No-Knead Artisan Bread

November 12, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (or ABIF) was something of a revolution when it first hit the market just over a decade ago (in fact, the word “revolution” is present in its very title). It was the bread-baking technique that first got me, and countless others, baking bread on a regular basis. The notion was simple: bread baking shouldn’t be prohibitive; it’s a basic human activity. How can this ancient tradition be reintroduced to the modern home? With a recipe that takes roughly “Five Minutes a Day,” Artisan bread was back on American tables.

Apple Pandowdy

October 10, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

Apple Pandowdy may very well be better than apple pie…and I’m someone who really likes apple pie.

It’s not an elegant dessert—I think the name speaks clearly to that. But it’s the name, “Pandowdy,” that first got me hooked, and the baked dessert lives up to it every inch.

chorizo, chickpea and kale sauté

July 23, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in cooking, sarah

I like this recipe because it’s quick, it’s satisfying, it’s flavorful, and it’s veggie-heavy.

we tried the momofuku milk bar birthday cake...and this is what we think

July 17, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, life

Just over a year ago, I made the Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake for my husband’s birthday. He requested it. We had just finished watching the first episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Pastry, and he turned to me and said “I want that for my birthday.” That being pastry chef Christina Tosi’s iconic Birthday Cake.

looks we like: july

July 13, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, life

We’re already well into wedding season, but chances are you still have a number of weddings left to attend (late summer into early fall is when wedding season really seems to pick up).

great British Bake Off Challenge July: Eton Mess

July 07, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

When I started thinking about what GBBO bake we should do for July, I immediately thought something light, fresh, easy and perfect for summer. Eton Mess is all of that and more.

lemon blueberry cheesecake bites

July 01, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

Graham cracker crust topped with a cheesecake filling, bursting blueberries and a hint of lemon…these fresh and pretty bites practically scream “take me to a summer bbq!”

rice flour snickerdoodles [gluten-free]

June 24, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

We aren’t gluten-free in my home, but I have enough family and friends who are that it helps to have a few stellar gluten-free recipes on hand to pull out for parties and get-togethers, or just because! And I have to admit, I’m prejudiced against recipes that tout themselves as “gluten-free” and then simply call for a gluten-free flour mix in the ingredients list, or worse for me, some home-concocted mixture of 100 different flours and powders that I simply don’t have on hand and probably never will invest in.

a stay at the brown palace (and on leaving your babies for the first time)

June 18, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in life, sarah

A friend recently told me about a trip she and her husband took—a weekend abroad without their two little ones. I was amazed, and began asking all the questions.

Where did you go? How long were you gone? Who watched the kiddos? Was it hard to leave them? Did the kids do okay? Did mom and dad do okay?!

moroccan chicken pie

June 06, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, cooking

This Moroccan Chicken Pie is easily one of my favorite foods. I remember the first time I took a bite…it was an explosion of flavor and I couldn’t get enough of it. Crispy, buttery, flaky, sweet, savory, nutty, spiced, herbed…oh it’s just too good.

And the whole process of making it is nearly as satisfying as its taste.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Almond Hummus

May 31, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in cooking, sarah

The quest for the smoothest, creamiest and fluffiest hummus is no stranger to the internet. Methods for achieving this ideal are all over the map, some swearing by certain brands of canned chickpeas, others insisting on starting from dried chickpeas, or maintaining you must soak them, boil and even peel them.

pear spice muffins with oat streusel topping

May 28, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, baking

Reminiscent of applesauce cake, these uber-moist pear muffins with a touch of spice and a crunchy oat topping are a sweet breakfast treat—and a great way to use up those too bruised or over-ripe pears.

looks we like: may

May 11, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in life, sarah

Because it’s May, and I’ve been thinking eagerly about packing away the cashmere and boots in favor of flowing floral dresses, billowing tops, and bright prints, I thought this time around it’d be fun to “dress” from head to toe in some exciting summer looks.

Humor me, please, because snow and chilly temps have been in the forecast and I. Just. Can’t.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

May 03, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

Layers of crunchy chocolate cookie crust, fudgy brownie, fluffy peanut butter cream, whipped chocolate mousse, topped with a poured chocolate peanut butter ganache glaze and a sprinkling of chopped roasted peanuts.

looks we like: april

April 13, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, life

Easter Season is nearly here, and Deirdre over at DaedalShop crafts intricate and inspired Pysanky eggs. We commissioned one for our “babcia” (grandma) several years ago and were blown away by the creativity and attention to detail that she brought to the project.

soft buttery dinner rolls

April 09, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

I love these dinner rolls. They are easy, they are delightful. They are soft, they pull apart in almost-flaky layers as a good buttery dough should, and they are slightly sweet, which makes them reminiscent of Hawaiian rolls.

My favorite way to serve these is to slice them in half for pulled pork sliders (or post-Easter ham sandwiches!) but they are equally delicious on their own, with butter and jelly, or as a side dish to a roast.

great British bake off challenge April 2019: cornish pasties!

April 07, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

For our April 2019 Great British Bake Off Challenge we thought we’d tackle something savory, since February and March brought you sweet treats.

I’ve never made a pasty (that’s pah-stee) before—let along a Cornish pasty—so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Obviously I turned to Paul Hollywood’s recipe for my inspiration, and then browsed a few others to get a sense of possible variations in method and technique. (I had some issues with Paul Hollywood’s GBBO recipe as it appears on BBC.com, so I had to do some research to get clarity. I think the recipe you’ll find below resolves the issues; see the note at the end if you are curious!)

Marzipan brownies {gluten-free}

April 01, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in baking, sarah

When we first started this blog, we decided we didn’t want to be unecessarily chatty in introducing our recipes. We agreed that for the most part, when we are looking at other blog recipes, we typically scroll down quickly to the recipe recipe, where it’s written out in recipe format, and pretty much ignore everything else. So for our blog, unless we have something we particularly feel like saying, we try to skip all that intro story telling and get right to the recipe.

apple oatmeal breakfast bars

March 20, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, baking

I love breakfast, but 90% of the time I don’t eat it. On the weekends we’ll cook up a big breakfast...sausage, bacon, potatos, eggs, pancakes, waffles, crepes... But that’s when we have the time to make and enjoy it.

Most weekdays, breakfast is something you scarf down between cups of coffee, getting kids fed and dressed, washing your face, and preparing for the day.

Quick tomato soup

March 11, 2019 by Sarah Blanchard in sarah, cooking

Tomato soup and grilled cheese: it’s an American staple. Probably because it’s fast, and it’s satisfying.

The thing is, as a grown adult cooking for my family, I discovered that many cans and cartons of tomato soup are chock full of sugars. On the other hand, a lot of homemade recipes, although fresh and delicious, take time to make, and don’t yield that ultra smooth brilliant soup you get from a can.