My house has a deep nutty aroma wafting from the kitchen. It’s pine cones in the oven. I’m getting ready for the holidays and that includes baking pine cones.

I don’t have a family recipe for them. I use them for decorations.

I was lucky to find three varieties of pine cones in my backyard to collect.

After a good dunk in water to help clean them, they are placed on aluminum foil covered baking sheets and popped into the oven at 275 degrees for about two hours.

Now the house smells wonderful!

The heating of the pine cones not only dries them so they open, it also kills any little cri...