O.k. maybe some tears. The tears that fall as you pray over the cookies hoping your son or daughter (or husband, or friend) is safe count as tears. But with this  method the cookies will get there fresh, unbroken, and yummy…so you can feel good about that, right? Chocolate thumbprints are ready to ship I wanted to send a test batch to Chris in the Middle East, time how long it took them to get there, and how they were once they were there. I figured that way it would be documented and not rely on my memory. So, A few weeks ago Kyrie and I baked Chris two kinds of cookies; chocolate thumbprints and blueberry white chocolate drops. We wrapped them carefully and sent them out…and we waited. …and waited…. [Read more] [Read more]

You have to love the color of cranberries. They add vibrancy to any table, holiday or otherwise. And the tangy flavor is perfect with the heavier meals we eat in the fall and winter. I wanted a crisp that was purely cranberry yet not too tart. I didn’t want apple or pear or anything else with it…just pure cranberry flavor bursting open in every bite. I put a layer of streusel on the bottom as well as on the top for added texture and sweetness. I really like the result. This is a great, comfort food type dessert but would also work well on the Thanksgiving dessert buffet. It is just different enough to be awesome but familiar enough to  make you feel cozy. [Read more] [Read more]

O.k. I bet you are wondering why I would call this Pumpkin Pie Noir aren’t you? It isn’t just the color here. I intentionally caramelized everything so that the filling was dark and sticky and very intense pumpkin. Now, usually when I am making a pumpkin pie I stick with the Libby’s recipe. I know, I know…in a rut..but there is just not that much that can be improved there for a traditional pumpkin pie. This time, though, I wanted something that was sultry, and smooth, and sophisticated…sort of like the Libby’s recipe wrapped up in black leather, you know? You have to start with a fresh pie pumpkin for this recipe. There is just no other way to do it. You are going to roast that pumpkin until the natural... [Read more]

Iron Chef is one of my favorite shows. I don’t have cable so I watch it on my computer a lot. Which is also good because it means that I get to watch as many episodes as I like! A new release today states that Bobby Flay and Mario Batali would be joined by Emeril Lagasse and White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford to take part in a competition. The challenge was issued by First Lady, Michelle Obama; Use the White House kitchen garden to produce a meal for America. The battle will premiere January 3, 2010 at 8 pm EST. The chefs will be asked to use the produce from the White House garden to create a locally based menu. They will be asked to choose and harvest  ingredients to use to create a menu that uniquely represents America. Judging... [Read more]

Twitter is a great invention as far as I am concerned. I love chatting with y’all there and especially late in the evening the banter can get going pretty strong. One night last week it was going back and forth and Kelly from Evil Shenanigans said something about me making whiskey sours and inviting her over…I don’t drink very often…counted in terms of maybe once or twice a year if that and so I thought that was funny. I said I needed to make a whiskey sour bundt cake and all of a sudden half a dozen people were inviting themselves over for cake. It seemed to me to be a good idea to actually do it and see what happened. So I did. Results? [Read more] [Read more]