Bake from Scratch November/December 2019

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BAKERS! It’s that season where we’re all looking for a little warm inspiration in the form of spicy gingerbread, wintry peppermint, and—duh—boozy fruitcake. Well, look no further than this November/December issue. From our tip-top Christmas tree-shaped baked goods to our American layer cakes blowout, we have the showstopping celebratory sweets your epic holiday plans require. Plus, this issue is packed with peppermint, coffee cake, cookies, mulling spices, and more. For an epic holiday centerpiece, try one of our bûche de Noëls, starting on page 42. On a homier note, I’m sharing my secret eggnog recipe alongside a few other brilliant homemade gifts that bakers can craft for their loved ones (page 23). This is the second Christmas I’ll have without my grandfather, a man I adored and learned so much…

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY BAKING MEMORY? The Bake from Scratch team shares their sweet baking holiday memories—and precious childhood photos—for your nostalgic enjoyment! “I’ll never forget the first dessert I prepared for my family’s Christmas dinner. I was about 7 years old and my sous chef was a 4-year-old family friend. We set out to make ambrosia salad. I don’t know that I’d ever tasted the fruit- and coconut-filled dish before, but it sounded important—even legendary—and its cool creaminess was welcome on that particularly humid holiday in southern Alabama.” Brooke Bell VP Culinary & Custom Content “Every year, my parents took my sister and me to stay at my grandparents’ house for the weeks leading up to the holiday. My grandmother always kicked off the season by baking gingerbread men (and women!) for my sister…

FESTIVE FOODS GIFT YOUR LOVED ONES HOMEMADE GOODIES, OR AMP UP YOUR BAKING WITH THESE FLAVOR-PACKED INGREDIENTS 1. THE EDITOR’S EGGNOG Treat your nearest and dearest to the go-to eggnog recipe of our editor-in-chief, Brian Hart Hoffman. Brian makes it every year for his closest friends and family, and this year, he’s letting our readers in on his special recipe. Striking the perfect balance between warm spice and sweet custard, this velvety eggnog is delicious spiked with brandy or bourbon or even added to coffee. Find the recipe at bakefromscratch.com/editors-eggnog. 2. SANDEMAN PORTO FOUNDER’S RESERVE RUBY PORT Get a little boozy with your baking by adding a dash of this ruby port to your favorite chocolate, nut, and winter fruit recipes. Bursting with a complex cherry flavor, Sandeman’s Founder’s Reserve Ruby Port is the secret ingredient…

1. JOHN WHAITE NEST OF 3 STACKED BOWLS BY FENELLA SMITH With a cleverly designed lip that makes pouring batter easy and mess-free, these gold-rimmed ceramic nesting bowls are essentials in our editor-in-chief’s baking pantry. Produced by Fenella Smith, a leading artisan in London, England, the elegant and minimalistic design was dreamed up in partnership with John Whaite, the series 3 winner of Great British Bake Off and a close friend of Bake from Scratch. fenellasmith.com, £60 2. WILLIAMS SONOMA COPPER HOLIDAY COOKIE CUTTERS These elegant cookie cutters aren’t just for show. The premium solid copper allows for easy release from the dough and ensures clean-cut edges while also giving the cutters a timeless look that’ll never go out of style. Break them out when you’re baking for your next cookie swap to have…

1. THE COOKIE COLLECTION By Brian Hart Hoffman (83 Press, 2019) Introducing the first Bake from Scratch ode to cookies! From luscious sandwich cookies to game-changing chocolate chip cookies, this tome is filled with unique recipes that are near and dear to our editor-in-chief’s heart, as well as epic recipes contributed by our friends in the baking community around the world. 2. MIDWEST MADE: BIG, BOLD BAKING FROM THE HEARTLAND By Shauna Sever (Running Press Adult, 2019) In this love letter to Midwestern baking, renowned cookbook author and Chicago, Illinois, native Shauna Sever shares comforting recipes from her homeland, like flaky Cornish pasties, a German-inspired peach pavlova, and cherry slab pie. Each reflects the heartland’s international culinary influences and down-home style. 3. BRONTË AT HOME: BAKING FROM THE SCANDI KITCHEN By Brontë Aurell (Ryland Peters & Small,…

It’s funny how the holidays can turn someone who doesn’t bake into the most enthusiastic of bakers. My grandfather baked only two recipes I was aware of his entire life: pecan pie and his holiday fruitcake cookies, which were a Norton (my mom’s family) holiday essential. Each year leading up to the season, Grandad prepared his fruitcake cookies for our family. It’s a simple recipe, with boxed spice cake mix, chopped pecans, and crumbled Claxton Fruit Cake. He learned it during his days in Civitan International, a community service organization based in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, which sells Claxton Fruit Cake around the holidays as a fundraiser. After baking several batches, my grandfather would lovingly arrange the cookies in a white cookie tin decorated with carousel horses—you can see it…