Firstly, my name’s Amanda, and I am a mom, food photographer, cookbook author, and all around cookie expert with a background in food science. You can grab a copy of my book through any of the links for Cookie School here.
I went to university in London, UK and lived there for six years total. While living and traveling through Europe, I was exposed to so many flavors and types of food. It was an incredible culinary experience. During this time, I also discovered my love for cooking, and especially baking. I learned how to bake my first pie from scratch (cherry pie!), make my favorite muffins (strawberry and chocolate chip), and loukoumades (a delicious Greek honey doughnut). It was my inspiration for starting this blog as a cooking and baking resource.
Here, you will find delicious food perfect for creating memories with your loved ones. I hope you will use this as an opportunity to bake and share these tasty treats with everyone around you!
What You Will Find On A Cookie Named Desire
On the blog you will find a mix of delicious seasonal treats and over the top decadent bits of food porn. Sprinkled in will be basic recipes for bread (my favorite food group!), simple recipes like how to make your own yogurt, and the occasional savory dish. All the foods are perfect for sharing with one or many people whether its a food gift, or having a get together with a few people.
Most of the recipes are suitable for beginners and are very easy to follow, but every so often, I will post a recipe that is more involved or complicated. This is because it is good to challenge yourself and test your skills. Even if you do not get it right the first time, it is important to try and have fun doing it!!
I love searching for unique and unusual ingredients, but you will rarely find that here. I try to use ingredients that you may be able to find in your local stores or farmer's market. It is only on a special occasion that I may use an ingredient you can only find online or through specialty shops. When that happens, I will note it. Some of the ingredients I use are also seasonal and/or regional and I will do my best to note alternative places you may be able to find these ingredients or substitutes. If I miss an ingredient that you cannot find near you, let me know!
How I Came Up With The Name A Cookie Named Desire
Are you a fan of Marlon Brando? I have a huuuuuge crush on young Brando and my favorite movie he is in has to be A Streetcar Named Desire. I also spent a lot of time in the theatre and worked on a few off-Broadway plays inspired by the original play. I wanted to incorporate that side of me with my love of sweets... A Cupcake Named Desire... A Cake Named Desire... A Sweetcar Named Desire… none of them seemed to roll off the tongue quite like A Cookie Named Desire… and my most popular recipe on the blog happens to be this amazing cookie recipe.
My Expertise
I've had an interest in baking all my life. It started with baking with my Grandmom Davis when she watched me. We'd bake sweet potato pies, pumpkin pies, apple pies, and so much more. (Her nickname for my pies were "dirty pies" because as a 4-5 year old, I was more interested in playing with the dough than anything else!). I would wake up early in the morning as a teen to bake my family cinnamon rolls or biscuits for breakfast on the weekends. In college was when I got more interested in baking from scratch.
I spent a lot of my free time in college researching baking science and how ingredients react to one another and the importance of small details such as the temperatures of your ingredients.
It was not until after college when I became more deeply interested in baking and cooking that I decided to take courses at a local college for food science. I was deeply interested in the chemistry of baking. I've also had the unique experience to take lessons first hand from bakers at America's Test Kitchen.
In total, I've spent over 30 years learning how to bake and understanding the technicalities of baking science.
I took videography and photography in college. I spent most of that time learning how to edit videos and different shooting techniques. I also learned the basics of how to operate a camera using black and white film Minolta and Pentax cameras and developing the film. I also took photojournalism and almost took my career down that path.
When I started this website, I learned how to translate my knowledge into the world of food photography. I took courses from industry experts such as Joanie Simon and Rachel Korinek while also having the opportunity to discuss photography with the lead photographer for America's Test Kitchen.
Navigating The Site
You can find the recipes using the Recipe Index.
You can get simple conversions using this Kitchen Cheat Sheet.
If you want to check out my favorite kitchen tools and cookbooks that I use, check out my Amazon Shop.
Features
I've been features all around the web, here are some of the places you could find me!
Greatist, Country Living, Redbook, Lane Bryant (newsletter), Today, The Crumb Podcast (Classic Cheesecake and Coffee Cake), Domino Sugar, NY Post
I've also worked with top brands including Dunkin Donuts, Middle Sister Wines, Josh Wines, Domino Sugar, Tollhouse, Ziploc, Silpat, and many more.
Let's Chat!
If you have any questions about a recipe, leave a comment on that recipe because someone else might have the same question as you! If you want to just chit chat over our mutual love of food and baking, find me on social media (Muckrack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest) or email me at [email protected]
You can check out my privacy policy here.
Norma says
These cookies were delicious and a big hit at a BBQ over the weekend. I altered the recipe a bit and added chopped pecans. These cookies were one of the best I ever made or tried. Thank you
Samantha Cloer says
Love to cook
Gayle says
I like to cook as well, have a degree in nutrition also, drag my feet with social media, & I'm always looking for new ways to improve what I do. Congratulations on your degree & website, & I'll try some recipes and let you know what I like best!
A Angeles says
Thanx a lot for luscious line up of dessert recipes flavor profiles, techniques and recommendations. ❤️❤️ all of it! More power and stay safe.
Felisia Hill says
Hi Amanda, that is quite a long "about me" I actually read it.
The cookie that brought me over here is the Smores Cookie. it looks delicious. I started collecting recipes and don't have much time to try them out but just in case I am collecting them none the less.
Thanks for the info
AGEN MAXBET says
When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added-
checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added I recieve four
emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is an easy method
you are able to remove me from that service? Thank you!
Amanda says
Hi! Due to privacy reasons, I unfortunately don't actually have access to those particular settings. You should be able to fix them either using a link in one of the emails, or in the original post where you left the comment.
O Huang says
Know a good blog when I see one.
Amanda says
Dear Ms. Amanda,
I check your website DAILY because I LOVE your recipes. You are so creative, talented, and thoughtful to your online readers, that I cannot stay away for even 24 hours. Visiting your site just brings a warm "yum" feeling inside.
With that being said, your last online post was so heart-breaking I felt as though I could have been reading a tear-jerker of a novel. I would love to say, "please tell me the pain you are going through isn't true," but I can literally see the teardrops in your words. Please take care of yourself and your child. YOU come first and I cannot imagine how difficult it is for you at this time of year. I know these words are just coming from some "stranger" over the Internet, but I just had to express my condolences for you. You will be in my thoughts, and I will be thankful to have come across your website.
You are a strong, independent woman, Ms. Amanda. Thank you for being a role model and continuing to push on to brighten all of our days.
Sincerely,
Amanda (from Wisconsin)
Amanda says
Amanda, you brought a huge smile to my face and anything I was feeling immediately vanished as I read your kind words. You definitely made my day! I like to think we are more than strangers. I started the blog with the hope of building a community around delicious food. When I post a recipe I like to picture myself sitting down and sharing it with my internet family and I am so happy to have you be a part of it! It's because of this I do share more personal matters in my life - because I want you to be a part of it (my life, not my bad stuff that wouldn't be nice!). It makes me feel so great that I am able to share my food with you as well as other parts of me and be able to start a conversation.
If you were wondering, I decided it would be best if we kept our distance for a while as I am obviously not ready to try and be friends with him just yet.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope to hear from you again. If not, have a great Christmas/Hannuka/Holiday!!
Amanda
Bill says
There is a very good chance that your hard drive is okay, which is the device that computers use to save files like the ones for your blog and your daughter's pictures. Don't try to get the smoking computer fixed; too much $$$ Do have someone remove the drive, hook it up to a computer, and see if the files can be copied from it. If they can, they could then be moved over to your new laptop. You need buy an external hard drive, or a very large capacity flash drive, and learn how to backup your important files. An external hard drive might even come with software to make that easy. Too bad you live across an ocean, for I'd do all the work on this for free, even show you how to copy files.
Amanda says
That's very kind of you to offer to help (despite the distance!) I am going to see if someone can help me recover the photos without having to go to a professional. I have an external hard drive, but I forgot it in London, so it isn't doing me much good there!! I'm thinking of getting an online backup system like vaultpress, what do you think?