"holidya" news and stories

When I heard that Noah's Bagels and Einstein Bros. Bagels, which are owned by the same parent company, are introducing Candy Cane Bagels for the holidays, it didn't sound like an appealing concept. Cream cheese and peppermints? Not the best combination, especially not where breakfast food is concerned. Fortunately, the bagels are not mint-flavored at all, but merely shaped like candy canes. They are made of red and white potato doughs that are twisted together and bent into a hooked candy cane. They have a very light coating of powdered sugar, added partially for looks and partially to give it a little something to stand out from the ordinary bagels where flavor is concerned.

The company says that the bagels "taste as good as they look," but I'm not entirely sure that most bagel fans will like their look -- or the sugary coating -- when given the choice between one of these and a regular bagel. They are very cute, however, and would probably be well received at an office holiday party.

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I definitely do a lot more baking as the holidays approach, as do many of the people I know, and while the season is supposed to be one of indulgence, that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to eat really high-fat treats at every opportunity. When you're only baking high-fat cookies, this can be challenging, which is why a book like One Smart Cookie: All Your Favorite Cookies, Squares, Brownies and Biscotti ... With Less Fat! comes in handy. The book has over 200 recipes for lower fat versions of classic cookies that taste just as good, or perhaps even better, than their more fattening counterparts. All of the instructions are easy to follow and the book offers lots of variety, from Apple Pie Streusel Squares and Banana Bread Biscotti to Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Caramel Chunk Cookies, with lots of chocolate creations (usually the most popular, especially if served to a group) in between. Canadian bakers might want to take note that there is a recipe for lower fat Nanaimo Bars in here, and there are even some no bake recipes that the kids can safely help with.

And if you're worried that lower fat cookies will not live up to the standards of some of your favorites, check out the recipe for Reduced Fat Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies before committing to the entire book.

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Honey is a symbol of the sweet year ahead during the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, but it isn't an ingredient that gets as much respect as it deserves, largely because people tend to stick to the generic grocery store honeys. Now, it's not that there is anything wrong with a generic honey, but they do lack the nuances that many more specific varieties have to offer. These honeys often come from just one type of plant or one small area of land and, rather than just tasting sweet, they offer notes of berries, flowers, citrus and spices that can take a dessert - or even a piece of toast - to a new level. Epicurious picked out some of their favorites, which include:

• Black Sage Honey, mild with notes of apple and vanilla
• Star Thistle Honey, intensely floral
• Rosemary and Lavender Honey, very mildly herbal
• Javanese Island Honey Rambutan Blossom, strong taste of sandalwood and patchouli
• Forest Honey, dark and molasses-like

More can be found with the Honey Locator. You'll also be able to find some more exotic honeys by visiting a smaller, specialty grocer or perhaps just by taking a closer look at the labels at the supermarket. If you see more than one you like, you can always host your own honey tasting.