with Mary Anne Mohanraj
Kevin’s mom put turtles (the candy) on her wishlist. We could’ve bought some, of course, but it seemed like a fun opportunity to make some with the kids. Super-easy, esp. if you buy caramels and melt them (with a little milk) to make the melted caramel, and melt the chocolate at half-power in the microwave. Thanks to Jed for letting us make a bit of a mess in his kitchen. 
I spent about half of yesterday making passionfruit marshmallows and cranberry-cashew milk toffee and dragonfruit chocolates for a gift order — I think someone was giving them to clients or staff? Hope they love them.
I’m going to add cayenne-chocolate gilded roses to the Serendib store as a confection option — I thought people might like them for Valentine’s Day, if their love is spicy — any other requests? Let me know!
It’s too late at this point to order custom confections from me for this Christmas, sorry! If you want them for next year, think early December — and if it’s a big order, even earlier would be appreciated. You could set a calendar reminder now… 
Kisses, cashew-cranberry milk toffee, peppermint brownies, lime shortbread, Neapolitan chocolate, cayenne chocolates.
Party tip: prep trays in advance and cover with plastic wrap (refrigerating as needed) to reduce day of hecticness. Also, Trader Joe’s really does have some fun holiday beverages. Also, I feel totally justified in buying a giant gnome platter now.
Getting ready for the little pop-up holiday shop we’re hosting at Serendib House this Sunday, along with SLOWFIRE and Alix Mikesell Design.
Kevin and I had a discussion about our comfort with having people eating / drinking — it’s such a huge part of my holidays, feeding people, it makes me super sad not to do so.
We ended up on a compromise between his safety concerns and mine — I would have been okay with vaccinated people eating indoors, but he just wasn’t comfortable, esp. given case numbers spiking this past week.
So I’m going to set up outdoor heaters on the front porch and the back deck (I invested in them a few months ago), and since it’s supposed to be about 45 degrees on Sunday afternoon, I think people will be reasonably comfortable out there. I’ll put out some nibbles (like these cookies) and hot beverages, and hoping friends will be able to stop by — whether they shop or not, it’d be great to see people and get a chance to chat. No need to buy, folks — just come and say hi!
Cookies decorated by Serendib House staff Ethan Yeung and Darius Vinesar — they’ve never decorated iced cookies before, and I have to admit, it was weirdly pleasing to me introducing them to it.
They’re both grown young men, of course, not little kids, but hey, they’re in their early 20s, I’m 50, I’m certainly old enough to be their mom, and what can I say? I think kids decorating cookies is one of the joys of the holiday season. (I am lucky that my staff tolerates me treating them like my kids once in a while.)
It was a lovely break from talking about publishing schedules and social media postings, pausing to show them how to dilute a royal icing with hot water to dipping consistency, and then giving them a bunch of assorted white and silver decorating bits to play with.
These have been really popular at the church basement sale — little $2 savory / sweet bites are attractive to people hungry after Mass.
Just added some shredded carrots. Kavi and I agree that this makes the cake very healthy, and thereby a suitable lunch option. The carrots also add a nice amount of moisture — a typical butter cake you’d want with frosting and maybe a bit of jam or curd, but this is very nice as is, or accompanying a cup of tea.
(45 minutes + roasting time; makes 16 mini scones)
I took my favorite winter squash soup as inspiration, and ran with it to create a cheesy autumnal squash scone recipe. The butternut and Gruyere play beautifully together, with just a hint of cayenne for welcome heat. Lovely on their own for a savory breakfast, or with a big bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. If you make a double batch (using the entire squash), you can freeze extras to pull out on a rainy day.
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (about 20g)
(NOTE: To cook squash, either roast at 400 for 30-45 minutes until tender, let cool, and peel. (Preferred, as it brings out the sweetness of the squash.) Alternatively, peel squash, chop into cubes, and place in a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of water; cover bowl with plastic wrap and pierce it a few times, then microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain any excess water.)
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, cayenne, minced sage, and salt into a mixing bowl.
3. Work in the butter with your fingers to make an uneven crumbly mixture. Stir in half the cheese.
4. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs and puree. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir to create a fairly wet dough.
5. If you want to be able to roll out and shape these scones, you’ll need to add a little flour to get an appropriate texture. Alternatively, press dough into a molded scone pan (spray first with baking spray for easy release), or spoon onto parchment paper on a baking sheet for drop scones.
6. Brush each scone with a little milk; top with the remaining cheese. Press a few pumpkin seeds on top, and a sage leaf brushed with milk on both sides.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through, with the cheese browning. Serve warm.
