Oh Yeah! This is totally happening right now! Christmas treats hold a special place in our hearts, and during the season of Advent we lean towards traditions in a heavier, more beautiful way than during the other 11 months of the year.
Desserts
Easy Caramel Sauce
It has been more than 2 months since my last posting. These weeks have been filled with joy, grief, change, friends, excitement, loss, fun, adventure, family, and growth. It’s been a crazy ride, that’s for certain!
Apple Crisp with Bourbon Cider Reduction
This is probably the most incredible apple crisp you will ever taste, in my humble opinion. It is sweet, tart, chewy, buttery, and boasts a surprise with the sauce that looks like caramel, but has a fresh appley-citrusy-bourbony zing.
I have a couple different philosophies when it comes to dessert:
Pastel Mint Dessert
Every family has its black sheep — the person that didn’t really follow the norm but went their own way. Not that there’s anything wrong with being different and not conforming, but sometimes the contrast is so drastic it’s comical. That’s Grandpa’s younger sister, “Margit”.
Apple and Blackberry Compote
There is something so wonderful about this time of year — even though everyone is busy with programs, parties, and dozens of other activities, there’s this driving desire to connect with friends we haven’t seen for a long time. “Stop by for tea!”
Smoked Salmon Stuffed Acorn Squash
This has been “one of those weeks”. Too much going on. Not enough getting done. Too little energy. Not nearly enough sleep. And no groceries in the refrigerator because I don’t have time to shop. Am I alone in this situation???
Gluten Free Banana Muffins with Chocolate Bomb
I don’t like doughnuts or pastries. Even the smell can turn my stomach. Strange? Of course I am! But I can point to a cold and rainy day in the summer of 1970 as we were driving through the Danish countryside. We stopped at a bakery for cocoa and a treat, and the warm, sweet, suffocating smell of pasteries overwhelmed me. End of story.
Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffcakes
I don’t like to argue, and I don’t like to debate. But I cannot decide whether these are muffins or cupcakes. There is a dangerously fine line between the two!!! These are decadently sweet and drizzled with chocolate, but they contain good-for-you vegetables. So you will have to decide on your own: cupcakes? or muffins? MUFFCAKES
Kanelbullar – Swedish Cinnamon Rolls – Gluten Free
Fika is somewhat of a twice-daily Swedish institution. It can be compared to elevenses in the worlds of Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, and Middle Earth. I’ve heard it said that in Sweden “fika isn’t just a coffee break, it’s a lifestyle”.
Dumlekakor – Swedish Chocolate/Toffee Cookies
Kids in the kitchen?!? Definitely NOT one of my special gifts. When my kids were little, I preferred getting the kitchen work done as quickly as possible, and with as little mess as possible. Definitely not “Mother of the Year” stuff!
