By lanacarlson137 May 06, 2015
I can say that, in addition to great packaging, their sweets taste great! If you don't have much budget for candies or chocolates, I'm sure you can afford their products. ...read more
By stacybosselman October 24, 2013
Best cookies ive ever had hands down!! Everything was wrapped so cute = ] will be going back ...read more
By Denney's Auto Body and Custom Shop September 24, 2011
They get five starts from us! ...read more
This month you need to determine if you like to flake or not! We are talking pie dough that is! So follow along and determine where you stand on this issue and feel free to e-mail us with your thoughts. And, remember Colonel Nelson and our “Cookies for the Colonel” campaign in February? Colonel Nelson has thankfully returned home safely from . He called in early March to thank us for the “wonderful gift”. He said the Very Chocolate Chip Cookies “went over big” and they were “gone in 30 minutes” (there were 120 cookies, mind you). He said they were the “best they had ever eaten” and “they were a big morale booster”. Thank you, again, to those who donated so generously. Know that you made a difference in a soldier’s day. And, we are bringing you another tip this month and yet another easy, tasty dessert to make when you are pressed for time. Please read on….. SWEET SCOOP TO FLAKE OR NOT TO FLAKE? Time and time again we find ourselves reaching back to lessons we’ve learned in Food Science while studying Pastry Arts. Take pie dough for example; considering the amount of times that we are asked how to make a flaky crust; we could fill an auditorium with students! Once you understand some basics about how to prepare and use the ingredients, it’s really not that difficult. Rule #1: If you want a flaky pie crust, you must work cold and bake hot. In other words, be sure that everything you are using, the flour, butter, salt, water, etc. are freezer cold. Put all of these ingredients, pre-measured,plusyour rolling pin and mixer bowl and paddle in the freezer for about 30 minutes. (leave your rolling pin in there until you are ready to roll out your crust) When the flour butter mixture is cold, use the paddle and the slowest mixer speed and cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of a dime. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the cold salted water. Mix until a ball forms. The goal is to have large pieces of butter (the size of a dime, remember) dispersed throughout the flour. Why you ask? As the crust bakes, those bits of cold, firm fat serve as “spacers” that create flaky pockets just long enough for the dough to set. As the fat melts, the steam from the water in the dough forms and puffs the layers apart. Voila…a flaky pie dough. If you need a recipe for flaky pie dough, please e-mail Connie. She will gladly share her favorite recipe from culinary school. FORMULA DELISH FRUIT TART IN A FLASH Who doesn’t need a quick, delicious dessert from time to time? It’s wonderful to have time to play around in the kitchen and make your own pie crust but if you don’t have time, have no fear. An easy solution is to make a free-form tart using frozen, store bought puff pastry dough such as Pepperidge Farm (although we prefer Dufour which you can find at Williams&Sonoma). Follow the instructions for thawing the dough and then simply roll it out with your rolling pin as far as it will go on lightly floured parchment paper or a Silpat. Cut it to form a large circle. You can use a dinner plate as a trimming guide. (if you are trimming on your Silpat, be sure to not cut the Silpat) Put a layer of thinly sliced apples or pears on top in a spiral fashion leaving a 2” margin from the edge of the pastry. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and fold in the sides of the dough. Bake in a 400 degree oven as long as possible; about 18-20 minutes. Immediately brush the fruits and pastry with melted apricot jam that has been strained through a sieve. Serve with crème fraiche or ice cream. It’s as easy as….well, pie! Enjoy! SPRINKLES PRECISE COOKIE CUTTING At The Constant Baker, we make cookies using cutters almost daily. Rolling out the dough without making a mess while making each cut perfect is easy to do if you follow this method: roll out your well-chilled dough on parchment paper or baking mat. Then use your floured cutter and cut the shapes. Slip the parchment onto a sheet pan. Use a small offset spatula and carefully remove the excess dough from around the shapes. Not only will your cookie will retain its shape; it won’t look like a flour tornado just passed through your kitchen! Another nice benefit is that you can cut your cookies and stack the parchment sheets on a sheet pan in the fridge. When you are ready to bake simply slip each parchment layer onto sheet pans and bake. Happy baking….and until next month, be safe....if you would like to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please e-mail me atconnie@theconstantbaker.com. ...read more
By The Constant Baker March 27, 2009
Unlike a baked cake, a candy bar cake is more of an edible centerpiece than an actual cake. As its name implies, it is made entirely of wrapped candy bars. Because there is no baking or cooking involved it is a craft project that anyone, including children, can learn to make. ...read more
Flower bouquets are always beautiful. Wouldn̢۪t it be great if those flowers were candy instead? Why waste money on flowers that will die quickly? Make your own candy bouquet. You will admire the beauty of the arrangement and enjoy eating the treat. ...read more
