I’ve always been fascinated by those fancy desserts from famous bakeries, and Collin Street Bakery is one that’s always intrigued me. Their fruitcake is legendary, and those pecan sandies? Don’t even get me started. So, I decided to roll up my sleeves and try making some of their goodies at home. I mean, why not, right?
I started with the fruitcake because, well, it’s the most iconic. I did a little digging online and found a bunch of recipes claiming to be “copycats” of the original. Some looked way too complicated, others seemed too simple to be true. I picked one that seemed reasonable and gathered my ingredients.
First, I chopped up a ton of fruit. Candied cherries, pineapple, and some other stuff I can’t even pronounce. It was a sticky mess, but kind of fun. Then came the nuts. Pecans, of course, because it’s Collin Street Bakery we’re talking about. I toasted them a bit to bring out the flavor.
- Chopped fruits
- Toasted pecans
The batter was pretty straightforward. Butter, sugar, eggs—the usual suspects. I mixed it all up and then folded in the fruit and nuts. The recipe said to bake it low and slow, so I poured the batter into a loaf pan, popped it in the oven, and waited. And waited. It took forever, but the smell was amazing.
While the fruitcake was baking, I moved on to the pecan sandies. These seemed much easier. I creamed together some butter and sugar, then mixed in some eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. I like the almond extract because I love the smell of it. The dry ingredients were just flour and baking powder, nothing fancy. The key, though, was the pecans. I chopped them up finely and mixed them into the dough.
- Cream butter and sugar
- Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract
- Mix flour and baking powder
- Stir in chopped pecans
I rolled the dough into little balls, flattened them a bit, and baked them for about 15 minutes. They came out golden brown and smelling heavenly. I let them cool for a bit, but I couldn’t resist sneaking one (or three) while they were still warm.
The Results
Okay, so how did they turn out? The fruitcake was… interesting. It was definitely dense and packed with fruit and nuts, just like the real deal. The flavor was pretty close, but I think I might have overbaked it a little. It was a tad dry, but still tasty. I’d give it a solid 7 out of 10. I’ll definitely try it again and maybe tweak the baking time.
The pecan sandies, on the other hand, were a total win. They were buttery, crumbly, and full of pecan flavor. They tasted almost exactly like the ones from Collin Street Bakery. I was so proud of myself! I’d give these a 9.5 out of 10. I’m definitely adding these to my regular baking rotation.
All in all, it was a fun experiment. Baking these treats made me appreciate the skill and effort that goes into making those fancy bakery goodies. I might not be a professional baker, but I had a blast trying to recreate some of their famous recipes. If you’re a fan of Collin Street Bakery, I’d definitely recommend giving these copycat recipes a shot. You might surprise yourself!
