A long time ago, back in the days of Wheaties and toast, America’s taste in breakfast pastry centered on muffins. Pop Tarts were the new kid on the block. Bagels had been out there forever, but only in urban pockets, where they were dense, chewy, and came in assorted varieties like plain and salt. I’m talking prehistory here, when your option for a cup of coffee was “regular” or “black.” Period.

Then came Starbucks, which in 1971 opened the first of its current 15,012 stores (in 44 countries) in Seattle. And the breakfast craze was on. Soon, Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte replaced the acrid black coffee so many of us forced ourselves to like in high school. And muffins and cinnamon rolls found themselves fighting for shelf space with… scones. read the rest of this entry »

I reckon that right about now, you’re probably staring at the turkey carcass (here in the Northeast, it could be in the mudroom or the porch, because the fridge is so overstuffed, just like you feel….) and wondering, WHY did I think I needed a 23 pound bird???? Because you wanted leftovers. But how much turkey tetrazzini can a family face? Here’s my all-time favorite way to get another meal from that behemoth bird: Turkey and Dumplings.

read the rest of this entry »

Ahhhhhhh…

If you’re reading this Thursday afternoon, you’re probably stuffed. With stuffing. With turkey. With good cheer of all kinds, from blueberry muffins first thing this morning, to Brie and Burgundy (beer?) preceding the Big Meal, to the main course itself: pumpkin bisque, the bird, biscuits, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, brown gravy, butterbeans… butterscotch pie and bonbons… whew, pass the bicarbonate! read the rest of this entry »

One of our readers recently commented on our Tuscan coffeecake post, as follows:

“Panettone is a holiday must – it has been part of my husband’s holiday tradition since he was a child. I have tried to make it for the past 4-5 years for the holidays but it never turns out quite right. Often it is too dry. I asked my husband’s aunt in Italy for a recipe. Although she makes just about everything, she said that panettone is the one thing she buys because it is difficult to make correctly. Looking forward to your panettone recipe and any tips you may have! -desperatelyseekingpanettone.” read the rest of this entry »

Hi. It’s me again. The laziest holiday cookie baker ever.

Well, not really lazy. I prefer to think of myself as LEAN. Not in physique, surely; I fight the daily battle, like so many of you out there. Eat, exercise, eat, exercise, a fulcrum in the center of a see-saw that seems always to be tipping, ever so slightly, towards “eat” and away from “exercise.” Especially during the holidays. read the rest of this entry »

Maybe there was a time, long, long ago, when I actually enjoyed making cutout cookies. Perhaps I gleefully anticipated the rolling pin, flour all over the counter, cookie cutters, sticky icing, overturned bottles of food color, and crunchy red and green sugar underfoot.

If so, those happy memories are gone, disappeared like glad-handing politicians the day after an election. read the rest of this entry »

Don’t you love it when you actually make up a recipe—all by yourself—and it WORKS?

That’s just what happened to me a couple of years ago, when I enjoyed a simple fruit-nut bread at a local Italian bakery. The bread itself wasn’t sweet at all; but it was packed with dried fruit, gilded with a light/crunchy sugar topping, and the entire package was simply out of this world. read the rest of this entry »

True to King Arthur Flour’s identity, we’ve given Arthurian names to all of our buildings. The retail store is housed in Camelot, the Baking Education Center in Caerleon, and our warehouse/fulfillment building is called Avalon.

We work hard to tempt you with our roster of quality ingredients and fabulous baking toys (er, tools). Luckily for us, you’re happy to have a trustworthy company to buy these things from. We’re heading into our busiest season, and we thought you might be interested in a behind-the-scenes peek at what happens when you order from us. read the rest of this entry »

When the turkey needs baking and the yams need glazing and the cranberries need saucing and the potatoes need scalloping and the giblets need gravy-ing—to say nothing of the in-laws needing fresh towels—and and and…

…the last thing you need to do is worry about making homemade pie crust, right? read the rest of this entry »

A message from Tom Payne, King Arthur Flour marketing director:

As we all nervously watch for signs of light at the end of a dark economic tunnel, the news doesn’t look good. Some predict the financial crisis will dampen our economy well into 2009. Particularly hard hit will be organizations that rely on donations and fund-raising, including schools, youth groups and charities.

With many school-funding initiatives around the country at risk, how will our nation’s schools cope with lack of funds for their programs? With Americans wondering how they will hold on to their own savings and make ends meet, how will nonprofits encourage people to give? read the rest of this entry »