This week, we’re chatting with Rachael Ray about her last two years—her house burned down, her dog died, and she had to film her daytime show with just one assistant: her husband. Plus, bakers Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin share their favorite holiday cookie recipes, and we learn to make Chocolate-On-Chocolate Three-Layer Cake.

This episode is brought to you by Sleep Number, All-Clad and This Is Fine Cheese.

Questions in this episode:

"My family has a tradition of making gingerbread houses and we use a royal icing recipe that's been passed down through the generations. My mom and my grandmother live in Utah and it works well for them, but I live in Cincinnati and it never holds its form. Do you have any ideas for why it doesn't work for me?"

"During the holidays, I like to make as much as I can ahead of time, but mashed potatoes seems to be the exception. I've tried making them in a slow cooker, keeping them in a double boiler and even reheating them in the microwave, which doesn't feel right. Any advice?"

"I have a buttermilk pie recipe that I'd like to make gluten-free for a coworker. What can I use in the filling instead of flour?"

"Every year at Christmas, my family watches a syrupy little holiday movie called "The Gift of Love." There's one scene that's always stumped us. One of the characters says "I'm going to make my famous burnt orange cake." I don't know if it's a real recipe or an inside-joke, like she once burned her cake. Can you help us get to the bottom of this?"

"My dad would always make spritz cookies from his great grandma's recipe. I can't quite get my dough to be as fluffy as his was. What am I doing wrong?"