I picked up a recipe card in a grocery store in London for a fruit and tea loaf. It sounded good, so I was looking for the ingredients. A lovely lady with a lilting Irish accent was helping me, but she told me that I’d be better off making a real barmbrack than using a product-promoting recipe card. I’d never heard of barmbrack, so she explained that it was a traditional treat … [Read more...] about Irish Barmbrack (Fruit and Tea Loaf)
Breakfast And Brunch
Morning Glory Coffee Cake
I’ve always appreciated Morning Glory Muffins. They are a great morning treat, packed full of delicious ingredients that at least make you feel like you are starting the day right. I’ve made many versions over the years – it used to be a standard treat I took to new moms. It’s such a cheerful and hopeful name. My recipe kind of fell by the wayside though; I guess I just … [Read more...] about Morning Glory Coffee Cake
Spiced Baked Fruit Casserole
Baked fruit casseroles are a favorite food memory for me. They always appeared at holiday buffets, usually when a ham was the centerpiece. Recipes for baked fruit are ubiquitous in community cookbooks, and I was particularly fond of a curried fruit casserole recipe that has always been a favorite around here. But my Mom made a version that involved amaretti cookies, which … [Read more...] about Spiced Baked Fruit Casserole
Apple Ginger Upside Down Cake
You may notice a little theme this month, though it wasn’t actually by design. As autumn rolls around, I start cooking with (and eating) a lot of apples. In season, locally-grown apples are a wonder, on par with eating seasonal, local strawberries, instead of the chemically ripened fruit flown in from miles and miles away. So I make the most of the bounty in cooking both sweet … [Read more...] about Apple Ginger Upside Down Cake
Southern Blue Cheese Pecan Spread
The recipes requests I get most often from family, friends and readers are for appetizers – “something different, that I can make ahead.” I have developed a host of recipes over the years that fit the bill, but people still seem to want more. So here’s another one. It’s a riff on the classic cheddar and pecan cheese ball so popular at parties, but this dish is amped up with … [Read more...] about Southern Blue Cheese Pecan Spread
