From James's kitchen

Recipes

Tested, annotated, and worth returning to. Browse dependable recipes for everyday cooking, relaxed weekends, and occasions worth sharing.

Baking · 223 recipes

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Pb muffins final194
Thailand22 min prep

Moist and Tender Peanut Butter Muffins

My sister called me raving about these muffins that she had found in the Williams-Sonoma “Muffins and Quick Breads” book, so i was excited to test the recipe. They’re not overly sweet and have a nice delicate peanut butter flavor. They’d be great served wit…

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Chocoalte fudge pieces195

Creamy Chocolate Walnut Fudge

The Alaskan Fudge Company ( http://www.alaskanfudge.com ) is located in beautiful downtown Juneau, Alaska. They claim to have the best fudge in Alaska and after purchasing several boxes to take back to the cruise ship (and having none left to bring home) ,…

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Bread pudding196

Holland America's Bread Pudding

Executive Chef Franck Tieban of Holland America’s Westerdam (click to see ship -- Holland America Westerdam ) took time out of his busy day to give me a tour of the ship’s enormous kitchen. Chef Franck is extremely talented and very friendly, and enjoys tal…

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Strawberry poke cake197

Strawberry Poke Cake

Poke Cake was created by Jell-O in 1969 to help increase sales of their product. I saw this recipe on a cooking show a couple of months ago, and they had updated the method to include real strawberries (and less Jell-O) which made the dessert more appealing…

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Peanut blossoms final199

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Basically a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss – but what a winning combination. They became an American cookie jar favorite when Freda Smith entered them in the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1957 and are still an all time winner.

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Crostata plum 1200

Rustic Plum Crostata

I love rustic tarts – they’re so easy to throw together with any seasonal fruit. I usually keep a couple of rounds of dough in the freezer so that I can make these whenever I have extra fruit (or unexpected company!). I like adding some of St. Dalfour Sprea…

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Key lime slice206

No Bake Key Lime Pie

When I first tried this recipe, I was very skeptical. I didn’t like the idea of instant Jello pudding, but I must admit, it has become my favorite Key Lime Pie. It’s sweet and creamy with just the right amount of tartness.

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Panna cotta 2212
Italy26 min prep

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Panna Cotta is a heavenly Italian dessert that literally means "cooked cream". This custard-like pudding has a rich flavor and silky smooth texture, in fact, the texture is what this dessert is all about. This is the perfect dinner party dessert as it is ca…

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Blue pie start213

Fool Proof Pie Dough

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated and I had my doubts when I first saw that it used Vodka. It does however produce a wonderfully flaky crust and because the alcohol adds moistness without aiding in gluten formation. I still prefer a traditional pate br…

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