Blog - Wood & Spoon

Pear Almond Cake

Posted on December 2, 2019

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I'm going full-on Christmas mode. Granted, my house has been decorated for two weeks, we've already made a gingerbread house, and the Jonas Brothers' Christmas single has been played like 342 times, but still. Our last Christmas was hectic and abrupt because of our move, and I've been determined to make the biggest deal out of it this year (#momlife). To get things going in a festive direction, I'm sharing this pear almond cake today! Let's talk all about it.This is a one-bowl butter and sour cream-based bundt cake that is loaded with chopped pears and a sweet streusel and glaze. Cakes like this always read coffee cake to me, which basically means it's an appropriate choice for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. Is there anything better than a green light for dessert all day long? NOPE. To make it, simply cream butter and...

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Gouda Cheese Puffs and Holiday Snack Boards

Posted on November 26, 2019

by Kate

Gouda Cheese Puffs by Wood and Spoon. These are mini round puff pastry appetizers made with caramelized onions, mustard, herbs and shredded gouda cheese. The tarts bake up and are served with a spicy tomato bacon jam. Make these for holiday parties or add to cheese charcuterie and snack boards. Read more about the recipe and get ideas for holiday treats on thewoodandspoon.com

The countdown is on. It's two days until we all stuff our faces full of dressing, pie, and turkey (jk, we're all just here for the sides), and I am so ready. I guess there's people in America who don't get into the communal tradition of a shared table and breaking bread, but, if you didn't already guess, I am so here for any reason to pile my plate full of carbs and stare across the spread at a bunch of faces I love. For a family-focused baking blogger, Thanksgiving is my dream day, and I can't wait to dive in. So if you haven't already nailed down exactly what you plan to contribute at the holiday feast you're attending, let me lovingly nudge you in the direction of these gouda cheese puffs and a simple holiday snack board. It's a cute and yummy way to make a fancy looking...

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Cinnamon Sugar Scones and Our Time in Winston-Salem

Posted on November 21, 2019

by Kate

Cinnamon Sugar Scones and our time traveling to Winston-Salem North Carolina by Wood and Spoon blog. Make-ahead breakfast pastries swirled and stuffed with cinnamon filling and topped with a simple icing. These scones are great for holiday breakfast or brunch and go great with a cup of coffee. Read about what to do eat and see in North Carolina including Moravian cookies, best hotels for kids, best breweries and where to eat! Thewoodandspoon.com travels

If you’re in America you’re probably well on your way to planning your Thanksgiving dinner for next week, but have you even considered what to feed your guests the morning of? The weekend after? Do you know what yummy treats are going to fuel your early morning Black Friday shopping? This morning you’re in luck, because today I’m sharing this seriously delicious recipe for cinnamon sugar scones! Let’s take a peek!This past weekend, Brett and I took the big kids on a mini road trip to Winston-Salem. The North Carolina city is a little big town with historical roots and loads of offerings for families and foodies alike. I was invited to by the PR team at Visit Winston-Salem, and our time there included tons of food, Christmas cookies, and fun things for the kids to do. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you the ins and outs of...

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Cranberry Kolaches

Posted on November 18, 2019

by Kate

Cranberry Kolaches by Wood and Spoonn blog. These are little puffy sweat yeast parties filled with a homemade cinnamon and cranberry jam or sugared cream cheese filling. Each bite has a little simple crumble on top and is a great breakfast brunch or dessert option. Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com.

People ask me all the time if I ever have any kitchen failures. Let's just LOL at that one. As with anything, particularly a craft that is heavily dependent on time, temperature, ingredients, skill, measurements, and, oh yeah, SCIENCE, baking is one of those things that just comes with a mixed bag of results. Some recipes are a win, an instant classic, while others require a million tries. Anytime I step into the kitchen, I'm expecting (read: hoping and praying for) great results, but there's absolutely zero guarantees. Baking mishaps are a real thing.I set out to make these cranberry kolaches after seeing seeing them freckled about the internet over the past few months. For some time, it seemed as if these European-born pastries were on their way to stardom, and I was bound and determined to wrangle a recipe I could be proud to share on this website. It...

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Family Waffle

Posted on November 12, 2019

by Kate

Family Waffle by Wood and Spoon blog. This recipe from Sarah Copeland book Everyday is Saturday is a healthy dairy free waffle made with quinoa and chia seed. This makes 4 thick Belgian style waffles and is best served with maple syrup or a healthy portion of fresh fruit and yogurt. Read more about these make ahead and reheat breakfast treats on thewoodandspoon.com

I want to write a book. There. I said it. Now the world (aka, approximately 25 readers, if you include my Mom) knows my lifelong goal, my purpose for starting this blog, the reason I spend my weekends baking 14 varieties of the same cinnamon bread. I am set on being an author and that's that.When I was growing up, my Nana would take me to Joseph Beth Booksellers. We would peruse the store for hours (no joke), and I'd get lost, both in the literal and proverbial sense, while flipping through pages and roaming the aisles. In the end, I'd carry my little stack of books to the register, and Nana, without fail, bought me each and every one of them. She taught me to treasure the fresh pages of a good book, and it was there that my interest in reading began.Even now as an adult I love...

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Brownie Petit Fours

Posted on November 7, 2019

by Kate

Brownie Petit Fours by Wood and Spoon blog. These are tiny bite sized brownies filled with a rich salted chocolate ganache filling. You can prepare these two ways: either stacked in fancy tiered dessert form or in a single bite of ganache coated brownie. Read more about how to make ganache and these fancy treats on thewoodandspoon.com by Kate Wood holiday entertaining cocktail desserts

Do you ever find yourself in the muck of life? Like you're covered up in junk that you desperately just need to shake off and get free from? Maybe you're wanting a clean slate or reset from the routine of heaviness and difficulty that you you find yourself in? Well, count me as a member in your crew because I've been there, and I think someone out there needs some encouragement and a little self-love in the form of these brownie petit fours.I'm not sure this blog is the place to dive deep into difficult circumstances. Everyone's story is unique, and your issues and the solutions for those issues are entirely different from mine. Call it hormones, call it a funk, or blame it all on spiritual oppression, but I've 100% been there recently, so I do feel it's worth mentioning. In recent weeks, I wasn't really feeling myself, my...

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Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie

Posted on November 4, 2019

by Kate

Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie is a creamy baked fall custard pie with a fudge chocolate bottom and pecan pie crust ready made from Diamond nuts. Topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings this is a great holiday / Thanksgiving alternative for chocolate lovers. This pie is a simple one to make and bakes up without cracks! Learn more about the recipe on thewoodandspoon.com

What are the traditions you're looking forward to in the coming months? Is there a recipe or a feeling that you anticipate this time of year, some kind of moment that just kinda makes it feel like home? I recently had an editor at a magazine ask me a similar question, and it got me thinking. Growing up there was coffee cake on Christmas morning, leftover slices of cake for breakfast the day after my birthday, and eggs stuffed with coins hidden in the backyard on Easter, but now, as an adult with my own family, I kinda get to call the shots. I'm finally in the position to be the tradition creator in my own house, so what do I pick? What foods and songs and formalities are going to stick around for the long haul?My guess is a lot of Moms feel worn out by the pressure to...

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Pear Almond Cake

Gouda Cheese Puffs and Holiday Snack Boards

Cinnamon Sugar Scones and Our Time in Winston-Salem

Cranberry Kolaches

Family Waffle

Brownie Petit Fours

Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie

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