Good Housekeeping (New York - The great bake sale cookbook: 75 sure-fire fund-raising favorites

THE EDITORS OF GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

HEARST BOOKS
A division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
New York / London
www.sterlingpublishing.com

Copyright 2009 by Hearst Communications, Inc.

All rights reserved. The recipes and photographs in this volume are intended for the personal use of the reader and may be reproduced for that purpose only. Any other use, especially commercial use, is forbidden under law without the written permission of the copyright holder.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

ROSEMARY ELLIS

Editor in Chief

SUSAN WESTMORELAND

Food Director

SAMANTHA B. CASSETTY, M.S., R.D

Nutrition Director

SHARON FRANKE

Food Appliances Director

BOOK DESIGN by Laura Palese

EDITED by Sarah Scheffel

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file for this title.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The Good Housekeeping Cookbook Seal guarantees that the recipes in this cookbook meet the strict standards of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, a source of reliable information and a consumer advocate since 1900. Every recipe has been triple-tested for ease, reliability, and great taste.

Published by Hearst Books
A division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

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www.goodhousekeeping.com

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Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link (Australia) Pty. Ltd.P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756 Australia Manufactured in China

Sterling ISBN 978-1-58816-787-3

Bake sales are a beloved tradition, and for good reason. A bake sale brings everyone togetherbakers, buyers, and sweet tooths alikein the spirit of volunteerism and generosity. Everyone can contribute to the effort in one way or another, and everyone goes home happy, with a tin full of brownies or a loaf of banana bread to savor.

In our experience, the best bake sale items are old favorites, the kind of comforting cookies, cakes, and quick breads our mothers and grandmothers used to make. Here weve collected 75 nostalgia-driven recipes that are sure to be a hit at any bake sale. From cookies and brownies to cupcakes, muffins, and layer cakes to candies and other holiday favorites, the recipes weve selected are both pretty and portable.

Weve also shared lots of helpful ideas for making your bake sale run smoothly, whether you are contributing a cake, working a table, or organizing the entire event. Tips on baking, packaging, and transporting the baked goods are all included, along with ideas for setting up a table, publicizing the sale, and pricing the treats. At the end of this book, youll find a bonus: an assortment of lovely gift labels to remove and attach to your homemade sweets and treats.

We hope the advice and recipes that follow will prove helpful in planning your next bake saleand many more to comebecause here at Good Housekeeping, we believe there is nothing sweeter than raising money for a good cause.

SUSAN WESTMORELAND
FOOD DIRECTOR , Good Housekeeping

Whether you want to raise money for a school, church or synagogue, arts organization, sports team, social club, disaster relief effort, political party, or some other cause you believe in, however you slice it, bake sales are a winning proposition. The organization that sponsors the sale builds community and makes money for operating costs or to fund a special project. The friends and neighbors who attend enjoy heaps of delicious homemade treats, as well as each others company. In other words, a good time is had by all involved.

But bake sales dont generate spontaneously; they have to be planned and organized. Dont make the mistake of trying to do all the work yourself. Organize a bake sale committee and divide up the tasks, from soliciting donations to publicizing the sale to setting up, working the tables, and cleaning up on the day of the event. Although bake sales are by nature democratic occasions, your committee should select a chair or cochairs at the first meeting. The cochairs will be responsible for coordinating everyones efforts, keeping track of the groups progress, and reassigning tasks or locating additional assistance as needed. Organization, diplomacy, and sociability are key qualifications for this job. Agree to meet for coffee or cocktails on a regular basis and the planning and organizing will be almost as much fun as the bake sale itself.

Choosing the right time and location are critical to the success of your bake sale, so as a committee consider your optionsand dont be afraid to think out of the box. Choose a high-traffic area, whether thats a school sidewalk or hallway on election day, the lobby of a church or synagogue after a holiday service, a parking lot during a popular sporting event, or the town square during a flea market, farmers market, craft fair, or festival.

If you can piggyback your sale onto another event thats already drawing a crowd, take advantage of the synergy. Just be sure to check with your local zoning and health departments to be sure its okay for you to participate, and get that permission in writing.

It pays to know your audience: If your location draws lots of kids or seniors, be sure to offer a variety of treats packaged in individual portions. Parents buying for families may want to pick up a whole cake, loaves of bread, or large platters of cookies, cupcakes, or brownies. If the sale is in the morning, dont forget coffee cakes, sticky buns, and scones. If lots of kids will be passing by, be sure to offer cupcakes decorated in whimsical themes.

A successful bake sale depends upon many delicious donations. Typically, volunteers contribute baked goods they make, package, and deliver to the bake sale site. But there are other ways to organize a bake sale. For example, you could decide as a committee what sorts of treats you want, then ask volunteers to contribute items in that ). An all-cookie sale or seasons best event at holiday time could be a hit. Or consider a chocolate lovers bake sale, featuring chocolate cakes, cookies, and candies exclusively. Weve found that a chocolate only table at a bake sale is always a draw.

Here are some tips on how to solicit contributions of the sweet and buttery variety:

PUBLICIZ e. Send e-mails, post notices on community blogs, photocopy and distribute flyers, get on the phone.

B e P ass I ona T e about your cause and clear about where the proceeds will go. Bakers will be more likely to participate if they know their efforts are in support of a good cause.

Give two to four weeks no TI ce. No one likes to be asked to whip up something from scratch at the drop of the hat, and short notice will diminish the quality and quantity of donations. You should also send a reminder a week before the sale. Even so, be prepared for some of your volunteers to fail to deliver, despite good intentions. Consider soliciting extra baked goods (20 percent, to be on the safe side), then no-shows wont affect the success of your sale.