Sweet Elena's Bakery and Café Celebrates Fall, Pumpkin Cheese Cake and Halloween

Sept. 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Press Contact: Marci Bracco (831) 747-7455

Sweet Elena’s Bakery and Café Celebrates Fall, Pumpkin Cheese Cake and Halloween

Creepy, Crawly, Spooky and Sweet All Make an Appearance at Sweet Elena’s This Halloween

SAND CITY, CA Sweet Elena’s Bakery and Café located at 465 D Olympia Avenue in Sand City is an artisan bakery using fresh and local ingredients.

During the month of October, Sweet Elena’s will get spooky and celebrate Halloween and Fall. These devilishly delicious treats from Sweet Elena’s will have you "goblin" 'em up by the sackful.

·          Handmade Halloween Cookies in the shape of ghosts, bones and pumpkins. Available October 1, cost between 75 cents and $2.00.

·          October 21: National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day.  One day only normally $25 a pumpkin cheesecake - for October 21st all pre-ordered pumpkin cheesecakes are $20.00 per cheesecake.  Must pre-order by October 18th.

·          Don’t forget Sweet Wednesday at Sweet Elena's Bakery & Café (https://www.facebook.com/SweetElenasBakeryandCafe?directe...)! For every item you purchase on Wednesday’s you get two punches on your card. Also, the 20th customer will receive free breakfast or lunch- Elena's choice. Have a Sweet Wednesday!

·          Sweet Elena’s will start making her traditional pumpkin pies October 1^st.

·          New lunch daily special is a slice of quiche and a green salad for $7.00.

Try this recipe at home.

Sweet Elena’s Tourta de Blea

(Tourte de Blettes)

This is a specialty from France, one of my favorite. There are 4 things I always have as soon as I am there: la Tourta de Blea, Pissaladiere, Porchetta and Brandade de Morue.

The history of this “Torta” goes back to Middle Ages and found in Provence. There are variations on the greens and some use leeks, spinach and apples in combination with the chard. I stick to the “nicoise” version I learned from a baker in Nice.

We need a 8” by 11” pan, removable bottom if you want to transfer it on a platter to serve.

Filling

·          ½ cup of golden raisins soaked in 1/3 cup of Myers Rum for 2 hours or overnight

·          2# of Swiss Chard, stems removed, washed, chopped thin and baked with 3T olive oil and ½ cup water covered with foil in oven at 350 temperature for 10-14 minutes. They should still be a little crisp. The water keeps them from drying. You can also blanch them. Put pan on ice to stop the cooking.

·          Squeeze out any liquid from the Chard

·          In a bowl:

·          Whisk together 2 eggs, ¾ cup of cream, ¼ cup of sugar, ½ teaspoon of orange peel (here Myers lemon peel)

·          Stir in 1/3 cup of pine nuts and ½ cup golden raisins and the cooked Swiss Chard.

·          Filling is ready

Pastry Dough

·          2 cups ½ of all purpose flour

·          8oz. of sweet butter (cubes and softened)

·          ½ cup sugar

·          2 eggs

·          pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

·          Make a well with the flour, Mix with your hands the butter and the sugar

·          Pour the 2 beaten eggs. Gather the dough without over-mixing it. Might need a couple of drops of water.

·          Refrigerate for an hour.

·          Divide the dough in 2.

·          Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface. Fit it into the pan. Chill while rolling the top.

·          Spread Chard filling evenly

·          Top with the second piece of dough.

·          Using rolling pan roll over edges of the pan and seal them.

·          Cut steam vents with pairing knife.

·          Bake at 375 till golden for about 45 minutes to one hour.

·          Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Can be saved for several days and reheated before serving.