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Dessert Done Right THINK LOCAL ARTISANS INSTEAD OF HOMEMADE GOODIES By Steven Major | Photo by Davies Photography THERE IS A NORMAN ROCKWELLesque quality to the winter holidays, especially Thanksgiving, that leaves many people feeling pressured to transform themselves into master chefs and bakers. This is a joy for some—and many family traditions center around special recipes for the occasion—but it is easy to let the stress of crafting the perfect scratch-made meal get in the way of actually enjoying the time with friends and family. Roasting or deep-frying the perfect bird, getting the stuffing right, and coordinating the side dishes are daunting tasks that any host should feel proud to have taken on and successfully pulled off. But sometimes it’s best to share the stress: For those lucky enough to live near
an amazing bakery, bringing a mouthwatering cake or pie to the table after the dishes are cleared and the belts are loosened can be one of the easiest parts of the meal. Typically pies and cakes can be as tricky as they are tasty, given that baking is equal parts art and chemistry—and when things go wrong, the result is usually a table full of people pretending to enjoy dry crust and undercooked apples. On the other hand, there are pastry artisans like Tanya and Matt Andrews, who love to bake and are exceptionally good at it. They left traditional careers to pursue the dream of owning their own bakery and opened the doors of Yellow Dog Bread Company a little over four years ago, bringing their
passion for baking, along with family traditions, to Oakwood. Their Sweet Potato Cheesecake is particularly popular, and for good reason: It starts with Matt’s grandmother’s spiced pecan recipe, which was adapted to form the crust. (They also sell the pecans separately.) And the result is a wonderful combination of creamy cheesecake goodness with the seasonal spiced flavors one might otherwise associate with a pumpkin pie. Their Salted Pecan Pie is equally appropriate for the season, as is the Pear Rosemary Bundt Cake. With locally sourced ingredients like Lindley Mills flour and locally produced eggs and milk, you can think of it as having a neighborhood friend bring dessert for the feast.
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