New York State
Assn of Manufacturing
Retail Bakers
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March, 2022 | Early Spring Newsletter |
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The Baker's Corner
Best Ever Irish Soda Bread
· Prep 15 m
· Cook 45 m
· Ready In1 h 10 m
Ingredients
· 4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3/4 cup white sugar
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
· 1 1/2 cups raisins
· 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
· 3 eggs, at room temperature
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter gently into the flour mixture until well combined, and stir in the raisins. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs together; lightly beat the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Place the dough into the prepared cake pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the bread has risen and the top is golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. A knife inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm.
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Spotlight On
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My Story
Rosanne Rush
I was born in Norwalk, Connecticut in 1952. Our home was a Pre-Civil war home, with a widows walk on the roof, a fireplace in every room, and a Benjamin Franklin stove. Even as a child I was always in awe of our stove. I knew it was different from the more modern ones in my friends’ and relatives’ homes.
Growing up with Italian grandparents on one side and German on the other, food was an important aspect of our lives. Perhaps even more so because my grandfather was a Professional Chef, and owned restaurants.
My love of baking blossomed when around age 6, I received a Betty Crocker Jr. Baking Kit and later an Easy Bake oven. BOY! I was my happiest when baking a cake. In the beginning the important thing to me was that the cake HAD to taste great. In later years, I decided it had to look beautiful AND taste great. Wholesome, high quality ingredients were not an option but required.
My professional career began not in baking but by working for Lehman Brothers in Manhattan. I loved the hustle and bustle of a Wall Street trading room where all the excitement was, and I was the 2nd woman to ever set foot on the floor of the NYSE. I continued my financial studies at night. That left little time to bake, but being on my own at the age of 19, I needed a wider range of recipes for sustenance. Thus began the phone calls to my Nana and grandfather who would tell her what to tell me! That’s how I learned to make many Italian dishes.
When the recession hit in the early 70s, I was laid off. Having to pay rent led me to help a friend in her uncle’s club where I learned to tend bar, hostess, and waitress. Eventually I managed catering/restaurants, and my love for taste and presentation of food was resurrected.
After a few years I rented a kitchen and dining room in a pub, and Rosanna’s Catering was borne. I catered weddings, and parties, and loved it! When the owner of the pub decided to retire and sell, I began working as the Dining Manager for Chase Manhattan Bank. It was there I met my husband Brian and married 20 months later on my 38th Birthday. Brian had custody of four young daughters so life changed just a little! We later added a son to the mix!
Sometime after, I became ill, and had to stop working. Upon recovering, I discovered local cake decorating classes and learned about buttercream icings, decorations, fondant and gum paste flowers.
I purchased a book from the CIA, and used many of the recipes. I was self taught in many aspects of baking and cake decorating. I met a woman who
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owned a catering company, and she purchased cakes and customized royal icing cookies from me. |
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I then decided that I wanted my own bakery, so off went my husband and I on a new adventure. We looked near home, but found a French Patisserie, La Gourmandise, in White Plains for sale. The owner was from Portugal, but raised and trained in France. It was there that he learned how to make French pastries, cookies, tarts, danish and authentic croissants. I then learned from him. Their array of French baked goods combined with my decorative tiered cakes and cookies begat the new bakery in Westchester, renamed Magnificent Edibles.
While La Gourmandise was very nice, it was a typical bakery ambiance. I wanted something elegant, and upscale to represent our high end tiered cakes. We renovated the front of the bakery, putting in a ceramic tile floor that looked like hard wood floors, paneling half way up the walls, with delicate wallpaper, and new decorative tin ceiling, mahogany shelving behind the showcases, and three beautiful Italian imported crystal chandeliers. We installed a seating area where we did bridal and special occasion tastings, serving our samples on Lenox china.
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In 2004 I went to Los Angeles to study under Kerry Vincent! How Exciting to learn from the true Queen of Cakes. I learned so much from her, and she was the kindest, sweetest lady! After class Kerry would invite us to her room where we were staying and would “hold court” telling us many stories and entertaining her students. She was an amazing lady and will be missed.
Soon after opening, I became a member of the NYS Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers. The members provided me with invaluable assistance with day to day operational questions and long term advice. Afterwards, with the help of the Board and former treasurer Egon Schimmeck,
I re-stated the Westchester Baker’s Association Chapter.
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We met monthly, exchanged ideas on how to better serve our customers, and took field trips to see what the latest trends were.
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With NYS Bakers, I arranged trips, guest instructors, and helped with other events, including our Atlantic City Expo shows. I also became the editor of the newsletter, and now continue to do it with my husband, Brian.
I’m proud and honored to be a member of this wonderful Association with its kind, knowledgeable, professional, successful members.
In Magnificent Edibles first year, we won our first of two Best of Westchester awards, which was a blessing. It was exciting to showcase our products at the Best of Westchester Showcase event.
Throughout our years there we were also written up and our decorative cakes were featured in the White Plains Times and the well known Westchester Magazine.!"
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The New York Times wrote an article about our Croquembouche, a French dessert consisting of choux pastry puffs with whipped cream or custard filling.
We did numerious Bridal shows, and fairs all over Westchester and Manhattan, and we acquired many Wholesale accounts. Our most famous account was the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. They were an exciting account to have and certainly helped our bottom line!
However, the hours took a toll on us, and our family. When our lease was up in 2009, we had an offer from a buyer, and we sold our Magnificent Edibles creation.
My love of baking lives on, and always will.
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Thank you for taking the time to read My Story.
Rosanne Rush
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“Bake the best with something good"
Our commitment to the quality of our products and the initial raw materials has been in place from day one. Only the best ingredients with a flawless certificate are included for sophisticated and gentle processing. This is the only way we can ensure that our products are full of the quality we guarantee.
User-friendliness, high quality and nutritional aspects are extremely important – only succeeded by our primary focal point: You. Our customer. In addition to our extensive standard range, we also offer countless tailored products, providing everyone exactly with what they need.
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Up Coming Events
Nassau & Suffolk Bakers Meeting
When: March 24, 2022
Where: Your Mother's Place
2349 New Hyde Park Road
New Hyde Park, NY
516 493-9030
New York State Bakers Meeting
When: March 24, 2022
Where: Your Mother's Place
2349 New Hyde Park Road
New Hyde Park, NY
516 493-9030
Atlantic Bakery Expo
Aka. Artisan Bakery Expo East
October 16&17, 2022
Atlantic City Convention Center
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Bakers Amusement Corner
Jokes, Quotes, etc!
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