Butter Baked Goods Cookbook

Butter Baked Goods Cookbook

When Oprah Winfrey comes calling, you know you’re onto something. Butter Baked Goods’ version of the homemade Oreo was a finalist for Oprah’s 2012 Favorite Things. It was a turning point for the Vancouver bakery specializing in homespun treats. Owner Rosie Daykin now markets her famous marshmallows across Canada, the U.S. and Japan and her first cookbook, Butter Baked Goods: Nostalgic Recipes from a Little Neighbourhood Bakery is now available.

Before opening her original bakery in 2007, Daykin worked as an interior designer. Being a passionate home baker, she decided to quit her day job to create delicious desserts full-time. Her stylish pink and pistachio-coloured shop is as pretty as the cupcakes that come out of it.

Click through to find some of Daykin’s best classic recipes from her new book, including her Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Dream Bars, and yes, even her famous marshmallows.

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie

Peanut butter cookies are fantastic, no argument there. But two peanutbutter cookies—with a generous helping of peanut butter filling sandwiched between them—is simply out of this world.

You will need

• 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
• medium ice cream scoop

Ingredients

• 550 ml (2 1⁄4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) baking soda
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 250 ml (1 cup) butter, room temperature
• 250 ml (1 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 175 ml (3⁄4 cup) granulated sugar
• 175 ml (3⁄4 cup) dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla

Filling ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 500 ml (2 cups) icing sugar
• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
2. Onto a large piece of parchment paper, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and peanut butter on medium to high speed until well blended. Add the granulated and dark brown sugars and continue to cream until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and beat briefly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat again to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
5. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
6. Use the ice cream scoop to drop 24 equally sized portions of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 1 1⁄2 inches apart. Hold your three middle fingers together and press down on thetop of each to make slight indentations across the top.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges. Take care not to overbake the cookies as crunchy sandwiches can be hard to eat!
8. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter and butter on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and continue to cream until well-combined.
10. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the cream. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
11. When the cookies have cooled, turn 12 of them bottom sideup. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto each. Place the remaining cookies on top and press down lightly until the buttercream has spread to the edges of the cookies. You have just created the perfect cookie sandwich!

Makes 12 sandwich cookies.

The Dream Slice

According to Daykin, this is her bakery’s best-selling bar. It’s obvious why. The delectable combination of shortbread, cherries, walnuts, coconut and butter cream is sure to give anyone a happy sugar rush.

You will need

• (9 x13-inch) pan buttered and lined with parchment paper
• pastry cutter

Ingredients

• 375 ml (1 1⁄2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 22 ml (1 1⁄2 tbsp)granulated sugar
• 175 ml (3⁄4 cup) butter, chilled

Filling ingredients

• 45 ml (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp)salt
• 2 large eggs
• 175 ml (3⁄4 cup) dark brown sugar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla
• 250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened shredded
• coconut
• 175 ml (3⁄4 cup) walnuts, chopped
• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) maraschino cherries, drained
• and finely chopped

Butter Cream ingredients

• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 500 ml (2 cups) icing sugar
• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350F).
2. Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and granulated sugar. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the chilled butte runtil loose crumbs form. Press the dough into the prepared pan firmly and evenly.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Onto a large piece of parchment paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla on medium to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until pale in colour.
6. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add the coconut, walnuts and cherries and mix until well combined. Spread the filling evenly over the baked crust.
7. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the filling has set and is lightly browned.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the slab to cool completelyin the pan.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the butter cream. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and icing sugar on medium to high speed until pale in colour. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to medium and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
10. Use a small offset spatula to spread the butter cream smoothly over the cooled slab. Chill in the refrigerator until the butter cream is firm to the touch.
11. Run a small knife along thetwo edges of the pan that do not have parchment handles. Carefully remove the slab from the pan and cut into approximately 2 × 2 1⁄2-inch bars. Make sure to use at least a 10-inch knife to avoid cutting and dragging the knife across the bars.

Makes 20 bars.

Butter’s Famous Marshmallows

When Daykin first opened her bakery, the gourmet marshmallow was still a bit of a mystery. But word soon got out, and now Butter makes 18 different flavours of marshmallows that are shipped to specialty stores across North America. This recipe is for Butter’s classic Vanilla Marshmallow that started it all.

You will need

• (9 x 9-inch) baking pan, buttered

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 500 ml (2 cups) granulated sugar
• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) light corn syrup
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) pure vanilla
• Generous amount of icing sugar to coat the marshmallows, about 500 ml (2 cups)

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour in half of the water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside to allow the gelatin to soak in.
2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
3. Turn the mixer to low and mix the gelatin once or twice to combine it with the water. Slowly add the hot sugar mixture, pouring it gently down the side of the bowl and continue to mix on low.
4. Turn the mixer to high and continue to whip for 10 to12 minutes until the marshmallow batter almost triples in size and becomes very thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to avoid the batter overflowing as it grows. Stop the mixer, add the vanilla, and then whip briefly to combine.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula or bench scraper to spread it evenly in the pan. Work quickly, as the marshmallow becomes more difficult to manipulate as it sets.
6. Grease a sheet of plastic wrap with butter and lay it across the top of the marshmallow. Press down firmly on the plastic wrap, to seal it smoothly and tightly against the mixture.
7. Leave the marshmallow to set at room temperature for at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight. The marshmallow will be too sticky and soft to cut if you try too soon.
8. Sprinkle a work surface or cutting board with the icing sugar. Run a knife along the top edge of the pan and flip the marshmallow out onto the counter or board. Scoop up handfuls of the icing sugar and rub it all over the marshmallow slab.
9. Use a large knife to cut the slab into 1 x-1-inch squares. Roll each of the freshly cut marshmallow squares in the remaining icing sugar to coat them completely.

Makes about 64 (1 x 1-inch) marshmallows.