Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Is there anything that smells better than gingerbread baking in the oven on a cold December day? I think not. That spicy sweet smell fills me happiness.

Peppermint tea is sweetened with honey and flavored with lemon. Served hot in the winter, this tea is soothing and warming. Served over ice in the summer, this tea is refreshing and thrist quenching.`

This hot wassail recipe is tart, spicy, and not overly sweet. The wonderful aromas wafting from the simmering wassail will have you singing Christmas carols. This recipe is non-alcoholic, but add your own red wine to taste for a spiced wine wassail.

Steamed pudding is more like a dense ultra moist cake, rather than the creamy pudding most Americans are accustomed to. This wonderful recipe is simple and meant to be served straight from the oven. Top each serving with cream or a favorite vanilla or rum sauce.

My Black Rum Spice Cake recipe is similar to a Caribbean black cake, which is loaded with rum and a variety of dried fruits. I cut back on the rum, it still has quite a bit, and used only prunes. This moist and delicious cake is topped with a black rum glaze.

The beautifully colored red cabbage dish brightens up a meal. The sweet and tangy tastes are complimentary and the Granny Smith apples add a bit of crunch.

When I told my family I was baking a pork pie for my Great Expectations book post, their collective reply was “yuck!” But this pork pie, from Oprah.com: A Date with Dickens is so good! The weather was chilly so I served this pork pie straight from the oven and it was wonderful!

A light, delicate, and airy meringue cookie with pecans and chocolate chips. I love these cookies at Christmastime. They are beautiful and a nice change from the more dense and heavy holiday desserts.

These cute little Christmas mice are made with Hershey Kisses, cherries dipped in chocolate and almonds – what’s not to love!! This is a great recipe to do with the kids but be sure to buy extra ingredients for the little mice that will be sneaking the kisses and cherries!

The Pillow-Soft Classic Dinner Roll recipe makes a very light and airy dinner roll. The dough can be divided into 24 medium dinner rolls or 16 large dinner rolls. Your guests will love them!