In a Different Kitchen

Lily and Rosie Wennberg here. Sisters, friends, food lovers, and two gals who find a lot of joy in baking together. We get less joyful, of course, when it's time to clean up. Lily is something of a Jackson Pollock in the kitchen, and Rosie is a clean-as-you-go person. But we digress.

As huge IZK fans and even huger Zoe fans, we were somewhat reticent to point out to Zoe (notoriously a lover of constructive criticism) that we'd noticed a dearth of baked goods in her newsletter. But with over a decade of friendship in our pockets, we figured we had enough history with her (much of which has taken place over good food) to point this out and offer to fill the void.

Buttermilk Biscuits

The 411: This biscuit recipe originated with Cook's Illustrated, and we have since made it our own. It's a frequent accompaniment to many a Wennberg family meal: chowders, barbeque, and if you want to really get into it, make chicken pot pie filling and bake these on top at the end. A whole batch can feed a small army (aka, most of the family when we get together with Zoe and her brood), so we usually take all the steps up until adding in the buttermilk and freeze half of the flour/butter mix. They store nicely and are a great last-minute treat—just pop them out, add in half the buttermilk, and you're good to go.

The Recipe:

• 5 cups flour

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter, cold from the fridge

• 4 tablespoons shortening (or 4 more tablespoons of butter if you don't have any)

• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450°. Sift the dry ingredients. Grate the butter into the dry ingredients and add shortening if using. Massage the mix until the dough comes together (a few lumps of butter are okay, if not downright tasty). Stir in the buttermilk with a few quick strokes.

Splat onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in roughly 1/3 cup heaps—uniformity in our baked goods is neither required nor encouraged. Bake until the peaks of the batter and bottoms are golden brown. Serve with more butter, of course.

Lily and Rosie's Tips: Add 2 tablespoons of sugar with the dry ingredients, and these turn into damn good shortcakes. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

World Peace Cookies

The 411:

Dorie Greenspan

named these World Peace Cookies on the theory that if everyone in the world had them, we'd be in pretty good shape. That seems to be especially called for these days, so please enjoy another of our family favorites. Best served with vanilla ice cream—and if you're feeling cheeky, a little glass of port.

Lily and Rosie's Tips: After you slice the cookies and right before putting them in the oven, sprinkle the top with some fleur de sel (Maldon's is a must-have in our kitchens). Lily wants everyone to know that "regular salt works well too," Rosie is a purist and says don't bother unless you have the good stuff.