Carol - when is ollalaberry season? I'm coming down. You will bake me a pie. :-D Then we will waddle down the beach to burn it off. I like fruity sweets over anything chocolate. Anything lemon and I'm there. Favorite is cheesecake but it has to be to be tall, "dry" and plain, preferably crustless or with a pastry crust. No graham cracker crumbs, no fruit toppings or sour creme topping and none of that over creamy or worse yet gloppy,slimey cheese pie stuff.

Since we will be spending Christmas Eve with friends this year, I will be makking the following. It has been a hit every time I made it! Alexa CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY GANACHE CAKE This pull-out-all-the-stops cake for special occasions may be prepared in steps in advance and glazes on the day it is to be served. For genoise 1/3 cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder such as Droste (sift before measuring) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cornstarch a pinch baking soda 3 large whole eggs 3 large egg yolks 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt For syrup 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup raspberry liqueur such as Chambord For ganache 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped coarse 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam For glaze 1 cup heavy cream 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped coarse Garnish: fresh raspberries Make genoise: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 9-inch round cake pan (about 2 inches deep) and line bottom with a round of parchment paper or foil. In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. In a metal bowl whisk together whole eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt until combined. Set mixture over a saucepan of simmering water and continue to whisk until lukewarm. Remove bowl from heat and with an electric mixer beat mixture at high speed until it has cooled and doubled in volume. Sift one third cocoa mixture over egg mixture and fold in. Sift and fold in remaining cocoa mixture, half at a time, in same manner. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake genoise in middle of oven for 30 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch and pulls away slightly from side of pan. Invert genoise onto a rack and immediately invert onto another rack to cool right side up. Genoise may be wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled 1 week or frozen 1 month. Thaw genoise before assembling cake. Make syrup: In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup and stir in liqueur. Syrup may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered. Make ganache: In a saucepan bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over moderate heat and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate, swirling pan to submerge chocolate in hot mixture, and let stand 3 minutes. Whisk ganache until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Chill ganache, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Assemble cake: Let ganache stand at room temperature until slightly softened and pliable but still cool. With a whisk or electric mixer beat ganache just until light and fluffy. Remove parchment paper from genoise and with a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 rounds. Invert top layer of genoise onto a springform pan base or a 9-inch cardboard round and brush with one third syrup. Spread layer with half of jam and spread one third ganache over jam. Top ganache with middle layer of genoise and repeat layering of syrup, jam, and ganache. Top with third layer of genoise, smooth-side up, and brush with remaining syrup. Spread top and side of cake with remaining ganache. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Cake may be assembled ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled 5 days or frozen 1 month. Thaw cake before proceeding. Make glaze: In a saucepan bring cream to a boil and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate, swirling pan to submerge chocolate in hot cream, and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk glaze until smooth and pour through a sieve set over a bowl. Cool glaze to room temperature. With cake on a rack set over a pan (to catch drips) pour glaze through sieve onto center of cake. Quickly spread glaze evenly over top and sides of cake with a long, narrow, metal spatula. Let cake stand until glaze is set, about 5 minutes. Garnish cake with raspberries and keep at cool room temperature until ready to serve. Gourmet February 1997

I am doing pumpkin pie this weekend. Here is a great recipe for pastry: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2008/10/gluten-free-pastry.html I change it to full lard (can't have dairy) and used more tapioca in place of corn starch and more rice flour in place of potato starch. My MIL makes it as is and really likes it. Sorry I have no say for original recipe because I have to improvise but still love it. I improvise another recipe (Company's Coming Almond Torte) to this : 1/2 cup butter (I use coconut oil but give butter to those not bothered by dairy) 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup ground almonds 3 egg yolks 2 tsp vanilla Mix all these and fold in 3 egg whites I will lay out fruit (canned peaches usually) on the bottom of a parchment lined 8x8 pan and pour batter on top. Bake at 350 for 35 min or so. Top with whipped cream. I use this one a lot. It is kind of like a sponge, I think.

another good cake that you make a few days before Christmas is the Bacardi recipe for rum cake. 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1 18 1/2 oz. package yellow cake mix 1 3 3/4 oz. pkg. Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie filling. (Even if pudding is already in the cake mix.) 4 eggs 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup Wesson oil 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum GLAZE: 1/4 pound butter(cube) 1/4 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan, or 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert cake onto a serving plate. FOR GLAZE: melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the water and sugar. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum. Prick all over the top of the cake. Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow the cake to absorb the glaze completely. Repeat until glaze is used up. Have waxed paper underneath and continue to scoop up the glaze and add it until the cake is saturated. This is a rich, moist cake. A dollop of whipped cream can be added for a special touch.