Brian bakes up a cookbook

‘Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery’ now on sale

By Vicky Moon, Contributing Writer

To many of his Fauquier County friends and neighbors, Brian Noyes is a hometown country gentleman, even if he did grow up in California. Following a career in art design in Washington, D.C., he finally made his way to this splendid outdoor space.

In 2008, at the height of the recession, Brian abandoned his career to follow his passion for baking. The acclaimed Red Truck Bakery was born in his Shenandoah Valley farmhouse and, quite literally, out of the back of his old red truck (which he had purchased from fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger).

The bakery began in an old gas station building on the corner of Waterloo and Ashby in Warrenton and grew quickly. A few years later, his Main Street store in Marshall followed.

Brian lived nestled among the apple orchards and rolling hills of rural Fauquier and has also plunged knee-deep and eyeball-high into an ever-so-popular mail-order service, which ships thousands of baked goods nationwide each year. (Full disclosure, the writer’s favorite is the Double-Chocolate Moonshine Cake.)

Finally, home bakers everywhere can bring the beloved Red Truck Bakery into their own kitchens with Brian’s highly anticipated debut cookbook, “Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery.” It’s on the shelves just in time for Thanksgiving and holidays beyond.

By the way, the molasses cookies are perfect for setting out for Santa. Give them a try.

Molasses Cookies, makes about 36 cookies

I often substitute sorghum syrup for other sweeteners in our recipes, but this is not one of those times; only dark molasses will do here. The tar-thick syrup has a pleasant bite that is well complemented by a covey of cold-weather spices: clove, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. When we start baking off batches of these cookies in early October, Main Street fills up with the aroma (I’ve smelled them in the post office down the block), so customers know they’re in the oven before they even walk through the front door. I think of them as a first taste of the holidays, although hooked customers continue to ask for them year-round.

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour sifted

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1½ cups granulated sugar

• ½ cup molasses

• 2 large eggs

• 2 cups Demerara or turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat three baking sheets with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, crystallized ginger, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, butter, granulated sugar, and molasses on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the eggs on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beat in half the flour mixture on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining flour and beat until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Put the Demerara sugar in a medium bowl. Portion out 2 rounded tablespoons of dough and, using your hands, roll them into balls. Roll the dough balls through the Demerara sugar to coat. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart and slightly flatten them with your palm.

Bake for 10 minutes, turning the baking sheets halfway through, until the tops are slightly puffy and cracked. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a raised wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight jar or plastic bag for up to 3 days or freeze in a plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Reprinted from Red Truck Bakery Cookbook. Copyright © 2018 by Brian Noyes.

Red Truck Bakery owner Brian Noyes debuts a cookbook just in time for holiday gift-giving. It’s full of scrumptious scone recipes, marvelous muffins, biscuits-to-beg-for and more.

COURTESY PHOTO

RED TRUCK BAKERY COOKBOOK By Brian Noyes

RED TRUCK BAKERY COOKBOOK By Brian Noyes Clarkson Potter/Publishers, $25 Autographed copies on sale at Red Truck Warrenton and Marshall locations

Red Truck Bakery 22 Waterloo St., Warrenton 540-347-2224

Now open! 8366 W. Main St., Marshall 540-364-BAKE