Fall has arrived, and fall flavors are on my mind. I went apple picking a week or so ago, and with a peck of apples, a lot of baking can (and needs to!) take place. This recipe for Apple Butter Snickerdoodles can be made with store-bought apple butter, or homemade apple butter – you can even try this one I shared some time back for a more delicate taste.
Pro tip: enjoy with hot apple cider!
An Eastertime tradition for many are Hot Cross Buns. Today, people eat the buns on Good Friday, with the cross symbolism baked right in to represent the crucifixion of Christ. But, the buns actually predate Christianity.
The Saxons ate buns marked with crosses in honor of Eostre, the goddess of spring or light (who gave her name to Easter). Similar practices are recorded among the Druids, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans in honor of Diana, the goddess of the hunt and the moon.
I went to the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, and had such a great time! As we said in the 1900s, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” It was great to cheer on Team USA as well as teams from everywhere else.
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Not all that long ago I was in the south enjoying some buttermilk biscuits, so when I saw a recipe to combine these with my favorite cranberries, I knew I wanted to give them a shot. Biscuits aren’t terribly difficult to make and they freeze well, so this is a good recipe for anyone to try out. I store them in the freezer and pull one or two out when I know they’ll pair well with my dinner.
Despite the fact that this cheesecake may sound “summery,” I love cheesecake at all times of the year and do not discriminate. I used these wonderful mini springform pans to prevent the possibility of having an entire cheesecake just for myself at home. Continue reading
Last month, my friends and I were preparing for a NY Philharmonic Concert in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. I was assigned cookies as a snack to share, and I discovered these Lemon-Lime Cookies which are a really light and summer-y treat that won’t melt in the heat or feel too heavy.
Ultimately, the concert was rained out, but consequently I can report that these cookies freeze well, too!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you see rhubarb as a recurring annual theme. You’ve seen Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream, Rhubarb Muffins, and more.
I was so excited, last week, to see rhubarb on sale at my neighborhood farmers market, and I knew I had several recipes back home to pick from. Realizing I had mascarpone in the fridge too, this Rhubarb-Mascarpone Tart was an easy choice.
Note that the crust can be made the day before, as can the rhubarb compote, so this is a nice option for a partially make-ahead dessert.
S’Mores are, for many, a summertime favorite. I’ve seen twists on the traditional marshmallow-graham cracker-chocolate combo, such as using a different cookie, or putting a Reese’s or other candy in place of the chocolate.
But, a take which only recently occurred to me was to lighten things up just a bit with fruit.
Cream puffs are a super easy pastry that look so much harder than they are. They’re fancy and fun and there’s an endless variety of ways to change them through the filling or toppings. This post uses a shortcut version of Crème Pâtissière (aka crème pat or pastry cream) and then adds some toppings as a nod to our favorite s’mores! Continue reading
I have gone down a babka rabbit hole. It is possible that 2024 is about to become the year of babka. Today’s recipe is for a cranberry babka, and as I was making – and then eating – it, I thought of all the wonderful sweet and savory variations that I’d like to try. Stay tuned, for sure.
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Sweet Jumbles 