Butter is made from churning milk or cream.  In America it is made into 4 ounce sticks that come 4 per box to make a pound per box. Typically, grocery stores carry sweet cream butter, salted butter, and unsalted butter. It’s the unsalted butter that you’ll want to use for baking, in most recipes.

You will need your butter nice and cold for flaky crusts like pie. The butter releases steam in the oven and that keeps the layers flaky. When making cookies, some recipes require a trip back to the fridge for the dough before baking. This allows the butter to cool down again and keeps the cookies from getting too flat.  If you cream the butter with sugar you add in air bubbles that will make your recipe, like buttercream or other frostings, light and fluffy.

We love Butter. We buy it in bulk, sometimes in excess.  But we also understand that to make some things, like vegan treats, you must forgo the butter.  You can use Earth Balance buttery spread or sometimes vegetable oil in the place of butter. And in other recipes, you may need to use shortening. This semi-solid fat ( as opposed to full fat butter) is easier to work with in terms of temperature. Many pie crusts call for shortening because it lacks water, unlike butter, so there will be fewer bubbles and layers but still the flaky texture we all love.

In short, butter is great. We think so and we hope you do too. We love the rich flavor of shortbread cookies and the simplicity of sugar cookies, both featuring the star ingredient -butter.  To a baker, it’s simply comfort food.

]]> http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/05/07/foodie-fridays-butter/feed/ 2 sarafatell butter http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/04/27/tasty-tuesday-sugar-cookies/ http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/04/27/tasty-tuesday-sugar-cookies/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:44:51 +0000 sarafatell http://grassrootsgourmet.org/?p=556 ]]> This week’s Tasty Tuesday is all about Sugar Cookies.
These simple cookies are a fan favorite regardless of age!

Most sugar cookie recipes have the same few ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and baking powder or baking soda. Besides the measurement of ingredients there are two things that can change: how thick you rolled out the dough and the temperature at which you bake them.  The rest is up to you. You can add sprinkles, icing, frosting or glaze. You can use different shaped cookie cutters or even edible markers to decorate your treats.

When you order sugar cookies from us you can pick a theme for your cookies. We did a bunch of winter themed cookies in December: penguins, polar bears and snow flakes. Order a bunch for your next office party or to give as gifts.

These triple chocolate-chip cookies are perfect for any occasion.

These delicious cookies pack in as much chocolate as possible with a ratio of almost 1:1 :: cookie : chocolate. You are sure to find a different combination of semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate in every bite. Enjoy these with a glass or milk or soy milk… or do as my roommates and I sometimes do and try them with your morning coffee (don’t tell my Mom).

The next time your afternoon meeting or training needs a little pick-me up, make sure you have some of these cookies to share. They bring smiles to faces, quiet hungry bellies, and satisfy the chocolate lover in all of us.

The age old question posed to children or any ice cream seeking individual is “Chocolate or Vanilla?”. While I protest and believe that 2 choices are simply not enough, it’s hard to argue with 2 of the most popular flavors of all time!  Vanilla is a great flavoring for pastries, confection, and most any dessert.

Vanilla comes in many forms: pods or beans, powders, sugars and extracts. It is the liquid form, vanilla extract, that has such a rich aromatic flavor. Just a little bit goes a long way. As a Baker, I couldn’t live without vanilla. Most cookies recipes, including our John Hancock Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies & Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, call for at least a teaspoon of vanilla. Many cake recipes and frostings require a splash of this ingredient as well.

So whether you are adding it to a recipe or choosing it as your flavor, Vanilla is a staple in baking and in life.  It balances the palette,  cuts through richness, and lightens the dark… chocolate that is. It takes center stage in ice cream, pudding, and frostings. Vanilla pairs well with chocolate, fruit, coffee, and more. It is a classic and classy flavor and should not be over looked.

What I have learned is that Red Velvet is best known for it’s color and texture. The moist texture comes from using oil instead of butter, as well as adding buttermilk to the batter.  Now everyone has their own opinions, but I believe this classic cake originated in the South and has played major roles in birthdays and other celebrations.

A good Red Velvet is moist, fluffy and smeared in cream cheese frosting. Some people have a hard time finding the perfect balance of all three criteria. I know this because I have made it my mission to try Red Velvet cake and cupcakes whenever possible.

In NYC this past weekend I tried the Red Velvet Cupcake at Ladybird Bakery in Brooklyn. I watched the Bobby Flay and Cake Man Raven Red Velvet Throwdown on Food Network. I’ve had Red Velvet in the North and the South and I can safely say… I think ours is the best!

Our Red Velvet promises to be moist and fluffy yet strong enough to hold it’s form. Our cream cheese frosting is the right balance of tangy, sweet and creamy. When we put those two together the result is magical. Feel free to try it for yourself…….

This wonderful ingredient is made by mixing a fat with a sugar- most commonly butter with confectioners sugar. While a standard buttercream usually includes vanilla, many flavors can be added such as chocolate- either melted or in the form of cocoa powder. You can add a few teaspoons of strong coffee (cooled) or instant espresso, mint extract, framboise- anything really!

Buttercream can be used as filling for cupcakes or the frosting on top. You can use it in between layers of cake and as the icing on top. A simple buttercream could even make a great and decadent cookie sandwich. If you choose shortening as your fat you can make what is called a “Decorator’s Buttercream” which works well for making flowers and piping more intricate designs.

No matter how you chose to make it- creamy and smooth for frosting or cool and stiff for decorating- you are going to love it. This classic cake topper will make people say “Mmmmmm”. So pull your mixer out, clean off the dust, and add in your favorite flavors.  You can easily make your own piping bag, if you want to be fancy, by snipping the tip of a ziplock bag and filling it with your buttercream. You can top off a classic vanilla cupcake with a chocolate buttercream icing swirl and make anyone’s day.  As summer approaches, top off your creation with a beautiful berry or even an edible flower. Buttercream is forgiving so it’s great for decorating beginners and kids- it even looks good with sprinkles!

These are my roommates ultimate favorites! Packed with tons of blueberries and covered in a cinnamon sugar topping these muffins are perfect for any time of day.  They even provide some needed nutrients. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, blueberries rank #1 in antioxidants compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s twice the amount in spinach. Who said muffins weren’t good for you?

When you order these muffins for your next breakfast meeting consider pairing them with our carrot or banana breads. Then maybe your colleagues won’t mind be up so early!

Today’s Foodie Friday is all about Chocolate.  It’s my favorite ingredient. We kind of love it!

Where to even begin…. Chocolate on it’s own is delicious, but it also pairs nicely with many different flavors. We encourage you to try chocolate with almost anything. As the summer nears, try dipping your favorite fruits and berries in chocolate. Use Raspberries to top a chocolate cake. Dipped strawberries in chocolate make an elegant gift.  By adding coffee or espresso to a chocolate icing or buttercream you can bring out the acidic notes in chocolate.

Chocolate is made from the Cacao plant, commonly grown in South America and West Africa. When I studied in Ghana in 2006, we visited a Cacao farm and saw the big beautiful trees and the tiny seeds they produce. The seeds go through a long process to be harvested and are eventually dried and shipped elsewhere to be processed.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Home of Hershsey Chocolate) you should visit Hershey Park. Most people visit this place for the fun rides and roller coasters, the water-park, or the huge stadium-sized music venue. I like to go for the free ride at the visitors center where you get to see how chocolate is made and they give you a mini-chocolate bar at the end!

Clearly our love of chocolate spans farther than the kitchen. We love to eat chocolate, visit places where chocolate is made or celebrated, and even decorate with deep brown chocolate tones.  We hope that you can spread the love of chocolate through your life as we try to do with ours.

]]> http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/04/02/foodie-fridays/feed/ 0 sarafatell Chocolate Mint Creme Cake Chocolate Drawing http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/03/30/tasty-tuesdays/ http://grassrootsgourmet.org/2010/03/30/tasty-tuesdays/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:50:14 +0000 sarafatell http://grassrootsgourmet.org/?p=463 ]]> Hello fans and welcome to a new feature of the Blogging Bakers.
Stay tuned every Tuesday for a delicious bite from our menu.

This Tuesday is brought to you by  Truffles. Did you know that the American Chocolate Truffle was named for it’s likeness to the truffle fungus? Both are little, sort of round, and a dark brownish color. Wanna learn more? Check Wikipedia

Our truffles (featured below) come in a variety of flavors: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, spicy dark chocolate, chocolate nut and a sweet cinnamon and sugar.

Two weeks ago I was honored as the 2010 recipient of the Young Woman of Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit from WIN. I’d like to thank Vaishalee Yeldandi, the YWA Chair, for her vote of confidence in this nomination.

The Women’s Information Network (WIN) is Washington’s premier professional, political, and social network dedicated to empowering young, Democratic, pro-choice women. WIN encourages women to make moves and change the world. As a member of this organization I am always impressed by how many women from all walks of life are part of this network.  These amazing women are policy makers, organizers, lawyers, fundraisers, and “movers and shakers,” all with the common goal of building a network of women who know that we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. I think of WIN as a place where we pool our resources and gain access to the places where women need to be more present in politics, on the hill and at the front of change.  It is networks such as this one that have encouraged and supported our new business every step of the way.

This is an amazing time in my life and in the life of our new business. This award illustrates some of the generous recognition and ongoing support that our peers, friends and family are constantly providing.  It is the support of our networks that make it possible for budding entrepreneurs like us to feel confident, encouraged and emboldened.

I did not always consider myself an entrepreneur. I am an organizer who had a good idea. Causten and I saw a way to pair our passion with our values, and support good work with good food. We had the right attitude, a good spirit and the confidence to take a chance.

What is Entrepreneurial Spirit? It’s realizing the joys of being your own boss, it’s thinking creatively, seeing your vision through and loving what you do. It’s the understanding that hard work and long hours are paired with accountability and daily challenges. As the great Journey once sang “Don’t Stop Believing”.

The award for Entrepreneurial Spirit represents the hardest parts of owning your own business, which are believing in yourself and being able taking the first step.  This award says to me, and more importantly to others, that it is ok to be ambitious, to be bold, and to act on a good idea knowing that you can achieve it.  Receiving this award celebrates more than my spirit; it celebrates the willingness of young people, the strength of women, and the power of progressives to envision what they want and figure out how to get it.

This award proves that anything is possible. As a young, progressive, queer woman who now identifies as an entrepreneur to boot, I am constantly reminded of how hard it can be to go out on a limb and take chances. I want to encourage anyone to lead from your heart and follow your dreams. Think about what you want to do, how you want to make an impact and then tell someone about it. As we encourage each other we’ll find strength in knowing that we’re all in this together.

I want to thank WIN for this honor and congratulate my fellow WINners on their many achievements. Get it, girls!

I wouldn’t be here if it were for my partner Causten who helps me be the best I can everyday. Thanks buddy!