it’s amazing how quickly i can forget everything accomplished over the course of a year. in thinking back i had chalked 2018 up to being pretty quiet, transitional year, but as i look back i realized we’ve accomplished way more than i had given myself/us credit for. there’s a lot of talk about giving ourselves more “grace” or being easier on ourselves, which isn’t really in my nature. it’s probably something i could use a bit more of in 2019.

as far as 2018 is concerned, here are the highlights:

in january i took a business trip back to tampa and we visited our almost-complete house.

in february we had tavi bear spayed, i flew to colorado to host a baby shower, and we closed on our first home in poulsbo. we moved in and began painting and decorating!!

in march we purchased a new car, decorated easter eggs and i taught a class on painted eggs.

in april we took a trip over to the seattle side for an evening, i began playing with the magnolia table cookbook, and i started trying my hand at gardening.

in may my family visited to see our new home and help us build a fence.

in june we headed out to woodinville, celebrated j’s birthday and built a fire pit.

in july i headed back to tampa for another business trip, taught a swiss buttercream cupcake class, and was able to celebrate my birthday with my family.

in august we took a trip to the cidery for the first time, and i taught a hydrangea cupcake class.

in september another cupcake class, apple picking, and walking tavi in fort ward and warming up with soup in the evenings.

in october we had an early anniversary celebration at oktoberfest in leavenworth, took the pupkin to a pumpkin patch and another cupcake class.

in november we hosted our first thanksgiving in our new house, and i made some psl macarons.

in december…well, all the christmasy things, obv. from wreath workshops to cookie swaps - and a final cupcake class.

cheers to a happy and healthy 2019!

i hope you haven’t quite started up the new year’s resolutions yet - because pie. i made this for both thanksgiving and christmas this year and i looooove it because it’s like an old fashioned i can chew. an ingredient distinction i learned between the two holidays: if possible head to your freezer section and buy a big bag of “pie cherries” not just any old frozen cherries. they are smaller, brighter and lend themselves to this recipe a bit better than other varieties.

also err on the side of over baking rather than under baking. it’s real easy to get a soupy filling. just to be on the safe side i added an extra dusting of corn starch on the bottom crust to try and counteract any sogginess.

| ingredients |

double batch pie crust

filling

2 pounds frozen pie cherries

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch + additional for dusting

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons bourbon

for finishing:

sugar

cinnamon

egg

| method |

prepare your pie crusts and set in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the frozen cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cayenne, bourbon and salt. stir until the cherries are coated and set aside for 10-20 minutes.

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

remove your pie crust from the fridge and let soften on the counter for 5 minutes. roll out the bottom crust and transfer to a greased pie dish. at this point i like to add a very light dusting of cornstarch to the bottom of the pie to help firm up any wayward juice.

spoon your prepared filling into your pie crust, leaving any excess juice that has accumulated in the bowl behind. (you may or may not have excess juice depending on the type of cherries used.) roll out your top pie crust, crimp your pie and stick in the freezer for 15 minutes. this helps your pie retain its shape when baking, something i appreciate especially for holiday pies.

in a small bowl mix together cinnamon and sugar (or just sugar if that’s more your speed), and in another small bowl, beat one egg. when ready to bake, remove your pie from the freezer, brush with your beaten egg, and then sprinkle with the sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture. the cinnamon sugar will give your pie a more browned look depending on your ratio of cinnamon to sugar used.

bake on top of a cookie sheet (to catch any spills!) for 15 minutes at 425, then lower heat to 375 and bake for 30-35 minutes more. if the top of your pie is browning too much for your liking, wrap it in foil and continue to bake. you will want to bake it for the full time for the sake of getting that filling to set.

2018 in review

spiced cherry bourbon pie