SO, MAY 30 IS NATIONAL SCONE DAY. There being only so many days in the year, it is also National Creativity Day and National Mint Julep Day. But you know us, we’re happy to celebrate scones. Continue reading “Celebrating National Scone Day”
A few extra simple steps create a delightful fruit-filled cake you’ll be happy to share—or keep for yourself. Recipe below.
WE’VE BEEN IN THE MOOD TO BAKE LATELY. So when a wintry cold snap aligned with a new-to-us apple find, we were ready to warm up the kitchen and try a new-to-us apple cake recipe. Continue reading “French Apple Cake”
A traditional dessert from Massachusetts, Nantucket Pie combines cranberries, nuts and lots of butter to create a rich, tart, sweet, festive treat. Recipe below.
NANTUCKET PIE IS A VENN DIAGRAM KIND OF DESSERT, occupying the overlap among tart, cobbler and cake. It’s sweet, tart and festive looking. It’s incredibly fast and simple to put together—really, it’s the perfect thing for a beginning baker—and when it comes out of the oven, it smells delightful. What it is not is pie, but that’s fine. Continue reading “Nantucket Pie (or cake or cobbler or…)”
This light, not-too-sweet peach cake makes a nice dessert or a swanky treat for breakfast. Recipe below.
THIS WAS A THREE PEACH CAKE WEEKEND FOR US. We had overnight guests and went to a fun block party (sans guests) and a big family barbecue (with our guests). So Marion baked a peach and plum bundt cake for our guests and two of this lovely one to bring to the events. Continue reading “Making the most of summer stone fruits: Peach Cake”
Lemon juice, zest and extract brighten this light, fragrant, summery cake. Recipe below.
INSPIRATION FOR OUR RECIPES COMES FROM MANY PLACES. THIS ONE STARTED IN OUR GARDEN. The thyme in our garden, which for years has been a charming, compact clump, has all at once gone crazy. It’s surging onto the walk; it’s galumphing up to its neighbors (aster and coneflowers) in an entirely too pushy way; it’s become completely overconfident and obnoxious. Continue reading “Extra lemony Lemon Thyme Bundt Cake”
WE’RE ON A ROAD TRIP OUT WEST. Today, we ate lunch sitting at the bar at The Kitchen American Bistro in Boulder, Colorado. Marion and I both ordered the quiche, with roasted mushrooms, leeks and Parmesan, along with a beautiful salad they just called “simple greens.” It was perfect. The quiche reminded me of our own version made with mushrooms and spinach. The mushrooms, sautéed with shallots, tarragon and the spinach, lend an umami meatiness to this vegetarian meal. You’ll find our recipe here.
These simple two-ingredient rolls are ready to eat, warm from the oven, in about 30 minutes. Recipe below.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST REALLY, REALLY WANT a little fresh, warm bread. This is a recipe for exactly that. It is the most low-commitment bread recipe I know. Continue reading “Quick Two-ingredient Dinner Rolls, for when you really, really want a little fresh, warm bread”
Cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips take the lead in this luscious double chocolate banana bread. Recipe below.
WHEN YOU HEAR CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD, what do you see? It could be a standard issue golden brown bread with molten chocolate chips flecking it throughout. Some home bakers create a marbled bread with veins of chocolate swirling around. Still other breads, like this one, go all in on the chocolate—both in appearance and in flavor. Continue reading “Chocolate is the star in Very Chocolatey Banana Bread”
This impressive, rustic, delicious galette is foolproof, even for reluctant bakers. Recipe below.
OUR DECEMBER KEPT LURCHING INTO UNCERTAINTY—due to various dramas, we were never sure how things would play out, who would be visiting, even whether we would get a last-minute unavoidable summons for a road trip, surprise! Continue reading “The yes-you-can-bake Apple Galette”
WE LOVE POTATOES IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY FORM. If you do too, here are four recipes that each share little potatoey cooking secrets. Continue reading “One potato, two potato, three potato, four… recipes and cooking tricks”