Essex County, Vermont.  The snow started early yesterday afternoon, but didn’t seem particularly ominous or impressive.  On the contrary, it appeared light and probably fleeting.  But it continued steadily through the day and the wee hours, and this morning, we woke up to a hard snow, which by 7:30am had turned into a blizzard. Yes, a true blizzard, with howling winds and near white-out conditions.  I suspect most easter egg hunts in these parts had been moved indoors.

I dutifully started and stocked our wood stove and then headed out for a newspaper and some baking items.

By about 11am, the wind died down, the snow stopped, and the sun came blazing out.  The temperatures are still pretty cold, but the morning blizzard, as fierce as it was for April, is gone.

I’ve kept the fire going, however, and today’s baking project was coconut-almond biscotti.  I have a little recipe book devoted exclusively to biscotti.  On this occasion, I used a recipe from that book, but decided to ad lib in some sliced almonds. The spontaneous addition worked well!   Biscotti is a great (and healthy) snack for late winter.  We’ve been munching on it all day as we read the New York Times and play with the dogs.

When will winter begone?