[Photographs: Lucy Baker] As I've learned over the past month, you can make a pumpkin version of just about anything, including beer, whoopie pies, and chili. But what really compares to a perfect pumpkin muffin? Especially one that is warm and spicy and slathered with cream cheese? There are plenty of pumpkin muffin mixes on the market, as well as a host of mixes for pumpkin quick breads that can easily be baked in a muffin pan. But most of them leave me disappointed. Too often, they are one-dimensional in flavor—all pumpkin puree with no substance to back it up. I wanted a more satisfying muffin, one vaguely reminiscent of bran versions, with the nutty taste of whole-wheat and...
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I must confess I have never been a big fan of scones. Given the choice I'd much rather have a banana-nut muffin or a chocolate croissant. But recently, I discovered that my favorite specialty food store in Brooklyn, Sahadi's, carries clotted cream. And nothing is a better vehicle for thick, buttery schmears of clotted cream than tender, crumbly scones. While scones certainly aren't difficult to make from scratch, I was intrigued by the different versions of King Arthur mix available at my supermarket: cherry-almond, cranberry-orange, maple-oat, blueberry, and cream tea. (A quick online investigation revealed that the King Arthur website had even more enticing options, including peaches & cream, whole grain gingerbread, and even pina colada.) All are $6.95....
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King Arthur Flour is suffering the heartbreak of a broken relationship with Trader Joe's. The symbiotic match—they needed a wider distribution and Trader Joe’s needed a quality flour—ended because Joe is ready to stock his own in-house brand flour. [via The Kitchn]...
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My mom's version of Monkey Bread; my version from the King Arthur Flour mix Every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember, my mom would make her version of classic Monkey Bread using Pillsbury dough, with at least a stick of butter and a cup of sugar (if not double of both). I have such fond memories of the bread that I set out to recreate it with the King Arthur Flour Classic Monkey Bread Mix ($12.50, williams-sonoma.com) and its accompanying baking mold ($29.95, williams-sonoma.com). This mix is not about saving time or saving calories; start to finish the process was approximately 3 1/2 hours, including waiting time (and lots of cleaning). For a good laugh, I...
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