Tag: essential confection

Building a Great Small Thing

On October 25, 2020

The growth of Essential Confection feels like building a great small thing. Many forms of effort are required every day to mold the component pieces into the whole and, on many days there is no clear path in sight.

Then, literally without notice, the pieces fall silently into place.

Test-baking Essential Panettone for today’s launch involved the requisite two-day forcing of sourdough starter nearly to its limit, then patiently and methodically adding key ingredients that add richness and character in a deliberate attempt to challenge the starter to support them.

In the end, there is a metamorphosis, and a fragrant, supple, lithe dough arises as validation of the effort. So comforting as a baker.

The christening of such a product deserves special marketing. We’re introducing Essential Panettone Artisan Milanese and Essential Panettone Northwest with our first video. It’s even more special in HD, if you have that option! Have a look:

https://youtu.be/ytyU652HAw4

One other key update. We’ve successfully re-established shipping relationships for individual purchases and for the Ultimate annual purchase. Portland Metro is now serviced by a local courier for $5 per shipment or $20 per annual purchase. All other national residential destinations are $12 per shipment or $48 for annual purchase.

Join us. Our order window is 3 weeks only.

www.EssentialConfection.com

#essentialconfection

The Story-Telling of My Youth

By lindanaylor

On October 6, 2020

In Panettone

Over millennia story telling has become a hard-wired feature of our consciousness. As a child, the master story tellers of Disney educated me on ideas and concepts beyond my young worldview. Each visual story elevated my understanding of what life was like and how I could imagine my future.

Features of the panettone origin story in Milan, Italy appeal to the scientific aspect of my brain as it relates to product development. Maximizing textural development by pushing sourdough starter to its limits lures me suggestively into the personal challenge of accomplishing it.

Essential Panettone has no commercial yeast. Its ethereal texture arises exclusively from the simplest combination of flour, water, the wild yeasts present in the atmosphere and the good bacteria that is inherent to us all.

The simplicity of those early stories still has great appeal for me, though the vehicle for my communicating them has taken a new turn toward the visual medium of video.

This is one small piece of the story of the finest quality panettone: Essential Panettone Artisan Milanese, and this season’s debut, Essential Panettone Northwest – each in a half-kilo size.

Italian Christmas cake on wooden table. Homemade Panettone

The Essential Panettone order window – 3 weeks only – opens on 23-Oct.

Please join us.

www.EssentialConfection.com

#essentialconfection

The Chrysalis

By lindanaylor

On August 7, 2020

In Uncategorized

One of life’s biggest challenges is to walk as yourself. Society has its way of conditioning out our unique abilities in favor of conforming. For me, walking that authenticity is the creation of and dedication to founding a confection company that produces simple, elegant confection products of the highest quality.

Of equal weight is my desire to serve others by contributing in small ways to the events of their lives. I live, by extension, through gifts given by our friends.

Underlying it all is my commitment for this company to support organizations that feed others and to support food systems that nourish and heal.

Though not quiescent, the evolution of this company has been, and will continue to be, a process. I take the risk of putting into place whatever will be required to bring this organization to its full potential. Fulfillment and joy are by-products of exploration.

So, this is a personal note. Essential Confection is my company and today is the day. In the analogy of the chrysalis, that protective state or stage of being, what evolves upon its release is the internally complex but outwardly elegant creation.

I hope you’ll join us. www.essentialconfection.com//Q3-2020

Linda

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

By lindanaylor

On January 6, 2015

In Bakery

Sugar and cinnamon, no unwillingness to taste the sweet spice…

Act II is underway as the OCI Advanced Baking sugar bakers gathered again for next-level training after a 2+ week break.

Notwithstanding 9-11 hours of sleep per day, a break of such length is fertile ground for deepening of focus, sharpening of technique and business planning for the new year. Focus: What products truly qualify as Essential Confection contemporized classics? Technique: reinforcing muscle memory of basic skills such as rolling and cutting, piping Chantilly rosettes and decorative chocolate filigree. Planning: Who is the Essential Confection guest and how do we voice the business model of supporting food organizations through guest partnership?

Big plans require small and consistent execution. I practice a constant distillation of the excitement I feel in the creation of Essential Confection, with the balance of honing the number and type of products we offer.

And the search that helps our customer find us is on.

So, sugar and delectable new horizons once again hang in the air. Last night, both had the essence of spicy cinnamon. What do they have in common?

I can’t wait for the next bite.

The [Re] Coronation of the Turtle

By lindanaylor

On September 2, 2014

In Confection

Chocolate, caramel, pecans.

The memory of my first chocolate Turtle lingers long. I was a teenager in an era where neighborhood confectioners were common. Ice cream parlors of this ilk were confectionery companies, as well. Often family-owned, multi-generational businesses of quality and longevity. Marble floors, mirrored walls, two-seat wrought-iron chairs and tables. To this day, I have the memory of walking past the glass case and spotting those soft, deceivingly nondescript beauties, and can remember clearly the sensuous feel of the candy in my mouth.

Now, the Turtle has high order on the Essential Confection table of re-creation. Essential Confection models and honors great confectioners of the past.

As a new confectionery business owner, I’m attempting to understand the universe into which I’m stepping. In so doing, I feel a little like the person who stroked the elephant while blind-folded. Arms outstretched, flailing in the dark, trying to determine what’s in front of me and what it is I’m feeling. The exercise causes me to recognize 1. how little I know and; 2. that feeling one part of the animal cannot a determination make.

Yet, steps must be taken. Skills must be refined and perfected. Courage to tackle the perils must be mustered.

Wearing the hat of the technician, the hat that likely got me headed toward the confectionery business abyss in the first place, I refine recipes until I have products I can confidently present to the world. The Essential Confection sugar & cream Caramel, the EC salted chocolate, anise, orange, chocolate espresso and cinnamon caramels. Creamy, dreamy and voluptuous. Done.

My desire to inaugurate recipes of the past with a contemporary crown is a core theme of the business. Helping people restore the memories of that which they loved, and reintegrating those memories into this moment. The Turtle Trio, chocolate, caramel and pecans, still wins.

Through much experimentation, I’ve discovered techniques to enhance the depth of flavor and texture of each component. A little chocolate tempering guidance from my Oregon Culinary Institute (OCI) pastry instructor, and confidence in my product is percolating.

What memory do you have that’s tied to a confection of your youth? Were there chocolate or fruit or citrus candy recipes in your family or neighborhood confectioner, the memory of which still seeds your awareness? Was the confection attached to holiday celebration? What was most memorable?

Quality. Simplicity. Intensity of flavor. Today’s Essential Cinnamon Turtle can again be restored to its rightful place of sovereignty.