On Mothering And Brownies ...

I am not a mother, though my brothers used to complain, "Mom! She's playing mother again!"

I may have been a little bossy. But I had to have a means of defense. You don't want to know what they did to some of my toys.

In addition to bossy, I was also a Brownie. Yes, the beanie-topped variety. My uniform included a vest adorned with homemade merit badges cut from felt. My mom was a Brownie leader for a time. And mom taught me how to bake brownies.

So in all those ways, it's legit that I am part of Mothers Among Us, the second podcast installment of "Talking With My Mouth Full" on Leite's Culinaria, in which David, the site's namesake, his lovely editor-in-chief, Renee, and I tackle the big brownie issues: fudgy or cakey, frosting or no frosting, nuts or no nuts.

My brownies walk the line between fudgy and cakey, I slather on the frosting, and I stir, into the gloppy batter, an embarrassment of toasted walnuts that provide the perfect toasty, nutty foil to the cakey-fudginess of the brownies and the smoothness of the frosting. They're a textural extravaganza. 

My thanks to David and Renee for inviting me to be a part of the fun, and for including me in a post about moms by stretching "the definition to embrace not just maternal figures but all those women who’ve taken it upon themselves to mother us in some fashion."

My mom loves to cook and bake for others. It fulfills her as much as it nourishes us. And that is one of the many gifts that she has passed along to me.

For Brownies and brownies and everything else you've done and do, thanks, mom.

I'll bake some for dessert on Sunday.

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The image is from David's site, as you shall see. It was too much kitschy fun to not poach and use again here.

Heartwarming ...

My friend Martha is on a trip to France, sketch pads and watercolors in tow, walking through various cities, appreciating the jaw-dropping beauty, creating beautiful art and memories, and treating herself to pastries that catch her eye.

The other morning, on Facebook, she posted this on my page:

"I bought myself a French sable from a bakery that has awesome bread. It's not nearly as good as the ones you make."

Martha, in addition to being ridiculously talented, is a sweetheart.

I already planned to gather testimonials for Baking By Beth as the year progresses but yesterday, with her permission, Martha's became the first one, edited slightly to stay sablé-specific.

The "b" that is my logo is a piece of type that Martha owns. She uses it on a fantastically cool press from 1909 that has taken over her dining room.

I love that she makes her living from her creativity.

That's my goal, too.

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Shortbread Revisited ...

A dreary morning called for the comfort of butter and flour and sugar and the warmth of an oven.

The recipe is so simple as to be ridiculous and odds are you'll always have the ingredients on hand.

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Good Times, April Edition ...

The April cookie installment for the angelo:HOME blog features Wee Biscuits with Honey Glaze. Yes, you're right. They're not cookies, per se. But there's a sweet story behind them.

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Different ...

As of yesterday, my word for the remainder of 2013 is ...
 

Oatmeal Cookies Revisited Revisited ...

I don't usually go for the solo-cookie shot but too many oatmeal cookies in the same vicinity look like a sea of lumpiness.

Snickerdoodles Revisited Revisited ...

The snickerdoodles needed a new glamour shot. And this grey day needed a little cinnamon-sugary oomph.

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