King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition! It’s not really a cake, but after a few mint juleps, do you really care? It’s actually a large cinnamon coffeecake with colored sugar in Mardi Gras colors, gold, green and purple. To make it a true King Cake, there needs to be a plastic baby hidden inside. There are different versions of what getting the baby means, anywhere from making you buy the next round to moving the party to your house. Of course, if you make it, you know where you hid the baby….Enjoy this cake, and celebrate New Orleans and Mardi Gras!

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This one is just for fun! A local Mexican restaurant serves deep fried cheesecake, and the combo of that dessert plus the tostadas they serve kind of popped this into my head. They are anything but authentic, but they still taste good! Although you really should fry the tortillas just before serving, it takes almost no time to assemble these with the apple filling made ahead of time. This would be fun to do for Cinco de Mayo.

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Looking for a little Christmas cheer? Having a tree trimming party? Want to give an easy yet unusual gift? Here’s a mix that will warm you in the heart of winter. Hot Buttered Rum is a warm and creamy drink with the scented spice of the season. Make certain to use the orange rind, it makes a huge difference in the flavor. The drink tastes wonderful without the rum, but of course the rum makes it much more festive. Since this takes 5 minutes to make, you can easily make a batch of the mix for every person on your holiday list. Just make certain to make a batch or two for yourself, since you can have a hot mug in a guest’s hand within 2 minutes with this in your kitchen.

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Although I am a complete chocoholic, the urge for pumpkin and spice often overrides my needed chocolate fix. One of my favorite desserts has always been chocolate pudding cake. It has everything I love in a dessert, in a single package of warm cake, scrumptious sauce, and melting ice cream. I decided I needed to create a similar dessert to go with the falling leaves. For anyone who hasn’t made pudding cake, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The recipe works like magic to form two layers, a top layer of cake with a layer of sauce underneath. When you first assemble it, it will look like a mess. Toss it in the oven anyway, and your leap of faith will be rewarded with an easy dessert that will be requested over and over again.

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To a Special Baker (Recipe for Mitzi’s Cinnamon Rolls)

This blog is dedicated to a baker who made more people happy, and gave more love than probably any other baker on the planet. Mitzi Turner, my great aunt, was the baker for the Puyallup, Washington school district for most of her life. Did the kids get your standard, institutional fare? Not a chance with Mitzi leading the kitchen. She made their food from the same recipes she used for her family. Homemade cinnamon rolls, banana bread, cookies… you name it. Parents used to send in extra money with their kids to buy extra helpings of her baked goods to bring home.

I grew up in San Diego, which meant that I only got the privilege of spending time with her on rare, treasured occasions. Still, in that time, she taught me to cook. I used to follow her around the kitchen, writing down what she did, asking questions, and learning. At one point, I got to spend the entire month of January with her. We would drink tea every night, and discuss many many things. I asked her why she put so much effort into making her special goodies for the school district. Her answer: “You never know what kind of food some of the kids get at home. You never know what kind of day they have had.” She did it out of love. And that was the main ingredient in her baking. Here is an adaptation of her cinnamon roll recipe. I left out that main ingredient, but I’m sure if you take the time to make them, you are the type of person who adds love to everything you do.

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