CrankyCakes

Originally posted by Cheryl, Saturday, November 29, 2008

As we were driving home from crazyboy fun day at the Y and Shelburne Farms, I was thinking about how I hadn’t yet put any actual cupcakes on here. And when my little guys asked if we could make chocolate chip oatmeal cookies when we got home, I said, “Sure. But how about Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes?”

(And here followed an interlude of negotiation that involved threats of “Mommy! I’m going to hang a No Cupcakes sign in the kitchen AND on the door!”)

But because the small people are easily distracted by videos and the frozen mud outside, I was able to head into the kitchen when we got home.

So here they are under construction, and I’ll tell all about them and post the “after” pics after I get this frosting to set.

Originally Posted by Cheryl at 11/29/2008 12:06:00 AM

After having been shut out of buying Maple Walnut Pie for THREE years at the Craftsbury Antiques & Uniques Festival, at last I decided to make my own to bring to the Thanksgiving potluck.

I made Cream Cheese Pie Crust (mine was from the 1997 Joy of Cooking), which I’ll immodestly admit was the best crust I’ve made ever. It turns out that following recipes can actually pay off. So much for my usual ADHD approach to baking.

It’s hard to say just why Maple Walnut Pie is so much more delicious than my old favorite pecan pie, but it just is. Of course they’re very similar, but the smoky maple taste and the slightly tannic, bitter walnuts of this one create a sort of accessible complexity that is just terrific. (The mini one in the picture, by the way, is one made with pumpkin seeds for my friend who’s allergic to nuts. I would have pan-toasted the seeds first except it was Thanksgiving morning and there was zero chance of this level of attention to detail by then.)

It seemed the right thing to choose Yankee Magazine’s recipe for such a Vermont-y seeming dessert, and I think I’ll be making this often.