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

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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, “Biscuits and Scones,” (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

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Cookie of the Month: Imagining carrots in more than cake

By rahoward, on May 24th, 2021

There are many mystery recipes in my mom’s little cedar recipe box. The sources of many of the handwritten cards remain unnamed, although I know that if my mom took the time to write down a recipe, it came from someone. More than that mystery, I don’t have a firm recollection of her . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Imagining carrots in more than cake

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Taking the cake(s)

By rahoward, on October 26th, 2020

Summer crawled along this year, dimmed by our lengthy pandemic status and an early wildfire season. By the time my birthday — as well as that of my blog’s — rolled around, celebrating —  as it has felt for much of the last year —  seemed a bit ridiculous.

The year has been . . . → Read More: Taking the cake(s)

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Easing into a peach pie

By rahoward, on September 29th, 2020

One of the many things I miss about my mom is her knack for picking good recipes. She didn’t enter into this lightly. Not one to squander either her Ingredients or her time, she would consider new recipe possibilities at length and intently and would usually back a winner.

Sometimes, surprisingly, her intended . . . → Read More: Easing into a peach pie

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Cookie of the Month: Calming up shortbread

By rahoward, on June 13th, 2020

Shortbread is pretty much my favorite cookie. Just a few ingredients (usually a basic blend of butter, sugar flour and salt), it’s easy to make and despite its simplicity, rewards with rich flavor and isn’t too terribly sweet. It’s virtually fail-proof, too. I’d say over-baking is the biggest risk to good shortbread, which . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Calming up shortbread

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Scone of the Month: Stopping to drop a maple-corn biscuit

By rahoward, on January 19th, 2020

It’s been colder than usual this winter. I’ll use that (or any) excuse to fire up the oven, morning, noon or night. The side benefits of baking are warming up the house (and spirit) and perfuming the air with something good. 

I came across a recipe in Elizabeth Alston’s “Biscuits and Scones,” (Clarkson . . . → Read More: Scone of the Month: Stopping to drop a maple-corn biscuit

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Taking a lighter approach with apple torte

By rahoward, on October 23rd, 2019

Just what is a torte? I have such limited experience with them. Actually, I have had no experience with them until making my first one recently — an irresistible recipe for Apple Cream Torte seemed to promise a range of many of the things I found delicious in dessert: a cake that was . . . → Read More: Taking a lighter approach with apple torte

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Circling back to the center again with a roll cake

By rahoward, on September 29th, 2019

Not long ago, I looked up and another year at my blog — and in my life — had passed. We’d taken another 365 1/4 days of a circular trip around the sun. It was hard to believe I’d been at the blog for nine years and going on my own life’s journey . . . → Read More: Circling back to the center again with a roll cake

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Dishing on the simplest holiday side

By rahoward, on November 17th, 2017

I think more than any other meal, it is the sides of Thanksgiving that get us all excited. Never is more effort put into all the bowls and platters on the holiday table; never is there more variety (outside of a summer potluck). And they bring with them rich flavors exclusive (but, why?) to this . . . → Read More: Dishing on the simplest holiday side

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