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The Short & Sweet on Making Pretty Candy
by Cheryl Hill-Burrier
Writer Cheryl Hill-Burrier channels Lucy and Ethel in the candy factory, but with much greater success. Her ideal candies possess taste and beauty, both of which are to be found in her recipes for Divinity, including many versions of flavor and style, and the decadent Chocolate-Dipped Liqueur Truffles, which are elegant but fairly simple to make.

My Best Chocolate Brownies
by Lori Grossman
Do you like moist brownies? Lori Grossman discusses the wonderfulness of homemade brownies including recipes for Cocoa Brownies, Rocky Road Brownies, Chocolate Cappuccino Brownies and the exotic Chocolate-Cheesecake Swirl Brownies.

No Ordinary Apple
by Lori Grossman
Lori Grossman shares apple recipes including Apple, Bacon and Walnut Flautas, Apples Borracho and Caramel Apple Cream Cake.

Unconventional Ice Cream
by Lori Grossman
Austin is the place to be this month. Actually, if you've been there, you know it's a pleasure any time of year, but July is National Ice Cream Month. What better place to celebrate but at Amy's Ice Creams?

Passing Down Pie Heritage
by Rebecca Henderson
Guest writer Rebecca Henderson shares her personal story about learning to make homemade cream pies using heirloom recipes and techniques handed-down by her grandmother. Includes recipes for Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream and Coconut Cream pies.

Cocoa vs. Baking Chocolate
by Lori Grossman
I'm melting! Oh what a world! Lori Grossman presents chocolate cooking tips with recipes for Big Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Bread Pudding, Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.

Pie Noon
by Lori Grossman
Food writer Lori Grossman says "If you love pie, I have good news for you. Pies are hot! I don't mean the one you just took out of the oven; pies have become so popular now that bakeries and restaurants are featuring the tasty treat." In this article she cites evidence of pie replacing cake at some weddings and pie happy hours at restaurants, and includes great recipes for mini pies and tarts.

Pound-for-Pound Pound Cake
by Lori Grossman
A slice of rich, delicious pound cake is high on my list of favorite desserts. Pound cake is easy to make, plus it's a nice change of pace from all of those frosting-laden baked goods. All the better to appreciate the dense texture, tender crumb and wonderful flavor of the cake itself. Don't get me wrong; I love frosting, too. But now and then, I like my desserts unadorned.

Is Makin' Whoopie In Texas Over The Moon?
by Cheryl Hill-Burrier
The original MoonPie, consisting of marshmallow fluff sandwiched between two graham cracker-type cookies, all dipped into a chocolate coating, is considered an essential part of southern culture and history. In more recent years, however, there has been a Yankee comparative known as the Whoopie Pie that has migrated south of the Mason-Dixon.

Cupcakes: My Fountain of Youth
by Lori Grossman
Although there is definitely a resurgence of the popularity of cupcakes these days, they always take me back to my childhood. My birthday comes at the end of May, which usually meant that school was out by that time, and my big day was celebrated with a party at our house. But when I was in third grade, my special day happened to coincide with the last day of school. My teacher, called my Mom and asked if she wanted to bring a cake so all the kids could celebrate with me. Mom said she'd be glad to bring something. How about cupcakes? That way, each child would have an equal portion, plus therewouldn't be knives or plates to clean up.

Heirloom Candy Recipes Straight from the Cook
by Larry D. Hodge
Larry Hodge shares some wonderful old candy recipes from his mother including recipes for peanut brittle and pecan pralines.

Condensed Milk: Sweet Texas Inspiration
by Lori Grossman
When Gail Borden decided that he wanted a sweeter kind of milk, he was uncowed. West Texas resident invented the special ingredient that makes creating desserts like flan, pudding and candy much sweeter. Includes recipes for Ancho Chile Flan and a special recipe for banana pudding.

Chocolate Candy Parties Reveal True Signs
by Cheryl Hill-Burrier
Cheryl Hill-Burrier explores the fascinating world of hosting chocolate parties around Valentine's Day. These special occasions offer the guests varied assortments of candies which they choose to eat, while diving vital information to the rest in the room. Informal studies show that the filling of the chocolate candy, as well as the size and shape, explain more about the chooser's personality than using the trusty old astrological method. A delicious way to find your sweetie!

My Favorite Things After Christmas
by Lori Grossman
The pretty lights have come down, the ornaments are packed away for another year, and you're wondering why your sister-in-law's pumpkin pie didn't taste like it usually does (did she add a new ingredient?). For me, January is a bit of a letdown. The After-Christmas Doldrums have set in. So, like Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music", I'm remembering my favorite things so I won't feel so bad. Some of my favorite chocolate treats, that is.

Cookie Parties
by Lori Grossman
Lori Grossman writes about how she stumbled upon the secret and satisfying world of cookie parties.

My Fear of Baking, and How I Overcame It
by Lori Grossman
October is the month where folks contemplate the scarier elements of life through Halloween. This month, Texas Cooking contributor Lori Grossman finally faces her fear of baking, and writes about her ultimately successful encounter with making a Texas Pecan Upside-Down Cake.

Holiday Baking: Cakes & Pies
by Patricia Mitchell
Find that rolling pin and dig out the sifter. Holiday baking season is upon us! Never will there be a better time all year to indulge your creative urges while lavishing affection, in the form of fantastic desserts, upon those you love. Your choice of recipes will be determined by a number of factors like time, talent and how much you love chocolate.

Extraordinary Christmas Treats
by Lori Grossman
If you've read any of my food features on this web site - and I hope you have - you have noticed that I like unusual subjects and/or recipes. On the other hand, I'm a traditionalist at heart, especially at Christmas. I solve this conflict by enjoying the usual treats, and finding one or two new ones to keep things interesting. Are you looking for different cookies this year? Well, throw caution to the wind and try a few of these recipes.

Tortilla Desserts
by Lori Grossman
More often than not, after stuffing myself with my favorite Tex-Mex meal, the last thing on my mind is dessert. Every now and then, however, I do check out the offerings and find the usual (admittedly delicious) standbys: flan, sopaipillas, and Mexican pralines. Not bad, but I'm always on the lookout for something a bit different.

The ABCs of Foolproof Fudge
by Sally Daverse
Every great cook starts somewhere, and mastery arrives to those who are willing to try new recipes and make some mistakes. See what happens when Sally Davers uses her kitchen as a playground by cooking with new ingredients and techniques. Her test recipe: Foolproof Fudge.

Banana Desserts: Just the Ticket for Winter
by Patricia Mitchell
According to Patricia Mitchell, &It certainly doesn't require bad weather to inspire cooking up something good, but it doesn't hurt either." Her inspired recipes include a collection of luscious banana desserts. And why bananas? They are available everywhere all year round.

Swede Christmas Cookies
by Lori Grossman
How long has it been since you whipped up a batch of pepperkaker? Or some mouth-watering krumkaker? If you've never tried (or even heard of) these Swedish delights, head for that hotbed of Scandinavian food and culture - the great state of Texas.

Ice Cream Pies: A Hot Weather Treat
by Patricia Mitchell
Ice cream lovers appreciate ice cream pie at any time of year. But nothing persuades like a summer heat wave when you want a cool, delicious treat that everyone will love. The cook need not do a whole lot of cooking. In fact, an ice cream pie can be prepared and stored in the freezer for up to two weeks prior to serving. You just may want to make two so you'll have an extra special dessert on hand.

Patchwork Pies
by Jay Ann Cox
Patchwork Pie is my fondest dream during the holidays. It's not something that I've ever done, but I sure have wanted to. I keep thinking that maybe this Thanksgiving will be the one where I'll make a Patchwork Pie. . Think of it as a United Nations for pie. Take a slice from each independent pie nation - apple, cherry, buttermilk, pecan, chocolate, pumpkin, lemon, berry - and create an entire pie in patchwork.

In Search of The Perfect Fruitcake
by Jay Ann Cox
There seem to be two types of people in the world: those who adore fruitcake, and those who despise it. There is very little middle ground. No one seems merely to like it. Even Johnny Carson famously said that he believes there to be only one fruitcake in the world, and everyone keeps passing it off as a gift, year after year.

Pineapple Layer Cake & More Quick Summer Desserts
by Sidney Carlisle
"By the time August rolls around most of us are tired of the usual summer menu. A steady diet of grilled foods and watermelon will eventually become boring, no matter who's doing the cooking." You won't sacrifice taste for ease of preparation with this trio of desserts including Blueberry Pie, Pineapple Layer Cake and Strawberries, Cream and Crust.

How to Use an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Freezer
by Patricia Mitchell
Maybe you inherited an old-fashioned, hand-cranked (or electric) ice cream freezer. Or perhaps you retrieved your own down from the rafters and dusted the cobwebs off it. In any case, you don't have any instructions, and can't really remember the process.

Holiday Goodies & The NWC Principle
by Sidney Carlisle
Sidney Carlisle enjoys both cooking and eating, especially during the holidays. She's not about to give up the dishes she loves in the name of "healthy eating" so she draws upon the NWC Principle to keep things in perspective. She shares NWC with us, along with dynamite recipes for Coconut Date Balls, Mincemeat Muffins and Cherry Pie Filling Salad.

Fall Into Pumpkin Desserts
by Sidney Carlisle
October is the beginning of pumpkin season and signals the approach of the two official pumpkin holidays - Halloween and Thanksgiving. Sidney Carlisle goes through everything picking and carving pumpkins, to making homemade pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake. She also shows how to cook fresh pumpkin.

Genuine Strawberry Shortcake
by Patricia Mitchell
These days, just about anything that has strawberries and whipped cream heaped upon it, from pound cake to pie pastry to puff pastry, is called Strawberry Shortcake. But I am concerning myself here with the type of shortcake that is traditionally found in this favorite dessert. The shortcake that I refer to is much like a biscuit or scone, being very light and crumbly, and is lightly sweetened so as not to detract from the natural sweetness and flavor of the strawberries.

Fruitcake Subculture Conspiracy
by Dorothy Sibole
Chef Dorothy Sibole challenges all fruitcake lovers to rise up and come to the defense of this much-maligned holiday tradition. She reminds us that fruitcake need not be an object of ridicule but is, instead, a dense, moist, fruit-and-nut-laden, spirit-drenched cake that you can make in your own kitchen with your own choice of dried fruits, nuts and flavorings. Always creative, Dorothy shares her basic fruitcake recipe along with several delicious variations.

Mystery Solved - Tres Leches Cake
by Dorothy Sibole
One bite of Tres Leches Cake inspired Pastry Chef Dorothy Sibole to learn all she could about this fantastic dessert. The only undisputed fact she turned up is that it originated south of the border. Undaunted by the confusion, she went straight to her kitchen to make Tres Leches Cake her own. Share her findings and find your own inspiration with her traditional recipe, plus some tempting variations.

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