Chapter 7

Desserts and Other
Baked Goods

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Laura’s Maple Pumpkin Pie

Recipe from VERMONT MYSTIC PIE COMPANY

1 (9-INCH) PIE

David Barash’s love of pies goes back to the 1960s when, as a boy, he spent many happy hours helping his mother make pies from scratch. Dave has made his pie dream a reality. His company, Vermont Mystic Pie, sells apple pie, blueberry apple pie, and pie shells to small country stores in the Northeast and various independent stores and chains around the country.

For Laura Ann Nedich, the head pastry chef at the Vermont Mystic Pie Company, pumpkin pie was a family Thanksgiving tradition. Her mother always made it with canned pumpkin and Cool Whip, but Laura has updated it with fresh local pumpkins, cream, a dab of Vermont maple syrup, and Vermont Mystic’s pie shells.

Ingredients

MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

Instructions

  1. 1. preheat oven to 400°f
  2. 2. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and place face down on baking sheet with 1⁄4 cup water. Bake pumpkin in the oven until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scrape pulp away from skin, discard skin, and purée pulp in a food processor. Set aside.
  3. 3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pumpkin until smooth. Slowly whisk in the cream, milk, and maple extract until smooth. Strain mixture into a separate large bowl through a fine mesh strainer to avoid lumps.
  4. 4. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Transfer to the freezer and freeze overnight.
  5. 5. Preheat oven to 300°F. Place frozen pie onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until pies are completely set.
  6. 6. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool.
  7. 7. Make Maple Whipped Cream: 30 minutes before making the whipped cream, place a medium stainless steel bowl and the whisks from your electric handheld mixer in the freezer. (This will speed up the whipping process.)
  8. 8. Pour heavy cream and maple syrup into the bowl and whisk with the mixer on medium speed until cream forms soft peaks. Place a generous spoonful on top of each piece of pumpkin pie, and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Topped with Candied Ginger and Crème Fraîche

Recipe from VERMONT BUTTER & CHEESE COMPANY

1 (9-INCH) PIE

This is a fabulous pie — easy to make because of the premade shell and canned purée, but very flavorful and light. The crème fraîche/ginger topping is brilliant.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. 2. Prick the pie shell all over with a fork and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, or if store bought, cook according to package directions. Remove shell from the oven to cool and reduce heat to 350°F.
  3. 3. Combine /cup of the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a double boiler. Stir in the pumpkin purée and maple syrup.
  4. 4. Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl and stir into the pumpkin mixture. Add 1 cup of the crème fraîche and mix well. Cook pumpkin mixture over simmering water (not boiling) until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes.
  5. 5. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Transfer the bowl with the pumpkin mixture to the ice bath and let the custard cool, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
  6. 6. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar. Gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour filling into the cooled crust (you may have more than you need; don’t overfill), smooth top, and bake for 45 minutes, until filling has set and the top has browned. Cool pie to room temperature, about 2 hours.
  7. 7. While the pie is baking, prepare the topping: Mix the remaining cup of crème fraîche with the candied ginger and honey. Refrigerate topping mixture. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled pie or place a dollop of topping mixture on top of each pie slice.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Recipe from THE LILAC INN

1 (9-INCH) PIE

The Lilac Inn in Brandon is a renovated 11,000 square foot Historic District mansion, built in 1909. It sits amid two acres of beautifully manicured gardens. The inn offers the services and amenities one expects to find at a small luxury hotel. There are nine tailored guest rooms designed to suit each visitors needs. Many weddings, corporate retreats, visitors to Middlebury College, and Green Mountain recreation enthusiasts have enjoyed its ambience.

Throughout the year, the Lilac Inn’s menu showcases the freshest native ingredients whenever possible. Many of their recipes rely on the superb flavors of Vermont cheeses, maple syrup, and cider, as well as locally grown game and produce. This strawberry-rhubarb pie is an old Maryland recipe that Shelly has used since she and her husband, Doug, got married in 1970. It is a special reminder of the couple’s home state. Even when they lived as far away as England, this pie brought them a taste of home.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. 2. Place strawberries in a medium saucepan. Add 1⁄2 cup of the sugar and mash strawberries slightly to extract juice. Combine the cornstarch with a little bit of cold water in a cup and stir until smooth. Add to the strawberries, and cook over medium heat until the juice is thickened, stirring occasionally.
  3. 3. Distribute the rhubarb over the pie shell in pie plate. Sprinkle with flour and remaining 1 cup sugar. Dot with butter. When the strawberry mixture is slightly cooled pour over the rhubarb.
  4. 4. Cover with the rolled out pie shell and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork to seal. Slit the top in a few places. Whisk the egg and milk and brush over the top shell. Place the pie on a baking tray with sides to catch any juice overflow.
  5. 5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Garnish with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar and serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Rhubarb Custard Kuchen

Recipe from LIBERTY HILL FARM

12 SERVINGS

Guests at Liberty Hill Farm adore this recipe, even if they always thought they hated rhubarb! The farm’s owner grew up loving rhubarb and the many dessert possibilities for this often misunderstood plant.

CRUST

FILLING

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. 2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Cut in the butter. Add the egg and milk and continue to process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 2 minutes. Gently press the mixture into the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch pan.
  3. 3. Fill the kuchen: Spoon the rhubarb into the pan.
  4. 4. Whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl, and pour evenly over the top of the rhubarb.
  5. 5. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl, and sprinkle evenly on top of the rhubarb mixture.
  6. 6. Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Vermont Mystic Apple Pie

Recipe from THE VERMONT MYSTIC PIE COMPANY

1 (9-INCH) PIE

To find the best apple pie recipe, Dave Barash searched Vermont’s hills and valleys. He went to county fairs to seek out the blue-ribbon winners of pie-baking contests. He ate a lot of pies and reviewed a lot of recipes. He sought the advice of Vermont’s best pie makers. Assisted by The New England Culinary Institute (NECI), Dave even held a statewide contest of his own to find the best recipe. Through it all, Dave tasted many pies and learned a great deal about pie making, but he still didn’t have the recipe that he wanted: an all-natural pie with a flaky butter crust, a flavorful combination of Vermont apple varieties, and subtle seasonings.

The final decision meant going back to the drawing board to develop an original recipe. With the help of Jeff Hammelman (Master Baker at King Arthur Flour) the perfect crust was finally developed. After lots of experimentation, Dave settled on the best apple variety and the tastiest spice mixture. Here is the result.

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DOUGH

FILLING

EGG WASH

Instructions

  1. 1. Make the dough: Place the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the butter forms almond-size pieces. Mix the salt into the water. Add the salt water to the flour-butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  2. 2. Divide the dough in half, one for the top and one for the bottom crust. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough slightly larger than 9 inches. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the dough rounds.
  3. 3. Make the filling: Mix the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add the apples and toss to coat, then add lemon juice and stir to combine. Fill the lined pie plate with the apples. Place the second dough round on top of the apples and crimp the edges by hand. Transfer to the freezer and freeze the pie for 1 hour.
  4. 4. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the baking sheet on bottom rack of the oven to heat.
  5. 5. Take pie out of freezer and cut 4 air vents in the top. Whisk together egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash.
  6. 6. Place on warm baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400°F, and bake until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, another 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside for at least 30 minutes before cutting to allow juices to thicken.

Note: If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover it with foil.

Grandma’s Dutch Apple Torte

Recipe from CHAMPLAIN ORCHARDS

1 (9-INCH) PIE

The crust for this fast, never-fail family standard is similar to shortbread. It’s just delicious! This is the recipe of Cape Cod resident Barbara Soller, grandmother of Champlain Orchard’s owner, Bill Suhr.

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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate, and set aside.
  2. 2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Mix the egg, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl and add to the flour mixture. Blend with a fork until mixture begins to form a soft dough; press evenly into the pie plate.
  3. 3. Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar to taste. Mound apples into the crust. Sprinkle apples and edges of crust with sugar. Dot with butter, and bake for 40 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly. Cool slightly. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Variations:

Apple Crumb Pie with Crème Fraîche

Recipe from VERMONT BUTTER & CHEESE COMPAYN

1 (10-INCH) PIE

This recipe is based on a true French “Tarte aux Pommes,” with an American touch added. The crème fraîche filling gives a refreshing and smooth texture that is reminiscent of a crème brulée, while the pecan crumble topping adds a crunchy contrast.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Fit pastry into a 10-inch pie plate, flute edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.
  2. 2. Peel, core, and slice apples into tt-inch slices. Arrange in the chilled pie shell.
  3. 3. Combine the crème fraîche, vanilla, tt cup of the flour, egg, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and pour over the apple slices. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 450°F, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes.
  4. 4. Mix the remaining 1⁄3 cup flour, brown sugar, and cultured butter together in a small bowl until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the pecans and sprinkle over the baked pie. Return the pie to the oven and continue baking for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

VERMONT BUTTER & CHEESE COMPANY

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In the late 1970s Allison Hooper, an American college student in France, began writing letters to local organic farmers; in return for room and board she would work around the farm. A farmer in Brittany answered her letter and soon she was hard at work learning the art of artisanal cheese-making in the European tradition.

Bob Reese, marketing director of the Vermont Department of Agriculture, was a colleague of Allison’s in the 1980s, when she had returned to Vermont and was working as a state dairy lab technician. Bob had invited a French chef to prepare an upcoming special state dinner, and he needed fresh goat cheese, which was scarce in Vermont at that time. Bob knew that Allison had spent time in France and had acquired cheese-making skills there. He also knew that she kept goats on her Vermont farm. So he asked her for help. Her chèvre was a huge success and a cheese-making partnership was born.

The Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, launched in 1984, is based in Websterville, Vermont. Twenty local family farmers supply all the fresh milk for the company’s products. Allison and Bob promote sustainable agriculture, but they know that the farmer must realize a profit to make the system feasible. They work with farmers on goat’s milk pricing, farm management, and developing a larger market for premium goat’s and cow’s milk cheeses. Vermont Butter & Cheese is also working with the University of Vermont’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture with the goal of keeping the company’s milk supply sustainable.

Vermont Butter & Cheese Company has gained an outstanding reputation for its mild goat’s milk cheese, which is available in its classic form or blended with ingredients such as Divina olives, roasted red peppers, herbes de Provence, or fresh garlic. There is also a Vermont feta crafted in the traditional Greek style. Cow’s milk is used for their crème fraîche and European-style butters. Fromage blanc, a light addition to uncooked dishes, and Quark, a German-style cheese, as well as mascarpone, the smooth, thick main ingredient in tiramisu, are all on the list of company products. Each product was developed to meet the requests and needs of the country’s talented chefs who wanted only the finest, freshest ingredients to use in their restaurants and recipes.

Flip-over Apple Cake

Recipe from STEVENS ORCHARD

1 (9-INCH) ROUND CAKE

Serve this cake warm or at room temperature. It is tasty with a favorite topping such as whipped cream, ice cream, or yogurt, but it is just as delicious plain. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and set aside.
  2. 2. Melt 1⁄2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. 3. Peel, core, and cut the apples into tt-inch slices. Place the apples in a bowl and toss to coat with cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Place apple slices in overlapping concentric circles on the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a second layer if necessary.
  4. 4. Sift the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg and melted butter just until combined (do not overmix). Fold in the walnuts and continue to mix until smooth. Pour batter evenly over fruit, and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
  5. 5. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.
  6. 6. Remove cake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. When the pan is cool enough to handle, run a knife around the edge and invert the cake onto a serving plate.
  7. 7. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a favorite topping such as whipped cream, ice cream, or yogurt. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Village Inn Apple Cake

Recipe from THE VILLAGE INN OF WOODSTOCK

1 (10-INCH) CAKE

Moist and delicious, this is always a favorite of the inn’s guests.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
  2. 2. Toss the apples,1⁄2 cup of the sugar, and 11⁄2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a large bowl, mixing well.
  3. 3. Beat the remaining 11⁄2 cups sugar and the eggs in a large bowlusing an electric mixer for about 2 minutes at medium speed or until the mixture is pale yellow. Add the vanilla and mix until wellcombined.
  4. 4. Whisk the oil and orange juice together in a small bowl. Combinethe flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining 1⁄2 tea-spoon cinnamon in a separate medium bowl. Add a third of the dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add half of the oil and juice mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Repeat process in the same manner until flour mixture and oil and juice mixture are done. Do not overmix.
  5. 5. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Layer half of the apples over batter. Top with the remaining batter, and then finish with remaining apples. Pour any accumulated juices from the apples over the top of the cake.
  6. 6. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Garnish with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Apple-topped Cheesecake

Recipe from WOOD’S CIDER MILL

1 (9-INCH) CHEESECAKE

Tina Wood, owner with her husband, Willis, of Wood’s Cider Mill, has always loved making cheesecakes. One of her fondest memories is the cheesecake her mother made for book club gatherings. Tina and her sisters would stay awake until after their parents had gone out and then they would polish off what was left after the book club had met. Tina’s mom’s cheesecake was covered with a thick, gooey cherry sauce, but Tina prefers the delicacy and flavor of apples.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. 2. Arrange apple slices in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle 1⁄4 cup of the cinnamon cider syrup evenly over the apples.
  3. 3. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  4. 4. Cream the butter and 1⁄2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and continue to combine until the mixture becomes crumbly, then gently press it into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
  5. 5. Combine the cream cheese, remaining sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Cream until smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, scraping the bowl each time. Spread the cheese filling evenly over the crust.
  6. 6. Arrange the warm apples in a circular design over the top of the filling. Evenly drizzle the remaining 1⁄4 cinnamon cider syrup over the apples, and sprinkle almonds over the top. Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
  7. 7. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Once cooled, place on a serving platter and carefully loosen springform sides. Remove and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

FLAGHILLFARM

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Located in the foothills of the Green Mountains, in the town of Vershire, Flag Hill Farm has been growing apples and making international award-winning cider since 1984. The owners, Sabra Ewing and Sebastian Lousada, use only organic fruit to make two varieties of hard cyder—sparkling and till. Flag Hill spells their cyder with a “Y” to distinguish their handmade, farmhouse product from sweet apple cider and carbonated apple wines.

The farm grows many of the apple varieties used in their hard cyder and supplements their supply with local unsprayed and wild apples from neighboring farms. Flag Hill Farm’s hard cyder is bottled in limited release and packaged in hand-numbered bottles, available only in Vermont. The farm has also begun producing apple and pear brandies.

Flag Hill’s founders met the chef/owners of Hemingway’s Restaurant, Linda and Ted Fondula, at a Vermont Fresh Network evening event. Sabra and Sebastian were pouring their champagne-method hard cyder and dry, still, hard cyder at the event. Ted, who had studied to be a sommelier, gave them great feedback and invited them to serve it at Hemingway’s during a special fall dinner to celebrate Vermont Fresh Network producers. Each course of the special dinner was paired with a Vermont wine; Flag Hill served their chilled Vermont sparkling cyder before dinner in Hemingway’s elegant bar. The guests enjoyed a full evening of local specialties and informative talk from local farmers and producers.

Hemingway’s Late Summer Cyder Soup with Orange Sorbet

Recipe from HEMIN

8 SERVINGS

Hemingway’s wanted to create a dessert that featured a unique Vermont product and was “clean”—that is, a dessert with no fat. This nonfat offering has become a perennial staple on Hemingway’s dessert menu.

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SIMPLE SYRUP

SORBET

SOUP

Instructions

  1. 1. Make the simple syrup: Whisk together the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar has dissolved and mixture has become translucent, about 20 seconds. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
  2. 2. Make the sorbet: Combine cider, orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Add 1⁄2 cups of simple syrup. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker, and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in the freezer.
  3. 3. Make the soup: Simmer the wine, 11⁄2 cups simple syrup, grapes, cherries, plums, cinnamon, orange zest, and mint in a large heavy-bottom saucepan until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick and mint. Purée the mixture with a handheld immersion blender or in a regular blender (in batches if necessary) until the texture is smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or strainer, and then chill in the refrigerator.
  4. 4. Ladle 1⁄4 cup of the chilled soup into a soup bowl. Add a splash of hard cider. Fan the plums and peaches around the upper portion of the bowl. Place the cherries, raspberries, and kiwi in the center of the bowl. Top with a scoop of orange sorbet.

CHERRY HILL FARM

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Cherry Hill Farm is located one and a half miles uphill from the old downtown of Springfield. It is a former dairy farm of about 100 acres that looks west across to the Green Mountains. The owners, Peter and Victoria Hingston, were attracted to the area while on holiday from England and brought their English fruit-growing skills to Vermont.

Peter and Vicky grow black, red, and white currants, along with red and black raspberries on Cherry Hill Farm. Currants were chosen as a crop supplement to keep the fields open using a fruit other than raspberries. None of the fruit is sprayed for insects, and pesky Japanese beetles are removed by hand. The bushes are very hardy, and do not suffer from many growing problems, enabling the Hingstons to use earth-friendly methods.

The currant—a unique little berry—has an established place at Cherry Hill. Peter and Vicky cannot say enough good things about the health value of this berry, explaining that it boasts high levels of antioxidants and four times the vitamin C

of oranges, as well as the highest levels of potassium found in fruits. Currants are a bit tart, somewhat like cranberries. Peter has developed a number of delicious ways to combine tart currants with sweet ingredients. Apple and black currant smoothies, fruit iced tea, jams and jellies, even pie filling are all lovely ways to enjoy the under-appreciated berries.

In early July, the farm opens for pick-your-own berries, drawing customers from far and wide. The Hingstons also manage a summer farm stand and sell their products at farmers’ markets in Bellow’s Falls and Lebanon. They sell black currant purée, frozen berries, and preserves, which they make in a converted milk room of the former dairy farm.

Jason Tostrup, the chef at the Inn at Weathersfield, is a fan of the Hingstons’ produce and products and has used both fresh berries and the farm’s black currant purée in his recipes. Recently, Cherry Hill Farm was featured as a partner of the Inn at Weathersfield at the annual Farmers’ Dinner.

Warm Berry Compote

Recipe from CHERRY HILL FARM

4 SERVINGS

This quick summer compote can be served either hot or cold. It is delicious on its own or as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, or pancakes. It will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days or in the freezer for three months.

Ingredients

Note: A vanilla pod split lengthwise, seeds scraped, or 2 to 3 fresh sprigs of mint may be substituted for the cinnamon stick.

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine the berries, 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, gently stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the fruit is soft and the sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes. Taste the berries as they cook, adding more sugar if needed. Remove the cinnamon stick.
  2. 2. Scoop ice cream into dessert bowls and top with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of warm compote.

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe from BUTTERFLY BAKERY OF VERMONT

ABOUT 30 COOKIES

A good-for-you cookie that really tastes great, these thumbprints are one of most popular offerings at the Butterfly Bakery. The sweetness of the jam plus the nuttiness of the cookie makes this treat a hit with everyone.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and set aside.
  2. 2. Grind the almonds in a food processor until they start to clump, then transfer to a large bowl. Place the rolled oats in the same food processor and pulse until they are fine, but not yet flour, and add to the almonds. Add the spelt flour and salt to the almond mixture. Mix until well combined.
  3. 3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and combine the maple syrup and sunflower oil in the well. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until a smooth dough forms.
  4. 4. Roll the dough into 11⁄2-inch balls and place them about 11⁄2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Press your thumb into each to make a good-size indentation. With a spoon, fill each indentation with a small spoonful of jam.
  5. 5. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies can be gently lifted off the baking sheets with a spatula without crumbling. If you used aluminum foil make sure to remove the cookies to a cooling rack while they are still warm.

Variations: This is a great recipe to experiment with—it works with any nut-jam combination. Switch your favorite nut for the almonds and your favorite jam for the raspberry.

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Blueberry Bread Pudding with Warm Blueberry Sauce

Recipe from NUTMEG COUNTRY INN & BAKERY

8 SERVINGS

In October of 1958, David French purchased a farmhouse with a carriage house and a barn in Wilmington. He turned it into a ski lodge and named it the Nutmeg Inn after his home state of Connecticut. The property has changed hands since then and is now run by Susan and Gerald Goodman. They call the property the Nutmeg Country Inn & Bakery.

Innkeeper and Executive Chef Susan Goodman’s bakery is known for its seasonal fresh fruit pies and desserts. People come from all over to sample the pies and other goodies made from the juicy-sweet offerings of local farmers and growers.

This recipe was created when Goodman worked as the pastry manager at Steamer’s Grill in Los Gatos, California. It became so popular that customers started calling in their orders well in advance to make sure they had one order to eat for dessert and one to go!

Ingredients

Note: Coarse sugar, also called decorating sugar, crystal sugar, and sugar crystals, has granules about four times larger than those of regular granulated sugar.

Instructions

  1. 1. Lightly butter a 91⁄2- by 131⁄2- by 2-inch glass baking dish, and set aside.
  2. 2. Bring the milk and cream to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and add the vanilla seeds and pods. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes to infuse flavors.
  3. 3. Combine egg yolks and 1 cup of the granulated sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until light yellow. While whisking constantly, temper the yolks with a small amount of the warm cream mixture. Continue to pour all of the milk mixture very slowly into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until completely combined. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, and discard the vanilla pods. Add the nutmeg and combine well.
  4. 4. In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly toss the brioche and 2 cups of the blueberries, and pour into the prepared dish. Add half of the cream mixture to the brioche and let sit for 10 minutes. Press the bread gently to submerge it into the liquid. Pour in the remaining mixture, making sure all of the bread is soaked, and sprinkle the top with the coarse sugar. Allow the pudding to stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F.
  5. 5. Bake pudding uncovered in a water bath in the oven for 1A hours or until pudding is set and bread is puffed and lightly browned.
  6. 6. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine the remaining 2 cups blueberries, remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar,1⁄2 cup water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon, in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Strain and cool.
  7. 7. To serve, cut the warm pudding into squares and place in the center of a plate. Top with warm blueberry sauce, letting it drizzle down the sides to puddle on the plate.
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Cranberry Almond Squares

Recipe from THE VILLAGE INN OF WOODSTOCK

16 SQUARES

This recipe can be prepared a day ahead and served as an anytime snack.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9- by 9-inch or 11- by 7-inch baking pan, and set aside.
  2. 2. Beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl using an electric mixer, until slightly thickened. Beat in the melted butter, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. 3. Stir in the flour. Fold in the cranberries and almonds with a rubber spatula.
  4. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Cut into 16 squares.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Recipe from YE OLDE TAVERN

6–8 SERVINGS

Ye Olde Tavern in Manchester is a circa-1790 colonial inn. It is not difficult for modern-day visitors to imagine arriving by stagecoach as guests did in the eighteenth century. The tavern is the perfect firelit refuge, a place where road-weary travelers can find a warm welcome and an extraordinary meal. The menu features regional New England and continental fare, highlighting a wealth and diversity of Vermont-grown ingredients and products. They use Vermont dairy, cheese, pheasant, ice cream, coffee (grown somewhere else, but roasted by Green Mountain Coffee), apples, fiddleheads, rhubarb, mushrooms, and a variety of other seasonal products. An award-winning wine list enhances the dining experience.

Serve this simple dessert with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, preferably from Wilcox Ice Cream Stand, made right in Manchester Center. A dollop of whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon add a delicious finishing touch.

Ingredients

6–8 SERVINGS

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Butter an 8- by 8- by 2-inch square pan, and set aside.
  2. 2. Combine the apples, cranberries, and sugar in a large bowl, then spread into the prepared pan.
  3. 3. Combine flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the syrup and cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Spoon over fruit to cover.
  4. 4. Bake in the oven until juices are bubbling, apples are tender, and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Broiled Apples with Maple and Pomme de Vie

Recipe from FLAG HILL FARM

4–6 SERVINGS

Imagine this quick dessert with a scoop of cold, rich vanilla ice cream (Vermont’s Strafford Creamery makes a wonderful version). You will love the caramelized apple flavor of this sophisticated tart, made without the hassle or calories of a crust.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat broiler. Grease a cookie sheet or shallow baking pan with the butter, and set aside.
  2. 2. Peel, core, and cut apples into fat 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Evenly sprinkle the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar over apples.
  3. 3. Place the apples in a single layer on the prepared pan and broil about 6 inches from the heat, until apples are golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the apples. Return to the oven and continue to broil until the edges just begin to darken or slightly char.
  4. 4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the brandy and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon hot apples and sauce over ice cream and serve immediately.
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Easy Banana Cake with Low-fat Dessert Sauce

Recipe from WILLIE T’S GOOD FOOD BAKERY AT TYLORD FARM

1 LOAF

Willie T’s Good Food Bakery is located on Tylord Farm in Benson. Willie T uses Vermont-grown, Vermont-milled organic wheat and pure Vermont maple syrup with other quality whole food ingredients to make a unique selection of desserts without eggs or hydrogenated oil. Fruit breads—easy to make and lower in fat and sugar—are a healthful, delicious dessert alternative to traditional cakes.

Fresh berries and a simple yogurt sauce really make this banana cake special. For a vegan alternative to the yogurt sauce try a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on the plate.

Ingredients

Note: Sucanat sugar can be found at most co-ops. It is a natural sweetener made from dehydrated fresh sugar cane juice. It has a taste similar to molasses or sugar.

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- by 4-inch loaf pan, and set aside.
  2. 2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Add the apple juice and 3⁄4 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup, stirring until almost combined. Fold in the bananas with a rubber spatula, and then the nuts or raisins, if desired.
  3. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake in the oven until bread is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50 minutes.
  4. 4. Meanwhile, make the dessert sauce: Combine the yogurt, the remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and the remaining 1⁄3 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small bowl until well combined.
  5. 5. To serve, drizzle the sauce on a plate and place a slice of cake on top. Garnish with berries, if desired.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from BUTTERFLY BAKERY OF VERMONT

1 (9-INCH) CAKE

Claire Fitts, owner of the Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, believes in keeping her local economy healthy by purchasing as many regionally produced ingredients as possible. The bakery uses flour from King Arthur and Champlain Valley Mills and butter and sour cream from Cabot Creamery. The bakery’s cookies and bars are made with Hillsboro Sugarworks organic, pure Vermont maple syrup. Claire enjoys her interactions with these small business people; mutual support is a very important part of the bakery’s philosophy.

This amazingly moist carrot cake can be made using a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, but Claire loves to use whole spelt flour. The mellow nutty flavor of spelt is what really makes the carrot cake great. Look for spelt in natural and health food stores.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans, and set aside.
  2. 2. Whisk the oil, 11⁄2 cups of the maple syrup, and arrowroot in a large bowl until well combined.
  3. 3. Mix the spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate, large bowl. Then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth.
  4. 4. Fold in the carrots and walnuts, if using, with a rubber spatula, mixing thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and transfer to the oven.
  5. 5. Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to a cooling rack.
  6. 6. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat together the cream cheese, the remaining 3⁄4 cup maple syrup, and the vanilla in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and store in the refrigerator until the cake is ready for frosting.
  7. 7. When the cakes have cooled completely, hold one pan at an angle and give it a nice hard tap against the counter to loosen the cake from the pan. Then invert the cake onto a cake plate.
  8. 8. Remove cream cheese frosting from the refrigerator and frost the top and sides of the layer. Loosen the second cake and gently invert it onto the first. (It should be noted that these cakes crumble easily, so don’t try to hold the cake in your hands.) Frost the whole cake and cover the sides with walnuts, if desired.
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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from IZABELLA’S EATERY

12 CUPCAKES

Richly dark and dense, these cupcakes refresh the traditionally spicy flavor of old-fashioned gingerbread with a cool and creamy orange frosting. It is one of the house favorites at Izabella’s Eatery.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Set aside.
  2. 2. Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. 3. Combine 4 tablespoons of the butter with the granulated sugar in a separate bowl, and beat until fluffy using an electric mixer. Add the molasses and egg and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth—the mixture may appear slightly curdled.
  4. 4. In a small bowl whisk together the baking soda and 1⁄3 cup of boiling water until the baking soda has dissolved. Add the baking soda mixture into the molasses mixture, whisking until combined. Add the molasses mixture to the flour mixture, whisking until combined.
  5. 5. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake muffins for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and firm to the touch, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.
  6. 6. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add the orange zest and orange juice, and continue to beat until smooth and well combined.
  7. 7. Transfer to the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
  8. 8. When cupcakes are cool, spread the frosting evenly on the cupcakes, and sprinkle with candied ginger or candied orange or a little of both, if desired.

Chocolate Porter Cake

Recipe from TWO BROTHERS TAVERN

1 (10-INCH) CAKE

This dense, mildly sweet cake is balanced by a rich frosting that also complements the pint of beer baked into every cake!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 10-inch cake pans with cooking spray and flour.
  2. 2. Bring beer and 1 pound of the butter just to a boil in a medium saucepan. Sift in the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the granulated sugar and set aside.
  4. 4. Combine the eggs and sour cream in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping bowl as necessary. Add the beer mixture and continue to combine briefly, then fold into the flour mixture.
  5. 5. Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes have pulled away from the pans and the tops are firm. Cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  6. 6. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat, whisking constantly until melted and combined. Add the cream and quickly whisk to combine before the chocolate dries out or breaks. Remove from the heat, and stir in the confectioners’ sugar a handful at a time, whisking until smooth and free of lumps. Add vanilla and whisk to combine well.
  7. 7. Pour the frosting into a metal bowl and transfer to the refrigerator. Stirring occasionally, allow frosting to cool enough to spread, about 1 hour. Frost the sides and top of one cake. Gently place the second layer on top of the first and frost the entire cake.

Chocolate Cake

Recipe from BUTTERFLY BAKERY OF VERMONT

1 (8-INCH) CAKE

If you use soy milk, this is a great vegan cake that tastes not-so-vegan, especially with the dark ganache frosting. It is important to note that you should use a high-quality dark chocolate. This cake looks absolutely beautiful if you cover the sides with chocolate shavings, broken chocolate, or cacao nibs.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans.
  2. 2. Whisk together 11⁄2 cups of the soy milk, the maple syrup, oil, arrowroot, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
  3. 3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until all the liquid is added and the batter is smooth—the batter will be very thin.
  4. 4. Whisk the coffee into the batter and immediately pour into the prepared cake pans. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean and the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans. Cool on a rack.
  5. 5. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Scald the remaining 2 cups soy milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, making sure not to burn the liquid. Break up the chocolate into 1⁄4-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl with high sides. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate pieces and whisk until the chocolate melts into a smooth mixture. Cool to room temperature, pour into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place the ganache in the refrigerator to set.
  6. 6. Once the cake layers are completely cooled and the ganache is thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours, invert the cakes onto separate plates. Frost the top of each layer and layer the cakes. Then frost the sides.

Note: If the frosting becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature to soften; if it’s too thin, beat with an electric mixer until it thickens.

Mascarpone Chocolate Fondue

Recipe from VERMONT BUTTER & CHEESE COMPANY

6–8 SERVINGS

This is one of the best “Chocolate Lover” desserts; all you need is a good, intense dark chocolate that will balance the creamy and rich texture of the mascarpone cheese when melted. Then, let the accompaniments set the tone.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine mascarpone, chocolate, milk, Kahlùa, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is melted and smooth.
  2. 2. Transfer mixture to a ceramic fondue pot and keep warm over a canned heat burner or candle. Serve with fruit, marshmallows, and cubed cake.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Brownies

Recipe from GLEASON GRAINS

15–20 BROWNIES

When the Gleasons taste the nutty flavor of these brownies, they really appreciate the fact that the flour is the secret ingredient to their success. The secret is not only the flavor of the whole wheat pastry flour, but the fact that Ben and Theresa planted the seeds, watched the wheat grow, and harvested and milled the flour themselves. That intimacy with the ingredients really makes you appreciate what you’re eating.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9- by 13-inch baking pan, and set aside.
  2. 2. Combine the eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl, and blend using an electric mixer.
  3. 3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the egg mixture and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans with a rubber spatula, if desired.
  4. 4. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and bake in the oven until the top is just firm to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. For easier cutting, cover and refrigerate the cooled brownies in the pan for 1 hour before cutting into small squares to serve.

Gleason Grains

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Ben and Theresa Gleason each spent part of their childhoods on family farms. Ben’s family grew potatoes and milked Guernsey cows in Connecticut. Theresa’s family raised grain, hogs, and cattle in Indiana. Ben has been growing organic grains and milling flour for the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op and artisan bakeries since 1982.

Very few families make their living on small farms in the United States today. Much of our food is produced on corporate farms, where the farmer is primarily a manager. Ben and Theresa love the familiarity with the land that comes with running a small farm. The farmer knows every inch of the land, feels the soil in his hands every day, and smells the rain in the air. The knowledge gained from this stewardship creates a better product and a healthier economy. The Gleasons love their land and the living it provides their family.

Gleason Grains is small enough for Ben and Theresa to know their customers. They enjoy delivering their flour and talking to bakers. Because their flour is not blended with flours from other farms, as is most commercial flour, it retains the special characteristics of place, or terroir. Bakers tell them they love the distinctive flavor! And the Gleasons love knowing that their friends are nourishing themselves with wheat that they have carefully tended. Ben and Theresa wish you happy baking!

Wolaver’s Chocolate Stout Fondue

Recipe from WOLAVER’S ORGANIC ALES

4–6 SERVINGS

Beer and chocolate? You bet! The espresso notes in Wolver’s Oatmeal Stout blend beautifully with chocolate, while the soft hop character complements the fresh fruits used for dipping. This dessert is interesting, unique, and delicious.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine chocolates and stout in the top of a double boiler. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove fondue from stovetop and mix in vanilla extract and butter, if using.
  2. 2. Transfer mixture to a ceramic fondue pot and keep warm over a canned heat burner or candle. Serve with sliced fruit for dipping.

Variation: If you enjoy peanut butter, melt some and add it to the mixture for a peanut butter-chocolate stout concoction.

Maple Nut Cake

Recipe from APPLECHEEK FARM, BY JASON D. CLARK FROM JDC’S JUST DELICIOUS CATERING

16 BROWNIE-SIZE SERVINGS

This moist and flavorful maple nut cake is very easy to make. Just combine the ingredients in a large bowl and fold in some walnuts—that’s all there is to it. Cut the cake into squares and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan, and set aside.
  2. 2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, maple syrup,1⁄3 cup of water, vegetable oil, and vinegar in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth scraping bowl as necessary. Fold in the walnuts.
  3. 3. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool, then cut into small squares and sprinkle the tops with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

HONEY FACTS

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From the Vermont Beekeepers Association

Laura’s Mom’s Honey Cake

Recipe from HONEY GARDENS APIARIES, INC.

1 (10-INCH) CAKE

For years, Honey Gardens had a very productive bee yard on the land that belongs to Christophe and his family (of Christophe’s on the Green Restaurant) in Vergennes. They have been very supportive of Honey Gardens over the years and also use their elderberry honey on the restaurant’s menu. Honey Gardens offers unfiltered Apitherapy honey, which is totally raw and retains beneficial traces of pollen, propolis, and beeswax, which contribute healthful minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and carbohydrates to the honey.

Working with approximately 1,100 colonies of honeybees, Honey Gardens’ vision is to connect people to their environment through the healing power of plants and the work of the bees.

Laura Sideman, the creator of this recipe, joined the team at Honey Gardens after working at Shelburne Farms. This honey cake recipe is inspired by the Jewish tradition of eating honey to welcome in a sweet New Year. The fact that Laura’s Mom’s entire neighborhood now bakes this cake is testament to its deliciousness.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch tube pan or angel food cake pan. Set aside.
  2. 2. Sift the cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. 3. Beat the eggs in a separate medium bowl using an electric mixer. Add the honey, sugar, coffee, oil, and vanilla and mix until blended well. Add to the flour mixture and beat until fairly smooth.
  4. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  5. 5. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a cooling rack. Invert onto a cake plate or stand.

Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches
with Cider Maple Ice Cream

Recipe from CLIFF HOUSE AT STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

6–8 SERVINGS

This signature dessert from the Cliff House features the New England flavors of apple, maple syrup, and ginger. At the Cliff House, the cookies are cut with a scallop-edge cookie cutter, then layered with a scoop of cider maple ice cream. For presentation, the sandwiches are packaged in brown butcher paper, wrapped to resemble small gifts.

To vary the dessert’s presentation, the cookies may be cut in half and stacked on top of each other (with ice cream between each layer). A drizzle of reduced cider is used to garnish the final dish.

CIDER MAPLE ICE CREAM

GINGERBREAD

Instructions

  1. 1. Make the ice cream: Reduce the cider from 1 quart to 1 cup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. 2. Combine the milk, cream, vanilla bean, sugar, maple syrup, and reduced cider in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath and set aside.
  3. 3. Beat the yolks until uniform and thick. Stir 1⁄4 cup of the cream mixture in a slow stream into beaten egg to temper it. Continue adding the cream mixture in the same fashion, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. When the cream mixture has been completely incorporated into the yolks, transfer the bowl to the prepared ice bath and let the custard cool completely, stirring occasionally.
  4. 4. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker, and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in the freezer.
  5. 5. Meanwhile, make the gingerbread: In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, scraping bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Beat in the egg and molasses until well combined and a soft dough forms.
  6. 6. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Let the dough chill until firm, about 4 hours.
  7. 7. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  8. 8. Roll out the dough onto a clean, floured work surface to about v-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using a scallop-edge cookie cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cuts. Transfer the cookies to a nonstick baking sheet, about 1⁄2-inch apart and transfer to the oven. Bake until crisp and golden on the bottom, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set cookies to cool completely on a rack.
  9. 9. Assemble the sandwiches: Scoop the ice cream on half of the gingerbread cookies. Top each with another cookie and gently press to form a sandwich.

Maple Moose

Recipe from CHURCHILL HOUSE INN

6 SERVINGS

The inn’s location in the Moosalamoo Region of the Green Mountain National Forest, plus the innkeeper Olya’s affection for the moose who visit the yard from time to time, inspired her to create something appropriately “moose.” The result is this authentic Vermont recipe that produces a refreshing and unusual mousse. It has become a popular “no sugar added, but far from sugar free” dessert that is sometimes a breakfast request. For the most intense flavor use dark syrup (Grade B rather than the lightest grade). Garnish with walnuts if desired.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Lightly grease and flour 6 giant or Texas-size muffin tins (see Note) or mini bundt pans.
  2. 2. Beat the egg white in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the hot syrup in a slow stream and continue to beat until the egg white is stiff, forming a thick meringue.
  3. 3. In a separate, well-chilled bowl, whip the cream until mixture holds soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the maple meringue with a rubber spatula. Spoon carefully into prepared tins.
  4. 4. Transfer to the freezer and freeze for 3 hours. Release from the molds and garnish with walnuts and mint, if desired.

Note: A giant or Texas-size muffin cup is approximately 31⁄2-inches in diameter and holds about 3cup batter.

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Maple Crème Caramel

Recipe from MAPLE GROVE DINING ROOM & COTTAGES

6 SERVINGS

Maple Grove Dining Room & Cottages welcomes guests year-round to their cozy farmhouse restaurant and seasonally in the cottages. Whenever possible the restaurant uses locally grown ingredients. The dining room offers tender steaks and fresh seafood, tempting pastas, and house favorites such as Vermont Cordon Bleu and baked stuffed shrimp. Desserts include chocolate mousse cake and banana and blueberry crumble made from scratch by the owner. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies serve as the after-dinner mint. There is fireside dining in the winter, indoor and deck dining in the summer and fall.

This rich dessert may be served with whipped cream and fresh blueberries, if desired.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Lightly butter 6 (3⁄4-cup) ramekins and set aside.
  2. 2. Simmer 1⁄2 cup maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until syrup is reduced to a thick pouring consistency. Don’t overcook or you will make candy. Immediately pour caramel into prepared ramekins, swirling ramekins to coat sides with some of the caramel. Set aside.
  3. 3. Make the custard: Whisk Grade B maple syrup, egg yolks, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine.
  4. 4. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until just boiling. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture, then divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins.
  5. 5. Set the ramekins into a baking pan and fill the pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking pan with foil, carefully transfer to the oven, and bake for 50 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, check custards to make sure the center is set and a little wiggly but not totally cooked.
  6. 6. Remove custards from the water and chill uncovered in the refrigerator until cold, at least 4 hours. Custards can be made one day ahead but make sure to cover once they are cold. Keep refrigerated.
  7. 7. To serve, run a knife around edges of ramekins to loosen custards, and invert onto dessert plates.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Apples and Pears

Recipe from PUTNEY PASTA

4–6 SERVINGS

Putney Pasta began making fresh-frozen, all-natural premium pastas in 1983 in a tiny renovated barn in Putney, Vermont. The owners were committed right from the start to using the finest and freshest ingredients they could find, adding no preservatives or additives of any kind. They drove their VW Rabbit all over the region, delivering pastas to local co-ops, general stores, and restaurants. Today the business is thriving; the VW has been retired and replaced by tractor trailer trucks that deliver the pastas to natural food stores, co-ops, and grocery stores in all 50 states.

Who says you can’t have pasta for dessert? Expand your pasta world with this unique recipe that combines many Vermont flavors. Fruits, nuts, and ice cream, along with the sweet ravioli stuffing, make this an unusual and memorable dessert.

Ingredients

Note: Putney Pasta is widely available, but if you cannot find it, substitute another squash- or pumpkin-filled ravioli.

Instructions

  1. 1. Cook ravioli according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
  2. 2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and sauté until fruit is fork tender, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. 3. Add the walnuts and ravioli and continue to cook until heated through.
  4. 4. To serve, divide the pasta mixture into plates or pasta bowls. Garnish each dish with rum raisin ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve at once.

RED HEN BAKING COMPANY

Red Hen Baking Company in Duxbury, was started in 1999 by husband-and-wife team Randy George and Eliza Cain. They still operate the business with the help of 17 dedicated employees. Every day of the year they bake and deliver more than a dozen different types of long-fermented, certified organic breads.

The company has a strong sense of community, regularly buying their ingredients from three local farmers. Ben Gleason, from Gleason Grains of Bridport, supplies all their whole wheat flour; Tony Lehoullier, of Foote Brook Farm in Johnson, grows all the Yukon Gold potatoes used in their potato bread; and the maple syrup for their sticky buns comes from the von Trapp farm in Waitsfield. These business relationships are mutually beneficial—Randy and Eliza are able to speak with Tony when he delivers the potatoes and discuss how the crop is progressing. He in turn keeps close track of their usage and is able to be more responsive than most distributors could afford to be. They all benefit from the economic efficiency of making a direct sale. In the years that Tony has been supplying Red Hen Baking, he has refined his storage methods to the point where he is able to keep potatoes for the entire year with no sprouting and very few blemishes.

The company’s relationship with Ben Gleason began in 2000, after they had been in business for a year. The couple hired a baker who told them about the great locally grown whole wheat flour he had used in a bakery in the Middlebury area. Randy contacted Ben and was very excited to learn that he grew mostly hard red winter wheat—the type generally most suitable for the breads Red Hen Baking makes. Ben’s refined techniques, and his flat land east of Lake

Champlain (the closest thing that Vermont has to plains), have yielded consistently high-quality wheat for many years. The pictures of Ben that hang in the retail shop never cease to interest customers. They are amazed to see Ben working the fields—“just over the hill”—that produce Red Hen’s whole wheat flour. Ben pays Randy and Eliza a visit every three weeks or so, his station wagon loaded with 1,000 pounds of his freshly milled flour. Randy and Eliza have built a relationship with Ben and his family and have made the trip to see his fields of amber waves. It is a gratifying, and very rare, phenomenon in this day and age for a baker to have such a close relationship with the farmer who grows his wheat.

The von Trapp Farm in Waitsfield is a small dairy farm owned and operated by Martin and Kelly von Trapp. Although the trend in agriculture in recent years, in Vermont and throughout the United States, has been toward greater specialization, the von Trapps abide by the old Vermont tradition of supplementing their farm income by making maple syrup every spring. Eliza grew up less than a mile from the von Trapp farm and has known Martin and Kelly all her life, so it was natural for her to look to them for syrup when the bakery developed their maple-glazed sticky buns (a specialty sold only at farmers’ markets and their retail shop). The bakers visit Martin and Kelly at the farm about once a month to pick up five gallons of Grade C syrup. Usually they combine that trip with their weekly milk run; Randy and his wife fill their jars with fresh milk that Eliza makes into yogurt. Often they trade some of their day-old bread, which the von Trapps feed to their cows, for the milk. There is a veritable web of connections in this relationship!

French Miche

Recipe from RED HEN BAKING COMPANY

LARGE ROUND LOAVES

The miche is a French bread that was repopularized by the late Lionel Poilane, who became famous for his 2-kilo miche, now shipped (at great expense!) around the world. But Poilane’s most valuable export was inspiration, and it is that commodity that is the main ingredient in this loaf from Red Hen. In keeping with Poilane’s emphasis on fine ingredients that, along with the baker’s hands, come together to give the bread terroir, this miche uses whole wheat from Ben Gleason, who grows and mills organic wheat on his farm in Bridport, near Middlebury.

This bread should be formed into a large, round loaf. It should be baked very dark to allow all of the flavors to be released in the crust and to fully bake the interior. Although it may look burned, if made properly, this bread will have a slightly sweet and nutty crust with no burned flavor whatsoever. Because of the size of the loaf (and the resulting high ratio of crumb [or interior] to crust) and the very wet dough that it is made from, a great deal of moisture is released from the interior and through the crust as the bread cools. This keeps the crust from getting too hard in spite of being so dark. Note that the ingredients for the natural starter and the final dough must be at room temperature (about 75°F).

Before embarking on this recipe, be aware that this is a naturally leavened bread. This means that it uses the method employed for centuries before baker’s yeast was isolated in a laboratory and brought to the marketplace. Although in this country we often refer to naturally leavened breads as “sourdough,” the flavor connotation in that term really doesn’t accurately describe the earthy, slightly sweet and mildly sour flavor of this bread. The flavor and texture of a good naturally leavened bread cannot really be imitated with baker’s yeast. You should be forewarned that creating the starter (or “chef, “ the French word for “chief, “ also sometimes referred to as “seed” or “mother” in this country) for this bread takes at least a week, but once you have a healthy starter, it can be stored for up to a week and revived with a few feedings (described below). Although bread of this type is beyond the ambitions for many home bakers, there are an increasing number of serious home bakers who have found themselves obsessed with perfecting delicious naturally leavened breads at home. In the hopes that a few more people will “catch the bug,” the recipe is included here.

A NOTE ON STARTER TERMINOLOGY

For the sake of consistency and to reduce confusion, the miche recipe uses the following terms for the natural starter. Chef: Literally “chief” in French. We use this term to refer to the flour and water combination, which has a healthy population of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria and is the active ingredient in the levain. There are usually two to three feeding cycles of chef performed before it is ready to be used in a levain. A piece of the chef must always be set aside and refrigerated or fed to perpetuate a healthy culture. Levain: Literally “natural leavening” in French. We use this term to refer to the final stage of a natural starter—the one that will be used directly in the final dough.

CHEF (MOTHER STARTER)

MICHE STARTER

FINAL DOUGH

Instructions

  1. 1. For the chef, or mother starter, mix a slurry of the rye flour and 3⁄4 cup 80°F water together in a nonmetallic container with a loose-fitting lid. This should be a thin, pancake-batter consistency (if it is not, add more rye flour or water to achieve this consistency). Leave this mixture in a room that is between 75 and 80 degrees.
  2. 2. After 24 to 36 hours, the mixture should have some bubbles and a subtly sweet aroma. At this point, add 1⁄2 cup 75°F water and 1⁄2 cup unbleached wheat flour. After another 24 to 36 hours, the mixture should be bubbling more vigorously than before. Discard half of the mixture and add another 1⁄2 cup of wheat flour and 1⁄2 cup 75°F water. At this point, the time it takes for the mixture to become active should be down to 12 to 15 hours. When it has reached a point where it will get frothy in 12 hours, pour off all but 1⁄2 cup of the starter and add 3⁄4 cup wheat flour and 1⁄2 cup 75°F water. This will make it a little thicker. Repeat this last step a few times if necessary until the starter becomes frothy after 12 hours. Once it has reached the point at which it will become frothy after 12 hours, you have a chef that can be used to feed the miche starter.
  3. 3. The key to a good, vigorous starter is keeping it between 75 and 80°F (room and starter temperature). If you’re not going to use it right away and cannot feed it every 12 hours, you can store the chef in the refrigerator for 1 week, where it will become dormant. If you refrigerate your chef, you should “refresh” (feed) it at least three times (mix 3⁄4 cup wheat flour and 1⁄2 cup 75°F water with 1⁄2 cup of the chef) to “wake it up” before using it.
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A Healthy Chef

The chef should consist of a 2 to 1 (by volume) ratio of unbleached wheat flour to water. A chef can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week, but the longer it is stored under refrigeration, the more feedings it will require to get it back to a healthy state. After refrigeration, the chef should be left at room temperature for 6 hours before giving it two (or more) feedings. A healthy and vigorous chef is bubbly and sweet, not overly sour and not flavorless. Usually it will reach this state 8 to 10 hours after its last feeding. The chef is really the soul of this loaf and, as fans of natural fermentation know, the resulting flavor and texture of the loaves make it worth going through the trouble of continually feeding your chef every 12 hours.

Prepare the miche levain about 4 hours before making the final dough: Combine 1 cup of 75°F water with 1⁄2 cup of the chef, the wheat germ, wheat flour, and rye flour in a container with a loose-fitting lid and enough room for the starter to double in volume. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter. Leave in a container with a loose-fitting lid and enough room for the starter to double in volume. Let it sit in a room that is between 75 and 80°F for 4 to 5 hours.

Make the dough: Combine 21⁄2 cups of 75°F water, the miche starter, the whole wheat flour, germ wheat flour, the rye flour, and the wheat flour in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon, then switch to your hands when using a spoon becomes too difficult. You want to incorporate all of the dry ingredients into the wet, so that no dry spots are visible. When this is done, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest, or “autolyse,” for 20 minutes (see “Methods Rather than Recipes,”).

After the autolyse, dimple the dough with your fingers all over the top. Pour 1⁄4 cup of 75°F water over this and sprinkle the salt into the water. Now incorporate these ingredients by hand with a punch and fold motion. When there is no water leaking from the dough, use a plastic scraper to transfer the dough to a wooden or stone kneading board. Knead the dough just until it is smooth. It should feel quite wet. Lightly coat a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to it.

This dough should get four folds. To do this, pull all of the dough from the outside to the inside and flip the whole mass over so that it is in a tight, smooth ball. The first fold should happen about 20 minutes after transferring the dough back to the bowl, then the next three should happen at one-hour intervals. With each fold, the dough should feel slightly more elastic and gassy.

One hour after the last fold, divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into round loaves. Place the loaves upside down into a well-floured basket that will allow the bread to increase in volume by at least a third. Let the loaves sit, or “proof” in the baskets for at least one hour, or until a light fingerprint will not spring back.

Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven, and preheat oven to 475°F. When the loaves are proofed, transfer them to a bread peel or a cookie sheet lightly dusted with fine cornmeal or semolina flour. Quickly slice a series of light scores into the top of the loaf with a razor blade and slide each loaf rapidly off the peel onto the baking stone in the oven. Immediately toss about half a cup of water into the oven chamber (be very careful to avoid the oven light—it may shatter if water contacts it) and bake the loaves for about 40 minutes or until they take on a deep brown color. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Methods Rather than Recipes: Bread-making Tips from Red Hen Baking Company

People often assume that we must have a treasure trove of secret recipes for our breads. In fact, we willingly share our recipes with anyone who is interested, but the real trick to making our breads is in the process. When you’re dealing with a living thing like bread dough, there is no painting by number. A printed recipe gives you, at most, only a very basic outline of the many things that you need to be attentive to as you go through the process of making bread.

If you’re interested in advancing your bread skills, or are hung up on a certain issue with your bread-making, come by and visit us at the bakery on Route 100. We love to show people what we do—there are no secrets here!

Until you get a chance to visit us, here are a couple of tips that we find helpful for people who are experienced with home baking but are still working on perfecting artisan breads.

Don’t overwork yourself kneading the dough.

One of the most important techniques that we employ at the bakery (even though we have a machine mixer that could mix 300 pounds of dough for 30 minutes if we wanted it to) is called an autolyse. This is the French term for giving the dough a rest. It is the way bakers did things before the days of mixers and it actually yields better results than an extended kneading period does. To do a proper autolyse, mix up a dough with all the flour your recipe calls for and just

90 percent of the total water amount called for. Leave out the salt, 10 percent of the water, and the leavening agent (unless your recipe employs a wet starter, in which case you will need to add the leavening). Combine it just enough so that there are no more dry clumps of flour (it will still be shaggy and not particularly stretchy). Cover this in a bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes. When you come back to the dough after the autolyse, you will find that in this short time, the water has absorbed into the flour and the dough is much more pliable than it first was . . . and you didn’t even sweat to make that happen! Now you are set up for employing the next two tips.

Don’t be afraid to make a wet dough.

One of the critical characteristics of a good artisan bread is an interior (or “crumb”) that is moist and has irregularly sized holes in it—we call this “an open crumb.” The single biggest thing that you can do to get this kind of crumb is to make a dough that is much wetter than most recipes call for. After the autolyse step that we describe above, you can slowly add the remaining water along with the salt and leavening. Keep adding small amounts of water while kneading the dough between additions. Don’t be afraid to add even more water than your recipe calls for. To achieve the kind of crumb that we’re after, you want to end up with a dough that, when put into a bowl, will flatten out rather than doming up. When you have achieved this level of “hydration,” knead it just until it is smooth and no wet spots are visible. Now you’re ready for the next step.

Fold your dough as it rises.

For this step to work properly, you want your dough and room temperatures and leavening amounts to be set so that the total rising time that you’ll need will be between 3 and 4 hours. During this long, slow rising time, a wet dough needs to be turned, or folded. This should not be a punching down like some recipes call for. The folding process is really an extension of the kneading process. It’s a passive method of dough development (like the autolyse is) because it builds strength through a combination of your work and the work of all the microorganisms that are thriving in the dough. We fold our doughs by essentially turning them inside out. We take the sides and fold them to the middle completely, until the mass of dough can be turned over in a tight ball. The first fold should be done 20 minutes after mixing. Thereafter, the folds can be gradually spaced out as the fermentation continues to do the work for you. By the end of the process, you will have done four to six folds depending on how wet your dough was, and with each fold your dough will get stronger. By the end of this process, you will have a dough that has increased in volume and is domed on the top from the increased strength imparted by the folds. Between 45 minutes and 1 hour after the last fold, it will be ready for shaping.

Now you know some of the secrets that are really more critical to making good bread than the formulas themselves. Learning to work with the dough in this way takes experience and continual attention. Remember that there are no complete failures. Every bake has something to teach you!

Once again, we are happy to show you some of the above processes in action at the bakery. Go ahead and try these tips and observe the differences!

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