Just a regular Thursday in Canada.

If, like most people north of the border, you loved Anne or read her story in school, you'll find this cookbook feels homey and nostalgic. The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook is a collection of recipes that Anne herself would approve of, having been written by a member of the family estate (Kate Macdonald). The book actually came out years ago but has been given a delightful refresh with new artwork and a gifty hardcover format. Manda's own Jessey Glibbery came over to test drive this book (who are we kidding, we knew it would be awesome) and share a plate of tea and cookies.   

Look who's wearing the EAF x Fish&Bull pizza charm ;)

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook contains both sweet and savory recipes, and is good for people of all ages. It's the ideal book for baking with friends, a young family member, or your mom on a chilly afternoon. It's basically a big hug with lots of jam. 

The recipes are simple and approachable, and we even found a cookie recipe that was dairy-free by coincidence! Ginger Snaps are classic Anne and easy to make using ingredients you already have in your pantry.

Jessey melted lard (one of my most-used butter substitutes) with brown sugar and molasses in a small sauce pan. She then added ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and the smell immediately brought me back to my aunt's kitchen, baking Christmas cookies as a kid. 

We used organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour but you can use a gluten-free substitute if necessary, such as Enjoy Life flour mix.

In the interest of time we skipped the chilling portion and went straight into forming the dough into cookies. The recipe makes quite a hefty batch! They do puff up so be sure not to overcrowd the baking tray.

We dug into them straight from the oven and yes, they did burn the roofs of our mouths. Old habits die hard. We enjoyed them with a cup of fresh mint tea while we browsed through the book further. There are so many recipes we'd both like to try, it was really difficult to narrow it down to just one. I think biscuits and jam thumbprint cookies are tops on my list! 

Given that the recipes are simple and straightforward, I found them very easy to manipulate based on my allergies (peanuts, nuts, dairy, legumes) and there were many that are already free from the foods I need to avoid. This would make an excellent gift for a fan of Anne, a young person that's learning how to cook, or a seasoned cook that likes a taste of the nostalgic.

You can pick up a copy here.