“It;s not the food that makes a good meal, it’s the people sitting in the chairs around the table.”

Date Nut Cake
This summer I baked all kinds of pastries, cakes and breads for the local Farmer's Market. Among the favorites was this incredible edible Date Nut Cake. This cake is baked in a loaf pan and I served big thick slices to the customers. Look at the big pieces of dates,...

Summer Tomato Tart
Are you getting sick of being inside? Ready for summer? It’s barely Spring, but I’m already making my Summer Cherry Tomato Tart. I can’t resist this tasty tart with it’s buttery crust, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese topping. I tell myself it must be healthy because...

Spring Quiche Lorraine
Hello Everyone! Spring is on its way after a mild but blustery winter. The birds are chirping, the sky is blue and I'm in the mood to bake something light and delicious for a sunny day lunch. Since I love pie, Quiche Lorraine seems like the perfect choice.I was...

THE ADVENTURES OF A FROSTED DEVILS FOOD CAKE
There’s chocolate cake…and then there’s CHOCOLATE CAKE! This is a recipe for the latter. But first here’s the story behind the cake… A stop as NEST, one of my favorite shops in Sheboygan, prompted a shopping spree which included a cookbook about cakes. I scooped it up...

Valentine’s Day Ideas
Hello Everyone! It’s February already. You know what that means…VALENTINE’S DAY! Hearts and Love everywhere. I don’t know about you, but I’m still a little exhausted from the Christmas celebrations, including our 3 week long Christkindlmarkt event. I mean, does anyone...

The peach truck
Summertime means peaches!Yes, for a short period every summer we are able to get some of the best peaches grown in the United States. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. What often happens is a different story. Peaches don’t grow where I live in the Midwest and due to...

White Chocolate Cherry Cake
Today I made a White Chocolate Cherry Cake. It’s a simple but delicous cake, good for breakfast accompanied by a steaming cup of cherry flavored coffee. I like to use fresh Door County cherries this time of year and buy frozen cherries for baking later in the winter....

MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS…
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS... ME! And, I am betting, many of you! For many years I’ve been collecting cookbooks. I mean, who collects cookbooks, right? I can’t resist when I see a cookbook that is full of photos of delicious looking food (pastries) and has a...

4th of July Cake
Celebrate the 4th of July with single layer cake frosted with cream cheese frosting and lots of red and blue berries. I used raspberries for the “red” but you can substitute strawberries if you like. In season blueberries are delicious throughout the batter and on top...

Ridiculously Chocolate Cupcakes
Ridiculously moist and chocolatey, thanks to the addition of beer, these cupcakes are perfect for Dad on Father’s Day or any day of the year. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or with my grown-up chocolate frosting. Adding espresso powder to the batter and...

Strawberry delights
Summer time means strawberries! Whether fresh or frozen, strawberries are appreciated around the world for their juicy sweet flavor and bright red color. They are also loaded with vitamines and antioxidants making them a healthy part of any meal. I love using...

Toffee Bar Brownies
Who doesn’t love brownies! It seems everyone has their own favorite version of this American classic. Fudgy or cakey, frosted or unfrosted, with or without chocolate chips, brownies show up at potlucks, picnics and bake sales. Brownies are every kid’s...

Bee Sting Cake
My Almond Bee Sting Cake is inspired by one of my favorite Bavarian cakes, Beinenstich (bee-nin-shh-tick), which means “Bee Sting Cake”. How did the cake get its name? Once upon a time a baker invented the cake with a honey glaze. The bees were attracted to the glaze...

Springtime is Rhubarb Pie Time
Did you know that rhubarb, the pinkish green perrenial that your Gramma used in jams, cobblers and pies, is really a vegetable? And tomatoes are a fruit? But that’s another story for another time. Let's focus on rhubarb today. Rhubarb is a good souce of...

Mother’s Day Cupcakes
Light, fresh, fruity little cakes are perfect for Mother's Day! Mother’s Day was first celebrated by Ann Jarvis in 1907, the day of her mother’s memorial. Ms. Jarvis later campaigned to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. 40 years later, it became an official...

Ilse’s Lacy Cookies
My friend, Ilse, has been baking for her friends and family all her life. Now that she lives in a senior residence, she bakes almost every day and gives her cookies or cakes to her fellow residents, the staff and anyone who happens to stop by. A lifetime of baking has...

SALADS GALORIA
Salads are healthy but they don't have to be boring. They can be inventive and bold, easy to put together and as hearty as any cooked dish. The most important thing is to use the freshest ingredients possible and change things up often. I feel I've done something...

Pineapple Easter Cupcakes
Easter is right around the corner and tagging behind is Spring! Snowbells are already popping their litttle white heads out of the cold ground and there is birdsong filling the air all around us. It's a time of Resurrection and Renewal. Let's make some yummy fruity...

Angel Cookies & Puppy Kisses
Do you have a puppy? Then you know what it is to love a dog with your whole heart! This is Angel, my 2 year old Morkie. She is the sweetest, gentlest little 5 pound dog who fills my every day with joy, laughter and hugs. I got her when she was 6 months old… a little...

Door County Apple Crisp
Yummy, warm and crunchy Door County Apple Crisp right out of the oven is the go-to breakfast or dessert treat on a cold winter day. When …

Homemade Graham Cracker Cookies Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Back in the days when we could travel, I often drove to Minneapolis to visit my family. I discovered a fabulous bakery/deli that became m…

Valentine Cardamom Cupcakes with Lingonberries and Cream Cheese Frosting
Door County was settled by Swedes who came to this county and found that its rugged terrain, thick forests and deep waters reminded them …

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Kisses and White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Christmas is right around the corner and besides the usual Christmas cookies, I like to make at least one treat that is extra special. I’…

Chocolate Mint Filled Cupcakes
Chocolate Mint Filled Cupcakes are a blend of not-too-sweet chocolate cake, a chocolate peppermint patty as filling and topped with a ric…

Little Gingerbread Cakes
What could be better than little Gingerbread cakes filled with a really easy recipe for homemade Lemon Curd and topped with Ginger Butter…

German Chocolate Cake Cupcakes
Do you like surprises? Then you’ll love my German Chocolate Cupcakes made with my Fillable Cupcake Pan from Germany. This pan is inspiri…

Black Forest Cherry Filled Cupcakes
The first pan that changed my life was my Almond Cake Pan. Now another pan is changing my life, my Fillable Cupcake Pan from Germany just…

Sweet & Salty Zucchini Bread
Did you know that the zucchini plant is over 7000 years old? Me neither! But after some research, I found that the plant originated in Me…

Jake Baked A Cake
Recently a friend gave me an old book entitled Jake Baked A Cake. The book is 24″ x 19″, published by Scholastic Big Books, copyright 199…

One Recipe. One Bowl. One Book.
One of my favorite cakes is Lavender Cake. Just substitute Pipka’s Lavender Extract for Almond Extract in the basic Almond Cake Recipe an…

Donna’s Summertime Meal
Are you wondering what to do with all your garden bounty? I don’t have squash in my garden but recently I bought beautiful organic butter…

Cherry Almond Upside Down Cake
Do you like cherries? Do you like almond? Do you like cake? If you've answered yes to any one of these three questions, you'll love, love, love this cake! It's so easy and can be served for breakfast or fancy it up a bit with vanilla ice cream or, my favorite, cherry...

Leading a Vibrant Life
Are you feeling like a couch potato? Bored with everything in your fridge? I was too until I came across this book "The Vibrant Life", eat well, be well, by Amanda Haas. Wow! The recipes are delicious, easy and don't make you feel like you've just came away from a...

American Apple Pie
What do you do when it's 90 degrees outside and you are hot, grumpy and hungry for comfort food? You might do what I did. I baked an apple pie. I know, it sounds silly, but there's nothing like a good home made apple pie even if it's hot outside. I made my first pie...

Mama Mia.. My Favorite Dish
Chicken Pepperoncini and Summer Vegetable Medley by Donna Johnson My best friend’s Italian in-laws often served this delightful dish, and when she served it to me, it quickly became my easy-to-prepare favorite! I hope you enjoy it, too! A nice glass of red wine...

Rachel, The Cookie Lady
On of my favorite spots in Sister Bay is Analog Coffee & Ice Cream. For over 15 years, Rachel Lohman, also know as the Cookie Lady, has been the baker, chef and owner of this treasured Door County cafe. Every morning she bakes fresh cookies, muffins, scones,...

Almond Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Almond Lemon Curd Cupcakes are a combination of Pipka's Almond Cake cupcakes filled with Lemon Curd and topped with a Lemon Buttercream Frosting. They are a mouthful of yummyness. Tangy from the lemon curd, cakey from the Almond Cake and decadent from the buttercream...

Bee Buzz
Over 20 years ago, I was at an open air market in Schwabisch Hall, Germany. A group of customers were standing by a table where a vender was selling local honey. Suddenly, a very fat bee buzzed around the table and everyone stood back…not because they were afraid to...

Easy Lemon Lavender Trifle
Oh my goodness, and I mean GOODNESS! Donna made this cake for my birthday and it was one of the best desserts I've ever had...and, she said, "it's so easy!" Really, Donna? It looks like a fancy dessert from a 4 star Michelin restaurant! But, yes, she was right, it is...

Lemon Lavender Cake
The lovely essence of lavender brings visions of lush rows of lavender growing in the fields of Provence. Commonly used in cooking, lavender has a sweet fragrance of lemon or citrus notes. It's used as a spice or condiment in pastas, salads and dressings, and...

Ghirardelli Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
I was never a huge fan of Banana Bread ... until ... on one of my road trips, I discovered Banana Muffins loaded with chocolate chips. Oh my. How was I going to be able to indulge in those delicious muffins when they were 190 miles away from home? I would try to make...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups are one of the best desserts I've ever made and the easiest. It takes just minutes to prepare, bake and eat warm out of the oven. You only a few ingredients which you probably already have in your cupboard and a little butter (not...

Sunday’s Frit-TAH-DAH!
Oh my gosh! This Mushroom Leek Frittata is light on the inside, crispy on top and delicious all the way through. You won't have any leftovers! And here's the fun part: you can grow your own mushrooms right in your kitchen! Wouldn't that be fun! Mushrooms give the...

Sunday Morning Apricot Almond Scones
Sunday morning is a good time to bake up a batch of apricot scones for breakfast. Crispy on the outside, cakey and full of apricots and sliced almonds on the inside, these warm out of the oven scones will make Sunday mornings feel like a holiday celebration. Add a...

The Answer’s in the Kitchen
I love with this article by Sam Sifton of the New York Times, " Good day. How’s it going for you right now, where you stay? It’s unsettling, what’s happening in our nation and across the world, and it’s maybe super-unsettling what’s happening in your neighborhood,...

Top of the mornin’ to you.
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. Make your very own Irish parade. It's time to get green and celebrate with a yummy Almond Cake laced with Whipped Bailey's Irish Cream. It's easy peasy and oh, so delicious. For the cake, use my original Almond Cake recipe for the...

Lovin’ Pink
"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day...

Hearts of Love
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I thought it would be fun to decorate our Almond Cake. I was inspired by the pastries I saw at Rocket Baby in Wauwatosa last year. We’re going to cut and paste, so gather up a few scraps of colorful papers, toothpicks, and...

Sunshine Cupcakes
I stepped on the scale today and didn’t like what I saw. Williams Sonoma peppermint bark and the yummy home baked holiday cookies were there, on the scale, in bold numbers! It’s time to crumble up those left over cookies and toss them to the birds! Today I’m making...

Memories and Pecan Pie
Years ago, when I was on the teaching circuit, I was invited to teach a seminar in historic Dayton, Tennessee, painting one of my Santa designs in the studio of Esther Kirby. These seminars usually lasted three days and were attended by a dozen or more enthusiastic...
THE PIPKA KITCHEN
For the most unique results, visit my kitchen to find recipes, pans, serving trays and even homemade baking mixes and extracts.