For us here in the Northwest, where we have warm days in the 70s and cool nights in the 50s, it feels a lot like fall. Realistically, I don't think it is...or at least I hope not!

For those of you in Austin, where it's still 100 degrees during the day and touches the 70s by dawn, it might not feel that way at all. Universally, though, it seems like it's time to start baking.

Being prepared for the baking season has never been my skillset. I do have a really big pantry that has almost everything...it's just that it's a drive away. And in my mind, nothing's worse than not having the correct flour on hand when you've already started measuring!

Or, not having candied fruit at the ready for when the urge to make fruitcake washes over you. If candied fruit is on your list, be sure to get your order in early. We expect to have most on hand by mid-October. Keep in mind that candied fruit is swallowed up by those who prepare and is often not available until the following year.

Though we make cookies and the like throughout the year, the tendency is to make more cookies in the last quarter of the year. I have learned this year, from all my cookie making, that there is a lot of sugar in cookies. And there are a lot of cookies I want to make with lots of different sugars.

While the late summer and fall harvest fruits are in the markets, we think about pies and fruit-sweetened dishes. And banana bread, without the bananas, of course. Breads of apple, pears, figs, and yellow peaches.

And this year, I hope to be as successful as Mary Pat, Ann, and Katie when making apple, pumpkin, and pecan fall-inspired pies!

Time to start baking! Or, at least getting the ingredients for the pantry.

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This should work with any fruit of the fall. Moisture is the one thing to watch out for disrupting the cooking time. And more than one fruit is a great choice, too.

See the Apple Walnut Bread Recipe here!

Bara Brith is a traditional Welsh fruit bread. The name "Bara Brith" translates to "speckled bread" in Welsh, which is a reference to the dried fruits (usually currants or raisins) that are commonly found in the bread.

The bread is made by soaking dried fruits in tea and then mixing them into a sweet bread dough. The tea-soaked fruits give the bread its distinctive flavor and moist texture. Other ingredients typically include flour, sugar, butter, and sometimes spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.

Bara Brith is often served at special occasions and celebrations in Wales, such as weddings, holidays, and tea time gatherings.

Serve sliced and spread with butter.

See the Bara Brith Recipe here!

Without a doubt, some of the best sweetened dried cranberries we have ever tasted. None of that super-sweet stuff here. These cranberries are sweetened with a touch of all natural sugar, so they are not overly sweet, and you can still taste that great cranberry flavor.

Shop now for Organically-Grown Sweetened Dried Cranberries!

Whether you soak them in gin made with Juniper for drunken raisins or eat them out of the bag in the palm of your hand, these raisins are so much better than the raisins in the little box you had in your lunch at school!

Just a few are satisfying and good for your brain, and your teeth, too!

Munch on a bag of raisins to curb your candy desires!

Shop now for Organic Thompson Raisins!

When Dark Muscovado is too dark, try the Light Muscovado! John says this is the best sugar for his morning brew of Indian Chai.

From Mauritius, this sugar retains much of the flavor of the cane. It has a fine, moist texture, high molasses content and a deep, rich, flavor. Use it in recipes calling for light brown sugar for mouth watering results.

Muscovado brown sugar!
"Absolutely fabulous. My bread and cookies received rave reviews."
-- Sandra

Shop now for India Tree Light Muscovado Sugar!

This sugar is at the top of my list to always have on hand. Use it once and you will see that this is how you want sugar to be. It has flavor, it has personality, it is alive!

Special dark brown sugar!
"A friend recently gave me a container to try, and I'm hooked. This dark brown sugar will 'elevate' the flavor of your baked goods. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately purchased more."
-- Leslie

Natural Sugar!
"I think this is the best natural sugar available anywhere. When a recipe calls for Light or Dark Brown Sugar, I use this dark. It makes everything taste better."
-- Bobby

Shop now for India Tree Dark Muscovado Sugar!

Also known as "caster sugar", this superfine cane sugar has granules that are very fine and dry. A superior quality sugar, it is the workhorse of professional Pastry Chefs because it dissolves so easily in batters and doughs, leaving them very smooth. Especially appreciated for genoise, other sponge cakes, and meringue. It also dissolves very quickly in liquids, so it's great for iced tea.

This sugar is the creme de la creme!
"This sugar is as smooth and fine as silk. It makes a huge difference everywhere I use it, notably in baking and in beverages."
-- Ellen

Shop now for Superfine Caster Cane Sugar!

Like a pancake made with rice flour, sort of, except different. Chewy and sweet!

See the Pan-fried Rice Cakes Recipe here!

Glutinous rice flour, also known as sticky rice flour or sweet rice flour, is a type of flour made from glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa). Despite its name, glutinous rice does not contain gluten in the same way that wheat does. Instead, it gets its "glutinous" or sticky quality from a high starch content, specifically amylopectin.

This flour is sticky! At least when you use it. This fine powdery flour has a naturally sticky and elastic texture. This characteristic makes it ideal for various culinary applications where a sticky, chewy, or gummy texture is desired.

Use it for a thickening agent, a binding agent, thickening agent, as a wheat flour substitute and in baking and desserts.

Shop now for Erawan Brand Thai Glutinous Sweet Rice Flour!

This is a wonderful recipe which makes a dessert on its own, or you can use it to top a pastry or a nice pile of ice cream.

See the Oven Baked Apple Slices Recipe here!

This ground Saigon cinnamon powder packs a healthy vibrant punch!

Vietnamese cinnamon is invigoratingly potent, with a rich, spicy flavor. You may need less than you're accustomed to! Saigon cinnamon powder is an excellent choice for dishes sweet and savory, from cookies to pie to stews.

Shop now for Ground Saigon Cinnamon!

Since we first tried it we have found some wonderful ways to add it to our diet.

To the nose, Sudachi is a citrus fruit with an aroma that might be completely unfamiliar. To the eye, the syrup is an attractive pale yellow color. The fruit itself is picked when green in color, with a slightly orange-tinged greenish interior. They look like large round limes and they’re a specialty of Tokushima prefecture in Japan, but also grown in the US now.

The first sip is so delightful. It's a combination of familiarity—tastes a bit like lime, a bit like mandarin, a bit like yuzu but with less acidity—and something totally new. Once you get past the citrus flavor, you experience a wonderfully balanced sweet-and-sour taste.

Trying to define the combination of flavors with the Sudachi juice, beet sugar, and apple vinegar is hard to do.

One could easily drink the whole bottle in just a few days.

You can use the Sudachi Syrup to make a refreshing sip of vodka, whiskey, gin, or sake, just by mixing it in. Or, add a couple of drops to seltzer or beer! This flavor, like the yuzu syrup, can be added to a chocolate glaze or in a vinaigrette.

Shop now for Nishiji Sudachi Syrup!

We have a wide range of flours to choose from. And we keep adding new ones to fill someone's request and need.

Shop now for all kinds of Flour!

An extract is a concentrated form of a substance, derived from natural sources such as plants, herbs, and fruits. Extracts preserve the characteristics, flavors, aromas, or active compounds. The process of making an extract involves extracting these specific components while removing unwanted impurities.

The extraction process for extracts often involves the use of solvents (e.g., alcohol or water) or mechanical methods to isolate specific flavor compounds from the source material. The resulting extract is typically a concentrated, liquid form of the natural flavor.

Natural flavorings can be produced through various methods, including maceration, steam distillation, cold-pressing, and enzymatic extraction.

Check out the Extracts & Flavorings here!