Molasses Cookies

This winter I started a project of family remembrances. One of our common memories is the molasses cookies my grandmother made. They were dark, cakey cookies that had a sticky outside once they were a few days old. There was always a batch of them in the glass cookie jar with the peanut handle on top. My mother also made them, and they came out almost exactly the same. She told me the trick was to use half bacon grease and half Crisco. When I tried to make them, I had forgotten to save my bacon grease, so I used all Crisco. Note the less than dark color- could it really make that big a difference? Jay never even liked the originals, so was less than thrilled with my trial batch. I threw them away, but I really enjoyed the smell when they were baking. It brought me back to the kitchen in Orange, and my grandma in her fancy apron.

cranberry caramel almond tart

I do love making caramel, especially when it doesn't clump up into hard pieces after adding the cream. My favorite recipe is from Tartine- it has a vanilla bean and a little lemon juice in it.
I put a layer of frangipane in the bottom of this large tart. I thought it was better with the moist cakiness, but Jay prefered the one without the frangipane.

Birthday Wishes

So many birthdays these past couple of weeks, my own included. I did not make a cake for myself, but I did make a special cake for a friend's son ( soccer player), and for my own son ( Regular Show lover). That is a bluejay, in case you are not a Regular Show lover yourself.

Birthday cake for Carlie

A trial to make it look knitted.
Well, it tasted good and looked fabulous with the long beeswax candles.