Sometimes there just isn’t time to bake a pie from scratch during the holidays. Company is coming, your family is traveling, or you’ve cooked so much other stuff that you’re simply not interested in starting another project. At times like this, you can buy a pie or other dessert from a favorite bakery, or you can buy frozen pie and stick it in the oven ... Read More »
A mixer is a crucial tool to have in the kitchen, especially if you do a lot of baking. They are so efficient at whipping egg whites and mixing dough that the it’s almost crazy to try to do everything strictly by hand (or with a whisk) all the time. A hand mixer is a great tool – not too expensive and it gets the ... Read More »
Jones Soda Co. is known for their inventively flavored sodas and unique label designs. Their normal sodas range from Root Beer to Fufu Berry, but their most original are the holiday drinks that they put out a few times each year. The Turkey and Gravy Soda, part of the Thanksgiving and Christmas variety packs, is notorious for being a bit… adventurous, but when I saw ... Read More »
Hershey’s Kisses can always be counted on to come out with at least one special edition flavor for any given holiday. The kisses are bite sized, which makes them a good vehicle for trying out new flavors without committing to eating (or possibly throwing away) an entire chocolate bar. For Halloween this year, Hershey’s has out Candy Corn Kisses, Pumpkin Spice Kisses and, apparently, Caramel ... Read More »
Part of me wants to believe that Halloween season just kicked into gear, but the retail reality is that Halloween decorations have been on the shelves for at least a couple of weeks, and there are already some Christmas displays going up (taking up space that, in my opinion, should still be devoted to Halloween). No matter. Halloween is still one of my favorite holidays ... Read More »
Ghirardelli has just introduced a new line of gourmet Chocolate for Baking, trying to expand consumer perception of their brand and appeal to some new buyers. Previously, Ghirardelli has offered chocolate chips and baking bars to cooking consumers, but this new line seems to be intended to compete with some of the other big chocolate-makers that cater to those doing more than mixing up a ... Read More »
Canneles are a specialty kind of cake that originated over 2 centuries ago in the Bordeaux region of France. The little pastries are unique in that they have a crispy, caramelized outer coating and a soft, custardy center. Because of this contrast in textures, in addition to the fact that they are usually flavored with vanilla, canneles are sometimes referred to as “portable creme brulees.” ... Read More »
It’s been a couple of months now since Starbucks released their chocolate line – the line that is sold in non-Starbucks stores, like Target – and I’ve been wanting to try several of the options since I first spotted them. The chocolates are a result between the collaboration of Hershey’s and Starbucks, and after reading good things about them on Candyblog, I was even more ... Read More »
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