Baking with the Bakers

We have a bakery in our neighborhood.

Last June, the owner asked if I could teach them some American recipes.

What!? Access to a large kitchen and a monstrous pastry mixer?

I’m game.

06.25.10
Let’s see. What distinctly American pastry shall I teach them first? The Cinnamon Roll.

Here we go! Blah. Blah. Blah. Roll it up. Even it out.

(They lent me a shirt and apron for the occasion.)

After preschool, Schäfer dropped by to see his Papa in action.

Hey Schäf!

Alright, let’s slice it up and arrange them on these massive baking sheets…

We then let the rolls rise in their big warming cabinet (not sure what it’s called). Unfortunately, when they were done rising (beautiful!) my butter fingers dropped the pan pulling it out, flipping nearly everything onto the floor.

Ouch.

But, we rallied and put everything back into the pan as best we could. They baked nicely and were quite tasty.

Next, we made Amish White Bread.

However, I think the cinnamon rolls and white bread were a bit too sweet as I haven’t seen the bakery make a batch since.

Hmm…let’s try something different.

10.15.10
Last October, I was invited back to give another lesson in American baking. I went with the tried and true  Mamaw’s white cake!

Oh, yes. The shirt they lent me proclaimed my status as an “Excellent Cooker of Abalone.” A “Member of Committee of French Cooking.”

10.15.10
Schäfer enjoying  Mamaw’s cake. For some reason, it turned out a little oily. Not sure what happened, since we followed the recipe.

10.15.10
Nevertheless, the children had no complaints.

That afternoon, I redeemed myself with a wonderful carrot cake.

Alas, Mamaw’s white cake and the carrot cake must have been too sweet because I’ve never seen the bakery offer either of these items.

Perhaps the bakery decided that American baked goods were not what their customers wanted or maybe my schedule was too full to regularly teach recipes because we recently met their new pastry chef… from Russia.