December 21, 2008

Drum roll, please!  Our goal for the SPCA Bake Sale was $3000, and our total so far is $3005!!  We have commitments for more online donations before the end of the year, so we may see that total go even higher!  Woo hoo!!!

We are SO thankful for the wonderful response of the other tenants in our office building, for the online donations from friends and family, and for the support we received from the building management staff.  Above all, we know that this tremendous success is humanly impossible.  A few girls working for a week or so cannot logically bake enough goodies and sell them in one day to make $3000.  It just doesn't make sense.  The only answer is that God did this, and we give Him all the glory for this event!

I talked about the brownies and bars the other day, and thought you might like to see a complete list of what we had for sale.  Here's what came out of my itty bitty kitchen:

• Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
  Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts
  Strawberry Bread with Pecans
  Chocolate Sheath Cake
  Gingerbread
  Root Beer Bundt Cakes
  Outrageous Oreo Brownies
  Outrageous Brownies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
  Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  Caramel Bars
  Texas Pecan Pie Bars
  RazzMaTazz Bars
  Soft Peanut Brittle
  Almond Toffee
  Fudge in Christmas tree and gingerbread man shapes

Here's what K and her sister L did:

• Banana Bread (with and without nuts)
  Cranberry Orange Bread (with and without almonds)
  Spice Cake
  Snickerdoodles
  Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
  Rice Krispie Treats
  German Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
  Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels
  Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch
  Santa's Whiskers
  Peanut Butter Cookies
  Sugar Cookies
  Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our coworker SA did some incredible cream cheese pound cake and peppermint bark, as well as crafting our lobby signage that was so crucial in driving people up to our location.

So it was truly a team effort, and we're all just THRILLED with the response we got!  Beyond thrilled!

Here is a photo of our goodies just before the customers arrived.  There were also two other cookie areas out of camera view so this isn't even a complete picture of the massive amount of goodies we started with.  You can see that we had a TON of stuff all packaged and labeled, and even had some backstock stashed in cabinets since it wouldn't fit on our tables!

SPCA Bake Sale Goodies!

And here is what was left after 8 hours of sales!  That's it!  Are you kidding me?!

This was all that was left!

So, after celebrating a great day that lasted 12 hours from set-up to clean-up, I stumbled home to face the mother of all messes in my kitchen.  These were just the items that had to be hand washed!  When, oh when, will those cats earn their keep and learn to do a dish or two during the day!  ^..^

Mother of all kitchen messes!

Before I sign off this topic for a while (and start to plan next year's event, God willing), I wanted to share a little of what we've learned about bake sale success during our 2 experiences.  We aren't experts by any means, but we've definitely learned some things!

• People love chocolate, especially brownies.  Have plenty!  Have more than you think you can sell!
• People love peanut butter.
• People like things that are decadent and that they wouldn't make themselves.
• Lots of people dislike nuts so leave them out of recipes if they're optional.
• People like BIG items – big slabs of bars, big pound cakes, big cookies.  Our smaller items sold the slowest, even though the recipes were incredible.  The small size just couldn't compete for the attention of people up next to the hefty items, even if there were lots of them in the package.
• People love rice krispie treats!  Go figure, they aren't an item I especially care for, but I'm in the minority.  They sell like hotcakes.
• Items in colored treat bags that can't be seen clearly don't move well.
• Cute packaging sells great though, even if the item can't be seen through it.
• Putting out samples of an item lights a fire under it's popularity.
• If you're doing cake or bread, frosting or even a drizzle of glaze will pretty it up and help it sell better.
• Some items are just too unexciting to sell well.  For example, I thought that good traditional gingerbread would be a great seller at Christmas.  It turned out to be really slow.  It just couldn't compete in a world full of rich brownies!
• Pray, pray, pray!

So, one last shout out to K, L and SA for their hard work.  You girls worked like crazy women, and it paid off!  Thank you to building management for your fabulous support of this project.  Thank you, of course, to our fellow tenants, friends and family for buying our goodies and contributing online!  And most of all, thank you to God for blessing this event.  We are SO thankful and humbled that You answered our prayers!

Now.  What can I bake this weekend?

~BigSis

December 18, 2008

LilSis, you know that I always accuse you of being too hard on yourself when it comes to baking.  You're a better baker than you give yourself credit for. HOWEVER, having said that, I do know you pretty well and I have to caution you against this cookie.  I think it's a recipe for a stress attack!  I'll tell you why:

1. This is a roll-out cookie so it's fussier than a drop cookie or bar.  That means it'll take more time, and it may stick to your work surface.  I'm not saying it's rocket science; it just takes more time and attention.  Do you even have a rolling pin?
2. Once the cookies are done, they have to be dipped in the white chocolate.  Again, not a difficult process, but a time-consuming and messy one.

All in all, I can't recommend that you make this cookie.  I agree that it looks beautiful, and I love the combo of peppermint and chocolate.  How about this recipe for Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies from Giada De Laurentis instead?

Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I haven't tried them – I'm on a baking holiday for a couple of days – but they look cute, the flavors sound yummy, they're easy (they use refrigerated sugar cookie dough) and I think you could bake these without needing cocktails.  The directions say to roll out the dough and cut it out with a cutter, but I don't see why you couldn't cut slices from the log, as usual.  What do you think?

~BigSis

December 17, 2008

Did you ever meet anyone who didn't love brownies?  I haven't.  I think most people love them, like I do, even though I'm not even a sweets eater.  Monday's SPCA Bake Sale would certainly make that point.  We sold all of our brownies and bars, and we started out with quite a few of them, cut into big generous slabs!   Here's what we had:

• Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Oreo Brownies from Culinary in the Country.  These are as big and fat and thick and rich as they look!  Crackly on the top, moist and fudgy inside.  They make me happy. 😀

Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Oreo Brownie

Check out that Christmas Oreo red filling!

• Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts from Food Network. These actually sold out before the Oreo version, which surprised me.

Outrageous Brownie with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

• Caramel Bars from my recipe file.  They're full of caramel, oats, walnuts and chocolate chips. I need to post the recipe; they're so good and easy!

Caramel Bar

• Pecan Pie Bars from “The Pastry Queen” by Rebecca Rather.  Oh. So. Yummy.  That's all I can say.

• RazzMaTazz Bars ( I used cranberry jam instead of rapberry, so I guess these would be CranMaTazz Bars instead) from CookieMadness.net.  In addition to the jam, they have white chocolate and almonds. Very rich, delicious and pretty too!

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from the back of the chocolate chip package, or RecipeZaar.  These are a classic, and everyone loves them. Especially BDot!  I like them full of pecans, but not everyone is a nut-lover, so I left them out for the Bake Sale.

All of these beauties were sold, and I know we could have sold many more brownies.  Several people walked in the door asking, “Do you have any brownies?”  Alas, we had to break the hearts of these folks who came in after the last outrageous crumb went out the door.  Next time…even MORE brownies!

Do inquiring minds want to know how many bowls it takes to make a batch of outrageous brownies?  Check it out:

Outrageous mess for outrageous brownies!

I think it took 3 bowls (maybe 4) for these brownies, and let me tell you, they were worth it!  This is my new favorite brownie recipe.  Thanks, Ina!  As soon as I recover from this baking extravaganza, I'll be back with more details on how the SPCA Bake Sale turned out.  Meanwhile, make some friends…make some brownies!

~BigSis

December 15, 2008

Today is the BIG DAY that we've been looking forward to and working toward for weeks now! Today is the BAKE SALE we're holding to benefit the Dallas SPCA, and we're aiming high: $3000!

If you're in the Dallas area, come on by! The sale is Monday, December 15th from 9:30 am until 4 pm.

If you can't come, you can contribute to the SPCA through this special link set up for our event until December 31st.

Donating through this link in December will ensure that your contribution will go towards our team's goal of $3000. Above all, we ask for your prayers for this event; that we would raise a miraculous amount of money for this incredible charity, and that everyone would see that the only explanation for the success was the Hand of God!

~BigSis

December 12, 2008

Lots o' baking is going on in my itty bitty kitchen this week!  I've tried to choose recipes that have universal appeal, and that are holidayish.  Most are pretty easy to make, with a decent “profit margin” but I've thrown in a few that are a bit more challenging and expensive to keep me on my toes!

I thought you might like to see what's coming out of my kitchen, since this IS the primo baking season and perhaps you're in the market for a good sweet recipe.  So far, just since last Saturday, I've already prepared multiple batches of each of these:

• Gingerbread from Cooks Illustrated.  A subscription is required to access this recipe, but don't be put off by that.  Cook's Illustrated is the only food site that I pay a fee for, and to me it's totally worth it.  Their product reviews alone are invaluable, and their recipes always work.  They have total credibility with me.
• Chocolate Sheath Cake – it's a classic recipe that you can find lots of places, including on RecipeZaar.  Moist, chocolaty, delicious!
• Super Moist Pumpkin Bread with walnuts (vegan) from AllRecipes.  This is a unique recipe with coconut milk but no eggs and no dairy.  It's fabulous!  I made lots of them for our last bake sale.
• Cranberry Pumpkin Bread from RecipeZaar. I first found this recipe when my freezer went on strike recently and I had to use up a giant bag of thawed cranberries.  It's very easy, extremely moist, and the combination of flavors is surprisingly good.
• Strawberry Bread.  I've been making this forever, and don't know where I originally got the recipe, but this version from RecipeZaar is similar to mine. In this bread, the pecans are non-optional in my book.
• Root Beer Bundt Cake from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. This was a new recipe to me, and I'm glad I tried it.  It's really really moist and deeply chocolate.  I don't get that much root beer flavor without the icing, but it's wonderful regardless.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from the back of the Nestle's package.  You can find the recipe on RecipeZaar too.
• Texas Pecan Pie Bars from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. This recipe makes a ginormous batch of these wicked bars, but I still made a second batch.  They were that good.

Still on the agenda for this weekend:

• Almond Toffee from CookieMadness.net.  Absolutely an A+ recipe!  I made bunches of it last year, and got rave reviews.  You MUST have a thermometer to make this!
• Soft Peanut Brittle from CookieMadness.net.  Another great one from Anna!  I don't usually care for traditional peanut brittle, but this is nothing like that.  It's flavorful, tender, and just delicious!
• Pralines from The American Family Cookbook by the Culinary Arts Institute. I think this cookbook is out of print, but I've seen it on ebay.
• Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies from Culinary in the Country.  Christmas Oreos and brownies together in a recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa?  How bad can that be?  I'll also do some without the Oreos.
• Chocolate Fudge from the back of marshmallow cream jar.  You know the one.
• Mrs. Busch's Caramel Bars – a finalist in the Dallas News' cookie contest a few years ago.  The recipe's been taken offline, darnit.  I'll post it another time if these come out as good as I remember them.
• Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars from CookieMadness.  I've never made these, so I'm trusting the Cookie Queen that these will be incredible.  I'm doing them with my homemade cranberry jam instead of raspberry since that's what I have.

That's it!  I've already eliminated 2 or 3 things from the weekend's list, and I still have more than one little elf can do!  I better eat my Wheaties this weekend, you think?  All of the expense and all of the work will be SO worth making some money for this incredible charity!

~BigSis

December 11, 2008

I'm always in a baking mood at Christmas, but since I'm in “Bake Sale Mode” this year, I REALLY have cookies on the brain.  Lots of other folks do too:

• Recipe Girl shares her favorite Christmas Cookies and Candies
• Paula Deen's favorite Christmas Cookies are in Good Housekeeping
• Marye from Baking Delights has some favorite Christmas Cookies
• The Food Network has 12 Days of Holiday Cookies
• Martha Stewart has a Holiday Cookie feature of course
• Southern Living's Santa's Cookies are shortbread cookies 8 ways
• Gourmet Magazine's Favorite Cookies span 1941 to 2008
• Dallas News has a bunch of Holiday Cookie stories

Bake on, elves!  I'll be back on Friday with the scoop on what I've been baking this week for the SPCA Bake Sale.

~BigSis

October 29, 2008

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is almost over, but this adorable little Pink Ribbon Cookie Kit from King Arthur Flour is timeless.

King Arthur Pink Ribbon Cookie Kit

You get the ribbon cookie cutter, but you also get the vanilla sugar cookie mix, the white icing mix, pink food coloring, and pink sprinkles!  That's everything you need!  And look at the cute little box the kit comes packaged in!

Great packaging from King Arthur!

And, you definitely need these sprinkles for the cookies.

Pink Ribbon Sprinkles

I frequently check out the King Arthur web site, but I missed this.  If it hadn't been for this great blog, Baking Bites, I would have never known about this kit so full of pinkness!  BTW, Baking Bites introduced us to this Williams-Sonoma Acorn Cakelet Pan today, and I can't stand how cute it is!

~BigSis