The Best Little From-Scratch Bakery in Texas
The pastry case in Rebecca Rather's bakery in Fredericksburg is packed with ultra-buttery scones, luscious cakes, cookies the size of saucers, brownies as big as bricks, and fruit pies that look as though they came straight out of Grandma's oven. Since the day Rebecca and her Rather Sweet Bakery and Café came to town, life in this Hill Country hamlet has been even sweeter and the townsfolk now know why she is the Pastry Queen. Everything she makes is a lot like her: down-home yet grand, and familiar yet one-of-a-kind.
A native Texan, Rather makes the most of her Lone Star state's varied traditions, whether looking to the kitchens of Texas's Mexican and German immigrants or to the cowboy culture of her own forebears. Best of all, her recipes aren't fussy—one of her best-selling cakes stirs together in a single saucepan. Add in a cupful of Texas attitude and her made-from-scratch-with-love philosophy, and you've got an irresistible taste of American baking.
What's best at Rather Sweet? Rebecca's customers all have their favorites (and she is happy to cater to their cravings), but here's just a taste of the perennial best sellers:
• Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones
• Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Tarts (the only big hair Rebecca has ever had!)
• Fourth of July Fried Pies
• Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting
• Turbo-Charged Brownies with Praline Topping
• All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pies
• Kolaches (pillowy yeasted buns with sweet or savory fillings)
• PB&J Cookies
With over 125 surefire tested recipes and 100 photographs that richly capture small-town life in the Hill Country, The Pastry Queen offers a Texas-size serving of the royal splendor of Rebecca's baked goods—courtesy of the rather sweet gal behind the case.
Acknowledgments - xi
Breakfast Eats, Muffins, and Scones - 6
Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls - 8
Fresh Ginger-Pear Quick Bread - 11
Eddie's Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping - 12
Jonnie's Breakfast Granola - 13
Kolaches - 15
Mother's Day Pancakes - 18
Individual Baked Omelets - 19
Crème Brûlée French Toast - 20
Banana Bran Muffins - 21
Peach Jam Scones - 22
Chocolate Chip Scones - 23
Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones - 24
Essence of Orange Muffins - 27
Whole Lemon Muffins - 28
Pies and Tarts - 30
Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Meringue Tarts - 32
Texas Big Hairs Chocolate-Hazelnut Meringue Tarts - 36
Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Struesel Topping - 38
Fredericksburg Peach Cream Cheese Tart - 40
Frangelico-Hazelnut Fruit Tart - 42
Black-and-White Cranberry Tarts - 43
Buttermilk Pecan Pie - 45
Fourth of July Fried Pies - 47
Aunt Mollie's Coconut Cream Pie - 50
Chef Mark's Southern Comfort Apple Pie - 53
Silken Chocolate-Walnut Tart - 55
Grasshopper Pie - 56
Everyday Desserts and Candies - 58
Emergency Fruit Crostatas - 61
Petite Pavlovas with Lemon Cream and Fresh Fruit - 64
Hill Country Peach Cobbler - 65
Individual Pear-Maple Cobblers - 66
Mexican Chocolate Fudge-Pecan Cake - 67
Mahogany Cake - 70
Orange-Date Bundt Cake - 72
Totally Rummy Pound Cake - 74
Glazed Lemon-Cranberry Loaf Cake - 76
Oatmeal Crisps - 77
Cappuccino Cheesecakes - 78
Mrs. Chisholm's Divinity - 79
Coconut Cream Flan - 80
Texas Pralines - 81
Desserts for Special Occasions and Holidays - 82
American Beauty Cake - 84
Tuxedo Cake - 86
Larger-than-Life Praline Cheesecake - 89
Bananas Foster Shortcakes - 90
Strawberry Ricotta Cake - 92
Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting - 94
Cream-Filled Pumpkin Roll - 97
Mini Apple-Cinnamon Loaves with Calvados Glaze - 99
Espresso Crème Brûlée - 100
Toffee Bar Brownie Torte - 102
Tiramisù with Homemade Ladyfingers - 104
Dulce de Leche–Arborio Rice Pudding - 106
Muchas Leches Cake with Sugared Almonds - 109
Almond Bliss German Chocolate Cake - 112
Seventh Heaven Chocolate Truffle Cake - 114
White Chocolate–Snickers Mousse - 118
White-on-White Buttermilk Cake with Jack Daniel's Buttercream - 120
Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut–Cream Cheese Frosting - 122
Cookies, Brownies, and Bars - 124
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies - 127
Triple-Threat Chocolate Chip Cookies - 128
Sugar Saucers - 130
Chock-Full-of-Nuts Cookies - 132
Café Chocolate-Cherry Bites - 133
Caramel-Filled Brownies - 135
Turbo-Charged Brownies with Praline Topping - 137
Double-Ginger Chews - 140
Ruby-Flecked Florentines - 141
Dulce de Leche Macaroons - 142
Snow-Tipped Sand Tarts - 143
Texas Pecan Pie Bars - 145
Blackberry Pie Bars - 146
Lemon-Champagne Bars with Strawberry Brûlée Topping - 147
Bunches of Biscotti - 148
Lunches and Light Dinners - 150
Beer Bread - 153
Rocket Rolls - 154
Nuevo Texas Waldorf Salad - 156
Rather Rich Corn Muffins - 157
Apple-Almond Chicken Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise - 158
Field Greens with Spiced Pecans, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette - 160
Chicken Satay with Yogurt-Cucumber Dipping Sauce - 162
Caesar Salad Pizzas - 163
Wild Rice and Chickpea Salad - 167
Wild Mushroom Soup - 168
Curried Butternut Squash Soup - 169
Texas Tortilla Soup - 170
Gulf Coast Shrimp Quesadillas - 172
Brie and Brisket Quesadillas - 174
Rather Sweet Bread and Cheese Board - 177
Green Chile Crab Cakes with Tomatillo Salsa - 178
All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pies - 180
Prosciutto Tostadas with Shrimp and Parsley - 183
King Ranch Casserole - 184
Ground Beef Gorditas - 186
Savory Crab and Shrimp Cheesecake - 188
Treats Kids Love - 190
Sticky-Fingers Bars - 193
Ginger People - 194
Franny's Fave Peanut Butter–Banana Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce - 196
Peanut Buttercups with Peanut-Penuche Icing - 200
PB&J Cookies with Honey-Roasted Peanuts - 203
Mars Pies - 204
Pretty-in-Pink Shortbread Pigs - 206
Maple-Glazed Oatmeal Cookies - 209
Jubilation Granola Chews - 210
Pumpkin Yumkins - 211
Drinks - 212
Watermelon Lemonade - 214
Frothy Vanilla Milk - 215
Tommye Wood's Milk (Sure Packs a) Punch - 216
Rather Sweet Sangria - 217
Hill Country Guanabana Margaritas - 218
No Bull Bloody Marys - 219
Index - 220