Over twenty-five years ago, my old friend, Patricia Butler—God rest her soul—hand-wrote some of her favorite recipes for Ray and me before she died. She had been a production baker at the Old Pecan Street Cafe, one of Austin’s favorite breakfast-and-brunch spots in the 1980s and ’90s, and she was among the bakers who produced…
Tag: recipes
Agave-Sweentened Banana Pudding w/ Italian Meringue
Since Ray and I don’t eat refined sugar, I am often modifying refined sugar recipes to accommodate honey, maple syrup or agave syrup alternatives. A tried-and-true recipe that I have perfected over the years is my honey or agave-sweetened banana cream pie, which is a family favorite. However, when Ray recently bought a honey-sweetened lemon…
“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake Recipe w/ Butter Cream Frosting
If you want a foolproof cake for the holidays with a frosting that’ll knock your socks off, then just follow the recipes below. We substitute honey for ours, but I have kept the original white sugar measurements if you would prefer to go that route. The first recipe comes from the back of the Hershey’s…
Perfect for a Vegetarian Main Dish: Pumpkin Lasagna w/ Ricotta and Swiss Chard
This is a favorite dish of our daughter Rachael. It’s a perfect addition for the vegetarians coming for Thanksgiving this year. This super-creamy lasagna is unusual because it’s made without tomato sauce. I highly recommend it for a holiday treat! Pumpkin Lasagna with Ricotta and Swiss Chard ACTIVE: 45 MINTOTAL TIME: 1 HR 45 MINSERVINGS:…
Best Gingersnap Recipe Ever with an Optional Healthy Twist
Today I modified America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for gingersnap cookies to fit into my non-refined sugar criteria. That mean basically just substituting white sugar with maple sugar. The results were excellent. The cookies have a real snap and they are filled with freshly ground ginger for a nice little kick. I’m going out on a…
The Perfect Summer Dessert: Honey-Maple Spicy Peach Pie
I made a spicy peach pie this evening. I used maple sugar and honey since I don’t eat refined sugar. However, if you’d like to use regular sugar, just substitute 3/4 cup brown sugar for the maple sugar and honey—the rest of the recipe stays the same. I’ve included pictures of the steps at the…
Crisp & Crunchy Grain-Free Granola Recipe
I visited a friend today who had just made the granola detailed below. It was absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe via my friend. Enjoy! Crunchy Grain-Free Granola 1/2 cup organic hulled sunflower seeds1/2 cup organic hulled pumpkin seeds1/2 cup organic unsweetened desiccated coconut2 oz (1/4 cup) honey (or other liquid sweetener for vegan diets – maple syrup…
Where Love Tastes Like Oatmeal
I find it ironic that, considering all the wonderful cakes, pies, and cookies I bake, my grandchildren have one dish that is their very favorite: oatmeal. Yes, plain old oatmeal with a swirl of honey, a splash of cream, and whatever fruits are on hand, which might include fresh or frozen mixed berries, cherries, peaches…
5-Star Macaroni and Cheese Recipe – Pure Comfort Food
When in doubt about the current state of the world, I reach for comfort food recipes. Mac and Cheese is one of those dishes that ranks way up at the top of my comfort food list, so yesterday I found an excellent recipe and made it for dinner. This particular recipe calls for 1 cup…
Greg Patent’s Oatmeal Date Bar Recipe
I love Greg Patent’s cookbook, Baking in America: Traditional and Contemporary Favorites from the Past 200 Years. I made a recipe for maple date bars with lemon zest just a while back, but I will make the recipe below tomorrow. Not only does it call for the zest of a whole orange, but the juice…
20 Minutes a Day 