Pineapple upside down cake is an old-fashioned cake that made its debut in the 1920’s, coinciding with the advent of widely available canned pineapple. So delicious and beautiful to behold, pineapple upside down cake remains popular to this day. Although it may look like a cake that requires the skills of an accomplished pastry chef, [...]
As I write this column, it is early March, and we are digging out from yet another snowstorm—the third one of the week. It’s hard to believe that spring is just around the corner. So, it is with a leap of faith and some wishful thinking that I present you with this recipe for meringue [...]
I recently brought this cookie platter to a dinner party. From left to right, the cookies are vanilla chocolate chip biscotti, chocolate macadamia nut biscotti, pumpkin pecan cookies with powdered sugar, checkerboards and chocolate drizzled pumpkin pecan cookies. The cookie platter was a big hit, but hands down, the favorite cookie was the chocolate macadamia [...]
Elegant and festive, these deep ruby red beauties are the perfect seasonal dessert to have on hand, especially when you’re craving lighter fare. The pears are prepped and then poached in a sumptuous red wine elixir. I just love the intoxicating aroma of Beaujolais and warm spices that permeate the house while the pears are [...]
Here are two creative, fun and tasty ideas for a July 4th dessert grand finale. Family and friends will want to participate in creating the red, white and blue balloon cups. They will enjoy rocking the blown up balloons in the candy melts and then, after placing the balloons for a brief stint in the [...]
When I made these trompe l’oeil hamburger and fries cupcakes and cookies last year for Father’s Day, they were such a hit with my family that I knew my June 2014 Father’s Day column would be a piece of cake (pun intended!). These delightful and tasty treats are so much fun to assemble and decorate [...]
Spring is finally here! The longer days and brighter sun have done wonders to chase our winter blues away. Here’s a recipe for lemon bars to welcome and celebrate spring. These luscious bars have a crisp and buttery shortbread crust topped with a sweet and tangy lemon curd. Their lovely yellow color evokes the light [...]
As the days get shorter and the air is crisper and cooler, I am back in my kitchen baking after a summer hiatus. One of my favorite cakes to bake during this season is Autumn Spiced Honey Chiffon cake. While this cake is baking, an ambrosial aroma of warm honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and [...]
Knowing that I’m a kid at heart, my daughter, Sally, bought me a Cake Pops kit by Bakerella for Mother’s Day. Cake Pops have taken the cake world by storm ever since they were developed by Angie Dudley, creator of the wonderful Bakerella website and blog. Cake pops are so much fun to make and [...]
Mother’s Day is fast approaching and just in case you haven’t yet decided what to do for that special mom in your life, I’m going to suggest you make her brunch or breakfast in bed. And I have a brunch/breakfast recipe that is sure to delight: Orange Chiffon French Toast. For a scrumptious spin on [...]