Pumpkin Toffee Whoopie Piesfeatured
I have a confession to make. These were really supposed to be amazing chewy pumpkin toffee cookies. Apparently chewy and pumpkin cookies are notorious nemeses. Had I consulted the internet before attempting such a perilous undertaking I could have saved myself much heartache, wasted butter, and trays of puffy pumpkin “cookies” taunting me with their flagrant cakiness.
I felt like a failure. A fraud. What happened? Why did my cookies turn into cakes? It’s all the pumpkin’s fault. I learned that the high moisture content of pumpkin puree was the cause of my demise. There are two purported solutions: simmer the puree until the moisture is cooked out, or use pumpkin butter instead of puree.
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Foodie Gift Guidefeatured
Eeeep! Christmas is in five days?! Seriously? Where did December go? You know those people who have all their holiday shopping done by Dec 1? Yeah, I don’t get those people. No matter how hard I try, I always seem to save all the cheer until this last week. Well, no need to panic, my procrastinating friends. Here are some gift ideas for those food-lovers in your life.
1. Big Rustic Wooden Cutting Boards
I’ve developed a bit of an obsession for big, rustic, wooden cutting boards that can do double duty as beautiful serving boards for fruit and cheese, sliced meats, or hors d’oeuvres.
Particularly enamored with these Olive Wood Paddle Boards from West Elm. Feast your eyes on that gorgeous grain and unique shape.
Also love the manliness of these Man Boards from Canvas. And the naturalness of this Ash Wood Cutting Board from Terrain. *Tree hugs*
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Dinner and Q&A with Chef Stephanie Izardfeatured
Chef Stephanie Izard, of Chicago’s Girl & the Goat made San Francisco the 13th stop on her Goat Tour. Her debut cookbook, Girl in the Kitchen – How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats & Drinks, written with friend and food writer Heather Shouse, was released by Chronicle Books in October. Rather than a typical book tour though (what would be the fun in that?), Izard decided to travel the country, teaming up to cook with chef friends along the way.
Stephanie joined fellow Top Chef alum Chef Jennifer Biesty last Friday at Scala’s Bistro to cook up a special dinner benefiting Share our Strength.
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Ultimate List of Homemade Food Giftsfeatured
In the DIY (and cost-saving) spirit of this holiday season, I’ve put together an ultimate list of delicious holiday food gifts.
When it comes to gift-giving, it all comes down to thoughtfulness. What I love about homemade edible gifts is I can often put together a number of gifts in one go and have them on hand for unexpected hostess gifts, friends dropping by, doormen, mailmen, delivery men…you get the idea. Be generous with your holiday joy.
I have a girlfriend who just has the most amazing eye for details and design. What I’ve learned from her is to think in themes. For example, gift a beautiful pie plate with a pie already in it. Or how about a jar of homemade granola packaged with a set of pretty bowls? I adore this idea of giving a gift themed around a specific cookbook.
And don’t forget about the presentation. Here are some clever, creative, pretty packaging ideas I’ve come across.
Are you inspired? What are some of your favorite homemade gifts to give?
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