Thursday, October 1, 2009

Sweet Season

Fleur De Sel Caramels

As the holidays approach, we cherish spending time at home with friends and family, making sweet treats and sharing or swapping them. But even while we're focusing on our kitchens and our communities, we enjoy imagining how the rest of the world is celebrating this special season. Luckily, we've found a way to combine both inclinations: with recipes that bring the world into our homes.

To help us gather recipes for bite-size treats from all over the globe, we turned to expert bakers Emily Luchetti and Anita Chu. Emily's a cookbook author and the pastry chef at two renowned San Francisco restaurants, Waterbar and Farallon. Anita's a popular blogger at Dessert First and the author of two dessert "field guides." Although their recipes are international, they require no exotic ingredients—well, very few!—and instructions are adapted for American cooks. Best of all, with just a little embellishment these candies and cookies are perfect for sharing and gift giving. Let's start the world tour!

Baker's Profile

Anita Chu

Anita Chu

Many people who buy Anita Chu's cookbooks—Field Guide to Cookies and Field Guide to Candy—are surprised to learn about her day job: she's a consulting structural engineer for a firm in San Francisco. "At first I saw baking as a way to exercise my right brain after a day in the 'number space,'" Anita says. "But then I realized that engineering and baking are similar. Both involve precision. And some desserts, like wedding cakes, are architectural!"

In the News

A Great Year for the Great American Bake Sale!

What's the next best thing to baking for loved ones? Baking to support a worthy cause. And we can't think of a worthier cause than feeding hungry children in your community and beyond.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Cooling Trend

Frosty, fruity, fuss-free: our three guidelines for summer desserts. This is the time of year when we prefer the refrigerator to the oven and fresh seasonal fruit to almost any other ingredient. And if the recipe reminds us of tropical vacations, so much the better!

With the help of some savvy professionals, we've gathered our favorite summertime refreshers. Most require only a few minutes of stovetop cooking (which means your kitchen stays cool!). And they're so delicious, you may find yourself making them at other times of the year, too!

Baker's Profile

Jennifer L. Roberts

Jennifer L. Roberts

"It was the best vacation of my life," says a happy Jennifer Roberts of Barstow, California, one of five grand-prize winners of C&H Sugar's Sweetest Napa Valley Getaway Sweepstakes. Her prize was a complete surprise, because Jennifer's mother had entered her in the sweepstakes without letting her know. "I got a call saying I was selected as a winner, but I had no idea what I'd won until I called my mother," Jennifer recalls. "Thanks, Mom!"

In the News

Does your dessert wobble?

Your mother may have told you never to play with your food, but according to two young British entrepreneurs, if eating isn't fun you must be doing something wrong. Self-proclaimed "jelly mongers" Sam Bompas and Harry Parr—in Great Britain, "jelly" means any dessert made with gelatin—are giving new life to the old-fashioned gelatin dessert: In just two years, they've placed their fun-filled creations on the dessert menu at a savvy London restaurant, constructed St. Paul's Cathedral and other national monuments out of molded fruit gelatin.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Sweet Plus

Potato Chip Cookies
Potato Chip Cookies by Cooking with Amy

We're a sugar company, so naturally we're partial to sweets! But we also like to tickle our palates with flavors that complement sweetness. Pairing sugar with contrasting tastes—salty, sour, fiery, or aromatic—creates new worlds of sensation… and new ways to enjoy sugar's versatility.

In search of exciting sugar-plus combinations, we dove into our recipe database and asked some prominent food writers about their own favorites. Follow us to see how the flavors add up!

In the News

Great American Bake Sale

Great American Bake Sale
While we're all feeling the pinch of a struggling economy, many families are more stretched than ever to provide enough food for their children. In fact, 500,000 more American children are currently living under the poverty line than last year, and 300,000 of those children are under the age of six.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Baking on a Budget

The challenging economy means many of us are shopping a little less, saving a little more, and stretching every dollar. But that doesn't mean we're giving up on dessert! On the contrary, home baking is an excellent way to save money while satisfying your family's love of sweet, wholesome treats. And using real raw ingredients like C&H Sugar—in all seven varieties—is far more cost-effective than relying on packaged and processed foods.

Here are some of our favorite strategies for savvy baking that won't break your household budget.

Baker's Profile

Rosalie Seebeck

Rosalie Seebeck

Just how motivated and determined is Rosalie Seebeck? Well, take a look at her strategy for winning the C&H Sugar Cake Baking Contest at this year's Oklahoma State Fair. She entered not just one contest category, or even two or three. She entered all six categories, each with a different recipe.

Were the judges impressed? You bet! In addition to winning Best of Show, the competition's top honor, Rosalie also received first- or second-place prizes in almost every category she entered.

In the News

Online Resources for Better Baking

Like you, we love finding new or classic recipes on the Internet—starting right here at CHSugar.com, of course, as well as on magazine websites and baking blogs. But what if you're looking not for recipes but for a specific baking tip or technique? Again, the Internet is your friend! If you know where to search, you can find dozens of free step-by-step baking instructions and even demonstration videos.
As for "where to search," we've saved you time and guesswork and collected some of the best online resources for baking know-how.