Pook's Pantry Recipe Blog

A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett

Christmas

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Cranberry upside down cake is a perfectly tart and sweet dessert for the fall and winter. This cake recipe is a variation of my easy clementine upside down cake. I’ve swapped out the buttermilk for regular milk, because we don’t always have buttermilk on hand. This upside down cake is studded with fresh cranberries and it makes a delicious addition to your holiday dessert table.slice of cranberry upside down cake on stacked white plates with cake in background

What I like most about this cake is the lack of sweetness. That’s not to say it isn’t sweet, it is, but it isn’t overly sweet. The tartness of the cranberries combined with the hefty amount of orange zest offsets the sugar. It is nicely balanced with a cake batter that is just barely sweet. And, it’s great with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, in case you were wondering.

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Cinnamon Rum Balls Recipe

Cinnamon rum balls are a sweet, cinnamony, boozy grownup treat. Made with amber rum and warm spices, these cinnamon rum balls are a variation on my easy rum ball recipe. They make a great addition to the holiday dessert table and they are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges.

cinnamon rum balls in clear glass bowl

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Chocolate Coconut Rum Balls

Chocolate coconut rum balls are an easy no bake treat that is perfect for any occasion. They taste like the chocolate and coconut candy bar that we are all familiar with, but spiked with a bit of rum. They are a variation of my coconut rum balls recipe and feature two different types of rum.

The flavor develops even more overnight, making them a great option for a make ahead dessert.
stacked chocolate coconut rum balls on white plate

Most often, we make rum balls around the holidays. Which is the time of the year when many of us are indulging in two things: booze and sugar. Check and check.

And, because we usually make these around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I need a recipe that doesn’t require much time or energy when I have a hundred other things going on.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Cherry Rum Balls Recipe

Cherry rum balls have a sweet surprise in the center – a maraschino cherry. A bit of cherry juice in the mix bumps up the cherry flavor in these adult no bake treats. A version of my original easy rum ball recipe, these cherry rum balls are pretty enough for gift-giving.

cherry rum balls in paper cups

Boozy, sweet and delicious – rum balls are an adults only no bake treat. Cherry rum balls are the newest creation and I think they are here to stay.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Baked Fingerling Potatoes with Brown Butter

Baked fingerling potatoes tossed with brown butter and herbs make a delicious and easy side. Perfect for your holiday table, these tasty potatoes are full of flavor from nutty brown butter and a mixture of dried herbs. For an Asian twist on these little spuds, try my roasted fingerling potatoes with shishito peppers.

roasted fingerling potatoes in white bowl with white napkin

This recipe for Fingerling Potatoes with Brown Butter and Herbs is sponsored by my friends at Idaho® Potato.  I am so pleased to work with them. As always, all opinions, recipe and photos are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Pook’s Pantry.

Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of the links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 88

The Weekly Menu is back again with a few holiday recipes and a few for everyday.  The dinner divas have your week covered, whether you’re looking for last minute holiday ideas or everyday meals to get dinner on the table. Meal planning isn’t glamorous, but having a game plan in place when you are really busy makes dinnertime so much easier.

Week 88 collage

Here’s how it works: Every Friday morning, a new menu plan will be delivered to your email. It consists of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plan features quick and easy recipes. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.

Make sure you are subscribed so you never miss a recipe! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

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Butter Pecan Biscotti Cookies with Chocolate

Butter pecan biscotti cookies are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges and for sharing! One of my favorite ice cream flavors is butter pecan, so I wanted to turn it into a biscotti for giving away as homemade gifts for friends this holiday season. For another delicious and unique treat, try these almond biscotti with golden raisins.

Butter Pecan Biscotti

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 87

The Dinner Divas Weekly Menu is back again with treats focused on the holidays. Everything from my Porcini Crusted Beef Tenderloin to the Christmas Cake or Peppermint Milkshakes would be perfect for celebrating. Do you host a big gathering or keep it small and intimate for the holidays?  Usually, for us, it’s just the two of us.  We both live far from our families, so we don’t always get the chance to celebrate together.  I’m sure we are not alone in that.  Wherever you are and whomever you are with, I hope you have a delicious holiday.

collage of pics for week 87 dinner divas

Week 87 Collage

Here’s how it works: Every Friday morning, a new menu plan will be delivered to your email. It consists of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plan features quick and easy recipes. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.

Make sure you are subscribed so you never miss a recipe! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

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Porcini Crusted Beef Tenderloin Roast

Porcini-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Roast with Chestnut Stuffing is the perfect Christmas dinner.  Dried porcini mushrooms ground into a powder dust the outside of the tenderloin, enhancing the flavor of this delicate cut of meat.  Traditional Chestnut Stuffing is the ultimate side dish for this elegant holiday meal.

Beef Tenderloin Roast on white platter with chestnut stuffing

Beef Tenderloin Roast

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Classic Gingerbread Cake Recipe

This easy classic gingerbread cake recipe is my grandmother’s recipe.  It’s the perfect holiday treat to have on hand when friends and family come around.  It gets an added boost of flavor from using strong brewed tea instead of water.

classic gingerbread cake recipe on stacked cake plates

This classic gingerbread cake recipe is a staple in our house during the holiday season.

 
I hope you enjoy this gingerbread cake recipe as much as we do. This Newfoundland gingerbread cake recipe is a classic and much loved by our family.
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