This will be a quick post about my first attempt at babkah. Let’s just say it wasn’t a complete fail but it also wasn’t a win either.

When I was growing up I remember always having these cake-y cookies whenever we had extended family get togethers. Usually they were held at my grandparents house on the North Shore and one of the family would pick up Black and Whites from a Jewish deli/bakery near Boston. I didn’t know they were called Black and White Cookies until after college and that they aren’t a Jewish thing but a New York staple!

This treat is a combo of two of my favorite desserts I have created over the years. My Cecelia named them BB Treats- Blondies and Brownies together. They are decadent and truly addicting! The only hard part about making them is waiting for them to cool while they make the whole house smell so good.

With this whole social distancing all I want are comfort foods or foods I grew up loving. One of those desserts is rice pudding. I don’t know about you but there is something so warm and inviting, eating something so rich and creamy.

As we are going into our fifth week of social distancing we are starting to get into a rhythm. We have virtual schooling, messaging and video calling friends, lots of outside time when the weather is favorable. Yet our meals have been mostly normal except our poor Cecelia had a nasty accident on the school playground right before schools were shut down…

It’s been a crazy few weeks with social distancing in full swing. Baking has helped ease some anxiety and put smiles on my family’s faces (and maybe a few pounds on their waistlines)

“Moist” It’s pretty much a universally hated word. It brings about a visceral reaction in most people that cannot be explained. Do you know what’s worst than the word? Actual moist baked goods…

It’s done! It’s finally done! After what felt like an eternity our kitchen is 100% complete. From floors to ceiling everything has been removed, replaced, fixed, and positioned the way my dream kitchen was envisioned.

Man: Does this flavor have nuts in it?

Ice Cream Server: Is there an allergy?

M: Yes.

Ever make a cake that just isn’t right? It’s a bit dry. It’s shaped funny. It refused to come out of the pan! Well there’s a solution…

We thought we were getting totally back on schedule. Well that was until someone grazed the water pipe for the sink and all of a sudden they hear a whoosh. And the pipe falls to the floor.

Yet another interesting quirk about our house has made itself known while the kitchen renovation is underway…

This is a phrase you never want to hear when you are doing any sort of renovation on your house. Since the start of our kitchen project it has been said four times already and it has only been a week!

We are back to the hustle and bustle of summer schedules instead of being pampered in paradise. Now that we are home there are a few things that we can agree that were good, bad or ugly about traveling with allergies and food intolerances.

We are quickly learning that nothing goes smooth when it comes to anything with our house. We should of known that a large project would be derailed at least three times before it even started.

My Cecelia is a social butterfly and loved by her peers. She is invited to many parties and play dates. Most, if not all. Of her friends know she has allergies and let their families know she needs to be safe.

I burnt the first batch horribly. The second batch refused to release from the paper. The third batch was only slightly burnt yet undercooked and foamy. Like how do you get blondies to foam?

We have taken the giant leap, and after scrimping and saving, have decided to renovate our kitchen! 

Found a great recipe with only one cup flour and only one egg! It sounded delicious and was super quick and easy to make. With multiple ingredient swap I decided to go from squares to muffins. This was the beginning of where things went wrong.