OAK BROOK, Ill., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season is a time for celebrating traditions and entertaining family and friends, which often leads to increased cooking and baking. Americans don't mind spending more time in the kitchen, with 73 percent admitting to a higher level of excitement for baking during this time*, according to a recent survey commissioned by Fleischmann's® Yeast and Karo® Syrup brands.

Four out of five Americans (83 percent) typically bake cookies of all baked goods throughout the year.* This increases to 93 percent during the holidays, with 61 percent baking three or more batches of cookies.* Avoid dry, crumbling cookies by adding Karo® Syrup, which helps produce extra chewy cookies. Karo® syrup has been known for its trusted quality for more than a century, transforming recipes with its sweetness and texture.

"Baking is an integral part of the holidays, which is reinforced by these insights," said Jessica Herb, Baking brand manager at ACH Food Companies, Inc. "We pride ourselves in helping families carry on their baking traditions with quality ingredients like Fleischmann's® Yeast and Karo® Syrup. As we begin our holiday season, we want to offer tips and recipes to help people become better bakers."

While turkey and ham dinners are staples during the holiday season, breakfast and brunch are just as important. America weighed in and the number one must-have holiday brunch item is cinnamon rolls (41 percent), followed by muffins (19 percent), and coffee cake (16 percent).* Save time baking your homemade cinnamon rolls with Fleischmann's® RapidRise™ Yeast, which only requires one rise. Prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning for simple and delicious cinnamon rolls.

Additional key consumer findings the survey uncovered include:

• Baking Motivation. Americans are motivated to bake when inspired by a recipe (52 percent), the results taste so good (52 percent), they enjoy making others happy with baked goods (50 percent), and they have fun baking (48 percent).*
• Tradition Trumps Trendy. Nearly one half of Americans (49 percent) use classic recipes when baking versus 10 percent who use trendy or contemporary recipes.*
• Festive Flavors. 78 percent of respondents try to incorporate cinnamon in baked goods for the holidays, above pumpkin (67 percent), apple (65 percent), nutmeg (53 percent), or cranberry (34 percent).*
• Baked from the Heart. Respondents are more selective with the recipes they bake (66 percent) and many give baked goods as gifts (56 percent) during the holidays.*
• More Pie, Please. Nearly all Americans have pies on the table during the holiday season (97 percent), with 48 percent saying they have three or more.*
• The Last Slice. When taking the last slice of pie, 34 percent wait until the meal is over, 34 percent enjoy it for breakfast the next morning, 23 percent sneak it while everyone is in bed, and 9 percent indulge while everyone is still at the table.*
• Sharing is Caring. 64 percent of respondents have shared a recipe and 55 percent have shared a photo of something they baked with family and friends.*

With a commitment to quality, ACH Food Companies pours its passion for baking into its entire product portfolio. For consumers seeking gluten-free baking options, Fleischmann's® Yeast and Argo® Corn Starch and Argo® Baking Powder are the perfect solutions for creating delicious gluten-free recipes. Additionally, Karo® Syrup, which has 0g high fructose corn syrup, is a natural sweetener containing real vanilla and simple ingredients.

For more baking tips, visit www.breadworld.com or www.karosyrup.com and stay up to date on the latest Fleischmann's® Yeast and Karo® Syrup news by following the brands at www.facebook.com/fleischmannsyeast and www.facebook.com/karosyrup.

*Survey results were gleaned from a survey conducted by Lab42 among 1,000 U.S. residents ages 18 and older in October 2015.

About ACH Food Companies, Inc.

When it comes to baking, ACH features such trusted and loved brands as Fleischmann's^® yeast, Fleischmann's^® Simply Homemade^®  bread mixes, Argo® corn starch and baking powder, and Karo^® corn syrup.

ACH Food Companies, Inc. manufactures, markets and sells a premier branded portfolio of cooking oils, spices, sauces, seasonings and baking ingredients in the consumer and foodservice channels in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico, all of which are either #1 or #2 brands in their categories.

As one of the largest branded consumer oil manufacturers and marketers in North America, the cornerstone of ACH's portfolio features Mazola^® oils, the leading corn oil brand in the USA and Canada, and over 100 years old and Capullo^® oils, the leading premium canola oil brand in Mexico.

ACH is the second largest manufacturer and marketer of spices and seasonings in North America, including Spice Islands^® spices and extracts, Durkee^® spices, dry sauces and gravies, Weber^® Seasonings, Sauces and Marinades, Tone's^® spices, French's^® dry sauces, Mazola^© bouillon, and Patak's^® Indian foods — the leading brand of Indian sauces, pastes and shelf-stable meals in North America.

Contact: Jamie Dammrich
MSLGROUP
jamie.dammrich@mslgroup.com 
312-861-5215

SOURCE ACH Food Companies, Inc.