archive for November, 2010

OMG!! MYOG: Make your own gelt.

Recipe: None

As many of you know, sometimes we bloggers here at King Arthur Flour get requests and suggestions from our fearless Web leader, Halley. Sometimes they’re subtle: “I’d love to see something chocolate in January.” Sometimes they’re a bit more um, er, direct. “Someone needs to blog this recipe for March 3.” And sometimes, they’re just plain…

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Decorating with royal icing: details for your gingerbread house

Recipe: Royal Icing

Every spring and summer as our merchandising team begins their search for our newest holiday products, I get excited to begin my own holiday decorating season with a new gingerbread house design. This year it was…

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Holiday baking traditions: Pierogi

Recipe: Homemade Pierogi

Like many people I knew, my experience with pierogi was limited to the boxes purchased in the frozen foods aisle at the supermarket. Once or twice a year we’d buy a box saying, “Let’s try something different tonight.” We’d boil them up and serve with a little butter on top.

And they’d be fine. Not bad, not amazing, just fine. Some brands were definitely better than others, but pierogi weren’t something I really thought about often.

And then…

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Chocolate fruitcake – a truly delicious oxymoron.

Recipe: Chocolate Cherry-Berry Fruitcake.

Oh, no…

NOT another post about FRUITCAKE!

Well, we figured you’d be out at the mall shopping today, and maybe we could slip this one past you.

Or not.

If you’ve managed to get past the word FRUITCAKE, read on. This chocolate chunk, pecan, cherry/cranberry version might just be the recipe that finally tickles your fruitcake fancy–

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Gingerbread: It’s not just for houses anymore

Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

I realize that you know that I love a good gingerbread house. I like traditional houses, I like whimsical houses, and I especially like outrageous houses. Inevitably, though, even the best architects need a break from designing houses and want to try something different. What do you say to a host of gingerbread crafts such as…

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Tell us what you’re making for Thanksgiving–

Recipes: Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns
, Apple Pie, Cranberry Cake



What’s the ONE thing you simply have to bake for Thanksgiving every year?

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Chocolate & peppermint: complementary companions

Recipe: Peppermint-Fudge Cupcakes

It’s that time of year again: the holiday season, those four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas when peppermint joins chocolate center stage.

At heart, I’m a chocolate traditionalist. Not for me chocolate/orange, chocolate/raspberry, or chocolate/any other fruit combo, thanks very much. I’ll take my chocolate dark and plain.

OK, I do make exceptions. Chocolate-dipped strawberries… plump dried apricots half-coated in dark chocolate… even chocolate cherry cordials, with their sticky liquid dripping off your fingers – all good.

And chocolate/coffee – more than good. Exquisite.

But chocolate cake with Grand Marnier frosting? No thanks.

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Holiday baking traditions: Brandied Mince Tarts

Recipe: Christmas Brandied Mince Tarts

What’s the quintessential English Christmas dessert?

Ah, so many to choose from… Plum pudding? Trifle?

Sugarplums, dancing in your head and right onto the dessert buffet?

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Sourdough: It’s not just for crusty artisan breads.

Recipe: Clay’s Multi-Grain Sourdough Sandwich Bread

When you think sourdough, you probably think crunchy-crackly-crusty artisan loaf, right?

Something you’d rip a piece off of with your hands, fresh from the oven. A big, round loaf, or picture-perfect oval boule.

But sourdough sandwich bread, baked in a loaf pan? Nuh-uh.

Well, it’s time to broaden your horizons.

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Mix it up: Linzer cookies in a snap

Recipe: Gluten Free Roll-Out Cookies

Linzer cookies are some of the most charming you’ll find on any holiday platter. The jewel-like sparkle of the jam and the snowy dusting of confectioners’ sugar makes for a truly eye-catching cookie.

Linzers also have the reputation of being a very fussy cookie to make. Rolling the dough, cutting out intricate little shapes, baking and sandwiching, dusting and more dusting…

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