Stollen Scones

So…who has some Komplt Stollen Mix 22065 left?! I know there are a few of you out there who ordered a bag or two too many, just in case we ran out, or you ran out or you got a run on stollen this year. Well, the good news is, you can get it out of your storage closet, or freezer, or garage or off your floor. There’s a great recipe I love to share with people around this time of year. It’s basically Stollen scones, it’s still close enough to the time of year people expect Stollen to remember how delicious it is, it is a MUCH more reasonable size for all those people who are still following their New Year’s Resolution (over achievers) and it’s a great way for you to use up some potentially left over stuff taking up shelf room. Click here for the recipe and don’t forget…dust with Sweet New Snow 03060. Maybe not quite as much, but at least a sprinkle on top so people recognize it in its new form! Fortunately, I still have one loaf I made over the winter holiday in my freezer. I think I’ll take it out and enjoy it this weekend! 

PS. I couldn't find a picture of the small scones, so this will have to serve as a delicious reminder! Looks amazing, doesn't it?

It's Sweet To Me

The Wall Street Journal Online had an interesting article about artificial sweeteners. I don't usually pay much attention to them, but I do use the fake stuff. And it seems lately Truvia is gaining quite a bit of attention. I usually refer to artificial sugar by the color of the package it’s in, that's how little I care, but I know I should care more. And I’m not so much brand loyal as I am color loyal. I like the ‘pink’ sugar (saccharin) in iced tea, the ‘yellow’ (sucralose) in coffee and the ‘blue’ (aspartame) in a yogurt I make at home. I’ve never taken too much notice to what’s in them or what it’s going to do to me if I consume too much, since I don’t consume very much at all, but what I do know is I don’t like them interchanged. I can’t stand the ‘blue’ or ‘pink’ in coffee, it leaves an aftertaste, the ‘yellow’ is too subtle for iced tea and the ‘blue’ I only like in my yogurt because I grew up eating it. But, what's interesting is what I really haven’t developed a taste for is the new sweetener Stevia or Truvia (rebiana with erythritol), although to be fair, I’ve only tried it in coffee. I’ve seen green and white packages around and I personally find they give my coffee a bad aftertaste; worse than the aftertaste of coffee, although it’s known for having a sweet, clean taste. Anyway, it seems this new sweetener is more expensive because it claims it is natural, so consumers are loving it. I don’t usually bake with artificial sweeteners and when I do, I of course use the Abel & Schafer One by One Sugar Substitute 43066 which contains maltitol and sucralose and is not only Parve but also non-GMO. I find that this gives me the best luck with consistency, measuring and flavor. To judge which powdery white "sugar" the author liked best, he did a "non scientific" taste test where he added 1 packet each of the popular retail sugars and put it into a small cup of hot coffee. Fortunately, they are all a little more hidden in baked goods! See what you think;

www.dreamstime.com

TRUVIA
Calories: 0

Sweetening agent: Rebiana
Verdict: Smells like cupcake icing, granular texture like sugar.
Sweetness overpowers the coffee's flavor. We detected a 'Tab'-like aftertaste.

SPLENDA
Calories: 0

Sweetening agent: Sucralose
Verdict: No aroma with a subtle, acidic but not overly chemical taste. A little like soap water.

EQUAL
Calories: 0

Sweetening agent: aspartame
Verdict: Super-concentrated sweetness, not in a good way. Leaves a metallic aftertaste.

SWEET' N LOW
Calories: 0

Sweetening agent: saccharin
Verdict: Subtle sweetness that doesn't knock the edge off strong coffee. Aftertaste is like a copper pipe.

Domino SUGAR
Calories: 15 per teaspoon

Sweetening agent: sucrose
Verdict: About half the sweetness of the others with less aftertaste. Leaves coffee flavor unsullied. Doesn't dissolve as quickly.

The WSJ article was a bit more detailed and probably more interesting. If you have a few minutes, give it a read.

If You Love What You Do...

...You'll Never Work A Day In Your Life!

www.dreamstime.com

I keep hearing about layoffs (Kraft), bankruptcy (Kodak) and work stress (everyone). Each time I hear of any of these complications I think of what a mixed blessing it is to be a small business owner. I mean, if there are layoff’s it’s not going to be you. It might mean more work for you; but as the owner of the business you are generally safe. You will be the first to know if you are going to go bankrupt and I'm pretty sure most people are unhappy at work because of their upward management or lack of ability to advance/make more money. As a business owner if you don’t like your boss we have bigger issues to tackle and I might not be the right person to help you, and if you want more money, the ball is in your court. But in saying that it’s not all fun and games. Work; even when you are working for yourself, can still be very stressful, cause aggravation, greying or less hair in general and in the midst of all this furry it’s easy to forget why you started up this business and how to enjoy your daily life. Open Forum by American Express published what is probably a repetitive well needed reminder of an article. They state 14 ways to make work more enjoyable this year. Even one way to make more enjoyable this year is good for most people! Take the click, head over to the article and try to make a promise to yourself to do AT LEAST one of these things! I’ll give you one, two and three. You have to go get the others!

1. Eliminate stresses, especially the little ones. Remember that book you all have heard the title of, but may not have read? “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff….(and it’s all small stuff!!)”. Maybe cliché, but it’s true. In the grand scheme of things, how important are the nuances that creep up on you and cause you aggravation? There are lots of tools out there, use them! The thing you hate doing most…there may be an app for that. Tired of phone calls today? Let the machine get it and get back to them. Is your ‘to do’ list harassing you? Stop writing one, find another way to stay organized. Just letting the little things go can make you a lot happier!

2. Break some rules…not laws…rules. Who says you have to open at a certain time?  Who says your menu or distributor can’t change? Tired of the same old uniform? Get new ones, let them be brighter or more interesting. Admit you were wrong or don’t know something or don’t have something….and join a blog! Some down time, reading that is applicable to your industry, interesting to tell your customers about, a place where you can talk to people who do the same thing. Get a break, and some insight at the same time. I know one you’ll love…this one!!

3. Focus your time and energy. Know what you have to do and get to it! Your day will go faster if you aren’t hemming and hawing over decisions you have to make or trying to decide what to do next or which job to tackle. Make a decision and stick to it. And for those of you who aren’t controlled by or aggravated by lists already, it really is a great way to stay on top of things.

Head over to Open Forum for the rest. It's a quick read and I think you might just walk away with an idea or two. Give it a try, what can it hurt?!

Nutrition Facts

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1e/Nutrition_label.gif

I’m not even certain if this is worth reporting on right now as it seems to be quite a ways in the distance but it seems we may be seeing a change in the nutritional information listed on packaged food in the distant future. An anonymous source from the Food and Drug Administration spoke to Baking & Snack about a proposal they are working on to update the recommended dietary allowances listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel. I was shocked to see that the current nutritional information is from 1968! That seems well past overdue for a makeover! The dietary guidelines for the ‘MyPyramid’ and “My Plate” tend to change way more often than that. The hope is that by changing the amounts to what people are actually consuming vs what the package determines to be a serving might better help them understand the dangers of overeating and the amount of calories they may actually be consuming which will most likely be highly unpleasant. Especially when posted on delicious snacks like macaroni and cheese and cookies. There is no word on when this proposal will actually be ready or available for view or comment. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.

Now Really...

Maybe I should have mentioned it earlier, but when I send out the newsletter I can see who reads it, who doesn’t, who follows the links, who shares it…information like that. I guess what I’m saying is I know not a lot of you are reading this!! Another way I know this is that I have been getting quite a few e-mails each week asking or just assuming I’m back in my previous position and requests for information or samples. So I wanted to share with everyone again my status. My official and only position with Abel & Schafer is in the form or blogger and newsletter writer. I watch what is happening in the industry each week, look for interesting articles and stories to pass along, try to stay on top of shows or lectures and share those with you and in general, just talk. I’d love if you guys talked back. I’d love some feedback, some comments on the blog, ideas, thoughts, conversation between you guys about what’s happening in your shops, trends you see, problems you are having and having a forum to help each other out. But, I’m not in sales any longer, I can’t provide price lists or visits or leads, I don’t have that information any longer. Mike Lang, my previous Sales Manager took over the territory and he will be more than happy to help you with anything you need. You can reach him by calling the office at the phone number on the bottom of the newsletter.

So, I am sorry I’m not more of a help, but I’ll be as much of one as I can be through the blog! I have had some big changes in the past few months; I’m engaged and soon to be married so planning what is turning out to be a big wedding. My betrothed is very soon deploying, again, and not for the last time. W adopted a puppy before I was hired to help open and run a cupcake shop; which had its opening day this week. We went through over 500 cupcakes in under an hour. We “opened” at 2:00 and by 3:00 were cleaned out. It’s been a few busy weeks getting the store ready and it is unfortunately quite a commute, most of my day is shot by the time I get home. Needless to say, my hands are full!! But, Abel & Schafer is still alive and well, waiting for you to call, wanting to fill your order and with plenty of answers to all the questions you have! They will always be just a phone call away! So, Mom, who I have to assume is my readership, I’ll see you this weekend and in the meantime, if you need anything, call Mike.

Code Red Velvet

 I didn’t hear about this until earlier this week, but maybe some of you New Englanders have. WickedGood Cupcakes, a small mother/daughter operation in Cohasset, MA has had some bad publicity turn into good luck. In December, a woman who had purchased the ‘National Velvet’ cupcake (a red velvet cupcake constructed in a jar for eating on the go with a spoon) had her dessert confiscated by the TSA, because they felt it posed a risk. Not to the travelers health, but to the rest of the population; the TSA felt it could possibly be a bomb…not "da bomb", but an actual, explosive bomb. Ha ha ha...the article is great, read it here.

Wicked Good Cupcakes has 9 travel varieties, which are very popular and while this could have been a disaster for the small bakery, they have had their websites hits go from 100 a day to over 3,000 and their sales numbers have “probably doubled” according to the store manager. The cupcake customer, a professor of advertising and media studies at Salem State University, also blogs and posted on her blog about the event, “Code Red Velvet – Cupcakes of Mass Destruction”, which personally, I think is hilarious! What a great way to take advantage of the press! What is it they say…no publicity is bad publicity? As it turns out, that’s only partially true. Studies from Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania have said that negative publicity helps small businesses, people remember the publicity but not the reason, but harms larger, well known companies.

Have you participated in the cupcake craze yet? Abel & Schafer sells a number of products that make fantastic cupcakes! The A& Dream Cake (22021) is fantastic for cupcakes, along with Good Nature Chocolate and Vanilla cake mix (37320 and 37321 respectively), the Natural Parve Chocolate and Vanilla Crème Cakes (22177 and 24024 respectively), White Cake Mix (22005), and the healthiest of the bunch, Whole Grain Good Nature Chocolate and Yellow Cake Mix (37330 and 37331). The options are endless! Who needs a sample?!

It's a Marshmallow World

www.plushpuffs.com

According to a London based online newspaper, home-made marshmallows are taking New York City by storm! If I lived a bit closer, I would head into my favorite US city to check it out, but it’s quite far for me so I’ll have to take London’s word for truth until I get there or hear differently from some of you. While these are no “State Puffs”, and don’t likely resemble the marshmallows you remember or still buy to put on the end of a stick and catch fire, they are beautiful, flavorful and apparently, becoming quite trendy. I hesitate to say it because personally I don't believe it, but owner and chef of Three Tarts Bakery in Chelsea, NYC, Maria D’Urso told the New York Times that they are the new cupcakes! Scandal! The Three Tarts Bakery makes many flavors for the kid in all of us such as cinnamon, strawberry basil and chocolate rosemary. At CityBakery in New York City, they most amazing hot chocolate I’ve ever had is topped with a delicious homemade puff, as is the delicious hot chocolate at one of my favorite restaurants in Williamsburg, VA. In Indiana at a bakery called 240Sweet, chefs make marshmallows of all kinds; avocado and lime, cherry lime-aid, pineapple and mango, red bean and sesame and even chicken and beef flavor. Now personally…I’m not eating beef or chicken flavored marshmallow. I have to ignore the whole gelatin bit as it is. Making it taste like beef as well…Check out these flavors here...seriously! Who knew?! 

I Have Food Love.

I LOVE this! I think I may have mentioned www.stumbleupon.com before. It’s a kind of a search engine. You and search for pretty much anything and it shows you related content. Lots of recipes, quotes, funny things, all those horrible forwards that go round and round. Anyway, the more you search the more it learns about you and sends you recommendations for what it thinks you would like. Mine sends me lots of food…I better not read too much into that. I just opened an e-mail from earlier this week and found the most delicious looking breakfast idea. If you recall, we have mentioned that breakfast is a huge day part opportunity right now. People want quick easy options, healthy, something they can eat on the run, or without getting too messy. I think this may be a fantastic answer to that! AND the really good news…I’m fairly certain you can guess where you can get a mix or base or sour to help you out….that’s right. Abel & Schafer. So, it calls for a sourdough demi. That means you either need an actual pre-made sour to add to what you are doing now, or a complete mix or just a sourdough bread base. We have it all. I don’t know if you remember, I’ve certainly told you if I was your sales person, but our sours are naturally derived. That’s why they taste better than those from other companies. They aren’t chemically manufactured. The flavor is honest and it comes in liquid or dry, wheat or rye. We also have dry mixes and bases that make your life even easier! That's what we are here for. Someone try this and let me know how it goes!

The Top 50 Foodies

Are you powerful? Outside of your bakery though? The top 50 people in the food industry of 2012 have just been named. I don’t know all of them, but there are some great, interesting choices on there! See what you think! http://www.thedailymeal.com/50-most-powerful-food-folk-america

Bring Home the Bacon

www.instructables.com

There’s a new cupcake shop opening near me. They have 10 flavors of cupcakes and that’s it. One of those flavors is a chocolate cupcake with maple frosting and on top is sprinkled smoked, peppered bacon. It’s crispy, and salty and delicious; bacon, no matter what it's with, but I have to say I really like it on a cupcake! Bacon is definitely a huge flavor trend for the past year and I don’t see it going away this year. Bacon works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert. How could you not like it!? In an article from www.bakingbusiness.com, the vice president of Mother Murphy’s Laboratories says bacon adds depth and he foresees it showing up in even more places in the future. Phil Sprovieri, Vice Presdient of sales and marketing of Flavorchem Corp says it’s going to be around for a while and while it has endless possibilities for combinations and applications you have to make sure not to overdo it. Because bacon does make everything better, QualiTech Inc who manufactures food ingredients has made a kosher Parve bacon inclusion that has lower sodium than real bacon so it’s available for all! So go ahead, throw some bacon into your scones, icings, cakes, batters and cookies, just not the wind. That's just plain wasteful.

Tid Bits

How many people are dealing with regulatory issues right now concerning trans-fats? It's tricky, but can be done. Cleveland isn’t too happy with the government and is involved now in a lawsuit to prove it. After a vote to ban the sale of non-packaged foods containing man made trans fats by local food establishments last April, the state of Ohio is imposing these restrictions beginning January 1, 2013 and adding yeasted foods and cake batter type products in July of 2013. Legally, the state is able to do this based on a home rule municipality in the state’s constitution but the food service industry believes this makes it difficult to grow their business. What do you think? Read more here.

Remember when I said tea is becoming more and more popular? According to www.bakingbusiness.com Sara Lee Corporation has just recently purchased Tea Forte in an effort to grow its presence in the luxury tea segment. They will be adding it to their ‘CoffeeTeaCo’ business which is aimed for large growth. Tea Forte had a revenue of 12 million dollars in 2011, is known for its handcrafted teas and packaging. You can find it in many high end restaurants, hotels and resorts spanning 35 countries. Don’t wait!! I’m telling you…there’s nothing like a great cup of tea in the afternoon. Sit down to one at 4:00 today, and I'll do the same...we'll tea together!

Cake of Love

Now, we  know by now that I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day with some flowers that have been delivered, which I love, and a dessert I make, for myself, which will most likely be brownies…I told you the Abel & Schafer Brownie mix was amazing, I wasn’t kidding. I think mine will end up having some peanut butter chips inside and a peanut butter swirl on top. Now, if it were more than just me, I would be making something much more fantastic. I love hazelnuts. It’s not the most popular nut but I think the following is growing, as it should. Aside from being a good nut to eat for nutrition purposes (rich in healthy fat, fiber and foliate amongst other things) they are flat our delicious and that’s reason enough!

So, if I were going to be home, and looking to woo my fiancé, (yes!! My fiancé, no longer my boyfriend!) I would be making a hazelnut sponge cake, filled with hazelnut filling and then topped with rich, creamy chocolate ganache. And to do this, I would be using the Extrafine Genoise Sponge (22042) and hazelnut filling (24016). This way, with the addition of the pourable ganache, that man is putty in my hands! I think everyone deserves something so divine, so here is the way to do it…then add your own finishing touches, maybe some chocolate or nut garland and send thank you notes to the office, I’ll have them forwarded.

General Mills is adding more whole grains to their cereals and now over 50 of their cereal boxes boast the fact that whole grains are the leading ingredient. This begs me to ask you the question…are you adding more whole grains to your line up? You know, there are easy ways to do it. Products like Abel & Schafer’s whole grain bread mixes and bases for starters, but have you forgotten that we also have amazing whole grain mixes and bases for products like cakes, muffins and sweet dough? Imagine the combinations you can come up with, and the advertising you can do for your customers! To prove it, Abel & Schafer would be happy to provide nutritional information for any of the products we sell you, so you can show your customers how making small changes makes big differences and how you are looking out for them! Start with Abel & Schafer’s Natural Whole Grain Good Nature Chocolate and Yellow Cake Mixes (37330 and 37331), Natural Whole Grain Fiber Muffin Mix (22260), or the Whole Grain Sweet Dough Mix (22285). Read more about General Mills here.

A London based analyst group has said that healthy grains, including ancient grains, are going to be a leading force in research and development for the bakery sector in 2012. According to the report as reported by www.bakingbusiness.com, customers see whole grains as a benefit for being healthy and natural, even when they are in more processes foods. They also said that many grains are benefiting from being linked to personal health benefits, the way oats are linked to heart health. With the trend of ancient grains and the healthy whole grains being more public these days, customers are more willing to try “new” grains like quinoa and amaranth, especially when they are associated with weight maintenance and loss. There were 9 other trends noted. To read more, click here…

Trends...On my way to follow a link to an article about 2012 bakery specific trends, I ended up with a dead link and being redirected to the Modern Baking website homepage. The first thing that caught my eye had to do with trends, so I went there. Finally! It seems that consumers are beginning to avoid once trendy claims like "diet" and and "low calorie", and instead looking for more positive messages like "healthy" and "smart". While it isn't likely less people trying to lose weight, hopefully, more people are trying to be smarter about it.

The good news for bakers is that means that healthy breads are no longer taboo because of carbs, but appreciated for their heart benefits. Treats in moderation, whole grain pastries or high fiber breads could be a huge hit for the spring and a welcome relief to customers! ABEL & SCHAFER offers a huge line of whole grain breads, pastries and healthy bakery ideas. You all know our Choice Six Grain (21020), that contains omega healthy flax and whole grains, but maybe it's time to shake things up a bit with customers, come on! Try something new! With our home base in Germany and facilities around the world, you know Abel & Schafer knows how to do fantastic European Breads. Pick one and just try it. Maybe Korn Duo Bread (01039) a Pumpernickel-like whole grain German black bread that contains meals, cracked grains, malt & natural rye sour is something your customers don't even know they love! Or you could try Pan D'Oro (21038) a semolina bread that is golden and chewy, has authentic flavor and a great shelf life. Sample a few loaves, slice off a piece for your customers and send them out the door with it without them asking for it. Get them hooked on real bread not it's a wonder they even call it bread, and open their eyes to the wonderful world of fresh baked bread!

Rise Up and Bake!

The American Society of Baking is hosting their annual baking conference again this year in Chicago from March 4-7th, with the theme “Rise Up: Community, Company, Industry, Self.”

This year there will be a large focus on the breakout sessions, providing participants with more information, learning opportunities and industry subjects than ever before. The sessions topics which range from refresher conversations like managing dough temperature and problem solving to topics like co-packing, sustainability and changing market demographics. The keynote speakers will be David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, a leading authority on internal communications, Paul White, PhD and coauthor of newly released 'The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace', Klaus Tenbergen, PhD, a baker and assistant professor in the department of food science and nutrition at California State University, Fresno, CA. For a full schedule of times, people and topics, check out the special report in Baking Business.

Chairman Jeff Dearduff said he is excited to see the faces of the attendees leaving the sessions, as this conference was designed to bring more energy than ever before to the industry. Registration for the conference is open and the last chance for early registration will be February 3rd. You can register online at http://www.asbe.org, where there is also updates to the schedule.

My Hearts Second Desire...

Valentines Day...it's coming, the Hallmark holiday that typically men dread and women put too much emphasis on. I'm guilty. I admit it. If I was logical about it (and I'm not, I'm a woman and favor emotion over logic, probably too often) I'd realize that everyday should be special, not just some random, usually weekday, where time, money, Hallmark and my facebook relationship status dictate how I end up feeling. And while for most of my life I was usually single on Valentine's Day, again this year I am not. But this doesn't help me, my boyfriend is in the military was deployed last year on Valentine's Day, our first together and this year will be on another mission. SO...the old standby will have to do. Chocolate my old friend, I need you.

I'm sure you have all heard of retail therapy. Today, I want to share with you a way to cash in on that and combine it with another soothing and successful line of help; chocolate therapy. Teenage girls, jilted collegiates, long distance lovers and scorned lonely hearts of the world UNITE! Eat chocolate. Last week we talked about the Chocolate Strawberry Valentine's Day Hearts, an excellent idea and great use of the Abel & Schafer Chocolate Creme Cake 22011 (as well as a handful of other fantastic A&S items) and this week, I'm taking it up a notch. This week I'm serious. In preparation of another Valentine's Day alone I'm asking all of you out there to make for me Molten Lava Chocolate Desserts. Ooey, gooey, chocolatey, rich and decadent. Plus, it's made with the Abel & Schafer Gourmet Brownie Mix 22035, which is just...yumm. If you don't happen to have the A&S Gourmet Brownie Mix, honestly you should get some, it's amazing. But you can also use the same Chocolate Creme Cake from last week, we're good like that. Reply to the post if you have any questions. I'm here. With chocolate.