Desserts

Thumbnail image for Scandinavian Christmas Rice Pudding or Ris a l’amande

Scandinavian Christmas Rice Pudding or Ris a l’amande

December 17, 2012

Danes know how to celebrate Christmas! Their traditions are rich and plentiful. You’ll find live candles burning around a freshly cut Christmas tree. Instead of cardboard advent calendars, Danes hang […]

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Thumbnail image for Cardamom Cookies

Cardamom Cookies

December 14, 2012

Cardamom is my favorite spice. The sweet bite that rolls around your mouth like a warm hello just makes me smile. Maybe it’s my Scandinavian blood. I’m really not sure, […]

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Thumbnail image for Holiday Orange Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Holiday Orange Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

December 3, 2012

Every Christmas morning, I remember waking to the warm, surrounding tang in the air of bread baking coupled by the bright spice of orange zest. The aroma filled my lungs […]

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Thumbnail image for Persimmon Cornmeal Pancakes

Persimmon Cornmeal Pancakes

November 20, 2012

My first Thanksgiving in California was a disaster. My now-husband and I were grad school sweethearts and had just moved across the country together from Illinois. This would be our […]

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Thumbnail image for Spiced Peach Jam Recipe

Spiced Peach Jam Recipe

August 26, 2012

I met Susan while giving a talk about food literacy at a women’s giving circle in Sacramento. I knew right away she was a kindred spirit. When she started talking […]

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Thumbnail image for Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

August 1, 2012

If you think you know what fruit pizza is, think again. This isn’t the ultra sweet stuff made from cookie dough. This is a pizza—four kinds of cheese, yeasted pizza […]

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Thumbnail image for Blackberry Corn Cardamom Cake with Olive Oil

Blackberry Corn Cardamom Cake with Olive Oil

July 21, 2012

Wild blackberry bushes are my happy place. I don’t mind the thorns or the gnarly bramble. Send me into the middle on a 100 degree day, bare arms and all, […]

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Thumbnail image for Cherry Chocolate Scones for Dad

Cherry Chocolate Scones for Dad

June 11, 2012

I’m one of the lucky girls. This Father’s Day, my dad will spend it in traditional style: caring not a whit about himself, but instead, devoting his time and energy […]

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Thumbnail image for Cherry Ice with Cocoa Nib Cookie Dough & The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook Review

Cherry Ice with Cocoa Nib Cookie Dough & The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook Review

June 1, 2012

This summer treat is so easy to make—and you don’t even have to turn on your oven. Farmers’ market cherries pop from every market stand this time of year, and […]

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Thumbnail image for Blood Orange Cream Graham Cracker Snack Recipe

Blood Orange Cream Graham Cracker Snack Recipe

April 20, 2012

Want to wake up your inner child? Who doesn’t remember that wonderful after school snack of graham crackers dunked in milk? As children, my sister and I would help ourselves […]

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Thumbnail image for Red Walnut Cookie Recipe & Red Walnut Facts

Red Walnut Cookie Recipe & Red Walnut Facts

January 16, 2012

Red walnuts. Ever heard of them? This rare blood-red California crop grows on only five contiguous acres in the state, and is hard to find. I’m a big nut fan—I […]

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Thumbnail image for Easy Persimmon Cornmeal Pudding Recipe

Easy Persimmon Cornmeal Pudding Recipe

December 27, 2011

Heavens to Betsy! This pudding ranks as one of my all-time favorite food experiences. The process of baking it lights up your kitchen with a show of vibrant colors. The […]

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Thumbnail image for Grandma’s Lefse Recipe: A Scandinavian Holiday Tradition

Grandma’s Lefse Recipe: A Scandinavian Holiday Tradition

December 20, 2011

I’m a proud Scandinavian. Eating lefse, a potato-based flatbread, for the holidays is one of my favorite traditions. This week, I finally had time to sit down with my grandma […]

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Thumbnail image for Coconut Cornmeal Pancakes with Homemade Pluot Syrup Recipe

Coconut Cornmeal Pancakes with Homemade Pluot Syrup Recipe

August 28, 2011

What’s a pluot?—you ask. Only the finest fruit on earth—I say! This mad genius combination of the apricot and plum creates a fruit that’s sweet, chin-dripping juicy, and with the […]

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Thumbnail image for Gram Burde’s Fresh Apple Glazed Cookie Recipe

Gram Burde’s Fresh Apple Glazed Cookie Recipe

April 28, 2011

Love for baking and for homegrown food runs in my family. I inherited my passion from a line of women: Mom, Grandma, Great Aunt, and Great Grandma. All of these […]

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Thumbnail image for Angel Food Cake with 7-Minute Frosting Recipe from Grandma’s Cookbook

Angel Food Cake with 7-Minute Frosting Recipe from Grandma’s Cookbook

January 20, 2011

It’s my birthday! And that means cake. So, what kind of cake will hold this food writer’s candles? There are so many endlessly delicious combinations of the spongy, sweet stuff. […]

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Thumbnail image for Date Cocoa-Nut Easy Candy Recipe

Date Cocoa-Nut Easy Candy Recipe

October 30, 2010

Date Cocoa-Nut Easy Candy Recipe Looking for an alternative Halloween treat? This date-based candy is super easy to make, healthy, and fun to play with! Find the details on Eating […]

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Thumbnail image for Grandma Betty’s Famous Rhubarb Pinwheels

Grandma Betty’s Famous Rhubarb Pinwheels

June 16, 2010

Do you have that one family recipe that you guard with your life? The one that everyone begs you for, but you’re just not willing to give up? Well, this […]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Waffles with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Pumpkin Waffles with Vanilla Whipped Cream

March 23, 2010

Welcome to my favorite breakfast. I love waffles. I love how they fill the whole house with their unmistakable aroma. I love how pretty they look stacked on a plate. […]

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Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

February 23, 2010

Oh boy! These little treats combine my favorites: cupcakes and beer. Rarely does the occasion present itself where the two meet gracefully… until now. Enter the Chocolate Stout Cupcake. These […]

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Thumbnail image for Grandma’s Aebleskivers

Grandma’s Aebleskivers

December 30, 2009

Christmas eating is best when steeped in tradition! That’s why I woke up Christmas morning and decided to do what I had fond memories of experiencing as a youngin’: eating […]

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Making Fudge for Festa di Vino

April 24, 2009

Tomorrow, I will make fudge with a homeless woman. Patricia is a graduate of a job-readiness program for homeless women where I work. Over the last two months, I have […]

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Thumbnail image for Cucumber Cake

Cucumber Cake

July 30, 2008

  My garden is bursting with cucumbers! I needed to find some fresh ways to use them, and of course, I immediately wanted to put them into cake. This recipe […]

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