Several months ago we were having the inside of our house painted. The painter was here every day for three weeks and he became our friend. Turns out this painter also worked as a food runner/server at the Wrigley Mansion and it was his idea to introduce the head Chef to my baked goods. So one Saturday night I baked and baked and baked and early the next morning the Painter stopped by to pick up all the boxes of baked goods to take to work.
The Wrigley Mansion hosts a Sunday brunch and I was expecting the cookies and scones to be passed around the staff to see if I passed the test.
Hours later, I was sent this picture and my heart jumped out of my chest.
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That week I developed a menu and price sheet featuring what I think are my two greatest baking strengths: cookies and scones and got it to the chef.
A couple weeks passed with no word from the Chef and I wasn't sure what to think about it. But I did call once and left a message for him, just saying, "Hey! Remember me? I really rock the baking." Still nothing for a few days.
Then one lazy Saturday afternoon I received a message that went something like this: "Hi Katie, this is the Chef from Wrigley Mansion and I'd like to place an order for 6AM tomorrow morning. I would like 10 dozen cookies, 10 dozen scones, 10 dozen muffins, and 5 dozen cupcakes. If you have any questions give me a call back. Thanks."
Ummm...I believe I immediately began to experience symptoms of shock: dry mouth, unable to form words, pacing, shaking hands. My husband was at work and would not be home for many more hours. I texted him and told him to call me. I then called my best girl/guy friend, Schuyler. He was unable to come help me bake but he did keep me calm by helping me focus on what needed to be done and in what order.
I called my friend, Anna. I didn't know if she could bake, or if she was not on call, or if she had her daughter for that night, or any number of things.... But I called and asked if she could come help me bake. She immediately said yes! Woo Hoo!!! I woke up our youngest from his nap and loaded all three youngins into the car.
I don't even have muffins or cupcakes on my menu. So I did not have commercial muffin pans that could bake massive quantities at a time. I called my mom to tell her the exciting news and she offered to watch the kids for a few hours. Thank you!!! After I dropped the kids off I ran to Standard Restaurant Supply to buy massive muffin pans..and boy did I find what I was looking for!
A muffin/cupcake pan that bakes 35 at one time!!!!!!!! So I bought two. ; )
Then I made a mad dash through Costco, where my husband works. He was able to assist me, you know, helping the idiotic customer who can't find all she needs.
One more mad dash through the grocery store cause, you know, you can't get everything you need from Costco and you can't get everything you need at the grocery store. And I'm still searching for unbleached flour in bulk, if you have a lead. Thankseverso.
Arrived home and lugged in all my supplies and new equipment. Scarfed down some food. Anna arrived and it was Bake Time!
What luck that Anna is such a great baker. She asked for her recipe and just jumped in. Anna is also logical and a great problem solver. I was trying to talk her into just letting us call it a night and I would wake up early and bake the scones. Luckily, Anna wouldn't have it and said, nope, we're going to get all this done tonight. Thank God for Anna and her logic.
I had such a strange sensation for the first many hours that we were baking. I was so overwhelmed and would keep asking, "Do you really think we can do this?" I was so uncertain and yet still forging ahead. The first batch of cookies, Snickerdoodles, failed. That did not help the tiny bit of confidence I was trying to cling to.
It was the hottest day in Phoenix so far and I have yet to remedy a good cooling solution. So to say it was hot in that room is an understatement. "Hot as balls," is a term I think Anna and I threw around in our after-midnight giddiness. Although we have yet to figure out what that term actually means.
Baking with Anna turned out to be a quiet and meditative dance. Neither of us said much the entire night. We just did what we had to do, checking in here and there with each other. It was nothing short of lovely. And I don't think I can thank Anna enough for giving me her entire free night.
We baked until 3:30 Sunday morning.
At about 3:00AM I realized I had miscalculated the number of scones and was short by two dozen. At that time I could not have cared less. However, when I finally got to bed around 4, I set my alarm for 5:45AM to bake those final two dozen. I was damned if I was going to show up with even one item less than what was ordered. And that's what I did, I woke up at 5:45 and baked the last 2 dozen scones. I then ran upstairs to get dressed in a presentable and professional manner. My husband loaded everything in the van and began tending to children who had already started waking.
I love mornings. Watching the Earth come to life in the early morning is refreshing and renewing to me. It was a joy beyond all measure to pull onto such a beautiful property so early in the morning and to unload all these fresh baked goods to a grateful Chef. (And to drop off that invoice.)
Hours later I received more pictures from my friend. Seeing everything look so fancy and to know people are enjoying them...Priceless.
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Here is a list of what I made:
Cookies: Snickerdoodles, Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Sour Cream Chocolate Chip, Lavender Lemon Shortbread.
Scones: Cherry Walnut, Blueberry Pecan, Cranberry Chocolate Chip
Muffins: Blueberry Crumb and Banana Walnut
Cupcakes: Lemon, and Chocolate with Bailey's Irish Cream Icing.
And then...the Clean Up.
