies are the perfect warm up to the 12 days of holiday baking projects.

Butter Pecan Shortbread cookies will melt in your mouth and keep for at least a week. They are the ideal accompaniment to a cup of tea on a chilly November afternoon.

This Peach Slab Pie with Cornmeal Pecan Streusel is a fabulous seasonal dessert, with plenty of do-ahead options.

Last week I realized that we were mid-September and I hadn’t made a peach pie yet.

Peaches are available in such short season around here, that we eat them every way we can when they are at the local markets. These days we’re seldom without a basket or two ripening on the counter.

Nova Scotia peaches are on the small side, not much bigger than a plum, but they pack a punch of flavour, especially when grilled or baked.

But today? It’s aaaaall about pie. And this one is worthy of a spot your fall baking list.