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Favorite seasonal recipes, projects, and some photography advice and inspiration.
Double chocolate muffins for a frozen, wintry morning
We’re in the January deep-freeze here, in what currently feels like the frozen tundra, and turning on the oven to make bake up some hearty and delicious comfort food feels more like a necessity for survival than a luxury. But these muffins are most definitely luxurious. Making a batch of double chocolate muffins is a great way to warm up the kitchen make winter seem a little less bleak.
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Pear Ginger Muffins with Crumb Topping and Vanilla Glaze
I enjoy making muffins nearly any time of the year, but during these cold and frosty November mornings, they’re even more welcome than usual. Especially these, with their sweet pear and warm ginger flavors, made even better with a buttery crumb topping and vanilla glaze.
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Baked pumpkin donuts for a chilly October afternoon
October is here! I love October. I love the vibrant colors of the changing leaves and the cool, crisp air. I love needing a sweatshirt, but not needing the winter gear just yet. I love seeing pumpkins on door steps and leaves on the walkways. Most of all, I love the coziness that is an inherent part of the season. There’s just nothing like going for a walk in the cool air outside and then coming in and warming up with a baked pumpkin donut and a hot cup of coffee.
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Rhubarb Muffins with Cardamom and Streusel Topping
Rhubarb tastes like summer to me, even more than fresh strawberries and Maine wild blueberries, though when those are in peak season, I'm sure I will say they taste like summer. What can I say? Summer tastes great around here. But I have especially fond, early-summer memories of rhubarb that give it a special place in my heart. And stomach. When I was growing up, we had a huge rhubarb patch out back and my mom would always make a rhubarb pie and sometimes rhubarb jam. She rarely mixed it with strawberries, letting the bright tartness of the rhubarb shine through. I always loved those rhubarb pies, and still do. It helped that she let us eat pie for breakfast, so I suppose I have fond memories of most fruit pies. But still, rhubarb was a particular favorite.
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Spiced scones with maple cream, on a cold March morning
My husband and children prefer cookies to scones. Fortunately, I love to bake cookies. I enjoy the whole process, from making the dough to eating the final product. I like unfussy cookies that are relatively easy to throw together and make me feel like I really have my act together.
Read moreRainy morning with brown sugar scones
I love the occasional rainy morning, especially during transition seasons when the fog piles up in the valleys and over the river, and the clouds obscure mountains and hilltops. They invite a certain coziness, a calmness, a quietness. This particular morning was relatively warm, given the frigid spring we've been having here, and though the fog was thick and heavy, it was wonderful walking weather. The rain fell more heavily later in the morning, inspiring me to stay cozy inside and bake a warming and indulgent breakfast treat - these brown sugar scones. They come together quickly and easily, are lightly sweet with the rich flavor of dark brown sugar, and go perfectly with a cup of hot coffee on a rainy day.
Brown Sugar Scones
Ingredients:
Process
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Measure flour, baking powder, salt, and dark brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Stir together so that the dry ingredients are well blended. Add the cold butter and using either your fingertips or a pastry cutter (I use my pastry cutter), combine the butter with the dry ingredients until you have a mostly sandy consistency with some pea-sized lumps of butter left. Pour the milk into the mixture and use a fork to stir together, just until all of the flour is dampened and the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together to form a disc about an inch thick. Be careful not to knead this dough, as that will make it tough, and don't worry too much about getting the shape and height perfect. Just eyeball it. Place the disc onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and, using a knife or bench scraper, cut the disc like a pie into 8 equal slices. Optional - lightly brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with course sugar. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown but not burnt on the bottoms. Best eaten as soon as they are cool enough to touch, but will keep in an airtight container for a day or two.
Enjoy! - KB
