The cold-weather grace period usually ends for my late January. With the end of the winter holidays and the persistence of days with temperatures below freezing and snowy, I start longing for spring bulbs to pop above soil level and trees to start leafing out.

For most people I know, learning how to make banana bread is the entry point to baking. Bananas spoiled quickly in the humid climate where I grew up. In an effort to avoid wasting the fruit, my mother showed me early on how to get those bananas into a dessert and away from the landfill.

One of the more satisfying treats I make in my high-altitude kitchen falls into the cookie category. When I was learning the ins and outs of baking a mile above sea level, I was grateful that most of my favorite cookie recipes needed little alteration to produce a good result. Below you’ll find a recipe for a twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie. When we started hand-milling whole grains last year for flour, we invested in a hefty bag of rye berries. I’ve appreciate