[1] Delicious gingerbread pancakes, baked in a sheet pan (photos #1 and #2 © Bob’s Red Mill).

[2] Use this just-add-water pancake mix for light and fluffy “homestyle” pancakes. The Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients include buttermilk, butter, eggs, flour, for a complete mix that makes perfectly delicious pancakes every time. Buy it here.

[3] Test your food IQ: What are these? They’re the third item on the ingredients list, before they’re ground. They’re the seeds of the berries in photo #4. Read more about it in the *footnote (photo © Silk Road Spices).

You don’t have to worry about perfectly round pancakes when you make this gingerbread sheet pan pancakes recipe.

Sheet pan pancakes are so easy and hands-off, you’ll be thrilled not to worry about even sizes and roundness.

To make the bite-sized gingerbread men pancakes in the photo, use a cookie cutter on the baked, slightly cooled pancakes to cut them out or create other fun shapes.

We make them often from Thanksgiving through the New Year. You can also turn leftovers into dessert, with a scoop of ice cream and fresh fruit and/or a dessert sauce.

> National Pancake Day is September 26th.

> National Gingerbread Day is June 5th.

> The history of pancakes.

> The different types of pancakes: a photo glossary.

> More yummy pancake recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: GINGERBREAD SHEET PAN PANCAKES

Prep time is 3 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes.

Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for the recipe
 
Ingredients For 18 Squares

 
Plus:

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425F°. Line an 18 x 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or grease with baking spray.

2. STIR the pancake mix, brown sugar, and spices together in a large bowl, until well combined. Add the water and stir just until the batter comes together.

3. POUR the pancake batter into the sheet pan and gently tilt in all directions so the batter spreads into an even layer.

4. BAKE for 20 minutes. Slice and serve warm.
 
________________
 
*Some people believe that allspice is a ground mixture of baking spices. It’s actually the dried unripened berry of the pimento bush, Pimenta dioica, grown mostly in Jamaica and also referred to as pimenta, Jamaica pimenta, Jamaican pepper, and myrtle pepper (photo #4). Each of the small purple berries contains one or two large seeds (photo #3). Allspice gets its name from the fact that it tastes a bit like a peppery blend of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. It’s a common baking spice, pickling spice, and mulling spice in North America, and many parts of Europe. It’s also used in the Middle East and of course, it’s widely used in West Indian food. It’s a key ingredient in jerk seasoning.

Spice purveyor Silk Road Spices advises that allspice loses its flavor very quickly when ground. They highly recommend buying whole berries and grinding them yourself just before using.
 

Date-nut bread—also called date walnut loaf—is a traditional tea bread from Scotland. It is often made with treacle (golden syrup) as the sweetener, with brown sugar or molasses used in the U.S. Coffee or black are often added to give the bread a dark brown color.

These dates, date nut bread is hard to find in the States, but remains on offer in the cafes, bakeries and tea rooms of Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and across the Commonwealth. It is particularly popular at Christmas.

And with a few days before Christmas, you have just enough time to bake a loaf or two for breakfast, brunch, and snacks.

One of the classic tea sandwiches is date nut bread filled with cream cheese. The combination also substitutes for breakfast pastry or a bagel, with a cup of coffee or tea.

Some modern variations:

 
> The recipe is below.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF DATE NUT BREAD

Date nut bread is a traditional Scottish tea bread that became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s.

In the early 1900s, Samuel Bath Thomas, a British immigrant, opened a bakery in New York City. He first created the English Muffin, and then expanded his repertoire.

According to one source, one of the bakery’s most popular offerings was Thomas’ Date Nut Bread. Its rich flavor and moistness set it apart from other breads of the time, and it caught on as a choice for breakfast or a snack.

Small sandwich triangles of thinly-sliced date nut bread filled with cream cheese, became a crowd-pleasing tea sandwich. You could have them for breakfast or lunch at Chock Full O’ Nuts lunch counters†.

Yet, it’s surprising that this recipe, which should date back centuries, was first recorded as a recipe in 1939 according to Wikipedia, a date that has been copied all over the Web.

But the relatively recent date turns out to be not surprising. Digging a bit, we discovered that published recipes other quick breads, like banana bread, carrot bread, and zucchini bread, also date from the mid-20th century. (Note that recipes can exist for decades before first being published.)

In the U.S., Thomas’ Date Nut Bread and Dromedary‡ Date Nut Bread (the latter baked in cans, photo #7) were staples for lovers of the bread: dark, moist loaves with the deep flavor of molasses.

Alas for fans, decades later, there was a shift towards healthier, whole grain breads and gluten-free options. With just so much shelf space, there was less room on the supermarket shelf for specialty breads like date nut.

There is still demand, however.

 
 
> The history of bread.

> The different type of bread: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: OLD-FASHIONED DATE WALNUT BREAD

Prep time is 10 minutes and bake time is 45 to 55 minutes.

A tablespoon of brandy or vodka is added as a flavor enhancer, serving to disperse flavor molecules throughout the bread. There’s no taste of it in the final product.

The recipe calls for a cup of hot coffee. You can also use a flavored coffee for a bit more complexity: Caramel or vanilla are both good choices. The bread doesn’t taste at all like coffee. (If you can’t have coffee’s acidity or caffeine, substitute boiling water*.)

Thanks to King Arthur Baking for the recipe.
 
Ingredients For 1 Loaf (About 16 Slices)

 
Plus:

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan.

2. PLACE the dates, butter, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot coffee into the bowl, stirring to combine. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.

3. ADD the egg, vanilla, liquor, baking powder, and flour, beating gently until smooth. Stir in the walnuts.

4. POUR the batter into the pan, gently tapping the pan on the counter to settle the batter.

5. BAKE the bread for 45 to 55 minutes, tenting the loaf gently with foil after 30 minutes, to prevent over-browning.

6. TEST the cake for doneness. A cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean; an instant-read thermometer should read about 200°F.

7. REMOVE the bread from the oven. After 10 minutes, gently turn the bread out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing. If not serving that day, don’t slice. Instead…

8. WRAP the loaf airtight, and store at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

[1] Moist and delicious, a loaf of date nut bread. The recipe is below (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[2] You can purchase this loaf ready-made from the Vermont Country Store (photo © Vermont Country Store).

[3] Chop succulent dates for the batter (photo © Bard Valley Natural Delights).

[4] Add walnuts—or pecans if you prefer (photo © Good Eggs).

[5] Don’t forget lots of cream cheese for slathering (photo © Bickford Flavors).

[6] A tablespoon of vodka or brandy serves a flavor enhancer, dispersing flavor molecules throughout the bread (photo © Tito’s Vodka).

[7] A can of Dromedary brand date nut bread, long discontinued (photo via Dying For Chocolate | Pinterest).

**A trick from the great chef Larry Forgione: Freeze the ice cream sandwiches hard; then butter and toast them in a panini press for five minutes until the outside of the bread gets toasted while the ice cream remains solid.

†The lunch counters, which launched in the Great Depression, were sold off in the late 1980s and subsequently discontinued [source].

‡The Dromedary Food Products was launched by Hills Bros. in the early 1900s, specializing in dates, figs, coconut, and other specialty products. While the dates are still available, the date nut bread is long gone.

[1] Santa’s Milk And Cookies by David Lindsley. You can purchase the wall hanging here (photo © Great Big Canvas).

[2] Have a seat, Santa. This print is Santa Cookie Break by Susan Comish. You can buy a print here (photo © Susan Comish).

[3] Don’t forget carrots for the reindeer! This poster is available here.

[4] No carrots, no presents. Get the wall print here (photo © EruHY).

[5] Oreos are a popular cookie to leave for Santa. Follow this recipe and you can leave him something truly special (photo © Chelsea’s Messy Apron).

[6] Dress up chocolate chip cookies, the other most popular cookie left for Santa, with colored sprinkles. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cakes Cottage).

Why is Santa Claus so chubby?

Because every Christmas eve, he eats plate after plate of cookies with glasses of milk left out by boys and girls the world over.

Every Christmas Eve, Santa has the seemingly insurmountable task to not only deliver children’s gifts worldwide—but to consume their cookies and milk, too, says Kuru Footwear.

All of Saint Nick’s hard work certainly deserves some refreshments, but just how many calories are we talking?

Kuru crunched the cookie calculations and found that since Santa visits a whopping 395,830,485 homes, he’ll consume 71.2 billion calories from milk and cookies on Christmas Eve.

Keep reading for a calorie breakdown, Santa’s holiday weight gain, and how far he’d have to tread to walk it all off. (Maybe that’s how he spends the other 364 nights of the year: walking!)

Kuru drilled down into what takes place across the globe in a single night.

> The history of the tradition is below.

> Also below, what children in other countries leave for Santa Claus.
 
 
THE CALORIE COUNT

🎅 After visiting upwards of 395 million homes, Santa consumes a staggering 71.2 billion calories on Christmas Eve alone.

More than half of those calories (40.4 billion) come from whole milk, and one cookie at each home adds another 30.9 billion calories.

🎄 If Santa were to gain weight from all those Christmas treats, he’d be looking at a potential gain of 20.4 million pounds. It seems the reindeer have some heavy lifting to do.

🍪 To burn off those festive calories, Santa would need to embark on an epic journey of 503 million miles. That’s the equivalent of walking around the Earth more than 20,000 times! That’s some New Year’s resolution.

What about the reindeer?

🦌 It’s not just Santa who gets a treat. Each of the nine reindeer could be chomping down on more than 44,000 carrots, totaling a whopping 2.3 billion calories.

Of course, they’ll work a lot of that off pulling the heavy sleigh all over the globe.
 
 
HOW DID THE TRADITION BEGIN?

We need to go all the way to ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the most important Norse god, had an eight-legged horse named Sleipner, which he rode with a raven perched on each shoulder.

During the holiday season, children would leave food for Sleipner, in the hopes that Odin would stop by and leave gifts in return.

This tradition continues today in Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, where children still believe that horses, not reindeer, pull Santa’s sleigh.

On Christmas Eve, children leave carrots and hay—sometimes stuffed into shoes—to feed the exhausted horses. In return, Santa might leave such treats as chocolate coins, cocoa, mandarin oranges and marzipan.

In the U.S., leaving a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa Claus is the Christmas Eve tradition.

Oreos and chocolate chip are popular choices.

According to one theory, the cookies-and-milk custom derives from an older tradition, when families would stuff stockings with goodies for Santa and hang them by the chimney as a welcoming gift. Now, however, the tradition is reversed: the stockings are chock-full of treats and smaller gifts for the family members themselves.

(Who ended up eating all of the goodies originally provided for Santa?)

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and thoughtfully, a few carrots for his reindeer—emerged as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, a time of great economic hardship*.

Many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas.

Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or as a bribe to receive more gifts Santa.

Countries across the globe have their own versions of the popular Christmas tradition. If you could create one especially for your family, what would it be?
 
 
TRADITIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE

Over the years, different countries have developed their own versions of the cookies-and-milk tradition. According to History:

There are fruitcakes, some delicious, some unfortunate. They are a classic but polarizing holiday dessert. And then, there are fruitcake cookies, irresistible finger food that will remain popular far beyond the holidays.

Sun-Maid, seller of popular dried fruits that go into fruitcakes (and many other recipes) during the holiday season—has formally announced an amicable break up with fruitcake.

At some point, it’s time to move on, says Sun-Maid. So they enlisted top pastry chef Duff Goldman to think outside the cake pan. The recipe for his creation, Forget Fruitcake cookies, is below, using several of Sun-Maid’s dried fruits.

Most of us have been eating Sun-Maid since childhood, starting with raisins. Today the line is very nicely expanded to include these dried fruits:

 
The brand also offers Fruity Raisin Snacks and Yogurt-Covered Raisins.
 
 
BEYOND BAKING

We love to snack on the dried fruits, toss them onto or into pound cakes, ice cream and sorbet, and make a trail mix of assorted dried fruits and nuts.

We also rehydrate the fruits into a kind of fruit relish. We combine the rehydrated Mediterranean Apricots, Dried Mixed Berries, Chopped Dates, Dried Mango, and Mixed Jumbo Raisins with a splash of Grand Marnier or white wine. (You need to chop the apricots and the mango.)

Now, onto “Forget Fruitcake.”
 
 
GOOD-BYE FRUITCAKE, HELLO FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Duff Goldman created his “Forget Fruitcake” cookies. which are three-layer cookies filled with jam and iced with chocolate (photo #1), in the manner of Italian Rainbow Cookies (photo #2).

These kits are designed to comfort you, no matter what or who you’re breaking up with this holiday season and will include Duff Goldman’s very own “Forget Fruitcake” cookie recipe, inspiring culinary creativity amidst this devastating split.

We baked them on Friday and by Saturday they were all gone. Next steps: Bake a double bath and freeze what you don’t use.
 
 
RECIPE: DUFF GOLDMAN’S “FORGET FRUITCAKE” COOKIES

Prep time is 2 hours including baking time.
 
Ingredients For 30-40 Pieces

 
________________
 
*You can purchase violet food color or can mix your own with 2 drops of red to 20 drops of blue.

 
Preparation

1. CHOP each pairing of dried fruit and place in individual bowls. Add ½ cup of boiling water to each bowl to soak and cook the dried fruits in individual batches. Cover and set aside.

2. HEAT the oven to 350°F. Line 3 quarter-sheet pans (13″ x 9″) with parchment. Overlap the parchment at opposite ends of the pan to create parchment “handles” to lift out the baked layers. Spray the parchment with cooking spray and set them aside.

3. CREAM the almond paste, butter, sugar, egg yolks, almond extract, orange zest, lemon zest, salt and spices. Beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

4. ADD the flour in stages, scraping the bowl between each addition. Transfer the batter into three separate medium-sized bowls.

5. DRAIN the fruits, mash them thoroughly, and add each to one medium bowl of cake batter. Add a couple drops of food coloring to enhance the colors of each batch.

6. WHIP the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into each bowl.

7. SPREAD each batter onto a different prepared sheet pan and bake for about 11 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the layers from the pans using the parchment handles.

8. SPREAD the jam on the yellow and red layers. Stack the cakes (starting with yellow on the bottom, then red, then violet) on a piece of parchment on the back of a sheet pan. Place another sheet of parchment on top and then another sheet pan. Lean on the top sheet pan and gently press down the cakes.

At this point you can cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

9. SLICE the cake stacks in long straight lines 1½-inches wide. Then cut the cake strips into 1½-inch squares.

10. SCALD the cream and add it to the chocolate to create a ganache. Cover and let the chocolate melt, then whisk it thoroughly into the cream. Smooth the ganache over the top sides.

11. DECORATE each piece with blanched almonds and thinly sliced apricots. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and they’re ready to serve.
 
 
TIPS

You can save time by icing the stacked cakes before you cut them, then slice them after the ganache hardens. They will be like the rainbow cookies in photo #2, less chocolaty than Duff’s version. But you don’t spend time icing three sides—just the top.

Similarly, you can skip the double garnish on each piece, or just lay one garnish—an almond or an apricot slice—on top of each. We used both, alternating them so guests could take their pick.
 
 
BEVERAGE PAIRINGS WITH FRUITCAKE & FRUITCAKE COOKIES

We love a good cup of black tea with our fruitcake, or a spice tea like Constant Comment (which is also available in a decaffeinated version and a green tea version).

Port is the wine of choice, but other choices include:

 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FRUITCAKE

The earliest known recipe for fruitcake dates to ancient Rome, using pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and raisins. By the Middle Ages, honey, preserved fruits, and spices had been added and the cake was enjoyed throughout Europe. Recipes varied widely by region.

In the 16th century, sugar from the Caribbean—and the discovery that sugar could be used to preserve fruits—made fruitcakes more affordable and popular. Everything was delicious for a few centuries.

But the mass production of prepared foods that followed World War II led to low-priced and not great-tasting fruitcakes. Following tradition, people gave them as Christmas gifts, but few recipients enjoyed eating them. Many of them re-gifted their fruitcakes; thus the joke from comedian Johnny Carson, that there was only one fruitcake in the world and it got passed from person to person.

Bake yourself a really good fruitcake and see why it deserves its place among delicious Christmas foods.

[1] Forget fruitcake. Make these three-layer cookies instead (photos #1, #6, #7, and #8 © Sun-Maid).

[2] These popular Italian rainbow cookies may have been the inspiration for the “Forget Fruitcake” format. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).

[3] Almond paste provides a bit of marzipan flavor (photo © iGourmet).

[4] Almond extract pairs with the almond paste (photo © McCormick).

[5] The recipe uses both lemon and orange zests (photo © Sunkist).

[6] Golden raisins are made from dried Green Thompson Seedless grapes. Also called sultanas, the name comes from Turkish Sultana grape (Green Thompson Seedless are a variety of Sultana grape).

[7] Dried apricots go into this recipe, but we also love to dip them in chocolate fondue.

[8] Dried Mixed Berries provide the triple delights of dried blueberries, cherries, and cranberries.

[9] Chocolate melted with heavy cream creates the ganache icing (photo © Bella Baker).

[10] Heavy cream (photo © Organic Valley).

[1] A tin of smoked mussels is a tasty little stocking stuffer (photos #1 and #2 © Good Eggs).

[2] These mussels are sustainably harvested off the coast of Spain.

[3] Crostini with smoked mussels and diced tomato, red onion, celery root, and cilantro (photo © Rachel Claire | Pexels).

[4] Add some smokey protein to your pasta (photo © Max Nayman | Unsplash).

[5] Here’s what steamed mussels look like in the shell (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[ ] .

Here’s an offbeat but welcome stocking stuffer for your foodie friends: a tin of smoked mussels. We also give them as take-home dinner party favors. In addition to the uses below, you can have them with your eggs or on toast the next morning.

Mussels are a delicious source of protein, omega-3s, iron and vitamin B-12. They’re also high in B and C vitamins and concentrated in minerals like phosphorous, selenium, and zinc, and rich in folate, high in omega 3 fatty acids, and a good source of essential amino acids.

They’re also around 100 calories for 3 ounces. What’s not to love about these cute crustaceans?

As an environmental bonus, mussels are filter feeders like clams, oysters, and scallops. They improve both water quality and aquatic ecosystems. They’re a tasty model of restorative ocean farming [source].

Check out your specialty food store or online market for tins or jars packed in olive oil and/or mussel broth.
 
 
HOW TO USE SMOKED MUSSELS

Smoked mussels are versatile and can be enjoyed in appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, and even to garnish other seafood (e.g., add one or two atop a piece of grilled fish).

The smoky profile adds depth and complexity to a wide range of dishes. Here are some delicious ways to enjoy them:
 
Appetizers

 
Sandwiches, Soups & Salads

 
Mains

 
Experiment with these ideas and get creative by incorporating smoked mussels into your favorite recipes for a unique and delicious twist.

Our most recent experiment (a good one!): savory baked pastry cup appetizer bites filled with unsweetened custard and a smoked mussel.
 
 
HOW ARE SMOKED MUSSELS MADE

Smoked mussels begin their journey by cooking (steaming or boiling) the mussels.

They are then exposed to smoke. The best brands smoke them over wood chips, but there are other smoking agents.

This is done a specialized smoker, which infuses the mussels with their distinctive smoky flavor.

They are then jarred or tinned, often in olive oil (the best brands use EVOO), and sometimes with broth from the cooking process.

No preservatives or additives are used.

The final result is ready to eat, and shelf-stable (no refrigeration necessary) until opened.