Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

Category: Special Treats

  • 01 Dec 2022: Rosemary Shortbread

    When she was asked about the secret to making delicious cookies, Susan Callahan, owner of Goodies Homemade’s answer was short and to the point: butter. I would second that. This is Joanne Chang’s recipe for shortbread cookies and can be found on page 146 in her first Flour Bakery cookbook (Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s…

  • 25 Nov 2022: Thumbprint Cookies

    One long-ago December, in a frenzy of cookie baking, I persuaded my teaching colleagues to attempt a holiday cookie exchange. So, we set up shop with several dozen of our favorite holiday cookie recipe in one of the classrooms and, after ooohing and ahhing over the selection, filled our containers with holiday cookies to take…

  • 05 Nov 2022: Prue Leith’s Maple & Pecan Madeleines

    Each year I look forward to watching the Great British Bake-off and although some of those theme weeks are a bit wonky, it’s interesting to observe skilled bakers ply their art. This madeleine recipe was part of the Celebrity Bake-Off Challenge for SU2C (Stand Up to Cancer) in 2022. They were easy to bake, and…

  • 26 Jul 2022: A Low(er) Calorie Muffin

    I usually stay away from breakfast pastries, but every once in a while, I need to fulfill a craving. This week, I wanted to make a muffin – one that I could bake and that would allow me to account for what I ate. Sally’s Baking Addiction was the jumping off point for this muffin…

  • 23 Jul 2022: Flour Bakery + Cafe’s Chunky Lola Cookie

    How have I missed this cookie perfection in Joanne Chang’s 2010 book, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe? This buttery (of course), chewy blend of dark chocolate, coconut and nuts is exactly the kind of cookie to perk up a day. Found on page 110, the ingredients include Butter (lots of it)…

  • 18 May 2022: King Arthur’s Simple Scones

    Because today, May 18, is Adrien’s birthday, I decided to bake one of his favorite breakfast treats: scones. I really like this recipe from King Arthur Baking because it is a simple base from which to experiment. This morning, I added cinnamon bits and substituted maple syrup for the flavoring, but really, whatever the recipe…

  • 12 Apr 2022: David Lebovitz’s Lemon-Glazed Madeleine

    One of the rewards of reading David Lebovitz’s Sweet Life in Paris was discovering some of his favorite recipes interspersed among entertaining story-telling of adapting to Paris and French culture. This recipe is one of my favorites – you can find David’s original blog post here – definitely a must-read. For this, my second-ever batch…

  • 30 Mar 2022: David Lebovitz’ Dulce de Leche Brownies

    Recently, I finished reading David Lebovitz’s book, The Sweet Life in Paris, which tells about his move to Paris and coming to terms with the cultural differences between his newly adopted home in Paris and San Francisco where he lived and worked. More than just a relocation, moving to Paris, or any other location really,…

  • 18 Feb. 2022: Prosecco Chocolate Truffles

    For my birthday this year, Adrien gifted me with 2 Sur La Table online cooking classes, and they’ve been terrific. Not only have we had some really wonderful meals, but I’ve learned a lot from the Chef at each demonstration and cook-along. Beside the reasonable cost ($29/class which allows for household to be online) the…

  • 22 Jan. 2022: Almond Cloud Cookies

    Yesterday I discovered a roll of leftover almond paste in our freezer. “Leftover” from holiday baking and Italian Rainbow Cookies. Last December in my baking frenzy, I discovered I couldn’t purchase a pre-made roll of almond paste, I rolled my own. That was very satisfying, but I had quite a bit more paste than I…