Alas, Hostess Choco-Bliss… I knew ye well.

Your rich, moist chocolate cake… your creamy lighter-chocolate filling… your fudge-like topping, with its signature striations…

Sigh… Gone the way of wax lips and bubblegum cigars. Snack cake ancient history. A minor blip in Hostess’ corporate memory.

But still longingly remembered by those of us who loved you.

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Ahhh, college, and for the days when one’s diet could consist of large quantities of beer and Cheez Doodles. While writing my thesis at Bates, I lived on three foods: Diet Dr. Pepper, Cracker Jack, and Pillsbury slice and bake chocolate chip cookie dough, straight from the tube, unbaked. Even now, opening those packages is akin to the cannon under a potential avalanche. Once they’re open, it’s all going down, baby. No wonder Weight Watchers calls them “trigger foods.”

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When we started planning our Snack Cake Smackdown (more word on that Friday), my first thought was “Woo-hoo!” quickly followed by “I wanna do Twinkies!” Growing up in Massachusetts, we lived in the same town as a Hostess Thrift shop, and boxes of Twinkies were a favorite treat for lunchboxes and after school. With three kids and a tight budget my mom rationed them out so that we didn’t eat the whole box in one sitting, but I think we could have without too much effort. The cake was soft and fine, but ooooh, the filling!

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I recently visited my cousin Kris at her mountaintop home in southern New Hampshire. We sat out on her deck, acorns dropping like mini-bombs around us, and talked about family, movies (she and her husband are film producers), and food.

After a bit Kris went inside, and emerged moments later with cups of coffee and a cake. Always on the alert for promising new recipes, I started to pry. “What’s that? Looks good. What’s in it?” I said. (more…)

Crumpet.

Just the word sounds like Merrie Olde England, doesn’t it? So… jolly, with a splash of class. And a soupçon of serious respect, as is only proper for this classic grilled bread: the first crumpet recipe appeared 240 years ago, in 1769.

So, what’s the difference between an English muffin and a crumpet?

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Guess that apple cake recipe sounded pretty irresistible to a lot of you bakers out there - we sold 749 bottles of boiled cider this past week, which cleaned out both our stock, and that of Willis and Tina Wood, who press the apples and boil the cider at their orchard in Springfield, Vermont.

But never fear - help is on the way. Another crop of apples is being harvested now, and more boiled cider should be ready the first week of October.

Thanks for your enthusiasm! And, if you got a back-order message – we appreciate your patience.

Oh, boy!

I was driving by the farmstand on the way to work this morning, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but my favorite sign of autumn:

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So OK.  I’ve already covered latkes in this blog. And it wasn’t even that long ago: Dec. 18, 2008, to be precise. Just in time for Chanukah.

But latkes – potato pancakes – are a subject worth bringing up again. Because frankly, they’re NOT just for Chanukah. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy them; all you have to be is a lover of salty crunchy fried stuff, which covers probably 90% of us.

And I’ve found yet another, even easier way to make them. (more…)

As fall approaches, the local county fair circuit gears up. While some are excited to make the rounds for the tractor pulls, oxen pulls, quilt displays and hair-raising (or stomach churning if you’re in your 40s)  thrill rides, to me fair season means fried dough, french fries served in that cardboard dog bowl, cotton candy and, of course, caramel apples.

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If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that we’ve taken some flak lately about nonconformist interpretations of traditional treats. Namely, challah, bialys, and Black and White (a.k.a. Half Moon) cookies.

I’m not complaining; I love to generate friendly controversies around baking. After all, it’s more fun to disagree over the correct method for frosting Black and White cookies; or the amount of onions in the center of a bialy than, say, the merits of Congress’ latest health-care plan.

Still, it’s with trepidation that I publish this recipe for Classic Key Lime Pie. I KNOW there’ll be residents of Key West who decry my use of anything other than fresh Key limes. And there are those who insist Key lime pie should be topped with meringue, not whipped cream. And that a graham cracker crust is an invention of the devil himself. (more…)