"I've Got the Sugar Gene"
I can't really explain where my baking skills orignated from because though I longed to attend culinary school, it just wasn't in God's bigger plan for me as I embarked into adulthood from high school. My parents felt strongly that traditional college was the best path for me to have a successful career, so off I went to study International Business.
Sooooo, that didnt work out for them & 10 years later I found myself "accidently" starting my dream bakery on November 8, 2017. I made a desperate social media post offering "illegal" cheesecakes for Thanksgiving. You see, cheesecakes don't fall within the allowed items under the Texas Cottage Law aka "home bakers". I was absolutely terrified to get caught but we were struggling to make ends meet the months following Hurricane Harvey & I had to do something. Two weeks later & 30 cheesecakes i realized "oh boy, i better get legit"
But back to the real story. Where does my baking talent come from?
After much reflection, I've decided
"I've Got the Sugar Gene"
Baking is in my blood, I originate from a long line of bakers on both sides of my family. Generations of women that know how to cook & bake. Food that fills your soul while satifying every tastebud. The kind of generational traits we pray get passed on to our children. Holidays were something to get excited about growing up. It didn’t matter which side of the family, I always knew there would be waayyy too much food and it was going to be good. Like REALLY good. Many of these recipes are the items you'll find filling my cases daily at the bakery & seasonal items like banana/pumpkin breads, sand tarts or my absolute favorite holiday dessert "german chocolate cheesecake bars"
The momma's family
German immigrants that settled here in Texas. Farming & homestead was their way of life and my grannie learned from the best. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pies, classic desserts. She does it all. Grannie has every cookbook/magazine imaginable with her favorites being Southern Living, Paula Deen, Bake & so many more. She took her generational skills and began putting modern baking recipes together to always create a food experience that left you craving more. My mom followed in her footsteps, baking it up a notch by teaching herself to bake/cook cuisines from other cultures that weren't always affordable or easily accessible. My mom was always very adventurous in the kitchen cooking things like shark, Vietnamese dishes and desserts that had you sneaking in the kitchen to steal more when she wasn't looking. I definitely get my adventurous food palette from the momma. And Miss Vera seems to be following suit. This girl loves to EAT! By the way, if you see my little, ask her what she wants to be when she grows up. Vera loves to share how she wants to be a candy maker! I promise I had no influence in her original statement but of course this sweets loving momma encourages all the candy making shenanigans and I'm going to enjoy every second that my sweet girl loves to participate in the kitchen while it lasts. Vera is our official taste tester, cookie sprinkler, cinnamon roll "roller" and fellow shenanigator.
Grandma Catherine
My dad's mom. Though she's been gone almost 14 years now, the impact shes left on who I would become as a person has had resounding effects that I will cherish forever. She was born in the 1920's and later raised in the Texas "valley" until her late 30's. Growing up in this region during the depression era had a huge impact on her style of cooking. Her frugalness is a skill that has helped me keep the balance of the over the top creativeness passed on to me from my mother's side. I like to walk the line & sometimes bounce back & forth like a pinball of those two wildly opposite styles of cooking. Grandma Catherine was known for her simple regrigerated oatmeal cookies that she always had wrapped in wax paper, stocked in the freezer and ready to bake off just a few more to fill the repurposed cookie tin that she stashed them in.
My favorite though was every year for my birthday I always knew there would be a "hot water chocolate" cake with german chocolate topping waiting on her counter a mere 27 stepping stones away from my house. Which is still my favorite cake to this day.
While I am a self taught baker just out here "making it up" every day, the real secret to my baking skills are LOVE! Duh!! You know that old as time saying "the secret ingredient is love". But also the JOY it brings me to share the memories & experiences that I knew growing up with each of you everyday.
My hope is that our baked goods always give you that special experience & create memories with your loved one straight from our kitchen to yours.
I wanted to share one of my most used recipes in my personal kitchen. This biscuit recipe that was taught to my Grannie by her family, came to me straight from my mom’s hand written cookbook and continues to be passed on in our family & now passed on to you.
Pro Tip: Are you really doing it proper, if you don’t just use any old random glass to cut out your biscuits?