I'm so excited to be sharing some holiday gift guides this week! I'll have a couple more coming up later in the week, so be sure to check back. Links are listed below the images:

1. Recipes for the best possible homemade pizza (and we've tested a lot of different options)  2. An upgrade for his old bottle opener  3. A super cool Japanese chef's knife that will last forever  4. A set of thank you notes to use for all these awesome gifts  5. A retro-but-not bluetooth speaker that actually looks cool  6. A new hat for warm ears all winter  7. A soft scarf in a beautiful color  8. The greatest electric kettle (that you can set to an exact temperature) for delicious tea or pour over coffee  9. A new photo calendar for his desk  10. A gym bag upgrade  11. A beautiful novel  12. A cozy blanket for picnics, camping, or movie nights

Carrot cake feels just right for fall - warm spices, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting. This recipe makes a particularly nice cake; the buttermilk gives it just a little tang and keeps it very tender. 

Adapted from Bon Appetit (one of my favorites!)

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BUTTERMILK CARROT CAKE

For the cake:

• 2/3 cup (85 grams) chopped walnuts
• 11 ounces (312 grams) carrots, peeled and grated
• 2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (99 grams) packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the frosting:

• 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups (340 grams) powdered sugar
• splash of milk, if needed

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 7" or 8" cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper, then butter the parchment. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

In a small bowl, combine grated carrot and buttermilk; let sit while you work on the rest of the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine eggs and sugars, and beat well until pale and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and oil and mix to combine. Add the dry mixture in three additions, alternating with the carrot mixture and beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Do not overmix at this point; you just want everything to be combined. Stir in toasted walnuts.

Divide evenly between prepared baking pans, and smooth the tops. Bake, rotating once, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes for 8" cakes, or 40-45 minutes for 7" cakes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off parchment bottoms.

To make the frosting (when your cakes are completely cool), combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and salt, and mix to incorporate. Add powdered sugar in several additions, beating to combine between each addition. If frosting is too stiff, add a splash of milk to loosen. Frost cake as desired (I like to tuck some strips of parchment around the edges of the bottom layer before frosting - then when you're done, you can just pull out the parchment and leave your serving plate clean).

I can't believe it's almost Father's Day! Summer always moves way too fast.... For those of you (like me) that have a super hard time with gifts for dads and husbands, I have a few favorite ideas:

1. A sturdy toolbox that will last forever  2. A letterpress card, because you loaf him so much  3. A beautiful bouquet (of salami)  4. An awesome coffee dripper for the best coffee every morning  5. A beautiful canoe paddle, to use or display  6. Delicious coffee beans to try  7. A super cool new watch  8. A retro National Parks shirt (that also supports the Grand Teton National Park Foundation)  9. A pair of enamel mugs for family camping, or mornings together at home  10. Family photos with a cool brass easel for his desk  11. Bourbon, because he's earned it  12. A love note for your partner, because you make such a great pear 

These are such awesome peanut butter cookies..... super peanut butter-y and melt in your mouth. They also hold up really well for several days without getting dried out because there's so much peanut butter in the dough, so they're definitely a good contender for mailing or giving. And I love that they look like cute little ice cream scoops of cookie.

Adapted from NY Times

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SALTED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

• 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 75 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 85 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar
• 255 grams (1 cup) natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter (I like Whole Foods brand)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 120 grams (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
• coarse sugar and flaky salt for the tops

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Cream until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the peanut butter, egg, and kosher salt, and mix well. Add the flour, and mix just until you can't see any more dry flour. Cover and refrigerate the dough until well-chilled, about 2 hours (or longer).

Preheat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream or cookie scoop, form cookies - these are made with a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop. (You can also just roll the dough in little balls, but you won't get that nice craggy top.) Roll the tops of the cookies in coarse sugar, and then sprinkle the tops with a little flaky salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. (I often pull cookies out of the oven when they're just barely done, but you can leave these in a little longer, until they're nice and golden; since they're so thick, it takes a while to bake them all the way through.)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

*This dough also freezes really nicely; I usually form the cookies (don't roll them in sugar yet), and then freeze them well-wrapped. You can bake them directly from frozen - they just might take a minute or two longer in the oven.