Mastering secrets and Blueberry Thyme Scones

Fresh blueberries, thyme, lemon zest and juice—and two insider tips—create light, delicious scones. Recipe below.

BY NOW, PROBABLY EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF MASTERCLASS, where masters of their crafts in various fields teach online classes. The creative agency where I work gave us all MasterClass subscriptions so we could learn whatever caught our imaginations while we’re all stuck at home. But being a creative agency, we of course took it further. We’ve started doing our own master classes, with colleagues sharing their own special skills. These scones are a direct result of that. Continue reading “Mastering secrets and Blueberry Thyme Scones” →

What are you cooking for the 4th? 15 surprising recipe ideas

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

ANOTHER MAJOR FOOD HOLIDAY IS UPON US. Everywhere, magazines, emails, friends and online food sources are sharing recipes. Seemed like a good idea to us too. So good that when we checked our archives, we found we’d done a pretty bang up job a few years ago. Unexpected dishes, like this one, chicken tea-smoked with star anise and orange, then grilled. You’ll find this and 14 other surprising recipes, from grilling to appetizers, sides (including three potato salads) and desserts, right here. Have a great, delicious 4th.

Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made

Un-iced and not overly sweet, this cinnamon roll is a perfect dessert, breakfast or anytime snack. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]Y[/su_dropcap]ou know how sometimes someone says a thing to you that unexpectedly puts everything in a whole new light? That opens a doorway where, for the longest and most wearying time, you’d just seen the same dull wall? Continue reading “Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made” →

For Hanukkah, for a sweet breakfast, for any reason: Chocolate-filled Challah

Semi-sweet chocolate and brown sugar add a delicious twist to challah, a traditional Jewish braided bread, creating an almost dessertlike loaf.

Chocolate-filled Challah

THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVERLAPPING AGAIN. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 22, just two days before Christmas Eve. Lucky for you, this chocolate-filled challah is a delicious, impressive, dessertlike bread you can make to celebrate everyone. You’ll find the recipe—and variations on a theme—right here.

Simple holiday treats for the win: Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies

The humble, traditional thumbprint cookie gets a mysterious upgrade with fresh rosemary. Recipe below.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US. And that means having something to take to a holiday party. Something to serve at your holiday party. Or something to bring out when unexpected guests turn up. These Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies do that in spades, with nice subtle flavors that will have people asking for the recipe. You’ll find it right here.

Hospitality baked in a hotel pan: Texas Sheet Cake with Pistachios

Texas sheet cake, a Lone Star State tradition, is big and generous and easy to make. Here, we dress it up with pistachios and Himalayan pink salt. Recipe—and substitutions—below.

SO IT TURNS OUT TEXAS SHEET CAKE IS A THING. Over the weekend, I was rumbling around on the intertubes, looking for something to bake but not anything complicated, like a Napoleon, or annoying, like (grinding teeth) cookies. And this is when I stumbled over a thing millions—literally millions—of Americans already know: Texas sheet cake. Continue reading “Hospitality baked in a hotel pan: Texas Sheet Cake with Pistachios” →

Dessert? Dinner? Five recipes show how dried tart cherries do both

Ricotta Chevre Cake

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]L[/su_dropcap]ast week’s scone recipe left us with a surplus of dried tart cherries—and a reminder of how deliciously versatile they are. Here are five ways you can use dried cherries, some sweet, some savory. Continue reading “Dessert? Dinner? Five recipes show how dried tart cherries do both” →

Autumnal, rustic and offhandedly impressive: Walnut and Boozy Cherry Scones

Dried tart cherries are plumped in bourbon, then baked into easy-to-make, not-too-sweet scones. Recipe below.

Dried Cherry Walnut Scones

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]S[/su_dropcap]cones are the perfect baked dessert for someone who doesn’t bake much and prefers baked goods that aren’t too overly sweet. In other words, me. Continue reading “Autumnal, rustic and offhandedly impressive: Walnut and Boozy Cherry Scones” →

Welcoming the return of baking weather, with Lemon Hazelnut Scones

Lemon juice and zest, and toasted hazelnuts make these flaky scones a delicious, not-too-sweet treat for dessert or with tea or your morning coffee—or anytime. Recipe below.

FOR ME, SCONES HIT THAT SWEET SPOT OF NOT BEING TOO SWEET. In coffee shops, I find myself looking for these substantial, only-slightly-sweet treats instead the usual sugary, fluffy suspects. So as weather started cooling off here in Chicago, I thought about baking some scones. I’m still thinking about it. In the meantime, here are some lemony, nutty, not-too-sweet scones from our archives. We hope you enjoy them.

From dinner to dessert to breakfast: five ricotta recipes (and a surprise or two)

Ricotta Chevre Cake

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]his weekend, our daughter who bakes was in town. So she and Marion baked the traditional Italian cake you see here, made with ricotta, goat cheese, dried tart cherries and a mere seven tablespoons of flour. More about this cake later, but it got me thinking about ricotta. Continue reading “From dinner to dessert to breakfast: five ricotta recipes (and a surprise or two)” →