Archive for the 'sweets' Category
Classic Oatmeal Cookies
February 9th, 2010by Caroline
There is nothing remarkable about this cookie recipe except, perhaps, that I have been following it faithfully for over 35 years, and if you read this blog periodically or know me at all, you know that I am always tweaking recipes for baked goods. But why mess with a classic? This is the recipe [...]
Pear Bread
February 7th, 2010by Caroline
The other day I saw a bus ad quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson’s line, “There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat.” I was so surprised to see Emerson’s words on the side of a bus that it took a while before I stopped to think [...]
Hickory Puffs
December 30th, 2009My dad and sons added a new cookie to their repertoire this year, one I grew up with thanks to the nut-gathering efforts of my dad: hickory puffs. Now, most Californians don’t know about hickory nuts; the trees grow in New England and Wisconsin, and the nut shells are so hard and the nutmeat so [...]
Mrs. Bean’s Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps
December 23rd, 2009by Caroline
We are all about Fantastic Mr. Fox these days. Ben just finished reading the book in school, we loved the movie, we are singing the song and now — eating the cookies! It was Tony who recognized the familiar voice of Rabbit (Mario Batali) in the movie, Ben who kept talking about Mrs. [...]
Making Cookies, Making a Mess
December 22nd, 2009by Caroline
I was sharing some of my food writing with a friend recently — mostly stories of cooking with my kids — and she started shaking her head in wonder. “This is just so foreign to me,” she said, “All of your kitchen stories are so. . . happy.”
I reminded her I do have it [...]
Christmas Cookies: Pistachio-Cranberry Icebox Cookies
December 17th, 2009by Caroline
This is the third Christmas for this cookie recipe, which I found in Gourmet and love for all the reasons I love making candy: it’s quick, beautiful, and makes a lot.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (did you [...]
Christmas Candy: Salted Chocolate Pecan Toffee
December 15th, 2009by Caroline
In his recent New Yorker piece about cookbooks, Adam Gopnik writes, “…cookbooks have two overt passions right now: one is simplicity, the other is salt.” This recipe, originally published in Sunset magazine, offers both. The boiling sugar makes it a poor choice to make with the kids’ assistance; just let them stand back and [...]
Christmas Candy: Spicy Pumpkin Seed & Cherry Chocolate Bark
December 13th, 2009by Caroline
I discovered this recipe last year in Catherine Newman’s Wondertime column, and now the only problem is making enough both to give away and keep some in the house for ourselves. I’ve made two batches already, and expect to make at least that much more before this holiday season is over. It is [...]
Christmas Cooking: Ben’s Chocolate-Coated Candied Orange Peel
December 7th, 2009by Caroline
I am always ready to start the Christmas baking too early to actually start the Christmas baking. Last year (at exactly this time, I see), I was stirring up a batch of Wonderballs, no-bake peanut butter-oatmeal concoctions that we keep in the fridge. They are an excellent transitional snack, whether the gap you’re [...]
Learning to Eat Quinces
December 3rd, 2009by Caroline
Winter fruit in California is maybe not quite so varied as summer fruit, but with satsumas, pomegranates, and pears, I’m not complaining. This winter, I’m also optimistically awaiting a new addition to our winter fruit menu: the quince! After years of beautiful flowers from the raggedy little tree in the far corner of our [...]