Cheese Straws
Buttery, crumbly, and packed with sharp cheese and just a bite of pepper. These are addictive and make a great party appetizer or gift! And go ahead and make a double batch. You’ll thank me later.
Read MoreCranberry Crunch
When the fresh cranberries first hit the shelves I couldn’t resist buying a massive bag at Costco. But besides plans for fresh cranberry-orange relish for the Thanksgiving table, and cranberry orange muffins of course, I didn’t have many more fresh cranberry recipes up my sleeve... and yet there were still pounds of cranberries in the fridge.
Enter this delightful cranberry crunch.
Read MoreRecipe Round-up: November
Where we’d usually post our recipe round-up at the end of the month, we thought you might appreciate an archive dive for Thanksgiving recipes along with what we’ve discovered this month.
Read MoreChocolate Chess Pie with bourbon whipped cream, ganache sauce, and sea salt caramelized pecans
friend of mine and I put on a fancy Friendsgiving feast for some of our close friends - “fancy” because we tried to pick out-of-the-ordinary dishes and flavor combinations and then plated and served all the courses. There were 14 adults so it was a bit of work! But thankfully most of the work was upfront and we were able to prep and cook everything and have it ready to go. So it wasn’t actually stressful or rushed at all - it was fun and even a bit of a rush!
I was happy to use this as an occasion to get a pie post up on the blog so I took charge of the soup and dessert course. We were going for a loosely inspired Southern-themed menu and since I knew chess pie is classic Southern but I also really wanted something chocolate, I settled on chocolate chess pie. As a further nod to the south I decided to accent it with a bourbon whipped cream and a salty caramel pecan crunch. And a little dollop of a smooth ganache just to make it that much more chocolatey.
Read MoreNew England Pumpkin Pie
This is a Pakaluk family favorite. Marrying into the Barrows family brought about making it with a graham cracker crust. It’s a happy marriage.
Read MoreMaple cream tart with walnut crust (Gluten free!)
Ok I can’t lie. I was conflicted about sharing this recipe with you. It was tasty, yes. Would I make it again? Not sure. (To be fair, this is the second time I’ve made it - I won a pie contest with this tart last year…!) The crust wasn’t my favorite. It was yummy, but … well … I would prefer a pie crust. But I really wanted to give you guys a gluten free option. The custard was a little too rich for me, too. But my husband LOVED it. If you know me, you know that I’m a hopeless, helpless second guesser. I don’t make decisions easily and I question myself after almost every move. So when it didn’t turn out as awesome delicious perfect as I imagined it would, I basically crumpled into a despairing heap. And I decided I wouldn’t blog about it, because I didn’t think it was amazing and I wouldn’t make it again.
But after a few hours - and my husband’s very positive reviews - I started to rethink my approach. It wasn’t a disaster. It wasn’t a disappointment. It wasn’t gross. It tasted good and had a great creamy texture with a nutty crust. The fact that it wasn’t my favorite didn’t seem a reason not to post it. I’ll note what I would change, but otherwise, here it is!
Read Moreapple pie and a winner crust
Easy as pie. Who in the world came up with that?! I’m not sure. But I feel they must never have made one. In my baking experience at least, I have never, ever said: “Oh, this ol’ pie? I just whipped it up right before dinner.” No way. How would my crust have been chilled? How could my pie have set? IT ISN’T POSSIBLE! Cake on the other hand….
Read Moreperfectly rustic blueberry pie
As beautiful as all that pie art is, it might be missing the point.
I’ve been making my blueberry pie out of the Joy of Cooking for oh so many years now, and, returning to the recipe this year, I was struck by the wisdom I found in the introduction to fruit pies:
Read MoreRecipe Round-up: October
It’s nearing the end of October. Crazy! Here are the recipes we tried and which got our stamp of approval:
Read MoreAutumn Bread & Cheese Board
I find shaping bread so much fun. Fresh baked bread is always a crowd pleaser, but with just a teeny bit more time & effort, it becomes an absolute showstopper. This Fall, I dreamed up a harvest themed board with pumpkin and leaf shaped breads.
Read MoreFavorite Cornbread, Northern style with a Crust
Cornbread is close to my heart. I have so many memories of going to Boston Market, hashing out an absurd amount of cornbread for myself. I’m sure I wished I was allowed to eat a whole meal of it (but then, also a meal of mashed potatoes too….). And while I haven’t been in a Boston Market for years, cornbread has remained a great love. And for me, when I say cornbread I mean soft, moist, and sweet (i.e. Northern style) cornbread.
Read MoreRecipe Round-Up: September
We wanted to start a new series where we share recent bakes and cooks we made throughout the month. What we loved and why. So on this last day of September, here are some things we made:
Read MoreBlueberry Muffins
You notice I don’t say “best” or “magic” or “the only recipe you need” blueberry muffins. Because these aren’t. In fact, there are so many blueberry muffin recipes out there, I was debating even to post these. But, they come from a much beloved family cookbook that has pages falling out and is missing its back cover. And, these are good. Really good.
Read MoreThe Carrot Cake
I was actually given this recipe by my roommate in college (too many years ago to admit). We were headed to a cookout and needed to bring dessert. She promised me it was delicious, a family favorite. She didn't lie. It was devoured at that party to rave reviews. I kept the recipe and soon it was my family's favorite cake ever. It was made for every holiday and special occasion and requested for two separate wedding cakes. It has basically become a family legend.
Read MorePistachio Rose Shortbread Cookies & how not to be a food snob
My sister-in-law, fresh from a World Market shopping trip, placed a packet of dried rose petals in my hands and declared they were ripe for some Sarah confection.
That night, I went home and began my brainstorm: rose, pistachio, marzipan. Yum. Cream, ganache, praline. Yum. Strawberry rose pavlova -- rhubarb and rose -- coconut cream and rose pudding.
The first fruits of this brainstorm you'll find in the recipe for Pistachio Rose Shortbread Cookies below. Waaaaaay below. You're going to have a scroll through all my thoughts on "food consciousness" before you get to the crumbly buttery tea cookies pictured above.
Read MoreVintage Recipes: Oatmeal cake
I've got another installment of Project Vintage Recipes for you: Oatmeal Cake. I chose this recipe because it sounds like the kind of cake that can be unashamedly eaten for breakfast. Or at the very least it sounds like a perfect snacking cake that mommy can eat for breakfast and kids can eat for snack. (I've got to be honest, I save most of my cake for breakfast. It's just so good with a morning cup of coffee.)
Read MoreBreakfast week! Dad's Buttermilk Pancakes
About two years ago, on a long family update email chain, Dad simply shared his pancake, crepe, and waffle recipes. That was it. No latest news from him and mom and the younger kids, no stories or anecdotes, just the recipes with a one-liner introduction: "I wanted to share with everyone my recipes for crepes, pancakes, and waffles." While this may seem odd, Sarah aptly replied: "Wow! Thanks, Dad. I feel like you just doled out our inheritance."
Read MoreBreakfast week! Baked Oatmeal
Oatmeal is such a great breakfast. It's filling, nutritious, and super cheap. But, lots of kids don't really like oatmeal. Lots of adults don't really like oatmeal. And yeah, when oatmeal isn't prepared well it tastes like flavorless goopy mush. You can manage some pretty tasty stovetop oatmeal, but baked oatmeal, well, it tastes like an oatmeal cookie, and I can't imagine many kids or adults complaining about that.
Read MoreBreakfast week! Chocolate, orange and date scones
Is there anything prettier than a display of assorted scones on various tiered trays? With a floral tablecloth, delicate china tea cups, and silver spoons? the sun angling through a window lined with soft muslin curtains, illuminating the faces of friends?
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