"handmade" news and stories

Several months ago I came into temporary possession of a bunch of my great aunt's recipe cards. One of the recipes that was in the stack my cousin lent me is the one for challah that you see above. I was intrigued by it, especially since she had taken time to draw a diagram as to how you go about braiding the bread. However I didn't make it, instead tucking it away in the file folder that held the rest of my thesis research recipes.

Then I saw this post over on Two Fat Als, and the picture they posted of the gorgeous, burnished loaf of challah they had made recently and my heart started afluttering. I wanted to make challah. I've put this recipe down as one to try out this weekend, when I have a few minutes to spend kneading and hanging out as it rises. Challah is actually a great Saturday afternoon project because while it's wonderful fresh, it's even better dredged in an eggy batter and fried up into French Toast on Sunday mornings.

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Eleni's Cookies has some of the loveliest, hand-decorated cookies that you're likely to find anywhere, but it seems like most people only think about having decorated cookies around some of the winter holidays, like Christmas and Valentine's Day. This is too bad because they're missing out on some of Eleni's more fun designs, like this Cookie Cookout box. It has cookies decorated like ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches,lemonade, watermelons, burgers, fries, hot dogs and even a grill and ice chest! There are a total of 19 cookies in the tin, so you may have to share. Eleni's also has a summer beach set, a Mexican fiesta and a stars and stripes collection, which would certainly be a huge hit at a summer party.

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The rustic look of a handmade truffle belies the smooth perfection that lies beneath. For the inside of the truffle, machination can do nothing to improve upon the human touch. It is that rich chocolate creaminess that we crave, far better than a bar any day. Take two and call me in the morning.

[Arriba truffles from Sahagún Handmade Chocolates photographed at the Portland Farmers Market by Sarah Gilbert.]