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These cookies go by about half a dozen names, the most common among them being Mexican wedding cookies and Russian tea cakes. But they’re also sometimes called polvorones, butterballs, snowballs, and meltaways. So many cultures have some version of them, which makes sense because it’s a formula that works. The basic formula is some kind …

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This strawberry rhubarb buckle is just the thing to bake right now. “Now” meaning, whenever you’re reading this and happen to be in the possession of some rhubarb and strawberries. Buckles are part of the family of unfussy fruit desserts that includes things like crisps and crumbles and cobblers (and if you want a rhubarb …

Read More about Strawberry Rhubarb Buckle, a rustic fruit-laden cake

Here’s a quick public service announcement: you should be toasting your nuts. (That is, tree nuts, ahem.) Most recipes that call for nuts start with raw nuts that need to be toasted before going into baked goods or scattering over a salad. Why? Because raw nuts taste bland and vaguely bitter and have a kinda …

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There’s something about short days and cold weather that make cake seem like a reasonable breakfast option. Especially if said cake generously spiced, laden with pumpkin (vegetables!) and sprinkled with a cinnamon-scented brown sugar pecan streusel. I’m usually more of a savory breakfast person, but I just love this pumpkin coffee cake. It’s just the …

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This banana bread is, right now, my favorite take on the classic. It’s got chocolate. It’s got pecans. It’s scented with cinnamon. And best of all, it’s got a big-crumbed brown sugar streusel topping. It’s the best of banana bread and coffee cake, which, well, makes for an excellent breakfast for someone with a sweet-tooth …

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Sometimes I forget that I like salad. I remember that I should eat salad, and then I react against the idea with the sulky resentment of a teenager. I go through phases when I dutifully buy bagged baby greens only to pull them out from the crisper drawer, strange and slimy, a few weeks later. In …

Read More about Cara Cara Orange and Avocado Salad (or salads, and how to make a good one)