A Kitchen Keeper Original - Pumpkin Pudding Cake with Pecan Sugar Crust

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, I kept my freezer stocked with treats for friends who dropped by for a quick visit. These days, those same friends, who, by the way, are some of the best looking seniors in Oregon, usually avoid sweets. As a result, my freezer is heavy on vegetables and fish, and desserts and snacks are kept to a bare minimum. We do, however, make an exception during the holidays, and this weekend I began to feed the freezer for Thanksgiving and Christmas visitors. This pumpkin cake is one of Bob's favorites. It is spicy and moist and has a texture much like that of an apple pudding cake or fudgy brownie. I cut the cake into serving size pieces, individually wrap and freeze them, then reheat them when needed in the microwave. I love to serve this cake warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream. The pumpkin make it seasonally appropriate, but it is different than most of the desserts that are served at this time of year. This is a very rich cake, so you'll want to keep serving size reasonably small. If you do not freeze the cake, keep it in the refrigerator for safe keeping. I know those of you who try this pudding cake will love it. Here is how it's made.

Pattie's Italian Sesame Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The recipe for these cookies comes from Patty Acciarito Meegan. Pattie is one of the best Italian cooks I know and her recipes are treasures that have been passed from one generation of her family to the next. These sesame cookies are an example of the food that comes from her kitchen. They would make a wonderful addition to your holiday cookie tray, and I can tell you from experience, that they are wonderful for dunking in an after dinner espresso or sweet wine. I sincerely doubt you'll have any of these cookies left to store, but should that happen, store them in an air tight container and they'll be fine for five days of so. Here is Pattie's recipe.

Handsome Is As Handsome Does - My Recipe Rotation - Apple Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Sometimes there is more to handsome than a pretty face. As of late, there have been a slew of recipes that produce dishes that look beautiful, but fail miserably when subjected to taste tests. My intent is not to take anyone down, so, rather than focus on the negative, I've decided to shout from the roof tops when I come across a recipe that actually delivers the promises it makes. This recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is in my permanent rotation and I make it whenever I can. It is making an encore performance on One Perfect Bite because it is so very, very good. As we prepare for our trip to the mountain kingdoms of Asia, I wanted to put together a collection of recipes that I think are outstanding. Some produce gorgeous dishes, others do not, but any recipe that appears in my permanent rotation is delicious and, if you are even slightly adventurous, I know you and you family love them. I wanted to start the month with this magnificent Golden Cream and Apple Tart. Here is what I had to say about the recipe when it first appeared on my blog.

Child's Play - Old-Fashioned Peach Coffee Cake for Mom

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to include at least one cake that Dad and the kids could make to surprise Mom on her special day. This old-fashioned cake is best served warm for breakfast, but it makes a great evening snack if served with a scoop of really good ice cream. It is simple to make and almost foolproof. The only problem I've ever had with it was the result of little fingers too eager to see what they had wrought. Slammed at the wrong time, an oven door is a weapon of mass destruction that can cause the cake to fall. I speak from bitter experience and prefer not to dwell on the experience. While the cake is best made with fresh peaches, the canned variety can be used, making it easier still for the kids to make this cake for Mom. This is a cake that I treasure for the memories it invokes. It is a nice cake, especially if viewed through that prism. Here is how it is made.