Monday, November 03, 2003
Holiday Baking
Even though we're not even near opening, we had many bake requests for this Halloween: Dragon Eyes, Firedrake Breadsticks, Ogre Fingers, Witche's Digits, Broomsticks, Pointy Hats, skull and crossbone meringues, Mummy cookies, Graveyard Cake, and VooDoo Gingerbreads, along with pumpkin bundtlings, pumpkin tarts, pumpkin yeast breads, pumpkin bread pudding, and pumpkin nut breads.
I explored a used restaurant supply place, and found our floor mixer for only $5,000.00. I looked at their deck ovens and ranges, and unless we find them elsewhere at better prices, new is our best option here. The deck ovens were missing too many important pieces and were almost the same price as new. Not a bargain at all. And the ranges - they were selling used for hte same price as new, and were set temperatures. We'll want variable temperature controls - and if we have to pay new prices, we may as well buy new.
On the plus side, we're pretty sure we have some of the best and most creative Halloween treats to offer.
We're already gearing up to test out Thanksgiving recipes. The above pumpkin recipes will be joined by apples and cranberries in our goodies, and we'll offer Stuffing Balls. I think the Stuffing Balls will be popular with people who are eating Thanksgiving alone or at work (an amazing number of people will work that day, not just emergency response people, but all the Call Centers will be open, and some offices will remain open, too.) and these Stuffing Balls will be perfect for them to have a single serving size to go with that slice of turkey and and all.
I think adding apples and streusel topping to our butternut kuchen will be a delicious sell-out. There's orange-cranberry-nut bread, and pecan pies and tarts, and cheesecakes, and sugar cookies, and turkey krispies, and pilgrim hat cakes and Indian pudding, and all sorts of yummies. Fruit pies. Fancy little cakes. Wonderful breads - all American ones, of course - Boston Brown, and Anadama, and sourdough white, and parkerhouse rolls, and multigrain loaves.
