’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies go seasonal, with pumpkin cookies and two different cream cheese fillings—lemon and maple nutmeg.

PUMPKIN FLAVOR IS EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW. Some car care places are even playfully advertising that “Pumpkin Spice Oil Changes Are Back!” My personal favorite pumpkin-flavored seasonal thing is, well, pumpkin pie. In fact, it’s what I choose instead of birthday cake. But Marion’s pumpkin whoopie pies are a delightful close second. Continue reading “’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies” →

Enjoying a fall harvest find: Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Italian Plums

Available briefly in the fall, Italian plums are the star of this simple, sweet cake. Recipe below.

I LOVE FALL. I love breaking out the turtlenecks and the sweaters, and watching the leaves turn, and even the bittersweet moment when I put away my beloved sandals and shift to my beloved boots. I love how the cat’s fur gets thicker, and the rosebushes in the garden surprise us with a few last, gorgeous, huge flowers, and Terry gleans what remains of the basil for a couple last batches of pesto. It is all so melodic. And part of the melody of this time of year for me is that brief moment when we can get Italian plums. Continue reading “Enjoying a fall harvest find: Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Italian Plums” →

Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Earl Grey tea and culinary lavender give butter-rich shortbread cookies an elegantly subtle floral/lemony lightness. Recipe below.

AFTER A WEEK ON THE ROAD, WE WERE BACK HOME. In our house, in our familiar kitchen. Doing our familiar things. And suddenly, we were in the mood to bake—something simple and cozy. These shortbread cookies were exactly that. Continue reading “Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies” →

Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes

GALETTES ARE PIES’ LESS FUSSY COUSINS, with the filling simply piled in the middle of an unbaked, rolled out crust and the edges of said crust folded up and crimped around it. Imperfections aren’t just allowed—they’re part of the rustic beauty. Continue reading “Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes” →

If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it

A Detroit favorite, this pan-baked pizza is enjoying a very long national moment pretty much everywhere.

DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA. Thick, square cut, chewy, crunchy—and increasingly, ubiquitous. Two years ago, in fact, Food & Wine covered the trend in an article entitled “How Detroit-Style Pizza Took Over America.” Continue reading “If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it” →

Don’t call them bite-sized: down-sized scones are a perfectly sized treat

WE MADE A LOT OF SCONES LAST WEEKEND. Like many scone recipes, the ones here at Blue Kitchen make eight scones. But honestly, when we make them that size, we often eat part of one, then come back later to finish it. So lately, we’ve been downsizing our scones, getting a dozen from the same batch of dough. The smaller scones are perfect for a breakfast treat, dessert or afternoon snack. Continue reading “Don’t call them bite-sized: down-sized scones are a perfectly sized treat” →

Deliciousness served in small batches: Double Chocolate Rye Cookies

Rye flour adds a nice nuttiness to these luscious chocolate cookies. The small batch recipe helps avoid overindulging. Recipe below.

I AM GIVEN TO RANTING ABOUT HOW I DISLIKE BAKING COOKIES. So much fussing, so much stickiness, so many sheets and sheets of blobs of dough and so much anxious peering into hot, hot ovens—by the time everything is done and cooling on masses of racks, I am beyond done. I don’t even want to eat them. Continue reading “Deliciousness served in small batches: Double Chocolate Rye Cookies” →

Two traditional favorites create one delicious dessert: Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Homemade apple butter makes pumpkin pie creamier and subtly sweeter. Recipe below.

WHEN TERRY MADE CHRIS SCOTT’S LOVELY JOHNNYCAKES AND APPLE BUTTER a couple weeks back, the apple butter recipe was small compared to most, but it was still a lot of apple butter for a two-person household. We heroically slathered it on waffles and toast and pork sandwiches, but there was still some left. That was when I stumbled across this recipe for apple butter pumpkin pie. Continue reading “Two traditional favorites create one delicious dessert: Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie” →

Sunday in the kitchen with family

A couple of our favorite recipes turn into an informal Sunday dinner when family drops in.

IF BLUE KITCHEN WERE A PRINTED COOKBOOK, some pages would be more dogeared and food-speckled than others. Often, Marion or I will be in the kitchen, a laptop open to a recipe on the blog as we cook. Last Sunday, we were both in the kitchen armed with laptops. We were cooking two of our favorite recipes. Continue reading “Sunday in the kitchen with family” →

Friends and subtle sweetness: Lemon Cornmeal Blueberry Cake

This lemony bright, nicely substantial cake is infused with rosemary syrup for a subtle herbal sweetness. Recipe below.

A FEW MONTHS BACK, OUR EXCELLENT FRIEND LIZ, the person who encouraged us to create the feature we call Liz’s Crockery Corner, moved away. She and her family now live on one of our favorite places on earth, Whidbey Island in Washington state. Sweet, huh? But we really miss her. The other day, thinking of Liz and her family’s new world, I was poking around in The Hedgebrook Cookbook: Celebrating Radical Hospitality, the lovely book of recipes from the Hedgebrook writing retreat on Whidbey, and came across a recipe for Lemon Polenta Cake with rosemary syrup. Continue reading “Friends and subtle sweetness: Lemon Cornmeal Blueberry Cake” →