Sweet Shop: Golden Crown Panaderia

Pratt Morales and son Chris, Albuquerque, NM

I just had a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about New Mexico. If you'd like to read it, click on the below. (Sorry, I haven't figured out how to include a link here yet.)

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/89769762.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

In that piece, I included a couple paragraphs about the Golden Crown Panaderia in Albuquerque. Pratt Morales and son Chris run this Southwest bakery famous for its green chile bread (featured on the Food Network) and its anise-flavored biscochitos. I loved the bread but it was those flaky cookies that really got to my sweet tooth.

When you walk in here, the typical bakery scents of bread baking, cinnamon and sugar greet you --along with a friendly person behind the counter offering a free cookie--a biscochito. This is New Mexico's "official State Cookie". As I wrote in my article, you've got to love a state that elevates a cookie to such status. Personally, I'd love to have been at the meeting where it was discussed. "I move that we adopt the biscochito as our state cookie". "I second it." "All in flavor, I mean favor, say aye". And don't ya wonder--how it all started to begin with? Like, was some state worker sitting on break having a cup of coffee and a biscochito when it hit him or her (probably her)--dang, this cookie is GOOD. After another bite... this cookie is REALLY good. Then another worker comes in to the break room and she says to whoever just came in, "hey Joe, this cookie is flipping delicious. It's so good, it could be.... official!" and Joe (but probably it's a Mary) says, "give me some of that cookie and I'll tell you if it's any good," and then she tastes it and says, "Damn, I think you are right!Give me another one to make sure." Then after six or so more cookies, the two think... You know, we should make this REALLY official. Wouldn't it be cool to have an official... state cookie?" I suppose if I were really curious, I could easily find out how the whole thing came to be. But I kind of like my imagined scenario. At any rate, I loved the cookie so much I made them for the annual Christmas cookie exchange last year. (Recipe follows at end of post.)

But enough already about the cookie. The truth is, while visiting this bakery, I found Pratt and Chris(the father-son team who run this operation) to be as sweet as the cookies they bake. They invited me into their kitchen and let me watch them at work, shared memories and dreams, philosophy and baking tips, and of course, tastes. And it's easy to see that everything coming out of the ovens here gets a dose of TLC. These guys love what they're doing. I like the way Pratt explained it: "Passion is when you're supposed to be somewhere at 4, and you get there at 2."

Whether you get here at 2, 4, or 7 a.m., you're in for a real treat --and a free biscochito--when you stop in here. Don't miss it.

Chris on the patio of the Golden Crown Panaderia with pan of biscochitos. (You can also get a great cappuccino at the bakery--see below)

Biscochitos (recipe from the Santa Fe School of Cooking)

Makes 4-5 dozen

2 cups lard or vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. toasted anise seeds

6 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½ cup brandy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the lard or shortening (I used Crisco). Add sugar, eggs and anise seeds and cream again. Mix dry ingredients separately and combine with the shortening mixture. Add the brandy and mix thoroughly.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle the cookie shapes with sugar-cinnamon mixture. (1 cup sugar to 1 tsp. or more cinnamon) . Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Ireland: Galway bakeries

When people think of Ireland, they don't generally think about fabulous food or delicious sweets. They think of Guinness and fish and chips obviously, and green green pastures and grazing sheep. They think of music and pubs and soft misty mornings and warm friendly people.

But I have to say that while visiting Ireland last November, I experienced all of the above--yes, even the fabulous food and delicious sweets. (I also experienced rain. But that's another story.) This being a blog about sweet treats, I'm here to tell you that I found Galway an especially sweet town. The first shop I happened upon was the Gourmet Tart Co. where I spotted the pedestal platter full of those incredible looking strawberry meringues in the window (pictured above) as soon as I started up the street for my one day of shopping. However, I decided to wait to purchase one until on my way BACK to the car. Mistake. Big mistake. Actually on any trip, this is a Cardinal Mistake (CM). Never, never, NEVER ASSUME you will be able to find your way back to any particular spot you see ever again-- whether to take a photo, or purchase something you spotted in the window. Of course, if I had been with my girlfriends, this would never have occurred in the first place. They would have reminded me. But I was with my family. At any rate, you guessed it. When I returned to the shop (I did find it again), and went in to buy my meringue, the shop girl sadly informed me that they were sold out. And while the ones in the window were still displayed, she told me they were not fresh. (I was ready to take one of them. I mean, meringues stay fresh for days I wanted to tell her.) Need I say I was crushed? I was. Luckily, I was not leaving Galway until the next afternoon. The next day I bought and ate the meringue as soon as I got to the shop. And it WAS well worth waiting for!! I have not had such an exceptional meringue since. It was on par and in fact superior to a few meringues I have eaten in Paris. I would love to know how they managed to get the strawberry jam swirled so perfectly in them

Galway had several other bakeries as well. I visited Griffin's several times as they sold jars of orange marmalade made with Irish whiskey and I wanted several to bring home for gifts. Also, the fam discovered if you bought a cup of tea there, they threw in these delectable mini scones that simply melted on the tongue. One of my sons talked me in to buying a wedge of some chocolate covered confection with dried fruit too (dried fruit always raises a red flag with me). But it turned out to be quite yummy. In fact, so yummy, I wished I'd bought more. Two other bakeries I also checked out were The Oven Door (a cute little shop) and Goyas--where the wedding cakes in the windows were darling and decadent and different than any I've seen here in the USA.

Above: Me-- finally with my meringue!!!

Norway: Baker Brun

Per Rick Steves' ( http://ricksteves.com/) Scandinavia 2007 recommendation-- I stopped in Baker Brun for morning espresso and a skillingsbolle (Norway's version of the cinnamon roll). Baker Brun is located right on the pier where the stalls are set up for Bergen's famous fish market. There really is nothing like eating this oven-warm treat near the water, with the seagulls noisy overhead and birds nearby waiting for some sugar-y crumbs. The next morning I tried the sommerbolle--which is similar to the skillingsbolle, except it has a sunshine-y yellow circle of vanilla custard in the center. One bite into the literally just made custard (it was still warm), combined with the soft bread, plus the drizzle of frosting--and I decided this sweet beauty was my new favorite Norwegian specialty. (Much as I love salmon, I still prefer a pastry for breakfast.) More info: http://www.visitnorway.com/