I needed a February birthday present. In honor of pie month I spent an afternoon pie baking.
I made small pies using muffin pans.
Filled with apples
and baked to a golden brown.
Ready to eat!
A peek inside.
The pie present for a February birthday.
It’s all about the Pie. Stay tuned for more pie news…
Are you thinking about Valentine’s Day baking? Just a reminder, I’m not here to nag, but you’ve only got two weeks, kiddos…
For simplicity, since I know you’re already too busy, may I suggest (especially for businesses) anything chocolate. Cupcakes, cookies, brownies, bundts, or cake. Or anything berry, as in strawberry, raspberry, cherry-berry. Or pie, pie, pie. (February is pie month!) Or anything in a heart shape.
You don’t need to come up with a new recipe; tweak one you already like.
Cut out simple shortbread cookies
or use a gingerbread recipe, maybe dip them in chocolate.
Take a muffin or loaf recipe and bake in a heart shape.
Anything chocolate is a sure Valentine's Day winner.
Or simply rely on the packaging, such as this heart-shaped tin.
Craft, hobby, and dollar stores have reasonably priced packaging. Or use your white bakery bags and boxes, then add a red ribbon or sticker. What are you baking for Valentine’s Day?
Apple Nut Granola sprinkled on local apples.
I adore granola! Why? (1) There are no limits to how many delicious flavors we can achieve, (2) it has a crunchy bite, (3) recipes are simple and adaptable, and (4) important for home food processors granola has an extended shelf life! (5) Granola is healthy (relatively healthy, as compared to overly-sugared breakfast cereals and donuts) and (6) granola is currently marketable with the trendy health food culture.
Maple Almond Granola made with local maple syrup.
(7) It’s easy to adapt and create your own recipes, (8) packaging is simple, and (9) granola can be used as an ingredient in other products such as granola bars, cookies, and fruit crisp toppings.
Have I convinced you yet?
I know Valentine’s Day is coming soon, but my love affair with granola has nothing to do with this sweetie holiday. I LOVE granola, always have. MrMacho knows I’m the original hippie!
Peanut Butter Granola! THIS is my favorite!!
My first granola recipe, sold in the central New York region, incorporated peanut butter and roasted peanuts. This product won an informal radio contest for Best Breakfast Food. Way before Facebook listeners had to call in and vote. From a land-line.
Lunch at the Hilton! Approximately 1500 people attended the NOFA conference.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) wrapped up another successful conference! Since New York State has a cottage food law, my contribution to the NOFA mission was a half-day workshop, Processing Rules & Regs: One Stop Shopping. This workshop explained how to start a small home-based food business and create an income crafting value added products. My workshop was well-attended with more than fifty intelligent, enthusiastic, and actively engaged people, many of whom already had farm businesses.
I’d prepared a handout with a checklist for starting a home-based business, along with the home-processor rules and regulations from our NY Department of Agriculture & Markets. Unfortunately, some of the rules are poorly written and contradictory so we had many laughs as we reviewed and I interpreted the handout.
But I always stressed that we need to work within the guidelines
no matter how silly or nonfunctional they may seem.
"I don't understand either," I replied, "but absolutely no web presence is allowed or you may receive a Cease & Desist Order... No, you won't be arrested."
I am always surprised and thankful that New York, with all its regulations, allows us to create an income in our home kitchens. And we must comply with all the rules. If we don’t agree with something, then we can take legal steps to make changes. Help in this direction may come from the New York Small Scale Food Processors Association (NYSSFPA).
In addition to discussing the specifics of starting up, we had a visual and edible treat. My classes always have a market research component, so for this group I brought samples sold by a former student. Sugar Me Sweet Bakers sells soft and chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies; two bakery boxes were passed around the room for closer examination. They each contained a wrapped and labeled cookie with more pieces for sampling. Delicious!
NOFA began in 1983 as part of a counter-culture community, and has grown and changed over the years. I am in awe of this group and how it’s been able to utilize the tools of traditional society to help its members (and by extension, the community at large) to create a better world. The conference was well-organized and well-attended. More than 1500 people registered before the conference began and there are always folks who show up to register at the event. Amazing!
NOFA’s mission statement:
NOFA-NY, Inc is an organization of consumers, gardeners, and farmers working together to create a sustainable regional food system which is ecologically sound and economically viable. Through demonstration and educational opportunities, we promote land stewardship, organic food production, and local marketing. NOFA-NY brings consumers and farmers closer together to make high quality food available to all people.
Ginny and I headed out for another local bakery tour.
We first stopped for breakfast at an established bakery, the darling of our small town. I had a bagel and cream cheese, Ginny had a breakfast wrap; both were fine.
When the bill arrived, Ginny gasped and made a remark, then handed me the bill. Printed at the very bottom, exactly as I write it here, “Voted Best Bakery in America.” Out of the thousands of bakeries in America, this one is the best? Were home bakeries included? Who voted?
And why the quotation marks? My grammar is not perfect, but there are a few things in grammatical habits that irritate me. (Last month I posted on Facebook about the misuse of literally.)
I find the misuse of quotation marks quite annoying. Were they quoting someone? Nope, there was no attribution. So it must be the other way in which quotation marks are properly used. To show irony. Yup, the statement was meant to express irony.
If you’re a home-based baking business, do your market research.
This irony was proven a few minutes later when I bought two Black and White cookies. I was hungry so on our way out the door I slid my hand into the bag. The perimeter was rock-hard. The very bottom of the cookie was softer, which suggested it had been sitting there for several days. While Ginny went out to warm up the car I took the bag to the cash register. A young clerk said they were made that morning. I told her to feel the cookies. The young man at the register said they were overbaked.
I almost responded that the light color on the bottom of the cookie suggested otherwise, but I just said, “Whatever,” which is an example of the proper use of quotes.
NOFA Conference 2012
Join us at the 30th Annual Organic Farming and Gardening Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York.
On January 20, 9:00 AM-12:30 PM, I’m presenting a half-day intensive workshop Processing Rules & Regulations: One-Stop Shopping for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. My workshop is an overview of the necessary steps to becoming a legal home-based food processor.
More cinnamon bun news!
In our bread classes we always make a rich sweet dough and a lean bread dough. For shaping bread dough, students have their choice of white or whole wheat made into loaves or rolls. There are options for the sweet dough, too, but the cinnamon bun always wins.
I demonstrate how to roll out the dough
and remind students to use lots of cinnamon sugar
and roll the dough into a tight log.
For the bread dough, some students scale rolls.
Annie, from blueribbon hearth, explained about braiding bread.
She made a batch of vegan (no egg) sweet dough
and demonstrated the four strand braid.
Waiting for our buns and breads to finish rising.
Above, Annie of blueribbon hearth and Tommy of Tommy C’s Deli relax and joke while we wait for the breads and buns to finish proofing (rising) and baking.
Yum! We always pack up our goodies for home.
The four strand no-egg braids
are delicious!
The next bread class is April 23. If you live in the Hudson Valley, check out our series of classes on baking, business, and food writing.
Thank you to everyone who wrote recently trying to find a copy of Start & Run a Home-Based Food Business. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but there was another printing and the books have already shipped out. They should be on the shelf soon.
In its fourth printing.
Start & Run a Home-Based Food Business was written from experience. My experience! After a steep learning curve (starting a food business is not easy) I continued in the food industry for more than thirty years. As I wrote in my introduction, this is the book I wished I’d had when I started.
Photo: in my kitchen
I wrote this book to help people create an income. Whether folks are forced into starting a business because they are unemployed or underemployed, are stay-at-home parents, or have the strong desire to become self-employed food entrepreneurs, this book has helped many people to start their own full-time or part-time business.
The baking side of running a home-based food business.
In my second book Home Baking for Profit I delve into the baking side of running a home-based food business. This book is for anyone who bakes and sells or simply wants to learn tips and tricks from a professional.
So what’s my news? I’m working on another book. My next book is far more challenging for me, as a writer, but as the cliche goes, good things take time. (And no, it’s not about how to stay happily married when spending all your time writing a book.)
Have you been dreaming about starting your own small food business? Dreaming can be productive, but to move forward it’s smart to have a plan. What are your business goals? Do you envision your products on the shelf, coast to coast? Or are you interested in a locally-based business? What types of products will you make? What are the legal requirements in your locale for starting a food business? How much capital do you need, what products will you sell, where will your customer base come from?
Start & Run a Home-Based Food Business
Starting your own business is a positive way to control your life and income. Whether you’re interested in a full-time or part-time business, the initial steps are the same. Before you spend any more time and money, it would be smart to think through what you want from getting involved in a food enterprise.
Start by writing a business plan, it’s one of the most important steps for moving in a positive direction. Remember that your business plan is for you. It will help you understand the practical steps for moving forward and will guide you in making decisions. The CD-Rom included with Start & Run a Home-Based Food Business has a business plan template. Or create your own.
Don’t let this important step scare you. If you don’t want to spend the time on a business plan, consider that to be one of your first business decisions.
King Cakes
Today, January 6, is celebrated by several different cultures and religions. The holiday is variously known as the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Twelfth Night, the Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This festival marks the start of Carnival season and runs through Fat Tuesday.
Holidays are always a reason to celebrate with food. During King Cake season, festivities often include this yeasted sweet dough. These cakes are usually decorated with a sugar icing and in New Orleans are noted for the green, purple, and gold colors during Mardi Gras. Purple signifies justice, green is for faith, and gold is for power. Some varieties include a trinket (or plastic baby doll) hidden in the cake and whoever gets that piece is King or Queen for the day.
As is typical with most holidays, everyone joins in regardless of faith, religion, or culture. This, my friends, creates a marketing opportunity if you have a baking business.
King Cake
King Cake
yield: breadmachine recipe, 2# dough
¾ cup tepid water
2 large eggs
¼ cup oil
¼ cup sugar
4 (scant) cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 ½ teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)
1 bean or trinket (or piece of dried fruit)
green, yellow, and purple jimmies
White Icing
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup (approx) confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon orange or vanilla extract
1. Add ingredients to breadmachine in order listed; use dough cycle.
2. When done, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a log and form a circle. Push the bean (or dried fruit) into dough.
3. Place on large baking tray lined with parchment or silicone sheet.
4. Let stand for approximately one hour, until somewhat lighter.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Cool before icing.
6. In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients and spread on surface. Immediately sprinkle with jimmies.