Recipes

Peppermint is such a great Christmas flavor, and this roll cake not only uses peppermint extract but peppermint candy canes. The cake is light and airy. The filling has a depth of flavor with the addition of the Mascarpone, while the White Chocolate Ganache is sweet and rich. The crushed candy canes sprinkled across the top, add a festive touch and a nice little crunch. Roll cakes are fun to make and can be easily changed by using different fillings and toppings. For instructions of how to make a cake into a “roll cake” go to the post “How to Make a Roll Cake” in the Tips & Techniques section of my website.

These chocolate hazelnut biscotti incorporate two very popular Italian ingredients in making sweets. Hazelnuts, (Nocciola in Italian) and chocolate. Used together, the flavor is hard to beat. The word “Biscotti” actual means biscuit, but the verb “biscottare” means to bake twice. However, the word “biscotti” has come to mean, even in Italy, these twice-baked delights that we have with coffee or sweet wine. My recipes originate in the Northern part of Italy and tend to be a bit less dense. You won’t have to dunk these in order to eat them. This recipe makes about 5 dozen little two inch long biscotti, so you may want to wrap and freeze some of the logs to bake at another time. They do make excellent gifts and will keep for several weeks either in a zip lock bag, or air tight glass or plastic containers.

These pumpkin cookies are spicy, a bit chewy, and just a bit cakey. The sugared pumpkin seeds on the top add an additional texture and crunch. A trick to making these cookies chewy as opposed to cakey is flattening the dough. After you have sprinkled the sugared pumpkin seeds on the top, use the back of a spoon to press the ball of dough into a circle about 1/4″ thick. If you prefer a cakey cookie, leave the small mounds of dough as is.

Fall always brings to mind certain foods. Pumpkin is certainly right up there in the top ten. This square pan cake is fast and easy to make. It’s really delicious with the crunchy bits of caramel in the rich cream cheese frosting, but can be enjoyed with no toping, or simply a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy after dinner, during the day with coffee or tea, or bring as a hostess gift. It’s very moist and stays fresh for several days.

Scones are always a morning or tea time favorite. Now that Fall is around us, making treats using pumpkin is a natural. You can serve these pumpkin scones warm and plain, or slather with butter, clotted cream, preserves or honey. The scones are especially good warm and spread with a mixture of sweet butter, honey and a dash of cinnamon. Just mix a 1/4 cup of soft butter with a tablespoon of honey and an 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, or nutmeg if you prefer. The scones will keep for several days. Store in a zip lock bag and reheat prior to eating. The raw scones may also be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, simply place on a baking sheet, allow to thaw, and then bake per the original instructions.