National Apple Pie Day - Today is National Apple Pie Day! In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Apple pie is the quintessential American dessert!
Apple pie did not originate in the U.S., however. It was invented in Europe sometime during the 14th century.
The first apple pie recipe was printed by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381 in England. The ingredients in the recipe included apples, spices, raisins, figs, pears, and saffron—enveloped in a pastry crust.
Several Dutch apple pie recipes date back to the late 15th century. They were similar to the English recipes, except that they added a scoop of ice cream placed on top before being served.
This tradition of "apple pie à la mode" eventually caught on in America. Today, many people continue to enjoy their warm apple pie topped with ice cream.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
National Apple Pie Day, In the News, and Enjoy
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
National Nutty Fudge Day, In the News, and Enjoy
National Nutty Fudge Day - Today is National Nutty Fudge Day! In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Between the crunchy nuts and chocolatey smooth fudge flavor, it's hard to resist nutty fudge!
Fudge was accidentally invented in the United States in the late 1880's when a baker was trying to make caramel.
Following its creation, fudge recipes began appearing around the world in many different variations. To this day, nutty fudge remains one of the most popular fudge recipes.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Hostess Cupcake Day, In the News, and Enjoy
Hostess Cupcake Day - Today is Hostess Cupcake Day! In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
The Hostess CupCake was first sold on May 11, 1919.
According to author Andrew F. Smith, it was the first commercially produced cupcake, originally produced by the Taggart Bakery as the Chocolate Cup Cake. Hostess has also claimed that it was "the first snack cake ever introduced to the market."
In 2004, rival Tastykake disputed this claim, claiming that Tastykake introduced the first snack cake.
Originally, two cupcakes were sold for five cents. Different flavors were offered during the early years, including cupcakes topped with vanilla or malted milk flavored icing. During the 1940s, an orange flavored cupcake was developed, with orange cake and icing. But until 1950, the Hostess CupCake did not have any filling or the white squiggly line across the top.
In 1947, D.R. "Doc" Rice, who started his career at Hostess in 1938 with a job that entailed dumping baked cakes on a table, was given the task of developing the Hostess CupCake further. These developments culminated in an updated cupcake in 1950. A white line consisting of squiggles was added to the top in order to distinguish the Hostess CupCake from other brands.
The vanilla creme filling was also added. Rice got the idea for using a creme filling when a new machine for injecting filling into Hostess Twinkies became available. Improvements were also made to the cake mix and the chocolate icing in 1950. According to Rice, the updated cupcakes were first produced and test marketed in Detroit.
Other flavors of Hostess CupCake that have been available at times have been a golden vanilla and strawberry.
In 1988, 400 million Hostess CupCakes were sold. As of 2011 Hostess sells over 600 million CupCakes each year. Although Hostess Brands entered into bankruptcy protection in 2012, the company planned to continue making CupCakes and other snack cakes such as Twinkies and Sno Balls. These plans have been derailed by the company's liquidation and announcement that they are going out of business on November 16, 2012. The company officially restarted production of snack cakes on June 6, 2013, with products officially going on sale on July 15, 2013
Friday, May 08, 2015
National Coconut Cream Pie Day, In the News, and Enjoy
National Coconut Cream Pie Day - Today is National Coconut Cream Pie Day! In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
National Coconut Cream Pie Day is celebrated annually on May 8. This day was created in honor of the delicious pie made with a sweet coconut cream filling.
The origin of this pie is a bit difficult to track down, but according to Vegetarians in Paradise, the coconut cream pie may have come into existence around the early 1900s.
Since sugar was becoming plentiful on the continent, the candy and pastry business blossomed. All sorts of fruits and nuts were incorporated into confections, making coconut meat a desirable product.
Soon tea and spice traders were shipping whole coconuts to London, an operation that proved impractical and expensive. A French company, J.H. Vavasseur and Company, set up operations in Ceylon with a unique solution for shipping coconuts to Europe. They shredded the coconut meat and dried it thoroughly, making it easier to pack without spoilage.
By the early 1890s, they were shipping six thousand tons of desiccated coconut, a figure that multiplied by ten in 1900. While Europeans were going nuts over coconuts, interest in the United States hardly produced a nod until 1895 when Franklin Baker, a Philadelphia flour miller, received a shipload of coconuts in payment of a debt from a Cuban businessman.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to sell the enormous cargo before the nuts spoiled, he made a decision that put coconuts into the hands of home cooks, commercial confectioners, and pastry chefs alike. He set up a factory for shredding and drying the coconut meat. By the early 1900’s, coconut cream pie and coconut custard were the rage. Coconut frosting topped all sorts of cakes, while grated coconut added its distinct aroma and flavor to cookies and confections.
