Have a Yule That's Cool!

Are you superstitious? I’m not. When I broke a mirror 1,962 days ago, I knew I wasn’t going to have seven years of bad luck. I know that in 593 days my life won’t change. I look for four leaf clovers and pots of gold because I’m Irish, I don’t need luck and the collection of heads up pennies I find…hey, free penny. Anyway, did you know Yule logs were originally thought to determine your luck? From what I’ve read on them, there are a few variations on the theme. One is for the Yule log to bring good luck, it had to catch fire on the first attempt or ALL people who lived in the home would suffer bad luck. Another is the remains of the burnt log had to be kept for the next year’s lighting, and this would extend through multiple generations, the ashes would protect the owners from lightening strikes and evil spirits.

The Yule festival was originally a Pagan tradition that was celebrated in December and January to honor the winter solstice. Vikings and Scandinavians would go hunting for the best oak log and bring it back and burn it in respect to their gods and in celebration of life. So how did the oak log transition to the Vienna sponge cake? One thought I read is that it was created by the French in response to a large number of families who didn’t have fireplaces to burn an oak log but wanted to celebrate the tradition, which, like all delicious French things do, spread to the states. The best ones are made with Vienna Sponge Cake. And the best Vienna Sponge Cake is made from Abel & Schafer’s Vienna Sponge Cake Mix (22028). You know it’s true! Check out the brochure for Vienna Sponge Cake, it has instructions for Vienna Sponge Cake, Jelly Rolls, and Italian Rum Cake...HERE. Share your pictures if you are making a Yule Log!! I want to see!!
More Yule info...? Go here. Pictures are from here and here.

A Pear Tree

Do you like pears? I’m not a huge pear person…I don’t like them dried, poached, or in the canned mixed fruit, or on a plane or in a train, you get the picture. But on occasion, usually in September and October I love a really juicy pear. A really yellow, moments away form being over-ripe Bartlett. But not gritty or stringy just SO juicy that when your teeth sink into it with no resistance from flesh or fruit, juices flow down your hand and onto your wrist. Your lips glisten with a honey sweetness and the sweet smell overwhelms your senses.

Anyway, I’ve never had a Warren pear but apparently it blends the best of all its ancestors and is spectacular for baking. Its “intensely sweet, rich, spicy” flavor can’t be beat. It’s even been praised by some names we all know, Ms. Alice Waters, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey. And between the food and retail world you have basically got all bases covered with those three. Its origins are interesting including bacterial disease, winter chill and the Seckel. The Warren pear isn’t common, one reason being that it takes 5 years for pear trees to bear fruit so growers typically stick to what they know works. But I wish more growers would! I want to try this smooth,sweet and complexly flavored fruit, claiming to have flavors with hints of guava, pineapple and honey. I think I’d eat this pear poached, in a tart or straight from the tree. Or in a box or with a fox...

To read more about the Warren pear, go here!

Do You Hear What I Hear....(It's me!!)

Can you believe it’s been a month already?! One month since my last post. It’s been a wonderful month for me, starting with the fact that, I’m back here, with you. After deciding to make some changes in my life and leave sales, through the very gracious and kind thoughts of my management at Abel & Schafer, we decided that I would stay on as the author of our blog, Crumby News as well as our newsletter, of the same name. If you aren’t on the newsletter mailing list, send me an e-mail and we’ll get you signed up. It’s a condensed version of the blog, a few different pieces of information here and there and links to articles that I found interesting, or bits of news I’ve heard that I think are worth sharing.

In the past month I’ve also been to London on a mini vacation with my best friend, who graciously treated me to The Waldorf downtown in the theater district. The last time I was in London walking around the city, all I cared about was the then HUGE toy store Hamley’s, which at one time was the biggest toy store going. Before the introduction of Toy’s R Us, Hamley’s, which is six floors of just toys, was a dream. This time around, I was more focused on the amazing food finds, the outdoor markets, the endless possibilities and varieties of cultural food and my second taste of Indian Food, and from what I hear, authentic Indian Food. If you ask any Londoners, turns out Indian Food is THE food of London. More popular even than fish and chips with mushy peas, which I also had. I love me some chips and malt vinegar! Then after returning home, Thanksgiving was knocking at the door, more amazing food and some really really delicious pumpkin pecan rolls and some perfect, if I do say so myself, Parker House Rolls, and now it’s December and I’m two weeks away from heading to Seattle, Washington. I’ve never been to Washington, so I’m really excited to see a new place and to check out Pike’s Place Market, and yes, I’ll admit it, grab a cup of coffee. And SOON….so soon, I get to cut my Stollen! Who has made Stollen?

Speaking of who has made Stollen…I have to ask you all a favor! Nobody EVER responhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifds to me on this blog! I want to talk to you guys, hear about what you are baking, answer questions, recommend products and share my photo’s and see yours!! Please sign up so you can talk to me! I’m not above begging!! PLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! You can’t tell, but I’m even on my knees.

Now, let’s get to business!Do you know who your target audience is? Do you strive to please everyone or is there a specific group that you aim to keep on top? I was reading an article from QSR’s online magazine written by their “marketing guru” Denise Lee Yohn about marketing efforts that will increase brand appeal. And she pointed out that for the quick serve restaurant the target audience is mom’s and the millennials, or those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s (80 million of them!!) who eat out 12 or more times a month and spend more of their income on food than any other generation has. I don’t know if I’m happy or sad I narrowly missed the boat on being classified as a millennial…hmm. Anyway, what the article points out is that since these two groups represent such a large source of spending that quick serve restaurants NEED to understand what drives them and when they do, they will certainly benefit. For QSR, millennials want creativity and innovation. The like options and opportunity to try new things whether it be ethnically or unusual, they like change and novelty. They want community engagement, they want to be listened to and they require social networking. Watch what you do and say, these customers make decisions based on what they see, read and hear. The second group, moms. We all know how important moms are, but did you know there are 32 million mom’s in the US and those 32 million account for $1.6 trillion in annual spending? I had no idea…I did know mom’s need ease, flexibility and options. They decide where the families go, they decide how the families eat and they like healthy options, value and convenience…quick convenience that is. Mom’s also like social media. They post pics, they blog, they research and they comment. Make mom happy. Yours, mine and the rest of them, they’ll take care of you in return. Just like a mom wants to!

So, the basic message? Mom’s need help, kids need value and you need customers. It’s the same give a little, get a little, you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours and do unto other’s lesson’s we’ve all been learning our whole lives. Can’t say I didn’t see that coming! Now, subscribe to my blog and tell me who your target audience is? I’d love to know how it varies by location and what you do to make your customers feel special. Who has an app? Who can be found with a geo tracker and Bing or Google? Let me know how you shine amongst your competition.

Holiday Rolls

I don't mean the ones we all worry about when New Year's comes along, and we all start going to the gym WAY more than normal. I'm talking about the ones that give us those rolls. Delicious. The holidays are knocking at the door and for me, that’s great news, I LOVE love love the holidays! I love the baking and rush and bustle of it, even the cold; but only for December, then it has to leave. But, when you are running a bakery or restaurant or catering business and depending on customers working long hours, and stress is your constant companion it’s not nearly as romantic. According to my alma mater, “preparation is everything” so let’s get ready, again. We did Stollen before I took my month long sabbatical and panettone so let’s focus on some dinner rolls for the parties, dinners, and holiday meals we have looming over us. The Abel & Schafer 25% Dinner Roll Base 31037 is easy, delicious, TFF and kosher Parve. They are amazing…so soft and tender inside that delicate pillowy texture, covered with a dusting of flour before baking so it gets on your hands and shirt when you eat them. They are perfect for mopping up gravy, sauce and au jus, and the best thing about them is that with our Flexline bases they can be any flavor you choose!

(Do you all know about Flexline? They are dry bases, that you use ranging from 4% to 40% with the majority of them requiring somewhere between 5 to 15% of the base added to your own formulas, or in this case to the Dinner Roll Base. We’ll go over Flexline in more detail in a few weeks but for now, flavors include pesto, sundried tomato, grain, potato dill and onion…you get the picture. Great for bagels, great for pretty much everything savory but really great for 25% Dinner Roll Base!)

The rolls are easy to mix, quick proofing and easy to bake, plus, they will really make your customers happy! Give a little, get a little…some convenience for the mom’s who will repay by coming back for more.
image from here

Winds of Change

I'm usually much more prepared than this. Friday is my favorite work day, as is for many people, yes, but for me because I get to do the blog, update and monitor facebook, and send out my newsletter to my customers. I love reading up about what's happening in the industry, sharing interesting articles and facts and the creativity that is involved in making it work. By Friday, this is typically planned out, I know what I want to share and just have to put words to the page. But not today. Today, I am at a standstill and have a bit of writers block. It's my own fault really, as today is my last day as the Crumby News blogger. As the title implies, the winds of change have been calling me and I've finally decided to answer. You can only fight nature for so long you know.

So, in my last post I'm going to highlight my favorite item we sell, which honestly is easy to write about. My favorite writing to do is writing about experiences, especially ones that involve food. I know I've said I have "favorites" before, and I may be a bit too lose with the word in general, but of all the products we sell, every single one, I get the most excited to eat this one; Stollen.

There is just nothing better than Stollen, and it didn't take me long to convince my family of that shortly after I discovered it which wasn't until culinary schol. I mean bread with inclusions, right there I'm hooked whatever type of bread it is. But in this case the inclusions are rum soaked fruit and nuts. I usually soak a little extra because I know myself. The smell of the cranberries, raisins and candied fruits with almonds soaking in rum is too enticing for me to leave alone. I have enough will power to let it sit one night; I prefer the taste the second day. Oh the taste...you know what I'm talking about, right? How when the raisins and dried cranberries are fat with liquid and heavy on your tongue? The almonds have softened and while they are harder to bite through than the fruits, they break easily under your teeth and that sweet aroma floats up into your nose and it is nutty and sweet with hints of smoke and orange. Your taste buds are savoring the hints of caramelized sugar, spice and the lingering flavor of vanilla and citrus. Yes, soak extra. Now add a good deal of fat and sugar, and a log of marzipan down one side of the loaf and there's no way you can go wrong. Some people skip the marzipan but to me, that's a crime. If you were still on the fence, as if...after that loaf comes out of the oven, you dip it in melted, clarified butter and then granulated sugar, only to sit overnight to let it cool and all the goodness inside to solidify a bit, and then cover it with Sweet New Snow. Holy freaking cow. I just gained a pound writing this. And I don't even care. If there was ever a product worth getting fat over, it's Stollen. I hate cutting it, it's a messy job but I love eating it. Not the first piece though, because usually there isn't any marzipan in the first slice and I want all the fat I can get in my slice of Stollen. I like the middle of the loaf, where it's the thickest around. I love the texture differences...the powdery dry New Snow, followed by gritty, buttery sugar and then the soft crumb of the loaf, filled with an even softer burst of almond paste and sugar. I always eat the side without the marzipan first, so my last bites can be the best. I bite halfway through the marzipan when I do, so it is in two bites. It's smooth and sweet and soft and moist, and it's dry and crunchy and buttery. It's happiness. Powdered sugar all over your shirt happiness.

Anyway..I guess I got over that writers block. Go figure...food was the answer. When my schedule frees up a little in the next few weeks, I'll be baking Stollen as soon as I can. I like my Stollen to sit a little, let the flavors blend before I cut into it, which doesn't usually happen until the last few days of Christmas. Talk about torture! I've had two, absolutely delicious Stollen's in the third of this life I've lived. One was from one of my favorite Chef Professors from The Culinary Institute of America, Dieter Schorner. If you don't know him, or never heard of him, he is, in a nut shell, amazing. I will never, ever forget any of the time I spent with Chef Schorner at school. The other amazing loaf was from...you guessed it, Abel & Schafer. Now, if you think about this, it makes good sense. They are a German company. If anyone is going to know how to put out a quality German bread, it's us, hands down. The Stollen Mix (22065) comes with 50 bags for packaging, and the Stollen Fruit Blend (25020) which we spoke about previously, or maybe I mentioned it on our facebook page...contains lemon peel, orange peel and cranberries. They figure you have raisins, why pay to ship them? Now, all you need is Sweet New Snow (03060), which, if you have a bakery, you already should have...I'm tapping my foot here...and the basic fixin's to mix it. We have an amazing brochure that gives directions on the proper mixing, shaping and baking procedures. It's fantastic, a PDF. E-mail me, or your A&S rep or the office even; info@kompletusa.com and someone will get back to you with it.

I will miss you my friends! Enjoy each day, breathe deeply and as they say, don't sweat the small stuff! For any help in the future, call the office at (800)-443-1260 and ask for customer service, there won't be a lag in the help you need, products you want or attention you deserve!

Cheers!!

Katie, your Sale's Gal!

Vegan Apple Crumb Muffns

I hope you have been enjoying our fall recipes! Hopefully you are trying one here or there, or at least getting some product in to try them. None of them will disappoint, I can promise you that!

Before I dive into holiday recipes for the winter season, I wanted to do one last recipe. I know it's best to plan ahead and I want everyone to have plenty of time to get in the stollen and panettone mix! But, before we do that, apple crumb muffins that are good any time of year! I know what you are thinking and yes, I do love apple crumb muffins. But, sometimes I like to switch it up. These are VEGAN! This mix is made from the Abel & Schafer Vegan Cake Mix (42029). It's a huge hit with the vegan community so far and some of our big name customers love it! It is of course all natural and while it has no eggs or dairy or butter is in no way lacking flavor. We have some great additional formulas to go with the Vegan Cake Mix, so if you are interested, please let me know and I'll get an e-mail off to you with some other recipes and a spec sheet.


Recommended Recipe
Makes about 95 Muffins
42029 Good Nature Vegan Cake Mix

10 lbs Good Nature Vegan Cake Mix (42029)
1 lbs Oil
2 lbs 8 oz Water (1st addition)
2 lbs 8 oz Diced Apples
1/4 - 1/2 oz Apple Extract
1 lb Water (2nd addition)
1 lb Water (3rd addition)

Total Weight 17 lbs. 9 oz.

Method
Using a paddle, combine mix and 1st water and oil and mix 1 minute in slow speed; scrape.

Cream for 3 minutes in medium speed; scrape.

Add the 2nd amount of water and mix one minute in slow speed, scrape and mix 2 minutes in medium speed.

Add the 3rd amount of water as well as the apple extract and mix 3 minutes in slow speed. Fold in apples.

Deposit 3 oz into muffin pans and cover with 1/2 ounce of Vegan Streusel Crumbs (see below).

Bake at 375° to 390°F for 20-25 minutes.

Vegan Streusel Crumb Topping:
2 lbs. 4 oz Good Nature Vegan Cake Mix 42029
12 oz Vegan Margarine
1/4 oz Cinnamon

Method
Using a paddle, blend together until desired streusel consistency
is achieved.

Master Baker’s Tip for more variations:
Replace apples with pears, peaches, mangoes or fruits of your choice.
Picture via Flickr

Halloween is finally here!

I've been waiting. Patiently...to make this cake. I bought the mold the day it came out I think, I happen to be at the craft store, but since I bought it, all I wanted was for Monday to come. Monday, October 31st. I suddenly love Halloween. It's not the dressing up, or passing out candy, although I love the excuse to have candy in the house, it's not even the decorating. It's the baking. Holiday baking, regardless of the holiday, is just more fun! And honestly, more opportunity. For as much as I love to bake, customers love not to. It's another excuse for treats in the house, which most don't have time to make. Enter bakeries, restaurants and coffee shops. Halloween, which is on a Monday this year, thus providing a boost for a typically slow eating out day, is giving not only kids reason to celebrate. Seems a good chunk of people will be putting costumes on display and taking kids out to eat Monday. With school, offices and parties, it's a great day to buy goodies! Check out these fun ideas from some establishments around the country to jazz up their Halloween offerings. Do you have anything ghoulish in store?!