|
Newsletter Sign Up>
Here We Are In February Already!
February 4, 2007
FROM THE STAFF
Here we are in February already!
I guess we can’t complain about the winter. Well….I guess
we could.
Many things are happening at the Boarding House this month.
We are welcoming a new employee. Her name is Laura
Wagner. She is working on her Pastry Chef certificate from
The Culinary School in Connecticut. She will be with us for
10 weeks while she completes her training.
We have also added two decorators from the culinary class
at Timken High School. They helped us over the Christmas
holidays and did a great job. They are Tiffany Cottrell
and Jennifer White.
Please say hi to the girls when you come in and make them
feel welcomed.
News from the West. Many of you have asked us about Jamie.
Jamie, was our full time baker. Well…..he and his family
have moved to Phoenix. He is doing well and in pursuit of
a new job. We wish him all the best.
Bill had a rough start to the new year. He totaled the
delivery van the second week in January. Fortunately he
was not hurt but he was flustered trying to find a new set
of wheels. We now have a new van and we are back to making
daily deliveries
As for Angela and me, we are doing great! Our families are
healthy and happy and we are getting two days off a week.
(which we have not had in 9 years) We want to thank each of
you for all your support over the last year and for your
friendships.
We are so excited to do the newsletter again. Please sign
up through our web site so that you don’t miss a single
issue.
www.eatyourdessertfirst.com
If you would like to share a recipe or a baking tip just
let us know and we will see if we can put it in the
newsletter.
May God Bless Each Of You!
FROM THE BAKERY
Got (Leftover) Bread?
Then You’ve Got a Delicious Dessert!
We have a wonderful gentleman customer who asked me to make
him spoon bread. I had never made it and could not imagine
that I would like it. Well… I can tell you when you bring
it out of the oven it is hard to not take a spoon and start
eating!
Don’t throw out that leftover bread!
If you’re not ready to make bread pudding right now, cut
the bread into cubes and freeze it. Then some Sunday
afternoon, throw together this bread pudding and savor the
scent of vanilla and spices wafting from your oven. Then
watch your family start heading toward the kitchen.
Wintery Bread Pudding
7 cups cubed leftover bread (brioche and challah are nice)
6 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half, cream or milk
15 ounce can pears in light syrup
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk until thoroughly
combined. Add the milk and half and half, continuing to
whisk.
Stir the bread into the egg mixture, using a large spoon or
spatula to mix everything together until the bread is
thoroughly coated. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Drain the pears, reserving the syrup for
another use if desired. Cut the dried apricots into
slivers. Scissors sprayed with a little non-stick
vegetable oil spray work well for this task.
Fold all the fruit into the bread custard mixture and pour
it into the baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 60 minutes,
until the pudding is puffed, lightly browned, and a knife
inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the pudding
cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with
ice cream, if desired.
NOTE:
If you are not into apricots or cranberries why not try
apples or mixed berries. Don’t forget to take out the
cinnamon if you are doing the berries. You could also add
raisins and nuts.
Use your imagination! Don’t forget you can’t make a
mistake, just sometime things come out better then others!
Classic Shortbread Cookies
8 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
2 ¼ cups King Arthur all purpose flour
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Combine the butter,
sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed
until the butter combines with the sugar but isn’t
perfectly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix on
low speed scraping the bowl frequently, until the dough has
just about pulled together, about 3 minutes; don’t over
mix.
Roll dough out and cut in your desired shape.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bake the cookies until golden on
the bottom and edges. Approx. 30 minutes.
NOTE:
If you want a fancy cookie, cut you cookies in heart shapes
and then dip ½ of the cookie in melted chocolate or
drizzle with chocolate.
VALENTINE DAY IDEAS
Edible Love Letters
Cookie dough:
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Filling options:
Peanut Butter
Chocolate chips
White chocolate
Almond or pistachio paste
¾ cup raspberry, apricot, or strawberry jam, mixed with 1
tablespoon of flour or cornstarch.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set
aside. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, cream
cheese, and sugar. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla nutmeg,
and zest if using. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a
thickness of ¼ inch. Or , you can put the dough on a sheet
of parchment paper, and put a piece of plastic wrap on top.
Roll the dough through the plastic wrap: it won’t stick to
the pin this way, and you can peel up the plastic and
reposition it if you need to. Aim for a 12 x 15 inch
rectangle. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the
dough into 3-inch squares. Place 1 inch apart on
un-greased baking sheets. Drop a teaspoonful of the
filling into the center of each square and fold the corners
into the center like an envelope. Lightly seal the seams
by pressing them together or pinching if necessary. Bake
for 20 - 22 minutes, until lightly colored. Transfer to
wire racks to cool.
THE CHOCOLATE SHOPPE
Are you looking for something different to try this winter
for a snack? Why not try ..
Old Fashioned Corn Flake Candy
4 cups corn flakes
1 cup nuts
1 cup coconut
½ cup cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Mix cream, sugar, and corn syrup in saucepan; cook to 238
degrees on candy thermometer. Meanwhile, grease large
mixing bowl with butter. Mix corn flakes, coconut, and
nuts in bowl. Pour boiled syrup over corn flake mixture.
Mix well and spoon out in clusters onto waxed paper.
EASY BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN LOGS
¾ lb. butterscotch coating
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Pecan halves (optional)
Melt butterscotch coating in top of double boiler. Add
milk and vanilla and beat till smooth, then add chopped
pecans. Shape in small logs approx. 1” in diameter. Wrap
in plastic wrap and chill till firm. Garnish with pecan
halves. Slice and serve.
Helpful Hints: Do not get even one drop of water in your
coating or you will ruin the whole batch!
Always store candy in airtight containers, in layers, with
waxed paper between layers, to keep your candies looking
nice.
Plain clusters, like raisin clusters, peanut clusters,
crispy raisin squares, or anything mixed in with chocolate,
can be dipped into empty peanut butter cup papers instead
of making clusters on waxed paper.
TIPS FOR THE MONTH
How do you know when your cake is done?
If it’s a chocolate one, follow your nose. When the
perfume of chocolate suddenly fills the kitchen, it’s time
to check. Cakes will pull ever-so-slightly away from the
edge of the pan when they’re done. A light touch in the
center won’t leave a dent, and a toothpick inserted in the
center will come out clean.
When making ganache,
A very rich icing, it’s easy to change the ratio of
chocolate and cream to attain the consistency of icing you
want. Three parts chocolate to 1 part cream, by weight,
yields icing that spreads easily when hot, but solidifies
nicely as it cools. Two parts chocolate to 1 ½ parts
cream, or 1 cup chocolate to a generous ½ cup cream -
yields ganache that is pour-able, and stays fairly soft,
even when completely cool: this ratio is good for cake
icing that’s going to be poured over the cake, as with
Boston Cream Pie
For beautiful slices, keep it clean.
When slicing a moist, rich dessert, do what the
professional pastry chefs do: have a tall glass of very hot
water and a paper towel handy. After you cut each slice,
keep the knife on the plate and pull it straight toward
you, without picking it up. Dip the knife in the hot water
and wipe it clean after every slice. The edges of each
serving will be picture perfect, not ragged or clumpy.
If your cake has cracks in the top
It was probably baked in too hot an oven. Adjust your
temperature downward ( and use an oven thermometer to check
your oven’s calibration!) Baking layers in a water bath
will also help.
We would like to remind you that we have new Store Hours:
Closed Sunday
Closed Monday
Open Tuesday at 9:00 AM - Close at 5:00 PM
Open Wednesday at 9:00 AM - Close at 5:00 PM
Open Thursday at 9:00 AM - Close at 6:00 PM
Open Friday at 9:00 AM - Close at 5:00 PM
Open Saturday at 9:00 AM - Close at 1:00 PM
Some New Items That We Now Have In Stock.
Bunny, Chicks & Ducks Sprinkle Mix
Pastel Flower Sugar Shapes
Mini Milk Chocolate Buckeyes
Sugar Free Vanilla Wafers
Gold Coins
Flavored Runts
Petite Mints
Butterscotch Cookie Drops
Cheddar Snack Mix
12" Plastic Trays with Lids
Have a recipe you would like to share with our readers.
Email it to theboardinghouse@aol.com
We are now taking orders for Valentine's Day - Cookies,
Cakes and Chocolate. To place your orders please CALL (330)
832-2935.
Thank you, for your support.
Vicki, Angela & Bill
The Boarding House
409 Parkview St. NE
Massillon, OH 44646
Life Is Sweet....Eat Your Dessert First!
|
