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 Hello
Holiday greetings from snowy Vermont where I'm hunkered down for our first big storm of the winter season. The skiers and winter sports enthusiasts love it; I prefer to watch from the warmth of my cozy bakery where we're working around the clock this month.
Christmas and the New Year gift-giving season are now upon us. We've added a couple items to our online shopping cart. Our shortbread sampler for $22 contains 8 of our famous shorties (one of each flavor) for people who can't decide what flavor they like best! Craving some shortbread crumbles for your ice cream, or just want a tasty shortbread nibble without committing to the gift box? Try our Slightly Imperfect...Perfectly Delicious bag 'o shortbread pieces for $6. These are the shortbreads that don't quite make the gift box grade because they broke in the mold, but still taste perfectly yummy and won't break the bank! Or order our signature product - the shortbread gift box with a gift card for your lucky gift recipient. Order online by December 19, 2007 to ensure delivery by Christmas. But don't worry if you miss the 12/19 deadline - many of our customers send shortbread as a New Year's gift!
if you're one of those folks who prefers to email or call in your order, we are now able to accept credit cards to save you the hassle of having to mail a check. Just shoot us an email at ann@vermontshortbread.com or a phone call at US +1 8022644835 Call and we'll process your credit card order pronto!
I have a penchant (and a family history) for foods and literature from the British Isles. Some say this food isn't very exciting - I say poppycock. Give me a chip buttie, pungent Stilton and port, black pudding, Christmas pudding, Bakewell tart, scones and clotted cream, anything custardy, a book of Wordsworth's poetry and hard cider, and I'm just as happy as can be. I guess that's why I love shortbread so much! This month, I'm sharing one of my favorite traditional dessert recipes from the British Isles - trifle. I make this trifle every Christmas. A good trifle may be a bit labor intensive, but it's so worth it. Give it a try!
We're so grateful for your patronage in 2007 and wish you a happy and healthy holiday.
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Sincerely,
Ann Zuccardy, Owner
Vermont Shortbread Company
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Holiday Shortbread
Every year at this time we feature our seasonal brown sugar spice shortbread. This flavor, made with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg smells just like pumpkin pie when it comes out of the oven (or when you heat it in your microwave) and is available only in November and December. Of course, our seven other famous flavors are available year-round: traditional (plain), raspberry jam, strawberry jam, chocolate, lemon curd, almond, and walnut cinnamon.
It's not quite Christmas, but the weather is just right to sample our tried and true seven shortbread flavors in two sizes. Try one with a cup of hot Vermont cider or your favorite tea or coffee!
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Shortbread 8" Round
$17.00
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Click here to order using our safe and secure PayPal payment system.
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Shortbread Sampler
$22.00
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Click here to order using our safe and secure PayPal payment system.
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Raspberry-Banana Trifle
This recipe is from a dog-eared issue of Ladies' Home Journal I pilfered from my mom's vast stack of magazines many years ago. I've made many trifles in my day and this one is my favorite.
If you don't have a trifle bowl (big glass bowl/pedestal thing), just use a pretty crystal or other clear glass bowl. You want the layers and vibrant colors of your creation to show through the sides of the bowl.
Sponge Cake
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Custard
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling and Topping
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- Fresh raspberries (or other berry of your choice) for garnish
Make sponge cake: Preheat oven to 350. Grease 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan. Line with wax paper. Grease and flour.
Beat eggs and sugar in mixer bowl until tripled and ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla. Combine flour and salt. Sift onto egg mixture; gently fold in. Spread into pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until top springs back when touched. Cool in pan on wire rack.
Make custard: Bring milk to boil in saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return to pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until custard thickens and coats back of spoon, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain through sieve into clean bowl. Stir in vanilla.
Assemble trifle: Invert cake onto wax paper sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Combine preservers and sherry; spread evenly on cake. Cut in half; invert one half onto the other, making a sandwich. Cut into 1-inch squares. Cover bottom of 2-quart glass trifle bowl with half the squares. Layer with bananas, half the custard, remaining cake, then remaining custard. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Beat cream and confectioners' sugar to form stiff peaks. Spoon over trifle. Garnish with berries. Makes 12 servings.
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Shortbread Retail Locations
If you live in the local area and prefer to pick up your shortbread in person, we are now selling at the following retail locations:
· Sweet Clover Market, Essex
· Beaudry's Store, Huntington
· Vermont Green Grocer, Richmond
· Moon Studio Day Spa, Shelburne
· Vermont Holiday Craft Shop, University Mall, South Burlington · Simply Delicious, Barre
· Firehouse at Barre, Barre
· Apple Tree Natural Foods, Morrisville
· Stowe Coffee House, Stowe
· Leunig's Bistro, Burlington (dessert menu only - not available for retail sale)
If you're looking for a specific flavor or size, you may want to call or pre-arrange delivery of your order with us first. We can't guarantee that these retailers have every size and flavor every day!
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Lori Davis of Davis Virtual Assistants
Ann,
Greetings from upstate New York!
Nearly all the folks I come across during the course of my day -- my awesome mail carrier, Mr. Schultz across the street, our contractors -- have partaken of the goodness that is Vermont Shortbread. While I always want to respond with a resounding "you betcha!" when asked if I made the shortbread with my own two hands, I just can't let those two little words escape my lips. Instead, I relish in the few quiet minutes I have with my mail carrier before she continues her rounds, or listen to old man (his words) Schultz tell me the same story for the 100th time. Life is a little bit better and more precious when you share something you love, and you and your team are responsible for making many people smile here in my little town.
While I appreciate your entrepreneurial brain and of course your buttery shortbread, what I dig even more is your dedication to the fine art of the Killer Customer Care experience. You fully understand how important my order is to me, and VSC makes me feel as if I'm the only customer on the planet. You know I'm going to share every last morsel of my favorite Raspberry Shortbread and in turn, I also have the opportunity to make someone's day a little bit better.
'Handcrafted with Love, Imagination, and Tender Care.' Exactly, and it shows!
Much continued success, Ann!
Kind regards,
Lori Davis
Davis Virtual Assistants
Want to be a featured VSC Customer of the Month? Send your shortbread testimonial, photo and website link to Ann Zuccardy at ann@vermontshortbread.com.
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