PINECONE ALMOND COOKIES AND A COOKBOOK TO LOVE

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Cookies by sallybr

I follow wonderful bakers on Instagram, they are a great source of inspiration, from cookies to cakes, from tarts to bread baking, and patisserie in general. A few months ago I learned that Winnie Lee (IG ohcakeswinnie) was going to publish her first cookbook. I placed an order and anxiously waited. If you like to order Bake with Winnie for you or to gift to someone, click here. Her style of baking is whimsical, clever, creative. Reminds me of one of my favorite bakers from The Great British Bake-Off, Kim-Joy. Bake with Winnie is a book full of gorgeous bakes, colorful, playful, impossible to look at them and not smile. And dream. Today I share with you the second recipe I tried: Pinecone Almond Cookies Tartlets, absolutely adorable!

PINECONE ALMOND COOKIES
(published with permission from Bake with Winnie)

350g (3 ½ cups) ground almonds
125g (1 cup) icing sugar
3 eggs (medium)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla paste
sliced almonds (for decoration)
50g (⅓ cup) dark chocolate (for dipping)
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a flat baking tray with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds and sifted icing sugar. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a separate bowl and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk or spatula until you get a thick, slightly sticky paste. You can add a bit more ground almonds (25g / ¼cup) so it’s easier to work with.

Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands slightly damp, portion out the dough. Roll into long oval shapes and slightly flatten them. Arrange on the baking tray. Press sliced almonds into the top of each cookie in overlapping rows to mimic the look of pinecones, leaving about 1/3 of the cookie bare for
dipping in chocolate later.

Bake for about 12–15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar the almond section of the cookie. Melt the dark chocolate and dip the bare end of each cookie into the chocolate. Let the dipped cookies set on parchment paper before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Just loved making this batch of cookies, which could easily also be flipped into hedgehogs, don’t you think? Add the chocolate to the other side, a couple of white drops of chocolate or Royal icing, or even sprinkles for the eyes, and there you go! New shape….. They have a nice texture and that delicious taste of almonds made more intense by the roasted pieces all over. The only time-consuming step is finding nicely shaped almond slices in the bag, they are often a bit too broken or damaged. But it is totally worth it.

Moving on, a teaser recipe from the book, Chocolate Tartlets, in which she makes the dough in a pretty efficient way, shaping them in the bottom side of muffin tins.

That should give you an idea of Winnie’s style of baking. I am totally smitten by her cookbook. So let me take you through a little stroll through her publication… The book is divided in five sections.

PRETTY FOR SPRING. In this section she shares so many bakes with a floral and overall cute component. She opens the chapter with one incredibly beautiful crostata, perfect lattice and colorful flowers all around the edge, all made with pastry. Truly a masterpiece! Imagine Madeleines decorated with pressed flowers, a Roll cake perfect for Valentine’s with hearts imprinted all over. A complete dream of a chapter.

SUMMER LOVIN’. Again the chapter opens with a showstopper, her Happiness Cake Roll, at some point I simply must make it and take for my donations on Fridays. It is one of the happiest bakes I’ve seen, just gives you a smile. A patterned roll cake topped with all kinds of colorful concoctions made of meringue. Another favorite of mine is her Strawberry Cake, decorated with a white buttercream lattice. Must bake! Adorable Linzer-style cookies are part of this chapter too.

SWEET AND SPOOKY. If you are a Halloween-lover like myself, you will flip for this part of her book, but there is a lot more. It starts with cupcakes decorated as little foxes. It is in this chapter that you will find chocolate tartlets I used as a teaser recipe, although hers are different, the filling is ganache and they are all topped with a fresh raspberry. A Spider Web Cake Roll must be part of my Halloween next year. It is a promise! But my very very favorite? A Woodland Cake Roll which is rolled vertically. I’ve been fascinated with this type of cake for a long time.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS. I almost made her opening recipe, Gingerbread Man Cake Roll. Yes, she is huge on cake rolls, a kind of bake I love and do not make often enough. That must change… Snowflake Pastries made with puff pastry are on my list also. They look absolutely amazing. Perhaps my favorite of this chapter: Holly Mini Tarts. Incredibly cute!

FROSTINGS AND FILLINGS. In this final chapter she shares some of the basic recipe used throughout the book, so it is very useful, plus you can use those for your own versions of cakes and bakes.

I thank Winnie for allowing me to publish a recipe from her cookbook, she is a very sweet person, quite helpful and interactive in her IG page (click here), so pay her a visit and order a copy of her book for yourself or someone you love…

ONE YEAR AGO: Fall Leaves Panch Puran Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Farro with Chickpeas and Spinach

THREE YEARS AGO: Bison a la Mode de Bourgogne

FOUR YEARS AGO: Masala Mashed Potatoes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lessons from Tanya: Sugar Cookie Silhouettes

SIX YEARS AGO: Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Thighs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Mini-Mousse with Sugared Cranberries

EIGHT YEARS AGO: You Say Ebelskiver, I say Falafel

NINE YEARS AGO: Happy Thanksgiving!

TEN YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree & The Global Pastry Review

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

26Nov2025

BAKING WITH THE HEART

Posted in Breads, Cookies by sallybr

This is the time to focus on everything we are grateful for.
Cook with love, bake with love. Share. Repeat.

DRAGON FLOWER SOURDOUGH LOVE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

STENCIL from Sourdough Fever, available HERE

480g bread flour
20g spelt flour
16g dragon flower powder
10g salt
350g water
75g sourdough starter (70-100% hydration)

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the two types of flour, the Dragon flower powder and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add a maximum of 1/4 cup flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine. Get a small piece of dough and place in a little glass container to follow fermentation (optional, but highly recommended). Transfer the dough to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 2 hours, folding every 30 minutes or so. After the fourth folding cycle, let the dough sit at room temperature until doubled in size, following the progress in the small amount of dough removed.

Shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours or even longer, if you prefer.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, carefully place the stencil on top, and dust with flour. Make sure to rub the flour well into the design, a small brush is helpful. Lift the stencil and place the dough in a Dutch oven.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is actually my second loaf with the Dragon flower powder, the first one was beautifully pink inside, but this turned out marbled and light. Cannot quite figure it out, it was the same exact formula and method. Oh, well. Still absolutely delicious, no change in flavor, maybe the crumb has slightly more moisture, the bread is a bit more tender than a sourdough without the powder.
.

Moving on, I share a series of cookies that center on a message of love….

Royal icing lavender base; details in piping consistency white. Fondant rose detail.

Scalloped edge heart cookie. Iced in two tones of Dusty Rose. Details in piping consistency gray.

Dusty Rose for the base icing. Details in dark Dusty Rose, piping consistency, same for bead border.

Inspired by a little reel I saw on Facebook. Shape cut by hand. Iced in two stages, wet on wet details, and piping consistency dark Dusty Rose. Fondant for the detail at the bottom.

Two-toned heart. Once again using Dusty Rose as the main color. Details piped in white. White pearls for bling.

Stencil + Air-brushing over cookies iced with pure white.

For a different take, a little pastel green. Details in piping consistency white.

I hope you enjoyed this little round-up of love in baking format. And don’t forget, always follow your heart!

ONE YEAR AGO: Fall-Inspired Vanilla Cupcakes

TWO YEARS AGO: Bake it Better with a Friend

THREE YEARS AGO: Bison a la Mode de Bourgogne

FOUR YEARS AGO: Masala Mashed Potatoes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lessons from Tanya: Sugar Cookie Silhouettes

SIX YEARS AGO: Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Thighs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Mini-Mousse with Sugared Cranberries

EIGHT YEARS AGO: You Say Ebelskiver, I say Falafel

NINE YEARS AGO: Happy Thanksgiving!

TEN YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree & The Global Pastry Review

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

21Nov2025

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Posted in Seafood, Soups, Veggies by sallybr

And a truly amazing idea for leftovers… Read on!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
(adapted from Naturally Nidhi)

roasting mixture:
1 medium butternut squash , cut in half
2 tbsp walnuts
3 medium Roma tomatoes , cut into halves
1 large yellow onion, halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Herbes de Provence

soup base:
1 + 1/2 cups water
1 cup milk
salt , to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala

toppings:
roasted pumpkin seeds
sourdough croutons
grated cheese
heavy cream or thinned yogurt drops

Heat oven to 400°F.

On a large baking tray, arrange the butternut squash halves, walnuts, tomatoes, and onion halves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, black pepper, and Herbes de Provence. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, depending on your oven, until soft. Scoop out the roasted squash. Add all the roasted ingredients to a blender, Vitamix works best.

Pour in 1½ cups water and blend until smooth. Add more water if needed. Transfer the blended puree into a pot. Add 1 cup milk first, then more as needed to adjust the consistency. Season with Garam masala, adjust salt if needed. Warm gently for a few minutes, but do not let it boil.

Pour the soup into bowls. Add toppings, decorate with drops of heavy cream or thinned yogurt. Serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is an amazing soup, the taste is complex, warm, absolutely wonderful on a chilly evening. If you protect the walnuts under the little hole of the butternut squash, they won’t burn during the roasting time. If some are left unprotected, check after 25 minutes or so, and remove when nicely roasted but not burned.

And now for leftovers… Full credit for the husband not only for the idea but the execution. Phil grilled lobster tails and used the meat to bring the soup back to center stage. It was absolutely outstanding! I highly recommend this combination, blew my culinary mind. To decorate, I used chili oil drops. Those little tiny drops pack a punch. A nice ingredient to have around. Big thank you to Naturally Nidhi for the recipe.

ONE YEAR AGO: A Duet of Veggies

TWO YEARS AGO: That Turkey Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: Compressed Eggplant and Gruyere Slices

FOUR YEARS AGO: Charcoal-Painted Spelt Sourdough

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lime-Ganache Bonbons

SIX YEARS AGO: The Dobos Torte

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Coffee-Caramel Entremet Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Fennel Soup with Almond-Mint Topping

NINE YEARS AGO: Eataly

TEN YEARS AGO: Spaghetti Squash Perfection

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Skinny Eggplant Parmigiana

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Supernova Meets Wok

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: 500 Posts and The Best Thing I ever made

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Back in Los Angeles

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: White House Macaroni and Cheese

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Korean-Style Pork with Asian Slaw

17Nov2025

VANILLA-CHAI CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

A celebration of Fall in cupcake format… Decorated with tiny tuile cookies, in the shape of maple leaves.

VANILLA-CHAI CUPCAKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

makes 10 cupcakes

120g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar
50g butter, unsalted and at room temperature
1 large egg
140mL milk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 tsp chai powder (or make a spice mix of your liking

Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.

Whisk the egg with the milk, vanilla and chai powder, and add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to lined pan, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Leave cool completely before decorating.

For the tuile cookies:
20g egg whites
20g melted butter
20g granulated sugar
20g all-purpose flour

Mix all ingredients and whisk well. Make sure butter is liquid but not too warm. Spread over your template, lift the template gently. Bake at 375F for 5 to 7 minutes, until fully cooked. Air-brush if you like, draw the details with a fine tip pen.

For the buttercream, use this recipe, starting with 226g of butter. Separate in two batches, dye one light brown, leave the other plain. Spoon tow lines of icing over a plastic wrap, make a little sausage and insert in a piping bag fitted with 1M tip. Ice the cookies when fully cool, add sprinkles and the tuile decorations.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These cupcakes are wonderful for Fall, particularly if you make the maple leaf decorations. You can also use fondant or modeling chocolate with a silicone mold, but I was anxious to try my hands at the template I had sitting in my drawer for a while. I have not found it where I bought, it is out of stock, but you can see it here.

The Chai powder is a great ingredient, I’ve been using it in cookies, macarons, and now on cupcakes. Available in the place that sells it all (click here), and that I keep trying to fight against but don’t have enough will power, apparently.

ONE YEAR AGO: Marbled Travel Cake, Brigadeiro Style

TWO YEARS AGO: Thai Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

THREE YEARS AGO: Vanilla Mini-Cakes with Honey Pears

FOUR YEARS AGO: Buttermilk Roast Chicken

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes in Yogurt-Curry Sauce

SIX YEARS AGO: Panettone, Wild-Yeast Version

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Turkey Chili Under Pressure

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Tiramisu Macarons

NINE YEARS AGO: Cider Mini-Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce

TEN YEARS AGO: Rustic Ciabatta and Mini-Meatloaves

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Green Rice

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Potato-Crusted Italian Mini-Quiches

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Beetroot Sourdough for the Holidays

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Cod Filet with Mustard Tarragon Crust

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Soba Noodles: Light and Healthy

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Potato-Rosemary Bread

13Nov2025

CHEESY CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI BAKE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

This is comfort food, lower-carb style. It will still leave you fully satisfied, and the best part for me, leftovers held quite well and provided me with a couple of lunches down the week.

CHEESY CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI BAKE
(inspired by Hungry Happens)

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat
1/4 cup pesto
1 tbs olive oil
4 small crowns broccoli, cut into small florets
1½ lbs chicken breasts, cubed
salt to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 oz shredded mozzarella
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375℉.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese and pesto. Set aside.

Rinse the broccoli florets, drain, allowing a little of the water to stay over the surface. Season lightly with salt, place in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and steam in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve.

In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tbs olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt, and sautee the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

To the cottage cheese mixture, add the tomatoes, steamed broccoli, mozzarella and chicken and toss to combine all. Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the grated parmesan on top. Bake for 35 minutes and then remove from the oven. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes then dig in…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is my favorite type of meal, it has everything: protein, veggies, a nice cheesy component, and plenty of flavor. As you know, I live for leftovers and they worked great in the microwave straight from the fridge. No rubbery texture in the chicken, the cottage cheese environment make it all work perfectly. This goes into our rotation for sure, I hope you give it a try!

ONE YEAR AGO: Barbari Bread and Hummus

TWO YEARS AGO: Baking Through the Blogosphere

THREE YEARS AGO: Crispy Air-Fried Zucchini

FOUR YEARS AGO: Pasta with Cremini Mushroom Ragu

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Magical Marinade

SIX YEARS AGO: Roast Veggies with Black Barley

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Sourdough

EIGHT YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

NINE YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Paalak Paneer, a Farewell Post

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, November 2015

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Helen Fletcher’s Oatmeal Cookies

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Thai-Style Pesto with Brown Rice Pasta