[1] The new “surf & turf” (photo © Allen Brothers).

What’s better than filet mignon? How about a tender filet topped with something equally delicious?

Allen Brothers, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week, has topped filet mignon with lobster, mushroom and spinach-cheese stuffing—essentially using the stuffing one might put into chicken or fish filet and creating a crown for the filet mignon.

The first two ideas are “surf and turf,” with lobster or crab atop the filet:

• Lobster Topping: chopped lobster, fresh herbs (try tarragon or thyme), scallions, cream, butter, sweet onions, bread crumbs and a touch of garlic.
• Venetian Topping: mozzarella cheese, chopped spinach, lump crab meat, garlic, rosemary and feta cheese.

Those who don’t care for seafood can elect:

• Mushroom Topping: Shiitake, portabella and oyster mushrooms and truffles and a splash of red wine in a demi-glace stock.

What part of the steer does filet mignon come from? Why is it so tender, and why is it the most expensive cut of beef?

These and many other questions are answered in our Beef Glossary.
 
  

Made in Germany from handcrafted papier-mâché, they’re filled with seasonal candies: gummy pumpkins, gummy candy corn and gourmet jelly beans. They’re $14.95 each, a delightful gift or party favor.

If your budget doesn’t allow for the splurge, look in candy stores, card shops, discount stores and other retailers for cardboard, plastic or metal Halloween boxes. Then fill them with your own selection of candies.

FUN FACT: Papier-mâché (pop-YAIR mah-SHAY) means “chewed-up paper” in French. If you’ve ever worked with it, you know why! Torn-up pieces of paper are soaked in a paste of flour and water, then molded to dry.

For your favorite friends and family, a
keepsake box filled with Halloween candy.
Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

[1] Our favorite from Junior’s: the retro “Hostess cupcake” with a creme center (photo by Katharine Pollak | © THE NIBBLE).

[2] The first of numerous Hostess Brands snack cakes (photo © Hostess Cakes).

[3] Something more conventional: a cupcake with blackberry frosting and a fresh blackberry (photo © Gelson’s).

[4] Too elegant to eat? Cupcake by Samantha Chiu (photo © So Super Awesome).

Earlier this year we were at a trade show in San Francisco. A fine German chocolate producer was exhibiting its wares, displaying three tiers of gorgeous chocolate cupcakes as an example of what could be made with its couverture and cocoa.

“Wow, beautiful cupcakes!” we said. A company executive responded, “We don’t have cupcakes in Germany. They are unknown. But when we planned our booth here, our American importer said that cupcakes were the rage. So we had these made.”

The residents of Germany don’t know what they’re missing. The cupcake revolution has generated more enthusiasm in the U.S. since the introduction of, perhaps, frozen yogurt in the 1970s.

Even Junior’s Restaurant of New York City, known for generations for its cheesecake, has gotten into the act. To celebrate its 60th Anniversary, the restaurant on West 45th Street has added cupcakes to the menu—a boon to theater-goers in need of a cupcake fix. They can also be found at the bakeshop at Grand Central Terminal.

The cupcake choices are classic, and you can find recipes on line:

 
It was hard work—believe us—but we ate some of each yesterday afternoon. And we ate two for breakfast this morning.

 
Cupcake on, dudes! (That’s the sugar talking.)

> The six cupcake holidays follow.

> The history of hostess CupCakes is below.

> The history of cupcakes.

> The history of cake and the different types of cake: a photo glossary.
 
 
CUPCAKE HOLIDAYS

> February 24th is National Cupcake Day [Canada].

> May 11th is Hostess Cupcake Day.

> June 13th is National Cupcake Lovers Day.

> October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day.

> November 10th is National Vanilla Cupcake Day.

> December 15th is National Cupcake Day.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HOSTESS CUPCAKES

On May 10, 1919, Taggart Bakery of Indianapolis introduced Chocolate Cup Cakes. The first generation of cupcakes were devil’s food cake with chocolate frosting—no vanilla cream filling, no white icing squiggle.

It is believed that the first batches were sold in stores on May 11th, which we now celebrate as Hostess Cupcake Day.

Taggart was purchased by the Continental Baking Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1925 and they were renamed Hostess Cup Cakes (today CupCakes).

They were followed by Twinkies (1930), Donettes (1940) and SnoBalls (1950).

In the early 1930s, the CupCake got an update: It was filled with the same vanilla cream as Twinkies and embellished with a seven-loop white icing curlicue on top of the chocolate icing, to distinguish the Hostess CupCake from all others.

More sweet treats followed: Suzy Q’s, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Zingers. The latest is Meltamors, chocolate cake with peanut butter cream filling.

The company continues to expand the line with seasonal specials, such as red-white-and-blue decorations and fillings, and baseball-decorated white cupcakes for the summer. Here’s more about them.

Continental Bakeries was acquired by Interstate Bakeries in 1930 and renamed Hostess Brands.

In 2012, Hostess Brands filed for bankruptcy and after a huge public fight with union leadership, the company decided to liquidate in 2012. Fans feared that its iconic products would disappear forever.

But in finally, in n a deal closing in November 2023, the company was raised from the dead by J.M. Smucker, which agreed to sell its assets for about $5.6 billion. Here’s more about it.
 
 

Get ready for Halloween:

For a bewitching breakfast, lunch or dinner on Halloween, go batty with pancake molds.

A Williams-Sonoma exclusive, they’re easy to use.

The set of three molds—these adorable bats plus a pumpkin and a haunted house—is $19.95.

Pancakes—also known as flapjacks, griddlecakes and hotcakes—are an ancient food. While some type of griddle cake has likely been made since the domestication of wheat, the oldest pancake recipe in the English language dates to the 15th century.

MORE PANCAKE FUN

Go batty with special Halloween pancakes.
Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

It’s easy to make sugar-free sorbet.
Photo by Dusan Zidar | BSP.

If you’re on a sugar-free diet and miss sorbet, you can make it with unsweetened fruit juice or puréed fruit.

Sugar or no sugar, sorbet is a better choice in general than ice cream: it’s fat free, cholesterol free and full of nutritious fruit. Whether you want a sugar-free or a sugared dessert, make some from delicious fall fruits. We adore apple and pear sorbets. Clementine/orange/tangerine, cranberry, grapefruit, kiwi and persimmon are other fall favorites.

For a juice-based sorbet:

• Freeze 2 liters of unsweetened juice in your ice cream maker, along with artificial sweetener equivalent to one cup of sugar (you can adjust the sweetener to taste—the less you use, the better).
• Sweeten with maltitol, a low-glycemic sweetener that can be purchased online in crystal or syrup form. Splenda is a good second choice.

• Experiment with spices—cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla, for example; fresh basil or mint, which compliment most fruits; or a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.
• Think about the presentation—which dish or glass plus garnish—that will make your sorbet look irresistible.

To make sorbet with fresh or frozen fruit:

• Dissolve 2/3 cup sugar or non-caloric equivalent in 2/3 cup boiling water. Chill syrup.
• Purée 4 cups fruit to yield 2 cups fruit purée. Sieve fruit as necessary (to remove berry or kiwi seeds, for example).
• Mix sugar syrup into fruit.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Find more sorbet recipes in our Gourmet Ice Cream Section.