Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: February 1st, 2022. I would like to ask you to take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate and why. For Charlie and I were going to sit celebrating out this morning since neither of us have been feeling good.
National Cake Pop Day is one of the many food holidays celebrated in the United States. National Cake Pops Day is observed on February 1st in honor of a cute dessert that became a real hit in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
A cake pop is a bite-sized cake styled as a Lollipop. Cake pops are a variation of Cake balls; they are sometimes referred to as Cupcake Pops, Cakesicles, or Cake-on-a-stick. Cake Pops are traditionally spherical in shape, but they can have other shapes too.
Five facts to know about Cake Pops:
1. A cake pop is a ball of Cake hand dipped in frosting served on a stick.
2. While there is no recorded date for the creation of Cake Pops, most people say that Bakerella helped make Cake Pops a “pop” phenomenon.
3. In 2011, Cake Pops were considered the newest most popular confectionery food trends.
4. Did you know there are other variations of Cake Pops including Cake Balls, and Cake-on-a-stick.
5. Cake Pops in recent years have become unanimous to Starbucks Coffee Shops.
National Baked Alaska Day occurs annually on February 1st to encourage everyone to treat themselves to the tasty dessert made from Ice Cream, Sponge Cake, and Meringue. Baked Alaska was first called ‘Alaska Florida’ because of its contrast in temperature when Baked Alaska was first invented.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY
National Baked Alaska Day invites you to indulge in this Ice Cream–topped Sponge-Cake dessert.
Baked Alaska is made by placing slices of sponge Cake at the bottom of a pie pan, filling the Cake with your favorite Ice Cream flavor before covering it completely in Whipped Meringue mixture, and baking the recipe for 3-10 minutes. Baked Alaska is baked in the oven at a very high temperature of preferably 500°F to allow the Meringue to solidify slightly, and brown.
The story behind Baked Alaska’s existence is that in 1867 there was a heated public debate over the agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7 million by Secretary of State William Seward that led Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City, who was already notorious for naming new and old food after public figures, to capitalize on the uproar by introducing what we now know as Baked Alaska to Delmonico’s menu.
The frozen-hard Ice Cream covered with Meringue on a base of warm sponge Cake is what gives this dessert its unique characteristic of drastic temperature contrast.
On National Baked Alaska Day everyone is expected to enjoy a sweet bite of this yummy retro dish that is often served in flames.
Serving Cream and Cake together dates back to the Renaissance. The cooks of the era were considered the first to decorate their baked food with a Whipped topping.
NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY ACTIVITIES
- How else would we celebrate Baked Alaska Day if not by making this dessert? Place slices of Sponge Cake at the bottom of a pie pan, filling it with your favorite Ice Cream, before covering the dessert completely in Whipped Meringue and baking.
- Help people grow a love for Baked Alaska to celebrate National Baked Alaska Day! Celebrate the taste and contrast in temperature of Baked Alaska, with tasty pictures you share on Social Media using hashtag #BakedAlaskaDay.
- Aside from the fact that this dessert is named after Alaska, the State is full of food troves and natural wonders waiting to be discovered! One way to observe National Baked Alaska Day is to take a trip down to Alaska
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BAKED ALASKA
- American physicist Benjamin Thompson’s discovery of Meringue is what gives Baked Alaska its unique characteristic of a contrasting hot top layer and cold base.
- This dessert, in its early versions, used Pie Crusts instead of Meringue.
- Giroix, a Chef at Hotel De Paris, Monte Carlo, popularized Baked Alaska in 1895.
- Baked Alaska’s lesser-known name, Norwegian Omelette or Omelette Norvegienne, also gives tribute to this dessert’s appearance as a cold, snow-covered Mountain.
- Baked Alaska was originally named Alaska Florida when it was first invented by Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s restaurant, in New York City.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY
- Baked Alaska is yummy and it sometimes consists of delicious homemade Vanilla or Chamomile Ice Cream with a yummy Lemon Sponge underneath a thick, fluffy layer of Meringue that covers the entire cake in a blanket of shiny, Sugary, Whipped peaks.
- Alaska holds a sacred place in our hearts for its beautiful Animals and incredibly amazing landscape. It’s only right that we love Baked Alaska more when we remember Alaska.
- We love the story of the invention of Baked Alaska! Already notorious for naming dishes after famous people and events, Chef Charles Ranhofer capitalized on the heated controversy surrounding the purchase of Alaska from Russia by naming this desert after the State.
If you’re like us, you don’t need a reason to celebrate Dark Chocolate, but it sure is sweet to have a reason. National Dark Chocolate Day on February 1st is an opportunity to dive into the health and happiness Dark Chocolate brings. Through the Holiday we can pay homage to the history and cultural significance surrounding Dark Chocolate.
NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY ACTIVITIES
- You don’t need an excuse to support local Chocolate shops, but on National Dark Chocolate Day why not indulge and visit one for Dark Chocolate Candy.
- While the most novice bakers can make a delicious treat with Dark Chocolate, it still offers experienced bakers a chance to test their skills. Why not try your hand at a crerating a Molten Cake. Even if the Molten Cake doesn’t come out perfectly, just eat the evidence.
- Who needs three courses when dessert is clearly the best? Chocolate-themed restaurants are popping up in Cities across the country offering unique and creative uses for our favorite confection and today is the perfect day to visit them.
5 FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE
- Believed by the Aztecs to be a gift from Quetzalcoatl, the God of Wisdom, Chocolate was originally a fermented beverage that gave the drinker strength.
- Chocolate is derived from the Aztec language of Nahuatl word “chocolātl” which means “bitter drink.”
- Thanks to its high percentage of Cocoa and lower amounts of Sugar and Milk, Dark Chocolate’s health benefits have made it a potential Superfood.
- About two-thirds of Cocoa in the world is produced in Western Africa with the Ivory Coast being the largest source of the crop.
- Americans consume 2.8 billion pounds of Chocolate per year. That’s over 11 pounds per person.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY
- Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, oh my! Dark Chocolate contains Vitamins and Minerals that the body needs. Dark Chocolate is also rich in powerful antioxidants called flavonoids that promote healthy circulation and prevents plaque formation in the arteries.
- Dark Chocolate contains Tryptophan and Phenylethylamine, two chemicals known to tell your brain to release pleasure causing endorphins. This feeling of euphoria is often compared with the feeling of being in love.
- Chocolate’s low melting point makes it perfect for use in baking and there are tons of ways to incorporate the sweet treat.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
