Easy Black Forest Fudgy Brownies: Surprisingly Gluten Free & Vegan!

Chocolate and cherries are one of my favorite sweet combinations. The first black forest cake I ever ate was the one my grandmother baked for one of my childhood birthdays. I loved it so much; it is the only birthday cake I truly remember from my childhood (even though I had one every year). IContinue reading “Easy Black Forest Fudgy Brownies: Surprisingly Gluten Free & Vegan!”

German Pfeffernüsse Gingerbread Cookies: Wonderful Spiced Holiday Treats

Hello spice! It’s the holiday season and spice, spice, everywhere there’s spice! The German Pfeffernüsse gingerbread cookies are about as spicy as they get. I’m not referring to heat spice but warm, holiday, sweet spice. These cookies are packed with 7 spices along with black pepper, molasses, and brown sugar for an added punch ofContinue reading “German Pfeffernüsse Gingerbread Cookies: Wonderful Spiced Holiday Treats”

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free!)

If you’re a chocolate lover like me, it’s a struggle saying “no” to a brownie, particularly if it’s fudgy. These Mexican chili pepper black bean fudgy brownies are undoubtedly chocolatey and sweet but also gluten free and can be vegan. I’ve been told by non-gluten eaters they are surprisingly good even with the chili pepperContinue reading “Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free!)”

Danish Brunsviger Cake 🫓: A Tantalizing Yeast Dough with Caramel Swirls

The Danish Brunsviger cake is a buttery, sweet yeast dough baked with swirls of rich, buttery brown sugar caramel sauce. The bread is very light and airy with a soft caramel interior and toffee crunch on the top and edges. While called a cake, it resembles more of an American coffee cake, monkey bread (pull-apartContinue reading “Danish Brunsviger Cake 🫓: A Tantalizing Yeast Dough with Caramel Swirls”

Greek New Year’s Cake: Rich & Buttery with a Hidden Treasure

New Year’s Day is probably the only day of the year that every country and culture celebrates. Granted, some countries and cultures use a different calendar. Regardless of the actual day, there are so many different traditions for bringing in the New Year. In fact, even in the same country, people celebrate in different ways.Continue reading “Greek New Year’s Cake: Rich & Buttery with a Hidden Treasure”

Authentic French Macarons 3 Ways: Simple, Elegant, & Indulgent

France is a country with many iconic symbols. We all recognize la Tour Eiffel, l’Arc de Triomphe, et les Champs-Elysees. For us francophiles, we appreciate la Marianne (the personification of France), and le Coq (the courageous and combative sport rooster). And who doesn’t know about les baguettes et les croissants! In the early 20th century,Continue reading “Authentic French Macarons 3 Ways: Simple, Elegant, & Indulgent”

How to Make Candied Fruit Peels: Indulgence with Health Benefits

All things that make up the holiday season are reminders of my childhood. This jolly, peaceful time fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings that make me long for the past. Thus, every year at this time, I strive to engage in activities that take me back to those times that represented for me joy, peace,Continue reading “How to Make Candied Fruit Peels: Indulgence with Health Benefits”