All posts tagged: baking

a tree in bloom

delicious lemon cake perfect for spring

Published by fairfaxhill

At times I feel like I’m solar powered. That’s why I love it so much when spring finally arrives in Marin. The sunshine makes me feel happy and energized. Last Saturday, it looked like we were finally going to enjoy a little sunlight and warmth after what has been the rainiest winter I can remember — and just in time for Easter! On my Saturday “to-do” list was making dessert for the family potluck on Sunday. Sarah suggested making lemon bars from Tartine’s cookbook — one of her favorite desserts. Sarah has always made the lemon bars, but I thought it was about time I tried making them myself. Making the lemon bars turned out to be pretty easy; the last step was to place the tray in the fridge to allow the bars to set and cool overnight. I was proud of myself for getting everything everything ready a day early. Time to relax! The next morning, the lemon bars were ready, but Sarah was sick, so we thought it would be best for …

week 5: a new stash-busting project and a little help from Stephen West

Published by fairfaxhill

Hello! Is it just me, or did this week go by faster than last? I’ve been busy trying to complete all my wips and made some progress on the book I’m reading, but I am still working away with no finished objects to show you. On top of that, I stopped at Dharma with Shortie last weekend. I really had no business being in a yarn store considering all the projects I have to finish and the amount of yarn already in my house. Perhaps my daughter is right to say that I should limit the number of projects I start, but it’s so hard! Of course, as much as I tried, I didn’t leave empty-handed. I found this yellow yarn (Universal Yarn in Pale Banana) that looked so soft, that I wanted to try it. I was good! I only got two skeins. The color isn’t pure yellow. It has a hint of green in it, so it’s more like chartreuse, which I’ve always been drawn to. I was thinking of making a scarf and …

making ice cream cones is easy!

Published by fairfaxhill

When it comes to ice cream, I’m not sure what I like the most, the ice cream or the cones. Every time I go to Fairfax Scoop, our favorite ice cream shop in town, I wonder how difficult it would be to make sugar cones at home like the ones they make at their store. Would I need to have special equipment? This thought crossed my mind again last Sunday as we drove through town on our way to the supermarket. Sarah was driving, so I was able to use my phone to google a bit and found a recipe that looked pretty easy. It was almost 90 degrees outside and ice cream sounded like a good idea. We got the ingredients at the store and got started right away after we got back to the house. Making sugar cones sounded a bit intimidating, but honestly, it was super simple! All you need is a bowl and a whisk and something to prevent the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet. I used a silicone mat but …

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 …