Sweet, tart, and full of cranberries, apples, raisins, and spices, cranberry chutney is sure to become a must-have on the holiday table.

Cranberry Chutney

I am a HUGE fan of cranberries that is clear. But what I love is creating recipes that celebrate the tartness of the cranberries and don’t just overpower it with sugar.

There are so many ways to create that balance and this chutney does that beautifully with a combination of sugars from other fruits, spices, heat from red pepper flakes, acid, and a deeper sweet note that comes from brown sugar, not white.

I know it is a bit of a stretch to say this will replace your cranberry sauce. But give it a chance it just might. The delicious scents that come from putting everything in the pan and just letting it simmer might be even better than eating it.

Apple Cranberry Chutney

I am always curious to know how others serve cranberry chutney. Do you serve it hot or cold? It is a very important question and some have strong opinions about it. I am team it depends, just hold the canned cranberry sauce though.

If I am serving it to go on a warm savory item like pork chops, ham, or a turkey, I like to warm it up. It doesn’t make sense to put a super cold item on top of something that is best enjoyed hot.

So if I make the apple cranberry chutney the day before I plan to serve it, I reheat it on low in a saucepan. It doesn’t need to be brought to a boil or anything, just a low simmer is perfect. If I am going to serve it cold, I set it out for about an hour before serving, just enough to take the refrigerator chill off of it.

There are countless ways to serve cranberry chutney! You can use it in dips or on a sandwich. Top a crostini or spoon it on top of a puff pastry baked brie.

The options are endless for the sw

Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge is rich and creamy chocolate fudge, flavored with peppermint, and loaded with bites of marshmallow. A sprinkling of crushed candy canes on top makes this an altogether perfect holiday treat.

Candy Cane Fudge

My plan was to make a few batches of this candy cane fudge early and then hide them in the freezer for gifting later, but I wound up sending this off to work with my husband because I couldn’t stay out of it.

I’ve fallen in love with Five Minute Fudge recipes. The fudge turns out smooth and creamy without all of the traditional time spent stirring the pot on the stove.

With the holiday gift-giving season just up ahead, I thought it was time to make a version of my favorite chocolate fudge with a few extra festive touches.

The candy canes sprinkled on top, coupled with the bites of fluffy marshmallows, were an easy way to turn simple chocolate fudge into something full of Christmas cheer.

Marshmallow Fudge

This Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge is just right for bringing to a holiday party or gifting to friends, teachers, co-workers. . . just about everybody will love these little squares of mint chocolate fudge-y goodness. In fact, I cut them into smaller pieces than usual just to make sure there would be plenty to share.

Just the tiniest piece of this Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge satisfied me… for about an hour. Then I’d find myself back in the kitchen slicing off another teeny sliver. This is dangerously rich, sweet and tempting!

It’s a good thing it isn’t candy-making season year-round,

Creamy candy cane ice cream sprinkled throughout with candy cane pieces is perfect with a brownie or topped with chocolate.

Candy Cane Ice Cream

Peppermint bark just might be the most genius holiday treat ever created. Candy canes and chocolate go together so perfectly. So it only makes sense to add chopped-up peppermint bark or swirl some chocolate sauce into the candy cane ice cream.

I am a bit of an extract and flavor purest. I read the labels VERY closely to make sure they are pure extract for whatever flavor I am looking for. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way after a peppermint extract debacle a few years ago.

Once upon a time, I accidentally bought a Pure “Mint” Extract a while back and it was a blend of spearmint and peppermint. Lovely fragrance, but unfortunately, it left my chocolate bark tasting like a pack of chewing gum.

Peppermint Ice Cream

Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream is some of the creamiest ice cream I have ever made and for the record, it is worlds away from the mint-flavored ice creams you can find in a store.

This candy cane ice cream is based on that recipe. The addition of extra candy cane pieces and peppermint bark makes this a really fun holiday treat.

Learn from my mistake and be careful to use PURE Peppermint Extract, read the ingredients and make sure there is only peppermint in the extract.

Now that we are clear on that front, in addition to using peppermint extract, I wanted this ice cream to REALLY taste like candy canes. To do that I use my blender or food processor to blend candy canes and milk together.

Yes, you can just crush the candies up and mix them in. However, doing this turns the candy canes into a fine powder that then dissolves into the ice cream mixture and delivers smooth, creamy ice cream as a result. If you don’t have candy canes, Starlight mints work nicely.

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Creamy Artichoke Dip [+ Video]

This is the best creamy artichoke dip we’ve ever had, at home or in a restaurant. Plus, it’s super easy and can be made in the oven or slow cooker.

This creamy artichoke dip comes from my Mom’s best friend. This is definitely one of the most meaningful recipes we have, which is why my mom will be guest posting further down.

I remember everyone raving about it at every gathering we went to growing up. I have never once brought this dip to a party or gathering without someone requesting the recipe. In fact, many times I have quite a few people requesting the recipe. It’s just that good. In fact, out of all the dips I have ever had, including restaurant versions, this one remains my favorite. Is it healthy? Heavens no, but you’ll be quite happy with how delicious it is and let’s be honest, a little applause from your thighs as you walk couldn’t be all that bad, right?

I love how a good recipe can immediately flood you with memories of a person, loved one or event. I sincerely believe that recipes should be shared and passed on between family and friends. They are just as important as stories in our family history.

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Welcome to the weekend, friends! Our boys finished school yesterday and we’re all in on Christmas vacation at last. It’s finally time for all the Christmas movies, loads of couch time, and as few chores as I can get away with for a while. Here’s to all the downtime we can manage for the next couple of weeks!

ON THE BLOG this week: When you add corn and bell peppers to a batch of the best ever queso blanco, the result is a fantastic Corn Queso Dip that you won’t be able to stop eating.

Fluffy, buttery, nutty, pecan pancakes topped with maple syrup make for a tasty and easy breakfast we all enjoy. /and speaking of pancakes, when you add crisp savory bacon to a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, you wind up with the best Bacon Pancakes you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating.

Fresh cranberries and a hint of lemon are combined in this incredibly moist brown sugar streusel Cranberry Coffee Cake. Cranberry Coffee Cake is not an overly sweet or fluffy cake. It’s a richly dense coffee cake with a lovely tartness from the cranberries.

Fluffy and crisp Corn Waffles are filled with real corn, bell peppers, and cheese for the perfect savory bite. Currently, we have been enjoying them – topped with bell pepper bacon gravy. 

I kid you not, Bell Pepper Bacon Gravy, my friends. It’s a real thing and it’s delightful. I predict now that it’s about to be a family favorite for you as well.

Creamy, smooth batches of chocolate and peanut butter fudge are combined to make this chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge. It’s an unforgettable holiday treat.

This Turtle Cheesecake with caramel, chocolate, pecans, and an Oreo crust is a dessert that gets talked about long after the plates are cleaned. Sweet, decadent, and almost magically delicious, this cheesecake steals the show.

What I’m CRAVING: Steaming hot cups of Cafe con Leche – on repeat. That and peppermint tea are keeping me warm these days. If I’m lucky enough to have a few biscotti on hand? Even better. (I’ve never made biscotti, so I’ll be trying my hand at making my friend Sandra’s recipe over the Christmas break this year.) 

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these Read more