Posts Tagged ‘baked goods’
Café Assorti Broadens Baking Horizons
Posted by Eunice / Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Central Asian Pastries with a Twist
By Johnisha M. Levi
Assorti Pie (Courtesy of Cafe Assorti)
While artisanal pies battle it out for dominance along the Clarendon corridor, Café Assorti, a sun-colored domain expansive as a grand salon and as comfortable as your living room, is cheerily serving up a core of Kazakh standards—with a supporting cast of Ukrainian, Russian and various other Eastern European delicacies.
Assorti is a hybrid creature in more than just its interior design. It is part fast-casual restaurant, part bakery. And it is the bakery portion of the operation that most intrigued me. Both Assorti and its owners, the Bekturganova family, are anything but newcomers to the restaurant business. The Arlington outpost opened nearly three years ago. And although it is their first American venture, the Bekturganovas own three other Assorti restaurants in their native country of Kazakhstan.
You can get lost in the pastry and dessert cases alone—which is what you should allow yourself to do. It will take you a while to fully explore the myriad menu options, all the more impressive given that virtually everything served is made in house.
The head pastry chef behind this bounty is Azamat Zhanizakov, who first began working with the Bekturganovas 15 years ago in his native Kazakhstan. He handles both sweet and savory baking duties, and crafts both from the same yeasted dough. Savory options include pirozhok, samsa, rasstegai and cheburek, while sugar junkies are sated with fruit- or cheese-filled vatrushkas and the rose, a spiraled pastry resembling the petal layers of its namesake flower, glazed in heavenly meringue.
Savory fillings range from egg and onion (bland and somewhat forgettable) to fish (tilapia and/or salmon) to familiar beef and vegetable (spiced potato, sometimes with cabbage) alternatives. Assorti distinguishes the fillings by varying both the pastries’ shapes and garnishes (peppercorns, caraway or sesame seeds).
And then there’s dessert.
You won’t find butter cakes here—the denser American dessert standards—but rather riffs on thin layers of air-leavened sponge cake accented by fruit, chocolate, nuts and/or coffee.
The Napoleon Cake both is and isn’t what you’d associate with the famed mille feuille. Paper-thin puff pastry layers: Check. Creamy filling: Check. The similarities end there. This torte’s alternating layers are bound by house-made “butter cream” (a whipped mixture of sweetened condensed milk and butter replaces standard meringue-based filler) rather than the standard, traditional pastry cream.
Assorti’s lemon pie—one of a whole line of fruit pies available whole or by the slice, including apple, cherry, apricot and a sweet cheese pie studded with raisins and apricots—is a reawakening for those immune to yesterday’s charms of lemon bars. The pie delivers a punch of citrus beneath its buttery crumb topping that makes lemon bars taste anemic in comparison. Both the filling’s boldness and texture owe to the use of the lemon’s pulp and peel rather than just its juice with a scanty pinch of zest. After testing the initial recipe on its customers, Assorti added a hint of cinnamon to slightly warm the palate and balance the bitterness of the citrus. Warning: This one is not for sharing.
Café Assorti: 1800 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-465-0009. To learn more about Assorti’s pastries and menu favorites, visit: www.northernvirginiamag.com/tasteofassorti.
(December 2011)
Posted by Eunice / Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Brownie Brittle Breaks the Mold
By Warren Rojas
Maksymilian Skolik/shutterstock.com (chocolate and hazelnuts); Aaron Amat/shutterstock.com (brownie)
Moist and fudgy brownies are SOOOOO 20th century.
Granted, Brownie Brittle Company founder Rebecca Campbell didn’t fully intend to revolutionize the chocolate treat market when she plucked her initial batch of thin, crunchy confections from the oven.
But that happy accident helped launch a new career, and helped introduce the world to her unique brand of crisp, chocolaty snacks.
Campbell started out with plain Choco-Lot (bolstered by a rain of rich chocolate chips) but now boasts over a dozen specialty flavors ranging from tart candied lemon to strikingly peppermint-y. Her top sellers include: Dark Choco-Lot, regular Choco-Lot and Totally Toffee.
Meanwhile, the mad baker remains hard at work on her next-generation sweet, kicking around ideas for Coffee Toffee and Mocha Rum lines.
Brownie Brittle products are available locally at T&K Treasures (Clifton) and The Virginia Shop (Alexandria). To learn more about Campbell’s company or order online, visit: www.thebrowniebrittleco.com.
(December 2011)
Crop Rapport – Stone Soup Bakery
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Farmers Market in Burke
Even through the driving rain and cold wind that blew through the area last weekend, loyal patrons, decked out in galoshes and ponchos, shaking water from their hair still cheerily shopped the mini streets of the Burke farmers market. It’s heartening to see that even the foulest weather couldn’t deter those tried and true local clients, hurrying to get their fresh apples, fragrant herbs and bright vegetables.
Local, seasonal vegetables
Among the local produce vendors, intermingled with startlingly vivid flower stands and fresh-baked breads rests a small, unassuming tent piled high with fresh cookies, pies and brownies and manned by the cheeriest people, despite the nasty weather.
Owners Jennifer Graybill & Johnny Connolly
I’m talking about Stone Soup Bakery, a brand-new business run by local brother and sister team, Jennifer Graybill and Johnny Connolly. The bakery name, I’m told, is derived from the folk tale of the same title. “The message we took from the story is that if everybody contributes a little, it can make a whole lot,” Graybill said.
Well said. A duo that has always been baking, the two recently decided to take their wares public and have made their debut at the Burke Farmers Market. As of right now, all the cooking is done out of Graybill’s home kitchen and their products are sold only at this location.
An assortment of delicious goodies
This family is an example of team work at its finest; Connolly does the pie baking while Graybill creates the cookies and all of their products are made with as many local ingredients as possible. Because they work a lot with local produce, their flavors are more seasonal- right now apple and pumpkin pies are being highlighted in honor of Thanksgiving!
I had the opportunity to taste their pumpkin pie, of which they are especially proud- and with good cause! The smooth, custard-y filling is made from half fresh apple butter and half pumpkin. It simmers in a mix of sweet and savory spices for hours before it’s poured over a ginger snap pecan crust. The crust is truly what makes this dessert special. It’s thick and flaky, with just the right amount of texture that just melts away in your mouth.
Pumpkin pie with ginger snap, pecan crust
You’re gonna want to order this bad boy in advance for your Thanksgiving dinner- or perhaps just for dinner tonight.
What’s more, you can order it for your Thanksgiving dinner and pick it up from them in the same location (Burke VRE parking lot) the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving to ensure you the freshest possible dessert. That that, Sara Lee!
Get your order in now!
Their cookies are all moist and chock-full of delicious fillings. Whether it’s double chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin (my personal favorite), you won’t be disappointed- there’s something for everyone!
Fresh cookies by Stone Soup Bakery
Not only were the baked goods a delightful treat, it was a real pleasure talking with and getting to know this family. Not only are they creating wonderful desserts and baked goods, but they’re contributing a positive image to farmers markets everywhere. You could tell that they took great pride in what they were doing and that they truly enjoyed doing it. Fresh, local ingredients and friendly faces are what helps the local markets persist and thrive in today’s economy- and Stone Soup is doing everything right.
Come see for yourself! Visit Stone Soup every Saturday at the Burke Farmers Market. “We love being at Burke Market,” said Connolly. “We live here, sell our products here, and contribute to our home community.”
And that’s what it’s all about, kids.
Visit them on Facebook and “Like” their page!
Visit them in person:
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Stone Soup Bakery – 703.909.6089; stonesoupbakery@yahoo.com
—————————————————————————————————————-
Northern Virginia Farmer’s Market and Hours:
Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market• 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m.; Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market• George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market• 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Smart Markets – Centreville • 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville – Fri, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Fairfax Corner • Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax – Tue, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Gainesville • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Herndon • 460 Elden St., Herndon – Thu, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets – Reston • 11890 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston – Wed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
– Jennie Whistler
What’s For Lunch: Sweet and Savory Breads
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, June 6th, 2011
I was running a bit late for work this morning, so I didn’t have the time to pack lunch. Instead, I stopped by Breeze, a local Korean bakery and café, to pick something up. Breeze carries a large selection of savory and sweet baked goods and also sells homemade gelato as well as various beverages. It’s one of my favorite places to hang out and chat or do homework since they offer free Wi-Fi. Since I was in a rush today, I just grabbed a few things to go.
Starting from the top left going clockwise: Curry bread, bread with blueberry cream filling, white bean manju, and bread with green tea filling. (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
There’s this saying in Vietnamese that directly translates to, “Your eyes are hungrier than your stomach,” which means that you end up getting more food than you could possibly ever eat because everything looks extra good when you’re hungry. In this case, I had that dilemma and bought way more than I generally eat. But for the sake of reviewing these items, I slowly forced myself to eat them (not that I’m complaining).
Curry Bread (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
The curry bread was the only savory bread I bought and even though it sounds strange, it did not disappoint. The bread itself is drizzled with a bit of ketchup and the filling is curry-flavored with small chunks of beef and green peppers.
Green Tea Bread (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
I thought this bread was adorable since it’s shaped like a leaf (at least it looks like a leaf to me). The filling is more like a bean paste that tastes like green tea and is a tad sweet but not overbearingly so.
Blueberry Cream Bread (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
It looks like normal bread on the outside, but has an extremely smooth blueberry cream filling on the inside. The bread itself is really soft and somewhat chewy.
White Bean Manju (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
The filling for this is a white bean paste, and is a little harder than the green tea filling from the other pastry. The texture, shape, and filling all remind me of a Chinese moon cake. The white bean paste isn’t too sweet, but sweet enough for my tastes.
Since it’s a bakery, their selection changes daily which keeps the items fresh. I’ve also been there at night and before they close they will generally have 30% off on certain items to get rid of their stock. In general, I find Breeze relatively cheap since most of their breads average around $2 to $4 a piece depending on what it is. I haven’t had the chance to try their coffee yet, but I do like their ginger tea (granted it’s just ginger, sugar, and hot water).
There are a lot more things I didn’t get to cover such as their chic interior and the cakes that they offer. So if you have the time, I definitely recommend paying them a visit yourself.
Breeze Bakery Cafe
4125 Hummer Road
Annandale, VA 22003
703-462-9093
- Mai Nguyen
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Sisters Jennifer Neiman and Susan Woodhouse are hoping to capitalize on the current snack craze by opening their own gourmet bakery, Cupcakes Actually. Susan will tackle all the baking—“She started perfecting cupcake recipes over the past few years,” Neiman said of her legal assistant sibling-turned-professional baker—while Neiman plans to handle day-to-day operations.
Neiman said they expect to launch with just a handful of signature flavors, but will roll out seasonal/specialty selections as the business grows. Tentative offerings include: basic chocolate/vanilla cakes dipped in chocolate fudge or caramel, basic cakes smothered in rich butter cream or peanut butter frosting, strawberry puree-infused cupcakes topped with strawberry butter cream and an Italian cassata cake swabbed with Swiss butter cream.—WR
Open for lunch and dinner daily. 11944 Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax; 571-522-6315; www.cupcakesactually.com
Quaint Space, Tremendous Tastes
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 8th, 2008
By Warren Rojas
Photography by Hana Jung
Leesburg’s Lorraine “Lola” Hooper has won the hearts (and bellies) of neighbors with her award-winning baked goods.
And while her signature ginger-chocolate cookies certainly turn heads (piquant dough, gooey center), we dig the rotating cupcake selection.
One zest-filled number is slathered in lemony-sweet frosting (tartacular). Milk chocolate serves as base (crumbly, mocha-like bedding), middle (ravishing ganache adorns multiple creations) and accent (white-chocolate shavings imbue creaminess) extraordinaire. Meanwhile, seasonal gems (carrot cake, almond joy) split time with evergreen favorites (coconut).
Lola Cookies & Treats: 109 S. King St., Leesburg; 703-669-6970; www.lolacookies.com
(December 2008)
