The kitchen is so much more than a room with a sink, oven and refrigerator. It’s where we prepare meals to nourish our bodies, and where we bake to flex our creativity and practice mindfulness. Above all, it’s a place of cozy memories, one where we share our stories and heritage with those closest to us.
These days, we’re spending more time at home with family than ever and, as a result, more time in the kitchen. In fact, according to a recent poll by Morning Consult, nearly half of Americans have been cooking, baking and finding joy in the kitchen more than they did before.
As a third-generation family-owned business, we at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas treasure fond family memories in the kitchen. Our board chair, Lynn Clarke, has been making the most of extra time at home by reflecting on memories of baking with her mother and grandmother. As a result, Lynn has found ways to share her family recipes with close friends, neighbors and her husband.
One of the recipes she’s been passing down is Rose’s Nut Bread, named for her late mother. The process of baking the nut bread sticks out in Lynn’s memory as an art form because the amount of flour and kneading always changed – one must “feel the dough” to know what to do next.
Lynn and her mother knead the dough for Rose’s Nut Bread.
“I’ve made this nut bread three times since Mom died. Every time I still hear her voice: ‘Lynnie, take your time, double check the ingredients. Knead that more… probably needs a bit more flour…’ It’s a wonderful memory and connection.”
Loaves of Rose’s Nut Bread are ready for sharing with close family and friends.
“The reward is so worth it,” Clarke said. “I love to share the finished product with family and close friends. It’s a bit of an old-world tradition, and most people so appreciate the love that goes into the nut bread.”
Lynn teaches her neighbor’s daughter how to make Rose’s Nut Bread, a family recipe by Lynn’s mother.
With lemons almost always available in grocery stores, Lynn has also been on a “lemon cooking and baking spree.” She’s whipped up delectable, summer-ready desserts with citrus and botanical ingredients, including lemon pound cake, lemon squares, lemon rosemary cookies, and her new personal favorite, lemon upside-down cake – a recipe Lynn learned from her neighbor.
This lemon upside-down cake gets a boost of lemon and vanilla flavor with Nielsen-Massey Pure Lemon Extract and Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.
Lynn’s lemon rosemary cookies marry citrus and herbs with our famous Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.
Here are a few of our favorite recipes inspired by Lynn’s stories, so you can bake warm memories with your loved ones this season:
Share your fondest baking memories with #NielsenMasseyInspires. We love to hear your stories!
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