Congratulations to cbarber15, whose Pecan, Cranberry, Cinnamon Chip Cookies won the Best Recipe with Pecans contest, earning her a $100 Whole Foods Market gift card!


Bright and flavorful Pecan, Cranberry, Cinnamon Chip Cookies; the consummate baker enjoying herself at the King Arthur Flour store in Vermont.

Q&A with cbarber15

It’s midnight and you’re hungry. Do you reach for something savory or sweet?
Sweet! I’m a baker at heart, so there’s almost always a homemade sweet treat in my kitchen.

An ideal dinner party includes a) 2 people, b) 4 – 6 people, or c) 8 or more.
A dinner party with four to six people is ideal, in my mind. Keeping it on the smaller side makes preparing the food more manageable, and you can also enjoy more quality time with each of your guests that way!

How did you first become interested in cooking?
I became interested in baking at a very young age; I have many fond memories of baking cookies in the kitchen with my mom and sister when I was younger. It wasn’t until graduating from college and living on my own that I started to enjoy cooking more. I love good, healthy food, so it was fun to get more into cooking in my early 20s and learn to make delicious homemade meals.

If you were reincarnated as a single dish, what would you be?
Can a "dish" be a cupcake?! If so, I’d be a delicious chocolate cupcake with classic vanilla buttercream frosting. You can’t go wrong with the combo of chocolate and vanilla!

Describe your weekend cooking style.
If I’m home on the weekends, I tend to take a little more time in the kitchen with my meals than I do on weeknights. On either Saturday or Sunday morning, I might cook a nice breakfast, and on Sunday evening, I might create a yummy dinner that takes more time to make as a means of winding down from the weekend. I’m usually able to enjoy the process of cooking or baking a bit more on the weekends than I am during the week!

Is there one ingredient you can’t live without?
Chocolate chips! If you need a dessert in a pinch, you’ll have options so long as you have baking staples and chocolate chips on hand.

Describe your most spectacular kitchen disaster.
Thankfully, I haven’t had too many kitchen disasters. However, one Thanksgiving several years ago, my mom and I baked a pumpkin pie, and we happened to leave it on the counter, uncovered, while we went out for a little while. When we returned, we found that the cat had jumped up on the counter and sampled a few bites of the pie! Luckily he ate out of the middle of the pie, so we shaped some extra pie crust into autumn leaves and placed them on top of the missing section of pie. And we kept the secret safe...until now!

What music (if any) do you listen to in the kitchen?
When I listen to the radio in the kitchen, I usually have it on a country station (I’m an upstate New York country girl at heart!), but sometimes I turn on Pandora on my laptop and listen to stations of artists I enjoy, like Ray LaMontagne, Brett Dennen, and Joshua Radin. Listening to my favorite music puts me in a good mood, as does cooking or baking in the kitchen, so it’s a winning combination!

Which cookbook(s) do you reach for most often?
The cookbooks I use most frequently are mostly baking related. A couple favorite cookbooks include Martha Stewart’s Cookies, as well as Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes. I also love The Best of Cooking Light and Bon Appetit Desserts.

What is your most cherished food tradition?
My most cherished food tradition is Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it focuses on what matters most: being thankful for wonderful family and friends (and food!).

To learn more about cbarber15, check out her profile.

Want a shot at the spotlight (and a killer prize)? Enter our Roasted Garlic recipe contest by January 29!