Egg Nog Spiced Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies

I’ve partnered with Pamela’s Products for this holiday cookie recipe. Friends, meet your new favorite holiday cookie – Egg Nog Spiced Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies. It’s that time of year again when we fill our cupboards and fridges with baking essentials. For me that always includes several bags of Pamela’s All-Purpose Gluten-Free Artisan Flour Blend. It’s been my go-to GF flour blend since I was first used it to make my Chai Spice Snowball […]

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Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Brownies Recipe

Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Brownies

There’s a bit of story and history behind these Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Brownies… I first made Peppermint Bark Brownies way back in 2006 in the early days of Cafe Johnsonia. Back then CJ was called Just Recipes. That was a very long time ago in blog years! The idea for the brownies came from my friend, Tania, who brought me dinner after my second baby was born. Along with a delicious soup, she also included […]

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Maple Pecan Butter Toffee Recipe

This toffee recipe is made with real butter, maple syrup, and pecans for an irresistible salty-sweet treat. As I know is true for many home cooks, the holidays are a favorite time of year. I learned how to make homemade candy and other treats by watching my mom and scouring her cookbooks and handwritten recipe cards. It wasn’t until I was older that I attempted to make candy without supervision. Ha! But once I did, […]

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Roasted Persimmon Ice Cream

Roasted Persimmon Ice Cream

This Persimmon Ice Cream starts with slow roasted persimmons. No sugar added, 100% fruit-sweetened. Last year I took the plunge and decided to finally try persimmons. I had bought them many times but they were only used for decoration, or sat on my counter while I tried to decide what to do with them. And then I made Persimmon Butter, which remains one of the single greatest things I’ve made in the last year. So after […]

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Plantsgiving: Vegan Root Vegetable Mash

It’s finally here! Today’s the day when Kelly and I are sharing our full PLANTSGIVING menu! All week we’ve been sharing some of the recipes, and now it’s time for our showstoppers. I’ve been incredibly excited to tell you all about our dinner. The entire meal was plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free. I’m still dreaming about it two weeks later. Kelly’s Hearty Butternut Walnut Loaf was the main attraction with my Vegan Root Vegetable Mash playing an important supporting […]

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Gluten-Free Holiday Appetizer: Flatbread with Roasted Butternut Squash

Gluten-Free Holiday Appetizer | Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Flatbread

When I catered holiday parties in the past, the menus usually centered around appetizers and salads. Those are my favorite party foods – always. And I think after all the sweets, people crave more savory party foods. I love, love, love using cheese in appetizers, especially for the holidays, for several reasons. First, most people love cheese. Or at least like it. Second, it creates a more filling, satisfying appetizer. And third, it goes well […]

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Gluten-Free Pecan Cranberry Sweet Rolls with White Chocolate Glaze

Gluten-Free Pecan Cranberry Sweet Rolls with White Chocolate Glaze | cafejohnsonia.com #glutenfree #pecan #cranberry #sweetrolls

Christmas is almost here! I’ve been so busy this year finishing up projects before the end of the year, I haven’t been baking nearly as much as I would like to. That’s what next week is for! But just in time for Christmas morning, I’ve got a really good recipe for Pecan Cranberry Sweet Rolls with White Chocolate Glaze that I developed in partnership with Red Star Yeast. (I’ve loved working with them again this […]

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Gluten-Free Pistachio Fig Pinwheel Cookies

Make these delicious pinwheel cookies for your next cookie swap or potluck. Have I got a good recipe for you today! Remember the Peach Curd Bars I made in the fall? Pamela’s Products asked if I would like to develop another recipe especially for the holidays using their Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Mix. I’ve been wanting to try making pinwheel cookies for ages. Confession: I kind of hate rolling out cookie dough. It’s time consuming and messy. (We won’t […]

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The Easiest Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Chocolate No Bake Cookies | CafeJohnsonia.com

Chocolate no bake cookies are a classic favorite. Easy to put together, delicious, and full of rolled oats. I loved chocolate no bake cookies as a kid, but I haven’t made them for years. These no bake cookies are actually more like a cross between candy and cookies. When I first tasted them, they reminded me of the no bakes we used to make all the time. I loved coming home from school and seeing that my mom […]

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Roasted Butternut Squash Dip

Every recipe I share with you has some sort of story. Sometimes it’s the story of an old family recipe, other times it’s a brand new story still in the making. This one is an in-between-story recipe. When I was a newlywed, I catered an open house during the holidays. (I mention that time period a lot because it was a pivotal moment for me in my culinary development.) I made a bunch of appetizers for […]

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