Strawberry Cupcakes

Fresh strawberries always remind me of summer.  As a child I distinctly recall picking wild strawberries in my grandparents’ field…this was not an easy task as it would take forever to pick a pint (wild strawberries are tiny!).  All the whinging that took place was soon placated by strawberry shortcake topped with sweetened whipped cream…

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Pear Fritters with Lemon and Ginger

I have to admit that growing up I wasn’t too keen on pears.  But as an adult I have come to enjoy them in savory and sweet dishes.  Pears are not only juicy and sweet but are a good source of vitamin C and copper (helps protect the body from free radical damage).  They’re also…

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Blackberry-Lime Cornmeal Shortcakes

I love interesting and unique types of cookbooks.  I received my copy of Ripe last week and thus far have cooked 4 dishes from this beautifully, color co-ordinated book.  Whenever I get a new cookbook I always flip through the pages and jot down the page number of the recipe I want to try.  Thirty-six…

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Apple Pie Egg Rolls with Cardamom Whipped Cream

In this recipe, the humble apple pie gets a make over…finger-food style!  These were so easy to whip up and I absolutely love the warm, lemony flavor of cardamom.  It can be the predominant spice or as a background note.  Cardamom goes well with cinnamon, ginger, clove combinations and is the third-most expensive spice in…

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Rugalach

Rugalach (other spellings: rugulach, ruggalach, rogelach, rugalah, rugala) is a Jewish pastry and the name is a Yiddish diminutive form of the Hebrew meaning “creeping vine” perhaps because of the rolled-up shape of the cookie.  It can be made with a cream cheese dough, though the dough is more typically pareve (no dairy ingredients), so…

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