Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus, Family Fun

Design Your Own Gingerbread House

Nothing says “Christmas!” like an old-fashioned gingerbread house, and this year, we’re going all out! These cookies are the ideal canvas for all sorts of decorative touches. The dough can be made and baked off in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to decorate or finish. Use […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Gingerbread: History on Display

“And I had but one pennie in the world, thou should’st have it to buy Gingerbread” -Costard in Love’s Labour’s Lost, William Shakespeare c. 1598 When I was a child, one of my favorite holiday traditions was when my family and I would visit Mystic Seaport in Stonington, Connecticut for […]

Chef's Blog

Holiday Care Packages

The holidays look a little different this year, but luckily, an interruption in tradition doesn’t have to mean an absence of celebration! You may not be able to join together with your loved ones in person, but with just a little planning, you can craft a curated care package to […]

Desserts

Vanilla Fudge

Makes one 9-inch square slab A vanilla bean cooked with the batch gives this fudge an ethereal vanilla fragrance, with the added bonus of tiny black vanilla seeds throughout the fudge. It is like perfect vanilla ice cream transformed into candy. Ingredients 2 lb (4 cups) sugar 6 oz (1/2 […]

Desserts

Warm Gingerbread Pudding

Makes 8 servings Sweet, warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice give gingerbread and many other baked goods their unmistakable aromas. Spices are generally understood to be dried aromatic ingredients, typically the bark or seeds of a plant; they are sold whole or ground. Whole spices may be toasted, […]