Bien Fait Cakes offers a yummy cake that would go well with your morning cup of coffee, tea, or large glass of milk. Our Amaretto Nut Cake is rich, delicious and dense. This cake is packed full of protein to get your day started right! Walnuts, almonds, pecans, whole Brazil nuts and dried fruit are sure to satisfy you early in the morning. We recommend spreading a little cream cheese on a slice and kicking back with your first cup. Try not to eat the whole loaf; you’ll want to save a few pieces for a snack later.

There is something about this time of year that whips me into a baking frenzy. After the holidays I like to take a short break from the kitchen, but when spring time comes around my fingers start to itch to get that apron back on and my hands back into the flour. You have your pick of great spring fruits that can add something fresh to any baked good. So head on over to your local grocer or farmers market and pick up some juicy strawberries, rhubarb stalks, plump apricots and succulent cherries. You could also grab a sprinkling of mint to throw into the mix.

Spring is also a great time to start working on perfecting that pie dough.  All of the fruits you picked up would work great inside a nice crisp crust.  Who doesn’t love strawberry rhubarb or cherry pie? Below are a couple of fun links for recipes to check out at your leisure.

Try this easy pie crust recipe.  My grandmother used to use a similar recipe. Trust me; you won’t fear pie crust again!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pie-crust/

And you can use the filling from this recipe with the crust above.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/grandmas-strawberry-rhubarb-pie-recipe/index.html

Here’s a crack at cherry pie:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/CherryPie.html

The day I discovered apple cake was quite mind blowing for me. The shining star in this cake is the apple, so you want to make sure you use a nice baking apple. Different types of cake are used to enhance the flavor of the apples you choose to include in the cake.  The base is usually fairly plain, while the apples are tossed in spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.  And if you really want to liven up the apple cake, try throwing in some chopped walnuts or almonds. The different textures add something special to the flavor profile of the dessert.  This cake has also been known as “Jewish Apple Cake” because it usually doesn’t contain any dairy. Therefore it can be enjoyed with Jewish meals consisting of meat.

If you are looking for a fun recipe to whip up in your kitchen, take a look at this one:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/moms-apple-cake/.

The pictures really help you to visualize how moist and delicious this cake can turn out! From all of us at Bien Fait Cakes, happy eating!

Without them, deadlines would be missed, the office wouldn’t be as organized and the flow of work would not be as steady. It’s helpful to have someone keep you organized. They keep you on top of your own schedule and hold you accountable for what needs to be done. They also handle one of my most dreaded tasks – answering phones. Handling phone calls it not an easy task. You don’t have to worry about arranging phone calls and they prepare you for what to expect when dealing with a client on the phone. If you are lucky enough to be able to travel for your job, they plan all of the details of your trip. That means no muss and fuss for you!

It’s easy to forget all of the minute details that are handled by our executive administrators because they are handled with such ease that it appears they take very little effort at all. Trust me these people are working hard to make it all appear very easy. Let them know how valuable they are and say thank you on a regular basis. Bien Fait Cakes would love to assist you in your thank you by providing one of our many combo gifts!  I’m sure they would love to receive our Bien Fait sampler or the Teatime Selection.

Executive Administration Day is April 25!

Thank You!

From everyone at the Bien Fait Bakery

So what is so special about the Pecan?

Well, pecans are one of the few major nut species that are native to North America. The trees grew along waterways making them easy for native people to access. And because the nuts are easy to shell, well easier than other North American nut varieties, they became a major food source for native peoples. If we flash forward to the 1700s, the colonists, the French, and the Spanish all saw the wonderful nut as a food source. By the later part of the 18th century they began to see it as a money source. By the early 1800s the French were exporting the flavorful nut, and by about 1805 there were advertisements in London touting the tree as a crop that could be cultivated.

Through out the 1800s there were many advances made in the planting, growing, and harvesting of the pecan. Budding techniques, grating techniques, and the commercial development of the crop all took place throughout this period allowing the pecan to spread world wide, and become a commonly used cooking product in many homes.

In honor of National Pecan day we are offering a fantastic special, come take a look. Now I understand there are some people who are unable to eat nuts, but in the spirit of camaraderie we offer many of these options without nuts so feel free to indulge.   Or if you are looking for a pecan fix right now, I am sure every local store carries a stock of these tasty treats so enjoy!

Happy Pecan Day!

April 19^th is Get to Know Your Customer Day! This is a fun day for us here at Bien Fait Cakes because we love getting to know the people that love our yummy treats! We would love to meet each and every one of our loyal customers personally to say, “Thank you,” but unfortunately that isn’t possible. We will take the time however to say, “Thank you” right now!

It is important for all businesses to have a good grasp of their customer base. Without customers there would be no reason to keep the doors open, no product to produce and no one to share the special knowledge with. It is important to always pay attention to your clients’ needs and wants. Listen to what they have to say and be considerate of their opinions and advice. Loyalty is something that isn’t easy to come by and has to be nourished over time. Make sure you are always giving a customer not only what they want, but what they need. Ensure there is nothing else you can get for them. That inspires good customer relations and will keep a customer coming back. Keeping in contact with customers is important. Technology has made it easy for businesses to stay in contact through multiple avenues. Businesses can keep in touch via e-mail, snail mail, text messages or personal phone calls.

It’s never too late to let your customers know that you care and value them. And it never hurts to send them a token of your gratitude! Perhaps one of our delicious teacakes or an assortment of dessert squares? Many of our desserts make perfect customer gifts. Take a look and see if any of them meet your needs. These products work well in gift baskets, as individual gifts, or can be combined to make great office gifts for those corporate clients. We know you love them; we guarantee your recipient will too!

Beginning a garden doesn’t have to be a grandiose venture. Start small with a little patch or container garden. Don’t try and grow too many things at once either. A good experiment might be the start of your very own herb garden and maybe a few flowers sprinkled in here and there. Start off with a handful of herbs that are easier to maintain like rosemary, sage, or thyme. Once they start to produce you can incorporate them into your nightly dinner. It will add a flavorful touch!

As for vegetables, beans are the best, and easiest! They grow just about anywhere, and they can be planted within the next few weeks. Yes, even here is the cold Northeast Kingdom. They are the first vegetable we can plant here, and they produce fresh food all summer (or you can let them dry for winter use).

My favorite flower to grow (if I have enough sun) is the breathtaking sunflower. They are fairly easy to get started, and I always feel satisfied when I see them continue to grow big and tall. You can keep a diary and measure your friend’s progress every week. You’ll feel like a professional with a green thumb in no time!

Happy gardening from everyone at Bien Fait!