Food Network Magazine's April & May 2020 issues

With more time for leisure reading lately, I've been enjoying catching up on my reading list, including magazine reading. I had not even read the April issue of Food Network Magazine when the May issue arrived, so this week, I spent a little time delving into both magazines, and they delighted me for different reasons. The April issue, at left, features a gorgeous lemon pound cake on the cover, and I'm eager to make it the next time I go to the store and get some fresh lemons.

That issue also has a nice article on how to make various flavors of macaroons (not macarons), and as a coconut fan, I find this idea quite enticing.

The May issue of the magazine, though, is the one that really has me lusting to make a new sheet cake! I've only ever made chocolate sheet cakes, but these flavors sound so good: PB&J, Chocolate-Hazelnut, Cinnamon Apple, S'mores, and more. They're the subject of this month's pull-out booklet in the magazine, and cut into bite-size pieces, these cakes would be right at home on a tea tray.

So I was already thinking "tea" when I turned the pages of the May issue and saw a feature on places to enjoy Tea Time! I realize our magazine shopping is probably going to remain limited for a while, but if you're at the grocery store and see this issue at the register, you might want to take a copy home with you!

Cooking and baking and holiday making!

Have you noticed all the white cakes on magazine covers this month? Southern Living always has what they jokingly refer to as the Big White Cake on the cover of their Christmas issue, but Taste of Home and Tea Time have followed suit this year with their own white cakes.

Southern Living's cake comes with a bit of a twist this year. The recipe for the cover cake is included in the magazine, but so is a variation on the cake from Publix.

And Publix has an ad in the new Southern Living that is simply one of the prettiest teatime images I've seen all year. Isn't this gorgeous? It caught my eye immediately as I flipped through the magazine. I note with interest that the ad says, "For tasting tips and ideas, visit publix.com/holiday tea." Click there now if you want to see another version of this lovely photo.

So this year, Publix has partnered with Southern Living and included in the December issue this little foldout leaflet, which has the recipe for a variation on the Big White Cake, an organic option with cranberry filling. There's also a gluten-free option, which is available online here along with the organic cake recipe.

And lest you think I'm only promoting Southern Living, I'm stepping outside the South to let you know that the December issue of Food Network Magazine hasn't forgotten tea lovers either.

Matcha Palmiers, anyone? 

Or Chai Meringue Drops, perhaps? I'm going to be doing plenty of Christmas baking in the days ahead, and it's so nice to have so many great new recipes to try. Have you tried any of these yet?