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20 HOLIDAY ISSUE 2012

DESSERTLemon Sour Cream and Pumpkin Pie from Crowshaw’s Gourmet PiesPecan Pie from Veyo PiesPumpkin Cake Roll from Grandma Tobler’s (opposite page)

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DESSERTClose your eyes and experience the lights, the songs, and the scents of the holiday season. How far did you get before you caught a glimpse of food entering the scene? There’s good reason to center much of our celebrating around food – especially when it includes lavish, almost sinfully indulgent desserts. Are your eyes still closed? Any moment now the aftermath of the preparation process left in the kitchen should also appear ... talk about an abrupt ending to a festive fantasy! Fortunately there are those who have embraced cooking not just as a passion but also as a profession. Some of these culinary creators are busy melting recipes of yesteryear into quality products that are quickly becoming the centerpiece of holiday gatherings. When it comes down to embellishing the dessert table the Southwest has some wonderful options from which to choose. How do we know? The Élan staff has taken on this painstaking project (somebody’s got to do it) by putting our taste buds to the test. Some of our choices are tried and true while others are fresh and new. Either way, all are a quick-fix for something delicious that’s homemade in a special way.

WRITTEN BY Darci Hansen | PHOTOS BY Tammi Swanson

22 HOLIDAY ISSUE 2012

CROSHAW’S GOURMET PIES 175 West 900 South ~ St. George, Utah435.628.1700 or 800.293.7437croshawspies.net “Pie is a celebration of family and tradition, neatly and deliciously packaged in a flaky crust.” The website description alone makes your mouth water. Opened in in 1991 by former football coach, Greg Croshaw and Ron Lloyd, who is credited with the recipes he developed from experience gained while working in a national pie chain. Croshaw’s offers over 34 flavors of gourmet pies baked fresh daily including year-round favorites such as their scrumptious lemon or pumpkin sour cream. No need to serve it, just grab a fork - it’s that good! VEYO PIES24 S. Main St. ~ Veyo, Utah435.574.2132www.veyopies.com The history of Veyo Pies dates back some 26 years ago when Evelyn Daniels, owner of the then, Veyo Merc, began making pies as a way to entice customers into their store. The scheme worked so well that Evalyn Yaw, “The best pie maker in the world,” was brought on to assist. It is she that has handed down the baking recipes and history now beholden to Devaney Lomenick. It was Devaney that opened the freestanding Veyo Pies store in 2008. Named, “Best Pies in Utah” by Salt Lake Magazine, the aroma of Veyo Pies lingers through the small valley just north of St. George, bringing in people from all over the country for one of their signature berry pies. But during the holidays, it’s the spiced pumpkin and deliciously warm and goowy pecan pies that keep the bakers up all night to meet order demands.

DANIELLE’S POPCORN & CHOCOLATES1155 W Pioneer Blvd, Ste 102 ~ Mesquite, Nevada702-346-8626www.snowypopcorn.com From her kitchen in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Joyce and Calvin Lee would follow the family tradition of giving out handmade chocolates to friends and neighbors for the holiday season. Joyce, who comes from a long line of candy makers in England, opened Danielle’s Chocolates in 1980, relocating the business to Las Vegas in 1987. It is here that their famous Snowy Chocolate Popcorn was born. In 2004, the company opened their current factory in Mesquite. Popcorn has never tasted so good. The snowy white chocolate popcorn can also be found in cinnamon, peanut butter, coconut, caramel, and traditional kettle flavors. With festive packaging and fabulous taste, Snowy Popcorn is perfect for gift giving or to embellish your holiday table. GRANDMA TOBLER’S KITCHEN & BAKERY2862 Santa Clara Drive ~ Santa Clara, Utah(435) 656-14171091 N. Bluff Street #1003 ~ St. George, Utah(435) 688-2728www.grandmatoblersbakery.com The doors of Grandma Tobler’s Bakery opened in 2003, however the recipes for some of their signature confections have come from years gone by. Set within a home built in 1880 along the main street of Santa Clara, Lark Taylor’s idea was to share the wonderful baking experiences that had been handed down to her by her mother, Delores Frei Pendleton. Appreciation for her heritage and the historic district location makes Lark’s decadent sweet rolls, raisin filled cookies, and moist brownies just seem to taste all the better. With a second location in St. George open, it’s even more convenient during the holiday’s to pick up Grandma Tobler’s fresh baked breads and her famous Pumpkin Cake Roll that you simply cannot get enough of! THE SUGAR COOKIE175 S River Rd #105 ~ St George435.674.3456 The product is simple and its description clear: “Handcrafted, softest, and the best tasting frosted cookie you will ever eat!” We agree. Owners Jenny and Jeff Ewell have perfected an old family recipe over Jenny’s 20 years of baking. The Sugar Cookie offers variations of the original sugar cookie including chocolate and red velvet with flavored frostings such as cherry, lemon, chocolate and coconut. For fall and winter flavor, you must try their Glazed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. However, most genius during the holiday season is their DIY Frost Your Own Kit, complete with yummy sugar cookies and frosting!

left: Banana Nut, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip and Apple Nut Bread Loaves from Grandma Tobler’sright: Snowy Chocolate Popcorn and Chocolates from Danielle’s Chocolates and Popcorn; Christmas Gingerbread Cookies and Pumpkin Cake Roll from Grandma Tobler’s; Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and DIY Frost Your Own Kit from The Sugar Cookie

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24 HOLIDAY ISSUE 2012

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE FACTORYZion Factory Stores250 Red Cliffs Dr., #20, ~ St. George, Utah435.652.4327rmcf.com Frank Crail had a dream: to raise his family in the quaint Victorian-era town of Durango, Colorado. Not having a plan to support this dream he began surveying the town’s local residents and merchants. “It came down to either a car wash or a chocolate shop,” recalls the father of seven. “I think I made the right choice.” Us too! Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is known for their fudge-making demonstrations and larger-than-life hand made chocolates. The old-fashioned carmel apples are hand dipped in thick, bubbling caramel from a traditional copper kettle and rolled in a rainbow of tasty toppings that also make a delicious visual presentation at any gathering. Don’t forget to check out their extensive on-line selections for convenient gift giving nation wide.

right: Carmel Apples and Fudge from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Breakfast at Tifiny’s3105 Santa Clara Dr. ~ Santa Clara, Utah801.494.3877 The newest addition to the Santa Clara Historic District is a small café appropriately named after it’s owner, Tifiny Rose. She and her husband, Earl, opened their bakery in conjunction with the French specialty store, et Voila, located within a historic, tree-covered setting along Santa Clara Drive. Offering some of Europe’s best desserts, the patrons are raving about their delicately made fresh Pavlova. Named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this elegant dessert is made with a light, delicate, crisp meringue crust that’s filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Tifiny’s makes these to-die-for delights either as a large dessert to be served (we preferred to just devour it), or individually such as tarts. Presentation is perfection with these festive little darlings.

left: Pavlova from Breakfast at Tifiny’s