The holiday season is a special time for family and friends to gather, and home-baked desserts have always had a place at the table. According to a Baker’s Joy Homemade Holiday survey, more than 75 percent of Americans are planning to bake more this year compared to years past.

But before you break out the sugar and cookie sheets, take a look at these baking and storage tips to make sure your homemade holiday treats will leave family members smiling all season long:

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* When baking two sheets of cookies at once, place them on different racks at different angles to allow proper air circulation. Switch racks half way through cooking time to ensure even heat distribution and baking.

* Cookies are less likely to burn if they are baked on a light-colored metal cookie sheet versus a dark metal sheet.

* For soft-baked cookies that have started to dry out, re-soften by adding a slice of apple or a piece of bread to the container where they are kept.

* When rolling out cookies, use powdered sugar instead of flour. The sugar will add sweetness and you won’t have to worry about adding too much flour.

* Experiment beyond the usual holiday gingerbread. Surprise your family this year with a premium dessert; and nothing says gourmet like premium chocolate. With more than 50 percent of American adults preferring chocolate to other flavors, these delectable surprises are sure to become a new holiday tradition.

Chocolate cookies will bring joy to not only your family, but this season they can also bring hope, strength and joy to children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant wishes through a $100,000 contribution. Consumers can show their support for the Ghirardelli Make-A-Wish program by baking with Ghirardelli chocolate and visiting www.Ghirardelli.com.

Want to bake delicious chocolate cookies and give back to the community? Try this easy recipe, created by 2004 James Beard Foundation Pastry Chef of the year, Emily Luchetti.

Ghirardelli’s Wish Star Chocolate Cookie

Shortbread:
2 cups flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 bar (4 ounces) Ghirardelli 60 percent Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Dipping:
1 bag (11.5 ounces) Ghirardelli 60 percent Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1 tablespoon butter

Melt baking bar on double boiler and set aside. Mix flour and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture and mix just until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured board, roll dough to 3/8-inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. If the dough is very soft, chill again for at least 30 minutes. Bake for seven to nine minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Melt chocolate chips with one tablespoon of butter in a double boiler. Dip cooled cookie in melted chocolate mixture and let chocolate set. Makes about one dozen cookies.

(ARA) – The next time you visit a restaurant or grocery store, you’re likely to notice a new seafood addition. Tilapia, a broadly appealing, mild-tasting white fish, is rapidly gaining in popularity across the country. According to ACNielsen, Tilapia is the fastest-growing species in the frozen fish category. It’s no wonder. Tilapia is a highly versatile and nutritious fish that is low in fat, high in protein and tastes great grilled, baked or fried.

Tilapia boasts a venerable history tracing back 4,500 years – it was the food of Egyptian kings and pharaohs, and legends claim that tilapia is the fish Jesus used to feed the multitudes. Tilapia was introduced to America in 1959. Since then it has become part of American culture - in 1998, Tilapia became the first fish in space.

“Consumers are quickly realizing that Tilapia is another healthy and convenient option in the seafood category,” says Judson Reis, vice president of marketing for Gorton’s, the nation’s leading frozen seafood brand. “Now that consumers have gotten a taste of Tilapia, we’re seeing it pop up everywhere as a delicious, flexible main dish for the whole family.”

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Enter Gorton’s new Breaded Five-Star Tilapia Fillets — 17.2-ounce packages of frozen, cooked Tilapia fillets that are coated with a crunchy golden breading for a quick, delectable meal. As the only national brand to offer Five-Star Tilapia, Gorton’s quality standards ensure each serving is carefully selected for the whitest and flakiest fish, hand-picked for the leanest premium cut and specially chosen for its mild flavor.

“Gorton’s Five-Star Tilapia Fillets taste great, contain zero grams of trans fat and are an easy way to enjoy Tilapia in your own kitchen,” says Reis.

Here is a sampling of Tilapia recipes available at www.gortons.com:

* Breaded Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 package Gorton’s Premium Breaded Tilapia
1 mango peeled and diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped fine
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Bake fillets according to the package. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Top baked fillets with salsa and serve immediately.

* Tilapia with Rice and Vegetables

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings:4-5

Ingredients:
1 package Gorton’s Premium Breaded Tilapia
1 package frozen vegetables
1 package rice

Directions: Bake fillets according to the package. Cook vegetables and rice according to packages.

Both of these recipes are so easy to prepare and tasty, it’s like you’re enjoying a restaurant dish at home. For more recipe ideas and to find coupons for Gorton’s products, log on to www.gortons.com.

Smokehouse Smoked Salmon Natural Style is characterized by a light pink color, fine texture and mild flavor. Natural Salmons mild flavor allows the smoke process to carry through the entire salmon making it one of the best Smoked Salmon products on the market today. After being delivered to our smokehouse in Alaska within days of being caught, only the best salmon are selected for smoking. Once selected, the Salmon are hand filleted and soaked in traditional Native American brine.

The salmon is then smoked over alder wood fires. Finally, each fillet is inspected before it is sealed in a gold foil pouch known as a retort locking in the Salmons freshness and rich flavor. The gold foil pouch is then packed in our award-winning gift box for further protection. No preservatives, coloring, oils or artificial ingredients are ever added to these Kosher-certified Natural Smoked Salmon fillets. Our Smoked Salmon Natural Style is great for entertaining! Serve as an appetizer with crackers or use with one of our Smoked Salmon recipes that range from a wonderful Salmon Quiche, to a mouthwatering Salmon Fettuccini.

Each package has a recipe card enclosed. You can also find recipes on this site. If you would like to serve wine with our Smoked Salmon Natural Style we suggest a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Merlot.

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