With the Vancouver weather acting as temperamental (ie: cold) as ever, times like these certainly draw upon the necessity for comfort food. A Bread Affair is proud to have been serving warm, delicious baked goods to the good people of this city for many years. Nothing helps ward off the winter chill quite like our organic, locally sourced, absolutely delectable products. We do understand that braving the icy streets in order to obtain something as simple as a cookie can be a risky affair, and many of our customers often turn to us in order to obtain advice regarding baking their own products at home.
Cookies are a classic staple of comfort food whipped up in the kitchen, and, although they are relatively simple to make in terms of ingredients, there are tricky components behind the process of keeping them fresh long after they emerge from the oven. While A Bread Affair bakes our cookies fresh on the daily, our customers typically strive to find baking and storage techniques that will prolong the durability of each batch. For those looking to prolong the longevity of their yummy home baked goods, our bakers have amassed some quick and simple advice:
- While it may be tempting to pack up your cookies as soon as they emerge from the oven, it is always a good idea to let them completely cool first prior to storage. This will help alleviate excess moisture that contributes towards the product going stale. Many people think staleness arises from food going dry when, in reality, it is humidity that causes this state.
- Layer the cookies in plastic containers with wax paper in between each layer. On the top layer, add another sheet of wax, and then top it off with a slice of bread. When the bread becomes hard or stale, simply replace it.
- Adding half an apple into the container can also work wonders when it comes to retaining the moist, soft texture of the cookies themselves. People tend to gravitate towards chewy cookies rather than crunchy ones! You can also use an aluminum tea ball with a slightly dampened piece of cotton in it.
- Sure, this may seem like a no brainer, but freezing cookies is the ultimate way to store them. We usually recommend keeping different types in separate containers, packing them in layers with freezer paper, and also keep a space between them and the lid. Also, probably not the worst idea to heat them up when you are ready to enjoy, broken teeth are never a lot of fun.
With the weather outside being so frightful, we hope that you, dear reader, take it upon yourself to try out some home baking. Sure, we appreciate your business, but sometimes leaving the house can be a little tricky. Hopefully these handy tips will keep your belly full and taste buds satisfied until things warm up a little bit!
