National Candied Orange Peel Day is observed annually on May 4th. Candied Orange Peels are a boiled, sliced and sugared treat.
Chefs and bakers like using them to add bright flavor to dishes as well as beautiful garnishes. Often used in holiday baking such as cookies and fruitcakes, they also add flavor to other foods as well. Add them to granola, tarts, and other pastries. You can also enjoy them as a snack on their own.
Dip the candied orange peel in milk or dark chocolate for a decadent candy. Not only is it delicious but it’s also a fanciful gift anyone would appreciate.
HOW TO OBSERVE #CandiedOrangePeelDay
Have you ever enjoyed candied orange peel? Pick up some fresh oranges and reserve the rinds to make this treat at home. There are so many ways to use it and it can be frozen to save any extra. Use #CandiedOrangePeelDay to post on social media.
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!
On November 17th, homes will fill with warm, comforting aromas reminding us to slow down and enjoy National Homemade Bread Day.
Yeast bread calls for us to slow down. We need to spend time with each other as we work the dough and let it rest and rise before baking. Quick breads allow a special treat to share and enjoy with coffee or tea. Other homemade breads, such as donuts, pretzels, muffins, and biscuits, add variety to our everyday meals. And making them with friends and family brings joy and an opportunity to exchange recipes.
Those who make homemade bread commit to using good ingredients and investing in the time. They make it not only because they love the flavor, but because they know the people they love to do also. Homemade bread enriches the flavors of our meals and the flavors of our conversations, too.
Bread is full of symbolism around the world, across cultures and religions. In our lives, bread is valuable. We consider our livelihood to be our daily bread. We are making it, breaking it, consuming it as part of our faith. Bread can be exciting if it’s sliced or boring if it’s white. There’s a bonus bread, too. However, it seems a bit messy if it’s buttered on both sides. Then again, when we roll in the dough, it’s messy, too. Bake it, and it becomes heavy bread, but it means the same thing.
The National Homemade Bread Committee from Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded National Homemade Bread Day to encourage families to enjoy making homemade bread. The day has been celebrated since the early 1980s.
Take out your recipe box and get to baking. Or find a few new recipes like the ones below. It’s the best thing since sliced bread! Its best when still warm from the oven! When you make bread, don’t forget to use some for homemade croutons, too.
