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baked goods

Seasonal ingredients inspire fresher baked goods

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By Madison Jackson

The Chocolate Spoon, photo by Pattie Garrett

If you’re a regular customer at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, you will likely recognize vendor Marcie Place standing behind her tables of neatly packaged white bakery boxes sporting mouthwatering labels like “Vanilla Ricotta Tea Biscuits” and “Pineapple Almond Teacake”.

Place, owner of The Chocolate Spoon and long-time vendor of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, brings her array of fresh baked goods every week to the Wednesday and Saturday markets. The secret to her success in baking? Using fresh, local ingredients from her fellow vendors at the farmers’ market.

“I use eggs from Elihu Farm, jam from Kokinda Farm, herbs from Burger’s Market Garden, vegetables from Owl Wood Farm and Gomez Veggie Ville, berries from Scotch Ridge Berry Farm, apples from Saratoga Apple… Even the backyard herbs of Mister Edge, our knife sharpener, I use in my cocktail cookies!”

The Chocolate Spoon, photo by Pattie Garrett

Place says she finds the quality of local products superior and elevates the taste of her baked goods. She’s even put it to the test in front of a live audience. “I did a demonstration at an elementary school where I baked two sets of butter cookies: one using store-bought eggs versus one using eggs from Elihu Farm,” says Place. She explained that the cookies came out a beautiful golden color when using the fresh eggs from Mary and Bob Pratt of Elihu Farm. “Truly a difference you can both see and taste, and the kids agreed!” Place notes.

When she first started selling at the farmers’ market, Place admits her baked goods were pretty traditional. However, the seasonal products at the market inspired her to start experimenting more with her recipes and incorporate fresh ingredients for unique flavor combinations. She says farmers’ market customers are very helpful in recommending new recipes, and she is always open to suggestions. For example, she recently stumbled upon pineapple sage at the market and decided to pair it with coconut for a new shortbread cookie.

When asked what customers will have to look forward to this month, Place reveals: “Rhubarb and berries are coming back in season right now, so expect lots of strawberry rhubarb pies and blueberry and strawberry muffins!”

This week’s recipe: Kentucky Kiss Cocktail

The Chocolate Spoon, photo by Pattie Garrett

Local bakers continue to offer quality goods

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By Madison Jackson

Mrs. London’s, photo by Pattie Garrett

Chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls, coconut rum cakes, and blueberry scones are just a handful of the freshly made baked goods you can find at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday. With choices like these, you can’t go wrong picking a treat to enjoy throughout the week, if it even lasts that long.

The farmers’ market has many talented bakers that bring their ‘from scratch’ goods to sell you each week. There is something for everyone’s taste and necessity, from decadent desserts like triple chocolate teacake from The Chocolate Spoon to wholesome bread like fresh honey oat bread from Kokinda Farm.

Mrs. London’s bakery offers fresh croissants, pastries, bread, and scones at the farmers’ market. Their recipes are rooted in the French culinary tradition and have been perfected over decades to bring you authentic and traditional baked creations from scratch using high-quality ingredients.

The Chocolate Spoon, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Chocolate Spoon has irresistible baked goods with distinct flavors and unique combinations. Owner Marcie Place has spent years perfecting her classic recipes like banana chocolate chip muffins and chocolate chip cookies, but she never stops experimenting with her baking. Try something new like a sour cream coffee cake with maple glaze or chocolate-orange chocolate chip cookies.

Goodway Gourmet is famous for its Caribbean rum cakes but has other baked options like cinnamon rolls, cookies, macaroons, and pound cakes. The best part about buying their sweet treats is that each purchase contributes to teens’ educational opportunities.

Goodway Bakery, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Food Florist is well known for their prepared frozen meals like pot pie and lasagna, but they also make various traditional sweet pies. Pie varieties include classic apple, cherry, blueberry crumb, and quadberry (a mix of blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and red raspberry).

You may be surprised to find baked goods from vendors like the Argyle Cheese Farmer and Kokinda Farm. Argyle Cheese Farmer, known for their prize-winning yogurts and cheese, also makes fresh cinnamon rolls, donuts, finger rolls, and bread. And Kokinda Farm sells a variety of baked bread like honey oat, cinnamon raisin, and honey wheat with pumpkin seeds. The next time you need fresh bread, sweet rolls, cookies, cakes, or something fresh from the oven, stop by the farmers’ market or preorder online for pickup on Saturdays.

 

This week’s recipe: Apple Kuchen

Apple Kuchen

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Apple Kuchen, photo by Pattie Garrett

Adapted from the recipe by Chocolatechocolateandmore.com,
shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 12

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
Cake:
● ½ cup butter, room temperature
● ⅔ cup sugar
● 2 eggs*
● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
● 1½ cup all-purpose flour
● 1½ teaspoons baking powder
● ¼ teaspoons salt
● 1 teaspoon apple pie seasoning*
● ½ cup Greek yogurt*
● 4-5 medium apples*

Topping:
● 3 Tablespoons sugar
● ½ teaspoon apple pie seasoning*

Glaze:
● 1 cup powdered sugar
● 1½ Tablespoons milk*
● ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. For Cake: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Alternating, add flour mixture and sour cream, starting and ending with flour. Mixing just until each addition is incorporated into the batter.
4. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking pan. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
5. Peel, core, and slice apples into thin slices. Place apples in a single layer across the top of the batter.
6. For Topping: Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of apple layer.
7. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Remove cake from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
9. For Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over top of the cake. Serve cake still warm or can be served cooled.

Pumpkin Muffins with Honey Butter

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Tieghan Gerhard, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 16

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

For the muffins:
● 12 Tablespoons (3/4 cup) salted butter, melted
● ¾ cup packed brown sugar
● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
● 2 eggs*
● 1 cup pumpkin puree*
● ¼ cup milk*
● 2½ cups all-purpose flour
● 2 teaspoons baking powder
● ½ teaspoon baking soda
● 1 teaspoon cinnamon
● 1 teaspoon nutmeg

For the streusel:
● ¾ cup all-purpose flour
● ½ cup packed brown sugar
● 1 teaspoon cinnamon
● 6 Tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed
● 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 16 cubes

Cinnamon honey butter:
● 4 Tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
● 2 Tablespoons honey*
● ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
1. For the muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 16 muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the pumpkin and milk. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix on low speed until just combined, being sure the batter is completely mixed.
2. To make the streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until crumble forms.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared pan. Push 1 cube of cream cheese into each muffin. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Transfer to the oven, bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey, and cinnamon.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature smeared with cinnamon butter.

Goodway Bakery offers freshly baked goods with a purpose

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By Julia Howard

Goodway Bakery has been baking a variety of cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies in Troy, New York for over 40 years. However, the bakery’s roots dig deeper than a passion for sweet confections explains Goodway’s marketing manager Danielle Croley.

“My uncle started the business in 1979 as a fundraiser to offset the cost of educational opportunities for African American students,” explains Croley. “ When you purchase one of our delicious, made-from-scratch products, your contribution is an investment in the education of our youth.” Several hundred students have benefited from Goodway Bakery’s efforts to date.

This purpose became known as the Founder’s Choice Scholarship program and has helped bring Goodway Bakery’s confections across the country as organizers use Goodway’s baked goods to fundraise in various cities and states. Through this exposure, Goodway Bakery’s products have made a reputation for themselves. The bakery’s notable cookies, cakes, brownies, and pies have become sought after nation-wide.

Goodway Bakery’s product line shifted about 10 years ago when their head baker traveled to the Caribbean islands. While there, he developed a passion for Caribbean cuisine, namely rum cakes. Today, rum cakes have become Goodway Bakery’s signature product. They bake 8 different flavors of rum cakes in various sizes and even offer gluten-free options.

“Our baked goods are made fresh daily and contain no added preservatives or artificial ingredients,” says Croley. She attributes the quality ingredients including Madagascar vanilla and Bacardi rum to the popularity of their products. The rum cakes, in particular, have an excellent shelf life and stay moist and delicious for 2-3 weeks at room temperature making them excellent gifts and party favors.

Since COVID 19, Goodway Bakery has made yet another shift; from traveling the country to pursuing a more local customer base through farmers’ markets. Their variety of sweet, moist rum cakes, as well as macaroons, cookies, brownies, and pound cakes, can be found at several regional farmers’ markets.

“We love being a part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market,” states Croley. “The farmers’ market has been a wonderful experience for us and we enjoy connecting with our customers now that traveling to fundraisers and food shows has become difficult,” she explains.

Online ordering through their website is also a convenient way to acquire their famous cakes. Goodway Bakery has shipped its goods worldwide; even to Australia. For local shoppers, Goodway Bakery can be found every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

All photos provided by Goodway Bakery

This week’s recipe: Goodway Caribbean Rum Cake Sundae

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

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Recipe shared by our intern Madison Jackson’s Grandma Jo
Makes 2 loaves
Prep & cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 cup vegetable oil – or your preferred cooking oil
● ½ cup sugar
● 3 cups flour
● 3 eggs*
● 1 tbsp vanilla
● 1 tsp salt
● 2 cups grated zucchini*
● ¼ tsp baking powder
● 1 and ¼ tsp baking soda
● 3 tsp cinnamon*
● ½ cup nuts (optional)
● 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2, 9×5 inch loaf pans with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are incorporated and try not to over mix.
3. Pour the batter into the loaf pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out with moist crumbs on it.
4. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
5. Store covered in the refrigerator or freeze for enjoying later.