I am very nostalgic about gingerbread, though it is not part of some long-standing family holiday tradition. Other than the occasional hard gingerbread man cookie, I was well into my teens before I ever even knew there was any other form. But soft, cake-like gingerbread seems to hark back to the olden days. It has a Little House on the Prairie or Frances Hodgson Burnett kind of … [Read more...] about Cranberry Gingerbread Cake with Butter Sauce
Thanksgiving
Luxurious Cranberry Port Compote
The time has come to talk about Thanksgiving. The turkey, the dressing, the sweet potatoes, the pies…but don’t relegate the cranberry sauce to the back of the buffet! A rich, homemade cranberry dish can be a stunner on the spread. With rich port wine, balsamic vinegar and an intriguing blend of herbs and spices, this compote is a showstopper. If you are in charge of the … [Read more...] about Luxurious Cranberry Port Compote
Pumpkin Tres Leches
Moist, sweet and tender Tres Leches cake is a favorite of mine. A classic of the cooking canon of many Hispanic cultures, “three milk” cake is simply a delicate cake soaked in a combination of milks. For years, I used a recipe given to me by a friend from Nicaragua that used a box cake mix and it was always a big hit. I eventually developed a from-scratch recipe, and then … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Tres Leches
Cranberry Tangerine Relish
I am pretty traditional about the cranberries on the Thanksgiving table. I have to have my traditional cooked cranberry sauce. But I like to mix things up sometimes and have a second version as well. But I am not from the jiggly can of cranberry sauce camp, so it’s a chance to get creative. This raw relish is sweet and tangy and a definite twist. Usually made with oranges, I … [Read more...] about Cranberry Tangerine Relish
Decadent Chocolate Bread Pudding (and variations)
I’ve been making this bread pudding for years, when I really want to pull out the stops for a decadent, but homey, dessert. It’s another of those recipes written on card, transferred to a notebook, moved to a file folder – the victim of my many attempts to organize a lifetimes worth of shared and saved recipes. The chocolate custard soaks through the bread and the chocolate … [Read more...] about Decadent Chocolate Bread Pudding (and variations)
