We’re fortunate to have such a great assortment of summer fruit in the Pacific Northwest. One of our favorite ways to celebrate our delicious berries is in this Summer Berry Charlotte. This recipe calls for blackberries, blueberries and strawberries, but feel free to substitute raspberries, marionberries or red currants. We use a 9-inch stainless steel bowl lined in plastic wrap, but you can use a pudding mold if you have one. A patchwork of thinly sliced brioche forms the crust and a mixture of warm cooked berries thickened with gelatin make a juicy filling that retains some of the fruit’s texture. The dessert requires chilling for a minimum of 4 hours to set up properly, so plan accordingly. When it isn’t peak berry season, we recommend using high-quality IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) berries, many of which are grown near Lynden, in the northwest corner of Washington state.

 Printable PDF of the recipe here. Makes 8-12 Servings 

 1 Macrina Brioche Loaf4 cups fresh blackberries4 cups fresh blueberries3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced½ cup water1¾  cup sugar1 tsp fresh lemon zest1 package + 1 tsp powdered gelatin (package is 1 oz)Line a 9-inch stainless steel mixing bowl with plastic wrap. This will take 2 pieces. Each side should extend 3 to 4 inches.Remove the crust from the brioche loaf (top, bottom, ends and sides). Cut the brioche into quarter-inch slices. Begin lining the bowl by cutting a circle from a slice to match the diameter of the bowl base. With the bottom covered, line the walls of the bowl. Larger pieces work best. You’ll need to cut little triangles here and there, in patchwork fashion, until the bowl’s interior is covered. Don’t discard the remaining brioche—you’ll use it to form the top layer.In a large saucepan, add half the berries and the water, sugar and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes to release the juices. The berries should be very soupy. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the surface of the saucepan. Whisk the gelatin into the mixture.Add the remaining berries. Over low heat, warm the whole mixture for 2 to 4 minutes (you want the second addition of fruit to retain its form).Ladle some of the berry mixture juices over the brioche lining the bowl until it’s completely saturated and purple in color. Then carefully pour or ladle the rest of the berry mixture in. Top with a single layer of the remaining brioche slices. Press gently to compress the contents in the bowl.If any brioche strips lining the side extend beyond the top layer, use a knife and cut them level with the top layer.Fold the extended plastic wrap over the charlotte to seal it.Find something heavy (such as a small plate with a glass of water on top)—roughly the same diameter as the bowl—and place it on top as a weight to continue to compress the charlotte and ensure the brioche is fully saturated in berry juice.Chill for a minimum of 4 hours to set the gelatin.Remove the plastic from the top of the charlotte. Place a serving dish over the rim of the bowl and invert for serving. Remove the bowl and peel away the plastic wrap. If you have any white or unsaturated areas, heat a handful of blueberries with a splash of water and sugar and cook until the berries are soft. Pass this through a sieve and brush the white areas with the warm glaze. Any excess can be used as a sauce when serving.Garnish with fresh berries. Edible flowers also make a beautiful garnish. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Macrina is donating all net proceeds to the Adamâ Bakery during the week of July 25 from café sales of our four packs of Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies. We also urge café customers to donate directly to the bakery here.“I am happy now that I spend most of my days baking, and my nights are peaceful,” said Kareem, an eighteen-year-old refugee who lost his family to violence in Congo. “I thank the bakers who have trained us. They have contributed so much to my trauma healing. Above all, I have found a family in Adamâ.”The ADAMÂ Bakery is located by the Oruchinga Settelment Camp in southwest Uganda. The camp is home to over 9,000 refugees from Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, and other parts of East Africa. Many have escaped unspeakable tragedies at home.Jeffrey Hamelman and Mitch Stamm, both renowned and recently retired bakers, were invited by Ayelet Berman-Cohen, the founder and executive director of the Adamâ Foundation, to travel to Uganda and help the bakery get going. They spent a few weeks there. For nearly thirty years, Leslie has collaborated on regional events with Jeffery and Mitch through the Bread Bakers Guild of America. Through this connection, Macrina learned about Adamâ and was inspired to become an annual donor.“When the refugees arrive, they are given four eucalyptus poles and a tarp,” says Jeffrey. “The tarp and poles become their home. New arrivals are also given a machete and a hoe so they can hack out some jungle and hopefully get some seeds. If they are successfully raising their prospects, they use homemade bricks to build a mud hut with no windows, no electricity, no running water, and an amazing number of people are crammed into a tiny space. Refugees get $3.74 a month from the UN for food.”“They’ve been stripped of everything except their dignity,” Mitch says. “They ran into the bush with nothing upon seeing family members killed. Some people are born in the refugee camp. They’ll spend their entire lives there.”The bakery is located in a small house next to the refugee camp. The oven is wood fired, as is the proof box. A 35-kilo electric mixer and an electric bread slicer are all the powered equipment they have. Twenty-four bakers arrive every day for work. They learn a trade, earn an income, and distribute a portion of the day’s baked goods to children in the settlements.“The bakers are three-fourths women,” says Jeffrey. “They have an unbelievable amount of dignity. They walk to the bakery. The different nationalities work well together, they harmonize. They are absolutely overjoyed to be able to learn a skill, provide bread for their families, and for thousands of children to whom bread is given free.”Angella Kushemererwa and Sophie Karungi manage the bakery. They work full-time at the bakery and also have full-time jobs, Angella at the United Nations, and Sophie providing trauma care in refugee settlements. At the end of every day, the bakers make trips deep into the community to hand out bread to children, many malnourished.“Handing out the bread is an act of the utmost elation when you see the joy on the faces of the children who get the buns,” says Jeffrey. “The other emotional extreme is that the buns always run out before the desperate hands that are endlessly reaching out to get a bun, and that just crushes you. That happens every single time.”The goal for the bakery is to become self-sustaining eventually, but for now keeping it open costs about $5,000 per month. The Adamâ Foundation plans to install a modern oven in the next few months.“We know the needs are endless, but we’re hoping to help fund the acquisition of this oven,” says Scott France, president and part-owner of Macrina Bakery.Jeffrey and Mitch are self-funding an upcoming trip to help get the oven installed. “The wood-burning oven is a weak link,” says Jeffrey. “It’s got four chambers. There’s a 50-degree temperature differential between the chambers. All the trays need to get shifted throughout the bake.”The new equipment will help the bakery feed more children and will be a solid step toward self-sustainability.“Some people might say you’re training 24 people, and you’re giving out tens of thousands of buns—this is just wonderful,” says Jeffrey. “And others might say, you better multiply that by a hundred if you’re gonna have any impact at all. Well, none of us is going to fix the world, but I feel like having an opportunity to do one little thing that’s helping these people….” Jeffrey pauses to compose himself. “You can tell half our heart is in Uganda. We know that we’ve changed their lives. They don’t know to what extent they’ve changed ours.”You can donate directly to ADAMÂ here. All money goes to the bakers and has an incredible impact on the quality of their lives.

Raspberries are a cornerstone of many of our products. Why? Because they’re just so good. Especially when they’re grown locally by small farms in Washington state. We’re excited to partner with the Washington State Red Raspberry Commission to celebrate red raspberries for the month of July!Raspberries picked at the peak of ripeness have a complex tangy sweetness. With fresh raspberries now available year-round in supermarkets, grown and shipped primarily from Mexico and California, we tend to forget just how good they are fresh off the vine. Sun-warmed, bursting with intense flavor, freshly-picked raspberries are distant cousins of the raspberries grown to ship. Those are bred for durability over taste and picked firm for trucking. Local raspberries are allowed to ripen until they’re nearly ready to fall from the bush. 

Did you know that 90% of US frozen raspberries come from Washington State? 

The epicenter of Washington state’s raspberry crop is Lynden, a charming, historic town in Whatcom County near the Canadian border. Over 90 percent of Washington raspberries are grown within a 20-mile radius of Lynden. The moderate daytime temperatures, cool evenings, healthy soil, and dry summers produce berries with excellent color and flavor. The tasty crop is so sought after that most of America’s frozen raspberries now come from Washington state.

These aren’t your grandmother’s frozen berries! Recent innovations to the freezing process, known as Individually Quick Frozen (IQF), a state-of-the-art technique where the berries are individually frozen in a wind tunnel at sub-zero temperatures that preserves shape and flavor integrity, have been a game-changer. Unlike the frozen raspberries of the past that made baked goods soggy, these can be substituted for fresh raspberries.  

Leslie Mackie, Macrina’s founder, went to Lynden and visited with local farmers to better understand what makes their raspberries superior. She came away a convert. Leslie says, “I thought the fresh market was best. That’s not necessarily true. Growers pick IQF fruit at the height of the season when it has optimal sweetness, appearance, and juiciness. Because their fruit is grown for flavor, it’s perishable. But the new freezing process allows us to enjoy the great taste all year long.  The Washington state raspberry harvest begins in July. To celebrate, Lynden will host the annual Northwest Raspberry Festival over the weekend of July 16. Visitors can sample locally harvested raspberries in many forms. Eat them as nature made them or incorporated into foods and beverages of all kinds. Over the last year, Leslie has developed four new Macrina products using local berries: Chocolate Raspberry Muffins, Raspberry Oat Scones, Raspberry Lemon Coffee Cake and Raspberry Conserve. We will be featuring them throughout July in honor of our state’s delicious raspberry harvest—and we’re delighted to be able to make them all year long with Washington state raspberries. 

VEGAN RASPBERRY OAT SCONE

Oats add texture and a delicate flavor to these lightly-sweetened vegan scones. Moist raspberries flavor every bite, and a hint of orange zest rounds out the taste.

RASPBERRY LEMON COFFEE CAKE

By taste alone, you’d never know this decadent coffee cake was gluten-free!* Bursting with local raspberries and lemon zest, this sweet cake is finished with raspberry glaze.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE BERRY MUFFIN

These decadent muffins are both vegan and gluten-free.* They’re moist and richly flavored, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

RASPBERRY CONSERVES

This small batch fruit spread from founder Leslie Mackie’s Project Barnstorm features local produce and less sugar than your typical jam. Try it on one of our bagels or a slice of toasted bread!

*Made with gluten-free ingredients but produced in a gluten-friendly environment.

Julia Child’s recipes continue to inspire me. Chocolate mousse was one of Julia’s favorite desserts. Her version is the real deal, with egg yolks going into the base and the whites whipped separately to add the airy texture. These days, for convenience or out of concern for lightly cooked eggs, most mousses are made with whipped cream folded in to add the richness missing from eggs. For a more contemporary take, I've adapted Julia’s recipe to create a layered dessert that combines rich chocolate mousse with a lighter complement of date-sweetened tahini mousse.Printable PDF of this recipe here.

^{Makes 4 servings (6 oz cups)} 

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips2 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1½ sticks), room temperature, divided5 Medjool dates, pitted, divided½ cup warm water, divided¼ cup tahini4 eggs, separated¾ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, dividedPinch salt¼ cup orange liquor (Grand Marnier, triple sec or Cointreau; or substitute 2 Tbsp water + 2 Tbsp vanilla extract)2 Tbsp cocoa powder1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted½ cup heavy creamCreate a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer, then placing a medium heat-proof bowl over the saucepan (it shouldn’t touch the water). Place the chocolate chips and espresso in the bowl. As the chocolate melts, stir it occasionally to prevent scorching. Once the chocolate is smooth, remove the bowl and add 6 Tbsp of butter, bit by bit. Whisk after each addition until thoroughly combined. Set aside.Coarsely chop 4 dates. Place them in a bowl and cover with ¼ cup of warm water. Allow them to soften for 5 minutes, then drain and place in a food processor. Add the tahini and remaining ¼ cup of water. Blend to make a smooth paste. Use a spatula to scrape the paste into a medium heat-proof bowl. Set it on top of your saucepan of simmering water. Warm the paste and add the remaining butter, a little at a time, whisking to blend thoroughly. Remove from the heat and set aside.Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment and whip until frothy. Add 1 Tbsp of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Whip to medium-firm peaks. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.Place the egg yolks, ¾ cup of sugar and the orange liquor into the stand mixer bowl (make sure it's cleaned from the previous step). Combine the ingredients well. Set the stand mixer bowl over the double boiler (water should still be simmering), whisk the egg mixture constantly, warming the eggs to 120°F (use an instant read thermometer). The eggs will become frothy in about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let the eggs cook completely or scramble.Remove the warmed egg mixture and fit the bowl back into the stand mixer. With a whisk attachment, mix at medium speed for 2 to 4 minutes to cool and aerate the egg mixture. The mixture will become lighter in color and texture.In two additions, divide the egg mixture equally between the chocolate and tahini bowls. After each addition, gently fold to incorporate.Use the same procedure (two additions each) to fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate and tahini bowls. Be patient and fold delicately—to create mousse, you want to entirely dissolve the whites into the mixture without deflating the texture.Divide the chocolate mousse between your four cups, then top each with the tahini mousse. If you’re using 6 oz cups, they should be filled to the brim. Chill for 4 hours.Sprinkle half the top with cocoa powder and the other half with sesame seeds. Whip the heavy cream and remaining 1 Tbsp sugar by hand until it has soft peaks. Right before serving, top each glass with a dollop of the whipped cream and a slice of the remaining date. Edible flowers add a beautiful touch.The mousse will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Cherries are the traditional fruit for this delicate French dessert, but any seasonal fruit will do. Use fresh pitted sweet cherries or I.Q.F. (individually quick frozen) cherries. The puffed, golden-brown custard that forms the tart’s base is almond-scented and lightly sweet. The cherries punctuate each bite with their bright flavor. The preparation is simple enough to make while your dinner is cooking. Put it in the oven as you sit to eat, and in an hour, you’ll have an elegant dessert that is best served still warm from the oven.Printable pdf of this recipe here.Makes one 9-inch tart1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted3 cups sweet cherries, pitted (Bing, Rainier or thawed I.Q.F.)1 cup granulated sugar, divided2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract, divided1 tsp almond extract, divided1½ cups whole milk3 eggs¼ tsp salt½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour2 Tbsp almonds, coarsely chopped2 Tbsp powdered sugar1 cup heavy cream1 Tbsp amarettoPreheat oven to 350°F. Brush the base and sides of a 9-inch baking dish with the melted butter.

In a medium bowl, add the cherries, ¼ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla and ½ tsp almond extract. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In a blender or the bowl of a food processor, place ½ cup sugar, the remaining 1 Tbsp vanilla and ½ tsp almond extract, milk, eggs, salt and flour. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes to combine well.

Preheat the buttered baking dish for 5 minutes in the oven. Pour a quarter of the custard into the dish and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Then add the marinated cherries, scattering them evenly over the base. Top with the remaining custard. Sprinkle the chopped almonds around the perimeter.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the custard puffs and is golden brown. The custard should be firm to the touch.

Let cool for 15 minutes. Top with powdered sugar.

In a separate bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), use a whisk to whip the heavy cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and amaretto to soft peaks.

This clafoutis is best enjoyed while still warm from the oven, preferably in the garden after an early summer dinner. Enjoy!

In 1996, I was surprised and honored to receive a call that Julia Child was interested in featuring me in an episode of Baking with Julia, a show that would later go on to win an Emmy Award and a James Beard Award. I flew out to Boston and made this lovely Normandy Apple Tart in the kitchen of Julia Child’s imposing Cambridge clapboard house. This tart is a free-form variation of what I made for the show. It's chock-full of sliced apples, brandied currants, and topped with a creamy custard that you add in the final 20 minutes of baking.Printable pdf of the recipe here.Makes one 10-inch tart3 Tbsp dried currants4 Tbsp brandy, divided1 disk Macrina Flaky Pie Dough, thawed but chilled3 Granny Smith apples¾ cup granulated sugar, divided½ tsp ground cinnamon2 eggs, divided¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour2 Tbsp powdered sugarLine a rimmed baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.In a small bowl, soak the currants in 2 Tbsp of brandy for 10 minutes.On a floured work surface, roll out the pie dough to a 14-inch x ⅛-inch circle. Trim any excess. Gently fold the dough in half and lift it onto the prepared baking sheet. Unfold the dough and center it on the sheet pan. Some dough will cascade over the edge of the pan.Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into ¼-inch slices and place them in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and the brandied currants. Toss to evenly coat the apples.Place the apple mixture in the center of the rolled pastry dough. Spread it out to create a 10-inch mound.Make an egg wash by thoroughly mixing 1 egg and 1 Tbsp of water in a small bowl.Begin folding the uncovered dough (approximately a 2-inch rim) onto the apples to create a free-form tart. As you make each fold, brush the top with the egg wash to seal any overlap. When you've finished folding over the excess dough, give the top dough another brush of egg wash for even baking.Refrigerate the formed tart for 30 minutes.Preheat your oven to 400°F.In a food processor, add the remaining 2 Tbsp brandy, ¼ cup sugar, egg and flour. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes to combine well. Pour the custard into a smaller container to add to the tart later.Bake the chilled tart for 25 minutes or until you see the crust and apples beginning to color. Remove the tart from the oven and pour as much custard as possible over the apples in the center of the tart. Use a knife or spatula to gently nudge the apples to let the custard settle.Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the custard is set.Let cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. Enjoy!

Macrina Bakery makes some of Seattle's best cakes– order one now for your Mother's Day celebration.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake is one of our favorite seasonal cakes available just in time for Mother's Day! Old-fashioned devil’s food cake (the base of our famous Mom's Cake) is layered with chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries, then finished with chocolate ganache and chocolate cake crumbs.We’ve always made cakes at Macrina, but a few years ago we started offering a rotating slice of the day in cafés (only available Friday - Sunday). Customers were so thrilled, our talented pastry team had to ramp up production! See the dates below for some upcoming slices.

Drop by and pick up treats for Mother’s Day. We have complimentary Mother’s Day Cards to make your treat extra sweet! Whole cakes must be ordered by noon 2 days in advance.

Beyond the Chocolate Raspberry Cake, We have a number of impossibly delicious cakes!

Lemon Poppy Seed CakeOur popular white chocolate cake is layered with lemon curd, whipped cream, fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves. Finished with white chocolate cream cheese icing.Available until 5/11. 

      Carrot CakeAn old-fashioned favorite made with fresh carrots and toasted walnuts, filled and frosted with white chocolate cream cheese icing and sprinkled with orange zest between layers. Finished with toasted walnuts and candied carrot peel.Slices available in cafés 4/29-5/1.    Tuxedo CakeBittersweet chocolate cake moistened with brandy syrup with alternating layers of ganache and white chocolate cream cheese filling. Frosted with white chocolate cream cheese icing and topped with white chocolate curls.Slices available in cafés 5/13-5/15.     

Mom's Cake is one of our most popular cakes. The rich, devil’s food cake is a child’s dream of the perfect cake—only designed for your grown-up taste buds. We layer the light and feathery cake with bittersweet chocolate buttercream and top it with big swirls of the velvety frosting.Slices available in cafés 5/20-5/22.

     

Red Velvet CakeOur version of red velvet cake has a dark red color to match the rich Valrhona chocolate flavor layered with cream cheese buttercream.Slices available in cafés 6/3-6/5

      Whisper CakeOur popular white chocolate cake is layered with lemon curd, whipped cream, fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves. Finished with white chocolate cream cheese icing.      

Lemon Butter CakeFresh lemon butter cake layered with lemon curd lightened with whipped cream, fresh strawberries and strawberry preserves. Frosted with lemon cream cheese icing and dusted on the sides with crumbled walnut biscotti.

Looking for Gluten-Free Options?

Our new Queen's Cake is a rich, gluten-free* espresso-infused chocolate almond torte with a creamy center. Topped with ganache, chopped almonds, chocolate pearls and fresh berries. Contains rum. Available until 5/11. Torta GiandujaGluten-free* rectangular torta with six alternating layers of chocolate espresso cake and chocolate hazelnut cake. Glazed with rich, bittersweet chocolate ganache and decorated with hazelnuts. Contains alcohol. Bittersweet Chocolate GateauVelvety, gluten-free* chocolate cake swirled with raspberry preserves, glazed with bittersweet chocolate ganache and dusted with powdered sugar.*Made with gluten-free ingredients but produced in a gluten-friendly environment.

Receive the perfect Mother’s Day gift and contribute to the health and well-being of Mayan villagers’ lives! Sign up by April 20th for the baking demonstration April 28th! 

In her 20s, Leslie Mackie worked in Los Angeles with many Guatemalans. She fell in love with their big hearts and generous souls. Her daughter, Olivia, now 23, was born in Guatemala City. A few years ago, Leslie learned about Guatemala Village Health from her daughter. Through education, empowerment of local leaders, and development of local health providers, this fantastic non-profit gathers people to help improve village health and prosperity in Guatemala. When they asked us to team up for a fundraiser to support their efforts in improving Mayan villagers’ lives, we couldn’t say no!For each $75 donation to the Guatemala Village Health fundraiser, you will receive a tote bag containing a Macrina Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake Kit, a jar of Project Barnstorm Raspberry Conserves, and a Macrina tea towel. Donate $120, and you’ll also get our most recent cookbook, Seasons, signed by Leslie. In addition, all donors get to join Leslie on April 28 for a Zoom baking demonstration from her Vashon Island farmhouse kitchen. She will demonstrate how to bake our Chocolate Raspberry cupcakes, assisted by her daughter Olivia. “I will demonstrate the mixing, baking, and making of the filling,” says Leslie. “We will also demonstrate how to sugar some edible flowers for Mother’s Day.”

 

Our Seasons Cookbook includes some of our customers’ favorite Macrina kitchen recipes, from brunch dishes, to summer desserts. Celebrated local photographer Jim Henkens spent days on Leslie’s Vashon Island farm to create the vivid images that illustrate the well-tested recipes.

By participating in this fundraiser for Guatemala Village Health, you can make a valuable contribution, learn how to bake delicious chocolate raspberry cupcakes, and discover new favorite recipes in our cookbook.

Register Here: https://www.gvhealth.org/events/bake

May 1st, 2022 Update: 

Thank you to everyone who made this a successful and amazing fundraiser! Here are some photos from the event:

Leslie Mackie, assisted by her daughter Olivia MackieLeslie and Carolyn Bain, Executive Director of Guatemala Village Health The lovely cupcakes!

The tart sweetness of fresh juicy raspberries finds its perfect complement in the cake’s soft buttery texture and fresh lemon flavor. This spring favorite of ours makes a beautiful centerpiece for an Easter brunch, or for that matter, any brunch. We offer a similar coffee cake in our cafés that we make with gluten-free flour. It’s delicious either way, and the moist cake keeps nicely for several days.Printable PDF of this recipe here. Makes one bundt loaf; serves 102 Tbsp canola oil4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided1 Tbsp baking powder½ tsp baking soda½ tsp salt8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature2¼ cup sugar3 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)5 eggs¼ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)½ cup non-fat yogurt2 cups fresh raspberries1 cup powdered sugar, sifted1 Tbsp raspberry jam1 Tbsp + 1 tsp waterPreheat oven to 325°F.Brush bundt pan (12 cup bundt pan is ideal) with canola oil and sprinkle with ¼ cup flour. Rotate the pan so the flour coverage is even. Shake out excess flour. Set aside.In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly. Set aside.In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is light in texture and pale in color. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure the mixture is thoroughly blended.Add eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix until combined.Add the flour mixture and yogurt in three alternating additions. Be careful not to overmix. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the fresh raspberries. Fold in gently by hand.Scoop and level the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Place the bundt pan onto a rimmed baking sheet for easy handling and to prevent overflow in your oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake should be golden brown and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.Let cool for 1 hour. Release the cake from the pan by running a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and lift the pan.In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, jam and water until combined. Drizzle the topping over the cake. Fresh raspberries, sugared edible flowers or herbs make great decorative garnishes. 

Macrina Bakery will sell Brown Sugar Shortbread cookies decorated with the Ukrainian flag from March 21-27. All proceeds will help a bakery in Kyiv, Ukraine called Bakehouse to continue to give away free bread. In peacetime, 1500 people walked through the doors at Bakehouse to buy bread and pastries. The spacious, light-filled bakery employed 80 bakers. It’s one of Ukraine’s most renowned bakeries. Now, as Russian bombs fall on Kyiv, the Bakehouse’s large windows make it too dangerous to occupy. But Ukrainians who have been unable to flee must still be fed. So many of the Bakehouse bakers have decamped to a basement bakery where they continue to bake bread for hundreds of people every day. They’re giving it all away for free. Proof, a bakery in Mesa, Arizona, has organized a fundraiser for Bakehouse, partnering with bakers worldwide on a campaign called Bake for Ukraine. Macrina Bakery is honored to be able to help. For the week of March 21-March 27, we will donate all proceeds from our Brown Sugar Shortbread cookies decorated with the Ukrainian flag to the fundraiser for Bakehouse. In addition, Macrina will also match any employee donations. Anyone who wishes to donate directly can do so via the GoFundMe page.Order the Cookies for Ukraine here!Bakehouse's InstagramBakehouse's Facebook

It’s no secret that I'm a huge fan of Julia Child. One of my most treasured memories was when I was a featured guest on the Emmy award-winning show Baking with Julia in 1996. Cooking with Julia—in her Cambridge kitchen—was an unforgettable experience. This Quiche Lorraine recipe is, surprise surprise, inspired by a Julia Child's recipe. I have adapted it to bring the bacon flavor to the fore and enhance it with locally made and aged Ferndale Farmstead Fontina cheese. This updated classic is one of my favorite savory fillings for our Flaky Pie Dough.Makes one 10-inch quiche; serves 81 disk Macrina Flaky Pie Dough, thawed5 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces4 ounces Ferndale Farmstead Fontina cheese (aged 6 months), or similar2 egg yolks2 eggs1½ cups milk2 cups half and half½ tsp salt2 grinds black pepper1 tsp fresh thyme, finely choppedOn a floured work surface, roll the disk of pie dough into a 13-inch circle. Fold dough in half and lift onto a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Flatten the dough into the base of the pan and edges. With the remaining overhang, fold into the pan to create an edge that stands ½-inch above the top of the pan. With your hand, press the crust edge to a consistent thickness. Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer or refrigerator.Preheat oven to 375°F. Adjust baking rack to center of oven.Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill it with baking weights or beans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the base appears dry. Remove the beans. If the shell is moist-looking at the base, bake for another 2 to 5 minutes to dry it out. Let cool.Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon. Stir to render the fat and crisp the bacon evenly. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon. Let cool. Discard the fat.Grate the Fontina cheese; set aside.In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, eggs, milk, half and half, salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk to combine.Place the baked tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Layer the bacon, grated cheese and fresh thyme in the tart shell. Top with the egg mixture. Being careful not to spill, gently place the quiche in the oven.Bake the quiche for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.Let the quiche cool at room temperature for an hour. Push the base of the tart pan up to separate and remove the quiche from the rim. Serve the quiche with a fresh garden salad and a favorite Pinot Blanc or dry Riesling! Julia would approve!

One of the most exciting innovations at Macrina in recent years is our focus on the flour we use in our naturally leavened breads. The central resource in our search for the most flavorful and nutritious wheat is the nationally renowned Bread Lab, an extension of Washington State University. Located an hour north of Seattle in Skagit Valley, Bread Lab is run by Dr. Steven Jones. He is devoted to bringing grain agriculture back to our region. A hundred years ago, fields of grains filled the Skagit Valley, but as industrial wheat brought the commodity price down, farmers shifted to more valuable crops. Commodity flour—the inert, shelf-stable white flour we’re all familiar with—became commonplace throughout America early in the 20th century. The shift away from regional wheat and local stone-ground milling resulted from the roller mill, an industrial method that produced a more uniform shelf-stable flour at less cost. Growers bred wheat for the new mills. Yield, not flavor, was the key metric. As a result, our nation’s wheat crops were rapidly homogenized. Community flour mills that once processed locally-grown wheat—there had once been more than 2,000 throughout the country—mostly vanished. Wheat, once cultivated into various strains that thrived in the particular microclimate, was reduced to a handful of hard red winter wheat strains. In the name of efficiency, most farmers abandoned the flavorful and nutritious strains of wheat and grew what fetched the highest price. America got cheap flour and Wonder Bread. The rise of artisan bread in America that started in the 1980s challenged the dominance of the ubiquitous pre-packaged supermarket loaf. More recently, the popularity of home bread baking and sourdough starters is a turn back to the days when many homemade loaves were common. This pre-industrialized turn is reflected in a new generation of farmers and artisan millers interested in a tastier, healthier, and more sustainable approach to growing and milling wheat locally. Many of them, like us, turn to Dr. Jones. Macrina has partnered with the Bread Lab for years, uses locally-grown and milled wheat developed by the Bread Lab, and Leslie Mackie, Macrina’s founder, has been a member of their advisory board. Earlier this year, our leadership team visited to talk with Dr. Jones and his team of researchers. “Dr. Jones is working on developing organic grain to plant in the fertile Skagit Valley,” Leslie said. “The farmers produce huge amounts of potatoes, cabbage, and more and need a good rotation crop to break disease cycles and to restore vital elements to the soil. The Bread Lab breeds grain for flavor, ease of growing in our region without chemicals, great performance for bakers like us, and great yield so farmers get a fair value for their work. Dr. Jones also intends to make the grain accessible to everyone, not just high-end bakeries. That’s supporting our local economy on all levels.” Macrina pledged our continued support for Bread Lab through their Bread Collective program. Participating bakeries make a sliced loaf that uses at least sixty percent whole wheat flour, is made with only seven ingredients (no chemicals, only real food) and is sold for six dollars or less. Our Organic Whole Wheat Loaf, sold in our cafes and grocery stores, is our Bread Collective contribution. A portion of the sales of this loaf helps the Bread Lab in its mission to bring together a community of people across the wheat ecosystem, from bakers to brewers, to experiment with the flavor, nutrition, and functionality of wheat. After a delicious lunch prepared by the Bread Lab team of whole-grain pizza and a salad of local greens and pickled Skagit vegetables, we returned more inspired than ever to continue to innovate with the locally-grown hybrid heirloom strains of wheat developed by Dr. Jones. It’s an exciting time to be baking bread! All photos courtesy of @WSU_Bread_Lab Instagram. 

As a kid growing up in Spokane, Katarina always wanted to bake but didn’t know that was a viable job option. Then she enrolled in a ProStart program, a nationwide, two-year high school program focusing on culinary skills and hospitality. “I got really involved,” says Katarina. “I catered for other clubs at school and competed through the program in state-wide competitions. I had a teacher and mentor who said you could do this as a job. This could be a very fulfilling career for you.”That experience earned her scholarships to the Culinary Institute of America, located in Napa Valley, and one of the country’s premier baking and pastry programs. Katarina interned at Macrina for four months as part of completing her degree. We were so impressed with her skills and passion that we offered her a job right out of school.“I really liked my experience at Macrina and was excited to come work here,” says Katarina.Katarina worked for two years directly with Erica Olsen, our former Retail Pastry General Manager, who has now been promoted to Wholesale Sales Manager. Under Erica’s close tutelage, Katarina mastered our products.“The people and the environment at Macrina are really friendly,” Katarina says. “I love the product and the energy. Everyone wants to be at work, and they care about each other.”Her favorite challenge: developing new recipes with Leslie and Blake Gehringer, Macrina’s production manager. “I love working with Leslie and Blake to perfect the new recipes,” says Katarina.When not at work, Katarina loves to dine out at Seattle’s great restaurants, go thrifting, and spend time at local parks. She also loves to cook savory food at home. “You get results so much more quickly. And you can taste as you go.”

Last summer, I had the good fortune to spend a week in Julia Child’s former summer house in Grasse, France. The experience has inspired me to recreate some of her favorite recipes. I learned to make this Reine De Saba cake in cooking school in San Francisco many years ago. This recipe adapts exceptionally well to gluten-free by substituting out the cake flour for a gluten-free mix—you won’t even taste the difference. The cake is intentionally baked to leave the middle slightly soft. You and your guests will delight in the creamy center, which is the best part!One 9-inch cake; serves 6–8 CAKE4 oz semisweet chocolate chips¼ cup brewed espresso (or very strong coffee)4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature¾ cups sugar, divided3 eggs, separated into yolks and egg whites¼ tsp salt½ cup roasted almonds, finely chopped¼ tsp almond extract½ cup cake flour (or gluten-free flour mixture)FROSTING2 oz semisweet chocolate2 Tbsp rum or brandy6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature20 whole almonds, roasted2 Tbsp powdered sugarCAKEPreheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 9-inch cake pan with oil and line with parchment paper along the base and sides. Set aside.Combine chocolate chips and espresso in a medium bowl and place over a pan with 2 inches of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Melt chocolate and combine well with the coffee. Remove from heat and let cool.In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar (reserving 1 Tbsp for the egg whites) with a paddle attachment. The mixture will be light in texture and pale in color.With the mixer running, add the egg yolks one at a time until thoroughly combined.In a separate bowl, with a hand mixer or whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until they’re frothy. Add the remaining Tbsp of sugar and continue whipping until you have medium-stiff peaks.Remove the bowl of creamed butter from the stand mixer and add the cooled chocolate, salt, chopped almonds and almond extract. Mix to combine.In 3 additions, alternately add the whipped egg whites and sift the flour over the surface. Between each addition, gently fold to combine well. Scoop the batter into the cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the surface for even baking.Bake for 25 minutes. The cake will be slightly soft in the center but firm toward the perimeter.Let cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a presentation plate and remove the parchment paper.FROSTINGMelt the chocolate and rum in a medium bowl set over a pan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Remove the chocolate-rum mix from the heat and add the softened butter. Using a hand-held mixer or whisk, incorporate the butter into the warm chocolate. When the frosting is slightly cool and spreadable, frost the top of the cake. Decorate with whole almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar.Enjoy! 

A traditional French dish of chicken cooked with red wine, onions, mushrooms and bacon. This recipe is inspired by the wonderful Julia Child, who made French cooking approachable and fun. In 1996, Julia Child invited Leslie to her kitchen to film an episode of Baking with Julia. She’d been in Seattle, visited Macrina, and loved it. Leslie cites that experience as one of the great memories of her life. This version of the traditional recipe uses our grilled Sour White brushed with garlic oil to soak up the sauce and add texture. Made with red wine, it’s a perfect winter meal. For a summer treat, lighten it up by using Riesling.

Serves 42½ to 3 lbs whole chicken (preferably naturally raised), cut into 8 pieces (halve each breast, thighs and legs)¾ tsp kosher salt¼ tsp black pepper, ground4 Tbsp olive oil, divided2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in ½-inch pieces5 cremini mushrooms, quartered1 yellow onion, cut in ½-inch wedges3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice5 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided3 roma tomatoes, medium dice2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped1 bay leaf2 cups medium-bodied red wine2 cups chicken stock3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, divided1 Macrina Organic Sour White Loaf¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely choppedPreheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment and set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large, oven-proof roasting pan (with a lid to use later), add 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 4 pieces of chicken and sauté for 2 minutes per side. Remove the golden-brown chicken pieces, add the remaining chicken and follow the same procedure. Remove the chicken and reduce the heat slightly. Add the bacon and render its fat. When bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove it. Set aside with the chicken. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and carrots, and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add ¾ of the garlic and the tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes to break down the tomatoes.

Return the chicken and bacon to the roasting pan. Add the red wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by 25 percent, approximately 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid and place in the oven to roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken from the sauce and set aside.

Use a fork to combine the flour and 2 Tbsp butter in a small bowl. Bring the sauce to a boil, then whisk in the flour-butter mixture. Whisk slowly as the sauce thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the sauce to warm through.

Cut the bread into ½-inch slices. In a small sauté pan, warm the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 Tbsp butter and the remaining chopped garlic over medium heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to warm through and bring out the flavor of the garlic (don’t let the garlic brown). Brush the mix over the sliced bread. Place the bread slices on the prepared rimmed sheet pan and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown at the edges.

Serve in shallow bowls—add 2 pieces of chicken and a garlic bread slice to each dish. Divide the sauce and vegetables evenly and garnish with parsley. Enjoy with a full-bodied red wine to complement the rich sauce!

After seven plus years at McGraw, Lizz is taking her show on the road in her new position as our Assistant Retail Operations Manager.If you’ve been to our McGraw café on Queen Anne, chances are you know Lizz. Since 2013, she ran our McGraw café. Efficient and gregarious, Lizz charmed customers, trained new employees, and kept the busy café running smoothly. Over the summer of 2021, we promoted her to Assistant Retail Operations Manager.In her new role, she will float between all five of our cafés, supporting Crystal Kitchin, our Retail Operations Manager. Lizz will help train employees, support managers, improve consistency between cafés, and fill scheduling gaps. Most comfortable behind the counter, Lizz will frequently be found in one of the cafés helping customers find what they’re looking for when she’s not updating our training manuals or teaching new employees the craft of making great coffee drinks.Asked how it feels to leave McGraw, her workplace for the last seven and half years, Lizz says, “It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I definitely miss the regulars and all the crew there, but I’m enjoying getting to know the customers and crew at other stores. I’m having fun.”With new challenges on the horizon, Lizz is excited to develop new skills. “My biggest challenge right now is learning how to best support the café GMs to help them execute their vision for the store,” Lizz says.When she’s not working, Lizz spends a lot of time planning her next big adventure. Every year (pandemic aside), she takes an epic trip. In 2020, just before the world shut down, she spent two weeks in New Zealand—and sneaked in a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl in Hawaii on the trip back to Seattle. When travel is safe again, Lizz is planning a big trip to Ireland.Lizz’s favorite part of working for Macrina is the holiday season, our busiest time of year. She says, “Being in one of the cafés at 2:30 a.m. in my pajamas and listening to music while we get all the Thanksgiving and Christmas orders ready is really fun.”

There may be no better breakfast pastry than these pillowy sticky buns made with a yeast dough enriched with butter, eggs and milk. Caramel and pecans blanket the top, and deep swirls of caramel and cinnamon sugar enliven every bite. Serve them warm and they’re irresistible.Makes 6 sticky bunsSTICKY BUN DOUGH¼ cup water, warm8 Tbsp sugar, divided1½ tsp dried yeast1 tsp pure vanilla extract2 eggs½ cups whole milk3¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour1 tsp salt½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature, cut into cubesCARAMEL GLAZE½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)1 cup brown sugar¼ tsp salt1 tsp orange zest1 tsp pure vanilla extract½ cup heavy creamCINNAMON SUGAR¾ cups brown sugar1 Tbsp cinnamonASSEMBLY1¼ cups roasted pecan piecesSTICKY BUN DOUGHIn the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, 2 Tbsp sugar and yeast. Whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Let rest for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.Add the remaining sugar, vanilla, eggs, milk, flour and salt. Using a paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 3 minutes to bring the dough together. Switch to a dough hook, set speed to medium and add the cubes of butter one at a time. Mix for 10 minutes. The dough should be wet and sticky with good elasticity when stretched.Pull the dough from the bowl and set on a floured work surface. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.CARAMEL GLAZEIn a medium saucepan set over low heat, add the butter, brown sugar and salt. As the butter melts, whisk the mixture into a sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the orange zest, vanilla and heavy cream. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.CINNAMON SUGARMix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.ASSEMBLYBrush a 9-inch cake pan with canola oil and line the base and sides with an 11-inch square piece of parchment paper (the corners will extend above the pan).Pour ¼ cup of the Caramel Glaze into the base of the pan. Let cool to room temperature.Add the pecan pieces to the remaining Caramel Glaze and set aside for later.Set the proofed brioche dough on a floured work surface. Shape the dough into a 15-inch x 6-inch rectangle. Press on the flattened dough to release any trapped air bubbles. Sprinkle the dough with the Cinnamon Sugar to cover liberally. With the broad side of the rectangle facing you, roll the dough from the far side towards you creating a spiral. Gently roll it back and forth to achieve a consistent thickness. Rest the roll seam side down.Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 6 equal pieces. Carefully place each roll cut side down onto the Caramel Glaze in the pan.Let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Preheat oven to 375°F.Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills that bubble over) and place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown in color.Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the buns from the pan by pulling on the extended parchment corners. If some areas stick, run a knife along the pan’s perimeter. Place a dinner plate face-down over the cake pan and invert. Gently lift the pan and remove the parchment. Keep the rolls inverted.Warm the remaining Caramel Glaze with pecans and spoon it over the top of the rolls, allowing it to drizzle down the sides slightly. Let cool for 30 minutes.Serve the sticky buns warm for breakfast, or if you’re feeling decadent, add some ice cream and turn them into a dessert!

By Matt GalvinCertain beloved foods trigger memories, transporting us through time and space to a special moment. For me, one of those foods is a mortadella and fresh mozzarella sandwich on focaccia. Like so much Italian food, its beauty lies in quality ingredients and simplicity. The freshly baked focaccia must be golden brown, flavorful and tender with a toothy crust, the mortadella thinly sliced and artfully layered and the fresh mozzarella creamy.My first taste of this sandwich was in Florence during a college semester abroad. The bakery had a wood-burning oven, and the baker would brush the dough with olive oil and saltwater. With a long flat peel, he’d place the floury dough into the oven, and about 20 minutes later a golden slab of steaming focaccia about four feet long would emerge from the oven. A piece of that savory bread layered with mortadella, fresh mozzarella, was, and still is, a perfect sandwich.After college, I returned to Italy to teach history and got to know the specialties of different regions. Still, for a quick lunch, nothing surpassed my favorite Florentine sandwich, except maybe a version I had in Rome at the famed bakery Antico Forno Roscioli.Years later, on return visits to Rome, I always headed to Antico Forno Roscioli for my favorite sandwich. I’d take it to Piazza Navona and find a spot to perch amid the fountains and take in the scene, a sentimental visit that always brought similar memories of times past flooding into the present.This year, my daughter, Gracie, is spending a semester abroad in Florence. Recently, my wife, Michelle, and I visited her and took her to Rome for a weekend. Guess where we grabbed lunch? En route to Antico Forno Roscioli, we wandered through Campo di Fiori. Then with sandwiches in hand, we strolled over to Piazza Navona. Sitting there, I discovered something better than enjoying your favorite sandwich in a perfect setting—watching your daughter do the same thing for the first time!Some might say, location, location, location, and they’re not wrong—go if you can. In the meanwhile, enjoy Macrina’s version of my favorite sandwich. It’s served on an Italian-style golden brown focaccia, made fresh every morning and topped with a light sprinkle of rosemary and cherry tomatoes, layered with thinly sliced mortadella and creamy fresh mozzarella. If you close your eyes and use your imagination, the patter of rain outside might just be the fountain splash of Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. 

De-stress your holiday gatherings by letting Macrina handle the baking. Whether it’s a holiday dinner or brunch, appetizers or desserts, we’ve got you covered. 

Great food and holidays go hand-in-hand. So does stress. You want fresh handmade baked goods, but don’t have time to do all the baking, cleaning, organizing, and decorating. For over twenty years, we’ve helped people gather around the table for fun, memorable meals. Whether it’s a holiday dinner, a festive brunch, appetizers, or desserts, we’ve got beautiful, great tasting items that will please your guests. We make it easy to serve a perfect meal and still have plenty of time to spend with family and friends.

Holiday Dinners 

Holiday Porcini Stuffing Mix, Roll Trays (Porcini Harvest, Buttermilk, Rustic Potato), Raisin Pumpernickel Loaf

Brunch 

Winter Pear Crown, Holiday Quiche, Holiday Brie, Cinnamon Roll Tray, Pecan Sticky Buns, Mini Squash Harvest Loaf, Pumpkin Muffin, Cranberry Apricot Nut Loaf, Panettone, Chocolate Pecan Babka

Appetizers 

Crostini, Holiday Brie, Smoked Trout Spread, Roasted Artichoke Spread, Fig and Olive Tapenade, Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Desserts 

Maple Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie, Brandied Orange Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Eggnog Cheesecake, Mini Gingerbread Spice Cup, Brown Sugar Shortbread, Chocolate Yule Log, Gingerbread Cookies, German Chocolate Cake, Mocha Almond Torte, Mini Chocolate Peppermint Mousse CakeOrder online for pick-up at one of our cafes! Orders must be placed by noon, two days in advance. Pickup available at the café of your choice.

Nancy LaVallee gives away about 100 pies every Thanksgiving On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, on First Avenue in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood,  Nancy LaVallee stuffs her car with more pies than might seem prudent. She manages to pack in about 50 and a friend piles the rest in her car. They caravan slowly back to Nancy’s Mercer Island home to prepare some hot apple cider and await their guests. Fortunately, there’s never been a fender bender on the way home, which could be messy.Nancy is a Mercer Island-based real estate agent for Windermere who sells homes all over the city. She started the great Thanksgiving pie giveaway eight years ago. The pies are for her neighbors and clients.“It’s a big day for me,” says Nancy. “Clients from all over the greater Seattle area come to my home for the pie pickup,” says Nancy. “It’s so fun to see everyone, and to be able to thank them for their support. Everyone loves the pies, and it means they don’t have to bake as much, which helps since everyone is busy over the holidays.”Before settling on Macrina as her pie baker of choice, Nancy went to eight different bakeries and sampled pies. Some years, she’s gotten pumpkin from one bakery, apple from another. But eventually she settled on Macrina. “Eight years ago, I started out with a small order, but it’s grown,” Nancy says. “Macrina can handle a hundred pies. Not everyone can handle that volume two days before Thanksgiving.”Nancy is especially fond of Macrina’s Maple Apple Pie. “I call it the high pie apple pie,” says Nancy. “It’s meaty. It’s got a lot of apples. And it lasts. I get my pies early. It tastes great two days later, maybe even better. It’s a great tasting pie.”Nancy enjoys the ritual of picking up the big order at our Sodo location. “A baker comes out to say hello and they help me load up, which is charming,” says Nancy. “It’s nice to be able to say thank you.”In 2020, Nancy put a little note in with the pies saying she was collecting non-perishable food items for Leschi Elementary School families in need. “We had over 45 bags of food to donate last year,” says Nancy. “It was quite overwhelming.”This year she’s doing it again.We’re grateful!