All Mighty Words

Nibbling chocolate and sipping icewine (Canadian spelling), sounds like a great idea, but the exercise can be disappointing. According to some experts, chocolate goes much better with vintage port Banyuls from southwestern France. Desserts that contain chocolate and citric acid go well with icewines, particularly sparkling icewines, which is pure Canadian invention.

Ontario wineries now produce icewine from Vidal, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. The 1999 vintage Gewurztraminer icewine from Stoney Ridge won a double gold in Verona, Italy a few years ago and is still available at the winery boutique at reasonable cost.

Most icewine connoisseurs think Riesling icewine to be superior to any other, and in fact they go very well with dessert containing citrus, like caramelised tangerines, citrus fruit salads or compotes.,

Ginger and pear cake could be matched with a Vidal icewine, but Riesling would elevate this ingenious cake to heavenly heights. If you want to go very fancy you can cerate an icewine sabayon and sprinkle it with a few raspberries to see how divine this combination can get. Sabayon requires egg yolk, a sprinkling of sugar, a little icewine, a bain marie, and a lot of elbow grease.

An expertly made tarte tatin (an upside down stove top apple pie) is an excellent match with an iced apple wine, the equivalent of grape icewine. It is considerably less expensive, but to some, even more satisfying than regular icewine. Gewurztraminer icewines are best on their own to appreciate their delicacy and fine exotic fruitiness!
If you want an exquisite experience, try fresh a peach, apricot, pineapple and raspberry salad with a Chardonnay icewine.

When it comes to chocolate, expertly made milk chocolate truffles go well with Vidal icewines, although Vignole (another hybrid planted in New York State’s Finger Lake region) can also be a fine match.

Some wineries make icewine from grapes frozen in freezers. They are just sweet and possibly drinkable, but not be compared to icewine that are made from grapes frozen on the vine.

Icewine is nature’s gift and a celebration of mankind’s ingenuity to create a divine wine. Enjoy this truly nectar of the gods in the right context and the right time to appreciate its delicacy.

Article contributed by Hrayr Berberoglu, a Professor Emeritus of Hospitality and Tourism Management specializing in Food and Beverage. Books by H. Berberoglu

By: Gabriel Adams

Don’t you just love strawberries? They are so succulent and bittersweet. And they compliment so many foods, snacks and deserts. And yes, especially deserts!

One of the first things you think of when it comes to strawberries is strawberry shortcake! Nowadays, you can buy the little cakes at the store in a package. Simply slice up the strawberries in some simple syrup (sugar and water), put them on the cakes, and put on some whipped cream topping! You’re good to go, and wow is it delish!

Strawberries are a great topping for any cake, basically, but especially angel food cake! Angel food cake is light and fluffy and has a unique texture unlike any other cake. And yes, this red, juicy fruit goes just as well with this kind of cake as it does with shortcake!

What about ice cream? You can get low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt and top it with strawberries! You don’t have to mix the fruit with syrup this time, either, since the ice cream gives you the sweet flavor to balance out the sour in the strawberry. If you do want some liquid to cover the ice cream, you can mash up some strawberries in water (without sugar), for a healthy syrup! Tastes just as good—without the extra carbs and calories!

How about a good old strawberry pie? There are many ways to make strawberry pie, but one way is to buy strawberry pie filling, combine it with freshly sliced strawberries, and put it in a pre-made graham cracker crust (or a regular pie crust)! Yummy! Of course, you MUST serve it with whipped cream topping or ice cream (or both, if you’re really feeling adventurous!). Take it easy, too—this particular choice is high calorie!

Strawberries are great with sundaes. You can put them in with your favorite sundae toppings, like nuts, bananas, chocolate syrup, and so on!

And of course, everyone loves strawberry cheesecake! This is really easy to make! All you have to do it buy a cheesecake kit from the store and make it in a pie tin. No baking is required, although, you do have to put it in the fridge so it can set. When you serve it with strawberries (mixed in simple syrup) and whipped cream (optional), it is simply “to die for”! Might be a little rough on the waistline—oh, but what a way to go!

Strawberries are also a must in fruit salad. Combine them either whole or sliced with your favorite fruits. This can include pineapple, sliced apple, mandarin oranges, banana slices, grapes, or any other fruit you can think of! This too, tastes absolutely stunning with whipped cream. Walnuts really go well with this treat, as well!

I bet you could go for some parfait in the morning, or for a mid-day snack! Strawberries are a must, here, too! Take low fat yogurt and throw in your favorite fruits, sliced up. Then top it with granola and we’re talking healthy, mouth-watering goodness! This is a good alternative to having the ice cream or other deserts, too, since it’s easier to incorporate into your diet!

Strawberries and other fruits are also great with fondue, but watch it—that chocolate can be pretty high cal! And remember, fruit has carbs of its own! So always moderate with sweets!

Enjoy all of your favorite snacks and deserts, and don’t forget the strawberries!

Wedding is considered to be the dream of every person. Most of the couples would just have a fair and normal wedding with some nice wedding apparels and a classic wedding cake as wedding cakes are considered to be the essential element of every wedding. There are varieties of cute, tasty and beautiful available in the market but every person dreamt to have unique cake at their wedding.

There are dozens of ways all together, to be distinctive in the wedding and one has really only got an option of a different dress or a unique wedding cake, and a lot of couples choose showing their variety through having a very stupendous and delightful wedding cake.

The history of wedding cake

The traditional wedding cake calls for a multi-layered and just vanilla-flavored simple cake. This cake would have some edible flowers that adorn the sides. These flowers again have some bride and groom figurine on their tops. It has its own value in traditionally performed weddings.

However, as the change of time, a lot of things change and revolution came with no field being exception including the wedding cakes. Tradition will have to allow ways to the new traditions and fashions and styles. Incidentally, the wedding cake tradition has also been impressed by the changes in times and hence, nowadays, wedding cake, not being only restricted to vanilla flavor, comes in numerous flavors and colors with whatever the shape you demand and wish.

Effective element

If anyone truly wants the wedding cake to label as something different and really wants to have something at the wedding that the guests got to talk about the same for the years to come, they should consider some of the stupefying wedding cakes for inspiration.

One might have noticed some very alone “box” type wedding cakes. However, it is not meant that such cake was just shaped like a box; one of such wedding cakes would be a three layered cake and also each of those layers would be decorated like some different and completed with bows. Another cake that could be shaped and detailed decorated as an open hatbox that has some flowers spilling out of the cake.

Author: Dr John Anne

“And we all want some figgy pudding,
And we all want some figgy pudding,
And we all want some figgy pudding.
And we want it right now!”

Here’s a recipe for old fashioned `figgy pudding’, not to be confused with the usual Christmas pudding, because it contains no raisins or sultanas. I have added glace cherries to the recipe for color, but you can leave them out if you want this recipe to be truly traditional.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped dried dates
2 cups chopped dried figs
Thinly pared rind of one large lemon and one large orange, plus the squeezed juices
A handful glace cherries
1 tablespoon mixed spice (not allspice)
2 cups self raising flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup treacle (molasses)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup melted butter.

Mix fruits, juices and peel with treacle and leave stand while you prepare the dry ingredients. Mix flour. mixed spice (as much as you want, I like lots!) and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Crack in the eggs, add cream and melted butter. Beat the ingredients in the center of the mixture, working in the flour, spice and sugar until it is well blended. Add the fruits and treacle and stir well together. You can add silver coins and charms at this stage.

Turn the mixture into a well greased pudding bowl, cover the dish with foil, and place in a steamer or large saucepan with water coming halfway up the side of the pudding bowl. Cover and steam for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the the pudding through the foil comes out clean. Serve with brandy custard or cream.

You can also bake this as a cake for about 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Make sure the cake dish is lined to prevent burning. I like to use a bundt ring cake pan so I can decorate the cake like a Christmas wreath.

“We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year!”

Author: Gail Kavanagh

We live in a world where extremely high levels of productivity and performance are needed to survive and move up in the urban jungle. One of the biggest drawbacks of this immense competition has to be the effect of stress on human health. In many cases, extremely high productivity is achieved at the cost of putting the body on the line, physically or mentally. However, nature offers us treatment against these health drawbacks. Among them comes in the form of fruit. Studies have shown that pomegranates have beneficial effects on health. Thanks to the many antioxidants which can be found in pomegranates, this fruit is highly nutritious. The pomegranate is, for some, an uncommon fruit. However, the powers of these fruits filled with seeds (also known as ‘arils’) should not be underestimated. The pomegranate offers the body vitamins and important minerals. Nutritious and delicious, pomegranates should have a substantial role in the day to day diet.

What are pomegranates?

Pomegranate is the fruit of a shrub that grows primarily in warn climate regions and has been cultivated in parts of Mediterranean and Asia for a long time now, although it’s cultivated in virtually every part of the world where the climate allows.The fruit is characterized by its rather tough exterior peel which encloses a large number of seeds. Folk Mythology indicates that the fruit has 365 seeds although observation suggests that the total number of seeds can vary from 329 to 1000

Benefits of pomegranates

Pomegranate is rich in Vitamin C, Folic Acid and Polyphenols which are the basis of the claim that pomegranate being rich in nutrients. Polyphenols find use as anti-oxidizing agents and remove free radicals from the human skin that help in strengthening the human immune system, along with having anti-inflammatory benefits. One of the most publicized benefits of pomegranate is that it helps slow down skin wrinkling. Because of this, pomegranate finds extensive use in anti-aging creams. Recent research has also shown that pomegranate can help reduce the deterioration of cartilage, helping slow down osteoarthritis. And extensive studies have also shown that pomegranate helps increase the blood flow to the heart helping those affected with ischermic heart disease.

With so many benefits of the seeded fruit coming to light, one can infer that Mediterranean fruit pomegranate does indeed have significant health effects. Pomegranate can be consumed in raw form or in the form of a concentrated juice, which is both nutritious and tasty. In addition, pomegranate health supplements are available in the form of tablets, which remove the less useful ingredients of the fruit such as sugar and calories. So go ahead and grab this Mediterranean delight and take a step ahead for a much healthier tomorrow.

Author: Anjaana Suraj

July 4 is not only the birthday of our great country, it is also a day synonymous with the 5Fs; family, friends, fun, fireworks and food. And we diabetics don’t want to be cheated on the food part of the celebration! Following, I have pulled together some great recipes that are suitable for diabetics and I believe, excellent dessert ideas for your Fourth of July celebrations.

AMERICANA PARFAITS

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 small package strawberry-flavored sugar-free gelatin

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

ice cubes

3/4 cup frozen sugar-free whipped topping, thawed

Wash fruit and pat dry on a paper towel; set aside. Reserve 3 strawberries with leaves still attached. Reserve 6 blueberries and set aside with the 3 strawberries. Get six parfait glasses and divide the remaining fruit evenly between them. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir boiling water into gelatin. Stir at least two minutes to dissolve gelatin completely. Put cold water in a two-cup measuring cup and add ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups. Add to the gelatin and stir until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining bits of the ice cubes. Pour out 3/4 cup of the gelatin and set aside. Pour the remaining gelatin evenly over the fruit in the six parfait glasses. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set but not firm. Using a wire whisk, stir whipped topping into the remaining gelatin until smooth. Spoon over gelatin in parfait glasses. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Before serving, top half the glasses with the reserved strawberries and half with the reserved blueberries.

OREO COOKIE DESSERT

2 small pkgs sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

3 cups low-fat milk

8-oz light cream cheese, softened

8-oz carton frozen sugar-free whipped topping, thawed

16 Oreo sugar-free cookies, broken into pieces

Mix together pudding mix and milk on low speed of electric mixer; add cream cheese and mix until well blended. Add whipped topping and mix well with a large spoon (do not use mixer). Add cookie pieces and mix in. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

SUNSHINE CUPS

3/4 cup boiling water

1 small pkg sugar-free orange gelatin

1/2 cup cold orange juice

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1 small can mandarin oranges, rinsed and drained

Put dry gelatin into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in boiling water and still at least two minutes until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in juice and cold water. Refrigerate approximately 1 1/2 hours until thickened to the point that a spoon drawn through the mixture leaves a definite impression.

Take 3/4 cup of the thickened mixture out and set aside. Stir raspberries and orange segments into the remaining gelatin mixture. Pour into 6 serving dishes or into 1 larger bowl. Beat the reserved gelatin on high speed of electric mixer until fluffy and approximately doubled in volume. Spoon over gelatin. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.

If you don’t mind heating up the oven–I suggest doing this early in the day–try these apple dumplings. We all know Apple Pie is considered very American but why not show your family and friends how creative you are by changing things up a little and going with Apple Dumplings instead?

APPLE DUMPLINGS

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup low-fat milk

5 cups chopped apples

1 cup Equal Sugar-Lite

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut flour into shortening as if making a pie crust. Add milk. Make into a dough and roll out into a rectangle. Add Equal and cinnamon to apples and mix together. Spread apple mixture over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style and cut into slices. Place into a baking pan and pour sauce over all. Bake 1 hour.

To make sauce: Bring to boiling:

2/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup Splenda and 1 1/2 cups boiling water

NOTE: The sauce in this recipe uses 1/2 cup sugar. You can substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or go with the sugar if you don’t like the applesauce results. But be aware of this when fitting this recipe into your diet!

CHERRY DELIGHT

1 sugar-free angel food cake

1 pkg (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened

1 small pkg sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp Splenda

1 can lite cherry pie filling or no-sugar-added cherry pie filling

1 small carton sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/3 cup chopped pecans, if desired for garnish

Tear cake into bite size pieces and lay on bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Mix pudding according to package directions and refrigerate until set. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and Splenda into the pudding. Pour mixture over top of cake pieces. Spread pie filling over pudding mixture. Top with whipped topping. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top. Refrigerate 1 hour before cutting to serve.

So whether you are diabetic or will be entertaining diabetics, try one of these easy, delicious recipes and enjoy dessert without feeling guilty or sabatoging your diet. Happy Holiday!

Author: Linda Wilson

Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan may have immortalised the Banarasi paan but this palate cleanser and mouth freshener has always been Paan - Hyderabadan inherent part of the city’s culinary temptations. The seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan is also said to have been quite fond of the paandaan, a casket used to store these betel leaves. No wonder then that Hyderabad has a good mix of small Paan Dabbas as well as special paan boutiques. Here is a list of some popular ones in the city.

PVS Paan Mahal
Paradise Circle, Secunderabad.

If there was a place that could be defined as an opulent Paan Shop this would be it. It has a menu where you can take your pick from with the ingredients like supari, gulkand, qiwam, kattha, chuna and tobacco on display like it were a showroom. In terms of varieties you can choose from sada (simple), meetha (sweet) to the maghai (the twin variety), rampiyari, baba kashmiri etc. Their kalkatta meetha paan is quite a mouthful. They also serve a designer paan with real silver and gold waraq (silver leaf) and it costs a mind boggling Rs. 2,500. Also available outside are the very enticing ice golas (ice candies) which go perfectly with the paan. This place also has a huge collection of international cigars.

Dimmy Paan Palace
Sindhi Colony, Prenderghast Road, Secunderabad.

Made on the lines of PVS Paan Mahal, Dimmy Paan Palace is another designer paan shops in the city. This place has more of an evening hangout feel to it with chaat, sandwiches, ice golas and soft drinks also available here. Their specialty is the kalkatta meenakshi paan which has a minty flavour and is filled with elaichi (cardamom). Do try their rampiyari as well and do not forget to ask for soft supari (bhuna hua chaliya) in your paan if you are not too keen on teeth-grinding. We recommend the kalkatta meetha paan with extra gulkand (rose sugar), saunf (fennel), elaichi, laung (clove) and kesar (saffron) for the complete experience. This place also has a good collection of international cigarettes and cigars.

Blue Diamond Paan Shop
Near LB Stadium, Basheerbagh, Hyderabad.

For a feel of the old neighbourhood corner paan dabba experience, hop over to the Blue Diamond Paan Shop at Basheerbagh. This place has been running successfully for over forty years now. Their specialty is the regular patta meetha paan which is quite nicely folded into a small paan holder. They also have a selection of very traditional paans such as the Navratan and Kashmiri and also offer unique mixes like the Navratan Meenakshi and the Navratan Rampiyari. Looking for suggestions from the paanwala himself? That’s available too.

Paan Shop
Near Sahib Sindh Sultan, 5th Floor City Centre Mall,
Banjara Hills Road No.1, Hyderabad.

This is nestled in a corner near Sahib Sindh Sultan restaurant. The paanwala is dressed in typical Benarasi style with a dhoti and a Nehru cap with a nice moustache. This shop’s specialty is its maghai (twin paans). The meetha paan is also quite tasty and the supari is quite soft. Also on offer is the kesar filled rampiyari which is a nice twist to an already popular paan. It’s a must stop after a meal at one of the BJN restaurants here.

Hyderabad’s Paan Shops for Meetha, Saada or Maghai - Hyderabad Food has been written by Pranay who writes for MetroMela

Author: MetroMela

Buying a cheesecake online can be overwhelming as you may not know who has a good cheesecake and who does not, thats why this simple guideline will help you to choose the best place to buy your cake from. There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money to send a gift to that special someone only to have them receive it, open it and the cake is stale, or the cake really isn’t that good.

When searching online for a company that sells cheesecake, look for a website that has what your looking for a ” Cheesecake”. Websites that sell a million different items like books, shoes, lobsters, clothes or many different items that also carry cheesecakes are usually not companies that specialize or make their own cheesecakes. They are companies that distribute items from other companies. In other words there are sites that just build a website load pictures and desriptions of cheesecakes to sell on a commission basis. These companies are not the bakers themselves so they usually do not know much about the products they sell since they carry so many different types of items. These are not the best places to buy a cheesecake from.

Try and find a website from a cheesecake company that specializes in cheesecakes and other desserts, these companies do have a reputation in the business and are very knowledgeable about their products. The obvious companies are the ones that are well known and you have heard about before. You can contact them, they will respond in a timely manner and you can rest assured they will have your best interest in mind and best of all you will receive a quality and delicious cheesecake.

Some cheesecake companies are better than others, this all depends on what you are looking for. Most cheesecake companies specialize in New York Style Cheesecakes, some have specialty flavors and styles that also may interest you. Choose what you like and what you think will make a great present or dessert for yourself.

Please always search around and look at a few websites that sell cheesecakes before making a decision. Compare prices as the price can vary from one site to another and like myself you want to make sure you do not overpay. Look at the size and weight of the cheesecake and the fillings or toppings they offer. Some cheesecakes look big in the picture but when its delivered and you open the box its the size of a cupcake. Always check the size, a 2 lb cheesecake serves 6-8 people, a 3 lb cheesecake serves 10-12 people and a 4 lb cheesecake serves 14-16 people. This will help you gauge what size cake to buy.

Shipping is also a concern when buying a cheesecake as most cheesecakes need to be shipped via overnight shipping in an insulated box with a freezer pack. This ensures your cake stays fresh and cold while shipped so it arrives fresh and ready to eat. Some companies charge a fortune for shipping, most cakes will run anywhere from $20.00 to $35.00 to ship and more for Saturday delivery or to Alaska and Hawaii.

Be selective about the companies you trust. Email them with any questions before making your purchase this way if you have any concerns or special requests they can be answered before you pay and then find out you were ripped off. Companies that sound too good to be true usually are, they offer a cheesecake at a tenth of the price than every other cheesecake site and when you receive your cake its stale. Shop around the sites and try to find one who is running a special or sale, you can get a real bargain from a reputable cheesecake company and the cheesecake thats delivered will put a smile on your face.

Hopefully this will make your experience in buying a cheesecake or any other item on the internet a little bit easier.

This article was written by Ted Goldberg- Owner of CheesecakeDelivered.Com- One of the most reputable cheesecake companies out there.

This article has been copyrighted and cannot be reproduced, copied or used in any part without express written permission from the author. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

For any questions or comments please feel free to email us at customerservice@cheesecakedelivered.com or
log onto our website at www.cheesecakedelivered.com

Author: Ted Goldberg

Have you ever made a mistake or am I the only one who does that? This evening I was working on a new recipe to add to my website and guess what–you got it, I goofed! I had an apple I needed to use and I had a really bad sweet tooth. The perfect combination for coming up with a new recipe for us diabetics.

I was tired and I was excited as I was figuring this all out. I melted butter in a casserole dish in the oven. I grabbed a mixing bowl and started measuring and adding ingredients. “Yum! This sounds good,” I thought. The more I worked the better it sounded. So I got a little anxious to get this dessert in the oven, as I knew it would need to bake for about an hour. Glancing at the clock, I realized it would be after 9 pm before my wonderful creation would come out of the oven. And you know we diabetics aren’t supposed to eat before going to bed. To bad, guess I’ll stay up until midnight.

I’m sure you are getting the idea by now that I’m not really concentrating on what I’m doing. Ever been there? I go there often! Too often in fact! I finish up and slide my new creation into the oven, grab a glass of iced tea and head for my computer work area. After all, I do need to get this down on paper and onto my website before I forget exactly what I’ve done. You see, in addition to being scatter-brained, I am also forgetful. Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’ll be our secret!

I am sitting at the computer and my husband is in his recliner close by. Suddenly, as I’m listing the ingredients, I gasped. “What is the matter,” my husband asks. “I wish you would quit doing that,” he adds before allowing me to answer his question. “With you,” he continues, “I never know what that’s going to mean.” To hear him, you’d think I do that fairly often! Silly man!

“I forgot to put the milk in my wonderful new cobbler,” I explained, evidently with a worried look on my face.

“Is that all?” he had the nerve to ask. To which I repeated, “Is that ALL? Don’t you see,” I tried explaining. “You can’t make this type of cobbler without milk.”

“Then go add some milk,” he calmly replies. HUH? My cobbler has been in the oven 10 or 15 minutes. I can’t go add some milk! “You can always give it to Dustin” (our 15-year-old grandson), he adds. “He’ll eat anything you make. But you know I won’t eat it; it’s sugar-free.” Isn’t that just like a man? Trying to pass the culls off on the grandkids!

But guess what, folks. My cobbler actually turned out to taste pretty good. Even Dustin said so. You know, the grandson who will eat anything I make! So now I have two new recipes in one. Add the milk and you have a cobbler. Forget the milk and you have sort of a fruit crisp dessert. Especially if you hurry to the oven and sprinkle some finely chopped pecans over the top.

If you have a sweet tooth, an apple you need to use and a can of lite cherry pie filling in the pantry, give it a try. You’ll be glad you did. By the way, if you don’t have an apple you need to use or a can of lite cherry pie filling in the pantry, pick some up the next time you’re at the grocery store. It’s actually a pretty good dessert. Just ask Dustin, you know, the one who’ll eat anything I make.

APPLE-CHERRY COBBLER

7 tbsp butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Splenda granular

3 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 large apple, peeled and diced

1 can lite cherry pie filling (no sugar added)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter into a large oval baking dish and place in oven to melt butter. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Splenda, flour, baking powder, vanilla and milk. Mix well. Remove dish from oven and add batter by pouring into the center of the butter; do not stir or mix. Add apple on top of batter and pie filling on top of apple. Do not stir or mix! Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crispy around the edge.

Serving note: Serve warm with sugar-free vanilla ice cream.

Author: Linda Wilson

The rum cake recipe may originate from the early 1800’s, but the taste is always the same, whether then or now. The Denver Pie Company provides an authentic treat that have long pleased mountain men, cowboys and travelers across the Rocky Mountains. Made of the finest ingredients, the rum cake symbolizes all things great in Colorado history.

Created by a small family-owned business, The Denver Pie Company, this unique gift product is available for the more than 27 million annual travelers to Colorado and the surrounding states. The Rum Cake is packaged specially in natural earth-tone packaging combined with regional graphics and custom labeling. Ultimately, the rum cake provides retailer with a unique product to provide its customers.

Jason Kline, owner of The Denver Pie Company, says that each cake is still made the old-fashioned way - in small batches. The combination of vanilla and other secret ingredients and then a generous hand glazing with gold rum (straight from one of the oldest distilleries in the world) make this a mouth- watering experience. In addition, each cake is individually vacuum sealed, ensuring a shelf life of 6 months or indefinitely, if refrigerated or frozen.

“Visitors to this beautiful region of the U.S. deserve a high-quality, gourmet souvenir,” Kline said. The original Denver Pie product line originated with Peanut Butter and Key Lime variations. “We wanted to create a product to encourage the state’s millions of tourists to take home a piece of the Rocky Mountains.”

The story of the Rum Cake begins in early 1800s where beaver trappers and traders explored the expansive wilderness of the Rocky Mountains; they encountered American Indians and built forts that still stand today. It was not uncommon for these fur traders to carry a supply of rum with them through their travels. Not only was it used for trading, but cooking too.

The creation of the rum cake stems from a legend where on one cold winter’s night, a mountain man was enjoying some cake, but found it to be too dry. He doused the cake with some rum; it was so good that he later developed a method of immersing the cakes in rum syrup, and used it for trading at outposts all along the Rocky Mountains. This creation is enjoyed and sold today!

Kline’s enthusiasm toward his hometown is apparent. Many shop owners have found success with Rum Cakes as well. “These Rocky Mountain Rum Cakes convey a very warm and inviting feeling. They are a delicious and thoughtful gift. The flavor is exceptional! After all, it’s Rum and Cake! What could be better!” said Christine Shamrell, Gift Shop manager St. Regis Resort, Aspen

Author: DPC