November 21st is National Gingerbread Day…and also a reminder that it’s easy to make gingerbread scones with a $6.95 gourmet boxed mix from King Arthur Flour.

We typically give small gifts to our Thanksgiving guests, and last year it was these scone mixes (this year it’s the Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix).

The one-pound box makes 8 to 16 scones, depending on size. The mix is certified kosher by CRC.

They’re whole grain, too, made with white whole wheat flour.

The mix is certified kosher by CRC.

The 1-pound box of mix makes 8 to 16 scones, depending on how you portion them.

And you can use it to make gingerbread loaf, coffeecake, muffins, pancakes, and shortcakes.

Get yours at KingArthurFlour.com.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GINGER

Since ancient times, the Chinese and Indians used the ginger root as medicine. Ginger originated in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia.

By the first century, it had been introduced in the Mediterranean via India and became a popular spice in Rome. It fell from use with the fall of the Roman Empire fell, to return during medieval times as a spice for baked goods and other sweets.

Ginger has been traded throughout history longer than most other spices. It was valued for its medicinal merits: it is a popular warming spice, a digestive aid, and sometimes used to treat flatulence and colic. Today, ginger is easily accessible in local grocery stores and throughout markets, but back in the 14th century, it cost about the same amount as a live sheep or piece of livestock!

Used as a medicine in medieval times, ginger became a popular holiday spice (it was too pricey to use year-round), most famously in gingerbread cookies.

Ginger and other spices were brought back to Europe by Crusaders who traveled to the Holy Land. In 11th-century northern European countries, it was used to flavor buttermilk drinks and over the next two centuries became used in cooking meats and in ginger pastes.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, Arabs traders voyaging to Africa and Zanzibar planted the rhizomes, spreading the cultivation of the plant.

Many ginger-flavored baked goods have evolved since then, from muffins to cakes. Today, we offer this recipe from King Arthur Flour for gingerbread scones: perfect weekend breakfast and brunch fare throughout the holiday season.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SCONES

You may have heard two different pronunciations for “scone.” The word is pronounced “skahn” in Scotland and Northern England (rhymes with gone) and “skoan” in the south of England (rhymes with own), the pronunciation adopted by the U.S. and Canada.

Which is the authentic one? They both are!

Scones are traditionally connected with Scotland, Ireland, and England, but exactly who deserves the honor of invention, no one knows for sure.

Scones may well have originated in Scotland. The first known print reference, in 1513, is from a Scottish poet. However, in earlier eras, when communications were more limited, the creation of an actual item can have predated the first appearance of printed references by many years.

Centuries ago, there weren’t newspapers that reported on the minutiae of life the way modern news sources do. There were no food columns in the local papers announcing that “McTavish Bakery has created a new griddle-fried oatcake called a scone—now available at 3 Sheepshead Lane.”

In fact, there were few newspapers. Much of the population was not literate. So culinary historians rely on cookbooks and mentions in literature and other printed records. Given the perishability of paper, it is logical that many first-printed mentions of foods and other items may not have survived.

What About The Name?

One claim, probably not the best, says that scones are named for the Stone of Destiny at the Abbey Of Scone, a town upriver from Perth.

[2] Round scones with sparkling sugar.

[3] Scones, pancakes, muffins and more come from one box of mix.

[4] Ginger root (photo by Jan Schöne | SXC).

[5] Long before baking pans were invented, scone dough was shaped into a round, cooked on a baking stone and cut into wedges. Modern bakers can use scone pans like this one from King Art.

Others say that the word derives from the Gaelic “sgonn” (rhymes with gone), a shapeless mass or large mouthful; the Dutch “schoonbrot,” fine white bread; and the closely-related German “sconbrot,” fine or beautiful bread. The Oxford English Dictionary favors the latter two.

What About The Shape?

Scones are related to the ancient Welsh tradition of cooking small round yeast cakes (leavened breads) on bakestones, and later on griddles. Long before the advent of baking pans, the dough—originally made with oats—was hand-shaped into a large round, scored into four or six wedges (triangles), and griddle-baked over an open fire.

With the advent of stovetop and oven baking, the round of dough was cut into wedges and the scones were baked individually.

Today’s scones are quick breads, similar to American biscuits. They are traditionally made with wheat flour, sugar, baking powder or baking soda, butter, milk and eggs, and baked in the oven—both in the traditional wedge form and in round, square, and diamond shapes. This recipe produces a hard, dry texture.

Traditional English scones may include raisins or currants, but are often plain, relying on jam, preserves, lemon curd, or honey for added flavor—perhaps with a touch of clotted cream.

Fancy scones—with dried fruit such as cranberries and dates, nuts, orange rind, chocolate morsels, and other flavorings—are best enjoyed without butter and jam.
 
 

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Does someone in your family have a crafty streak? Let him or her do the napkin folding for Thankgsgiving dinner.

You can find different looks online, but we like this simple-but-elegant version from Martha Stewart. Here’s how to fold it.

Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to start folding. Test your skills and your napkins in advance. Linen napkins crease and fold well, cotton napkins and even large paper napkins work with many folds; polyester and permanent press napkins don’t fold.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF NAPKINS

How do you wipe your mouth and fingers during and after eating? Who doesn’t?

Yet, in the history of civilization, the napkins we know were relatively late to the table (as it were).

According to Food Reference and Melanie e Magdalena, it was a slow evolution, beginning with dough napkins! Ancient Spartans first used small lumps of dough to wipe their hands when eating. This led to using baked, sliced bread to wipe the hands.

Napkins slowly evolved into new forms. Note that they were the property of the well-to-do, not poor citizens who were left on their own. If you closely watch dining scenes in period television and film, you may be able to catch the custom of the time.

2] This leaf fold napkin from Decozilla is a lot easier [site now closed].

[3] It’s a no-brainer to create a simple harvest theme like this (photo © EcstasyCoffee.com).

 
Today, the napkin is made in a variety of sizes,and materials (cotton, linen, paper, polyester) and colors to meet every need:
 
 
STANDARD NAPKIN SIZES

Here are today’s standard sizes:

[1] A calming herbal blend. [2] The selection of black, green, herbal and white teas will please everyone. [3] Lord Bergamot, the company’s version of Earl Gre;, powerfully blended (all photos courtesy Steven Smith Teamaker).

Steven Smith of Portland, Oregon was* tea royalty in the U.S., first as co-founder of Stash, then as founder of Tazo, then as co-founder, with wife Kim, of Steven Smith Teamaker.

Steve not only had the expertise; he had the commitment to seeking out the best, and the palate to know the best. When he started his eponymous label, his curated teas were noticeably superior to other “superior” tea brands.

The company’s staff travels the globe to to personally select the finest small-batch teas and botanicals. They buy from longtime colleagues in the world’s best tea-growing regions in Africa, India, China and Sri Lanka.

We drink a lot of tea, and try every brand that comes our way. There are many “artisan teas” that arrive in beautiful packaging, but trust us: Steven Smith’s teas are the best we can remember having. While the shape of the sachets (tea bags) and tins of loose tea looks familiar, the artistry inside is unique. For example:

 
Prices vary based on the cost of the ingredients, but an example with Lord Bergamot:

 
Steven Smith Teamaker teas are all natural, gluten free, GMO free. The bags are compostable.

Each container has a batch number that you can enter to see the provenance of the ingredients, the date it was packed, and personal notes from the tea blender.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY BLENDS

Celebrate the season with:

 
Each tin is $14.99.

There are dozens of teas, each totally wonderful with or without milk and sugar, along with:

Franklin.)
 
Custom-label tins are available for wedding parties, in blends customized to the couple’s preferences.
 
HEAD TO SMITHTEA.COM TO BEGIN YOUR TEA ADVENTURE.

If you’re in the Portland area, stop by the tasting room for a cup or two.

WANT TO EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF TEA?

Check out our Tea Glossary.

 
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*Mr. Smith passed away last year.

†Portland is called the Rose City for its proliferation of roses. The climate is ideal for growing roses outdoors: warm, dry summers, rainy and mild winters, plus heavy clay soils.

Given the popularity of tiramisu in the U.S., we’re surprised we haven’t come across a frozen pumpkin tiramisu before this one.

Instead of layering the ingredients in a bowl or pan, this recipe takes the extra step of building it in a springform pan, so it emerges looking like a frozen soufflé.

The recipe is courtesy Pumpkin It Up, a book with scores of delicious pumpkin recipes. The history of tiramisu is below.

March 21st is National Tiramisu Day, and there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy pumpkin desserts in March!

Here are more pumpkin desserts.
 
 
RECIPE: FROZEN PUMPKIN TIRAMISU

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. BEAT the cream and sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the mascarpone, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat just until the filling is smooth.

2. LINE the bottom of a 9 x 2-3/4″ springform pan with 1 package of ladyfingers, breaking and overlapping them to fit. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of apple cider.

4. SPREAD half the pumpkin filling over the ladyfingers. Repeat a second layer with the remaining package of ladyfingers, 2 tablespoons of apple cider and the remaining filling. Smooth the top of the tiramisu, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. UNMOLD: Run a knife around the inside of the pan. Release the pan sides and sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF TIRAMISU

Tiramisu means “pick me up,” a reference to the caffeine from the espresso liqueur and the energy from the eggs and sugar.

While there are many variations of the recipe, tiramisu is typically composed of layers of sponge cake or ladyfingers, soaked in espresso liqueur, coffee syrup or marsala, and layered with a mascarpone cheese and custard mixture. It is dusted with cocoa or shaved chocolate.

The recipe is from the Pumpkin It Up! cookbook).

[3] A conventional pumpkin tiramisu mixes pumpkin into the mascarpone. Here’s the recipe from Chef Chloe.

The restaurant’s matriarch, Alba Campeol, got the idea for the dessert after the birth of one of her children. Weak in bed, she was brought a zabaglione spiked with coffee, to give her energy. When she returned to work, she and her pastry chef worked on the “pick me up” layered dessert.

The original Becchiere recipe did not contain alcohol because it was served to children as well as adults. Today, a good tiramisu is redolent of liqueur or marsala. You can read the full story, plus competing claims to the invention by another Treviso restaurateur, Carminantonio Iannaccone, in this Washington Post article.
 
 
 

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[2] Sneak spinach onto your “garlic bread” (photo © Good Eggs | SF).

[3] The spinach gets camouflaged with diced avocado (photo © Tio Gazpacho).

This appetizer, first course or snack elevates the humble garlic bread we know and love into a fancy (and nutritious) affair.

Garlic bread is toasted and topped with garlic butter or garlic-infused oil. Crostini are toasts topped with any variety of spreads, vegetables and proteins.

The California Avocado Commission fused the two concepts to create garlic bread loaded with avocado, spinach and tomatoes.

It has so many veggies, you can even serve it as the “salad course.”

You can adjust the toppings as you wish: Use different greens, add bacon and/or green onion, etc.

Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes. It is very easy to make the balsamic glaze rather than buy it: Just reduce a bottle of balsamic vinegar (not the top stuff) into a syrup.

For a wine pairing, California Avocado suggests Petite Syrah.
 
 
RECIPE: GARLIC BREAD CROSTINI

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Ingredients For The Balsamic Reduction

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Melt the butter, add in 2/3 of the garlic, season with salt and pepper. Place the bread on a baking sheet and liberally brush it with the garlic butter.

2. MAKE the glaze. Pour the vinegar into a pan, add the brown sugar and stir over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Cool. If not using that day, store in a jar in the fridge.

3. SAUTÉ 2 teaspoons of oil and the remaining garlic for 1 minute, in a small skillet. Add the spinach and stir just until it begins to wilt. Remove from the heat, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, stir and spread the topping on the prepared bread. In the same pan…

4. ADD the tomatoes and peppers; sauté for 2 minutes. Place atop the spinach; season with salt and pepper or for more heat, cayenne or chile flakes. Bake for 10-12 minutes. While the bread bakes…

5. CUT the avocado into bite-sized chunks. Toss the avocado with 1 teaspoon oil, more salt and red pepper as desired and a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Top the baked garlic bread with avocado and drizzle with balsamic reduction/glaze. Serve warm.
 
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*A large Hass avocado, about 8 ounces, is recommended for this recipe. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.