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The Short List

I love when people ask me about baking. Not “How’s the business?” or “Can I talk to you about a marketing opportunity?” – more like, “Why do you spray that simple syrup on the cake?” and “How much salt is in your bread recipe?”

I’ve learned from these questions that I have a difficult time staying objective when it comes to various baked goods. There are certain things I love to make, and a few that I really don’t. That being said, let this list in no way deter you from ordering these things – the delight of making customers happy far outweighs the delight of baking even my favorite things. So here’s the short list of favorites and deplorables (thanks for the word, Hillary).

the faves

1. Chocolate Ganache

Why? Well. It’s delicious. When you eat it you think, “Do I deserve this?” When it’s just made, it’s this giant liquid pool of chocolate that you can imagine the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” version of yourself belly flopping into. I might just replace the words “indulgent” or “rich” or “excessive” in my vocabulary to “ganache”. If ganache had a slogan, it would be

TREAT YO'SELF

There’s another reason. It’s SUPER easy to make. It’s so great, I’m going to (GASP) give you the recipe. The way we remember it is “3-2-1”.3 cups of heavy cream, 2 pounds of semi-sweet chocolate, 1 pound of butter. And then a pinch of salt – but that’s kinda optional.We bring the cream to a rising boil on the stove, dump it over the pound of chocolate, stir it around until it’s mostly melted, add the butter in chunks, stir that around until it’s all combined. And VOILA! Ganache.

And one more reason. It’s one of the most versatile things we make. Use it to drip over a cake, top eclairs, or douse cheesecake. Mix it with white chocolate buttercream to make the BEST chocolate icing ever. Fill cupcakes with it. Make mousse out of it. And I could keep going.

Chocolate ganache in process.

2. Sticky Buns The most satisfying part of my early morning in the bakery? Pulling sticky buns out of the oven and flipping them over the reveal the best-smelling and most perfectly ooey gooey set of buns you’ll ever see. It’s wonderful. And what makes it even better is the process.

Have you ever done something so many times that it’s just second-nature? The sticky bun recipe is one I know by heart, and it makes me feel like a real-deal baker every time I put the ingredients together. Then there’s the rhythm of rolling it out, filling it, cutting it up, and placing it in its pans. It’s the kind of thing you can do to with a solid beat in the background and imagine you’re in some kind of montage about how awesome your life is.

Then there’s the sentimental reason this makes my faves – every time I make them I think of my Grandma. When we were first getting started, she came to my kitchen and taught me the family recipe, all the time telling me how her mother taught her. And every time our sticky buns or cinnamon rolls get a compliment, I’m eager to give credit where it is due. Grandma Ruby, you’re the best.

When Grandma taught me sticky buns.

3. Bread

This one isn’t because I always love the process. It’s lengthy and sometimes inconvenient and frustrating. I love bread because there is a whole world of bread that I still get to explore. It challenges me, it takes study and practice, and each day it keeps me super humble. It still makes my heart race on the days when it has a perfect bake. Bread has kept me most intrigued out of all the baking we do. I was the kind of girl who took four advanced placement (AP) classes her senior year even though she wasn’t going to college. Bread is my bakery AP course.

And then there’s the romance of bread. Picturing it on a family’s dinner table is my favorite thing. It’s not indulgent and just for special occasions – it’s an everyday part of people’s lives. Even at the most deprived times in our history, people survived on bread and water. I know how to make something that sustains life and brings wellness to people, and that’s a really good thought.

 

the not faves

1. Red. Freaking. Velvet.

Do you realize what gets dumped in a red velvet cake? A whole two ounce container of red food coloring. That’s what. I usually do less than that, but most recipes call for it. Yuck. Gross. WHY?!

Let me be clear, it’s not that I dislike velvet cake. I actually really like the concept of velvet cake. It’s made special by added a small bit of cocoa to soften the flour, and the buttermilk, baking soda, and vinegar reaction that gives it a tighter crumb and smoother texture. And you could easily make velvet cake without the red food coloring. BUT – no one would buy it. When people cut into a red velvet cake, they expect that vibrant red color.

The original “red” did not come from red food coloring, but was really a tip of the hat to the dark brick-red color that a lighter chocolate cake would produce, and named mahogany. But then Mr. John A. Adams, an extract and food coloring entrepreneur, needed a new marketing scheme.

“After Congress passed the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 1938, shoring up regulations for food coloring, Mr. Adams figured he could sell a lot more extracts and dyes, and a red cake would be just the way to do it. Sometime in the 1940s, the company tricked out a mahogany cake recipe with food coloring, printed it on cards and began plans to merchandise it alongside bottles of vanilla, red dye and artificial butter flavoring, which was popular when butter was rationed during World War II.” (SOURCE: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/dining/red-velvet-cake-from-gimmick-to-american-classic.html)

Every time I make a red velvet cake, I tell Mr. Adams ho