Sharing delicious recipes from our kitchen

Holiday magic

Pumpkin Spice Roll

Pumpkin Spice Roll

Pumpkin Spice Roll

I have been on sort of a roll lately, a pumpkin roll (sorry about that).  I guess it was a little over a year ago that we traded our hundred year old craftsman bungalow for a 1960’s tri-level ranch, and by the time we got settled we were headed off to Europe for Christmas and didn’t really experience holidays in our home.  So this year I find myself embracing the era of our new-old house cranking up the Rat Pack Christmas album and pulling out cooking treasures from my childhood looking for fun recipes to prepare this holiday season.

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Bourbon Apple Ginger Martini

Bourbon Apple Ginger Martini

Burning leaves and crisp fall air come to mind sipping this bourbon apple ginger martini. The smokey Bourbon delivers subtle hints of caramel and vanilla, and the earthy spice of ginger compliments the apple flavor. Reminiscent of a boozy slice of apple pie, this martini 

Perfect Oven Baked Potatoes

Perfect Oven Baked Potatoes

To me some of my favorite dishes are with only a few simple ingredients prepared perfectly. Take the potato for example, such a humble ingredient that can be cooked in a variety of ways, one of which is the oven baked potato. Correctly executed a 

Lemon Tiramisu

Lemon Tiramisu

There is a feeling of spring in the air. I realize it is only early March, and where we live there will be several more months of snowy days to come. While the forecast is calling for snow this weekend, in the yard there are 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Linzer Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Linzer Cookies

Soft slightly salty caramel is sandwiched between chocolate shortbread cookies in this updated version of the traditional Linzer cookie. A drizzle of melted chocolate adds another layer of flavor and a little edible glitter makes the cookies sparkle. This amazing flavor combination brings a new 

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Zucchini Cake

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Zucchini Cake

This incredibly tender decadent dark chocolate cake is topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting making one of my favorite flavor combination. Special dark cocoa powder along with dark chocolate chips make this a chocoholics dream cake. Peanut butter chips and a thick blanket of 

Irish Cream and Espresso Cookies

Irish Cream and Espresso Cookies

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy sipping a coffee or an espresso with some Irish cream, especially on a cold weekend morning. I also love a good chocolate chip cookie, soft and chewy, chocked full of chips. I have been in the 

Indian Spice Crusted Cauliflower

Indian Spice Crusted Cauliflower

Garam Masala along with cumin, chili powder, turmeric and curry is mixed with yogurt to create an flavorful Indian Spice roasted head of cauliflower. The spicy yogurt paste seals in the moisture of the cauliflower by forming a crust during baking, steaming the cauliflower to 

Old World Gingerbread Cake

Old World Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread Cake The spirit of the holidays come alive in this delicious and moist gingerbread cake.  Toasted almonds, candied citrus, and rum soaked currents mingle with Lebkuchengewürz (German gingerbread spice) to make a most memorable combination of flavors.  Topped with a lemon zest frosting, this 

Cherry Cordial Cookies

Cherry Cordial Cookies

Cooks Notes Soft and chewy dark chocolate cookies are studded with white chocolate morsels and brandy soaked cherries to bring a favorite holiday flavor alive.  A drizzle of cherry brandy icing puts all the flavors together to make that chocolate-cherry dream come true.  My grandfather