I made some fun Black and White Halloween Cookies this week. But when I went to take pictures they just didn’t pop. What the pics really needed was some color for the black and white to stand out against. So I revved the oven back up and baked some pumpkins from the same sugar cookie dough recipe I make all my holiday-themed cookies with. Continue reading “Sparkly Pumpkin Cookies”
Every year I make violet jelly just like my mom taught me when I was a girl. But because the season is so brief and the color of the violet tea is so divine, I’m always looking to make something new and different with the foraged flowers. Last year it was Violet Lemonade, the year before that was Violet and Elderflower Gummies.
Continue reading “Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart”
I love to forage in my urban neighborhood for yummy things I can bake up into an elegant dessert. I’ve foraged violets, spruce, dandelions, and maple leaves in an area of just a few blocks of my home. My mom, who lives on a wonderful piece of land with oodles of amazing edible plants, had some red currants growing and offered some to me. I made them into this simple jam used it to cover a foolproof chocolate tart. Topped with a just-right layer of stabilized whipped cream and dusted with cocoa, this Chocolate Ganache and Red Currant Tart has lovely visual appeal and tastes incredible. I shared with the neighbors and received several texts that simply said, “Grooooaaannnnn” and “Good Lord!” I think that means they liked it.
Continue reading “Chocolate Ganache and Red Currant Tart”
I have been very impatient for spring this year. It’s been exceptionally cold in Chicago and everything has just been talking for-ev-er to come up. So when I saw the first bursts of yellow dotting the yards of the lazy I got super excited! I could almost hear Oprah announcing her next guest. Please welcome, Spriiiiinnnnnggg! Continue reading “Dandelion Lemon Bars”
Glazing your gingerbread cookies is a deceptively simple way to create delicate and impressive patterns on your gingerbread cookies. The textured dough, once baked, gets brushed with a simple powdered sugar glaze and allowed to dry and crystallize.
Continue reading “Glazed Gingerbread Cookies”
Every year, my dad’s side of the family celebrates Swedish Christmas, with blood sausage and meatballs and headcheese and all sorts of things I’m not likely to eat any other time of the year. I’ve baked lots of things with nordic flavors like cinnamon, cardamom and white pepper. But this year I wanted to bake up a cookie that really says SWEDISH CHRISTMAS*. I saw some cute peanut butter heart cookies on Pinterest and their criss-crossed fork marks reminded me of the paper heart baskets we made as kids (and I still sometimes make for grown-up time). So I decided to try my hand at a Scandinavian twist on the classic checkerboard cookie. This was the result! To say I’m pleased would be an understatement. I just adore these cookies.
Continue reading “Scandinavian Heart Basket Cookies”
I recently posted a recipe for Scandinavian Heart Basket Cookies where I referenced my Swedish roots. I immediately received several gentle reprimands from Danes, who pointed out that those paper heart baskets are Danish, not Swedish. As much as I hate the spread of misinformation, I really do associate those baskets with my family’s Swedish Christmas traditions. To make up for how gauche I am, I’ve made some holiday shortbread bars with an unequivocally Swedish ingredient, lingonberries! Take that Denmark!
Continue reading “Lingonberry Shortbread Bars”
Crisp at the edges and chewy orange-gingerbread cookies with orange extract and white pepper. These store and ship well, so they’re perfect for gifting!
Sometimes I really want gingerbread but I don’t feel like roll-out cookies or cake. I was pondering this (super serious) problem and decided to try adapting my classic chewy molasses cookies. After all, they both have ginger, molasses, cinnamon and cloves. In fact the only big difference is the nutmeg. I also use orange extract and white pepper in my gingerbread, so I threw that in there too. The result are these chewy orange gingerbread cookies and they are THE BOMB.
Continue reading “Chewy Orange Gingerbread Cookies”
I’ve heard through the grapevine that when you’re looking for a recipe, it’s aggravating to have to read through an entire epic description and wade through umpteen photos. Because there’s a pandemic and I don’t want to further irritate you, I am presenting this Cabin Fever Brownies recipe without much commentary. Also, I am homeschooling, working, wife-ing and generally losing my mind so I don’t have time to inspire you with the fancy words.
Continue reading “Cabin Fever Brownies”
Click here for directions on making the chocolate maple leaves. I’ll be circling back with baking directions soon!
Continue reading “Maple Apple Cake with White Chocolate Leaves”
