HALLOWEEN: Barmbrack, An Irish Tradition

Fruitcake lovers and tea cake lovers: It’s time for barmbrack, also known as barm brack, barnbrack or simply brack. Brack? The original barmbrack was a sweet yeast bread with raisins and sultanas. Barm is the term for the yeast filtered out of beer in the final stage of production, a cheaper yeast source than commercial…
Continue reading “HALLOWEEN: Barmbrack, An Irish Tradition”

TIP OF THE DAY: European Style Butter From Land O’ Lakes

We grew up with a mom who had a wicked palate, and if she was brand loyal, you knew that brand was the best in its category. Mom only used Land O’Lakes butter; in fact, that’s how we came to know, at the tender age of five, that Minnesota is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: European Style Butter From Land O’ Lakes”

TIP OF THE DAY: Cheesecake Crust Variations

We look forward to pumpkin cheesecake each fall. Photo courtesy Marisa Churchill.   The most interesting news in cheesecake these days is not the flavor. You need only head to the Cheesecake Factory for a slice of Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. If that sounds too simple, there’s this Balsamic Strawberry, Basil & Black Pepper Cheesecake. Or…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Cheesecake Crust Variations”

PRODUCT UPDATE: Gluten Free Comfort Food

This gluten-free chicken pot pie will please many. Photos courtesy Blake’s All Natural.   BLAKE’S GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN POT PIE & SHEPHERDS PIE With the fall season, the gluten-freer’s thoughts turn to comfort foods—which usually mean soups, hearty stews, pot pies, mac and cheese and heaping dishes of pasta. This is also, as it turns out,…
Continue reading “PRODUCT UPDATE: Gluten Free Comfort Food”

RECIPE: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

With their seasonal orange color, moist texture and delightful pumpkin flavor, these baked doughnuts are better-for-you, with less sugar and no hot-oil frying. Make them for breakfast, snacking or dessert, with a scoop of ice cream. They also freeze nicely. The batter also keeps well in the fridge, in case you want to make a…
Continue reading “RECIPE: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts”