it was my birthday recently. I love my birthday. I love to celebrate and eat delicious things and generally be joyful. but I find as I get older, that each birthday is also when I really reflect on my life. It's a good time for it, I've found. I look back over the past year and check-in: am I feeling good? am I happy with my life? what will the coming year bring?
Read MoreThis recipe came to me from my friend Andra. I worked for her catering company back in the 1990s, baking pastries for the front-of-house coffee shop, pulling espresso at said shop, and pitching in on the catering prep. I used to joke with Andra that I would like her to make this as my wedding cake; when I got married this summer, we chose pies instead of wedding cake, but served this pound cake to our guests at breakfast the morning after.
Read Morethese almond cakes are, hands down, the cookie that is most requested by my friends and family. They are based on Marion Cunningham's Almond Butter Cake, which she bakes as an 8" cake. I love to make these bite sized, as it improves the ratio of the crisp exterior to chewy interior.
Read Morethis crostata is based on a sour cherry crostata from the Gourmet cookbook. I've adapted it with a variety of fruits, including rhubarb and strawberries. The blueberry remains my favorite, when sour cherries are hard to find.
Read Morethese shortbread are my friend Abby's favorite. Based on the sour cherry shortbread from Macrina, a wonderful bakery here in Seattle, these cookies have a delicious savoriness to them.
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