Just Baking

The first days of November mark Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), a lively and rich tradition in which departed loved ones are honored and the cycle of life is celebrated.
Although I have never had the opportunity to visit Mexico during this festive time, I wanted to try my hand at making […]

Making seasonal baked goods doesn’t need to be a complicated or difficult ordeal. Forget the intricate designs, because with just basic shapes and a bit of whimsy, I can bet that anyone can appreciate the effort just as much. Take for instance these pumpkin cakes! All you need to do is mix up […]

Where are you autumn?
We haven’t heard from you in weeks. You are supposed to be here. The calendar says October, but the warm sun on my shoulders says spring. I look outside my window and even with orange trees and crunchy leaves on the street, nothing says you’re near. I see pumpkins and witches dressing […]

For those of you in the US and who have the four seasons, can you believe that we are knee deep into Fall now? Where in the world does the time go? As much as I love all the summertime flavors, with fresh veggies and cool treats, I do love the comforting flavors of Fall. […]

Just in time for Halloween we have a video from Epicurious, a source for videos we’ve visited once before, that features a very simple and easy spiderweb cookie you can make with your children.

I tried finding videos on decorating ideas for Halloween cupcakes and cakes but unfortunately there is a definite lack of quality videos […]

Following the lead of the ginger-spiked chocolate chip cookie recipe I created for my birthday, I snuck some crystalized ginger into a Molasses Cookie recipe I was trialing out.  The recipe was amazingly vegan (dairy-free, egg-free) and oddly enough, didn’t call for any ginger.  Knowing how well ginger goes with molasses, I thought this would be the […]

 
I’m a huge fan of Fall. I love the changing colors of the leaves. I love the musky smell of piles of leaves wet on the ground. I love the cooler nights and shorter days. I love using it as an excuse to bake lots of things with pumpkin in them. So today I present […]

Mooncakes are thin shelled pastries with a thick layer of dense fillings that are traditionally associated with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Fillings can include duck egg yolks, red bean paste, and lotus seed paste, all of which are traditional, but additional mooncake fillings have been introduced reflecting modern tastes and health concerns.
The overall process […]

It helps to have in your repertoire an all-purpose recipe for when you are in need of a dozen cupcakes or something you can decorate. For me, it’s this yellow cake recipe. I’ve used this recipe for my Halloween cupcakes, the heart from Valentine’s Day, and for my Easter Bunny cupcakes this past […]

It may be a little late to include these in your 1st or 2nd night seder, but for a nice mid-week kosher-for-Passover treat, these Praline Cookies are quick and easy to throw together in order to fill a  cookie Jones in this time of baked-good deprivation.  Oh, the sufferin’….
I found this recipe a few months […]