As a lifelong New Yorker, I’ve had a lifelong relationship with black and white cookies. And we’ve had our ups and downs. See, the idea of the black and white – plain Jane on the bottom, sugar icing on top – meets all of my cookie requirements. And visually, I can’t resist the clean, simple [...]

Oh yes I did. Samoas were tops on my “D.I.Y.” list – I freaking LOVE Samoas. I always associate this time of year with Girl Scout cookies, so it seemed fitting to make them now. Are you a Samoas fan? I always feel like I’m in the minority, totally outnumbered by team “Thin Mints”. But [...]

…and make macaroons of course! For those of us celebrating Passover, a can of these in the house is as ubiquitous as a box of matzoh or a jar of horseradish. I’m not much of a fan though – they’re too sweet and sticky, even for me. But these. These lovely macaroons are the complete opposite [...]

Passover’s approaching, and I’m on my annual hunt for a few yummy, flourless desserts. And I decided that this year it was finally time to tackle the one. The one I’ve been avoiding for too long now. The one I even TOOK A CLASS FOR. And had yet to make. Yes, it was time. I [...]

So I have this friend – R. And I love him so, so much. R lost his mom last week, after a long and unpleasant battle with a chronic illness. I’ve been talking to R a lot over the past few weeks, as things seemed to be escalating, and the prognosis was not good.  Hearing [...]

Okay. They’re not exactly health food. But compared to my last post they’re pretty angelic, no? And they are fat-free and gluten-free, which is about as close to “nutritious” as it’s going to get here….. And how perfect will these be, with some champagne at midnight tonight? Happy New Year – I hope it’s lovely. [...]

….delicious. Okay, so you need one more quick and easy holiday cookie? Really? The bars weren’t enough? I hear you. And I bring you shortbread. In baking terms,”short” refers to a cookie that has a high proportion of fat to flour. From The Kitchn: “Usually these short doughs are very rich, crumbly, and tender with butter. [...]

I feel like I go through phases with my baking. There are times where I feel like a machine – endless reserves of energy and inspiration, and the cookies and cakes just keep on coming. And then there are times when I’m completely uninspired, and I just want easy. You know, minimal effort, but still expecting [...]

This is my spice rack: And I bet it looks a lot like yours.  Spices, to me, are nothing special. Something to be added to a dish if the recipe calls for it – and that is all. I don’t spend a lot of money, time or thought on them.  I do not grind whole [...]

Confession time. I’m a garden designer (and gardener) – who doesn’t compost. I know. While composting is definitely on “that list” of things we say we’re going to do every year – well, it never seems to happen. And while I am not proud of this, I clearly don’t feel badly (or motivated) enough to [...]