cookies Archives - West Coast Food

Chef Stories October 30, 2023

The Pie Hole Comes to Langley

The Pie Hole, Jenell Parsons’ beloved Vancouver and Burnaby-based cafe, has expanded to Langley. Parsons founded the Pie Hole in 2011, starting with farmer’s markets and pop-ups before expanding to a brick and mortar location in 2017. In 2020, she published You Wanna Piece In Me?, a best-selling cookbook with over 100 recipes, tips and tricks. Setting up shop in what was previously The Pinkavo Cafe on the Fraser Highway one-way, The Pie Hole opened three days before Thanksgiving to enthusiastic, sweet-toothed customers. Serving up their famous classics like Raspberry Cream Crumble, seasonal favourites, half-pound cookies, and the Pie Hole’s own coffee, Parsons’ family business has already earned the trust of the Langley community, with regulars piling in on the daily. I sat down with Parsons to learn more about the Pie Hole’s brand new location. Tell me about what inspired you to start baking pies? JP: For me, pie…

Recipes December 21, 2018

Recipe: Kipferl Cookies

By Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie Kipferl cookies originated in Austria and are traditional in Germany, Czech, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary. Makes approx. 2 dozen cookies. INGREDIENTS Cookies Soft unsalted butter (2/3 cup) Icing sugar, sifted (1/3 cup) Ground almonds (1/2 cup) Bread flour (1 cup) Vanilla bean (1) Salt (a pinch) Vanilla sugar Vanilla Sugar Granulated sugar (4 cups) Used vanilla pod from the cookie dough DIRECTIONS Cookies 1. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the butter, icing sugar, and salt till smooth at medium speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently to prevent lumps. 2. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape to remove the seeds. Reserve the pod for later use. Add the seeds to the butter mixture and mix till thoroughly combined. 3. Whisk together the bread flour and ground almonds. Add all the dry ingredients into the butter-mixture and mix on…

Chef Stories October 4, 2018

From Farm to Bread Basket with Two Bald Bakers Bakery

“The idea is to see how ingredients thread through from the farmers, to milling it, to making it all by hand and keeping it very simple and very clean,” says Yuda, “ to keep the relationship of people going through food. Bring the identity back into food.”

Brunch October 31, 2017

A Homey Bakery in the Heart of Richmond’s Steveston Village

By Winnie Tam When Steveston Bakery opened in 1989, the road wasn’t yet paved and there were barely any other businesses nearby. Today, Steveston is one of Richmond’s most beloved and bustling neighbourhoods, with lots to see and eat for locals and tourists alike. And while the surroundings of Steveston Bakery have changed dramatically, husband-and-wife owners Hemant and Bimla Rao’s commitment to quality in their food and baked goods hasn’t budged one bit. The lineups that appear daily in their bakery are the best proof. The shop is the kind of friendly neighbourhood place that every town dreams of. Since moving from Fiji to Canada in the early 80s, the couple has established a regular fan base for their bakery; in fact, some patrons have been visiting nearly every day since it opened (yes, it’s open seven days a week). Hemant jokes that some people call his bakery Steveston’s “second…