Miette’s gingerbread cake started as a seasonal cake, arriving with the crisp days of fall. But when we tried to cycle it out, there was so much demand that we made it available year-round. It remains our best-selling cake, very moist, deeply spicy, and topped with a silky cream cheese frosting. We bake it as a small cake, but you can also prepare it in small loaf pans.

Makes about 3 cups

Tangy and sweet, classic cream cheese frosting has topped both carrot cake and gingerbread forever, and far be it from us to separate these classic American pairings. Although it was difficult to improve on the original recipe, we have added a few steps to the method to keep the consistency smooth and shiny; softening the butter and creaming it with the sugar until smooth before adding the cream cheese will eliminate any little bits of butter that have a tendency to pop up in cream cheese frosting.

This is a great clearing-out-the-fridge recipe. My inspiration actually came from an old Cooking Light recipe and a fridge full of vegetables that needed using—but not all vegetables that the original recipe called for. I love the big pieces of cauliflower that came from that experiment, but I have also made versions with parsnips, turnips, winter or summer squash, extra carrots, and swiss chard.

A wholesome noodle soup inspired by a family recipe.

Serves 2 or 4 to share as a starter
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook in: 20 minutes

Punch-de-Creme is basically a rich creamy drink that’s infused with strong rum for that added kick. It’s like the Caribbean version of Bailey’s. I didn’t get a chance to speak with my aunt for the specific recipe she uses, but after many drinks were shared that night…  just about everyone had a recipe to share with me on making Punch-de-Creme. Add booze and people will instantly become experts at just about anything.

From all the “ole” talk, here one I think would produce a great final drink…

Stuffing is a personal thing.  I like this recipe from my friend Laird Saunderson because I love fruit stuffing with turkey.  If you are more traditional, replace the apples with a pound of crumbled sausage meat, and use chopped fresh sage instead of tarragon.

For the best results, use slightly stale bread.  Challah or egg bread makes an excellent stuffing.  

Place any extra stuffing in a greased baking dish and bake, covered, for an hour at 375°F.

Meringue powder replaces the raw egg whites, which should not be eaten by anyone who is pregnant.