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| Sweet Spot Archives |
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How Sweet It Was...  Winners of the C&H "How Sweet It Is" promotion celebrated their winning ways with a fabulous four-day, three-night trip to the beautiful and serene Silverado Resort and Spa in the heart of the wine country in Napa, California. The lucky C&H "Baking Bunch" were treated to an informative and gastronomically rewarding cooking class at Ramekins, taught by C&H spokesperson and bakery chef Caroline Weil, in which everyone participated in preparing four desserts. After a wonderful lunch, the group enjoyed the desserts prepared that morning. Talk about sweetness! Next it was off to the Hess Collection Vineyard where the group viewed a dramatic and contemporary art collection. Everyone ate a delicious lunch and sampled Hess selections while basking on the panoramic deck and enjoying the view of rolling hillsides planted with premium grapes. We can't forget the spa treatments. All C&H guests found their way to the spa and salon on the grounds of Silverado. Several "transformations" took place in the salon, while everyone had a chance to relax and soak in the peaceful atmosphere of the wine country. The food, everyone agreed, was plentiful and delicious. The hotel restaurant, The Oak Room, was the biggest hit with our discerning guests. Some of the winners ventured out to the local restaurants for a touch of local flavor. The sweetest part of the whole experience was the group of people who attended. Each person was warm and friendly, kind and considerate, knowledgeable and passionate about baking. Besides the luck of the draw, everyone was truly a "winner" as a person. Friendships were made and a good time was had by all. The only sad thing was having to say goodbye. Congrats to our winners! We hope to see you again because it sure was "sweet." |
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Sweet Spot Archives Winter 2003 Fall 2002 Summer 2002 Spring 2002 Winter 2002 Holiday 2001 |
Looking for a fresh new way to celebrate an engagement, herald a new baby, or honor Mom? Then consider an old idea that’s never been more timely: the tea party.
Tea parties may sound quaint and British, but they’re perfectly suited to modern life. Portions are small, seating is casual, and tea itself has never been more available in more varieties—or more heralded as a healthful beverage. And, of course, teatime is a wonderful time to showcase your best cakes, cookies, and sweet breads. Pass the teapot, and don’t forget to fill your sugar bowl with C&H Sugar Cubes!
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Teatime was invented by a nineteenth-century woman—Anna, Duchess of Bedford—and it’s a delightful way for twenty-first–century women to mark a special occasion such as a wedding shower, Sweet Sixteen birthday, or college graduation. Bring out your best porcelain or silver teapot and set the table with white linen and tall irises or lilies. Or set a joyously mismatched table with a whimsical teapot from the thrift store, plaid or polka-dot linens, and daisies from the garden.
Try these ideas, too:
- For a bridal shower, ask guests to wear a bit of lace from their own (or their mothers’) wedding gowns—or even the entire gown!
- Invite your best girlfriends to a school reunion tea. Bring out your yearbooks and invite guests to wear something that was in fashion the year they graduated.
- Tea for teens? Why not! Make it a “tea potluck,” with each girl contributing her own homebaked dessert.
Back in the nineteenth century, teatime always included open-faced sandwiches spread with “good sweet butter”—easy to make by creaming room-temperature butter or margarine with ultrafine C&H Baker’s Sugar, which dissolves completely. Sweet butter is equally irresistible on warm-from-the-oven Orange-Currant Tea Scones, sprinkled with C&H Granulated Sugar for a bit of crunch. Add a dollop of Three-Citrus Marmalade or homemade Strawberry Jam for an irresistible mouthful.
Other traditional favorites include oatmeal-rich Scotch Teas; decorated Sugar Cookies; fragrant Tea-Leaf Sugar Shortbread Cookies flecked with loose black tea leaves; Lemon Curd (which can be spread onto tartlet shells as shown in the photo); and delicate, lemon-flavored Madeleines. Russian Tea Cakes (also known as Mexican wedding cakes), dense with chopped nuts and dusted with C&H Powdered Sugar, are lovely to look at and meltingly delicious.
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| Strawberry-Kiwi Almond Crunch Trifle |
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An East-West Tea
All tea has its origins in Asia, but green teas are most closely associated with their native lands. Nowadays green tea is being “rediscovered” for its health benefits. (It’s even been found to protect against tooth decay!)
A sampling of green teas from China and Japan can be the centerpiece of a theme party that includes Eastern-accented sweets. Choose an appropriate occasion such as the new moon, Mothers’ Day (May 11), or the summer solstice (June 21). Include some red in your decorations—it’s considered a lucky color. Play mood-setting Japanese flute music (tapes and CDs can often be found at your local library) and serve treats that include classic Asian ingredients such as sesame, ginger, plum, and citrus.
For example, pass around a plate of Ginger-Almond Cookies, topped with a single blanched almond in each golden center. Sesame Quick Bread is crunchy and just sweet enough; try it toasted and accompanied by a spoonful of Plum Jelly. Sesame Pearl Cookies—buttery balls rolled in sesame seeds before baking—are delicious when dunked in hot tea.
For an exotic touch, make a batch of sweet-sour Candied Rind from the peel of grapefruit, oranges, or lemons. (The rind also makes an excellent edible decoration for cakes and other desserts.) And delectable Peking Walnuts—which caramelize during quick pan-frying—are so good you’ll want to have extra on hand to send home with your guests.
| Tea for Tots Children (and their Teddy bears!) will have a grand time at their own Tea for Tots. Serve fruit-flavored “tea” (no caffeine) accompanied by Chocolate-Chip Shortbread, or decorated Gingerbread Cookies and Cut-Out Cookies in a variety of whimsical shapes. |
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Baker’s Profile: The Brown Family  Cookies are a family affair for Jackie Brown and her three children Justen, 11, Morgan, 8, and Brandon, 6. Jackie and her family hail from Kelley, Iowa, and have been baking together since the children were as young as 3 years old. They share the baking bond with their cousins, who also made the kitchen their playground as kids. “It’s something we all enjoy,” says Jackie. “And we still bake together.” The love of collaborating in the kitchen is a signature of their family gatherings and has won the Brown family’s hearts. It also proves educational. Judging quantities and using fractions and units of measurement in practical ways have helped Jackie’s children with their math and problem-solving skills. The best part? They get to devour their homework!  Justen, Morgan, and Brandon took their baking to the competitive level when they and 50 other kids participated in in C&H Sugar’s “Creative Cookie” contest at the Iowa State Fair last summer. The Brown kids' sugar cookies, transformed into American flags, pigs, and other creations, caught the eyes of State Fair judges, who awarded the Brown children ribbons, medals, and cash prizes. As the Browns look forward to winning future contests with their tasty treats, they continue to remind us all that family gatherings can be sweet! |
