By Valerie Franchi, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – A spectacular culinary creation of the Bean Counter Bakery in Shrewsbury was recently featured on the PBS show “Ask This Old House.”
The team responsible for making award-winning wedding cakes, beautiful pastries and delicious desserts was approached by the show’s producers at WGBH Boston to create a gingerbread replica of the iconic red barn featured in the show.
“Ask This Old House,” a spinoff of “This Old House” solves home improvement problems faced by its viewers. It features Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
“My family and I have always been huge fans of the ‘Ask This Old House’ series and when PBS contacted us about making a gingerbread barn, I was beyond thrilled,” said owner Alice Lombardi. “We have been watching ‘This Old House’ and master carpenter Norm Abram for over 20 years!”
Associate Producer Seth Szilagyi said he “found the Bean Counter Bakery thanks to an online search and checking out [their] website.”
“I also was looking for something closer to where I live in Northbridge knowing I would be the one bringing it to and from work in Concord,” he added. “[They] were gracious enough to donate [their] time and materials. And we couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect!”
Lombardi noted that producers offered compensation for the work, but would not accept.
“We were honored just to be asked and looked forward to this wonderful opportunity,” she said.
The Bean Counter was provided with “limited photographs which were highly confidential,” Lombardi noted. The team “pieced together the barn” to create the whole property. It took three days to complete the project from design, measuring, baking, assembly and decorating.
Doug Alves, lead baker who has worked at the Bean Counter for over six years, baked the gingerbread cookie pieces. Then lead pastry chef/cake decorator Mara Mahoney, who has a B.S. degree in baking and pastry from Johnson & Wales and has worked at the Bean Counter for over 11 years, put the pieces together with royal icing. After setting it overnight, she decorated it down to the smallest detail with royal icing, fondant and buttercream frosting.
“Everything is edible, except for the pergola,” Lombardi said. “We had to use wire since there was so little time.”
The gingerbread barn is featured in a promotion clip for “Ask This Old House.” It can be seen at www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20972182,00.html.
“When I saw the clip, I was so delighted to see Norm [Abram] with the gingerbread barn!” Lombardi said.
She added that the gingerbread house will remain at PBS “and will likely be eaten!”
Only if the “Ask This House” staff can bear to destroy it, however.
“The barn is still in our office,” Szilagyi said. “No one had the heart to cut into something so well done!”
Photos/submitted