Po Do: When Ketchup and Mustard Just Won’t Do

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Macrina Bakery

It’s hard to believe that Po Dog is still in its infancy. In the last five years, Owner Laura Olson has built the Po Dog brand from the bun up, garnished with a heaping helping of media blitz, and made it the Seattle icon it is today. Now, with five businesses under her belt and a team of 47 employees, you would think Laura was ready to take a break, rest her feet, eat a hot dog. No way, she says, hinting that there could be a new business idea marinating at her Pterodactyl {Group} headquarters. We’ll just have to wait and see. To tide us over, Laura took a minute to discuss everything from Po Dog’s illustrious beginnings to sourcing great ingredients.

How did you get into the food business?
I’ve worked in the food and beverage industry since I was 15 years old. I put myself through college while working full time as a server. Upon graduation, I got a “big girl” job (a 9 to 5-er) at a recruiting firm. Although I loved the company and people I worked for, I didn’t have a passion for the job itself and found myself missing the face-to-face interaction I had with people on a daily basis while working in the food industry. I quit my job one day and decided to pursue my passion for food, people and hot dogs.

Where did the inspiration for Po Dog come from?
I have traveled the world and a lot of my culinary inspiration comes from the places I’ve been and the foods I’ve eaten along the way. When I find a meal I really fall in love with, I always come back and try to recreate it hot dog-style at Po Dog. There was the hamburger-with-crazy-toppings movement going on for a while, and I figured, why not do the same with the tube meat that I love?

What’s your favorite hot dog of all time?
I created my own hot dog that I call The Green Machine. It has cream cheese, fresh cut lettuce, dill pickles, sport peppers, scallions and celery salt. It’s fresh and delicious!

How did you decide to team up with Macrina for your Po Dog menu?
I knew how important it was to have a really great bun. I wanted something that wasn’t too heavy since most of my dogs are piled high with toppings, and I also wanted something unique. I couldn’t find any local bakeries that would work with me on creating a bun that would fit the size of my hot dog until I met with Rebecca [Early, Wholesale Sales Manager]. It was the perfect marriage. I wanted to stay as local as possible with all main ingredients, and the bun was one thing I wouldn’t budge on when it came to a local partnership. Macrina made a brioche hot dog bun that was the perfect custom fit for Po Dog. We feel pretty special for that.

What are some of the highlights from the last five years at Po Dog?
Wow, it’s been such an amazing five years. We were featured in one of the biggest selling issues of People Magazine in 2012. Hoda Kotb from the Today show took a bite of our peanut butter and banana hot dog on live T.V.; we filmed for the Canadian show, Get Stuffed, in 2013; and most recently we filmed for the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise that will air early in 2015… We hosted a couple of Seahawks players for toy drives in the past couple of years, and we were also part of the Tillamook Cheese Tour where we gave away over 300 free Mac n’ Cheese Dogs in less than an hour! It’s been a great ride.

Where does your passion come from?
I love what I do. It’s not a job for me; it’s my life. I think it’s extremely difficult to be successful in business without being passionate about what you’re doing. I was working 16-plus hours a day for the first three months nonstop after I opened my doors. I remember there were times I would come home and get into bed exhausted as all heck and not be able to fall asleep because my legs were throbbing in pain from the craziness of the days. Never once during those long, hard days did I ever think I wanted to quit or stop doing it. I love my customers and the brand that I’ve created.

If we peeked into your fridge, what would we find?
King Estate Pinot Gris, about 15 different kinds of hot sauce, and Red Bull. I cook more when we have houseguests otherwise; it’s pretty sparse in my fridge.

Fueled by frankfurters and hungry for more, there’s no stopping the Queen of Gourmet Hot Dogs. We can’t wait to see how she’ll top the last five years.

Party Bites: Create a Crostini Bar

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Macrina Bakery

A build-your-own-Crostini bar is a fun way to serve up some sweet and savory bites at your next party. You don’t need a lot of time or creative flair to put together a Crostini station that your guests will relish. Simply team up a bag or two of our delicious Crostini with a mix of seasonal toppings. The possibilities are endless, but here are our suggestions for how to wow your crowd:

Fill a basket with your favorite Crostini. We have a variety of flavors, but our Wheat Herb Walnut Crostini is both flavorful and versatile.
Top a tray with a sampling of cheeses, like triple cream, aged cheddar and goat cheese.
Provide a variety of tasty additions, like sliced apples, local honey, fruit preserves and Marcona almonds.
Add in a couple of dishes of your favorite spreads. Our Roasted Artichoke Spread and Fig & Olive Tapenade are both crowd pleasers.

12 Days of Cookies: Day 12, Ginger Molasses Cookies

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Macrina Bakery

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.

Fresh ginger and a texture that perfectly balances chewy and crisp are what make these cookies exceptionally good. Follow along with Leslie as she prepares our Ginger Molasses Cookies in this video!

Ginger Molasses Cookies
Click here to print this recipe!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons peeled and chopped ginger
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 cup granulated sugar

Makes 16 cookies

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix with a whisk until evenly distributed and set aside.

2. Combine shortening, butter, and brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Add 1 egg and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add ginger and molasses and mix on low speed for 1 minute. The mixture may look as if it’s separating, but have no fear. It will come together once the dry ingredients are added. Remove the bowl from the mixture and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

3. Using a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour mixture into the dough. After the flour is fully incorporated, fold in the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding until all of the flour has been absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. At this point the dough can be formed into cookies or stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

4. Preheat oven to 325º F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and pour granulated sugar into a pie pan or shallow bowl.

5. Scoop dough out of the bowl (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and roll the dough into small balls. Toss each of the balls in granulated sugar until evenly coated, then place on a baking sheet, leaving space between each ball. Slightly flatten each ball of dough with the palm of your hand to keep the balls from rolling around.

6. Place 1 sheet of cookies in the refrigerator while baking the other sheet.

7. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, on center rack of oven for 12 to 14 minutes each. To help the cookies bake evenly, rotate the baking sheet every 4 minutes or so. The finished cookies will be golden brown and slightly puffed up but will collapse while they cool. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. The cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

12 Days of Cookies: Day 10, Swedish Overnights

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Macrina Bakery

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. Leslie inherited this recipe from her mother’s family and she loves baking these cookies every Christmas. We hope you enjoy them, too.

Check out our video to follow Leslie’s simple step-by-step instructions for preparing these cookies!

Swedish Overnights
Click here to print this recipe!

Ingredients

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 egg, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Crystal sugar in your favorite colors

Prepare this dough 1 day before baking.
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix for another 30 seconds, making sure egg and vanilla are thoroughly incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

2. Using a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour into the dough. After the first batch is fully incorporated, fold in the other half and continue folding until all of the flour has been absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Pull dough from the bowl and onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick, and place the logs on separate pieces of parchment paper. (The parchment paper needs to be at least 4 inches longer than the logs.) Brush the logs with the egg white, then scatter half of the walnuts over each log. Roll the logs back and forth until they are completely coated in nuts. Roll each log up within its parchment paper. Finish by twisting the ends of the paper to create a seal. Chill logs in the refrigerator over night.

4. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Unwrap the logs and using a sharp knife, cut them into 1/2-inch-think coins. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between each cookie. Brush the top of each cookie with a tiny bit of water and sprinkle festive sugar crystals on top.

6. Bake on center rack of oven, 1 sheet at a time, for 20 to 25 minutes. To help the cookies bake evenly, rotate the baking sheet every 4 minutes or so. The finished cookies will be golden brown on the edges and pale in the center. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month at room temperature.

12 Days of Cookies: Day 6, Macaroons

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Macrina Bakery

Macarons sure have had their time in the spotlight, haven’t they? Those precious cookies with their little domes drenched in Technicolor.

But we mustn’t forget the Macaroon. Often woefully confused for the Macaron (in name, not appearance), the Macaroon is just as deserving of star treatment. The laidback, oh-so-approachable cousin of the Macaron is made with just a few simple ingredients (sugar, vanilla, egg whites and coconut), but they sometimes get dressed up with a bit of cocoa powder or take a dip in some chocolate.

Macarons and Macaroons do have a shared history. Food historians believe they both got their start in Europe. Some say that Macarons gained fame when two Benedictine nuns, trying to climb out of hard times, began selling Macarons to pay the bills and the country fell in love. It wasn’t long before there were street vendors selling the cookies on every street corner in Paris. In 1930, Pierre Desfontaines, relative of the famous Louis Ernest Ladurée, had the bright idea to take two Macaron cookies and sandwich them with a bit of chocolate ganache, sealing the fate of the modern day Macaron and launching Ladurée’s rise to fame.

There are many stories about when coconut was folded into the mix to make the Macaroon, but most believe that European Jews adapted the Macaron recipe to make a perfect Passover treat. Flour and almond paste were omitted and sweet, shredded coconut was added. Similar recipes can also be found in Scottish, Dominican, Indian, Spanish, Turkish, and Irish cultures.

While we enjoy both cookies, the Macaroon has our heart. Crisp on the outside, chewy in the center, and delightfully sweet, Macaroons are reminiscent of the cookies our moms used to make. They are a rustic homage to childhood.

Our four-packs of Macaroons, in chocolate or vanilla, are the perfect little something to tuck into a Christmas stocking. Find them at any of our cafés!

12 Days of Cookies: Day 5, Festive Gingerbread People

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Macrina Bakery

Did you know gingerbread people have a noble history? The story goes that Queen Elizabeth I had her chef make gingerbread people in each guest’s likeness for a royal dinner party.

Half the fun of gingerbread people is decorating them, isn’t it? We always start out with simple icing outlines and dots for facial features, but after a few have been finished, we start drawing on sassy shirts and flowing skirts or groovy surfer shorts and sunglasses. Invite your friends over – kids and grownups alike – and jump-start the season with a cookie decorating party of your own!

Festive Gingerbread People
Click here to print this recipe!

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger

Click here for our Quick & Easy Cookie Icing recipe and decorating tips!

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne into a medium bowl. Mix with a spoon until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

2. Place the sugar and shortening in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix on low for about 30 seconds to start bringing the ingredients together. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding another. Add the honey, molasses and ginger and mix on medium for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix for another 30 seconds to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides one more time.

3. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the batter with a rubber spatula. After the first batch is incorporated, fold in the rest of the dry ingredients and continue folding just until all of the flour has been absorbed.

4. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough from the bowl onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Dust your hands with a little flour and pat the dough into a block, then wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and roll it out 1/2-inch thick. Using a 6-inch cookie cutter, make as many gingerbread people as you can and place them on the prepared baking sheets. These cookies will spread out a little bit during baking, so leave a 2-inch space between each cookie. Roll the scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out again. You should be able to cut a few more cookies from the dough.

7. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, on the center rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. To help the cookies bake evenly, rotate the baking sheet every 5 minutes or so. Let them cool completely before decorating. These cookies can be made 2 or 3 days before a decorating party and stored in an airtight container.