The full moon does have an effect. I find myself both mesmerized by its brilliance and taunted in (and mostly out) of sleep by its bright pull on the inner and outer psyche. The full moon and its fans get all the showy attention, but I have always been fond […]
Of all the cookies I’ve wanted to make, Spritz have been on my list the longest. I studied photos and recipes for Spritz as a child…I emerged from childhood, and still I was un-spritzed (I believe we had a cookie press, but it went unused). Young adulthood came and went, […]
The Fourth of July has always had even my reclusive nature upended, getting into the spirit of potlucks and family or community gatherings. For the last several years, I’ve trotted out some dessert recipes with Independence Day flair and ventured out of my house for a neighborhood potluck, resplendently held […]
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 […]
I never needed a wedding (or any special occasion) to enjoy a Mexican wedding cookie. Just eating one of these buttery little orbs, its crumbly texture dusted with the cooling sweetness of confectioner’s sugar, was cause alone for celebration. Long a fan of this cookie, a tradition in Mexico (and […]
I don’t need much encouragement to make shortbread. Even after a busy cookie-baking holiday season, the chance of making this simple, homey, buttery favorite treat — whether it comes in a pan or sliced from a roll — appeals to me because making it is simple; eating it is another […]
[W]e all know of lavender’s aromatherapeutic and cosmetic advantages. Try pulling yourself away from a lavender-scented candle or just dare yourself to be stressed out when you have the soothing fragrance of lavender on your skin. It’s heavenly. But if you have never tried eating lavender in some form, now’s […]
[O]ne of my earliest kitchen memories is of lying on the linoleum floor, being fanned. Not fanned exactly, but taking full advantage of the warm, sweet wind made by my mother waving a cookie sheet back and forth to cool it before she loaded it with a new batch of […]