Treats and tips to maximize your bake sale earnings

September means heading back to school and with it comes back-to-school fundraising.

Selling wrapping paper, caramel corn, Entertainment Books, candy bars and Krispy Kremes can bring in bucks for school programs, but the fundraising event that gets many people excited is the good ol'-fashioned bake sale.

"I associate bake sales with fall. The kids go back to school and they need to raise money for uniforms, computers in the library," said Barbara Grunes of Glencoe.

Grunes, mother of five and grandmother of nine, shares her wisdom and recipes in "The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook" (2007 Chronicle, $19.95).

Her book includes dozens of crowd-pleasing recipes and about as many tips for optimizing sales.

A key piece of advice for bake sale organizers: Know your audience.

"Items should be priced for the audience. You want a kid to be able to buy a brownie for 25 cents. If grandparents are there, you can charge anything," she said.

If it's a lunchtime bake sale or even one in conjunction with a sporting event or a craft fair, package the items individually or in small groups for immediate consumption. Slices of cake and pie should be on plates with forks and napkins available.

At the Glen Ellyn Historical Society's annual bake sales at the town's farmers markets, the ladies know their buyers want whole pies, cakes and coffeecakes that they can take home and serve to company. Whether buyers pass them off as their own is unknown.

"What really seemed to catch on was the pie," said Jean Jeske, who has organized the sales for the past decade. "Any kind of fruit pie is a sure-sell."

The pies go for $12 to $14 each, except for the ones made from heirloom rhubarb that fetch $16. So far this year, the bake sales have raised $2,500, Jeske said. The group's final harvest-themed sale coincides with Tavern Days Sept. 30 at the historic Stacy's Tavern in Glen Ellyn.

Tricked out

Corey Vicens, culinary director for AllRecipes.com, likes the idea of selecting a theme for a bake sale. Her ideas include a cupcake challenge that encourages fun fillings and decorations or even a breakfast bake sale that features breads, scones, coffeecakes, pastries or even homemade granola. Selecting "family favorites" as a theme might encourage children to get involved.

"Kids can help pick what to make and you can spend some time with the kids in the kitchen," Vicens said. "This might be their first business venture. They can say that they helped raise money.

"It gives them a sense of accomplishment; something their peers are going to be able to buy and enjoy."

Kids can also help make signs and banners for the sale, she said.

The table decorations can further the theme. At the very least, put a colored tablecloth (paper is fine) on the sale table. Flowers, confetti and ribbons can enhance the sale atmosphere. Offer free coffee or lemonade to attract buyers, Grunes said.

Helping hands

Whether there's a theme or not, Grunes said the organizer should keep track of what bakers plan to contribute. You don't want a table full of chocolate-chip cookies or crispy rice treats; customers want variety. Try a few recipes from Grunes' book, such as her Butterscotch Bars, cookielike Sugar Pretzels or even Tin Roof Peanut Butter Muffins.

Vicens added that bake sales are not a one-woman effort. Get on the phone, send out e-mails and drum up support.

"You can find the true bakers and talent you might not have known about," Vicens said.

Jeske said she lines up 65 bakers per sale and gets a wide range of pies, breads, coffeecakes and cookies.

Volunteer bakers have responsibilities as well. Find out how organizers want items packaged (whole, individual or grouped). Wrap a stack of cookies in colored plastic wrap; place nutty brownies in baggies and tie them off with curling ribbon; package trail mix in Chinese takeout-style containers.

If you're bringing a whole cake or pie, bake it or bring it on disposable trays and consider not only how you will get it to the sale, but how the buyer will get it home. A shoebox might work for bread loaves, while the top from a box of printer paper is generally sturdy enough for a layer cake or pie. Grunes suggested buying plastic trays on clearance so people get a little extra with their purchase.

She also warned volunteers not to cheat by running to the store for a box of bakery cookies.

Starting from a mix is fine (hey, we're all pressed for time) and there are many ways to add your own touch to what comes out of a box. Drizzle white chocolate over cookies or brownies; add strawberry flavoring and pink food coloring to icing for a cake; toss raspberry chips into brownie mix. A co-worker has found that topping from-mix cupcakes with gumball-machine-type toys makes them irresistible.

Labeling treats also is recommended so people know what they're getting. A loaf of banana bread can look similar to an apple spice loaf. Grunes said you can even increase the value of baked goods by including serving suggestions, like a quick recipe for a fruity cream cheese spread to complement a quick bread.

After the sale, Vicens said it's important to thank the bakers and let everyone know how much money was raised.

"It's always nice to announce the final tally so people know how successful it was," she said.

Is your bake sale safe?

The Illinois Department of Public Health does not license or inspect charity bake sales. Should you be worried about food-borne illness?

Not if organizers follow the rules.

According to the health department, cakes, cookies and fruit pies may be prepared in noncommercial kitchens for the purposes of a bake sale, provided the bake sale is less than 14 consecutive days.

Homemade candy and caramel apples also are allowed; however, cream- or custard-filled items (pumpkin or lemon meringue pie) that require refrigeration are not.

While not mandated by the health department, author Barbara Grunes recommends items be labeled if they contain nuts, nut oils or other common allergens.

She also suggests organizers wear food-handling gloves if items are going to be portioned and packaged on-site.

-- Deborah Pankey

Good 'n' Dirty Crispy Treats

¼ cup butter

dess

40 marshmallows

4 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed

Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick spray.

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt butter. Gradually stir in marshmallows until all are melted. Remove from heat and stir in cereal and crushed cookies.

Pat into prepared pan (grease your hands or the back of a spoon for this task). Cool and cut into squares.

Serves 15.

Nutrition values per serving: 150 calories, 5 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 1 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium.

Deborah Pankey, Daily Herald

Sugar Pretzels

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour. The dough will be soft.

Gather dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Lightly grease or spray 2 cookie sheets.

Pull off a heaping 2 tablespoons of dough and roll out under the palms of your hands to a 9-inch-long rope about the thickness of a pencil. Twist the ends of the rope around each other, then bring the ends down to form a pretzel shape. Set on a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 1½ inches apart. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the cookies with the beaten egg white and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake in the center of the oven 12 minutes, or until firm to the touch and just beginning to color. Let the cookies stand for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cook completely.

Makes 18 pretzels.

Nutrition values per serving: 50 calories, 5 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 1 g protein, 25 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium.

"The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook" by Barbara Grunes, (2007 Chronicle, $19.95)

Butterscotch Bars

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup finely chopped white chocolate (for drizzling)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray or grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a heavy medium saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly (don't let the mixture harden). Stir in the eggs, pecans, flour, baking powder and vanilla.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Heat the chocolate in a microwavable container on high for 1 minute, then stir. If necessary, heat for an additional 15-30 seconds, and stir until melted. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the brownies. Using a small sharp knife, cut into bars.

Serves 20.

Nutrition values per serving: 250 calories, 10 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 35 mg cholesterol, 35 mg sodium.

"The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook" by Barbara Grunes, (2007 Chronicle, $19.95)

Tin Roof Peanut Butter Muffins

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk

½ cup chunky peanut butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, peanut butter, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture just until mixed; do not overbeat.

Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling the liners three-quarters full. Sprinkle peanuts and chocolate chips over the top. Bake in the center of the oven 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 210 calories, 12 g fat (3 g saturated), 24 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein, 20 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium.

"The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook" by Barbara Grunes (2007 Chronicle, $19.95)

Apple Cherry Pie

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

4 medium baking apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup sweet cherries, pitted

Crust for a double pie

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples and cherries and stir to evenly coat.

Place one crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Add fruit mixture to pan. Drizzle melted butter over fruit.

Use remaining crust to top pie, either in lattice strips, or whole, venting in several spots.

Bake until the crust starts to brown and the center is bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack prior to cutting.

Serves six to eight.

Nutrition values per serving: 360 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 60 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium.

Adapted from The Complete Baking Cookbook by George Geary

(2007 Robert Rose, $24.95)