BOOKSHELF « A Woman Sconed

Downsizing holiday pies

By rahoward, on November 21st, 2021

I’ve been fond of miniatures since I was a girl, and at one point built my own dollhouse (from a kit), decorated and furnished it. The collecting of tiny, to-scale household items, particularly for the kitchen (to which I even made tiny baked goods), was a large part of my creative world as . . . → Read More: Downsizing holiday pies

Cookie of the Month: Folding a homemade Fig Newton

By rahoward, on October 25th, 2021

A Fig Newton is one cookie I donâ€™t feel too guilty about eating. Itâ€™s filled with dried fruit filling, right? And itâ€™s not terribly sweet, its modest cookie crust is minimal, so you almost feel as if you are eating something more akin to a granola bar.

I wonâ€™t dissect the truth to . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Folding a homemade Fig Newton

Bread of the Month: Loafing beyond pumpkin spice

By rahoward, on September 29th, 2021

Despite my love of autumn, I have to admit I get sick of all the pumpkin spice. There, I said it. Maybe it’s more the homogeneous mainstream concept that pumpkin spice represents that is less appealing to my taste.Yes, it’s become the hallmark of the fall season (which, according to Starbucks began in . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Loafing beyond pumpkin spice

Bread of the Month: Looking to a â€˜kids' cookbook for baguettes

By rahoward, on August 31st, 2021

I sort of stopped paying attention to kidsâ€™ animated movies (Disney Pixar, etc.) after I saw â€œRatatouilleâ€ in 2007. The level of artistic excellence in this film brought it to another level. And its theme of following oneâ€™s passions no matter what made it seem as appropriate for adults as children (even more . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Looking to a kids’ cookbook for baguettes

Cookie of the Month: Comforting with softness and sprinkles

By rahoward, on July 31st, 2021

Nearly every grocery store Iâ€™ve ever entered has had some version of a Lofthouse cookie. It seems to be standard to carry these ultra-soft, ultra-sweet vanilla cookies topped with fluffy frosting in an array of pastel colors, embellished with a finish of sprinkles.

Iâ€™ll admit that Iâ€™m neither much of a frosting nor . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Comforting with softness and sprinkles

Bread of the Month: Feeling fully corny with muffins

By rahoward, on July 31st, 2021

Around the end of May, my usual love and admiration for all things corn amped up a bit.

I mean, Iâ€™ll put corn in anything, but I took it to an extra corny level as corn season approached, exploring recipes related to my favorite vegetable. Working ahead on my column for Kansas Country . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Feeling fully corny with muffins

Bread of the Month: Oiling up an herb-y scone

By rahoward, on June 30th, 2021

Sometimes, all the planets (or ingredients and time of the year) align in order to make the right recipe. I was recently thumbing through my original favorite scone book, â€œBiscuits and Scones,â€ (Clarkson N. Potter; 1988) by Elizabeth Alston. You would think I had made every recipe in the book, but far . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Oiling up an herb-y scone

Cookie of the Month: Snazzing up the snickerdoodle

By rahoward, on June 29th, 2021

My first snickerdoodle was given to me by a primary schoolmate, not much older than I. The cookie was pale golden perfection, much like its baker, who was, despite her young years, full of enviable poise, confidence and beauty (who later in high school became, of course, quite popular, a cheerleader and homecoming . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Snazzing up the snickerdoodle

Cookie of the Month: Taking lemon bars to tart level

By rahoward, on April 30th, 2021

Lemon bars bring up good memoriesâ€¦they were among the first treats I ever prepared and took to share with others. I was a freshman in high school, in Latin class (yes, Latinâ€¦do they teach it anymore?), and since we were (surprisingly) a small group, we often got permission to bring and share goodies, . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Taking lemon bars to tart level

Bread of the Month: Tossing strawberries into muffins

By rahoward, on April 25th, 2021

One would assume my April making of Strawberry Banana Muffins came out of a seasonal bent. Strawberries, though found year-round, are often on the docket of spring-to-summer baking projects, coming into prominence as early as April in California. But, to be honest, my muffins came almost completely from a need to use up . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Tossing strawberries into muffins

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