Monthly Archives: June 2020

Helping FareStart Feed Hungry Families

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Even before the coronavirus hit, too many people in the Seattle area struggled with hunger. Now with record levels of unemployment and disrupted free school lunches for many children, food insecurity is rising. We currently donate food to Mary’s Place and others, but we wanted to do more. 

When Marcia Sisley-Berger of Callebaut Chocolate, one of our suppliers, reached out to us about collaborating on a food donation to FareStart, we were all in. 

FareStart and Catalyst Kitchen, an initiative established by FareStart, have been producing approximately 350,000 meals a week to help alleviate hunger and food insecurity in our communities. More than 100 sites get meals from them daily, including Downtown Emergency Services Center, Plymouth Housing, the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, Seattle Public Schools and King County’s COVID-19 isolation and recovery sites. 

Callebaut offered to donate all the chocolate we’d need to make sweet treats for FareStart lunches. With 300 pounds of dark chocolate chips, 90 pounds of chocolate batons, and 52 pounds of Milk Chocolate Couverture in hand, Leslie reached out to two more of our suppliers for help. Both Medosweet Farms and Merlino Foods were both eager to support our community and didn’t hesitate to get involved. Medosweet provided us with 150 pounds of butter and all the eggs we need. Merlino’s donated 250 pounds of sugar and other supplies. 

Throughout June, we will be baking over 4,300 of Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, 1,800 Chocolate Cornetti, and 1,600 Milk Chocolate Brioches for FareStart to include in the lunches they distribute. 

Our mission is to enrich our communities through the joy of artisan baking. Being a part of this collaborative effort to support FareStart in their crucial mission brings us joy, and we hope, helps brighten the days of those most in need. 

Comfort Me with Chicken Pot Pies

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Our new Chicken Pot Pie feeds four with a salad or a side. 

When so much that’s solid in life suddenly melts, little gives us more assurance that things will be alright than making pies—and eating them! But because you can’t subsist on dessert alone, we’ve spent the last few weeks developing Macrina’s version of a Chicken Pot Pie. They’re so good, we’ve been eating them for lunch AND dinner! 

Our savory team has been busy rolling out our delicious flaky pie dough, lining pie tins, and roasting chicken with fresh herbs. They mix the roasted chicken with onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, fresh thyme and a rich chicken gravy and top it with our famous pie crust. 

Beginning Monday, June 8, we’re selling them at our cafés for $16. All you have to do to prepare a healthy, comforting meal is pop them in a hot oven for 50 to 60 minutes and dress a salad. 

Simplicity and great ingredients are what make this pie taste so delicious. Fresh thyme infuses the gravy with its floral scent, and generous pieces of roasted chicken with hand-chopped vegetables coated in rich gravy under our buttery crust will remind you why this soul-satisfying dish has stood the test of time. 

And at just $16, you can eat fabulously without feeling apologetic. On the off chance you don’t clean the dish, leftovers will save for three to five days in the fridge. 

If you can’t make it into one of our cafés, DoorDash will deliver them to your door. 

Enjoy! 

June Recipe of the Month: Apricot Almond Upside-Down Cake

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Apricots are the first stone fruit of the season. Their tartness balances well with caramelized brown sugar and butter, enhanced with the sweet bite of Heritage Distillery’s Brown Sugar Bourbon (or similar). This delicate cake has the crunch of roasted almonds, the earthiness of buckwheat flour and the joy of juicy apricots.

Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch cake

¾ cup whole almonds
16 Tbsp unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature, divided
1¾ cup light brown sugar, divided
4 tsp Heritage Distillery Brown Sugar Bourbon, divided (or other bourbon)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
7 fresh apricots, halved and pits removed
1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Trace the outline of a 9-inch round cake pan on a sheet of parchment and cut a ring one half-inch larger than your marking. Cut 2-inch strips of parchment to line the sides. Lightly brush oil on the base and sides of the cake pan. Place the parchment strips onto the oiled sides, then insert the parchment circle and press the overlapping paper flush against the edge. Set aside.

Place the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then pulse in a food processor to a medium-fine texture.

In a small saucepan, slowly melt 4 Tbsp butter. Add ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tsp Brown Sugar Bourbon and vanilla. Whisk it all together, then pour it into the lined cake pan. Use a spatula to spread the sugar mixture evenly over the base of the pan. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the sugar mixture, then place the apricot halves, cut side down, around the edge of the pan. For the center circle, cut the apricots into quarters and place in a spiral to create a flower-like design.

In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose and buckwheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the remaining 12 Tbsp butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar and the granulated sugar. Using a paddle attachment, cream the mixture on medium speed for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture is light and pale in texture.

Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next. Then add the remaining bourbon and almond extract and mix for 30 seconds to evenly distribute. Scrape the bowl frequently with a spatula to ensure everything is mixed in.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Stirring by hand with a spatula, add a third of the flour mixture and a third of the buttermilk. Continue alternating until the flour has absorbed the buttermilk. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter over the apricots and level with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for 20 minutes. To serve, cover pan with the plate you want to present it on and invert. Carefully lift the cake pan and remove the parchment paper. It’s best to let it cool for another 20 minutes and serve the cake while it’s still slightly warm.

Enjoy with your favorite vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.