falling back

sometimes you've got to go back to an old reliable to make something new. here you will see that i have taken my halfmoon cookie recipe, something i've been making for many a year and made it special for this coming holloween's holiday. cobwebs! so scary!!!!

p.s. there is a crinkle in the icing in the picture because i was too impatient to wait for the icing to completely set before taking the picture. bad!


to make the cobweb's icing technique:

1.make a little piping bag with a plastic resealable ziploc-type bag by spooning a little icing into it. you don't need too much maybe about 2 Tablespoons. snip off the tiniest bit of the corner of the bag.

2. spread opposite color icing over flat surface of the cookie. pipe thin lines of the icing (in the bag) into a bullseye shape over the iced cookie.

3. take a toothpick, start from the center of the cookie and draw lines gently radiating outwards, dragging the icing with it.

wherein our heroine 'wings it'

so i'm looking through the photos on my flickr food set that i've posted in the past months and looking for something good, something season appropriate (or not) to write about here. i came upon something i made in early june that was super easy and something i just put together based on combinations that are tried and true. honestly though, when i made it, i expected it to be tasty but nothing too special. i just wanted to bake and satisfy a little sweet craving. it actually turned out quite delicious. this is why i'm a heroine. in my head. sad face :(

here it is:

Quick Apple Tart with Oatmeal Almond Streusel

1 rectangular section of 1 sheet of puff pastry, rolled out
1 -2 apples (based on size), thinly sliced
ground cinnamon

for oatmeal almond streusel:

2 T brown sugar
2 T oatmeal
1 scant T flour
1 T slivered almonds
1 T butter
dash of salt


1. preheat oven to 375 degrees F or according to puff pastry instructions

2. to make the streusel: mix dry ingredients together and then cut in the butter

3. assemble the tart: layer apple slices in a row, overlapping each other in a pleasing elegant fashion. sprinkle with cinnamon and then sprinkle over that with the streusel.

4. bake until puff pastry is puffy and golden, about 20 minutes.

autumn for 2

i loved summer while it lasted. i probably had one of the best summers ever. bike rides, picnics, farmers markets, wearing shorts. i was sad to see it go but i must say that fall is really gorgeous. riding my bike home from the train station every day through red, yellow, and green tree lined streets. super romantic! its quite comforting to put on sweaters again, and the occasional whiff of that strange smokey smell in the cool air. it is also pretty wonderful to be cooking with the oven again. here is a nice recipe for these kinds of days.





Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage

1 reasonably sized acorn squash, enough to yield about 2 cups of flesh after roasting
olive oil
half an onion, chopped
chicken/vegetable stock
1 bunch sage
salt and pepper

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. cut acorn squash in half, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. roast in oven for about an hour or until soft when pierced with a fork or any other sharp implement. scoop out the flesh when squash has finished baking and is cool enough for you to handle. set aside.

3. heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute onion until just brown around the edges. add squash and enough stock for your preferred soup consistency as well as the sage. simmer for about 20-30 minutes. add salt and pepper to taste.

4. puree contents in a blender or food processor. if it become too thick, you can return to the pan and add more stock.

serves 2