SMiLes by Meg

Chunky Pumpkin Ice Cream

I’m officially in Boston on a weekend for the first time in forever and on my run this morning, it finally felt like Fall. I recognize that I’ve been living in a perpetual Fall for the past month and a half, as Alaska has been in the 50s with changing leaves since the beginning of September, but last week I was in Florida, where it actively did not feel like Fall, so today felt absolutely magical. The air was crisp, the leaves were starting to turn, everyone was wearing flannel and vests, and I even saw a few pairs of

Mini Pumpkin Bread

Last week, I mentioned that I had made some pumpkin bread. Now that I’m back on the East Coast, where people are as obsessed with pumpkin as I am (I currently have a pumpkin spice candle lit next to my computer), it felt like a good time to post it! Pretty early in the SMiLes by Meg catalog I made a chocolate chip pumpkin bread, but I realized I hadn’t posted any just plain, high quality, pumpkin bread. I wanted a recipe that made its own spice mix, actually looked orange, and had some kind of crunchy topping. More importantly,

Nutmeg Tart

Another rainy weekend, another baking adventure. Since I’m still thoroughly enjoying funemployment, I spent the weekend in Duxbury with my parents. I love being able to hop on a train and be with my family in about an hour, and nothing beats running to the beach and back, even if its pouring rain while you do it. Plus, I’m very into the series of books I’m reading right now (The Wheel of Time – no spoilers, please!), and my favorite place to read is the wood paneled room in their home, snuggled up on the recliner with a big fluffy

Speculaas Biscuits

Finals is for procrastibaking. In the last 24 hours, I’ve made 3 different Ottolenghi recipes: banana bread, cauliflower cake, and these cookies. It’s important to take some (read: most) time to destress when you’ve got your last final exams ever coming up. I also am determined to get on Ottolenghi’s Instagram account, where he occasionally posts things people have made of his, but I haven’t had any luck so far. My only chance is to keep baking my way through Sweet!

Gevulde Speculaas

Another week, another of Ottolenghi’s Sweet recipes. This time, in looking for something fittingly sophisticated for a book club meeting, I settled on a cookie that looked rich in spices and like it would pair equally well with tea or red wine, depending on what road the night took. Plus, the contrasting colors make for an impressive display, which never hurts when you’re laying out a spread of food for guests.

Sweet Potato Waffles

This week’s recipe is inspired by Zoe’s, a diner in Cambridge, and some sweet potatoes I needed to get use. Zoe’s has sweet potato pancakes, which they serve with brown sugar butter, and which are amazing. Erik and Emil, though, have a waffle iron, so I thought I could try something a little different from the breakfast item that inspired these. Over breakfast, we did have a lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of waffles vs. pancakes. While I agree that pancakes are the superior breakfast food (someday soon I’ll post my dad’s recipe – they are the best

Old Fashioned Doughnuts

I think I’m losing my touch. When I first started law school, bringing in treats to class was a surefire way to make them disappear quickly. A short post on my section’s Facebook page, and I could get more people than cookies to come and take said cookies off my hands. It didn’t seem to matter what I baked; I had a willing audience.

White Chocolate Ginger Cookies

It has been a baking marathon at my parents’ house this week. I have made four separate, brand new, types of cookies AND have the components of a trifle in the works right now. Doing the math, I actually won’t have to bake again until the end of January. And you’ll get new cookie recipes for a month! Which, really, is better than making all four types of cookies at the same time. Because my family is getting dangerously close to kicking me out from what I can tell, since everyone’s main food group has now been cookies for 3

Pumpkin Turkey Cookies

Putting aside final exams and cramming, I love the period from Thanksgiving through New Years. So many fun holidays. So much time with family and friends. A general feeling of magic happiness with good food, buying presents for people, and snow. Also, unending opportunities to bake. 

Spiced Waffles

Two breakfast posts in a row! Obviously, I’ve been a little selfish lately, making things that I actually end up eating instead of pawning off on my friends. Don’t worry – next week’s Halloween treat is 100% for other people. But until then: Spiced Waffles.