WITH TRIPLE CROWN BAKERY
Photography by: Jenny Cruger Photography
It has been said that everything tastes better when it is made with love. You definitely will find that to be true at Triple Crown Bakery. A group of experienced and passionate bakers that love what they do and create everything from scratch. Owner, Alena Vaughn, was classically trained at The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and has worked in hotels and restaurants. Her husband and co-owner is a Marine Corps Veteran and helps with all the bookkeeping and inventory.
Triple Crown Bakery is not your average bakery. They offer cakes, cookies, desserts, and breakfast pastries that reflect their inspirations and experiences from around the world. With travels to Scandinavia, France, Switzerland and Japan, Alena likes to bring unexpected pastries to Franklin, Tennessee. One of their best sellers is a Pavlova, which is New Zealand’s national dessert consisting of baked crispy meringue, whipped cream and fresh berries.
During breakfast hours, you can enjoy their delicious brioche cinnamon rolls, homemade poptarts, muffins, scones and quiche. Their dessert case is filled with little works of art like flourless souffle, key lime tarts, cheesecakes, tiramisu and peanut butter bombs. They also have an extensive selection of gluten free items. If cookies are your favorite treat, they have big, soft, chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate, snickerdoodle and sugar sprinkle. One of their most favored cookies is their French Macaron, which they have weekly in assorted flavors.
Aside from all the pastries in store, they make an enormous amount of custom cakes and cookies. From weddings, to birthdays, music industry and corporate events, their talented cake decorators can accommodate the cake of your dreams. If cake is not your favorite, they have done pie bars and cookie buffets for a little bite-sized treat. They do book up, so make sure you give them plenty of notice!
Triple Crown recently made a huge move from their previous location on Columbia Avenue to a new - larger location at 118 4th Avenue North. There, in an expanded place, they will be able to offer even more experiences! For example, since they serve tea from London teamaker Harney & Sons, you will be able to enjoy sitting in their garden or in their tea room, with a pot of tea, and a scone or cookie. When permitted, they will be having afternoon teas by reservation on Sundays, with the traditional tower of sandwiches scones and desserts. Sounds scrumptious!
You can also find their pastries around Franklin at local coffee shops that include High Brow, Honest Roasters and Coffee & Coconuts. In the meantime, enjoy these recipes for Triple Crown’s favorite holiday pies. You can order any of these, made from scratch for you and your guests this holiday season - online at triplecrownbakery.com.
Recipes
Fudge Pie
2 Cups Evaporated Milk
36 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate
6 Tablespoon Butter
3 Cups Sugar
6 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour 6 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoon Vanilla
2 3⁄4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Heat the Chocolate, Milk and Butter over a double boiler or microwave until melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar and flour, add eggs 1 at a time whisking just till blended after each addition. Whisk in Vanilla and Salt. Pour into the unbaked pie pan, bake 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until it rises and feels firm.
PERFECT PIE DOUGH
2 and 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Chilled and Cubed 3/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening, Chilled
1/2 Cup Ice Water
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, or food processor, or your hands, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Measure 1/2 cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir. Do not add any more water than you need to. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using your hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate till firm. 1 hour. Makes 2 pie shells.
APPLE PIE FILLING
1 Cup Apple Juice
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Butter
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
12 Apples, Peeled and Sliced 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Heat Apple Juice, Brown Sugar and Butter in saucepan, add apples and cook till tender. In a small bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and the cornstarch together and add to the pot. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the mixture becomes nice and thick. Cool to room temperature. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and top with another pie crust, or add a crumb topping. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and filling is bubbly 35-45 minutes.
CRUMB TOPPING
1 1⁄2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar 1 1⁄2 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1⁄4 Teaspoon Salt
6 oz Butter, Melted
2 1⁄2 Cups + 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour
Mix all the dry ingredients together, add the melted butter. Crumble and mix with your hands. Top onto an unbaked pie.
PECAN PIE FILLING
3 Cups Corn Starch
1 1⁄3 Cups Brown Sugar 8 Large Eggs
3⁄4 Cups Flour
4 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Pecans, Chopped
Mix all ingredients except pecans in a bowl until smooth. Add Pecans, and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake 325 degrees 45 minutes to an hour, until the middle is firm.
Come see us at our new location!
118 4th Avenue North
Franklin, Tennessee 37064
615.721.8488
info@triplecrownbakery.com
Tuesday - Saturday: 8am - 4pm
Sunday - Monday: Closed
