Imagine my surprise when I learned that Lottie + Doof was someone’s favorite site (or at least one of their favorites)! And that someone is someone I don’t know. That someone is a nice animator named Gretta who mentions L+D in Time Out Chicago this week. I sure am happy she likes this site and so, this one is for Gretta. read more+++

It isn’t too late for gingerbread! I had been eying this recipe before the holidays but somehow never got around to making it. I am sorry I waited, it is a real keeper.

A few days ago I realized that both my ginger and ground cloves were too old to use. I grew up in a family where spices were kept in the pantry until they were all used up. They became dusty relics of the past. Some of our spices were, I kid you not, at least ten years old! (I bet my mom is still using spices she has had since the early 90’s.) Now we’re told that spices have a shelf life of about a year and that after that their flavor weakens dramatically. It is true. Believe it. Please believe it. read more+++

Right before the holiday craziness began, I baked a cake for a coworker’s baby shower. It seemed like a good reason to try out a layer cake recipe from Sky High. I baked this beauty late at night and cursed a lot while putting it together, but folks— this was amazingly delicious. read more+++

More cranberries. I can’t help myself. Soon it will be summer and they won’t be available, I have to think about the future!

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You know by now of my love of cheese, but we have not yet spoken of doughnuts. Why is it so easy to love the things that are bad for us? (That truth seems to extend beyond the kitchen.) If I could, I would eat a doughnut every morning. That might kill me, and so instead I treat myself to a doughnut very occasionally. But I think about them often. I kept coming across recipes for Doughnut Muffins and they really piqued my interest. Could something you bake really taste like a doughnut? Is this the solution to all of our problems? No, probably not. But these muffins are a real good thing. They have both the texture and taste of a cake doughnut- minus the time spent frying in oil, which is at least a step in the right direction. read more+++

The cranberry madness continues. I have been wanting to try this recipe for cranberry upside-down cake for over a year. I don’t have much experience with upside-down cakes, I’m not even sure that I have ever eaten one. I don’t know if my inexperience was keeping me from trying it or if other cranberry recipes had been more aggressive in their fight for my attention. In any case, I am sorry I waited! This is delicious!

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What a cool word, eh? Sbrisolona. It means crumbly. Cake. It is delicious. You have the Italians to thank for this one. A dense thin cake from Mantua made with a surprising number of egg yolks, almond flour and a touch of cinnamon. This cake is totally my speed. It is a really impressive dessert that actually tastes better the next day, making it perfect for the holidays and parties. read more+++

I might not care very much about pumpkin—but cranberries are a different story. I love cranberries and will find as many ways as possible to eat them in the coming months. I will also fill my freezer with them before they go out of season so that I can be eating them throughout the winter and spring. This simple quick bread seemed like a good use of my first bag of fresh cranberries. read more+++

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are one of the signature dishes from Baked in Brooklyn. They have quite a following, and this recipe replicates them very well. I brought these to work and they were a big hit, but I have to be honest—these aren’t my favorite (although that hasn’t stopped me from eating them). I think that I like pumpkin things less that I am supposed to. Maybe it’s a texture thing? For the pumpkin fans out there, I think you will really love these.

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Oh boy.

Baked is the name of a bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn that is worth a visit next time you are in NYC. Baked is also the title of a cookbook that the bakery recently published, which has been getting lots of press. With good reason—it is exceptional. And perhaps most exceptional of all is their Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Swirl. It is a dream come true.

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