Holiday 2013

The bizcochito gets dressed up to go to the party! Bizcochitos are traditional in New Mexico in wintertime…and all the time, since they are the official state cookie. The classic ones are made with lard and are tender and delicate and too fragile to ice with ferocity. They are wonderful, but so are these delicious sugar cookie versions I created. They still utilize a generous blend of cinnamon, anise and orange zest, and I flavor the icing with organic vanilla. I looked for inspiration across different eras of material culture, and translated these interesting motifs into portable little storytellers that you may look at momentarily before devouring.

These Art Deco snowflakecookies are the result of my looking at lots and lots of Art Deco lighting. Specifically graduated, architectural, geometric glass shades. The colors reflect the white on white (how wintry!) and the black and white found on many of these pieces. The shocking pink is in tribute to Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973), who collaborated with surrealists and made this loud pink her signature color.

These snowflakes are strong! These cookies are inspired by ironwork motifs in Brooklyn, New York.

Inspired by the inventive and efficiently produced aluminum artificial trees of the midcentury, this charming retro favor is festive and still modern.

This spread is from a book in the Time Life series American Cooking, I loved the decorated branch…