• Baking Recipes,  Christmas & holidays,  Cookies,  From the books

    Looking back and tapping into my Christmas Spirit

    Can you believe it’s the last day of November already? I certainly can’t. This was probably the fastest year yet for me, and I don’t even feel like I accomplished anything particularly special this year. I always try to do at least one thing I consider epic- like something that goes toward a personal goal, or something to slash off my bucket list- each year. I don’t feel like I did any of that this year. Sometimes I feel a little like I’m living in limbo for the rest of the year, but when Christmas comes knocking at my door, I let it in and let myself bask in the…

  • Baking Recipes,  Cookies,  Experiments & experiences,  From the books

    Thinking of blogging’s role in my life over Cornmeal & Olive Oil Biscotti

    How has everyone been? Me, I’ve been tired. It’s the kind of tiredness that seems to flow from the soul outward to the eyes. My eyes sear in the way that a person who hasn’t slept for a week would experience. I would like nothing more than to close my eyes for a good 24 hours. Unfortunately, I have responsibilities to attend to. The good news is, things have been getting better for me. I’ve begun to learn how to look at the difficult things I have been encountering lately through different perspectives. The bad news is, I’ve been thinking an awful lot; and all the thinking has been giving…

  • Baking Recipes,  Cookies,  From the books

    Simple Chocolate Biscotti with Less Fat

    In the years that I have come to embrace a healthy lifestyle, I’ve become pickier with the things I eat: Nothing too oily, nothing too sugar-coated, nothing too salty; basically everything in moderation. Luckily I don’t have much problems resisting sweets and pastries since I haven’t much of a sweet tooth. I prefer breads, noodle soups, dumplings and sushi, but that is not to say I do not eat sweets entirely. Given that I am an avid baker, tasting my creations comes with the territory. I must admit though, sometimes I overreact about the things that I eat. Somehow knowing the ingredients that go into the things I bake often…

  • Baking Recipes,  Bread-making,  Cookies,  Dearly Dreaming Dorie,  Experiments & experiences,  From the books,  Yeasted breads

    {Dearly Dreaming Dorie} Of things fair and golden

    The first thing I ever baked when I got my copy of Dorie’s book (not counting the recipe I found online before I actually bought her book), if I’m not mistaken, was her Lenox Almond Biscotti. It caught my attention because, for one thing, I hadn’t made biscotti in a while, and for another, they looked luscious from the photo. And really, I haven’t found anything made with cornmeal that I hadn’t liked to some degree. I’m fairly determined to bake through Dorie’s book, mostly because I’ve been pleased with all the recipes I’ve made so far (most of which I haven’t gotten around to writing about yet, but I promise…

  • Baking Recipes,  Cookies

    Nutella and discipline

    Not really two words you would find uttered together in one sentence is it? I’m sure many people could attest to the difficulties of finding the latter in the presence of the well-loved hazelnut spread, and yet these are the exact two things you would need to successfully see this recipe through. I’ve never really been a jam and bread type of person, but occasionally we buy jams and spreads that I could use in baking. And while I’ve never been a fan of the Nutella-filled chocolate Ferrero Rocher, I do sometimes enjoy Nutella in other ways. I chanced upon this recipe as I was browsing food blogs and thought…