Searching for the perfect Pareve Sugar Cookie recipe a few weeks ago, I found a bunch of references online to a now-defunct blog post (if you click the link, you will probably get a message telling you just how defunct) explaining how you could create your own sugar cookie mix in bulk. Intrigued, I tracked down an old cached copy of the post, with the recipe, and stashed it off-line for safekeeping.  And yes, it uses shortening, and if you don’t want to use shortening, then don’t.  Sometimes, you kind of have to.  I use Butter-flavoured Crisco now that it’s pareve again here. Here’s the recipe – shamelessly reposted word-for-word as a service to you, my beloved readers: Sugar Cookies for the YEAR! Warning: This makes a LOT of sugar cookie mix. We store it in freezer zip lock bags, pre-measured and ready-to-go at any time. (see below) Ingredients: 12 cups all-purpose flour 6 cups sugar 2 Tablespoons baking powder 1 Tablespoon salt

I bragged here over the summer about Elisheva’s challah-baking efforts while away from home.   Well, over the last few years, it seems like she’s become the official birthday-cake baker for her circle of friends.  Usually, she does something simple, but last night, inspiration struck and she made this Hobbit-themed cake, presumably from a friend who is kind of into The Hobbit. She baked the half-round cake (this one was a cake mix, but usually she does them from scratch) in a metal mixing bowl, lined with tinfoil and sprayed very well, then hollowed out a little opening for the door.  I think it looks great!  (said the proud mama)      Later, she melted chocolate, cooled it on a piece of parchment, and added this cute little “doormat.” Now if only she’d learn to wash up her mixing bowls when she’s through…

   I continue to be intrigued by the concept of pumpkin challah, and I recently made a whole LOT of pumpkin mush .  I posted about that on my regular blog, but saved these luscious pumpkin-challah pics for this blog, as a special treat for readers here. First of all, a fun discovery – you don’t need a shmancy recipe to get pumpkin challah!  I actually just used the basic Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day no-knead challah recipe , which I didn’t even love all that much.  The pumpkin kicked it into far loftier spheres. Rather perfectly, this recipe called for 1 3/4 cups of water… for which I substituted about 1 3/4 – 2 cups of homemade frozen pumpkin purée , thawed.  That’s it – that’s the trick.  No water at ALL.  If you’re using canned pumpkin, it might not work, because it’s very dry, but homemade frozen purée is a bit waterier and this worked out just fine.  If you find that you can’t stir the mixture with your dough whisk, add a bit of water, maybe 1/4 cup at a time, until you ac