Baking

HOMEMADE CROUTONS ARE IN A CATEGORY all their own—boxed croutons just can’t compete and are usually full of additives. Given leftover artisanal bread and a few herbs, nothing could be easier. Thrown in a salad or topping a soup, herbed croutons add a satisfying crunch to every dish. Even the most finicky kid will grab a handful to snack on.

THIS LONGTIME PASTA & CO FAVORITE crosses a pretzel with a breadstick. (The word brezel is German for “breadstick.”) Flagship and Just Jack cheeses give the breadsticks a creamy flavor, but you can substitute Gruyère, Cheddar, or Parmesan. Don’t let the thought of making dough intimidate you; it’s easy to get the hang of and worth the effort. You can, however, use pre-made pizza dough; 2 pounds of dough will make 10 breadsticks.

THESE CINNAMON BUNS WERE INSPIRED BY the Magic Bakery Café on Whidbey Island, a small island north of Seattle, known for its handmade baked goods. Waking up to the aroma of freshly baked buns is guaranteed to start your weekend on the right note. Adding the potato to the dough results in a very light and moist bun. If you prefer your sugar later in the day, serve the buns as a dessert with Three-Citrus Honey-Butter Syrup (page 218) drizzled over the top.

A BUCKLE IS AN AMERICAN COFFEE CAKE, and this sweet and moist version is a nice departure from muffins. Use fresh, juicy blueberries in the summer for a true blueberry flavor.

THIS CREAMY CHEESECAKE IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN the classic New York cheesecake. Instead of cream cheese, we use Beecher’s Honey Blank Slate, a naturally cultured, soft, fresh farmer’s cheese blended with Washington State honey, but a good substitute is fresh ricotta cheese mixed with honey. One tip for a successful cheesecake: Before serving, run a knife around the edge to separate it from the pan. This will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Top the cheesecake with Caramel Sauce (page 183) or Northwest Berry Syrup (page 221).

THE WASHINGTON STATE CLIMATE IS IDEAL for pear trees, and year-round our local markets stock endless varieties, such as sweet Anjou, aromatic Bosc, sweet and juicy Yellow Bartlett, and the crisp Comice. Pear and ginger play off each other in an interesting way, with the heat of ginger cutting the sweetness of the fruit. Be sure to use slightly underripe fruit for the best texture; overripe fruit has too much moisture for this pie.

OUR EXECUTIVE CHEF AND PASTRY GURU (and hazelnut lover) Lura Smith has made this rich, dense torte for fifteen years to celebrate the hazelnuts of the region. The torte is made with agave syrup, a natural substitute for corn syrup. Agave syrup is available at specialty grocery stores.

PARSNIPS HAVE A DEEPER, MORE SOULFUL FLAVOR than carrots, and this hearty root vegetable takes center stage in our version of a carrot cake. Sweet and spiced with ginger and cloves, this moist cake makes a great birthday cake or anytime cake.

THIS IS A FAMILY FAVORITE. We use a scone-like shortbread with a kick of orange zest as the base and Beecher’s Blank Slate cheese, which contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the strawberries and the rich, buttery flavor of the shortcake. Any tart fresh cheese, such as fromage blanc, will work, or leave out the cheese and use 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SHOW OFF APPLES in desserts, but warm apple crisps are always a favorite. Nine varieties of apple are grown in Washington State, including Gala, Braeburn, Cripps Pink, and Granny Smith. Use a mixture of your favorite apples, including one sweet variety, such as Fuji or Jonagold, and a more tart variety, such as Granny Smith or Cripps Pink. If you’d prefer to make one large crisp, use a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

MORE RHUBARB IS GROWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST than in any other region of the country, meaning you’ll often see rhubarb on dessert menus in local restaurants from April through September. Although rhubarb is technically a vegetable, its tart flavor lends itself to being treated like a fruit. Adding sugar and cooking the thick stalks softens the flavor. Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic combination, and they’re even better accented with a little orange zest. These bars are a perfect portable dessert for lunchboxes and picnic baskets.

THE KEY TO THESE SWEET AND CHUNKY apricot bars is using the highest-quality apricot preserves possible. Look for the word preserves on the label rather than jam or jelly; preserves have more fruit chunks. (Artificial colors are sometimes added to apricot jams, jelly, and preserves, so check the list of ingredients on the label.) These are a great dessert for a picnic or a bake sale because they’re easy to transport and stay fresh for days.

IF YOU THINK YOU DON’T LIKE GINGER, these cookies are sure to change your mind. With cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, these soft, chewy cookies have a bite all their own. Ground ginger has a more intense flavor than fresh and is ideal for baking. The only way to improve on these cookies is to sandwich vanilla ice cream between pairs of them. (See photograph on page 174.)

SNICKERDOODLE IS ANOTHER NAME FOR a vanilla butter cookie covered in cinnamon sugar. Light and soft in texture, they’re simple to make. Cut them into shapes, such as triangles, before baking and dip the pieces in melted chocolate once they’re cool for a fun dessert. They also make the perfect cookie for ice cream sandwiches. (See photograph on page 174.)

IF YOU KNOW A CHOCOHOLIC, THEN START BAKING. These intense chocolate cookies are made with three types of chocolate—unsweetened, semisweet, and cocoa powder—for maximum flavor, but have a light-as-air texture. They are incredibly satisfying without being dense or heavy.

WE CAME UP WITH THIS RECIPE WHEN WE OPENED BEECHER’S. We wanted to show our customers that you can cook with and eat great cheese every day, and this killer mac and cheese uses two of our cheeses with a background hint of garlic powder and chipotle pepper. We’ve already won the vote for Seattle’s best Mac and Cheese, but the 17,234 people a year from all over the world who eat it in our store tell us it’s the world’s best. This recipe serves about four people as a side dish. It doesn’t look like a lot, but one bite of this creamy dish will show you why. If you double the recipe, bake it in a 9 × 13-inch pan for 30 minutes.

GOOD TO KNOW A mix of sugar and honey in these citrusy cookies satisfies a sweet tooth, yet each thin, delicate cookie has only forty-four calories. Go ahead, have two.

WHY IT’S LIGHT You can have your cupcake and eat it too when you prepare smaller portions and finish them with glazes and syrups rather than buttery, creamy frostings and other high-calorie toppings. Here, the little cakes are drizzled with a lemon syrup to complement the lemon (and lime) zest and juice in the batter

SECRET INGREDIENTS This cheesecake has a velvety texture but less fat than more familiar versions, thanks to reduced-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream—plus the unexpected addition of low-fat cottage cheese. With its delectable cherry topping, this dessert will please everyone, even those not counting calories.

WHY IT’S LIGHT One crust makes this tart less fattening than a more traditional (read: double-crust) summer pie. It has a higher proportion of peak-season fruit, another bonus for the calorie conscious. Nectarines are featured, but plums, peaches, apricots, or any mixture of stone fruits would work beautifully here.