Caramel Apple Cake

Caramel Apple Cake

When it comes to birthdays, sometimes you just gotta go full boar. Or fully decadent, I should say. As in, Paula Deen-style decadence with not a whit of worry about calories, sugar, fat, and so forth. This Caramel Apple Cake I made for my eldest daughter’s birthday goes beyond simply being Paula Deen style; it’s an authentic Paula Deen creation—which she calls Caramel Apple Spice Cake—culled from a recent issue of Cooking With Paula Deen magazine and slightly altered by me. So delicious, so decadent… as birthday cakes should be.

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Berry Snack Cake

Berry Snack Cake

This Berry Snack Cake is a sweet way to close out summer. Or for serving during any season. The choice of berry is up to you—and what's in season. I've made it with strawberries and blueberries; blackberries are on tap for next time. It's good soon after cooling or cold from the fridge, with whipped cream, ice cream, or no cream at all. Bottom line: It's berry, berry delicious... and versatile.

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Best Basic Brownies

Best Basic Brownies

Over the past three decades or so, I've tried and tweaked more brownie recipes than I can count. They never turn out the way I want. Too dry. Too mushy. Too hard around the edges. Too much trouble. Then along came a recipe that was close and after a few tweaks resulted in just what I hoped for: the best basic brownies. This is my tweaked recipe. It's basic. Which is how I like my brownies. But it goes from basic to BAM! with stir-ins or toppings for non-basic brownie lovers.

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Easy Apple Turnovers

Easy Apple Turnovers

Apple season has arrived and so did recently a bag of sweet, crunchy, yummy organic honeycrisp apples from Wacky Apple Organic orchards in Hotchkiss, Colorado. I shared a few with my apple-loving daughter and her hubby, munched a few with my hubby, and made these easy apple turnovers — using refrigerated crescent rolls — with others. So good! Thank you, Wacky Apple!

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Cinnamon Chia Seed Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Chia Seed Coffee Cake

Chia seeds have exceptional health benefits, so I've been working hard to incorporate the poppy seed-like bits of goodness into as many foods as possible. This one turned out to be the most tastiest so far. The coffee cake can be eaten any time, but served with fresh fruit, it makes a relatively healthy and definitely filling breakfast.

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A Fudge Like No Other

A Fudge Like No Other

Many years ago, I wrote an article on holiday recipes from local bed-and-breakfast establishments. The owner of the Hearthstone Inn in Colorado Springs told me this fudge — which they called Velveeta Cheese Fudge because of the unexpected ingredient — was one of the all-time favorite recipes of their customers. He gave me the establishment's cookbook and dared me to not like it. I've made it nearly every Christmas since (with just a few minor adjustments to the original). It truly is a fudge like no other, a fudge more delicious than every other. Plus, it's a fantastic recipe to make with children, who love to squish and mix the ooey-gooey goodness with their hands.

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