September: National Honey Month 

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For most beekeepers, September marks the end of the honey collection season. To celebrate and call attention to the importance of honey as a natural sweetener and the essential role honeybees play as pollinators, we’re featuring our favorite products baked with honey all month long. At Macrina, we are proud to partner with the National Honey Board and showcase the many baked goods we make with honey, whose complex caramel sweetness adds a roundness of flavor compared to the narrower flavor profile of sugar.

One of our most popular honey-sweetened products is our Vollkorn Loaf. This moist, hearty loaf is a German-style, full-grain bread blended with a six-grain cereal, toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. A locally grown organic rye and a beer starter add a pleasantly sour flavor. Honey and molasses lend balance.

In our cafés, we use honey to sweeten our Greek yogurt and layer it with our house-made berry compote. This creates the perfect nutritious fresh-tasting parfait.

Later in September, we will be showcasing our Challah Crowns, both plain and with raisins, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (September 18–20) and Yom Kippur (September 27– 28). Our Challah is traditional egg bread in the European Jewish tradition. Honey sweetened, this braided loaf has a firm crust a burnished golden mahogany color. The soft, tight crumb pulls apart easily.

Another loaf sweetened that we sweeten with honey is our Whole Wheat Cider pan loaf. It’s excellent texture and flavor make this one of our most popular pan loaves. Apple cider and honey enhance the mild nutty flavor of Shepherd’s Grain whole wheat flour, cracked wheat berries and toasted sesame seeds.

These are just a few products we are showcasing, but we have many other recipes that include honey. Stay tuned throughout September for more featured products that celebrate the importance of our pollinators—and the lovely byproduct of their life-giving labor.

A Community Loaf 

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Every bread lover should know about The Bread Lab, the famed research center in Skagit Valley. Dr. Steven Jones runs The Bread Lab, an extension of Washington State University. He is devoted to bringing grain agriculture back to our region and developing healthier and tastier wheat varietals for other parts of the country.

About a year ago, The Bread Lab launched a new initiative: The Approachable Loaf. A collective of artisan bakers, millers, and wheat-breeders have banded together to produce a community loaf that follows guidelines established by The Bread Lab. The goal is to produce a whole-grain loaf of sliced bread at a price that will appeal to a mass audience.

The criteria laid out by The Bread Lab are:

  • Baked in a tin and sliced
  • No more than seven ingredients
  • Contains no non-food
  • At least 60% whole wheat—preferably 100%
  • Priced under $6/loaf
  • 10¢ of every loaf sold returns to The Bread Lab to support further research of other whole grain products

The goal is to provide an alternative to the commodity loaves made from white flour or laced with preservatives produced by national bread companies and that dominate supermarket shelves.

As a long-standing member of Bread Lab’s advisory board, Leslie immediately got to work on an approachable loaf. We think you’ll like the result!

Our Organic Whole Wheat Loaf is a hearty pan loaf that comes sliced and ready for sandwiches. Made from whole grain organic wheat grown on Hudson Bay Farm near Walla Walla, the nutritious bread has excellent texture and flavor. Agave syrup adds just a touch of sweetness. The shelf life is 3–5 days.

With this loaf, we are proud to be joining The Bread Lab Collective. Stop in one of our cafés to grab a loaf. Every loaf sold supports the Bread Lab in their research to improve wheat varieties and support local farmers, leading to better whole grain products.

With this loaf, we are proud to be joining The Bread Lab Collective.

August Recipe of the Month: Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Fresh Berries and Syrup

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Sometimes friends come to visit and leave more than just good memories—sometimes they leave recipes. And sometimes those recipes become family favorites. A friend from England gifted me this recipe, and when fresh berries are in season, these cottage cheese pancakes are always in my thoughts. The crisp golden brown edges, the light, tender interior and the savory flavor make them a divine weekend breakfast. Serve them with tart berries and a drizzle of maple syrup and soon you’ll find yourself passing the recipe on to a friend.

– Leslie Mackie

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup canola oil (or sunflower oil)
2 pints fresh berries
1 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a stand mixer bowl and the yolks into another medium bowl. Add the cottage cheese, milk and vanilla to the yolks and mix well.

With a whisk attachment, use the stand mixer to whip the whites to a medium-soft texture.

Fold the flour mixture into the yolk mixture in 2 additions. Add the melted butter. Fold in the whipped egg whites, also in 2 additions.

Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with oil and scoop in ¼ cup portions of the pancake batter, each spaced about 2 inches apart. Cook for 2 minutes (edges should be deep golden brown), flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Keep the finished pancakes warm in a preheated oven while you finish the remaining pancakes.

Serve the pancakes topped with the remaining butter, fresh berries and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Our New Make-at-Home Kits 

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Turn your kitchen into a professional bakery with our new make-at-home kits.

One silver lining of the quarantine is the perfect environment it has created for a surge in home cooking, bread making, and baking. Stores have been running short of flour and yeast. Newly minted bakers proudly fill their Instagram feeds with drool-worthy photos of crackly sourdough loaves, glistening muffins, and elegant cakes.

But not everyone has the skills or time to produce pastry-chef quality loaves and pastries. A month ago, to help those who wanted to bake professional-grade loaves, we created a kit for an organic whole wheat loaf. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. Some people make them with their kids; others have sent beautiful photos of their masterpieces. And many have requested kits for more items.

So we’ve come up with three more make-at-home kits for some of our café favorites: Fresh Fruit Gluten-Free Muffins, Fresh Fruit Coffee Cake and Squash Harvest Bread.

Each kit comes with baking molds (or muffin liners), with all dry ingredients pre-measured and ready to go, and easy-to-follow instructions. You choose your favorite seasonal fruits and supply common wet ingredients like milk, butter, and eggs.

We love to see you in our cafés, but during these coronavirus times, we understand the desire to stay at home. The smell of your favorite breakfast treats baking might even drag your teenagers out of bed early. Enjoy!

Fresh Fruit Gluten-Free Muffin Kit

We started offering these in the cafés about five years ago, and even wheat lovers have become devotees. Our gluten-free dry mix takes the guesswork out of baking. Choose your favorite seasonal fruits, and we’ll help turn your kitchen into a high-end bakery.

Fresh Fruit Coffee Cake Kit

This coffee cake is one of our most requested recipes. The natural sweetness of the fruit permeates the cake and keeps it moist. Choose your favorite seasonal fruits, and we provide nearly everything else, including the baking molds.

Squash Harvest Bread Kit

Our most popular breakfast bread has been on our menu since the day we opened in 1993. The list of ingredients is long, but our kit includes most of them pre-measured and ready to go. You provide the wet ingredients; we do the rest.

The coronavirus has created the perfect environment for a surge in bread-baking. People suddenly have time around the house to do fiddly things they wouldn’t normally, like proofing yeast and monitoring rising dough. Some are looking for a fulfilling hobby, or for sustenance for their families, or just something to do with the home-schooled kids that’s not another video game. Measuring, kneading and shaping dough can be a balm for the anxiety that has accompanied the virus. And some people, faced with the prospect of the conveniences of modern life being upended, are feeling the need to be self-reliant, even in small ways.

Project Barnstorm: Leslie Mackie’s Fruit Spreads 

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When I started Macrina Bakery, I had every intention of making homemade fruit spread for our pastries but simply got too busy. Instead, I found an excellent freezer jam made from local berries. I’d been making jam and fruit spread ever since I was in my early twenties. My mother taught me how. Every year, in berry season, she’d get as many of those mouth-watering native strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and set about making jam, fruit spread, and conserves. Most of her jam was freezer jam, but I took to sealing it in jars since it keeps longer and you can store it in the larder.

Now all these years later, I’m finally starting to make fruit spread in quantities large enough I can sell some commercially. The fruit spread business is called Project Barnstorm. Most of the spreads are made from fruit grown on my Vashon Island farm such as Concorde grapes, blackberries and Montgomery cherries. I’m also making apricot, raspberry and blueberry spreads with fruit from a local organic farm.

Project Barnstorm is a celebration of the seasons. By picking the fruit at its peak, or buying it straight from some of the best local farmers, the fruit spreads capture the natural essence of the fruit. Because fruit spreads have less sugar than jam, the natural sweetness of the ripe fruit shines through.

To get the right consistency, I make all the spreads in small batches and cook the fruit until I’ve reduced its water content enough that it will set with just a little pectin. The ratio of fruit to sugar in my spreads is much higher than commercial jams. A full, fresh fruit flavor is the result. A single spoonful in winter will bring you back to summer, if only for a moment. Fortunately, there is the rest of the jar to enjoy!

The fruits spreads are delicious with our toasted artisan breads but are also a great accompaniment with cheese on our flatbread or crostini. My latest indulgence is a spoonful or two over ice cream in the evenings or yogurt in the morning.

If you haven’t made fruit spreads before, take advantage of Washington’s bountiful blackberry crop starting in late July. Often you can find them, purple and bursting with juice, along roadsides throughout the area. Enjoy!

~ Leslie

Leslie’s Blackberry Jam 

Ingredients:

8 canning jars and lids (6-8 oz in size)

8 cups ripe blackberries

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1½ cups sugar

3 tsp Pectin (Pomona’s Universal Pectin)

Directions:

Fill a canning pot with water and bring it to a boil. Submerge jars and lids in boiling water to sterilize for 5 minutes. Remove and let dry at room temperature.

Gently rinse off the blackberries and pat dry. In a medium saucepan place the berries and mash with a potato masher. Add the lemon juice and half the sugar (¾ cup). Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Skim any foam that might form on the surface of the mixture and discard. Combine the remaining sugar with the pectin and whisk into the simmering jam mixture. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat.

Taste the jam for sweetness. You can add a bit more sugar or lemon juice at this point to accommodate for the natural sweetness of your berries (they do vary).

Bring the canning pot water up to a boil again. Ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, filling to ¼ inch of the top.

Place the metal top and rim over the jar and tighten rim to seal. Gently place the covered jars into the boiling water. Be sure the water is covering the jar. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes to seal.

Remove the jars from the boiling water and let cool at room temperature. Ensure that all the jars are tightly sealed. A good test is to remove the rings and lift the jar by its lid. If it releases, the seal is no good; refrigerate and use within a month (or freeze for up to 6 months). Well-sealed jars will hold at room temperature for 1 year.

La Spiga: Poetry to the Mouth

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Capitol Hill’s beloved Osteria La Spiga, located in the historic Piston & Ring building on 12th Avenue, has been serving exquisite northern Italian cuisine since 1998. As co-founder and host Pietro Borghesi says, “An evening at La Spiga is like dining in Italy—without the plane fare.” 

More than ever now is the time to support black-owned restaurants in Seattle. One of our favorites is La Spiga, located on 12th Avenue in the heart of the thriving Pike/Pine corridor. The restaurant was born of a love story between a young black chef from Fairbanks, Alaska, and a young Italian man, from Emilia-Romagna. They met in Salzburg, Austria. In an interview with Cuisine Noir Magazine, Chef Sabrina Tinsley said, “I’ve always loved Italian food, but when I tasted authentic Italian food for the first time, I was blown away. It’s so different. It’s poetry to the mouth, for sure.” 

In February, Sabrina was one of ten local black chefs invited by two-time James Beard Award-winning-chef Edouardo Jordan to participate in Soul of Seattle, a sold-out fundraiser for organizations that support youth of color. The event was a smashing success, and fun to boot. “We enjoy each other’s company,” Sabrina says. “It’s nice to be in a room of people who look like you, who share the same experience, not only culturally, but in the same industry.” 

At La Spiga business was booming, continuing their steady growth over the years. Then on March 23, Governor Jay Inslee issued the stay-at-home order and whiplash ensued. Sabrina and Pietro Borghesi, her husband and La Spiga’s General Manager, shifted gears and ramped up their takeout menu. Fortunately, La Spiga’s legion of fans, stuck at home, flocked to their website and ordered their favorite housemade pastas like Tagliatelle al Ragu, Lasagne Verdi, Gnocchi al Pomodoro, and chef’s specials such as Pollo Arrosto and Grigliata Mista. 

Now that King County is in Phase 2, La Spiga recently began limited seating in their spacious dining room. But that hasn’t stopped them from developing their takeout menu and an in-house store where you can buy their fresh pastas, sauces, sliced cured meats and cheeses. During the shutdown, they redeveloped their website for ease of customer use. The new system works very well,” says Pietro. “And we’re continuing to expand the takeout menu, adding things designed for a dinner night at home.” 

Pietro and Sabrina are even planning to open a takeout window right onto bustling 12th Avenue. “The front of the restaurant—the whole front—will be retail for those walking by,” Pietro says. “We’ll have piadina grill right out front. People will be able to grab a hot-filled piadina sandwich and much more. “Eventually, they’ll also add retail items such as cheese, cured meats, and olive oils. 

The recently disbanded Capitol Hill Organized Protest, better known as CHOP, took a bite out of their business and left Pietro and Sabrina with conflicted feelings. “The public lynching of George Floyd activated a different audience and has really put people in the street,” Sabrina says. “It hasn’t just been the black population out there. Now’s the time everybody feels called to action.” 

Once after a couple of shootings at CHOP, La Spiga’s newly opened in-house dining fell off steeply. With CHOP cleared, things have picked up again. “I’m really happy when the protests are peaceful,” Sabrina says. “It’s disheartening when you see all the destruction. Especially the killings. Those kinds of actions really detract from the main purpose.” 

While the coronavirus has led to unprecedented challenges for Seattle’s restaurant community, Pietro and Sabrina have discovered a few silver linings—none better than some quiet time at home with their teenage children. They’ve all been eating dinner together, a rarity for most restaurant families. “That’s been precious,” Sabrina says. “This has been hard on our business, but I know that we’ll look back at the extra time together as a beautiful time.” 

July Recipe of the Month: Blueberry Nectarine Pie

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One of my pinch-me-I’m-dreaming moments was in 1996 when the incomparable Julia Childs invited me to appear on the seminal food series Baking with Julia. A version of this fruit-filled pie was included in the Baking with Julia cookbook, edited by Dorie Greenspan. Over the years, we’ve tweaked this recipe, always wanting to improve on one of our all-time favorite pies. Throughout the seasons, you should play around with the fruit combinations, using what’s fresh at your local farmers market. This time of year, it’s hard to beat fresh nectarines with plump blueberries!

– Leslie Mackie

Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch pie

1 batch Macrina’s Flaky Pie Dough
2 pints fresh blueberries, rinsed and air-dried
4 ripe nectarines, rinsed and cut into ½-inch wedges
¾ cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
4 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash

Directions

Make one batch of Flaky Pie Dough. Keep discs refrigerated until you’re ready to use them.

In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, nectarine wedges, ¾ cup sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and flour. Toss to coat the fruit with the other ingredients.

On a floured work surface, roll out the larger disc of Flaky Pie Dough so that its diameter is 14 inches and it’s approximately ⅛-inch thick. Fold the flattened disc in half and lift it onto your pie pan. Unfold the disc and gently press it down and around the sides. There should be a 1 to 1 ½-inch overhang for sealing and crimping at the finish.

Pour the fruit filling into the raw pie shell. Use a spoon to press gently on the fruit smoothing the surface so the filling doesn’t have gaps that would settle when baking. Break up the 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter and dot the top of the filling. Paint the rim of the pie dough with egg wash.

On a floured work surface, roll out the smaller disc of Flaky Pie Dough so that its diameter is just under 10 inches and it’s approximately ⅛-inch thick. While it’s flat, cut vents in the disc in a decorative design. We often cut two 2-inch slits (across from each other) and four 1-inch slits to the left and right of the larger slits. Be creative; the main thing is to have steam vents so the crust doesn’t balloon.

Gently fold the disc in half and lift it onto the pie. Unfold it and match the perimeter to the egg-washed rim of the bottom dough. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash, then fold the lower dough’s overhang up around the entire pie.

Once it’s sealed, crimp the edge with a decorative design. You can flatten and use fork tongs for design or use your fingertips to form a waving edge. Again, be creative. Brush the crimped edge with egg wash and sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar over the top of the pie. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes before baking.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°F.

Place the chilled pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes. The top crust should be golden brown with bubbling fruit juices visible.

Let the pie cool for 90 minutes before serving. Serve it with your favorite ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

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.