The New York City-based Fat Witch Bakery recipe collection of the best brownies, blondies, and other bars perfect for holiday baking and bake sales. Fat Witch brownies are a chocolate obsession, not just for the locals from New York City, but also for the many tourists who visit Chelsea Market. Patricia Helding and staff bake tender, moist, classic, and decadent morsels that people are willing to wait in line to buy. And following on the heels of Fat Witch Brownies , which revealed the author's secret recipe, comes her new personal collection of yummy brownies, blondies, barks, bars, and more, along with tips and tricks for packaging and selling them at your next bake sale. Here are mouthwatering recipes for Pecan Caramel Brownies; Red Velvet Brownies; Five Layer Chocolate Bars; Jelly Blondies; Cinnamon Bars; Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars; Coconut Macadamia Cookies; uniquely grownup flavors like Fruitcake Brownies and Rum Raisin Spice Bars; gluten-free goodies like Meringue Drops and Almond Flour White Chocolate Cookies; and vegan brownies and other treats. Packed with astonishingly good, easy-to-bake recipes that will leave your family and friends agog, Fat Witch Bake Sale will be the go-to recipe source for bake sale season--or anytime.

Autorentext

Patricia Helding with Lucy Baker

Leseprobe
CHAPTER 1

Welcome to Your Bake Sale

There is no question that a bake sale is a fun event. What's not to love about a community gathering centered around Red Velvet-Milk Chocolate Brownies, Cinnamon Toast Bars, and Coconut-Macadamia Nut Cookies? But running a successful bake sale also requires a lot of effort, planning, organization, and mediation. Things can get a little tricky when you have to supervise people with whom you have a personal relationship, like the soccer coach, your child's best friend's mom, or the star singer from your church's choir. From early brainstorming sessions to the main event, here are some helpful hints, tips, and ideas to ensure that your bake sale goes off without a hitch.

Before the Event

Decide on a date, time, and location, and make sure you have permission to hold your bake sale.

Don't allow too many cooks in the kitchen. Bake sales also need people in charge of donations, setup, cleanup, and manning the cash box. Make sure all participants are clear about their roles.

Communicate. Hold a meeting to plan your sale. Setting up a group e-mail list is also a good way to keep everyone up-to-date and informed. Be clear about whether or not you will reach out to your personal and business contacts.

Define the "rules" of your bake sale. If it's at an elementary school, do the baked goods have to be nut free? Should everything be homemade, or are bags of jelly beans okay?

Clearly state the purpose of your bake sale. It's important to identify what you are raising money for. Be as specific as possible: The Little League team needs new uniforms; the local animal shelter wants to build a dog run; your temple would like to purchase new books for Hebrew school.

Give your bake sale a theme. Instead of the "Lincoln School Bake Sale," think: "Shiver your timbers at the Lincoln School Pirate Bake Sale! All booty from the treasure chest will be contributed to the school's art program." Here are a few ideas: seasonal (summer, fall, winter, spring); holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Purim, Easter, July 4th); international (treats from all over the world); regional goodies (New England baked goods, southern favorites); heirloom family recipes; chocolate lovers (everything chocolate); the Olympics/sports; Mother's or Father's Day; Broadway (desserts on stage!). The possibilities are endless.

Utilize social media. Publicize your bake sale via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Update these sites frequently with pictures, recipes, and fun baking facts.

Make signs. Children's art and handwriting are at the top of the charm chart. Vintage photographs of local attractions are also a good bet. In a pinch, clip art or stock photos will work just fine. Create the signs yourself, or see if a graphic designer will do it at no cost. In exchange, offer to display the designer's business cards near the event's cash register. Post the signs in local shops and businesses at least 1 week prior to the event.

Ask for donations. Each year, Fat Witch donates lots of brownies to New York City public school bake sales. Here's what is effective with most businesses.

• Check out the FAQs on the business's/bakery's Web site. Often there is information about donations or charitable giving. Also check out the "Contact Us" section. If you don't follow the Web site's directions, you might not get a response.

• Contact the business 4 to 8 weeks ahead of time. Be specific and be reasonable. In the body of your short letter/e-mail/phone call, let the company know a little bit about the charity, the date of the event, how many people you expect, and what would be the ideal donation. Never send more than one attachment.

• If you don't hear from the business, limit your follow-up to no more than two calls/e-mails/letters. Understand that no means no, and no response could also mean no.

• Have your tax-exempt form ready to e-mail, fax, or mail.

• If your event is near a holiday, a local business may not be able to donate. Consider asking for a gift certificate instead. If your state allows gift certificate expiration dates, make it known at the event that there is a time limit on the certificate's redemption.

• Ask about purchasing at a discount. This can be almost as good as getting a free donation. Everyone makes some money, and the bakery/business doesn't feel pushed to the wall.

• Think outside the oven. You'll probably need small bags, waxed paper, paper plates, plastic forks, napkins, cake boxes, vinyl gloves, boxes, hand trucks, and garbage bags. These things might be more easily donated by your local bakery than actual baked goods.

• Think about display needs. A local florist could donate an arrangement; a hardware store could lend wooden planks to be placed between ladder steps or on file cabinets; a kitchen supply store could lend you trays or standing grid panels with clamps for display.

• If you pick up the donation, you've taken a burden off the vendor. At Fat Witch Bakery, we have an absolute rule: We donate; you pick up.

• A word to the wise: Be sure to say thank-you. You should always credit the business at the event by putting its logo and name on social media and signage at the sale, if possible. A thank-you after the event is a must. A note with a photo from the bake sale keeps it on a personal (dare I say charming?) level. E-mail also works.

The Big Day

I hate to say it, but at first glance, most bake sales look rather bland: three folding tables covered with cheap plastic tablecloths, laden with an uninspired display of treats on a mishmash of plates. There are no decorations; no flowers, balloons, or pops of color. It's such a shame! With just a little effort, you can make your bake sale look as good as it tastes--and you'll be surprised at how much faster your cash box fills up.

Choose a color scheme. Bold color catches and holds the eye, so don't be shy. Think fuchsia over baby pink, gold over pale yellow. Make sure your colors match your theme (orange and black for Halloween, blue and silver for Hanukkah, etc.).

Decorate. Ask local schools for student artwork. Use it to make flyers and also display it at the bake sale to create a fun and warm environment.

Create different levels. At Fat Witch, we display our brownies on trays, in baskets, on cake stands, and on shelves. When everything is at the same height, it looks amateurish. Don't worr…