This week, it’s Rachael Ray! She tells us about re-making a home after her house burned down, her best friendship with her Sicilian grandfather and why her lifelong affinity for Eeyore might inspire her to get a tattoo. Plus, baking champions Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin share their best tips for baking Blue Ribbon cookies, and we whip up a Chocolate-On-Chocolate Three-Layer Cake.

Episode originally published December 16, 2021.

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?