If you have had the good fortune to visit the mellow Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, and sit in the courtyard of Rather Sweet Bakery and Café, you will be familiar with the mouthwatering Texas-sized baked goods created by Rebecca Rather. You will rush to get a copy of this book and duplicate the savory treats in your own kitchen.
Rather is that unique entity in the culinary world - a self-taught baker. She honed her skills first as a caterer, then under apprenticeship to Daniel Leader of Bread Alone as well as with the Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone. Working from the tradition of baking in Texas, one that draws from a predominantly German influence, but incorporates Mexican and Czech roots as well, Rather has created big-as-Texas breakfasts and desserts. An advocate of non-mechanical baked goods created by people, not machines, Rather states in the introduction to The Pastry Queen, "...you won't find a lot of fussy recipes that take hours to construct and decorate. My pastries aren't styled. They are free-form. I don't like anything that's too perfect. My philosophy is, it's homemade, so why hide it? So I shape my spiky-topped meringue lemon-lime tarts with my hands."
Working with writer, Alison Oresman who is also a dedicated home baker, the recipes, some titled with Texas wit, include breakfast treats such as Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls, Kolaches, Essence of Orange Muffins and Whole Lemon Muffins, both of which she says are Texas-Size muffins. They are large, and they are light as air.
From her popular dessert list, she uses the famous Fredericksburg peaches in a Fredericksburg Peach Cream Cheese Tart. Adding to the list is Buttermilk Pecan Pie, Silken Chocolate-Walnut Tart. Using those famous Fredericksburg peaches again, this time she puts on with a Mexican spin with Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting.
Rather includes lunches and light dinners and treats that are guaranteed to make children happy. For the children there are Ginger People, Peanut Buttercups with Peanut Penuche Icing, Mars Pies and Pretty-in-Pink Shortbread Pigs. For lunches there are All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pies which tells you that this will be a winner, Gulf coast Shrimp Quesadillas and Green Chile Crab Cakes with Tomatillo Salsa.
There is beautiful photography throughout, both of the baked goods and the cafe by Laurie Smith.
About the Authors: Rebecca Rather is a self-taught baker and the owner of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe. She has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies' Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, and Saveur. Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. She covers restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column.
Read about Rather Sweet Bakey in Fredericksburg - rather sweet
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