(I’m not substituting nut flour or coconut sugar this baby deserves the real thing.)

Now, let me warn you: this cake is old school, so unless you’re not willing to give into the experience, the ingredients are nothing to fear – butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, white sugar – all pantry staples.

Given that it was Christmas Eve, and I was hosting, I decided to take a risk, even if it was out of my comfort zone. And when I researched Jessica Merchant, I kind of wanted her to be my friend.

But the way Hilderbrand wrote about this cake – I was swooning right along with the lucky characters who got to eat it. You can’t liberally throw extra baking powder in a bowl like you can chopped garlic. Now, if you know me, you know I can safely say I’m a damn good cook. A beach setting, love stories, champagne, cake, strawberries, and fresh seafood. I practically salivated on my steering wheel while listening to Merchant’s clams casino dip with baguettes and fluffy white champagne cake with champagne candied strawberries. To my delight, she partnered with real life cookbook author and recipe developer, Jessica Merchant,and the two weave recipes into the novel. Hilderbrand is a self-proclaimed lover of all things Nantucket and food, and she marries the two in her 2017 novel, Here’s to Us. Recently, I allowed myself to drift to the island of Nantucket, where I met Elin Hilderbrand’s character, Chef Deacon Thorpe. Either I’m listening to an inspirational podcast, (i.e my better half’s One Percent Better ), or I’m transporting to another place and time, thanks to my favorite genre, fiction. I used to say I’d never do an audio book, but a 40 minute commute and some rockstar performances have changed my attitude and transformed my daily drive to work.

Elin hilderbrand clams casino dip