The Spring Market Season

One of our bakers, Lauren, selling at the Farmers Market at East Tennessee State University. We had such a wonderful time at the campus market this spring! Our most popular items were our giant Chocolate Chipper Cookies, our savory Herb Cheddar Scones, our *new* gourmet granolas, and Take and Bake Cutie Savory Pot Pies!

Speciality Packages at the Faded Apron Pie Company!

Happy New Year! I just want to take a minute to share about some of the exciting packages we have at the Faded Apron Pie Company...We now have speciality packages for the following occasions: Valentines Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Real Estate Customer Appreciation, Mothers Day and Fathers Day, and General "Thank you!" and "Thinking of you!" Packages.

Our packages include beautifully wrapped cookies, pies and a gift card, boxed up with a ribbon or bow. Packages can be shipped with a $10.00 flat shipping & handling fee via priority mail. Items will be sealed for freshness.

Choose from the following delicious options:

A. 2 dozen Freshly baked Large Heart Shaped Butter-Almond Sugar Cookies - $16.75
B. 2 dozen freshly baked coconut macaroons, made with honey,
crispy on the outside and chewy/gooey on the inside - $21.75
C. 2 dozen freshly baked double chocolate chip cookies, moist and chewy - $16.75
D. 2 dozen butterscotch oatmeal-orange zest cookies - awesome and unique flavor combination - $16.75
E. 2 dozen freshly baked sizzling cinnamon cookies -

moist cookies with great swirls of cinnamon in every bite - $16.00
F. 2 dozen white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies - $17.75
G. Chocolate Pecan Pies, Freshly baked 9 inch pies with loads of chocolate and pecans in every bite - $16.75
H. Chocolate Pecan Cutie Pies - five inch personal pies - delightful and delicious - $4.00 per pie with a $16.00 minimum

Do you want to deliver the package locally? Packages can be hand delivered with a helium balloon to Banner Elk, Beach Mountain, Elk Park, Boone and Blowing Rock for $16.00. Please place orders at least 4 days in advance. Alternatively, you can pick up your packages at Mountain Grounds Coffee Shop in Tynecastle, Banner Elk.

As always, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or orders:

becky@thefadedapronpiecompany.com

Holiday Season at the Faded Apron Pie Company

(photo taken at Mast General Store-- Valle Crucis, NC; December 2010)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We were busy in Banner Elk with lots of family and friends visiting. We even made a quick trip to Ashville to do some "research" at the Asheville bakeries and chocolate shops! It's a hard job but somebody has to do it!

It's snowing this very minute in the High Country. Already looks like Christmas with the snow and Christmas trees on tops of people's cars. It's a great day for baking and planning for the Christmas holidays.

We'd like to share a recipe with you that we just discovered before Thanksgiving. Sweet Potato Biscuits made with buttermilk and honey. A brand new recipe but it definetely goes down as a family and friend favorite! Our husbands raved. Actually, everybody wanted seconds! It will be on the Faded Apron Pie Company Menu from now on. Absoluteily delicious! Try this recipe and let us know if you like it.

Faded Apron Sweet Potato Biscuits:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Makes 12 very large biscuits or 15 medium biscuits

1 medium sweet potato baked, scrapted and mashed

3 1/2 Cups Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tab. sugar

1 Tab. honey

1 and 1/4 cup of cold butter cut up in small cubes

zest and juice on one orange

2 Tab. unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup of buttermilk

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together - at least two or three times

2. Cut in the butter until it has a cornmeal texture - work fast so that the butter stays cold

3.Mix orange juice, buttermilk, and orange zest. Add mixture to the dry ingredients

4. Stir until it forms a ball...work quickly...and handle as little as possible

5. Knead the dough for 3 or 4 minutes until it comes together

6. Roll the dough on floured surface. Dough should be 3/4 to 1 inch thick

7. Cut biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter or a floured drinking glass rim

8. Place on baking sheet 1/2 inch apart

9. Brush the tops with orange juice butter (recipe below)

Orange Juice Butter

10. Boil the juice from the zested orange until the liquid is reduced by half. Put in two tablespoons of butter to melt. Mix well. Brush on top of biscuits.

11. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 - 17 minutes

12. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve. Watch everyone dig in!

Have a blessed week and happy baking!

Holiday Menu!

The Faded Apron Pie Company is now taking holiday orders! See our new holiday menu here: TFA Pie Company Menu.

Back to School Special & Other Happenings in the High Country

(Becky and one of her daughters selling sweets at the Lees McRae Farmer's Market)

Signs of the season's change are here. The mountain air is cooling and the last of summer's produce is ripening. In Banner Elk, we have another cue that fall has arrived -- the annual influx of students at Lees McRae College. While we will miss warm summer days, swimming in rivers, and some of our favorite local fruits --blackberries and peaches -- we are happy to see the students return and are eager to share our favorite fall recipes.

Here is some news from the Faded Apron Pie Co. & beyond

Students: Stop by the Farmer's Market in front of Lees McRae and get a discounted cookie (only $1! for the next 3 Thursdays). Nothing says "welcome" like a fresh, gooey chocolate chip cookie. Or what about butterscotch or oatmeal raisin? And then there are those chewy coconut macaroons....Or maybe a giant, soft cinnamon cookie is for you? Try one, try all...you'll love our cookies!

Get 'em while they're hot! We're saying "goodbye" to peaches and blackberries for this year. Be sure to get your end-of-the-season Blackberry Bars ($1.50/ea) and Mimi's Peach Pies ($3.75/cutie pie).

We're also selling two of our best sellers: Chocolate Pecan and Lemon Shaker Pies ($3.75/cutie pie)

Love live music? So do we! Check out Music on the Mountaintop 2011 Friday & Saturday, August 26&27

Have you tried a fresh smoothie at Sugar Mountain Cafe or a delicious cup of coffee at Mountain Grounds yet? Look for our delicious baked goods at both of these Banner Elk cafes.

Coming up! Local, NC mountain apples...

The Faded Apron in Your Local (Banner Elk, NC) Cafe!

We're happy to announce that our pastries are now featured at two wonderful, local cafes in Banner Elk: Sugar Mountain Cafe and Mountain Grounds Coffee Shop. Craving a giant, orange carrot muffin? Stop by Sugar Mountain Cafe & grab one to go with some of their fresh, healthy smoothies or to follow a nutritious and flavorful lunch (our favorite? the cilantro lime wrap!). Or, if you're in the mood for a great cup of coffee--try Mountain Grounds. There you can enjoy your cup of Joe with one of our chewy coconut macaroons, blackberry bars made with local berries, or our best sellers, cutie pies (chocolate pecan, peach or lemon Shaker).

We're grateful for our friends in Banner Elk and we encourage you check them out!