Category: Food

Gingerbread is strange.

Not the actual gingerbread itself but what people do with it. I can’t think of any baked good that people insist on making other things out of. We don’t make little eclair men with mischievous smiles, or build chocolate chip houses or hang brownies on trees as ornaments.

A number of people claim that they don’t like gingerbread when they’ve mostly had it as a flavor of tea, or an ingredient in ice cream, or baked hard and served as a cookie. I won’t say that everybody loves warm, moist gingerbread fresh from the oven, because we all know that there are people in the world with questionable taste, but I do question whether people who don’t like proper gingerbread are entirely trustworthy.

Here is a recipe adapted from King Arthur (kingarthurbaking.com).

Gingerbread

Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups (240 grams) whole-wheat flour
• ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – this will react with the acidic molasses and buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg – it’s much better if you grind your own
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon black or cayenne pepper – Penzeys makes a blend called Black & Red that I like
• ¾ cup (138 g) diced crystalized ginger

Wet ingredients:

• 8 Tablespoons (one stick) butter, melted
• ¾ cup (113 g) molasses
• ¼ ginger beer – many recipes will call for cold, black coffee, but the extra kick of ginger brings more zing to the party
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (227) buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 350º. Line either a 9×9” or a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients.

Mix the contents of the two bowls together.

Pour into the prepped baking pan, then bake. If you are using a square baking pan, it will probably take 50 minutes or so to bake to the point where a toothpick comes out clean. The larger pan will probably take 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the gingerbread cool for half an hour before cutting and serving. It is excellent with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or butter. If you are adventurous, try it smashed up in a bowl, topped with eggnog; you won’t be sorry.

Gingerbread is a cake that you don’t want to be too sweet. This version gets a little sweetness from the sugar, the crystalized ginger and the ginger beer, but mostly from the molasses. That adds a dark muskiness and a slightly bitter quality that complements the spices. This isn’t a celebration cake. It is a comfort cake to eat late in the afternoon, in the gathering dark, as the snow starts to fall. Eating it will bring a cat to sit in your lap, even if you don’t own a cat.

Featured photo: Gingerbread. Photo by John Fladd.

Where to get all the holiday must-haves

Why make the pie when you can order it? Here are some of the restaurants, bakeries and other places making eats for your holiday celebrations. Know of a pie purveyor not mentioned here? Let us know at [email protected] for inclusion in an upcoming Weekly Dish.

• Let All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) cater this Christmas with appetizers like Buffalo chicken dip ($25) and BBQ bourbon meatballs ($38), full moon empanadas, enchiladas, quiches, salads, lasagna, gluten-free ravioli, chicken Parmesan and maple apple pork loin, and desserts such as lemon bars, cheesecake and blueberry coffee cake.

• In addition to gift baskets and daily specials, Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop ( 815 Chestnut St. in Manchester; angelaspastaandcheese.com, 625-9544) offers items for order including antipasto and cheese platters, salads, heat and serve dinners and desserts. Call to order and check with the website for holiday updates.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St.) has cupcakes, pies — apple, lemon meringue, pumpkin pecan crumble and more — pastry trays with mini eclairs, cream puffs, cannolis and chocolate-covered strawberries and specialty desserts available for carry out and curbside pickup. Visit their website, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com, or call 624-3500.

• Bearded Baking Co’s (819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150; 580 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6878, beardedbakingco.com) December cupcakes are chocolate peppermint bark, Christmas tree snack cake, gingerbread man, eggnog, rumchata cinnamon toast crunch, and milk and cookies. Visit their website to place your order.

• Bread & Chocolate (29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330) has a variety of offerings such as honey poppyseed bread, chocolate caramel bars, molasses cookies and more. Visit their Facebook page @Bread&Chocolate.

• Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St., Hollis, brookdalefruitfarm.com, 465-2240) has plenty of pies for dessert, usually offering apple, pecan, pumpkin and more.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, buckleysbakerycafe.com, 262-5929) is taking orders through Monday, Dec. 18, for cakes, like vanilla eggnog cake for $46 and chocolate peppermint cheesecake for $36; Yule logs, hot cocoa for $45 and gluten-free raspberry white chocolate for $48; pies, like apple for $22 and chocolate peanut butter for $32; pastries and more, like cinnamon pull-apart bread and breakfast pastry tray.

Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522, buckleysbakerycafe) has appetizers such as raspberry baked brie ($20) and New England lobster dip ($30), main meals such as boneless prime rib ($29 per pound) and beef tenderloin roast ($36 per pound). Orders must be placed by Sunday, Dec. 17.

• Items on The Cake Fairy’s (114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, cakefairynh.com) December menu — cookie trays, pies, cheesecake, whoopie pie towers and more — will be available for preorder and walk-ins throughout December. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, special first come, first served items will be available including DIY cookie decorating kits.

• Chez Vachon’s(136 Kelley St., Manchester, chezvachon.com, 625-9660) holiday menu includes fruit and cream pies — pumpkin mousse, Key lime, apple, lemon chiffon and others — meat pies, and cakes like pistachio, apple spice and cookies and cream.

• On the menu at The Common Man (Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Camp, 298 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Lakehouse, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 1 Gulf St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; thecman.com) is a glazed ham dinner with mashed potatoes, pesto green beans, Parmesan-crusted dinner rolls and cheesecake with mixed berry compote; herb-roasted prime rib dinner with sweet potato casserole, sweet bread and more with cheesecake with mixed berry compote also for dessert. Enhancements include pecan pie for $19.95, peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail for $28.95 and more. Orders must be placed by Tuesday, Dec. 19, and can be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 23, or Sunday, Dec. 24, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

• Caroline’s Fine Foods (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, carolinesfood.com, 637-1615) is taking orders until 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15. Appetizers include pizzetti with port-poached figs, Gorgonzola and balsamic glaze ($30) and brie en croute with raspberry and thyme ($55). Entrees (each serve eight to 10 people) are pork ballotine stuffed with sausage herb and apple stuffing ($155), roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish cream sauce ($215). Sides are roasted butternut squash ($65), carrot confit ($70) and more. Orders can be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 23, between noon and 3 p.m.

• Call Concord Food Co-op (24 South Main St., Concord, concordfoodcoop.coop, 225-6840) to place your catering order. The catering menu includes hors d’oeuvres like stuffed mushrooms and edamame dumplings, salads like pasta salad, strawberry spinach and Caesar, luncheon platters, breakfast platters and dessert platters and entrees such as baked salmon, tofu stir-fry and homemade lasagna.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders until Sunday, Dec. 17, for breakfast and dinner and dessert options such as cinnamon rolls, French toast casserole, ham dinner, short ribs, cannolis and Yule logs. Orders must be picked up on Sunday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, crosbybakerynh.com, 882-1851) is offering rolls and breads, pies from apple to blueberry to pecan and pumpkin, meat pies, sandwich, salad roll and breakfast, pastry and cookie platters, Yule logs and cakes.

• The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, thecrustandcrumb.com)has breads and breakfast items, such as cinnamon buns, dark gingerbread tea cake and old-fashioned sour cream coffee cake; pies, like Key lime, pumpkin and maple bourbon pecan; quiches, such as bacon cheddar and spinach, tomato and feta; and cakes such as cheesecake, citrus spice mousse cake, chocolate raspberry layer cake and more available for order through Friday, Dec. 15. Orders can be picked up at various times on Friday, Dec. 22, through Sunday, Dec. 24.

• The Fresh Chef Press’s (775 Canal St., Manchester, freshchefmp.com) holiday catering menu consists of honey baked ham, mac and cheese, sides such as prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, red bliss mashed potatoes with onion, garlic and parsley, dips like spinach artichoke dip, salsa and guacamole, and a charcuterie board, cookie platter and mini flans.

• Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co. (2 Industrial Way, Salem, fabrizialemonbakingcompany.com, 458-1745) has a variety of limoncello desserts such as cookies, whoopie pies, truffles, cake jars and more.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; 270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323, giorgios.com) has a catering menu that includes Caesar, strawberry goat cheese and other salads, appetizers like hummus, mussels and crispy cheese ravioli, subs and tacos and entrees like lasagna, mushroom ravioli carbonara, baked haddock, butcher shop classics such as grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, steak and chicken and mini desserts like cannolis and tiramisu. Place your order for the Milford or Manchester locations online. To order from the Merrimack location, call the restaurant.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren Road, Concord, granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has a variety of Christmas candy and chocolate including white peppermint bark, chocolate snowmen and Santas, candy canes, spice drops, ribbon candy, gum drops, malt balls and more.

• Greenleaf in Milford (greenleafmilford.com) is taking pre-orders for Christmas with meals such as peppercorn- and rosemary-glazed ham, chicken breasts with chimichurri, and beef tenderloin, and desserts like apple galette with salted caramel, holiday Yule cake and cranberry swirl cheesecake slices. Orders must be placed by Wednesday, Dec. 20, and picked up on Saturday, Dec. 23, between 4 and 8 p.m. at their prep kitchen in Milford (75 Mount Vernon St.)

• Gusto Italiano Market (254 Wallace Road, Bedford, gustoitalianomarket.net, 488-1055) has olive oils, homemade gelato and pasta from the south of Italy, panettone, torrone, Italian cold cuts and more to add to your Christmas feast.

• Contact LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst; 14 Route111, Derry; 672-9898 ) online to cater your Christmas meal.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com) is offering 10 percent off all party trays — with flavors like Philly cheese steak, taco, shrimp scampi and broccoli alfredo mac — throughout December.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, taphousenh.com, 782-5137) has French-Canadian meat pie, almond joy cheesecake, cookie and brownie tray, carrot cake and rolls by the dozen available for order by Friday, Dec. 15, and pickup on Saturday, Dec. 23, and Sunday, Dec. 24, by 5 p.m.

• Queen City Cupcakes (816 Elm St., Manchester, qccupcakes.com, 624-4999) has a variety of holiday cupcake flavors including peppermint hot cocoa, red velvet, sugar cookie, eggnog, gingerbread whoopie, cranberry lemon and more available for pickup on Saturday, Dec. 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call ahead to reserve yours.

• On the menu at Red Arrow Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088, redarrowdiner.com) are cakes and pies, like almond raspberry cake and apple, pumpkin and banana cream pie, and a turkey dinner Christmas special with stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots and squash. Call or go online to order.

• The Red Blazer’s(72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) Christmas catering menu consists of beef tips, spaghetti, sweet Italian sausage with marinara, broiled haddock and more. Dessert options include a Yule log, pumpkin cheesecake and hot chocolate cake. There is a three-day lead time for all orders. Orders can be picked up on Sunday, Dec. 24.

• Smoke Shack Cafe (226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, smokeshackcafe.com, 404-2178) has holiday season offerings that can be incorporated into existing packages or you can create a custom package. Smoked ham, smoked prime rib and bacon-wrapped turkey breast are available a la carte, and sides include butternut squash, brown sugar glazed carrots, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and more. Two meal packages are offered. Package 1 feeds six to eight people and includes smoked ham, two large sides, six pieces of cornbread and a half tray of salad for $157.99. Package 2 feeds eight to 12 and comes with smoked ham, six large sides, 12 pieces of cornbread and a full salad try. Nine-inch apple, cranberry, pumpkin and chocolate cream pies are also available. Orders must be placed by Wednesday, Dec. 20, and can be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 23, between 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 24, between 9 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

• Sweet Caroline (28 Homestead Place, Alton, sweetcarolinebakerynh.com) is taking orders through Sunday, Dec. 10, for items on their holiday dessert menu like a Yule log that serves about 12 people for $41.95, an 8-inch or 10-inch red velvet cake, carrot cake, raspberry mocha cake and others. Pastry trays and cookie platters are also available as well as pies such as apple blueberry, ricotta, lemon meringue and more.

• Van Otis Chocolates (vanotis.com, 341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611; 15 S. Main St., Wolfeboro, 515-1045) has countless treats for your holiday feast, like white chocolate kettle corn, cherry cordials, cream wafers, peppermint bark, caramel hot chocolate and more.

Gift ideas

• Send 10 portions of meals from All Real Meal (allrealmeal.com, 782-3014) packaged in their “You Are Loved” cooler bag to family and friends this holiday season. Meals include grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, their bestselling desserts, high-protein sides and a snack including organic popcorn, chocolates and/or protein bites. You can include a personalized message to be sent with your order.

• Cucina Aurora Kitchen Witchery (9 Delaware Drive, Suite 1, in Salem cucinaaurora.com, 458-6159) has limited-edition seasonal offerings available, like an infused olive oil gift set consisting of two 12-ounce bottles of their bestselling infused olive oils, roasted garlic and rosemary oregano. Each box comes with a booklet of holiday recipes; a 12-ounce glass bottle of savory sage infused olive oil; and a 12-ounce resealable packed of Witch’s Brew Coffee Holiday Brew, dark roast coffee grounds with peppermint leaves, cocoa nibs and pink peppercorn.

• Emilee Viaud of Sweet Treats by Emilee will be attending the Milford Farmers Market (300 Elm St., Milford) on Saturdays, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16, selling popular items such as chocolate gingerbread smash houses, snowmen hot cocoa bombs, new hot cocoa cups and tea bombs. “Tea bombs are a sugar shell filled with flavored tea bags and edible glitter,” Viaud said. “You pour hot water over the bomb and the sugar melts to create a cup of sweet glittery tea. Popular flavors are passion tea, orange, chai and green tea.” Her products can also be found at the Manchester Craft Market in the Mall of New Hampshire (1500 S. Willow St., Manchester) and at Junction 71 in Pennichuck Shopping Square in Merrimack (707 Milford Road). You can find her on Facebook @SweetTreatsbyEmilee.

• Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co. (2 Industrial Way, Salem, fabrizialemonbakingcompany.com, 458-1745) is offering five Christmas gift boxes this holiday season: The Kris Kringle Box, the Holiday Cheer Box, Cookie Sharing Box, Holiday Grande Cheer Box and the Holiday Deluxe box, each filled with an assortment of with limoncello treats such as cookies, biscotti, candy, truffles limoncello cranberry pistachio bark, 16-ounce loaves and more, ranging from $49.99 to $99.99. Each box has the option of coming with a personalized holiday themed note. Orders are available for pickup or delivery.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren Road, Concord, granitestatecandyshoppe.com), also has gift boxes available with milk and dark chocolate, truffles, peanut butter cups, dark peppermint patties and more.

• Gusto Italiano Market (254 Wallace Road, Bedford, gustoitalianomarket.net, 488-1055) has olive oils, homemade gelato and pasta from the south of Italy and more gifts for the holiday season that can be bought at their location in Bedford.

• Lindsey Bangs of I Whisked It (iwhiskedit.com) will be offering hot chocolate bombs, homemade marshmallows, brownie mix gift sets, chocolate-covered pretzels, and German stollen for online ordering. Cakes and cupcakes will also be available for pickup at the Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies and Loon Chocolate showroom in Manchester (195 McGregor St., Suite 121) on Saturday, Dec. 23. Pre-orders will close on Monday, Dec. 11, or when sold out. She will also be selling her products at the Very Merry Holiday Gift Festival at the DoubleTree by Hilton (700 Elm St., Manchester) on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10.

• Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford, theeducationalfarm.org, 472-4724) has holiday gift boxes for $50 and $100 with an assortment of local and artisan products, like apple cider doughnut mix, maple almonds, maple syrup and infused olive oil. You can fill your own box or pick one of the prefilled options. Each box has a prep time of five days and orders can be picked up at the store.

• The Manchester Craft Market in the Mall of New Hampshire (1500 S Willow St., Manchester) has an array of food-related gifts, such sauces and dips, coffee, tea, freeze-dried candy, maple candy, maple syrup, olive oils, james, jellies, granola, risottos, fudge, peanut brittle, and accessories like chef knives, charcuterie boards, travel mugs, oven mitts, cookbooks and more.

• More sweets are available from Twelve 31 Events (twelve31.events) for delivery or pickup at their Concord location (100 N. Main St., Suite 101, Concord) or their Tilton location (261 Main St., Tilton). Each box of a dozen Italian Christmas cookies is filled with an assortment of kinds, including anisette, ginger, snowballs, pistachio macaroons, honey walnut and chocolate espresso.They will be available for pickup or delivery until Sunday, Dec. 24.

• Van Otis Chocolates (vanotis.com) has a variety of gift baskets to choose from, including the Christmas Gift Basket Box that consists of assorted chocolates, salted cashews, Swiss fuge, caramels and a five-pack of chocolate-covered pretzel rods, and the Holiday Tiered Tower. Call to place your order (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611; 15 S Main St., Wolfeboro, 515-1045).

Eat your way through the Currier and Ives Cookie Tour

By Betty Gagne
[email protected]

The 18th Annual Currier and Ives Cookie Tour is taking place on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Monadnock region.

This self-guided tour encompasses a number of local businesses and offers visitors and shoppers a unique holiday experience by serving homemade baked cookies at each stop. Participants include restaurants, farms, gift shops, a winery, a brewery, a historical society, a library and more, all within a 3-mile radius. Businesses participating in the tour are in Jaffrey, Rindge, Marlborough, Troy, Fitzwilliam, New Ipswich and Swanzey.

Tickets for the tour are $20 and can be purchased at the Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, the Park Theatre in Jaffrey, and Frogg Brewing in Swanzey.

Each facility is festively decorated and will offer baked goods. An admission ticket includes a map of all the stops on the tour, and those who visit at least 10 participating businesses will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate that can be redeemed at any stop on the tour.

According to Holly LeClair, Marketing Director at the Inn at East Hill Farm, the cookie tour came together 18 years ago when the owner of the inn attended a similar type of event in the White Mountains and got the idea to start one in the Monadnock region.

“It’s a fun day for people to do something enjoyable with family for the holidays,” she said. “Over 300 tickets were sold last year.”

Each stop on the tour will provide their cookie recipes for collecting. This year Frogg Brewing will hold an outdoor German Christmas Market on the day of the cookie tour featuring more than 30 area small businesses, as well as food, beer and a three-piece German band.

A portion of the proceeds for the tour goes to Feeding Tiny Tummies, a resource center in Keene that distributes more than 10,000 meals per week. See feedingtinytummies.com.

Currier and Ives Cookie Tour
When: Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Locations in Jaffrey, Rindge, Marlborough, Troy, Fitzwilliam, New Ipswich and SwanzeyJaffrey, Rindge, Marlborough, Troy, Fitzwilliam, New Ipswich and Swanzey
Cost: $20; tickets can be purchased at Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, Park Theatre in Jaffrey, and Frogg Brewing in Swanzey
More information: A list of participating businesses, a map of all the stops, cookie recipes from past years and a compilation of frequently asked questions about the 2023 Currier and Ives Cookie Tour are at currierandivescookietour.com.