NATIONAL PEARS HELENE DAY

On March 15th, National Pears Hélène Day celebrates a food holiday about the delicious, smooth French dessert combining warm poached pears, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce.

Pears Hélène is a dessert made from pears poached in sugar syrup and served with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and crystallized violets. Around 1864, French Chef Auguste Escoffier created the dessert in honor of the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. 

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Over time, Pears Hélène simpler versions have been developed by substituting poached pears with canned pears and the delicate crystallized violets have been replaced with sliced almonds. These modifications have made it easier for more cooks to prepare this must-have dessert. 

FUN PEAR FACTS:

  • There are more than 3,000 varieties of pears grown in the world.
  • Washington, Oregon and Northern California grow more than 95% of the pears sold in the United States.
  • California grows 60% of all Bartlett pears in the United States.
  • Pears ripen best off of the tree.
  • They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well as copper, fiber, and potassium.
  • Pears are less allergenic than many other fruits.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPearsHeleneDay

Prepare a recipe of Pears Hélène. Add it to an elegant evening or make it to simply enjoy and celebrate the day. We’ve provided a recipe for you to try as well. Share your recipes, too!

Pears Belle Helene recipe.

Use #NationalPearsHeleneDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DAY

National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day on March 6th offers another way to celebrate one of our favorite desserts. 

Cheesecake is a sweet dessert that is a mixture of soft fresh cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs and sugar on a crust made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry or sponge cake. Cheesecakes can be prepared baked or unbaked and are often served topped with fruit, chocolate or whipped cream. There are many flavors in which cheesecakes can be prepared. However, this day honors the white chocolate cheesecake. 

Now, white chocolate is not chocolate in the strictest sense. It doesn’t contact cocoa solids. During the process of manufacturing chocolate, the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean separates from the fatty content. With milk or dark chocolate, these solids are reincarnated. However, when making white chocolate, these solids don’t return to the mixture. Additionally, white chocolate contains less caffeine than its darker counterparts. It also loses some of the health benefits as well since it tends to contain more fat and sugar. Add it to an already rich dessert and, well, decadence should be expected. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay

Make a white chocolate cheesecake to celebrate. We’ve provided several recipes to try. Or, visit your favorite bakery and give them a shoutout!

White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Fluffy White Chocolate Cheesecake
No-Bake WhiteChocolate Cheesecake
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

More Cheesecake…

Use #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL BANANA CREAM PIE DAY

The calendar loves pie days and National Banana Cream Pie Day is no exception! On March 2nd, be sure to get your slice of one of America’s all-time favorite creampies.

Remember, bananas are loaded with potassium!

The traditional custard pie was modified into a recipe that resulted in the appetizing and flavorful banana cream pie. Dating back to the 19th century, banana cream pie found its way into recipe books. Today, recipes fill cookbooks and flood the internet for this yummy pie. In the 1950s, soldiers of the United States Armed Services ranked the banana cream pie as one of their favorites. 

Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)

by Pyrex
Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)

by Pyrex

Banana and cream complement so many other flavors that bakers enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. Both chocolate and peanut butter pair well with bananas. Many other ingredients do as well. It should come as no surprise when exploring recipes when you discover the sheer number and variety to choose from. It’s a testament to just how much the banana cream pie is enjoyed and loved.

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pie & Pizza Server

by OXO

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HOW TO OBSERVE #BananaCreamPieDay

Spend a little time in your kitchen whipping up a delicious banana cream pie to share with your family and friends.

A banana cream pie can be made as simple as:

  • 1 box instant banana pudding  –  1 pkg cream cheese (softened)  –  2 large bananas – 1 container whipped topping – graham cracker crust
  • Mix pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk, cool in fridge until thickened.  With mixer, combine pudding and cream cheese until blended.  Slice bananas into graham cracker crust.  Spoon pudding mixture over bananas and top with whipped topping.  Chill for at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!!

Use #BananaCreamPieDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE DAY

National Chocolate Souffle Day celebrates a delightfully delicious dessert on February 28th each year. 

The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means “to blow up” or more loosely “puff up” which describes a souffle perfectly.  A souffle is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites that are combined with other ingredients to make the dish either a savory main dish or a sweet dessert.

Two essential components make up every souffle.

1.  a French creme patisserie base/flavored cream sauce or puree

2.  egg whites beaten to a  soft peak meringue

A souffle gets its flavor from the base, and the egg whites provide the lift to puff it up.  A variety of cheeses, jams, fruits or chocolates can be baked into the base of the souffle.  Many souffle bakers like to puncture the top of the souffle after removing it from the oven. Then they pour mouth-watering sauces onto it, such as chocolate, vanilla or for a savory flavor cheese and herbs.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateSouffleDay

Souffles offer an opportunity to show off and invite friends to share in the celebration. Put your skills to the test in the kitchen. Make one yourself, or enjoy one made by a professional. We would love to see how you celebrate the day!

Use #ChocolateSouffleDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

On February 1st, National Dark Chocolate Day reminds us to indulge a little. Many tout dark chocolate as the healthier chocolate. However, for some, it can be an acquired taste.

Also known as bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate is different from milk chocolate. Candy makers add milk or butter to milk chocolate, giving it a creamier consistency. Dark chocolate includes no added milk or butter. Instead, the percentage of cocoa solids remaining in the chocolate determines how dark the chocolate is. The higher the ratio, the darker the chocolate. It may also have a slightly bitter taste.

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. We have been cultivating cacao for at least three millennia, and the plant grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. Our earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds dates to around 1100 BC.

Fermentation helps develop the flavor of the cacao seeds. Otherwise, the seeds are too bitter to eat. Once fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. Processors then ground the cocoa nips into cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Next, they usually liquefy the cocoa mass and mold it with or without other ingredients. At this point in the process, it is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Besides being lower in calories and fat, dark chocolate has many other health benefits. It also serves as a decadent ingredient in many desserts and sauces.

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HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

Eat some dark chocolate. Bake with dark chocolate. Add dark chocolate to a savory dish. Share dark chocolate recipes. Host a dark chocolate tasting. Learn about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Use #NationalDarkChocolateDay on social media.