As usual, I had a great time browsing around and filling my basket with nifty baking ingredients and supplies: ready-to-use peppermint candy bits, peppermint-colored baker’s twine and muffin cups, a bag of fine cocoa rouge, a set of Christmas mini-cutters and some odd size measuring spoons are just some of the treasures I found. In the pic below right I’m the one in the purple jacket chatting with another customer.
(Please note that I have no affiliation or commercial arrangement whatsoever with King Arthur, though I have taught a couple of classes there and have known several members of the staff a long while. I’m posting this just because they’re a great resource for any baking enthusiast.)
Besides attracting hordes of customers to its friendly retail store, King Aurthur has a baking catalog and fills order both on-line and via phone. This is a very good thing if you fall in love with their products but can’t drop in often (she says knowingly)!
King Arthur also offers an array of hands-on baking classes in its well-outfitted education center, and while I was there, Susan Miller and Robyn Sargent were teaching a pizza class to a group that had attended the baking conference in Stowe.
When you scroll down, notice the gorgeous stone bake oven in the background of the shot at the bottom. It bakes pizza at a blazing 700 degrees F.
The folks smiling were the team whose pizzas took first place. The judges said theirs showed the best evidence of yeast activity, as well as good balance of crust and toppings, and pleasing appearance. Frankly though, after sampling I have to say that even the non-winners would have made most home bakers very proud.
For more culinary goodies from Vermont, check out my visit to a maple “sugar shack” here.
Got to go there soon. thank you for posting.
Oh yes, Anna, you can definitely go to their store, and I'm sure you'd love it. If for whatever reason you ever visit New England you really may want to plan a trip. Usually there are leaves to see in early October, though they're only turning right now this year. Or, in March, it's fun to go and enjoy the maple sugar harvest. This is tricky, however, cause the weather can still turn "wicked" cold & nasty there in March. In the meantime, there's "visiting" on line!
I would love to visit King Arthur! For some silly reason, I didn't realize people could just walk in and visit. Interesting about the mini cutters. Perhaps people are using them to cut fondant or for other aspects of cupcake decorating? Decorating seems more popular these days. Another use is as little stencils. You put the mini cutter on top of a cupcake, fill the cutter with sprinkles, then remove the cutter.