A bar, a cake and a cup . . .

Hello my lovely peeps. Hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings and ate and enjoyed all the things. I was in Scotland for the holiday, as my older son is doing a semester abroad in Glasgow; and although there was nothing turkey or pie-ish about the last week, we had an excellent time. And ate so many delicious items - including the best Kouign Amman (aka a buttery, flaky, yeasted French pastry from Breton) that I think I’ve ever tasted from Lannan Bakery (photo below). Can’t recommend it enough if your travels happen to take you to Edinburgh. 

And I also can’t recommend enough - subscribing to my monthly paid newsletter! Each paid letter includes an exclusive recipe from my next cookbook (pubbing in October of 2024!); plus fascinating BTS of the cookbook writing process.

Now, how about some recipes? Sadly, I don’t have a Kougin Amman recipe for you in this letter - or, really, anywhere - as viennoiserie is predictably not in my wheelhouse. But I do have a pecan pie brownie one (which, yes, is much more on brand). I love this recipe not only because it is easy and delicious, but because the combo of a brownie topped with a sweet, sticky, nutty thick, caramel-like pecan pie filling (sprinkled with flaky sea salt, natch) is nothing short of perfect, both texturally and flavor-wise. I always love a little chocolate in my pecan pie, so it should come as no surprise that a brownie topped with some pecan pie filling is my idea of a very good time. These cuties call for a boxed brownie, which I adore (being a boxed brownie lover from way back) due to their chewy, fudgy texture and the flavor, which I find to be chocolatey (but not rich) and sweet (but not in an overpowering way). But if boxed is not your jam, by all means whip up a batch of homemade ones. 

Now, here’s a post-turkey-day confession: I am not a pumpkin pie person. Perhaps I have already told you this? I’m honestly not sure, but here’s the thing: just cause I don’t like it in straight up custard form tucked into a pie crust, it doesn’t mean I don’t like pumpkin-flavored treats in general. In fact, I adore pumpkin snickerdoodles and pumpkin mousse and pumpkin chiffon pie and pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin tiramisu. And I also love pumpkin cupcakes with chocolate ganache. These adorable shiny-topped wonders are super moist (due to oli), light, vegetal (in that perfect pumpkin way) and gorgeous to behold with their bright orange hue and dark chocolate tops.

Oh, and one other baked good/dessert that I really don’t care for? Cheesecake. There I said it (radical take, I know). But years ago, my pal and then-editor at Food52, the now much beloved Eric Kim, asked me to develop a recipe for a peanut butter one that could be “baked” in an instant pot, and I had a bit of a change of heart. I mean don’t get me wrong: I am not now someone who craves cheesecake and bakes one up on a whim, but I make an excuse for this impressive-looking IP one. 

Although you might think of your instant pot as a vehicle for getting dinner on the table quickly (or is that just me?) it is also brilliant for sweet “bakes.” For instance the beauty of baking a cheesecake in an instant pot, is that you don’t have to mess with a water bath and the cooking time is downright quick - 26 minutes!! The top of an IP cheesecake is not going to win any beauty contests, and this is where a dusting of cocoa powder comes in. My version here calls for a chocolate crust and since I have sung the praises of chocolate and pecan pie and chocolate and pumpkin in this letter, I will now sing those of chocolate and peanut butter (but I know you know this, so I will sing quietly). 

Alrighty then friends: that’s it for this week - I will see you in two. And in the meantime, might I suggest catching up on any episodes of my baking podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie, that you might have inadvertently missed? In each episode I do a deep dive with an iconic baker into their signature bake and if you’re a subscriber here, might I be so bold as to say you’re probs going to dig my pod?