This recipe first appeared on my site in 2016. It’s from my book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. I love it so much, I’m sharing again. ************************************ First of all, I want to say thank you, oh my goodness thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I had so many kind emails and comments and tweets yesterday; your support of my upcoming book is overwhelming. I wouldn’t…
This recipe for St. Lucia Buns was posted a few years ago originally, but it got buried in the archives and I thought I’d bring it up again for the Holidays. ****************************************** Each December, I find myself searching for the perfect holiday traditions. Not that there are any perfect ones, of course, but with two little ones in our family, I crave some routine and consistency each year.…
I normally prefer fried donuts if have a choice, but they can be a lot of work and the kitchen aftermath is not always worth the effort. I make these baked pumpkin donuts every fall and never hear any complaints – they are muffin-y in taste, but delicious none-the-less. This recipe was actually originally for muffins, but I prefer them in donut shape – they bake up quite…
I mentioned before that I may go slightly overload with some pumpkin recipes this season, and here’s another one for you, this chilly October morning. Pumpkin pastry cream is quite tasty, and I honestly can’t stop making it. It’s smooth and rich like any good pastry cream should be, with just enough pumpkin flavor. This recipe is adapted from the pastry cream in my book; I start things…
‘Have you been online yet?’ my husband asks from the couch. It’s 8:45 am, and I am searching the kitchen for breakfast. Most mornings, upon waking, I reach for my phone next to me on my nightstand, and check all the icons chirping at me like hungry baby birds. Email, facebook, instagram, twitter, usually in that order. I despise the impulse, but I’m too tired to stop my…
Ages and ages ago (at least, it feels that way) my husband, Adam, and I spent a few days in Los Angeles. It was a thoughtful Christmas gift from Adam – I could pick any city in the country to spend a long weekend in. Since it was winter in Minnesota, I had a friend in Los Angeles with an Airbnb (see below!), and visiting Joshua Tree National…
One must know how to be quiet in all the languages and everywhere, always allowing the leaves to fall, fall, allowing them to fall, fall. * The house is quiet again. The constant laughter, pitter-patter of feet, splashing of pool water, and occasional bickering has been replaced with the sound of measuring cups scooping out flour, rolling pins on cold stone, and the mixer paddle clunking against stainless…
‘Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh…
‘Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.’ – Henry James I have to agree with Mr. James here; summer is magic. With my littles at home and days filled with swimming, reading, long walks, trips to the library, canoeing, hammocking, lego building, and not homeworking, I am entering August on tiptoes, knowing there are only…
Hello! And apologies for the silence in this space. The quiet is a good thing – my summer has been lovely and busy; my family and I enjoying quality time together. So baking and blogging has been on the back burner for the better (that sentence had too many ‘b’ words and a terrible attempt at a kitchen pun, which means I’ve had way too much coffee today).…
