It’s November, and Stefin and Andrea are celebrating another spin “round” the sun for themselves and Preheated with a month devoted to all round treats. From bagels to bundt cakes, it’s going to be fun and festive. And remember, our 100th episode is fast approaching! There’s still time to weigh in with your favorite recipe from the first 99 episodes. Send an email to hosts@preheatedpodcast.com, visit our Facebook community, or leave us a short and sweet voicemail at 802-276-0788.

Fruitcake, Eggnog & Mincemeat, Plus Book Club Pick & a Milestone Birthday!

It’s time to get started on homemade eggnog, fruitcake, and mincemeat. Starting now ensures you’ll have time to age these holiday favorites to perfection. Never made these traditional indulgences? Listen back to Episode 5 for eggnog and fruitcake tips, and follow this link for Stefin’s favorite mincemeat. And consider joining the hosts on Stir Up Sunday, the UK’s official holiday baking day, to get ready.

This month’s book club pick is  New York Times columnist Frank Bruni’s memoir Born Round. One of four children in a large Italian-American family who loved to eat and entertain, Frank’s life took many twists and turns, leading him from New York to California, Detroit to Rome, before becoming the Times‘ food critic in 2009. Grab a copy now and join us in Episode 101 for our discussion. (And if you like food memoirs, Stefin and Andrea both recommend Ruth Reichl’s autobiography Garlic and Sapphires, about her time as the Times‘ food critic. This book also contains recipes — several of which are go-tos for your hosts.)

And if that weren’t enough, Andrea’s celebrating a milestone birthday this week. Happy birthday Andrea! Please report back on your celebratory dessert!

This Week’s Bake-Along: Homemade Mini Peanut Butter Cups from Cookie & Kate

The month’s first round bake-along is Homemade Mini Peanut Butter Cups from the Cookie & Kate blog. Because your hosts know the stress of the holidays may already be creeping in, they’re starting with this super easy and straightforward circular candy. This recipe offers endless variations on one of Stefin’s “top five” candy bars, including the one Andrea’s going to try using sunflower butter. (During the episode, the hosts debated if the recipe author was Cookie or Kate. Turns out Cookie is Kate’s dog and is on kitchen floor clean-up duty! So cute!) Whether you’re vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, or a peanut butter and chocolate purist, it looks this candy, and its variations, are truly for everyone. Bake along and post your pictures to our Facebook community!

Holiday Baking Pantry Staples: Plan Ahead to Get Ahead

Finally, the hosts run down their lists of baking must-haves for the busy holiday baking season ahead. Andrea loves stocking up on pumpkin (a must during Pumpkin-palooza month!), sweetened condensed milk (perfect for Happy People Fudge), 20 lb. bags of flour, and rolled oats (crucial for her favorite crumble topping and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars).

Stefin checks her dried fruit and nut supply, as well as baking cocoa (useful for one of her faves, Award Winning Moist Chocolate Cake). She also encourages friends and family to ship her Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and sweetened flaked coconut, both of which are hard to find in London. In addition to white, brown and icing sugar (confectioners sugar to those in the US), she’s also stocking up Lyle’s Golden Syrup and the “healthier” sweetener, molasses.

Both hosts remind listeners to check their spices, as well as “everyday” essentials like baking powder, soda, yeast and salt. Andrea’s interested in three new spice blends from King Arthur Flour: Yuletide Cheer, a cardamom-citrus blend; Speculaas Spice; and Chai Spice, which she may use in a London Fog Shortbread variation.

Stefin enjoys stocking up on decorative mini loaf pans so she can bake and gift in one, and searches for cute bottles and jars for her beloved homemade chutneys, curds and jams, while Andrea splurges on festive mini-muffin liners, bakery bags and kitchen twine.

Listeners: What did we miss? How do you stock up for the holiday baking season?

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