Biscotti are one of the simplest, most versatile cookies you can possibly bake. Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder come together in a simple dough that can be flavored to taste (vanilla, almond, anise, orange, maple… pineapple! banana!). Or enhanced with impunity (aside from any possible fallout related to your waistline): chocolate chips, pecans, cinnamon bits, chopped ginger, diced apricots… In short, biscotti are Everyman’s Cookie. read the rest of this entry »

Have you seen the latest Saveur magazine? Gotta love it. It’s packed with gorgeous photos; I mean, total eye candy. The writing’s fine; the subjects are compelling, both to foodies and travelers; and the writing is calm and friendly. read the rest of this entry »

Ah, blueberry crisp: ideal for Mother’s Day. A simple recipe anyone can make. No rolling dough, no scary knife work, no fancy techniques. Just 1) mix, 2) pour, and 3) bake. Or so I thought. read the rest of this entry »

We can see the finish line for the snow in my neighborhood, and the first fresh hints of green are peeking out on the hillsides. If you’re lucky and from New England, you can travel south to remind yourself that warmer temperatures are not too far away. I was lucky enough to spend 3 days in New Orleans last week, and lo and behold, I seem to have brought the weather back with me. I also do a lot of my traveling to summer climes by researching recipes for the Summer issue of The Baking Sheet. read the rest of this entry »

A blog reader, Sue, posted this comment yesterday. And it sent me running for the kitchen: literally.

“Now a question for you, something I’ve tried to have answered a couple of times before – the recipe for Easy Cinnamon Bread posted on the KA Flour website calls for an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2” pan which I found is too small; a 9 x 5” pan is perfect. I keep checking back to see if the pan size has been changed……..not so far!! Love the Bakers’ Banter and, of course, the great recipes. THANKS!” read the rest of this entry »

Bananas on oatmeal. The banana split. Banana Turkish Taffy (remember that?). Banana cream pie. Heck, mashed bananas right out of the Gerber’s baby food jar… Is there an American alive today who didn’t encounter the ubiquitous banana numerous times during childhood? But never mind childhood: the banana is the most popular fruit in America today. Pretty amazing, for a fruit that’s commercially grown in only a single American state: Hawaii. read the rest of this entry »

Home ec. Remember it? If so, you’re probably in at least your mid-30s, or maybe even a bit older. For those of you young enough to be scratching your head in confusion, home economics (“home ec.”) was what girls took in junior high (er, middle school) while the boys were taking shop. (And if anyone knows the official name for “shop,” illuminate me, please!) read the rest of this entry »

Every school year King Arthur Flour goes out into the community teaching and inspiring children to bake. Our Life Skills Bread Baking program, aimed at middle-school aged children, provides the tools, tips and techniques needed for successful scratch bread-baking. And we even throw in the flour and yeast! read the rest of this entry »

The customer service folks here at King Arthur Flour field requests from customers all day long. Many begin with the words “My mother [grandmother] used to make this thing, it was like a cake, only it had a lot of thin layers of…” Or, “Do you still sell that little twisty whisk thing…?” Or “Can you tell me if you’re giving any classes in Dallas [Des Moines, Decatur, Dothan…] soon?” read the rest of this entry »

The same conditions that create the horrific road conditions that mark mud season in Vermont have a positive side: sugaring.

The 2008 syrup crop in the Sands’ kitchen.

When the nights are below freezing and the strengthening sun combines with above-freezing temperatures, during the day, the maples begin to thaw and the sap to starts to run. read the rest of this entry »