YumSugar

Yummy Links: From Dungeness Crab to Turkey Cookies

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:50:32 -0800

San Franciscans get excited: it's dungeness crab season! - SFoodie
This holiday season, why not bake a beautifully festive cake or cupcakes? - Hostess With the Mostess
Eating dark chocolate may help you handle stress. - The Epi-Log
The FDA has withdrawn the ban on the sale of Gulf Coast raw oysters during warm months. - Eater
Introducing: people talking on bananas. - People Talking on Bananas
Could Jose Garces be the next Iron Chef? - Grub Street Philadelphia
Rachael Ray on the Martha Stewart Show makes for some uncomfortable television. - Eat Me Daily
Learn how to fight wine snobbery. - Chow
Turn Keebler Fudge striped cookies into Thanksgiving turkeys. - Serious Eats

Halloween Fingers Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:50:39 -0700

Whether you're throwing or attending a Halloween bash this weekend, chances are you'll need some flavorful frights to go with whatever hard drinks you're having on All Hallow's Eve. Go ghoulish - but not too gruesome! - with a treat that's also a bit of a trick: bony witches' fingers. Make a handful in a flash with the help of pre-made breadstick dough. Going for the realistic? Take the time to make them from scratch, knuckles, almond fingernails, and all. Tickled yet by one or both recipes? Get them after the jump.

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:15:04 -0700

The classic cookies pictured below were not featured in a recent cookie roundup, but I'm dying to make them soon. Do you know what kind they are?

Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies!

partysugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:50:13 -0700

Did you know that October is National Cookie Month? Cookies are a quintessential, individual, and portable dessert, and there are so many varieties we could feature a new recipe every day. Whether you enjoy something chewy, fruity, or crispy, to celebrate national cookie month, I've rounded up our best cookie recipes. It's never too early to start thinking about what kind of cookies you'll be making over the holidays, so check out the cookies we have to offer now.

View Slideshow ›

Tasty Treats For Halloween Bashes: Sparkly Cookies on Sticks

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:35 -0700

If your little goblins won't be satisfied with fancy fruit lollipops, indulge their sweet tooth by making small sugar cookies on sticks.

These simple treats are easy to make and don't require a fancy production line. Just bake your favorite sugar cookies from scratch or a pre-made batter and impale round dough with lollipop sticks (can be found at a party or gourmet store) before they are baked. Ice with a simple sugar icing and decorate with sparkles or candy corn. If you're feeling adventurous ask your lil helpers to turn the cookies into pumpkins by drawing funny faces with candy or black cookie icing.

Wrap your final project in a cellophane bag with a ribbon for a pretty party favor.

Hosting a Halloween party this October? Whether spooky or sweet, we have you covered with our new designs for Pingg! Create your invite, then send reminders to your guests via email, SMS, and Facebook.

Come Party With Me: Tailgate - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:30:49 -0700

No Cal-USC tailgate is complete without a sweet treat and I like to serve cookies. Specifically, classic oatmeal raisin cookies - they're chewy, not too sweet, and scream Fall.

Cookies are also perfectly portable and can be made in advance, meaning they're ideal for a tailgate. Because the finished dough needs time to chill in the fridge before being baked, this recipe must be prepared several days before the game.

To make these cookies for your friends and family, get the recipe and keep reading.

Simple Tip: Transport Baked Goods in Bakery Boxes

partysugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:15:40 -0700

Unless you make and transport cupcakes on a very regular basis, you probably have no need for a bulky plastic cupcake carrier. However, on those occasions when cupcakes have to be carried from your kitchen to another location, do what I do and pick up a baking box. A local bakery, or even the baking section of your grocery store, has a large supply of these boxes in a variety of sizes. If you've developed a relationship with the employees, they'll most likely give you the box for free. Ask for a large, medium, or small box and you can safely transport cakes, cookies, or pies without ruining a beautiful frosting job. Does anyone else do this? What's your secret for taking baked goods from one place to another?

Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough Makes a Comeback

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:41:46 -0700

One of the food industry's more massive headlines occurred at the end of June, when a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria was discovered in a batch of Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough. Two months later, Nestle is returning its dough batter to shelves - albeit with an important warning.

At least 66 people in 28 states reported getting sick from the product. Nearly all of the victims were female, under the age of 19, and reported eating raw dough before experiencing symptoms. In response, Nestlé voluntarily recalled 3.6 million packages of its cookie dough, and shuttered the portion of its Danville, VA, plant as federal investigators tried to determine the source of contamination. After completely disassembling the equipment in the plant for inspection and sanitizing, the company is shipping out fresh refrigerated cookie dough packs. To help shoppers identify it as new and improved, the package now contains a blue, star-shaped seal that says "New Batch" - along with the warning "Do not consume raw cookie dough" on both the front and back.

Are you excited to hear that Toll House cookies are back - or are you afraid to eat them? What do you think of the new warning labeling? Does the recall situation make you reconsider the idea of eating raw cookie dough straight out of the package?

Source: Flickr User √oхέƒx™

Will Wal-Mart's New Cookies Hurt the Girl Scouts?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Over the years, world's biggest retailer Wal-Mart has been the source of heated scrutiny for many organizations, from labor unions to environmental groups. The grocery giant's latest purported victim? The Girl Scouts.

According to Ad Age, the corporation, which has focused on expanding its Great Value private label, handed out test versions of its cookies at Chicago's recent BlogHer conference. One Ohio mommy blogger - and former Girl Scout cookie mom - took immediate notice of the cookies' resemblance to Girl Scout varieties.

"Wal-Mart has copied the Girl Scouts' two best selling cookie types, Thin Mints and Tagalongs," wrote C.V. Harquail on her blog, Authentic Organizations. "There goes the Girl Scout cookies' special allure, and there go the profits that fund the Girl Scouts' programs."

The issue, which has already garnered a reasonable amount of attention, once again raises the question of the corporation's concern for its community. Do you think the new cookies will cannibalize sales of Girl Scout cookies? Is Wal-Mart responsible for considering the impact of its sales on its surroundings - or is it up to the Girl Scouts to evolve with the times?

Source: Flickr User zaui

Toss Your Cookies! Nestle Voluntarily Recalls Dough

LilSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:18:18 -0700

Think twice before letting your kids eat raw prepackaged cookie dough or taking a nibble yourself. This morning, Nestle Toll House initiated a voluntary recall of all its refrigerated cookie products. The company was informed by the Food and Drug Administration that E. coli illnesses have been reported by people who ate the uncooked prepackaged products.

Consumers can return the goods to their local grocery store for a full refund or call 1-800-559-5025.