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December 15th, 2012

I love the holiday season for many, many reasons. I’m sure you do, too.

Pumpkin Pound Cake Truffles with Gingerbread Cookie Crumbs 5 (12.14.12)

Holding a very special place at the top of this list is the fact that, as soon as Thanksgiving ends, I get to cram my Santa elf-ear hat on my head, flip on the Christmas song station, and belt out the following line without the slightest trace of irony whatsoever:

“Your soul is an appalling dump heap, overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots.”

Except “knots” sounds more like “naaaaAAAAAaaaahhhwtzzz,” and Thurl Ravenscroft sounds about a bajillion times better singing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” than I do.

Of course, the fact that we got to see Dick Van Dyke speaking to us at the Disneyland candlelight procession was kind of a plus as well.

It's also always a huge plus when you find a recipe that will finally, unfailingly, win you admiration and compliments from anyone who tries a piece from your dessert tray--and this, folks, is it!

For a heartwarming Disneland story and more scrumptious photos, pop on over to my blog! And happy holidays, folks.

( The Best Dessert Tray RecipeCollapse )

Dec. 15th, 2012

Winter wonderland meringue trees
 
There's no snow in sight for Vancouver, so I made my own little winter wonderland with meringue trees.
I don't really know if meringues count as a cookie or a confection, but whatever they are, I need a constant supply of them in my life. Consider that a New Years Resolution: I want to be at least 50% meringue by next Christmas.

Easy to make, bake, and even easier to eat, these little crunchy pillows of sweetness are perfect for the holidays. A hint of peppermint adds a little extra holiday charm.


For more pictures, and to see a LEGO family picking out their favourite tree, head to Leanne Bakes!

( RecipeCollapse )

Meh Manicotti

A quick thank you to everyone who responded to my last post (leftover cheddar) - I didn't have time to reply to everyone, but all the info was much appreciated!

Alas, I am here with yet another cooking quandary. I adore manicotti and this year I began cooking it at home instead of pinning all my hopes on rare visits to the local Italian restaurant. Overall my manicotti experiments have gone well except for one thing: my filling lacks... something. Punch. Pizzaz. Well, flavor.

Here is the filling portion of the recipe I've been using, although generally I cut this in half since I only cook for two:
  • 2 pounds of ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh if I have it
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Despite the mozz and parmesan and herbs, the filling still winds up tasting like unseasoned plain bland ricotta. I'm not sure what to do besides dump in a ton more salt (you would think the parmesan would be plenty salty!), or add meat (would really rather not, we have plenty of meat in our diet as it is).

Ideas? Amazing manicotti recipes?

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Comments

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    28 Apr 2026, 10:03
    How?
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    9 Mar 2025, 13:22
    Going to give this a try today.
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