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The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe Hardcover – October 1, 2004
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The pastry case in Rebecca Rather's bakery in Fredericksburg is packed with ultra-buttery scones, luscious cakes, cookies the size of saucers, brownies as big as bricks, and fruit pies that look as though they came straight out of Grandma's oven. Since the day Rebecca and her Rather Sweet Bakery and Café came to town, life in this Hill Country hamlet has been even sweeter and the townsfolk now know why she is the Pastry Queen. Everything she makes is a lot like her: down-home yet grand, and familiar yet one-of-a-kind.
A native Texan, Rather makes the most of her Lone Star state's varied traditions, whether looking to the kitchens of Texas's Mexican and German immigrants or to the cowboy culture of her own forebears. Best of all, her recipes aren't fussy—one of her best-selling cakes stirs together in a single saucepan. Add in a cupful of Texas attitude and her made-from-scratch-with-love philosophy, and you've got an irresistible taste of American baking.
What's best at Rather Sweet? Rebecca's customers all have their favorites (and she is happy to cater to their cravings), but here's just a taste of the perennial best sellers:
• Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones
• Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Tarts (the only big hair Rebecca has ever had!)
• Fourth of July Fried Pies
• Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting
• Turbo-Charged Brownies with Praline Topping
• All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pies
• Kolaches (pillowy yeasted buns with sweet or savory fillings)
• PB&J Cookies
With over 125 surefire tested recipes and 100 photographs that richly capture small-town life in the Hill Country, The Pastry Queen offers a Texas-size serving of the royal splendor of Rebecca's baked goods—courtesy of the rather sweet gal behind the case.
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherTen Speed Press
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2004
- Dimensions8.27 x 0.85 x 10.3 inches
- ISBN-101580085628
- ISBN-13978-1580085625
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
—David Lebovitz, author of The Great Book of Chocolate
"Rebecca Rather personifies the great American bootstrap, built on grit and tenacity upon which communities are enriched and enlivened (and happily well fed). Anyone who bakes from this book will want to meet the Pastry Queen in person."
—Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker's Apprentice
"Texans at their best are honest, friendly, helpful, and engagingly unpretentious. Oh, and pretty darned good cooks. Rebecca Rather, Hill Country reine de patisserie, is all of these things, as will be immediately apparent to anyone who dives into this delicious book—a rich, good-looking, sweet and savory masterpiece, full of baking lore, kitchen tips, charming stories, and (above all) irresistibly indulgent recipes."
—Colman Andrews, Editor-in-Chief, Saveur
From the Publisher
* Rebecca Rather was featured in the 2003 Saveur 100 (#43).
* The first baking book from Texas, a state with a rich baking tradition shaped by its cowhand culture, Mexican roots, and Czech and German settlers.
About the Author
Alison Oresman has been a journalist for more than 20 years, writing and editing for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. Her weekly columns as a restaurant critic have been featured in Miami and Seattle. Alison coauthored the IACP Award–winning The Pastry Queen Christmas with Rebecca Rather.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Breakfast at Rather Sweet belongs to our regulars. Many gather in groups, and each has a distinct character.
The men's group shows up at 8:00 a.m. There's Rand, a chocolate importer; Bob, owner of a nearby outfitting company; and Bruce, owner of the local feed store. Rand orders kolaches, our fluffy, fruit- or meat-filled rolls, and heads back to my kitchen for a handful of bittersweet chocolate disks to drop into his coffee. Bruce eats a bran muffin and orders a few to take home. And Bob, who is on a low-carb diet, orders bacon and eggs. (He'salready lost thirty pounds.) They sit outside by the front door and talk about everything from turkeys—Bruce raises them—to teenagers. I'm sure they discuss everyone who comes in and out of the bak-ery. They're big gossips.
Joanie, Meagan, and Pam, once a group of four, are mourning the loss of their friend Emily, who recently passed away. They drink green tea, munch on Peach Jam Scones, and eat breakfast tacos. They have intense conversations. I don't like to interrupt.
One of my regulars, Jim, owns a top bed-and-breakfast here. He pops in through the back door to grab a box of baked goodies. His guests find our pastries outside their bedroom doors each morning.
My longtime customers know where everything is. Half of them know how to work the cash register. If things get busy, they'll ring up their food and continue helping anyone else standing in line. If they're short on cash, they sign IOUs. They always pay us back.
I like it that people feel comfortable here. The setting is so beautiful. Outdoor seating in the flower-filled courtyard is open year-round, except in the dead of winter.
I change the breakfast menu seasonally. With fall's approach, I'll make Fresh Ginger-Pear Quick Bread and pumpkin bread again. Spring brings Whole Lemon Muffins. But some things never will leave our menu. I'd be burned at the stake if I stopped making kolaches. Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones are a must-have. Once, when I didn't get around to making cinnamon rolls for two days running, one of my customers bitterly complained that he was losing weight.
Without regulars, Rather Sweet would be out of business. A scary thought, because it's not just a business anymore, it's a community—one that I and everyone who works here have grown to love beyond measure.
Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls
Years ago, a close relative sent me a newspaper recipe clipping for potato dinner rolls that were popular with the inmates at Jefferson County Jail. I transformed the recipe into these potato-cinnamon rolls and named them accordingly.
Yield: 24 large rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
2 medium russet potatoes
1 ounce active dry yeast (4 packets)
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
9 cups unbleached flour
Filling
4 cups pecans
4 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
Icing
21/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make the rolls: Fill a large saucepan three-quarters full with water and set on high heat to boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the water and bring to a second boil. Decrease the heat to medium until the potatoes are simmering. Cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes, reserving 3 cups of the cooking water. Set the potato water aside to cool, until it registers 110° to 115°F on a candy thermometer.
In a large bowl, mash the potatoes—you will have 1½ to 2 cups worth—by hand or using a mixer on medium speed.
In a medium bowl, mix the reserved cooled potato water, yeast, and the 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. Let the mixture rest until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the potatoes, I cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, and yeast–potato water. Add the flour in 3-cup increments and stir with a spoon until the flour is incorporated. Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Leaving the dough in the bowl, punch it down until it deflates (1 or 2 punches with your fist will do). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. At this point the dough can be refrigerated until the next day.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the pecans.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. On a clean, floured surface, roll each half into a G-inch-thick rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of the melted butter. Cover each buttered rectangle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the dough with an even layer of pecans.
Generously grease two 9 by 13-inch disposable pans with butter. Carefully roll up each rectangle, starting on 1 long side of the dough. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut each roll crosswise in 2-inch slices. Place the slices, cut side down, in the pans, spacing the rolls about 1 inch apart so they have room to expand. Make sure the end flap of each roll is set snugly against a side of the pan, so it does not unravel while rising. Put 8 rolls in each pan. (At this point the rolls can be tightly covered in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and frozen up to 3 weeks. Defrost the rolls in the refrigerator overnight or for 1 hour at room temperature and continue following the directions from this point.) Set the rolls in a warm, draft-free place and let them rise until they get puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown.
To make the icing: Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread the icing on top of the rolls while they are still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Rather Sweet Variation
For orange-potato rolls, prepare the dough as directed. For the filling, substitute 4 cups granulated sugar for the brown sugar, omit the cinnamon, and stir in 2 tablespoons grated orange zest. For the icing, substitute G cup freshly squeezed orange juice for the milk, and substitute 1 tablespoon grated orange zest for the vanilla.
Tip: Is it dead or alive? Mixing the yeast with water and sugar and waiting a few minutes to see if it will foam tells you whether the yeast is viable. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead and your rolls won't rise. Throw the mixture away and start again with a new batch of yeast. By "proofing," or testing, the yeast's viability, you avoid wasting a whole batch of dough and a whole lot of time.
Product details
- Publisher : Ten Speed Press; First Edition (October 1, 2004)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1580085628
- ISBN-13 : 978-1580085625
- Item Weight : 2.3 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.27 x 0.85 x 10.3 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #241,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #58 in Southwestern U.S. Cooking, Food & Wine
- #117 in Pastry Baking (Books)
- #213 in Party Cooking
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

REBECCA RATHER has worked as a caterer and baker for 15 years, first for a couple of upscale Houston catering companies and then as the executive pastry chef for a group of high-end Houston restaurants. Then, while overseeing research and development for the Austin-based Schlotzky's Corporation, she studied with renowned artisan baker Daniel Leader. Rather opened her own bakery, Rather Sweet Bakery, first in Austin in 1999. In 2000, she moved the bakery to a larger yet more intimate setting about an hour west of Austin. Rather and her recipes have been featured in Texas Monthly, Ladies' Home Journal, Food & Wine, Saveur, Southern Living, and Chocolatier. She and her daughter, Frances, live in Fredericksburg, Texas.
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You begin to think that you could just pick up and move on over to Fredericks, Texas and feel like you've been there all along. The casual and comfortable style of writing of both Rebecca Rather, and writer, Alison Oresman, as well as the incredibly delicious recipes, make you want to get started on any page in this heavy, welcoming, and beautifully photographed cookbook. At the same time, Ms. Rather encourages you to play with and modify anything that would suit your tastebuds. There is nothing pretentious or difficult to accomplish in her directions; she pretty much makes you feel at ease, and more importantly, that she is next to you, sharing her knowledge.
There are 8 sections in this tome of Southern baking and each chapter introduction has a little insight as to how everything was chosen for the section:
BREAKFAST EATS, MUFFINS, and SCONES:
Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls (great little story to these)
Fresh Ginger-Pear Quick Bread
Eddie's Autumn Pumpkin Bread w/ Pecan Streusel Topping
Jonnie's Breakfast Granola
Kolaches
Mother's Day Pancakes (and her mom seemed to be a great lady too)
Individual Baked Omelets
Creme Brulee French Toast
Banana Bran Muffins
Peach Jam Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones
Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones
Essence of Orange Muffins
Whole Lemon Muffins
PIES and TARTS:
Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Meringue Tarts (the name and recipe is great!)
Texas Big Hairs Chocolate-Hazelnut Meringue Tarts
Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Struesel Topping
Fredericksburg Peach Cream Cheese tart
Frangelico-Hazelnut Fruit Tart
Black and White Cranberry Tarts
Buttermilk Pecan Pie
Fourth of July Fried Pies
Aunt Mollie's Coconut Cream Pie
Chef M:ark's Southern Comfort Apple Pie
Silken Chocolate-Walnut Tart
Grasshopper Pie
EVERYDAY DESSERTS and CANDIES:
Emergency Fruit Crostatas
Petite Pavlovas with Lemon Cream and Fresh Fruit
Hill Country Peach Cobbler
Individual Pear-Maple Cobblers
Mexican Chocolate Fudge-Pecan Cake
Mahogony Cake
Orange-Date Bundt Cake
Totally Rummy Pound Cake
Glazed Lemon-Cranberry Leaf Cake
Oatmeal Crisps
Cappuccino Cheesecakes
Mrs. Chisholm's Divinity
Coconut Cream Flan
Texas Pralines
DESSERTS for SPECIAL OCCASIONS and HOLIDAYS:
American Beauty Cake
Tuxedo Cake
Larger-Than-Life Praline Cheesecake
Bananas Foster Shortcakes
Strawberry Ricotta Cake
Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting
Cream-Filled Pumpkin Roll
Mini Apple-Cinnamon Loaves with Calvados Glaze
Espresso Creme Burlee
Toffee Bar Brownie Torte
Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers
Dulce de Leche-Arborio Rice Pudding
Muchas Leches Cake with Sugared Almonds
Almond Bliss German Chocolate Cake
7th Heaven Chocolate Truffle Cake
White Chocolate-Snickers Mousse
White on White Buttermilk Cake w/ Jack Daniel's Buttercream
Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
COOKIES, BROWNIES, and BARS
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Triple Threat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Saucers
Chock Full of Nuts Cookies
Cafe Chocoalte Cherry Bites
Caramel Filled Brownies
Turbo Charged Brownies with Praline Topping
Double Ginger Chews
Ruby Flecked Florentines
Dulce de Leche Macaroons
Snow Tipped Sand Tarts
Texas Pecan Pie Bars
Blackberry Pie Bars
Lemon Champagne Bars with Strawberry Brulee Topping
Bunches of Biscotti
LUNCHES and LIGHT DINNERS:
Beer Bread
Rocket Rolls
Nuevo Texas Waldorf Salad
Rather Rich Corn Muffins
Apple Almond Chicken Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise
Field Greens w/ Spiced Beans, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Chicken Satay with Yogurt Cucumber Dipping Sauce
Caesar Salad Pizzas
Wild Rice and Chickpea Salad
Wild Mushroom Soup
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Texas Tortilla Soup
Gulf Coast Shrimp Quesadillas
Brie and Brisket Quesadillas
Rather Sweet Bread and Cheese Board
Green Chile Crab Caes with Tomatillo Slasa
All Sold Out Chicken Pot Pie
Prosciutto Tostadas with Shrimp and parsley
King Ranch Casserole
Ground Beef Gorditas
Savory Crab and Shrimp Cheesecake
TREATS KIDS LOVE:
Sticky Fingers Bars
Ginger People
Franny's Fave Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce
Peanut Buttercups with Peanut Penuche Icing
PB&J Cookies with Honey Roasted Peanuts
Mars Pies
Pretty in Pin Shortbread Pigs
Maple Glazed Oatmeal Cookies
Jubilation Granola Chews
Pumpkin Yumkins
DRINKS:
Watermelon Lemonade
Frothy Vanilla Milk
Tommye Wood's Milk "Sure Packs a Punch" Punch
Rather Sweet Sagria
Hill Country Guanabana argarita's
No Bull Bloody Marys
INDEX
My only criticism would be in the Introduction portion, where she talks about some of the recipes. It seems that the pages she gives, in which the recipes are supposedly located, are wrong. But since those errors are only in the intro, yet correctly paged in the index, I don't know how much that might matter.
The Pastry Queen Cookbook is one of those volumes of baking and cooking that celebrates the charm and warmth of the South. They are, respectfully speaking, very simple for anyone to make, yet fancy enough to serve at even the most "proper" events. Thanks Rebecca!! Much obliged.
Rather Sweet serves a full gamut of baked goods, from sweet and savory kolaches, giant Texas muffins, and scones at breakfast to hearty entrees such as All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pie, sandwiches and quesadillas. The Pastry Queen captures all of these Texas-influenced recipes in their down-home goodness, lovingly captured in mouthwatering photographs and atmospheric pictures taken at the Rather Sweet Bakery and Caf�. Each recipe is personalized with an introduction by Rebecca about the origins of the recipe, possible substitutions, or a favorite memory attached to the dish.
Many of the breakfast recipes for quick breads and muffins also give conversions for muffins (both regular and Texas-size). Several of the cakes do as well, which is perfect for birthdays and coworkers (it's less messy to bring in individually frosted cupcakes than fuss with cutting and serving a frosted cake!).
If you're a scone lover, prepare to be delighted. Rather includes standards such as Peach Jam scones and Chocolate Chip Scones, but also includes savory options such as Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar. Muffin lovers will rejoice at the Essence of Orange and Whole Lemon muffins, and the Eddie's Autumn Pumpkin Bread and Fresh Ginger-Pear Quick Bread will wake up your taste buds in a flash!
Rather has also written The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style , but there are plenty of seasonal recipes perfect for your next Thanksgiving celebration, such as the Autumn Pumpkin Quick Bread, Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping, Cream-Filled Pumpkin Roll, and Larger-Than-Life Praline Cheesecake.
Texan cuisine also make an appearance, including Hill Country Peach Cobbler, Peach Queen Cake with Dulce De Leche Buttercream Frosting, Buttermilk Pecan Pie, Southern Comfort Apple Pie, Texas Tortilla Soup, Brie and Brisket Quesadillas, Gorditas, and Nuevo Texas Waldorf Salad.
Tex-Mex and Mexican influences abound in the divine Mexican Chocolate Fudge-Pecan Cake rich with cinnamon and vanilla, Dulce de Leche Arborio Rice Pudding, Muchas Leches Cake with Sugared Almonds, and Dulce de Leche Macaroons.
If you're looking for more traditional fare, there's Espresso Creme Brulee, Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers, Mars Pies and Grasshopper Pie, but with the Texas-sized bounty of creative desserts, why not try something new?
The recipes are clearly laid out and easy to follow. Helpful tips are sprinkled throughout, along with ideas for presentation. There are some truly spectacular desserts here (sky-high meringues, Tuxedo Cake, etc.), but all are manageable for novice cooks.
Be warned: this is not a book for those thinking about going on a diet! The recipes are loaded with butter, cream, sugar, and other indulgences; in Rebecca's own words, "I don't do low-fat desserts. If I am going to eat dessert, I want it to be really, really sinful."
The stories, the gorgeous illustrations that will make you drool, the layout, the well-written recipes -- this book is a winner. I'm an experienced baker, and have hundreds of cookbooks, but this is surely one of my best. I have so many dog-eared pages in this book; both for things I have made over and over, and others that I still want to try. (there goes my diet this week!)
Lemon Meringue, triple choc cookies, genuine pralines, the Chicken pot pie, the buttermilk pecan pie, the white-on-white cake, the Tuxedo cake (my daughter's fav), a great rendition of good ol' King Ranch casserole , the bacon cheddar scones, the cinnamon apple loaf, and these are the ones off the top of my head that I love and have made many times.
Do yourself a favor, and get this book. Whether you have many, or just a few, you will be glad you did. You'll find yourself coming back to the Pastry Queen time and time again! (Now... off to make some pralines!)
Top reviews from other countries

"The Pastry Queen" bietet viele tolle Rezepte --- überwiegend für Cookies, Pies, Pastries, Muffins, etc., aber auch für herzhafte Gerichte.
Mein Favorit ist der "Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce" ... den muss man probiert haben ... :o)... oder vielleicht doch die "Triple Chocolate Threat" Cookies?
Ich hätte mir nur ein paar mehr Fotos gewünscht ... ansonsten ist das Buch echt gut gemacht.


