Brownsugarpastries's Blog

…One Ingredient At A Time.

brownsugarpastries — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:16:52 +0000

I have learned that whenever doing anything in life whether making brownies or starting a business, it doesn’t just come together based on the picture in the Martha Stewart’s Living or the article that you read in Entrepreneur Magazine. No matter how badly you want it all just to be done like that vision you have in your head you must take steps.

In the past several months I have had to fulfill alot of requirements in order to start this business. I have had to sit at the City Finance office and fill out paperwork, apply for an Employee Identification Number(EIN), pay for and study for my Food Manager’s Certification, purchase kitchen space, purchase insurance for operating a business and of course research and development ( which has probably amounted to about $1500 thus far). Let’s face it, that list never goes away. I say all of this to say that I didn’t accomplish all of this at once, I did one thing at a time and my work has yielded a return.

So to all of my friends who are frustrated with that recipe or with their life, just remember; take it one ingredient at a time.

No Organic Cocoa? Buy Ghiradelli

brownsugarpastries — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:38:08 +0000

I don’t know about you but last Thursday was very exciting for me. My morning began at 4:30 followed by pushing the snooze button until 5:30 because 3 hours of sleep just didn’t seem like enough for the day I had ahead of me. I realized that I was out of organic cocoa the night before about 9:45( oh and did I mention Whole Foods closes at 10). So I am out the door 6 am on Thursday in the great organic cocoa quest ( because WF doesn’t open until 7 which would put me behind schedule). Vons didn’t have it nor Pavilions so I had to settle for the next best thing, Ghiradelli. At this time I am throwing a fit, disgusted by Vons’ “we have organic” mantra yet not having the organic product I need. After my quiet temper tantrum of huffing and puffing and looking really pissed off to the check out lady, I went back to the house to finish the German Chocolate cookies.

9:30 AM- Arrived in cloudy and drizzly Anaheim to drop samples off to broker.

10:30 AM- back at the house to finish cookies for meeting for Non profit.

11:50 – Arrived at meeting. Dropped samples off and met someone who is interested in cookies for christmas gifts and exchanged numbers.

12:30 – PO Box run ( Hurrah a check!)

1:00 – Back at house to pick up more samples to take to old job.

2:00 – At old job schmoozing with old faces. Potential meeting with exec chef for old job to carry my cookies.

2:30- Call received. Sample cookies for non profit received rave reviews.

4:00 – At home making another sample for friend who works at posh resort and feeling a little pooped.

7:30- Text from friend stating she is still at work and will not be able to make it.

7:31- slightly disappointed/slightly relieved and climbing into bed.

10/19 4:30 pm- Still waiting to hear from broker.

Thankyou for riding along. Until next time.

Broken Brownies

brownsugarpastries — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:52:28 +0000

So there’s this story in the bible where God tells Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house and he’d talk to him. Jeremiah goes down and sees the potter at the wheel making a vessel but then the potter destroys the vessel in his hand and makes it into another vessel and God tells Jeremiah that this is what he wants to do with his people. Saturday I decided I wanted to try to make some double chocolate hazelnut brownies. Knowing that this was my first attempt I was hopeful that it would be great but realized that it might fall a little short of that. So I pull this what I am hoping to be a culinary masterpiece out of the oven, cut into it and I have a dry, unappetizing and just plain nasty brownie crumble. Everytime I cut into it, it would just crumble to pieces. My mom said it wasn’t sweet enough, my cousin L (who really shouldn’t count because he’ll eat anything that I put in front of him) almost ate half the dish and now I have this dish that I had hoped would have been something great that I have destroyed. Instead of being bothered by this I sucked it up and called it experiment #1. The next day I come home and notice that my brownies have taken on a completely different form (not in a Aliens popping out of a cocoon kill it before it gets on your face and impregnates you kind of way but more of a fairy-god-mother gets Cinderella a new wardrobe kind of way). My mom and cousin apparently got together, took my broken brownies and made a masterpiece. These brownies were so moist and delicious I couldn’t stay away from them. So I guess I just wanted to encourage you that no matter how broken and dry things may look today that your life can be a perfectly unexpected and delicious pan of brownies tomorrow.

Until next time.

Peach Manna? What is it?

brownsugarpastries — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:16:52 +0000

There is this story in the bible when the Israelites were in the wilderness and they were hungry and complaining so God had Manna or “What is it?” fall from the sky so they could eat. The other day I made this dessert that was a botched attempt at making a white chocolate and peach Blondie. It was made of oats, barley, rye, wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, peach jam, white chocolate, butter and cream (recipe to follow). Although it did not fall from the sky, I couldn’t identify my creation. I gave some to my parents and cousin and they loved it! I still found myself stumped when my papa asked me what it was. Replying with “I don’t know ” just didn’t seem to do this dessert justice. So my mom being the clever woman that she is decided to call it Peach Manna. So here is the recipe for my Peach Manna. I hope you enjoy!

Peach Manna

3/4 c oat, wheat, barley and rye cereal ( you can get this in the oatmeal section at a specialty food store if you can’t get this just grind some oatmeal in a blender)

3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour ( a regular pastry flour should do just fine)

1 12 oz bag of white chocolate

4 oz heavy cream

4 oz of peach preserves ( or whatever type you like)

2 sticks of butter softened

3 eggs

1 cup of cane sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 c of lemon juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a pot melt white chocolate with heavy cream. ( I recommend a double boiler but if you don’t have this then boil a large pot of water and put a smaller pot in the large pot with the chocolate and cream inside until it melts)

In a separate pot heat preserves on low with lemon juice.

In a bowl mix salt and flours together.

In a separate bowl mix softened butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs well. Pour cooled chocolate in mixture.

Pour chocolate mixture in to flour mixture. Mix well. Pour mixture into buttered 13×9 pyrex dish.

Drizzle peach mixture into the batter. Take a spatula and swirl mixtures together. (DON’T MIX)

Bake until edges pull away from sides about 20-25 min.

Let cool.

At the recommendation of my family, enjoy with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Hello world!

brownsugarpastries — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:44:44 +0000

How did this all start? I remember hearing a story of a pastor in the Bahamas tell of a woman who had lost her job of 25 years. She was distraught. He told her that she may have lost her job but she did not lose her work. He reminded her that she has two hands and to make something. She did. She made cookies. He went on to tell of how the woman had to expand in six months and continued on to do quite well for herself. At that moment, that very moment a light bulb came on for me. I realized that I could make cookies after all I have been since I was a teenager and taking them to my youth groups. So I began developing a cookie company that I like to call Brown Sugar Pastries. So I ask you, yes you to join me on this adventure that is called entrepreneurship. Each blog will consist of my experiences moving this company along, recipes that I make or create ( ala Julie and Julia) books that I have read that have helped me and may help you and whatever else that just may come up.

Thanks for reading.

Julie, Julia & Melanie

brownsugarpastries — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:28:50 +0000

Okay so we have all seen this movie where the incomparable Meryl Streep give an almost dead on portrayal of the Great Julia Child. I can’t with all certainty say that this movie didn’t influence me, but it was primarily my marketing consultant who did. She said that blogging and even Facebook would be a way to connect with people about my cookies and promote Brown Sugar Pastries. Hello? Anybody out there? I bet this is what tweeting is like.

Although most of my background is media/entertainment and finance, I must admit that I do not know much…okay zip about the food industry other than I really like to eat. So in order to gain some business savvy I started where most of us who do not have the money to go back to school start…Barnes and Noble.

I already had Martha Stewart’s book The Martha Rules which was very informative and insightful to how Martha Stewart became well, Martha Stewart. Then I started reading Living On The Edge by Peter Daniels but it read more like a biography of his family life. Fine, but not what I am looking for. Then I picked up Trump University Entrepreneurship 101. This reads like a textbook on how to have a successful business from what you are truly interested in to servicing the customer. Very helpful. The last book I purchased was MBA IN A Book (which I will start after I’m finished with Trump University’s book). I’m thinking I should pick up some cook books on baking and cookies next. Maybe the sequel will be “How Julie & Julia inspired Melanie”