Tell me what you eat, I’ll tell you who you are. – Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

While I don’t contend that what you eat is the sum of who you are, I can learn quite a bit about my readers by looking back at your favorite recipes. It’s quite fun for me to see and I suspect you might enjoy seeing what your favorite posts of 2011 were as well.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to why a post becomes popular – seasonal relevance, photography, giveaways (you all love giveaways), ease of preparation, the uniqueness of the idea, etc. – but the largest factor is you. Your interest, your comments, and your sharing of recipes with others (via Facebook or Pinterest or Twitter, etc.) continue to make all of this possible. Thank you for spreading the word and making Alaska from Scratch a part of your lives.

Now, to the most popular posts of 2011:

In 3rd place overall, we have Bacon Pecan Cheeseball. Keep this in your recipe box for parties and for next Christmas. It’s an absolute crowd-pleaser, pretty to look at and tasty to eat. Everyone will keep coming back for more.

In 2nd place, and the recipe that first sparked a lot of Alaska from Scratch buzz, is Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Whoooooopeeeee! This chocolate and pumpkin combo is a real fan favorite.

Finally, your favorite recipe of 2011 is Apple Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake. This pretty cake is yummy from the beginning of Fall, when the apples are ready for picking, until the end of the holiday season, when gingerbread is all the rage.

Don’t see your favorite recipe of the year on the list? Have some ideas for what might be popular in 2012? Tell us about it in the comments section below. Thank you for helping make my first year in Alaska a memorable one! I’m already looking forward to what 2012 will bring. Happy New Year!