Our guest recipe author, Rick Rodgers, of Christmas 101, shares this recipe with us, just in time for shop for the ingredients! If you can’t find rhubarb just yet, so worries, Rick says. Just double up on the strawberries! Yummy!

Easter is a wonderful way to bring in the spring season. We are all ready for a party after weeks of grey weather, right? In the northeast, strawberries arrive in early summer, but these berries are still harbingers of spring that have pride of place on many Easter dinner tables. Even “non-bakers” will find this a simple recipe to pull off

“Here’s an example of one of the best propaganda promotions ever. While the young republic struggles in the stifling embrace of Denikin and the Bolsheviks, its government strives to establish its right to freedom and independence, to its own national culture…The Ukrainian song has proclaimed its right to freedom.”

Every bakery in Vienna and Budapest makes this heady confection of sponge cake layered with a colorful filling of rum-soaked crumbs. Boozy and indulgent, its pretty in pink icing makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day.

A quartet of Broadway Carolers sing Hanukkah songs at the Broadway Makers Market!

One quick perusal of this sparkling snow globe of a page transported me to a peaceful, joy-filled sanctuary where people of different ages, races, political stripes and religions come together in a common spirit of peace, love and hope that the Christmas season arouses.

My carolers are crazy about the sugar and gingerbread cookies I make for our annual “cookie rehearsal!” I also make a mean plum pudding, and I jump at the chance to roast the turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Don’t be too impressed. I’m not a great cook. When I was a child, I found ways to ruin E-Z Bake Oven cakes. But, what a difference a good teacher can make! My teacher is Internationally acclaimed, award-winning culinary teacher and cookbook author Rick Rodgers. Bon Appétit magazine awarded Rick the prestigious Food and Entertaining Award for “Outstanding Culinary Teacher,” (And I must that, as a musical theater person, learning from someone named “Richard Rodgers” feels juuust riiiight.) In this article, Rick shares his amazing sugar cookie recipe from Christmas 101 and some tips to help us all have a festive,non-stresstive holiday baking experience!