Fruit Mince Braided Star Bread ~ #BreadBakers

A pull-apart Braided Star Bread that is sure to be a show-stopper and is deceptively easy to make. 

With a wonderful enriched dough and a filling of traditional fruit mince, this holiday

treat will be the star of your get-together and disappear right before your eyes.

Julekage - #BreadBakers

“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” -  Julia Child. Instead of kleenex-tasting bread make this wonderful bread called Julekage that tastes like all the holidays wrapped up in one slice.

Spiced Ginger Bundt Cake with Caramel Brandy Sauce ~ #BundtBakers

It is a great feeling to be baking once again, especially with the talented bakers in the #BundtBakers group. A bundt cake is one of my favorite cakes to make, whether it be plain or decorated, and they always seem to keep so well.  A little whipped cream, ice cream, or vanilla custard served on the side never hurts either. There are so many fantastic bundt cake pans out there that it is easy to become a collector of them.  The pan I used in this recipe, the Chiffon Bundt Cake Pan, has special meaning to me.  It was sent to me by two special friends to lift my spirits during a difficult time.  I had no idea it was being sent to me until the box arrived at my door. For this reason it will always be my favorite bundt pan.

Peppermint Kahlua Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

I am excited to be baking again with the #CreativeCookieExchange bakers. During my absence I followed along in the background and saw all the wonderful cookie creations everyone was baking, and now I am ready to join in the fun once again. It truly is amazing how much you can miss something, especially when you have talked yourself into believing you don't need to do it any more.

Cardamom Snowdrop Cookies

Everyone seems to be in major cookie mode at the moment, and I'm loving it.  I saw these cookies over at Savory Simple and knew that I would have to make them. Cardamom has to be one of my favorite spices - it is extremely aromatic and since it comes from a plant belonging to the ginger family it has a nice zing to it. Cardamom pods are native to southern India and, by weight, they are the third most expensive spice in the world. Luckily a little goes a long way.

Candy Cane Bundt Cake - #BundtaMonth

It is time for Bundtamonth!  The theme for this month was to bake a bundt that captures the holiday theme.  I immediately thought of candy canes and how I could incorporate them into a cake. Peppermint alone may have a little overwhelming so I decided to go with a ribbon of peppermint through the middle of the cake, and crushed candy canes on top.

It's always said that it is the most wonderful time of the year right now, but it is the also the busiest time of the year, so for my bundt this month I took a shortcut and used a boxed cake mix.  Don't get me wrong, I love to bake from scratch but there are those times where having a cake mix in the cupboard can be a life saver. This cake can be put together and in the oven in about 15 minutes, and while it is baking you can make the icing.  From start to finish this cake should take you no more than two hours, and you will have an impressive treat to share.  You could even make it as mini bundt and give them away to family and friends as holidays gifts.

Chai Spice Girls ~ Creative Cookie Exchange

It is funny how a single photo can bring back a flood of memories. Last weekend I was helping my daughter go through some old photos. She is a senior and is in the process of preparing her dedicated page in the school year book. I picked up one photo where she (and her sisters) had dressed up as the Spice Girls for Halloween, and she was Baby Spice. In the photo she is only three years old, and it is hard to believe that she will be eighteen soon. I still remember getting them ready to Trick or Treat like it was yesterday. It meant a lot to me to be able to sort through photos and explain to her when it was taken and why it was special to me, and I even came across a few photos that I had forgotten I had of me as a baby.  I think it is safe to say that we both had a lot of fun on our trip down memory lane, even if she did think some of her photos were a little embarrassing.