Month: December 2009

Lucky Black Eyed Peas

It’s almost New Year’s Day and I have everything ready to put my black eyed peas on the stove. I make them every year as a New Year’s Day tradition. People out in this part of the country ask me “Why?” as if I should know, as if no one […]

Frozen Holiday Terrine

Simplicity. That word has a special meaning at this time of year. As Christmas Day approaches simplicity is something I seem to physically crave. It’s not that I don’t enjoy complexity. December often begins that way with boxes of decorations to be rediscovered and arranged, a calender bursting with obligations […]

Gingerbread Pancakes topped with pomegranate arils on a red and white plate

Gingerbread Pancakes

In the midst of accomplishing those items on your to-do list, I encourage you to look around and capture the wonder of the season and, if at all possible, make time for pancakes.

Petite Oreo Cheesecakes arranged on a glass plate

Petite Cheesecakes with Cookie Crusts

I recently came across a small discovery in the kitchen that made my day. First, I found an old recipe for Petite Cheesecakes. It is taped to a page of notebook paper in a homemade cookbook I put together when I was first married. The recipe is neatly written out […]

Cranberry Pecan Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle and Cranberry Bits beside Cranberry Pecan Bars with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting served on white plates and displayed on a woven mat.

Favorite Cranberry Pecan Cookies – Three Ways

No matter which version you bake, the best part of making Cranberry Pecan Cookies is how surprisingly wonderful they taste! Fresh cranberries give these cookies a bright tartness that is a welcome contrast to the spicy richness of other treats on my holiday cookie plate.

A small glass bowl filled with Peppernuts (Pfeffernuesse), a spicy bite-sized cookie.

Pfefferneusse (Peppernuts)

Easy to make, wonderfully fragrant and delicious, these are now a holiday favorite at our house. To make these little Peppernuts I doubled the quantity of ground spices in the original recipe and added some clear sugar crystals for sparkle and crunch. Try these little bite-sized cookies to enjoy the flavor and fragrance of the season.