Month: October 2025

Magnolia Table’s line of bake goods is sold exclusively at Target, just like the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia brand.

All of the baked goods in the collection were inspired by food Joanna Gaines makes at home or that’s served at Silos Baking Co. or Magnolia Table in Waco, Texas, as she told People.

The new line features:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Classic Sugar Cookies
• Silo Cookies
• Classic Cinnamon Rolls
• Jo’s Buttermilk Biscuits
• After School Banana Bread

Each item costs $11.99, except for the biscuits, which are $9.99.

“The Magnolia Table launch underscores our ongoing vision of connecting people through food, family, and tradition,” Magnolia Table told Business Insider of the line. “By pairing the quality of homemade baking with the convenience families need today, Magnolia Table is helping create opportunities for slowing down and savoring meaningful moments together.”

I’m no stranger to Gaines’ food offerings, having dined at Magnolia Table in Waco and made her homemade biscuit recipe. When I saw the news of Magnolia Table’s new frozen line, I knew I had to try it.

After grabbing the collection through a pickup order at Target, I spent an afternoon baking. Here’s my ranking from worst to best.

When I first glanced at the box of the After School Banana Bread, I saw “ready to enjoy in minutes” written on the front. However, about an hour into my baking endeavors, I looked more closely and realized the bread required more preparation than I had thought.

The directions said to thaw the bread in its bakeable tray for three to four hours before baking it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. There was an option to microwave the bread from frozen, but I wanted to bake it to get the best possible version.

Thawing the banana bread wasn’t a huge deal, but remembering to take it out of the freezer hours before baking didn’t seem particularly convenient.

When I asked the brand about the timing, Magnolia Table said, “We know so many families love our After School Banana Bread recipe, and we wanted to give them a way to recreate that same warm, cozy aroma at home by baking it in the oven.”

“At the same time, we know life gets busy, so we also included a quicker option for those moments when convenience matters most,” the brand added. “If you’re warming from frozen, you can simply place the loaf in the microwave and enjoy it in just a few minutes. Both methods are there to make sure families can experience that homemade comfort, whether it’s a weekend bake or a weekday treat.”

I’m not generally a huge banana bread fan, but the Magnolia Table iteration was fairly tasty.

It wasn’t too banana-forward and had a comforting taste when I took a bite fresh from the oven. The bread offered easy eating, and as its name indicates, it seems like a good option for an afternoon snack for kids.

The flavor didn’t really stand out, though, especially compared to other items in the line, and I don’t think it was worth the hours of thawing. I would probably just make it in the microwave next time, though I’m unsure how that would change the texture.

I’ve always loved a good cinnamon roll, and although homemade rolls are particularly good, I have no problem with frozen options. I spent most Saturdays of my childhood begging my mom to make the Pillsbury or Sister Schubert brand of refrigerated rolls.

As a frozen cinnamon roll connoisseur, I was excited to try Gaines’ take on the classic pastry.

In Magnolia Table’s pack, four rolls come in a bakeable tray sealed inside plastic wrap. I was a bit surprised by the small number of cinnamon rolls, but when I asked Magnolia Table about it, it said “a great deal of consideration” went into deciding how many of each baked good to include in its packs.

“Some decisions were guided by simple kitchen logic — like including a dozen cookies, which naturally feels right when baking at home,” Magnolia Table said. “We also relied on research and consumer insights to ensure each product offers both exceptional quality and convenience. Ultimately, every package was designed to feel intentional and familiar, much like something made in your own kitchen.”

The directions on the box instruct you to remove the rolls from the plastic wrap and then let them rest for 45 minutes to an hour before baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 23 to 25 minutes. The resting wasn’t my favorite, but I liked that you could just throw the rolls into the oven in the tray.

A packet of icing was also included, but the directions didn’t specify what to do with it while the rolls rested. I left my packet on my kitchen counter.

My cinnamon rolls were ready in about 25 minutes, with the edges slightly crispy and the center gooey.

I poured my icing — which had softened from sitting on the counter — over the cinnamon rolls, and it spread out fairly thin. The icing might have had a better consistency if I had kept it in the refrigerator while the rolls thawed, but the directions didn’t indicate that I should have done so.

I informed Magnolia Table about my icing consistency issues, and the brand expressed appreciation for the feedback, clarifying that the icing could be left out without compromising safety.

“Our icing is completely safe to leave out while the rolls thaw and bake, but for those who prefer a thicker consistency, placing it in the fridge is a great option,” Magnolia Table said.

Despite my issues with the icing, the cinnamon rolls smelled inviting, so I was optimistic when I took a bite. It wasn’t bad, but it reminded me of cinnamon rolls I’ve had at the mall. The cinnamon lining the swirl had a slightly artificial taste, and it was almost cloyingly sweet.

I would prefer to eat other frozen or refrigerated cinnamon roll brands over Magnolia Table’s, as I think they taste better and offer more bang for your buck. For instance, you can buy a can of five Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls at Target for around $5, compared to the $11.99 rolls from Magnolia Table.

All three flavors of cookies in the Magnolia Table line came in rectangular boxes with a set of twelve plastic-wrapped cookies inside. They also had the same directions: Bake the cookies two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes.

My oven is pretty small (apartment life, am I right?), but I managed to bake the chocolate chip and Silo cookies at the same time, though one had to go on the bottom rack. I switched them halfway through to ensure both were fully baked.

In my oven, the cookies needed to bake for 20 minutes until they were cooked through with a soft center.

Of the three, Magnolia Table’s Silo Cookies ranked lowest for me, but they were still really good. They blended the best parts of an oatmeal and a chocolate chip cookie, as they included peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate, and walnuts.

At first bite, I found the Silo Cookie to be mostly peanut butter-forward. I liked that they weren’t too cloying, and when I got a bite with chocolate in it, the flavor became more inviting.

All three sets of cookies were also moist and tasted fresh despite being frozen, which was a relief.

Gaines’ chocolate chip cookies were quite tasty.

The cookie had a salty-sweet taste, and I liked that the chocolate chips were sizable and generously included in each cookie, ensuring there was chocolatey goodness in each bite.

They didn’t taste particularly distinct from other frozen chocolate chip cookies I’ve had, but they were yummy.

Of the three cookies, I was most skeptical of the Classic Sugar Cookies, as I often find that frozen sugar cookies can be overly sweet.

However, Gaines’ cookies were the perfect balance of sugary and buttery. When I took a bite of one fresh from the oven, it melted in my mouth.

The sugar cookies ended up being my favorite of the three, which was a shock. I could easily see myself buying them again.

Most fans of Gaines are likely familiar with her biscuits, whether they have tried her homemade recipe themselves or have had them at the Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco.

Her biscuits are known for being deliciously crumbly and buttery, and I was skeptical that the frozen version could live up to the homemade one.

Six biscuits come in a pack, and they bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. The directions also say to top the biscuits with melted butter and salt when you take them out of the oven.

I tried a biscuit warm from the oven after I topped it with butter and salt. I smiled as the pastry hit my tongue.

The biscuit was buttery and crumbly, and I was pleased it wasn’t dry. The salt balanced out the rich butter, creating an addictively delicious bite. I instantly thought of several meals my husband and I eat regularly that I would love to pair with the biscuits.

I don’t think they would be best for feeding a crowd, since there are only six in a pack, and I still prefer the homemade version. However, the frozen biscuits are a great choice for a weeknight meal for a family.

Overall, I think Magnolia Table’s collection is a fun new venture for the Gaineses. It’s a playful way for their fans to easily access some of the foods they offer in Waco, and the food is tasty overall.

I could see myself buying the biscuits and cookies again, but I don’t think I’d revisit the cinnamon rolls or banana bread. They were a bit too time-consuming to make, and in the case of the cinnamon rolls, better alternatives are already on the market.

Considering Gaines has published three cookbooks, I’m excited to see what other frozen foods she creates next.

Longyearbyen is located in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, which is a three-hour flight from Oslo and about 650 miles from the North Pole.

While there are a couple of tiny settlements further in the north, Longyearbyen is the first of any significant size.

The town has a population of around 2,400 residents, per Visit Svalbard.

After its discovery by Dutch explorer Willem Barents in 1596, Svalbard became a base from which to hunt and fish the large fauna that inhabited the archipelago.

English, Danish, Dutch, and French companies fought over the hunting grounds, which were rich in walrus and bowhead whales. It’s estimated that the Dutch alone killed 60,000 whales between the 17th and 18th centuries.

At the turn of the 20th century, Longyearbyen was established as a coal mining town; however, mining operations have since shuttered.

Mining has been phased out of the entire area, with Svalbard’s final mine, the Norwegian-run Mine 7, closing in June 2025.

As mining phased out, Longyearbyen has become a destination for adventurous tourists and scientific researchers. More than 150,000 people visited Svalbard as a whole in 2018, per the most recent data available.

It is the host of the doomsday seed vault, which stores every known crop on the planet.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault delves 400 feet inside a mountain near Longyearbyen and is home to over one million different seeds.

It also looks like it would make a spectacular lair for a Bond villain.

Buried in permafrost, the vault is supposed to stay frozen for at least 200 years, even if the electricity fails.

Due to rapidly rising temperatures in the Arctic, the vault already requires expensive upgrades to protect it from melting permafrost.

This tunnel became “like a glacier” when the meltwater froze, The Guardian reported in 2017. There are five doors with coded locks that anyone looking to get into the vault has to pass through.

The native polar bears provide an extra layer of security to the vault.

There are believed to be around 300 polar bears on Svalbard year-round, according to Visit Svalbard.

Wandering polar bears pose a very real threat to the population of Longyearbyen. While the bears mainly live north of Longyearbyen on the pack ice, they can occasionally venture into town in search of food.

In 2018, a polar bear was killed on Svalbard after it attacked a cruise ship guard, the BBC reported. In 2011, a 17-year-old student from the UK was killed by an emaciated polar bear that approached a group on Spitsbergen as they camped, The Guardian reported.

Although polar bear encounters are rare, residents and visitors are instructed to carry a firearm with them when traveling outside the town borders. The governor of Svalbard actually has a six-page report detailing the best weapons to ward off polar bears.

Residents also have natural disasters to contend with.

Two people died in an avalanche in Longyearbyen in 2015 that destroyed 11 apartment buildings. In 2017, another avalanche caused further damage to the town.

While there is a small graveyard — the northernmost one in the world — burials were banned in the 1950s after the deceased started to resurface due to melting permafrost, the Financial Times reported.

The island also lacks the facilities to care for the seriously ill or for pregnant women. If you’re nearing the end of life or about to give birth, you have to go back to the mainland to receive appropriate care.

Longyearbyen brands itself as a “tiny metropolis” as its over 2,500 residents hail from almost 50 different countries.

As of 2025, a total of 113 Thai people and 127 Filipinos inhabit Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, an even smaller town, combined. Filipinos only recently overtook Thai people as the second largest nationality group after Norwegians, per the Spitsbergen-Svalbard website.

The town has a Thai restaurant, a Thai supermarket, and celebrates an annual festival showcasing Thai customs.

Immigrants in Svalbard benefit from a unique treaty, which allows people to come to the archipelago without a visa or work permit, as long as they can financially support themselves.

Hans-Henrik Hartmann, then head of the legal unit at the Norwegian government’s immigration department, told Al Jazeera in 2006: “If an asylum seeker is refused residence in Norway he can settle in Svalbard so long as he can get there and is able to pay for himself.”

Recent data, however, suggests more people leave Svalbard annually than move there, and a 2022 study reported that 64% of the town’s residents stay less than five years.

While the cost of living in Longyearbyen is unsurprisingly high due to its remote location, residents can benefit from the town’s institutions like the school, which reportedly serves around 270 pupils aged between 6 and 18.

It is — also unsurprisingly — the northernmost school in the world.

Students at the school won’t just learn maths and literature.

“They will learn how to behave in nature, how to behave with polar bears, how to survive in winter, how to find a safe place to camp or how to deal with avalanches,” a teacher told The Guardian in 2007.

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is, you guessed it, the northernmost tertiary school in the world.

Many of the 700 students that take courses there each year don’t have to pay any tuition fees — they only pay an administration “semester fee” of 710 Norwegian Krone, which is about $70.

They are offered courses in Arctic biology, Arctic geology, Arctic geophysics and Arctic technology.

All students must learn how to use a firearm, per Visit Svalbard.

Aside from the Thai restaurant, residents of Longyearbyen can also pass time in the art gallery, cinema, or museum. There’s even a few pubs and a nightclub — also the northernmost in the world.

You can have a kick about on the pack ice — just make sure to bring armed guards in case of polar bears.

Due to Longyearbyen’s extreme northern location, it experiences “polar night” each year, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon from early November through January.

Every year, Longyearbyen celebrates the end of the dark season with Sun Festival Week, per Visit Svalbard.

The town gathers on the old hospital steps to celebrate the sun’s return. The saying goes that “the sun is declared back in Longyearbyen when its rays reach the steps.”

Longyearbyen is one of the best places in the world to witness the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis.

It was also one of the best places in the world to take in the “super blue blood moon” that occurred in 2018 (pictured).

Many people in Longyearbyen get around by snowmobile. In Svalbard, there are more snowmobiles than there are people to use them (3,000 as of 2024), per The Norwegian Polar Institute.

Some prefer more traditional methods of travel, though. The archipelago is home to more than 1,000 polar dogs, which are basically elite athletes — sometimes consecutively running over 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, per day for weeks at a time, per Visit Svalbard.

Shopping at the town’s one grocery store might be a bit of a hassle, but residents know how to get around it.

Longyearbyen visitors can stay in the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel (the northernmost hotel in the world, as recognized by the Guinness World Records), where rooms start at $205 per night, per the hotel’s website.