Category Archives: Holidays

Glazed to Perfection: How to Make Chocolate Ganache

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Chocolate Orange Coffee Cake glazed with chocolate ganache

Our Mini Chocolate Orange Coffee Cake drizzled with rich chocolate ganache.

Chocolate ganache is rainbow sprinkle frosting all grown up. It’s patent leather shoes and sequin sparkles. It’s velvety smooth and seductive. Go ahead. We dare you to whip up an easy batch and not dip a finger into the decadent gloss.

We use chocolate ganache in many of our recipes, from Cocoa Puffs to Chocolate Orange Coffee Cake. Since it brings a full-bodied thrum of chocolate flavor to everything it touches – and you can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate – we decided to share our signature chocolate ganache recipe.

Chocolate Ganache
Click here to print this recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup good-quality semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring the cream to a froth just before it boils. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until the chocolate has completely melted. Set the pan aside and let the ganache cool to the desired consistency. The ganache will thicken as it cools.

How to Use Chocolate Ganache

  • Pour warm ganache over ice cream for an off-the-charts delicious sundae.
  • Dip your favorite fruits (dried or fresh), nuts (raw or roasted) and candies.
  • Drizzle warm ganache over a bundt cake for a dramatic effect that’s impossible to mess up.
  • Top cupcakes in lieu of traditional frosting.
  • Spread a layer over a pan of brownies for death-by-chocolate decadence.

Six Hostess Gifts for a Delicious New Year

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New Years Blog Post

Our mothers taught us that it’s polite to bring along something special when going to someone’s house. You might call it a “hostess gift,” but no matter the host or occasion, we just call it sweet. Whether you’re going to a Champagne-filled New Year’s Eve bash or an indulgent New Year’s Day brunch, we’ve rounded up a few things that any host would be happy to have.

1. Whisper Cake – While it’s not an official holiday item, this popular cake with it’s fruit-filled layers would pair nicely with a glass of Champagne.

2. Holiday Tart – Filled with cranberries, pecans, orange zest and caramel, this tart makes for a tasty treat any time of day.

3. Brown Sugar Shortbread Holiday Cookies – Cut into stars and adorned with crystal sugar, these cookies will bring a touch of sparkle to the party.

4. Sardinian Flatbread with a savory spread – In addition to our Roasted Artichoke Spread (pictured), we have a variety of seasonal spreads that pair perfectly with our Sardinian Flatbread.

5. Cassata Cake – Chocolate lovers swoon for our Cassata Cake (pictured) and gluten-free Mini Gianduja. Both desserts are loaded with rich chocolate flavor, but our Mini Gianduja is a triple-threat with chocolate espresso, chocolate hazelnut and chocolate ganache!

6. Budapest Coffee Cake Ring – Our classic sour cream coffee cake laced with a swirl of cinnamon, cocoa, brown sugar, raisins and toasted walnuts makes a great brunch addition.

Cookie Swap: A Christmas Cookie History

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‘Tis the season for baking! Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party or having a quiet holiday celebration at home, chances are cookies will be part of the equation.

The tradition of baking and sharing Christmas cookies stretches back for centuries with its roots firmly planted in Europe. As people migrated to America, so did their cooking traditions. According to McCalls’ December 1994 issue, the earliest account of Christmas cookies in America came from the Dutch in the 1600s.

With an assortment of Ginger Molasses Cookies, Swedish Overnights, Mexican Wedding Balls, and Sour Cherry Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies, our Christmas Cookie Box is a melting pot of cultural flavors. Like folklore, some of these recipes have been shared and modified so much their origins have become blurry, but we’ve tracked down some truths about each recipe.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

As Leslie says, ginger has a natural warming quality that’s perfect for this time of year. With its recipe closely mirroring that of gingerbread, conventional wisdom tells us that the Ginger Molasses cookie is a miniature version of the sweet and spicy cake.

Mexican Wedding Balls

These cookies are perhaps the most ragtag of the bunch. Also known as Russian Tea Cakes, Snowballs and Butterballs, it’s believed that this recipe came from the Moors who invaded Spain in the 8th century. Some food historians say the recipe eventually migrated to South America and Mexico with European nuns.

Swedish Overnights

No Scandinavian Christmas celebration would be complete without Swedish Overnights. Also called Swedish Heirloom Cookies, Swedish Overnights share similar ingredients to Mexican Wedding Balls. These cookies can be dusted with powered sugar, or in this case, colorful sprinkles for a festive touch.

Sour Cherry Shortbread Cookies

A classic Scottish dessert with three basic ingredients, shortbread makes a quintessential cookie. It’s a popular choice for holidays, because it’s so adaptable and can be cut into festive shapes. We’ve added coarse crystal and brown sugars, tart cherries and vanilla to our recipe for more complex flavor.

Like those before us, we hope you enjoy sharing these recipes for many years to come!

The Feast of St. Macrina

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We had such a great time at our annual Feast of St. Macrina event! Each year our family gathers in honor of the bakery’s namesake to bond over our shared love of great food and community. While St. Macrina the Younger’s actual feast day is today, we spent Tuesday evening unwinding over dinner and games.

After closing the cafés a little early, Owner Leslie Mackie, Savory Chef Elizabeth Hall, and Production Manager Jane Cho prepared an incredible meal for the entire group.

Group Dinner

A Macrina family dinner wouldn’t be complete without an amazing dessert. Summer Shortcake featuring our Shortcake Biscuit, fresh berries, and vanilla ice cream was the grand finale. You can find the recipe for this perfect summer treat attached to bags of our Shortcake Biscuits.

photo[1]

Summer Shortcake Prep1

After dinner we split into teams for a rollicking relay race that included a beanbag toss, cupcake eating contest, and cake writing competition. The rain moved in at one point, but that didn’t stop us from having fun.

Toss Pair1

Cake Eating Comp2

There’s nothing like some friendly competition to bring our family closer. We really couldn’t ask for a better group of people to spend the day with. Thank you, Seattle, for giving us the afternoon off!

Cake Writing Group

Look for more photos from our 2013 Feast of Macrina event on our Facebook page.

A Classic Cookie for Father’s Day

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Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

Our Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies are a holiday favorite and great for gifting. Crisp and flavorful, they come in a variety of styles to match each celebration, be it Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and even Father’s Day. Simple ingredients go into our melt-in-your-mouth cookies – flour, sugar and butter – making them the perfect base for any dessert. Adorned with crystal colored sugar for a playful treat or paired with roasted nectarines and vanilla bean ice cream for a decadent summertime dessert, these cookies are quite versatile.

We recently swapped the brightly colored sugars used on some of our shortbread cookies for locally sourced, naturally colored sparkling sugar from India Tree. Using concentrated colorants derived from edible plants instead of potentially harmful synthetic dyes, India Tree strives to provide the most wholesome sparkling sugars, gel pastes, and sanding sugars, and their subtle color perfectly suits our rustic party profile.

Just in time for Father’s Day, we will be at the Queen Anne Farmers Market on Thursday, June 13th, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with our delicious Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies and decorations in tow to help you craft the perfect miniature masterpiece for Dad. Gift boxes, tags and ribbon will be provided to package your cookies. See you there!

A Bit About Brunch

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Buttermilk Waffle

Brunch – that delicious blend of breakfast and lunch – has fuzzy origins. Some food historians believe that the meal is rooted in 19th century Britain when hunting groups would have extravagant mid-morning meals. But, my favorite historical mention comes from an 1895 “Hunter’s Weekly” article:

“Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting.” Guy Beringer wrote in “Brunch: A Plea.” “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.”

There’s a soothing rhythm to this ambrosial weekend tradition: Champagne, fortified with fresh citrus, is poured into tall glasses; sugary breads are passed among good company, feeling downright communal; concerns drift away with the arrival of savory diversions; and finally, we’re ready to nap.

Here at Macrina, we adore the bustle of brunch. The great din of diners bonding over our food and lingering at the case for just one more pastry or a rustic loaf of bread to go with dinner. For us, it’s satisfying seeing everyone walk away completely contented.

With Memorial Day drawing near, we already hear the brunch buzz as everyone organizes his or her weekend morning gaggle. Our weekend diners get to enjoy not one or two but three days of brunching as we extend our brunch menu to Monday.

So, linger longer this weekend, brunch lovers, and reenact your leisurely meal an extra day.

Indulgent Ideas for Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day is nearly here, and while we appreciate our mothers every day, we love taking this holiday to truly spoil her with something delectable. Our Mother’s Day brunch menu is sure to delight, and we have something extra special for moms dining with us on Sunday. But we understand that some moms might just love to spend a relaxing morning at home. For those seeking a slower pace to their day, we’ve whipped up a batch of sweet ideas for breakfast-in-bed.

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

  • For the mom who prefers to eat desert first (no matter the time of day) our Mini Rustic Almond Cake topped with rich ganache and tart raspberries is a win.
  • Moms who like some savory with their sweet will appreciate a plate of flaky Buttermilk Biscuits with strawberry or marionberry jam.
  • For those who prefer to add a personal touch to their Mother’s Day breakfast, any of our Brioche loaves take homemade french toast to a whole new realm. Chocolate Cherry Brioche french toast, anyone?
  • And, who says Mother’s Day has to be celebrated in the morning. Our Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake (pictured above), laced with decadent mocha and ripe raspberries, is the perfect end to a perfect day.

Wishing all of the wonderful mothers out there a very happy Mother’s Day! Have a lovely weekend!

Tasting Ireland: Irish Soda Bread

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St. Patrick's Day
Around since the mid-19th century, traditional Irish soda bread contained just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. According to Rory O’Connell, co-founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Ireland, the bread has taken on many adaptations since coming to the U.S.

Many folks are offended by this “corruption” of tradition, like the U.S.-based group Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread. They provide a history of Irish Soda Bread and Ireland, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Ireland was grappling with the effects of the great potato famine. The bread gained in popularity when poorer families could not afford to buy bread and resorted to making their own. With no ovens in most homes, folks used their cast iron pot with a lid to cook the bread. Baking soda when mixed with sour milk was used as the rising agent.

In the early 20th century, as immigrants from Ireland kept pouring into the U.S., they brought the simple recipe along with them. As the recipe was handed down, each generation created versions of the original, adding embellishments along way including caraway seeds, dried fruit, sugar, eggs, and even yeast!

Our version of the traditional bread from the Land of Éire incorporates thick rolled oats, Fairhaven Mill’s whole-grain wheat flour, buttermilk and a hint of honey. Macrina Bakery Founder Leslie Mackie prefers to eat it toasted with a little bit of butter and jam.

We also make – what our Gaelic friends refer to as the “Spotted Dog” or “Railway Cake” – a version of the Irish soda bread with raisins. Come in for a loaf or two, and enjoy it through March 22.

Valentine’s Day: Not Just for Lovers

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Macrina Bakery Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies In the February 2013 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, you will find a love story – not your typical love story, but a story of love that is shared with good friends around a hearty meal. The author suggests that Valentine’s Day become a “food holiday” like Thanksgiving and Christmas. She looked forward to each Valentine’s Day with her husband because it meant a night out at a fancy restaurant, but she asks why exclude the unpaired ones from a Valentine’s Day feast.

What are your Valentine’s Day traditions? Do you hand out Valentine’s Day cards to people besides your significant other? Have co-workers ever taken the opportunity to “share the love” with you? Children celebrate en masse every Valentine’s Day in elementary school, so why can’t adults? It’s time to think about Valentine’s Day beyond lovers and celebrate those we admire.

Macrina Bakery Cupid's CupcakeMacrina founder, Leslie Mackie feels the same way. Admittedly, over the years, we name seasonal Valentine-related products with the traditional love holiday in mind – Eros Cake, Beating Heart Galette, and this year’s Cupid’s Cupcake. But why limit those treats to your one and only when you have friends, family, and co-workers that deserve appreciation? Leslie hopes that you will take the opportunity to show your gratitude to those that matter most to you.

Our Valentine’s Day Offerings can help with your homespun, heartwarming feast, including Baked Brie en Croute, a divine combination of sweet and savory with caramelized onions, sweet and tart cherries, and cocoa in a mild, creamy brie; our popular Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies shaped in a heart; or our product of the month, Cupid’s Cupcake, a moist red velvet cupcake filled with a dollop of vanilla bean pastry cream and topped with white chocolate buttercream frosting, a fresh raspberry, sugared rose petal, and sugar sprinkles.

Let’s turn Valentine’s Day into an official food holiday and celebrate and share the love of food with good friends and family!

Tips on Making Pies

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The holidays are a popular time for pies. Whether you are a pie making pro or novice, there are always useful tips to pick up here and there. Similar to breads, pies require only a few ingredients – but how you put them together makes all the difference between a remarkable pie and average one.

One thing to keep in mind is that practice does pay off. So do patience, preparation and passion. After many years, we have learned to be particular about a few details. Here are three important tips:

1.    Choose ripe seasonal fruit

2.     Take time to cut the fruit to an appropriate size

3.     Drain off any excess juices

Our collection of pie recipes in Leslie’s cookbook More from Macrina, starts with her master recipe for Flaky Pie Dough. Tasty and versatile, the Flaky Pie Dough can be used for many pie and tartlet recipes. In an effort to “modernize” the recipe, Leslie tweaked a few things. The main change was to eliminate the solid vegetable shortening in favor of palm shortening (which has no trans fats). A few years ago she also recalibrated the ratio of shortening to butter.

One tip Leslie picked up from her mom – take the scraps and brush them with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, twist, and then bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until the pieces are golden brown. They make a great treat.

If you do have quite a bit of pie dough left over from the first day, wrap it well in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing the dough is also an option: the dough will keep, wellwrapped, for up to one month.

Lattice-top pies are the prettiest of all. If you’re looking for a challenge or something different, try making a lacelike pie top!