When the last weekend of September rolls around, it means one thing for me: The Wine Festival at the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City.I look forward to this event for a couple of reasons: The wines that winemaker Matt Cookson showcases at the winemaker dinner on Friday evening, and the treat of spending the night at Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast.This year for the dinner, Cookson featured some of his early bottlings at the winery to demonstrate how well the wines are aging. We tasted the 2005 Colorado Merlot Reserve, 2007 Colorado Syrah and 2007 Colorado Cabernet Franc. All were excellent and showing complex layering of flavors. Cookson pointed out that the syrah has become a Colorado signature grape. At the festival the next day, we sampled his 2008 Colorado Syrah, which sports a label with this year’s Abbey painting, and found the wine to be exceptional. It was full-bodied with just a hint of spice on the finish. Having tasted his other reds after aging for a few years, I suspect that this new syrah will continue to get better and better.The surprise of the evening was the sneak preview of the 2008 Colorado Merlot Divinity that was served with dessert. The wine is like port: deep, rich color with fruit-forward flavors. It was a perfect match with the bittersweet chocolate basil torte. Keep an eye out for this wine. It will be released on Valentine’s Day, just in time to pair with a box of chocolates.I’ve gushed before about Lyn and Wendy Burnett, owners of the Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast, but I have to do it again. When we checked in, they had put out a collection of appetizers to enjoy with some bubbly we had taken. There were cheese, crackers, grapes, hot-from-the-oven tomato tarts and olives. The star of the platter was the Siena al Aglio, a spread of marinated asiago and Parmesan cheeses with lots of garlic made by Loredana’s, a company in Denver. The Burnetts get the spread at farmers markets in Denver. It’s good enough to shop for online, at loredanas .com. A 7.5-ounce jar costs $14.The next morning we awoke to the scrumptious smell of smoky bacon. The meal started with freshly baked Very Berry Streusel Muffins that were moist and mildly sweet. It was hard to eat just one. Next up was a cup of sliced strawberries layered with whipped cream. Our eyes popped when the main course hit the table: two thick slices of Caramel Pecan French Toast with a Cheese Baked Egg and several slices of crispy bacon. It was enough food for two teenage boys.Somehow we all managed to do our best to clean our plates, but the Burnetts couldn’t get rid of us without promising to share their recipes, which are reproduced below.The Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast is at 429 Greenwood Ave.; call 1-866-875-0378 or visit jewelofthecanyons.com for more information and to make reservations.

VERY BERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS—Yield: 12 muffinsMUFFINS:2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour1/2 cup sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and salt1 (8-ounce) carton Yoplait Lemon Burst Yogurt1/2 cup vegetable oil1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest2 eggs1/2 cup each fresh raspberries and blueberries

TOPPING:1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup flour2 tablespoons butterProcedure:1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups.2. For muffins, in large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 3. In small bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon zest and eggs. Mix well. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until ingredients are just moistened. Gently stir in raspberries and blueberries. Do not overmix.4. For topping, in small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Cut butter into mixture with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. 5. Spoon topping over muffins and bake about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.Source: The Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast in Cañon City

CARAMEL PECAN FRENCH TOAST—Yield: 8 servings

4 eggs1 cup half-and-half1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1 loaf unsliced French bread1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted3/4 cup brown sugar1/2 cup dark Karo syrup3/4 cup chopped pecans

Procedure:1. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla and cinnamon in medium bowl. Pour half the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan.2. Meanwhile, cut bread into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices of bread over cream mixture, then saturate each side by flipping over the slices. Pour remaining mixture over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.4. Remove bread slices from pan while you clean it for the next step. Spread brown sugar in bottom of clean pan; pour melted butter over brown sugar.  Add Karo syrup and combine. Add pecans and combine. Replace bread slices over caramel mixture. Bake 35 minutes.5. When you serve, use a spatula to invert the slice onto the serving plate. Spoon additional caramel sauce from the bottom of the pan atop the bread slices.

Source: The Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast in Cañon City

BAKED EGG—Yield: 1 serving

1 egg1 teaspoon half-and-halfCheddar Jack cheeseSalt, pepper, paprika, ground mustard, and garlic powder

Procedure:1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.2. Spray a 6-ounce ramekin generously with cooking spray. Drop egg into ramekin. Top with half-and-half over yoke. Sprinkle spices to taste just lightly over entire egg. (It works well to mix the spices together in equal parts into a shaker so they distribute evenly.) Fill ramekin to bottom of rim with cheese. Bake 15 minutes.3. Lightly blot top with napkin to remove excess oil. Use fork to loosen egg before sliding onto serving plate.

Source: The Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast in Cañon City

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