Good Cooking

At age 14, Sarah Suttles is already a ‘pro’ in the kitchen Good Cooking

Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore

Some people are lucky to find their calling in life. Others are perhaps luckier to find their calling early in life. Some of these latter people are doubly blessed to also be encouraged by loved ones to pursue their calling. Sarah Suttles of Boaz is one of those people.

Having been interested in baking for as long as she can remember, around New Year’s 2022, when she was still 13, Sarah took steps to become a pro. She started with one of everyone’s childhood favorites, decorated sugar cookies. Her mom, Renea Suttles, in true proud mom fashion, shared pictures of the cookies on Facebook, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Between social media, southern wordof-mouth advertising, the unwavering support of Renea and her five siblings plus her own drive, Sarah got licensed under the Alabama Cottage Food Act and started her own business – Sugar & Crumbs by Sarah.

She did taste-testing at her church, Alder Spring Church of Christ, to get feedback on flavoring and icing then came up with her recipe combination. She sold her first cookies on Valentine’s Day – 15 dozen for a party at her church.

Sweet. That makes her a pro.

The second of six adopted children, Sarah usually insists on doing things solo in the kitchen, but sometimes gets assistance from sisters Hannah and Rebecca.

“It just depends on what I am making,” Sarah says.

For instance, when making her crowdfavorite iced cookies, they pitch in, but they leave the tedious job of flooding the icing on them to the pro.

Sugar & Crumbs quickly became a family operation, in part because Sarah’s still too young to drive, so her mom takes her shopping. Renea also handles her social media and helps drum up business. Making it even more of a family business, Renea’s biological daughter, Kelli Hubbard, partnered with Sarah to keep up with orders.

Soon after the success of her cookies, Sarah branched out to baking cakes to take to church potlucks. Her crowd-pleasing favorites are red velvet and lemon; she never comes home with leftovers.

Besides the iced cookies, Sarah’s favorite thing to make is her Oreo cake. (Her recipe is on the following page.)

“It’s fun to put together and decorate,” she says. “And it is delicious, too.”

Sarah has expanded her savory

Sarah, center, presents her shepherd’s pie, fresh from the skillet. Hannah, Faith, River, Rebecca and Sebastian appear happy with the prospects of supper. For ordering information, visit: Facebook Sugar & Crumbs, Boaz.

OREO CAKE

1 devil’s food cake mix 1 tub milk chocolate frosting 12 crushed Oreos 2 cups Cool Whip, thawed ½ cup granulated sugar 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Bake cake in two layers according to box instructions. Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended then gently stir in Cool Whip and Oreos. Put one layer of cake on your cake plate; spread the Oreo mixture on top. Then add the second cake layer to top of that. Open the frosting and put in microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to soften. Spread on the top layer.

Garnish with additional Oreos and/or dollops of the Oreo mixture. Refrigerate leftovers.

offerings to include yeasted and the ever tricky sourdough breads.

“Yeasted bakes are pretty easy, but the sourdough can easily go badly. It’s a challenge,” she says. But she’s only been doing sourdough for four months and is confident she’ll get the hang of it soon.

For the past four years, Renea has homeschooled all six of her children. Sarah really enjoys the experience and the flexibility that comes with homeschooling. In addition to baking, she pursues karate classes, and recently joined 4-H. She enjoys the monthly 4-H meetings and entering farming and gardening related contests and looks forward to entering cooking and baking contests whenever they are held.

Even though she just turned 14 in April, Sarah has started to hone her long term plans and goals. She plans to graduate high school when she’s 16, so, to say she takes her schoolwork seriously is an understatement.

“I really like math – algebra 3 – best,” she says. “History is my least favorite subject.”

The Suttle family also keeps a garden on their recently acquired mini-farm.

“We had two gardens this year, and next year we plan on a bigger one,” Sarah says.

She enjoys gardening even if there is the odd vegetable that she does not like to eat. Incorporating some of their homegrown produce into her bakes has been an adventure, with some hits and some misses.

“I really liked the zucchini bread we made, but I do not like okra in soup,” Sarah laughs.

Once she has put high school behind her, she plans to attend New Beginnings Cosmetology school in Albertville. All the while, she hopes to balance school while maintaining her growing baking business, which she loves doing.

Leaving no detail to chance, Sarah plans to rent a booth at a salon for a couple of years, then maybe open her own place after she is experienced and established.

“We’re doing pretty good right now,” she says of Sugar & Crumbs. “I would like to try cosmetology school, but it would be really cool if I could do both.”

Or, another way to put it: “Sweet.”

BEEF STEW

1-2 lbs. stew meat ¼ cup flour 1½ cups beef broth 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 4 medium potatoes, diced 3 medium carrots, sliced 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 small bunch fresh parsley

Cube the stew meat. Add to slow cooker, stir in flour to coat meat.

Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

Top with fresh chopped parsley

SHEPHERD’S PIE

Pie filling

1 lb. ground chuck 1 Tbsp. olive oil ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 cup beef broth 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add meat, salt and pepper; cook until meat is browned.

Add onion powder, garlic powder, pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, beef broth, frozen vegetables; stir and cook for 3 minutes.

For potato topping

6 large potatoes 4 Tbsp. butter ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper ²/³ cup milk (or ²/³ cup sour cream)

Prepare potatoes, drain, add butter and milk and mash until smooth. Spread over the meat mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown on top. 3¼ cups bread flour 2 tsp. instant yeast 2 tsp. salt 1½ cup cool water

ARTISAN BREAD

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, yeast and salt. Add cool water and gently mix together with a wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry, but keep working – using your hands if necessary – until all the flour is moist.

Shape into a ball and put into a bowl that has been lightly oiled.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set on counter at room temperature for 12 hours. The dough will double in size and have air bubbles.

Lightly dust parchment paper with flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface.

Put a Dutch oven with the lid on into an oven and set it to 475. Once the oven reaches 475, remove Dutch oven and place the parchment with the dough inside.

Return Dutch oven with lid to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.

CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 oz. fettuccine or other pasta of choice Olive oil, for tossing 12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2) 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter 2 cups heavy cream 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain and toss with a splash of oil.

Meanwhile, slice the chicken into 1/4-inch-thick strips, and lay them on a plate or a sheet of waxed paper. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high and add the chicken in one layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until the underside has browned, 1-2 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook until browned and cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. When the butter has mostly melted, whisk in the cream and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, then cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to keep the sauce just warm.

Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add chicken, cooked pasta. a bit of olive oil and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in heated bowls.

Dough

1⅓ cups warm water 1 package yeast 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2-4 tsp. salt ½ tsp. garlic powder 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a whisk, mix warm water, yeast and sugar in the bowl. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and half of the flour until combined, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low for 2 minutes. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Turn dough onto the paper. Lightly flour hands and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. Lightly oil a glass bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning until all sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Shape the dough: When dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using floured hands on lightly floured parchment paper, shape the dough into about a 16x5-inch log (doesn’t have to be exact). Using a sharp knife, slice into 16 1-inch strips. Roll each strip into 8-inch ropes. Tie each into a knot.

Arrange the knots on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Lightly cover the knots and let sit for 30-45 minutes. They will rise a second time, producing softer rolls.

Topping

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Italian seasoning ¼ tsp. salt ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir the melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt together. Brush on the knots before baking. Reserve some of the topping for when the knots come out of the oven.

Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and brush with remaining topping. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Eat plain or with marinara sauce for dipping.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt to taste Pepper to taste ½ cup melted butter ½ cup flour 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 packet ranch seasoning mix 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken breasts in Ziplock bag one at a time and pound with a meat mallet until they are an even thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the flour, then dip in the melted butter. Mix panko and ranch dressing mix and coat all sides of the chicken. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, add the shredded cheese and then bake for 10 more minutes.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup sugar (for an extra oomph, use sugar that’s had vanilla beans stored in it) 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into chunks 1 egg ¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract ½ tsp. pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.

Roll on a floured surface to about 1/43/8-inch thick and cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

I highly recommend freezing the cut out shapes on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

AT LEFT: Kelli Hubbard in the kitchen with her 14-year-old sister Sarah Suttles. Photo by Joanna Fore Bullard; https://www. instagram.com/partyfluence.

1 lb. breakfast sausage of choice 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 cans crescent rolls 8 eggs (optional)

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

and drain grease. Add cream cheese to the sausage and cook until combined. While it cooks, grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish and lay out one container of the crescent rolls in the bottom.

Spoon in the sausage mixture, cover with another can of crescent rolls. Bake 350 for 15 minutes.

NOTE: If adding eggs, scramble them and include them in the sausage mixture before baking.