T
he Nestlé USABaking Division offices in Solon, Ohio, are a campus, in and of itself. Receptionists greet visitors, shuttles run between businesses, and TVs broadcast the latest cooking shows. In one of those buildings, up winding stairs, in the midst of office doors, is a little piece of home: a kitchen with fully stocked pine cupboards, cookbooks on shelves and a big window that streams light onto the center island. Jenny Harper Himmelman, BSHEC ’84, skillfully navigates the kitchen, wearing business casual clothes under a white apron as the aroma of cookies follows close behind. She is known as the “chief cookie officer” at Nestlé USA. “One of our vice presidents gave it [the nickname] to me … I hope you’re familiar with the Nestlé Toll House cookie,” she says. “We bake a lot of cookies.” Himmelman’s official title is “consumer test kitchen project manager,” and she has worked at Nestlé for more than 25 years; but her relationship with the Toll House cookie began long before. The well-known cookies filled her childhood home during the holidays. “Cookies were great,” she says. “That was like a real treat to have. Especially so in college. My mom would send along tins of Toll House cookies, or the pan cookie baked in bars, to share with the floor or with friends.” Though cookies were a festive favorite, Himmelman’s first baking experience was a cake recipe. At age 10, that recipe won her first place in her Junior Girl Scout troop’s baking contest. “It was a crazy cake recipe, an old recipe from the ’40s,” says Himmelman. “It was all mixed in a pan with cocoa. It doesn’t have any butter or eggs in it, and it’s really good and moist.” Because of this, and despite her official title, she simply describes herself as a baking specialist.
She develops recipes for package labels, promotional materials and for the website, VeryBestBaking.com. When developing recipes, Himmelman examines baking trends and cookbooks while keeping in mind the desires of her bakers. Then, it’s off to the kitchen for testing. “We want to make sure that anyone using our recipe would have success with it and that it’s a good use of our product,” she says. “We want to put something out there that people will enjoy, love the taste of and want to make it again.” For Himmelman, baking is “an extension of herself ” — excitement billows from her small frame, and she animatedly gesticulates to explain the work she does with her team. “We routinely try the difference,” she says. “We were working on some recipes the last few days, and we were like, ‘Oh, this would be so cool if we could get this to work.’ At first, we flopped. But wait a minute, all we have to do is cut back on the butter, we can do this, or we can do that. ... And it was like ‘Wow, look how beautiful this is.’” Himmelman’s relationship with baking is one that’s always evolving. As she learns more about food, she becomes more enamored with it. “There’s always something new about food that’s really exciting — a new trend or a new combination,” she says. “Who would have ever thought chocolate and bacon go together?” Part of her job is doing the very thing that stirs her passions. She has opportunities to take internal culinary classes as well as travel to other test kitchens around the world. She’s visited kitchens in Mexico, Germany, Italy, Canada and Nestlé’s home base in Vevey, Switzerland. Not only does Himmelman love to learn about food, but she’s excited about sharing her love with others. “I love to bake,” she says. “I love to cook and I love my job. So it’s a way for me to show love and create a memory for someone.” » Chelsia Smedley
Lemon Raspberry Oven Pancake This dessert is inspired by the “claufouti,” a French baked dessert. This recipe has sweet and citrusy flavors combined with raspberries and will make a delightful finale to your special event. Try other berries to create additional variations of this recipe. Ready in less than 30 minutes. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk 3/4 cup egg substitute or 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 pint (about 1 cup) fresh raspberries
PREHEAT oven to 450°F. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. COMBINE flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in medium bowl. Whisk evaporated milk, egg substitute, lemon peel and vanilla extract in another medium bowl until blended. Add to flour mixture; whisk for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pie plate. Arrange raspberries on top of batter. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown. Serve warm. TIP: Substitute other favorite, fresh seasonal berries such as blackberries or 1 cup blueberries for the raspberries. Recipe courtesy of Nestlé USA and VeryBestBaking.com
spring 2014
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