Believe me when I say that the picture belies the insanity of this unassuming sweet. In Quebec, what the rest of the world calls fudge, we call sucre à la crème which means cream sugar or is it sugar cream; either way it's sinful. You can find this naughty little treat at the counter of most ''deps'' (corner stores) or if you're lucky enough, you have a family member who still makes some.

I would always eye the box of macaroons in the pastry section at the supermarket and wonder. For years I would toy with the idea of buying a box and seeing if they were actually as good as they looked. Sometime last year I caved in. There must have been at least a dozen macaroons in the box; they were all gone within a day. I wanted to see how hard it would be to make; I found out they were crazy easy...hands down one of the easiest cookie recipes to date.

I have ALWAYS loved gingerbread cookies. Two years ago was the first time I made my own gingerbread cookies and I was hooked! They were sooooo much fun to make and the kids loved to help! Last year I went crazy buying Christmas cookie cutters and I went a little nuts on the cookie making. By the time I baked my last batch of gingerbread cookies, I was all gingered out.

I finally set out to make chocolate madeleines but not just regular chocolate; I married orange and chocolate flavors by adding grated orange peel and a tablespoon of orange liqueur to the mix; PERFECT!

A few years agoback I met Ms Mancuso; she is a goddess in the kitchen! She makes the most amazing chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I could make myself sick going through a mound of those cookies. Last year her daughter, my friend Ana, came over for New Years and she brought a plate piled high with an assortment of her mother's and nonna's Christmas cookies...I nearly cried. Among the cookies were the beloved chocolate ones, as well as these colorful Christmas cookies. I have been thinking about them all year.

For as long as I can remember, cranberries meant holidays. I would only ever see cranberries once a year for Christmas and it usually came out of a can in a gelatinous blob. For the life of me I could not understand my mother's fascination with the stuff. Of course, over the years, I discovered cranberry juice preferring white over red; just like my wine. However,  in the last year or so, I have fallen in love with Ocean Spray dried cranberries; eagerly jumping on any opportunity to add them to my recipes.   Most recently, I've found ways to add them to fudge and scones and looking back there were even cookies, granola bars and muffins made with these delicious little berries.

Recently I was asked to create baby shower favors. It was a very special, very personal request and I was honored to oblige. They wanted something involving baking/baked goods. I was flattered and NERVOUS...it had to be perfect!

I'm not a drinker but I'll spike anything I can with alcohol. This time it's Amarula, or as I like to call it, Baileys' sexier more exotic cousin. I find the taste softer and more flavourful than my mom's fave Baileys. Like my mom, I like to drink my Amarula with milk; blasphemy I know...told you I wasn't a drinker. Now I have found another marvelous way to use Amarula by spiking my banana bread; creating a depth of flavour that is just insane.

There are so many things to love about Halloween...candies...roasted pumpkin seeds...candies...but one of my fondest food memories was when my mother would make pumpkin apple sauce.

A neighbour of mine at the cottage posts some amazing recipes on FB @ Tradition Maison and this one looked so simple and tempting that I just had to try it. I figured worse case scenario it wouldn't set and I would just lick the stuff straight from the bowl. Guess what ...IT WORKED! If I can make this fudge, anybody can!