It’s been three hours since the last sample and I’m still feeling rather buzzed. Yes, I had wine but it’s not that. It’s the sugar. The copious amounts of sugar.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’m in heaven.
This morning my friend Jane and I treated ourselves to another cooking class at the all-things-kitchen shop that is Vancouver’s Gourmet Warehouse. We were taught five recipes from the newly published cookbook “Butter Baked Goods – Nostalgic Recipes from a Little Neighbourhood Bakery”
Our instructor was none other than Rosie Daykin the author, and owner of Butter. She opened her first bakery in 2007 and quickly became famous as the creator of the very best gourmet marshmallows in North America. As the book jacket states, the marshmallows “can be found in over 300 stores (and counting) across Canada, the U.S. and Japan.” She expanded into a second, much larger shop a few years later, offering a light lunch menu in addition to the delicious baked goods. The rest is history.
She began today’s class with a query. Did we feel like Lemon Meringue Tart and a glass of wine?
There’s your answer.
As I’ve said before, classes at the Gourmet Warehouse are a delight. Patrons observe, learn, eat and drink. What could be better?
This Lemon Meringue Tart was beyond delicious. The lemon curd was light, creamy and topped by the best meringue I have ever had. Hands down.
We moved on to Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Rosie told us she likes to think of these as inverted cupcakes with icing tucked in the middle.
After that little morsel of goodness I slowed down on the picture-taking. I was too busy eating. We moved on to Peanut Butter Balls (as good as they sound), The Dunbars (a square with oats, pecans, coconut…) and my daughter’s absolute favourite Butter special The Homemade You Know Whats.
Such a great story behind the origin of the name of these gems. They used to go by a different name. However she renamed them The Homemade You Know Whats upon receiving an official cease-and-desist letter demanding an immediate name change. It was exactly the same name sported by those delicious round chocolate wafer sandwich cookies with white filling in the middle. The ones whose ads encourage us to twist the chocolate top off and to dunk ’em in milk.
Yes “O_ _ os.”
Butter makes these O_ _ os the size of CDs. They are a meal in themselves.
At the end of the two-hour class we were thrilled to each receive a copy of the cookbook. She didn’t tell us but I have it on good authority it is now Canada’s number one selling cookbook.
Buzzed as I still am, I know you must be wishing you could have joined us. Fear not. You can sample and create these delicious confections yourself. Simply order a cookbook. It is available at Chapters, Indigo and Amazon.
While I am not affiliated with the cookbook in any way and am not receiving anything other than perhaps several calories, I highly recommend it. Do yourself a favour and buy one. You won’t be sorry.
Enough about me and my Saturday. What did you do today? Eat anything stupendous or witness anything incredible? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
19 Responses
Another wonderful post Kelly, one which I had the pleasure of sharing with you ! What a delightful class it was, Rosie is such a lovely, genuine woman with a great sense of humour. I am still laughing about using the culinary blow torch to keep unwanted people out of the kitchen ! I am also still suffering from a severe case of sugar overload, but well worth it. Can’t wait to try the cookbook, I am making some cookies tomorrow !
Yes, the blow torch threat. So funny. Let me know which cookies you decide to bake and how they turn out. Yours in cookie scoop heaven …
Just made the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies and they are delicious !!!
With the cranberries we got in Fort Langley, I bet. Well done you.
What a delicious day! I’m noticing a rather alarmingly rapid decrease in the butter storied in the fridge these days. My new oven just begs for baking. But, oh it’s so much fun. Not to mention delicious. Going to have to check out that cookbook 🙂
Yes do Linda. It’s chalk full of all the secrets that make the bakery so successful. And you have a new oven! Ohh — match made in heaven.
Oh my goodness! What an incredible Saturday and the food looks amazing! Mmmm now I want some butterrr.
My Saturday was spent mostly in bed, battling away a cold– I still managed to drink a few glasses of wine because, you know, alcohol kills germs and all.
Drink up! I agree you are bound to feel better if you do. Hope the wine zaps away the nasty cold bug and you are back in the swing of things pronto!
My mouth started watering at lemon meringue pie, yum. I love cooking classes and will usually attend 4 or 5 each year. This one sounds perfect. Thanks for the share, now where can I get me some lemon meringue today???
Hope you managed to track some down. Otherwise perhaps you could print the pic I posted and chow down on it? It was so delicious, surely the goodness will transfer onto the printed copy …
WOW WOW!!! That sounds like just about the perfect Saturday!! How awesome! The desserts sounds to-die-for and the cookbook definitely seems exceptional. Love the photos. You did a great job. I wonder if there’s something like that around here? I’d love to do that!
So much fun. The wine really makes the class that much better, I must say.
That lemon tart totally almost made me cry. It looks SO DELICIOUS!!! YUM!! What a great class that must have been! :)-Ashley
And the best part? The picture didn’t do it justice. 10 times more delish than the photo I took.
An inverted cupcake with icing in the middle? Yes, please!! What a delightful way to spend a Saturday! And I love, love, love the wink in the name “Homemade You Know Whats”. Take that O__o! We were at the San Diego Food and Wine exhibit – an overwhelming bonanza of fancy foods and fabulous wines. Then I came home and napped.
Can just imagine how heavenly the San Diego Food and Wine exhibit was. Wow – food, wine and San Diego. A real powerhouse, if ever there was one. Especially perfect that you came home and napped!
Oh my. I don’t suppose it would be appropriate to lick the computer screen, but those treats look so tempting I just might. Butter. Sugar. Just alternate ways to spell JOY.
Hahaha! They are heavenly treats I must say. Love the “just alternate ways to spell JOY.” Sums it up perfectly.
Oh my god….there’s no way I could eat that much sugar in one sitting. I would not be walking. I would however very much enjoy that glass of wine. Nothing can go wrong with a glass of wine in your hand. 🙂