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?

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.

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!