From James's kitchen
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Baking · 223 recipes
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73This is one of my favorite cakes to make for birthdays and special occasions (great for Mother's Day!) The cake is wonderfully moist with a tender, light crumb. The frosting is billowy and not too sweet. Adorn the cake with some fresh berries or surround th…
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74I love making things that have been reduced to two servings, which is often the perfect amount. These days, I prefer NOT having lots of leftover dessert, so I’m always looking for mini versions of my favorite recipes. This almond cake comes from the 2009 ed…
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75I love lemon desserts – especially in the Spring and Summer months. The batter separates as it bakes, creating a light sponge cake on top and a creamy pudding on the bottom. Makes a great Easter dessert!
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76This rich, moist coffee cake is quick to make and also works well peaches, apricots, and even frozen blueberries.
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77When I asked what I could bring for dessert to a recent gathering, my friend told me that her husband loves “anything pumpkin” - particularly healthy recipes - but also a little decadent. Always up for a challenge, I consulted my well-worn copy of Whole Gra…
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78This is a delicious moist, dark, spicy pumpkin bread. The whole wheat flour not only makes it a healthier choice, but also lends great flavor to the spices. It’s perfect on its own, or you can make “sandwiches” with cream cheese and thinly sliced apples. Th…
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79You usually see these cookies during Christmas, but they’re great to give on Valentine’s Day in a festive box. A family friend, the "sweet little old lady" kind, named Ginny Fitzsimmons, shared her recipe with me when I was about 11 years old. I found it th…
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80My friend Pat asked me to make some chocolate cupcakes for a gathering at her home. I wanted them to have a little extra flair and started searching recipes. I had recently found one that sounded intriguing in an issue of Cook’s Illustrated that featured a…
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81I'm reposting this amazing Chocolate Cake recipe in honor of National Chocolate Cake Day. My friend David always requests this "showstopper" when his visits LA. It’s a classic American dessert and the three layers of moist tender chocolate cake slathered in…
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82A friend of mine from NYC called the other day to ask which pie bakery I preferred. He had guests from Norway stopping by that afternoon for coffee and wanted to offer them a slice of “American pie”. When he told me a whole pie from a bakeshop would cost an…
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83I love recipes that don’t require mixers, beaters and lots of bowls. These squares really should be called Date Nut Brownies because of their soft and chewy texture. The combination of dates, nuts and brown sugar make them reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Puddi…
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84My friend Pat Loud says that chocolate is ALWAYS the best choice for dessert at a dinner party. What I love about Pots de Crème is that it can be made ahead (up to 3 days) and it packs a great chocolate punch. The satiny texture takes “chocolate pudding” to…
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85One of my favorite treats - they're great any time of year.
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86It’s that time of year when my kitchen often turns into a cookie factory. Each year I try to come up with a few new treats, as well as tried and true Christmas favorites like – Sugar Cookies , Gingersnaps , Peanut Butter Blossoms , Jam Thumbprints , and Mex…
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87A friend of mine called this morning and said she was having 12 people over for dinner and having brisket and potato pancakes. She sounded a tad overwhelmed and I thought that the least I could do is make some festive cupcakes to celebrate Hanukkah. I rarel…
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88Sticky Buns can often be a challenging and time consuming recipe. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry makes this recipe fast and easy to throw together. I like the combination of dried cranberries and golden raisins, but currants would also work well. The recipe ea…
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89These have to be one of the quintessential Christmas cookies. They are known by many names but Mexican Wedding Cookie seems to be the most common. There are several variations of this cookie in many countries – Biscochitos in Mexico (always made with lard),…
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90Christmas in a cookie! You can roll them in sugar or drizzle them with icing – either way, they’re perfect for the holidays.
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91I generally like to make my own cranberry sauce for holiday dinners, but if you happen to have some extra cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce in your cupboards, this is a great way to use it up. They muffins are great for winter morning brunch and are incre…
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92There are tons of pumpkin pie recipes, and in November all of the food shows and magazines are filled with both classic and innovative recipes. I think I’ve tried all of them – most started with canned pumpkin, and then the ingredients vary - some use heavy…
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93My aunt recently told me about a note she found that I sent her nearly 20 years ago. In it, I apparently raved about a maple syrup muffin that I wanted her to try. I had no memory of it but luckily she saved the note which included the recipe and I decided…
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94I use pumpkin all year long, but it’s especially nice during the autumn months. These muffins are lightly sweetened with brown sugar, and stay very moist. Pumpkin works particularly well with whole wheat and creates a very tender muffin. This recipe also wo…
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95This is the time of year that I look for delicious pumpkin recipes. This is a great version of the classic chocolate Whoopie Pie ( click here for Original Recipe ). The fluffy marshmallow buttercream sandwiches the cinnamon-spiced, tender cakes perfectly.
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96I just got back from a quick trip to the Big Island in Hawaii where my friend had a plate of individual pineapple upside down cakes waiting on the kitchen table. They were absolutely scrumptious and came from the local Mamane Bakery in Kamuela. I decided to…
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