[1] Festivus Maple Syrup, infused with holiday spices (all photo © Runamok Maple).

[2] Twin recipes, different names. Festivus is the tongue-in-cheek version of Runamok’s Holiday Spiced Maple Syrup.

[3] Maple syrup is a great gift. You know the recipient will be able to use it.

Fine maple syrup is a great holiday gift for a foodie.

A gift from a premier line like Vermont’s Runamok Maple shows how great maple syrup can be.

Runamok is an artisan producer of specialty maple syrup.

And their syrups are not just for breakfast. These syrups are special garnishes or mixed ins for cocktails, desserts, marinades, sauces and more.

> Here are 18 ways to use maple syrup beyond breakfast.

There are not only classic varieties—Traditional, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Rum Barrel Aged and Whiskey Barrel Aged—but exciting flavored ones:

Flavored Maple Syrups: Cardamom Infused, Cinnamon + Vanilla Infused, Coffee Infused, Elderberry Infused, Ginger Infused, Hibiscus Infused, Jasmine Tea Infused, Makrut Lime Infused, Smoke Infused and Smoked Chili Pepper Infused.

Limited Edition/Seasonal Flavored Syrups: Cocoa Bean Infused, Holiday Spice Infused, Strawberry Rose Infused, and a new Festivus Infused (more about that in a minute).

How to choose? It isn’t easy, with so many exciting choices.

But here are staff favorites: Coffee Infused Maple Syrup, Makrut Lime-leaf Infused Maple Syrup, Smoked Chili Pepper Infused Maple Syrup and the non-infused Whiskey Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup.
 
 
HOLIDAY SEASON MAPLE SYRUP GIFTS

Apple Brandy Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup. This flavor has similar vanilla notes to the classic Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, but with an apple infusion. Buy it here.

Festivus-Infused Maple Syrup. A cheeky label brings a smile to fans of Seinfeld. The ingredients are the same as the Holiday Spice Infused Maple Syrup. Buy it here.

Holiday Spice Infused Maple Syrup. Runamok’s classic maple syrup is infused with the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla for some holiday sparkle. Buy it here.

For mega-holiday sparkle, check out Runamok’s unique…

Sparkle Syrup. The bottle of maple syrup is filled with edible gold glitter. You shake it, snow globe-style, to diffuse all the glitter before pouring. The glittering condiment will thrill adults and kids alike. Buy it here.
 
 
> MAPLE SYRUP HISTORY
 

THE STORY OF FESTIVUS

Most Seinfeld fans think that Festivus was the creation of Larry David, the head writer of Seinfeld.

But the Festivus holiday was conceived by author and editor Daniel O’Keefe—not for the year-end holidays but to commemorate his first date with his future wife.

It was celebrated by his family as early as 1966.

His son, TV writer Dan O’Keefe, introduced it to Seinfeld when he co-wrote the the 1997 Seinfeld episode, “The Strike.”

For those who don’t celebrate the religious holidays, Frank named his holiday “Festivus For the Rest Of Us.”

Since the Latin word festivus means excellent, jovial, or lively and derives from festus, meaning joyous, holiday or feast day, it fit right in to the Seinfeld holiday episode.

Instead of a Christmas tree, the Festivus holiday featured a Festivus Pole—an unadorned aluminum pole sticking up from a plain wood tree base (a Festivus sneer to the hyper-commercialized Christmas holiday).

Other traditions included:

 
Here’s more about the original O’Keefe Festivus tradition, and more on the Seinfeld Festivus holiday.

Fall is persimmon season.

They’re nutritious and delicious, with almost 72% of the DV of vitamin A (from all that beta carotene that makes it so orange). There’s also:

And there are lots of ways to enjoy them.

But here’s the easiest:

 
A whole Japanese persimmon (e.g. Fuyu) has 118 calories.

Enjoy your persimmon “sorbet!”

Enjoy frozen persimmons like sorbet (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

[1] Apple Pie cookies: crust on the bottom, streusel on the top. There are also Chocolate, Pecan and Triple Berry flavors (all photos © Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods).

[2] There are also traditional favorites, like Chocolate Chip…

[3] …and Chewy Triple Ginger.

[4] The gift box we want—anytime!

[5] Triple Berry Pie Crust Cookies.

The formal name of this business is Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods.

When Janie was down and out, without direction, she baked the Pie Crust Cookies that changed her life.

What is a pie crust cookie? Janie explains:

Her quest began with trying to make perfectly proportioned bites of pie.

In the process, she invented a cookie where every bite achieves that perfect balance: a flaky crust on the bottom, delectable filling, and buttery, caramelized streusel on top.

The Pie Crust Cookie has won Janie numerous awards, made her a Food Network “Chopped Sweets” Champion, and has guided her mission in life.
 
 
JANIE’S CURRENT COOKIE MENU

In addition to pie crust cookies, Janie bakes excellent traditional cookies. Both are superb and must-try!

There are standard as well as seasonal flavors. The options currently include:

Pie Crust Cookies

 
You’ve got to experience them!

Traditional Cookies

 
And drat: We missed out on the Limited Edition Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies and Caramel Brownies, which quickly sold out.

That’s the reason to sign up for Janie’s email list!
 
 
MORE BAKED TREATS

If you live in New York City, there’s an irresistible selection of pies and tarts for delivery.

The current lineup includes Apple Cranberry Ginger Pie, Chocolate-Caramel Tart and Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie.
 
 
JANIE’S COOKIES FOR YOURSELF & FOR GIFTS

There are deluxe gift boxes and single-flavor boxes that make great stocking stuffers.

And you can treat yourself to any and all!

You can’t buy too many of Janie’s cookies. They freeze well.

“But for a truly life-changing experience,” says Janie, “pop them in a 350° oven for 3-5 minutes. Trust us, you’ll thank us.”

Resistance is futile.

Head to JanieBakes.com.
 
 
JANIE GIVES BACK

As a recipient of grants and scholarships that helped her up the ladder to achieving her goals, Janie wants to help bring others up that ladder.

She provides second chance employment, teaches baking classes to underprivileged youths in East Harlem, and donates time and cookies to local community centers and homeless shelters.

You can read her inspiring story on the website.

We’ll always be fans!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF COOKIES
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOKIES

A gift for your favorite lover of luxe black truffles: truffle croissants!

Baked exclusively for Williams Sonoma by San Francisco’s Le Marais Bakery, these handmade, small-batch croissants are indeed a treat.

They arrive frozen, to be baked fresh at home for an experience that instantly transports you to Paris.

Light and flaky, these savory croissants are filled with:

 
They’ll make a holiday breakfast or brunch a very special experience.

Perhaps with these truffled scrambled eggs?
 
 
GET YOURS HERE

Exclusive to Williams Sonoma for the holiday season, the package of 10 croissants is available at Williams-Sonoma.com.

Are you sure you want just one package?
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRUFFLES

[1] Truffle croissants from Williams Sonoma (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[2] Truffles are sliced with a special truffle shaver. Both are available from Gourmet Attitude (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[1] Save time making and par-baking a pie crust, with this beauty from Three Babes Bakeshop in San Francisco (photo © Good Eggs).

[2] The pie crust is delivered frozen, to store in the freezer until you’re ready to bake your pie (photos #2 and #3 © Three Babes Bake Shop | San Francisco).

[3] Voilà: your pie!

This article features a par-baked pie crust that you can buy, ready to fill and re-bake (photos #1, #2 and #3—see details below).

It’s appropriate for pumpkin pies and other pies of the season.

Inveterate pie bakers will have come across an instruction to “par-bake” the crust.

Par-baking means to partially bake an empty pie shell before adding the filling.

Blind baking and pre baking are synonyms for the same technique.

Par-baking is called for when the filling takes less time to bake than the crust—such as custard pies, cream pies, quiche, all with lots of eggs in the filling.

You may even have seen pie weights—stainless steel balls or ceramic beads that weigh down the bottom of the crust.

Why? So that the dough keeps its shape and doesn’t puff up, only to slump down in a mess when the par-baked crust comes out of the oven.

But you don’t need special pie weights.

Dry beans from your pantry do just fine, and can be reused to bake more pies.

No dry beans? No pie weights? Use uncooked rice!

No matter what you use, place a round of parchment paper or aluminum foil between the crust and the weights/beans/rice. And allow the pie shell to cool completely before adding the filling.

Note Re Beans & Rice

 
Your recipe will no doubt provide the instructions for par-baking. But if you need a tutorial, look here.
 

BUY A DELICIOUS PAR-BAKED PIE SHELL

Good Eggs, a Bay area grocery delivery service that provides fresh groceries, including baked goods and sustainable meat, dairy and eggs, from top Bay area producers. Here’s more about Good Eggs.

One of their time-savers this holiday season is this par-baked pie shell (photos at left) from Three Babes Bake Shop in San Francisco.

Good Eggs only delivers locally, but you can order the crusts directly from Three Babes Bakeshop, which ships nationwide.

Save time with this beautiful, par-baked, ready-to-fill crust.

Keep it in the freezer until ready to use. Then, just fill the frozen pie shell and bake as per your recipe’s instructions.

It’s a prettier fluted crust than we could ever hope to make.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PIE

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PIE & PASTRY