Updates
Mint Juleps, Mother's Day, and Morsels from Ritchie Hill Bakery April 20 2016
Ahhh, spring.You're finally here. We missed your big hats, glorious colors, and picnics on the lawn. With Mother's Day around the corner and the Kentucky Derby around the bend, we're ready to celebrate.
In the spirit of celebration, check out these two favorite springtime libations. They're perfectly paired with some freshly-baked morsels from Ritchie Hill Bakery!
Two of our southern favorites are "Creating a Stir” mint julep from Lexington Kentucky. (Who better to have a mint julep recipe?) And “Heritage of Hospitality” iced tea from the Junior League of Winston-Salem, NC, where Moravian traditions are still treasured in Old Salem: home of Salem College.
Kentucky Mint Juleps
From “Creating a Stir” published by The Fayette County Medical Auxiliary in 2000 for the benefit of Kentucky’s Children.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shaved or crushed ice (do not use ice cubes)
- Sugar Syrup (below)
- 1 pint quality bourbon whiskey
- 6 fresh mint sprigs for garnish
- Powdered sugar
Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 bunch fresh mint
Serving
Pack ice into 6 julep cups to within 1/2 inch from top; add 1 jigger Sugar Syrup and 1-2 jiggers bourbon to each cup, stirring until cup frosts; Dip mint sprigs in powdered sugar and place 1 in each serving. Serve with a cocktail napkin (cups are quite chilly).
"About the mint julep: The word julep originally referred to a nonalcoholic medicinal syrup. However, by the mid eighteenth century, when the average American, including women and children, consumed two and a half gallons of spirits a year (much of it before breakfast!), the julep was made primarily with spirits and in our county most often with mint. Many times, the julep was taken after waking in the morning because it was thought to aid in fighting fevers that might have arisen from the night air and hot climates. Juleps were originally made with Maderia but postbellum Southerners replaced that with bourbon whiskey, sugar, water, fresh mint and crushed ice, mixed and typically served in a frosted silver julep cup. They are a Kentucky tradition often associated with the Kentucky Derby.” Creating a Stir.
Ingredients
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- 8-12 whole cloves
- 3 quarts water
- 1 ounce tea
- juice of 8 lemons
- juice of 6 oranges
- 1 46 oz can of pineapple juice
- 2 cups sugar
Directions
Add mint and cloves to water; bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea and allow to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain, and while still hot, add fruit juices and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Makes about 4 1/2 quarts.
“The best iced tea in the world, and one reason loyal alumnae enjoy returning at commencement time.” Heritage of Hospitality
Drum Roll Please ... Announcing Heath's New Spicy Recipe! March 11 2015
The race to find Heath's new spicy recipe was hotly contested, peppered with opinions, engulfed by volunteer taste testers, ignited with burning flavors, and ended in a fiery, neck-and-neck finish.
Ok, enough with the puns. But, in all seriousness, we are thrilled to announce that 35 wonderful taste testers have identified a winning recipe for Heath's new Spicy Cheese Straws! A very special thanks goes to these testers for their incredibly detailed feedback and the wonderful tasting parties they hosted to gather opinions from family and friends. You can check out the final results of the survey below, along with a compilation of the great words most commonly used to describe our new line of Cheese Straws.
Stay tuned for the release of this new recipe, which you'll soon be able to find alongside Heath's Original Recipe, online and in markets near you!
Recruitment is Closed - Let the Taste Testing Begin! February 17 2015
Wow! We're blown away by how many volunteer taste testers raised their hands! We're officially full! We'll be in touch with our "first responders" soon. And for those who volunteered but didn't make the list, not to worry: we still have something in store for you! Stay tuned for Heath's new Spicy Cheese Straws!
Calling on Spicy Taste Testers February 14 2015
We moved! June 26 2014
It seems everyone’s moving in the summer. Tis’ the season, we guess. Well, we jumped on the bandwagon, loaded up the dollies, and moved ourselves.
Just a couple weeks ago, we moved into a brand new bakery at The Old Creamery in downtown Concord. With more space, a new, huge, beautiful mixer, and even more ovens, we’re ready to do some serious baking. We’re proud of the new space and so thankful for all of our wonderful customers who have helped us grow.
We’re not selling direct from the bakery yet (stay tuned), but if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by Suite 195 and say hi. You can pick up some of Heath’s Cheese Straws next door at Peachtree Market on your way out.
The Old Creamery building, at 363 Church Street N., was once the home to both the Coca-Cola bottling plant and the Cabarrus Creamery, where we have fond memories of ice cream with our dads and grandfathers. It’s a building that carries the same wonderful (and delicious) heritage that Ritchie Hill Bakery was built on.
136 Kinds of Weather, 24 Hours, and 1 Easter Recipe April 04 2014
It was Mark Twain who once said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. But, amidst the unpredictable cold-hot-humid-dry-snowy-rainy weather we’ve been having lately, there’s one thing constant: the traditions that go along with a quickly approaching Easter holiday.
Weather: we see your unpredictability, and raise you the predictable colors of Easter with Boo’s “Pink Salad,” a classic Ritchie Hill treat.
With that, here’s to Easter traditions, and a new recipe for you to bring home over the holiday:
“Boo’s Pink Salad”
Ingredients:
(1) 8 oz. package of cream cheese
4 tbs. of mayonnaise
1 can of pineapple tidbits (technical term) with syrup (reserve 2 tbs. of syrup)
2 tbs. pineapple syrup
2 small bananas, diced
1 pint of frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
2 cups of Cool Whip
Directions:
Soften cream cheese and blend with mayonnaise. Beat in pineapple syrup. Mix in bananas, pineapple, and strawberries. Fold-in Cool Whip. Freeze until firm. To make individual servings, freeze in foil cup cake holders or in a muffin tin.
The Ultimate Winter Cure: Stuffed Pepper Soup January 07 2014
Just like Heath’s dad use to say, 'gaaaahhhhh-leeeee' it’s cold outside. We can’t even recognize our friends’ photos on Facebook. Everyone’s covered up in hats, jackets, scarves, ski goggles, and balaclavas. But we did spot one picture that we thought might warm all of us up: our friend Ashley Kasonik’s stuffed pepper soup. Thanks Ashley, for sharing the ultimate winter cure.
Ashley’s “SuperKasonik Boom” Stuffed Pepper Soup
“You should really try this – it’s AWESOME. My photography skills do not do this cheesy concoction justice! Just make the soup per the recipe below, then top with hot sauce and some crumbled cheese straws, and prepare to have your mind blown.”
Brown the below ingredients and drain well:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
5 green peppers, chopped
Then, add:
6 cans Tomato Soup and 5 soup cans water
1 can of beef broth and 1 broth can of water
2 small cans of tomato sauce
3/4 cup uncooked basmati rice
Simmer on low until the rice is cooked, add some of Heath’s cheese straws, hot sauce to taste, and…BOOM!
A Big Thanks to Small Businesses November 29 2013
Boo! It's fall. September 30 2013
There’s a chill in the air, Halloween candy is back on the shelf, and orange is back in style. Must be fall. Funny how it sneaks up, isn’t it?
Not only is it time for scary masks and overbooked party schedules, but also for Ritchie Hill’s annual Boo! promotion.
Enter the promo code 'Boo!' when you order online, and take 15 percent off everything now through Halloween. It’s our only sale of the year, and a great time to stock up on cheese straws before any other holidays sneak up on you!
It’s fall ya’ll,
The Ritchies
P.S. Throw those cheese straws in the freezer and they’ll stay fresh right through the new year! Give em’ as gifts, if they last that long.
Going Home September 01 2013
For our family, Heath's Cheese Straws are more than a delicacy. They are a reminder of home, of history, of family. And, for our customers, they are a familiar and often nostalgic taste of North Carolina.
Much of the inspiration behind our brand stems from the Ritchie home, built in 1900 up on "Ritchie Hill." Our logo closely resembles the architectural features of the home's eaves. Even the background of our site is a reminder of the fig tree visible through the kitchen window, where the cheese straw recipe was lovingly perfected for more than 100 years.
After four generations of Ritchies, plenty of cheese straws, and many evenings on the front porch, we had to make a tough decision about the home's destiny. In 2009, we put the house up for sale, searching for a family that would restore its original glory. But, the 'for sale' sign would be short lived. As Heath and Beth founded the bakery, a tremendous response to the release of HEATH'S CHEESE STRAWS inspired us to reconsider.
As autumn arrives, the family home will undergo a full renovation - not only to restore the historic residence to accommodate events, but to retrofit the kitchen for our growing bakery. We'll look forward to posting updates on the renovation as we go.
Ritchie Hill Bakery is moving home. Stay tuned.
Saying "I do" with a southern accent. May 21 2013
Well, it's wedding season again. And, if you're anything like our family, that means you're back on the circuit. Friends, family, food, fun, drinks, dancing, and more airline points. It's a grand time of year.
But, if you're planning a wedding this season, your thoughts may be elsewhere. The question on all bride's minds: what can I do to make my wedding different than the rest?
We think the most memorable weddings are those full of family tradition, with a hint of heritage.
Here are three of our favorite southern family wedding traditions:
- Bury the bourbon bottle: So the story goes, bury a bottle of bourbon upside down at the exact site of the ceremony one month before the big day and the skies will be clear and Carolina blue.
- Mason jars and signature drinks: Southern weddings often hark back to heritage, and a signature drink served cold in a mason jar is just the way to do that. What was your grandfather's or grandmother's favorite cocktail? That's a great place to start.
- Family recipes: What better way to give guests a taste of home than with a favorite family treat. For us, it's always been about the cheese straws.
Whatever your tradition, it's the details that make for a memorable occasion. If we can help to give your upcoming wedding a southern accent, just give us a holler.
To a happy wedding season,
The Ritchies
The Recipe for a Ritchie Family Easter: Aunt Margaret's Apricot Cake March 29 2013
Here’s a famous recipe from Heath’s Aunt Margaret. Her apricot cake almost always came right after Easter brunch … and after a lot of cheese straws.
Happy Easter!
- The Ritchies
Margaret's Apricot Cake
Cake Ingredients
1 box Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
4 eggs
1 cup apricot nectar
½ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
Glaze Ingredients
1 cup confectioners sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
Directions: Beat cake ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased and floured tube or bundt pan. Bake 45 minutes (or until done) in a 325 degree oven. Mix glaze ingredients while cake is baking. Slowly turn out cake while still warm. Drizzle glaze over entire cake. Enjoy!
Fall in love this weekend. February 08 2013
This Saturday afternoon, February 9, Heath will be at Westbend Vineyards and Brewhouse in Lewisville, NC. If you are in the area, please drop by between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. We’ll have Heath's Cheese Straws waiting for you to sample alongside Westbend's very own estate-grown wine and microbrews. We think you’ll fall in love with the combination.
For more information and directions please visit Westbend's web site: www.westbendvineyards.com
See you there!
- The Ritchies
Cheese Straws + Beer = Super Bowl XLVII January 02 2013
Nothing rings in the new year like a quickly approaching Super Bowl. A time of wings, pizza, and (you guessed it) plenty of cheese straws.
Now, one thing we're hearing from our customers lately is that HEATH'S CHEESE STRAWS sure do go well with a cold beer. So, we decided to look into it ourselves. Here are five beers that pair perfectly with the spicy, cheddar taste of our cheese straws - and one of Heath's favorite pairings for the non-drinkers among us:
Pabst Blue Ribbon: Nothing fancy here, just an everyman's beer perfectly suited for the everyman's cheese straw.
Carolina Blonde: A light, refreshing beer that compliments our very own North Carolina roots.
Dogfish 60 Minute IPA: A hoppy, more complex beer with a kick well suited for a spicy cheese straw. Call it a double-whammy.
Negra Modelo: A Mexican beer that goes best with a sharp cheddar taste - the hallmark of a good Mexican meal.
Blue Moon Belgian White: A beer known for the finest, freshest ingredients, just like Heath's Cheese Straws.
Coca-Cola Classic: There's simply nothing like a real coke to cool your taste buds and quench your thirst. Drinking a coke is always better with a straw.
Any other pairings you'd suggest? We'd love your thoughts.
Happy Super Bowl,
The Ritchies
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