Olympia’s Sweet Treats

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By Mary Ellen Psaltis

Oh, who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream

Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream

The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can

The Candy Man can ’cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

—from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

You don’t need Willy Wonka to make your sweet dreams come true. Thurston County is bountiful with bakers who use their creativity and skills to offer you sweets that will melt your resolve as they melt in your mouth. What better time of year to indulge in a treat with your Valentine? Actually, any time is a good time, but February 14 gives you an extra opportunity to share.

You could drive around Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Rainier to hunt for the dessert of your dreams. That takes time and gas – both precious commodities for most of us. Or, you could slip into Bayview Thriftway and find a world of treats awaiting you. They’ve taken the time to carefully select a few desserts from some of our local bakers and also a few from the region.

The choices range A-Z. Sink your chops into a huge Apple fritter slathered with chocolate and peanut butter. There are crunchy Biscotti for coffee dipping and frosted Cookies galore. You will find numerous Gluten-free options, Ladyfingers, shiny Petit fours, and Silken cakes. Admire the tempting Tortes.

But Don’t Wait. I can’t say if there is Zabagione, but keep reading to learn about Alaska Silk.

 

Here are a few of our local stars:

Abby’s Cookies and Cupcakes: http://www.facebook.com/AbbysCookiesAndCupcakes

Bearded Lady: http://beardedladyfood.weebly.com

Blue Heron Bakery: http://blueheronbakery.com

Main Street Cookie Company: http://www.mainstreetcookies.com

Smiling Mo’s Bakery: http://www.smilingmosbakery.com

San Francisco Street Bakery: http://sfsbakery.com

Desserts by Tasha Nicole: http://www.tashanicole.com

Twister Donuts: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twister-Donuts

Shelly Brown, Bayview’s Deli and Bakery Manager, or any of her able teammates can assist you with your selections. Brown has a few sweet dreams of her own. She envisions a fudge machine and a truffle case in the store. Humm… so many goodies… so little time…

A Cake Note

If you are planning ahead for a birthday, wedding or special occasion, you can visit Marsha Wigren at Ralph’s Thriftway. She has been working there for 30 years and began frying donuts. Now though Classic Creations she can custom design and decorate for your special day.

A Note on Alaska Silk

Seattle resident Phyllis Buzzini owns the Alaska Silk Pie Company. This vivacious woman started her company twenty-seven years ago on an unemployment check and a prayer. Now she has a facility in Seattle and ships everywhere. A few of her delectable desserts are on display and available at Bayview. Now you can also buy cartons of her silk. It comes in dark or white chocolate. Either can be used as a base for countless desserts such as cheesecakes and mousse. Silk can be piped into chocolate cups or injected into cupcakes. It transforms to frosting or ganache. As Buzzini says, “You are only challenged by your own imagination.” She’s been imagining desserts for 28 years and still likes the chocolate a lot.

Silk is a creamy mixture of cream, butter, and pasteurized eggs and hence is gluten-free, too. I took her cooking class to see first hand how versatile and easy it is to use. Plus I got to taste it. The 2-pound tub comes frozen and can actually be thawed, cut into smaller hunks and refrozen. I am ready to begin my own experiments.

A truly simple way to use Alaska Silk to is mix 2 parts of silk with one part heavy cream. This will fluff into exquisite mousse. You can add liquor, pureed fruit or any flavoring for a dessert that will melt in your mouth. You could even eat the silk without doing anything to it.

Desserts are fun. They can mark a special occasion, end a fine meal or be eaten for no particular reason. It doesn’t matter whether you want to make your own dessert creations or let someone do it for you; there are options galore. Do take the time to sit down and enjoy it. Savor every bite.

Eat Well – Be Well.

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