whitesquirrelkitchen

The thing about Panettone

They call it the “Mt. Everest of bread”, you might be wondering why. What’s the big deal? Why is it so difficult to make? Why is it so expensive? And, what is it anyway? At a market, I will describe panettone simply as an Italian sweet bread, but I don’t think that does it justice. Continue reading “The thing about Panettone”

Rehydrating our Sourdough Starter

A few days before you want to use your starter for baking, revive your dehydrated starter. DAY 1 – In a small bowl or jar, mix 5 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter with 15 grams of 80 °F water. Allow the starter and water to sit for about 2 hours, or until the dried starterContinue reading “Rehydrating our Sourdough Starter”

Some Challenges (Fiscal and Otherwise) of Running a Small Cottage Food Business

After a year of markets – some thoughts. Brain dump commencing: If you’re a fan of fresh baked goods, you know that they can be expensive. But did you know that baked goods from small businesses which use high quality (and organic) ingredients can be even more expensive? Of course you know this! But doContinue reading “Some Challenges (Fiscal and Otherwise) of Running a Small Cottage Food Business”

TCS Foods and You, and Me – a conversation

This post has been a work in progress for several weeks – so settle in and lets have a chat! First things first, what is a TCS food? TCS stands for “Time/Temperature Controlled for Safety”. TCS foods are susceptible to rapid growth of pathogenic bacteria if not handled properly. These foods include meat, poultry, fish,Continue reading “TCS Foods and You, and Me – a conversation”

Homemade yogurt? No Whey! Yes Whey!

Welcome to the first edition of “Inside the kitchen with Gina” – I just came up with that, I might change it, I don’t know….AnyWHEY….Did you know we use our very own yogurt for several of our baked goods? Now you know! And I’m about to tell you how you can make yogurt at home.Continue reading “Homemade yogurt? No Whey! Yes Whey!”

Flavor Profile Spotlight – HMB

Hold my {beer} nuts This is our OG flavor profile. The nutty spice mix that started it all. Like the description says, it’s sweet (sugar-y, cardamom-y), spicy (cayenne, cinnamon, cumin), salty (salt and attitude) and a bunch of nuts. Like us, like everyone. If you came here just to find out what the nuts tasteContinue reading “Flavor Profile Spotlight – HMB”