From Scratch

This easy, one-layer cake defies the usual techniques and I wouldn’t have noticed the recipe if I hadn’t spotted a pet peeve: expresso for espresso. That the word appeared on a box of Domino powdered (icing) sugar only increased my irritation. Domino is our top sugar producer and they should know better. Of course, they […]

My mother’s been on my mind a lot this week, with Mother’s Day just ahead. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of making cookies with her, especially when she’d dig out the cookie press to make these spritz cookies. Like millions of American families, we always had spritz cookies at Christmas, but my […]

I grew up on this moist, light, homey cake. It’s a little different from most crumb cakes because it’s not just batter with a crumb topping, it’s layered. And the delicious topping does not use any butter. It’s perfect when you want just a litte something and terrific for bake sales.
With a cake this easy, no big […]

Snickerdoodles are a beloved American cookie. Unless, of course, they’re really English or German or Dutch in origin. Are they from New England or Pennsylvania Dutch country? The answers depend upon which source you consult.
What’s not in dispute is how delicious they are or how easy to make. They are, at heart, a buttery sugar […]

Whenever I can devise a recipe that does double duty in my interfaith life, I am happy. This lightened-up take on a favorite worked for Easter and will work for Passover, when dairy is appropriate. In fact, I can envision this any time a plated dessert is needed.
For those not familiar with Passover dietary laws, grains are […]

This delicious cake is from Nigella Lawson’s Feast and I’ll be making it again for St. Patrick’s Day, the fourth year in a row. The recipe was in the The New York Times in late 2004 and it was such a hit — people inhaled it — I bought the book.
With its chocolate base and […]

I like this bread a lot. It’s perfect for snacking, whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or for kids after school. It’s terrific tucked into a backpack while hiking or trail walking. A schmear of cream cheese would be delightful but I prefer it on its own. It’s just sweet enough.
It’s a small loaf, only one pound […]

While I’ve been eating a lot of rabbit food, Mr. Knife Skills has been wondering when there might be something sweet in the house again, meaning something homemade and not the donuts he thinks I don’t know about. As much as I’d love cheesecake — any time — that’s just too fattening right now. I went […]

It’s hard to believe it now, as I look out and see a couple feet of snow on the deck, but one day the snow will be gone and it will be mild enough to enjoy the company of friends with some wine and nibbles. No doubt, I’ll ask myself where the time went and how […]

Decorating cutout cookies can be as simple as sprinkling sugar on them before they head into the oven or as involved as designs far more elaborate than I’ve done here. When going beyond a minimal approach, we need royal icing, the familiar cement for making gingerbread houses.
But it doesn’t have to be a tooth-chipping mortar. We control […]

It’s not often I run across a rolled cookie dough that doesn’t need an hour or more in the refrigerator before using it, so when I saw this recipe I tried it. I nearly threw it away; it’s from the card a gingerbread cutter was on and I assumed the recipe was for gingerbread.
They bake up […]

If cake batters and cookie doughs could talk they might say, “I’m not bad. I’m just mixed that way.”
The purpose of creaming is to create air bubbles…
Creaming is a basic, essential technique that countless people get wrong. Many cakes and cookies, especially cutout cookies, begin with this step. It’s no time for shortcuts or impatience. […]

When I was a girl I used to wince when my mother dug out the Christmas cookie cutters. It was just a matter of hours until I’d be stuck with helping to decorate them. I hated it, sitting there with a butter knife and carefully coating them with creamy frostings tinted holiday colors that served as a […]

Whenever I make gingerbread cookies for the holidays, I wonder why I don’t make them more often. They’re really a delicious cookie, especially for those of us without a serious sweet tooth. We associate them with Christmas, of course, but with different cookie cutters they can be used for any holiday or none at all. […]

If you’ve never worked with phyllo dough, just take a deep breath and do it. This festive and different dessert, with dark chocolate and neufchâtel as well as cranberries, is worth trying when you’d like to serve something special.
Like many people, I was intimidated by phyllo dough, especially when every cookbook exhorts us to work […]