Category: Food

Afternoon Tea

CarrieLeave a comment

One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is having afternoon tea at her house.  My grandmother was a woman of grandeur in her heyday.  As one of her only two grandchildren, I inherited a lot of her wonderful antiques.  I have also acquired many antiques over the past few years myself.  My love of antiques started in college.  Lewisburg, PA is quite the mecca of great finds at bargain prices.  I used to go to the antique flea market on the weekends and find some really unique finds at a very affordable price.

Every so often, I have my “niece” over for afternoon tea.  Fionna is five years old and she loves all things girly.  Sometimes I really think she believes she is a princess.  She loves to wear a tiara and a tutu and all things pink.  Whenever people ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she answers with a rock star or a baker.  She says she wants to work for me someday!  So as her “Auntie” Carrie, I have her over for tea every now and then.

The most important thing is to make her feel special.  I make sure the table is fit for the princess that she is.  I pull out the crystal candelabras and the silver tea set to make a big impression.  I also make sure I go to my favorite childhood bakery-of course that’s before I owned my own bakery 😉  Ward’s Pastry in Ocean City, NJ have the best petite fours (of course they have to be pink), butter cookies, and cobblestone bread if you ever get the chance to go there.  The little things in life always add up and make a long-lasting impression.  Take a look and I hope you are inspired to throw your own tea party!

Almond Biscotti

Sadie3 Comments

Something about biscotti makes me feel civilized. I’ve toyed around with a few recipes over the years and I think my favorite is definitely the almond variety.  They’re nice and basic and it’s kind of a throw back to the traditional Italian-American bakeries of my homeland (NY/NJ metropolitan area).

I also enjoy making biscotti because they are easy and yet they require an extra step so they seem fancier. I like to make them when I’m going to hang out with my family for a few days.  My parents and grandparents prefer them to the brother focused chocolate and peanut butter baking creations.  I think these cookies provide some much needed range to any baking repertoire.

Almond Biscotti

from Epicurious

Yields about 40

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
  • 3 Tbs brandy (optional)
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup whole almonds (toasted and chopped)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1  1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Method

  1. Cream together butter and sugar.
  2. Add brandy, extracts, and eggs one at a time.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add dry mixture to wet.  Mix in almonds.Toasted Almonds
  4. Allow dough to chill for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.
  5. Shape chilled dough into two flat logs, bake for 30 minutes until slightly golden.
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  7. Slice logs at an angle with a serrated knife into cookies about 3/4 inch thick and lay flat on cookie sheet.
  8. Bake slices about 20 more minutes until lightly toasted.

Apple Fritter Fantasy at the Amish Market

CarrieLeave a comment

On Thursday, I went to the Amish Market in Vineland for the last time until the fall.  With my work schedule, I will no longer be able to make the market hours in the summer.  I had an afternoon filled with my most wonderful treats.  As they say in the movie, For Richer or Poorer, with Tim Allen, “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat.”  I sat at the lunch counter with my mom upon arrival and ordered the Rachel.  They have the best roast turkey layered onto a slice of rye, which they then top with their homemade coleslaw and drizzle with thousand island dressing before placing another slice of rye bread.  Then of course they grill it to perfection.

We then shopped around the market.  They have many different areas of them market: cheese case, deli case, pickled barrels, butcher, specialty salad and soup bar, bakery, nut and candy counter, BBQ station, and produce section.  You can most certainly find anything you want there to satisfy your cravings.  Here’s what I chose to end the day with…a deliciously gooey on the inside, yet crunchy on the outside and still warm apple fritter.