best of ~ 'tis the season for holiday baking.
just in time for the holidays, here's a round up of a few of my favorite cooking and baking accouterment.
once we head into the holidays it seems like we all begin spending much more time in the kitchen. as the weather cools, our thoughts turn to cooking up warming homemade soups and hearty baked bread. holiday dinners are on the horizon, and cookie-making is upon us, too. i’m honestly a much better cook than i am a baker (all that science!), but i can pull off a few cookie recipes, and one in particular that my mum passed on to me from her mother. it’s her shortbread cookies, and i even have her recipe box with the original handwritten recipe card, faded and splotched with all the ingredients that go into this melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. i’ve given my version an update — once they come out of the oven, i add a tiny bit of broken chocolate and a sprinkle of maldon sea salt — a fun, modern twist on the traditional family recipe if I do say so myself, and quite addicting. grab a glass of milk and go!
i like to get together with a friend or two every year, get our cutest aprons on, and have a bit of a cookie bake-off — perfect for gifting and holiday party hostess gifts. i thought i’d round up a few of my favorite cooking and baking accouterment for you since that season is impending, and i like to get the kitchen cleaned up and organized for fall cooking — check what spices i might be missing, add some vessels like weck jars for storing (and giving) small baked goods, and perhaps add a few new cookie-cutters and baking tins. i hope this gets you in the mood for some cozy holiday baking. and for some delicious holiday recipe ideas, you might like to check out a few other substackers: julia turshen’s keep calm & cook on, edible living by sarah copeland and the bittman project from mark bittman.