(Now in its fifth printing)
Virginia Bakery Remembered
offers the closest experience to stepping back inside the bakery and basking in the aromatic glory for which thousands still long. Savor the schnecken in this tribute to the Thie family’s iconic Cincinnati bakery, which served the community from 1927 to 2005. Reminisce in vignettes collected from newspapers and trade magazines, firsthand experience and customer memories. Rounding out this fullflavored history are nearly eighty recipes adapted to re-create the bakery’s famously adored baked goods in the home kitchen—replete with tips from co-author and Virginia Bakery owner Tom Thie. Go ahead and let your mouth water.
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These are awesome! Thanks!! 🙂
Stephanie Stiavetti –
Thanks to all of you the book is now in its fifth printing.
We are truly delighted and thankful.
Happy Baking, Tom Thie
Reviews of Virginia Bakery Remembered
A Story of Family, Hard Work and Great Recipes June 7, 2012 – Pat Regis
‘Virginia Bakery Remembered’ is a very inspiring story of family, character, hard work and sacrifice….all the ingredients that made our country great. Also, the book gives an insight into what a local family owned neighborhood bakery is all about along with ‘the greatest’ family bakery recipes there are. A wonderful read.
Excellent historical cookbook January 2, 2012
An excellent book about one of the historical bakeries in the Cincinnati area. The recipes you’ll want to try and the history will leave you amazed.
November 24, 2010 – “Our History”
This story was written by Enquirer reporter Polly Campbell. She can be reached at pcampbell@enquirer.com
When Cynthia Beischel was growing up in Clifton, her family had a standing order at Virginia Bakery, and she made sure she got to go with her mother to pick it up. The bakery smelled so good, the ladies at the counter were always friendly, they usually gave her a cookie – and the baked goods were special.
Those became nostalgic memories for her after the Ludlow Avenue bakery closed for good in 2005. Turns out, Beischel was nowhere near alone in her emotional connection to the bakery. When she began to work on writing a book about it, “Virginia Bakery Remembered” (The History Press, $24.99) she asked people to send her their memories. They did: about how they had a standing order, how good the bakery smelled, the friendly ladies at the counter and more.
Beischel wrote the book to capture the history of a Cincinnati institution, a bakery that was run by four generations of the Thie family, starting with Wilhelm Frederick Thie, who immigrated from Rahden, Germany, in 1890.
She wrote the book with Tom Thie, the last of the family to run the bakery. But the book’s value is immensely improved by his decision to include recipes for many of the Virginia Bakery favorites: butterscotch gems, cinnamon crumb coffee cake, cheese pockets, butter bits, bran muffins – almost all of the customer favorites, downsized for home baking.
He thought it would be a shame for the secrets of the products to be lost along with the bakery. The recipes confirm what Beischel says was the reason for customer loyalty. “They had a different taste, a real quality. They held on to the old ways of doing things. A lot of hand work went into what they did.”
.Clifton Chronicle – Volume X, Number 4, Winter Issue 2010
tom@tomlohre.com
Remembrance of Tea Rings Past
Mouthwatering reveries will be inspired by Virginia Bakery Remembered, a 240-page paperback recently published by the History Press. This tribute to the Thie family’s iconic Ludlow Avenue shop, which created generations of schnecken addicts from 1927 to 2005, is studded with vignettes collected by co- author Cynthia Kuhn Beischel from newspapers and trade magazines, firsthand experiences and customer reminiscences. Rounding out this full-flavored history are nearly 80 recipes adapted to the home kitchen, with tips from co-author and Virginia Bakery owner Tom Thie. The book will be available at the book signing at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center on Thursday Dec. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m., as well as at local bookstores and on Amazon.com for $24.99.
Customer Reviews found on amazon.com
5 reviews (all 5 star)
My sister bought this for me for Christmas and it’s a wonderful book. Being from Cincinnati, I love the history part of it, but the recipes (the ones I’ve tried so far) are amazing. I made the cinnamon crumb coffee cake and my family can’t stop eating it. My father-in-law said it reminded him of coffee cake from a St Louis bakery that he loved as a child. I think anyone who misses the small neighborhood bakeries will enjoy this book.
J. Butler of Westminster, CO
12/28/10
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………This item was purchased as gifts for my sisters as a reminder of part of our family heritage. My father’s family was from Cincinnati and this bakery has been a favorite of his family for MANY years and the “schnecken” is a personal favorite of our Aunt Ruth Ann. It is a wonderful pastry but loaded with calories and butter but oh so good –you can’t just eat much at one time. Read the recipe then imagine eating it warmed with extra butter and a cup “real” homemade hot chocolate with baking chocolate which “is the only way to serve it”-UGH! This cookbook has been well written-coming from the heart and soul of the writer, and includes many stories of the staff and family members who have brought this bakery into so many lives. It also gives credit to the many people who have made it a success. Very well done! It is wonderful to read. I will try a few recipes as I also love to bake and try new things-another trait I inherited from my mother and aunt. My friends and co-workers love it when I bring “treats” to them.
PJ
3/3/11
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………This is a great book, full of the history of the Virginia Bakery, and recipes for all the things you loved to get there. Schnecken, Butterscotch Gems, Bread Ends, it’s all here.
A word of warning, though: I don’t recommend diving into the bread recipes here (including Schnecken), unless you’ve got a bit of experience baking bread.
Matthew Raehl
2/18/11
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My son told me this book was finally available and I immediately purchased two. One for myself and one for a dear friend who loved the schnecken from Virginia bakery. I had never had the schnecken, but decided that I might make a batch. When I saw the easy recipe for the schnecken I decided to try it – big mistake, I can not get enough of the schnecken and it has caused my New Year’s resolution to be a figment of my imagination – losing weight with this cookbook is not going to happen! The yellow dough recipe makes enough for nine schnecken or nine coffee cakes. This is wonderful as you are able to share the love….
Since receiving the book in the mail, I have been in bakery heaven. Finally I am able to make coffee cakes, schnecken and pastries whenever I want. Great book – 5 stars is not enough!
Jayme Bonar-Bridges
2/8/11
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Love the book. Have not had time to utilize it but it will be great to have the bran muffins again!
H. Kenkel “hopeful”
1/19/11
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….From Ask-the-Baker at the Virginia Bakery Remembered web site
Mary Jo from Mack said on 11/23/10 – 05:38PM
My brother bought me a copy of the book at the Findlay Market signing. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see all of these treasured memories in print. My father has been gone a long time, but the times we spent with him in the bakery on Saturday mornings are fondly remembered. Yes, I was one of those kids who got a cookie from Gert when we came in the door. I’m sure I will have questions as I bake from cover to cover. THANKS FOR NOW!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Jim said on 12/5/10 – 11:53 AM
… Thanks for publishing the book. It’s a treasure.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Mary Jo said on 12/17/10 – 10:06 AM
…Thanks. I made the Bread Ends the other day. Fantastic! Just as I remembered.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Steven Braun said on 12/27/10 – 09:40AM
Got your book for Christmas and it brought back many memories. Although I was a “Sunday Cleaner” for a while I still saw much of what you describe of your father and mothers work from the sidelines. …the fringe benefits were wonderful!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………Sweet Memories
First Off, I want to Thank You and your Wonderful Family for a lifetime of Great Baked Goods and Very Sweet Memories! Virginia Bakery Was/Is a part of my Families Life. From my earliest memories Virginia Bakery was there. Every Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary, and just daily life there was always one of your wonderful little boxes or bags with the friendly red print close by. …Virginia Bakery baked goods were always in the house! Schnecken was a daily treat, and the only breads we ate were yours! My favorite Bread was the whole wheat, but we also had your white bread, with 9 people you had your choice.
I received a copy of your wonderful book for Christmas, and have recently started to get to read it. My Brothers and Sisters want to borrow it but I have told them to get their own! I have not tried to bake anything yet; I want to finish reading the book first. …We must have been in your shop every week, sometimes even more. I loved to run up to the counter and look at all the goodies, pick out the items, and was especially thrilled when he would buy Eclairs (a special treat that rarely lasted till after dinner). I could go on for Hours, but I will save you your time. Needless to say, you and your Family,
and Virginia Bakery will always be in my Heart!
…I also want to say, as a small business owner, that your remarks in the front of the book were spot on and spoke directly to me.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Schnecken
…Received Virginia Bakery Remembered as a Christmas gift. Have made a batch of yellow dough and 4 schnecken. My wife and I ate two and we gave two away. We obviously enjoyed ours. Those to whom we gave the other two complained about not having enough. Guess I’ll make some more.