Just Baking

This past weekend was really busy.  With the holidays approaching, my wife and I had parties Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and I had to smoke meats for a lunch this coming Wednesday.  While brisket, turkey and pulled pork were absorbing flavors from the cherry wood that was burning, I decided to make some more […]

As I mentioned in an article for A Nice Cuppa recently, I’m a huge gadget lover.  No matter if it’s food related or otherwise, I love getting my hands on the newest gadgets.  The same holds true for baking accessories, such as cookie cutters and cake pans.  But unfortunately the line must be drawn somewhere as […]

A sure sign that Christmas is around the corner is that my craving for these cookies.  I remember my first time tasting them, they were amazing, and definitely beyond my expectations.  My boss at the time brought in a huge batch freshly baked by his wife, as their yearly way of spreading holiday cheer.  I had already heard about her famous gingersnaps, and […]

For the past couple of years, I’ve asked for manly gadgets for Christmas…  Thermapen thermometers, welding gloves, you get the picture.  I have all the stuff I use now for outdoor cooking, though, including a good sized trailered smoker.  So what do I ask for this year?
Baking supplies!!!
I get some of my stuff from a […]

Stollen is a traditional German fruitcake made to celebrate the Christmas season.  Although many recipes exist, the most famous is the Dresden Stollen (”Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen” in German).  The city of Dresden is also where Stollen was first created in the 15th century and sold at the Striezelmarkt Christmas market.  Originally called Striezel, the once folded […]

Ah, Holiday Season, we know ye well.  Like an old friend we haven’t seen in a while and beg for more time to catch up with.  Though more and more it feels like a game of musical chairs where the music keeps getting faster and faster until…oops, times up.
Not that I have such a cynical […]

Cookies.  Who doesn’t love them right?  As a very passionate baker, I’m not sure which I love more eating cookies or baking them.  Probably the latter of the two.  For most of us when we think of the holiday season we also think of all the delicious food that goes along with it.  Or atleast […]