Month: February 2020

chocolate cookie

(amazing) chocolate-toffee cookies

Published by fairfaxhill

Can you believe this recipe has been in the “to try” section of my recipe binder for over 20 years? Besides the fact that I was able to hold on to a small piece of paper for this long, realizing how good these are after all these years is almost a sin. My sister-in-law sent me the recipe by email back when I had a Hotmail account, which was like a million years ago. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t make these right away, but I do know how easily I forget things if I don’t write them down, so I finally added “make chocolate cookies” to my to-do list. (Tip: Lists are a forgetful and distracted human’s best friend.) Unfortunately, I don’t always remember to carry my to-do list with me, and often must rely on my not so perfect memory. I managed to remember during my last trip to the supermarket, that this recipe called for bittersweet chocolate, so I bought two bars thinking it would be enough. Guess what? I had …

karlsbaderkrans

bake a swedish karlsbaderkrans to soothe your nerves!

Published by fairfaxhill

Election Day was two days ago. We won’t have final results for at least a week, and I’ve been so stressed out about this that yesterday morning I really needed some help getting away from my desk and my laptop, where I have spent most of the day staring at the same two numbers: Biden: 253. Trump: 213. All we need is for Biden to get to 270. But that is not so simple. So, I decided to bake. I made a recipe I had wanted to make for a very long time. I had eaten this at many coffee shops in Sweden, and I wasn’t sure I could get it right. Karlsbaderkransen is a soft, sweet bread that is filled with almond paste and butter. As it bakes, the filling drops to the bottom while the rest of the dough rises, giving the bread a domed look that is sure to impress after you sprinkle a little pärlsocker and sliced almonds on top. I was out of pärlsocker (Swedish pearl sugar) and sliced almonds …

bring lemon cake to the party

Published by fairfaxhill

I’m not sure what it is about lemons, the color, the flavor, the scent… I love it all. Things may be different now, but when I was growing up in Costa Rica, you couldn’t find lemons anywhere in San José. We had limes — tons of limes — and at our house, we drank limeade almost daily with lunch, dinner, and with pretty much everything in between. I loved that, too! It wasn’t until I lived abroad that I finally got to taste lemons — and then, quickly, I fell in love with them. For me, lemons symbolize spring and the start of warmer weather. So, as soon as spring gets near, I start to crave lemon everything (even in the color of the clothes I wear). Since the beginning of February, yellow colors are popping up everywhere: daffodils, acacia trees, spring fashion in store windows, and all sorts of lemony cravings in my head! So, when about two weekends ago, I was asked to bring some dessert to one of our family dinners, understandably, …

knitting rowan’s “kate” cardigan

Published by fairfaxhill

I may have mentioned that I started working on a new project, a ROWAN pattern called “Kate”. I started it a few days ago. It’s a very basic sweater. But that’s okay; I like basic.  Ever since I finished the sleeveless purple top, I’ve only worn it once. It’s still chilly around here, so I need something to throw over it that isn’t too bulky and that won’t clash with the rib pattern, so I hope this works. 🤞🏻 I should be making the sweater in green like the photo from the “Rowan Loves.. kidsilk haze & felted tweed” magazine, which has 9 designs by Sarah Hatton. I love emerald green! (Oh well, maybe next time.) I’m loving the yarn I picked out: Folio by Berroco yarns. I hope it doesn’t behave too differently from the Kidsilk Haze specified in the pattern. Normally, I would have gone with the recommended yarn. I love Rowan yarns. But Berroco had the color I needed, and I didn’t want to wait for an order to be mailed to me. Although, Kidsilk Haze in …