There'’s a place.
I call it my happy place.
You must be talking about chocolate.
How did you know?
Man: Now, I know you ladies said that you wanted to see how the chocolate gets made.
She'’s just about to start grinding these cacao beans into this luscious, luscious paste.
Marilynn: This is one of the happiest days of my life.
Sheila: I want pretzels.
Oh, look at this.
Marilynn: I want chocolate.
You can'’t have all that sugar.
Watch me.
Now it'’s time to build our new creation.
Sheila: A beautiful bread pudding made with chocolate and pretzels.
Man: To chocolate and gluten and the Brass Sisters.
Marilynn: This is the best birthday I'’ve ever had.
[Laughter] Marilynn: We'’re the Brass Sisters.
Sheila: We have over 130 years combined cooking experience.
But there are still so many things we'’ve never tried.
So we'’re off on an adventure to tackle our culinary bucket list And mash up recipes in our kitchen along the way.
We love food, we love people...
Yes.
We do.
and most of all, we love to flirt our way into kitchens.
Let the games begin, is what we say.
Marilynn: We love collecting culinary antiques.
This started quite a while ago.
It did.
Look what I found downstairs.
Oh, you'’ve been foraging.
Well, we haven'’t seen these for a long time.
You know, isn'’t that a beauty?
These are chocolate molds.
Marilynn: People have been molding food for centuries because they want food to really look nice, but... We love chocolate molds, and we have fun using them.
Hey, Bruce, take a look at these.
Aren'’t these spectacular?
Bruce is our producer.
Bruce: Why are you whispering?
I'’m right here.
I like that aura of mystery.
Chocolate bunnies, could eat them anytime.
By the way, will you be careful of that tin?
That is a highly collectible tin.
Oh, I know that.
Well, I have to tell you, I love pretzels.
I love big pretzels.
I like straight pretzels.
I like curved pretzels.
Do you remember our first pretzels?
I got to tell you, I do--Diamond Lil'’s.
Oh, yes.
Do you remember Diamond Lil'’s?
Oh, do I remember her.
She was quite a woman.
Diamond Lil was a neighborhood legend.
Boy, did she have style.
I still have visions of her creations in my mind.
She used to have a lot of diamond rings on her fingers, and she had red hair, you know, in a braid around her head, and she opened this little bakery at the foot of our street in Winthrop in the 1940s, and I just loved her.
She was so good to me.
Oh, you were her favorite.
I was her favorite.
She made wonderful pretzels.
Those pretzels were so good, but you know what she also did?
Remember those chocolate-covered pretzels?
Oh!
She was ahead of her time.
She really was.
I would like to make something with chocolate and pretzels.
Definitely, with wonderful ingredients.
We always use the best ingredients, anyway.
We buy chocolate 100 pounds at a time.
You had to tell people that?
We'’ll have people on our doorstep.
I want pretzels.
I want chocolate.
You can'’t have all that sugar.
Watch me.
I think it'’s time to go to the Batmobile.
Let'’s go.
We don'’t have a Batmobile.
Bruce, darling, could you take us to the Boston Public Market?
Bruce: What are you searching for today ladies?
Chocolate.
Here we go on our adventure of the day.
I am going to check some facts about pretzels and chocolate.
Now, what are you doing?
Kugelling.
You'’re kugelling.
You'’re supposed to be Googling.
When you'’re looking something up and you'’re Jewish, it'’s kugelling.
Kugelling.
OK.
I have a fact for you.
OK.
I'’m listening.
OK. My good friend Siri has told me, the Aztecs--are you ready for this?-- I'’m listening.
they thought cacao beans were very, very precious, and they were the gift of the god of wisdom.
Well, with the amount of chocolate that I eat, I should be Einstein.
Marilynn: Our first stop of the day was the Boston Public Market.
I love this place, and I want to look at everything.
Me, too.
The Boston Public Market is a year-round market that offers fresh, healthy foods to people of all incomes.
Oh, this is wonderful.
Hi.
Hi.
We love this place...
I'’m so glad.
and, you know, I think this is something Boston has needed for a long time.
Walking through the marketplace is an experience in itself.
Marilynn: Look at this-- 839 pounds.
Gertrude.
That must be the baby.
I finally found something that'’s heavier than I am.
Marilynn: You know what we need?
Eggs.
We need eggs.
We came across Farmer Richard.
We would like to buy some eggs, and I see that you have farm-fresh eggs.
I can tell you that the eggs just came in yesterday straight from the farm.
I washed them with my wife, and we also have some duck eggs... Wow.
and you might be interested in-- I have a confession.
I have never eaten a duck egg.
I'’ve never baked with a duck egg.
I am a duck egg virgin.
Ha ha!
All right.
Marilynn: What we learned from Richard was that duck eggs are richer, and they'’re terrific for baking.
OK. Now, they'’re bigger.
They'’re beautiful.
They'’re transluscent.
They are bigger.
They are-- They'’re like a work of art.
They make your cakes fluffier.
Unlike a chicken, where you could almost get an egg a day from a chicken, a duck takes probably-- I get a egg or two a week from a duck, so they'’re far less prolific laying, but there'’s more in there.
I just think this is worth a try.
It'’s very nice meeting you.
Very nice meeting you.
Pleasure.
We'’ll be back, of course.
Well, thank you.
There'’s a place.
I call it my happy place.
You must be talking about Taza Chocolate.
How did you know?
Taza Chocolate.
There it is, the mother lode.
Wow.
We finally made it.
Hey there, ladies.
Hi.
How are you?
Good.
I'’m Marilynn.
This is my sister Sheila.
Nice to meet you both.
My name'’s Josh.
Nice to meet you, Josh.
It'’s my pleasure, my pleasure.
What brings you folks by today?
Chocolate.
Correct answer.
When we arrived at Taza Chocolate, we were greeted by Josh.
He is full of fun.
This one is our spiked eggnog chocolate Mexicano disc.
You'’ll notice that it has a little bit for a different texture to it because we minimally process all of our chocolate by stone-grinding it.
This one in particular has a little bit of vanilla, a little bit of lemon extract, and a little bit of nutmeg just to bring out all those flavors.
Yeah.
What do you think?
This is good.
This is very good.
Yeah.
You know what I like about it?
Not just the flavor, the texture.
Yeah.
The texture is really something that sets us apart.
This is very South American, Ah, yes.
Mexican.
Yeah.
That'’s actually correct.
This stone-grinding process that we use to make all of our chocolate was actually learned in Mexico.
Marilynn: We were impressed by how much he knew his product.
How chocolate was originally ingested, believe it or not, it was a drink.
It wasn'’t a chocolate bar just like what you tried.
It was a drink called taza de chocolate, and that is exactly where our name comes from.
A cup of chocolate.
Exactly, a cup of chocolate.
That'’s it.
Ha ha!
So do you want to try some?
Yes, but what about Montezuma?
Ah.
What about Montezuma?
Ha ha ha!
Marilynn: Montezuma was an Aztec king, and he was known to be a virile man.
I know.
I dated him for a while.
There'’s so many things that Montezuma really, really instated, but one of the things that Montezuma was really, really focused on was a bitter chocolate drink called xocolatl.
They certainly had it at the beginning of their day to really give them enough energy because there'’s something in chocolate that it does give you energy.
It'’s not quite caffeine.
It'’s actually theobromine.
Now, I know you ladies said that you wanted to see how the chocolate gets made.
We could do that right now for you.
We have a whole bunch of beans that are ready to get ground up and turned into the chocolate.
Josh brought us behind the counter, and we put on our hairnets.
I thought that Sheila looked a little bit like George Washington.
I have to say, I agree with you.
All of those cacao beans that I was telling you about before are loaded up right here into this molino.
Josh: She'’s just about to start grinding these cacao beans into what we know as chocolate liquor.
When we start grinding these down, you'’ll notice that they'’ll turn from this very solid bean into this luscious, luscious paste full of rich, deep flavor, so we pull all of those cacao beans in between those two stone wheels, and then the wheels do their job using their designs, pulling those cacao beans out and grinding them down into that chocolate liquor.
Marilynn: I think that this is the purest chocolate that we could eat.
This is not going to be the sweet chocolate that you'’ll expect.
This is pure chocolate that we'’re dealing with here.
That'’s what you get when you minimally process chocolate, so what Christine is doing right here is, she'’s milling another set of cacao beans into the chocolate liquor, but notice, this time, it'’s landing in a whole pile of sugar.
That sugar is exactly what transforms this chocolate liquor into chocolate mass, so it'’s a very sweetened version of the liquor.
Marilynn: Because I like processes where you get your hands into it.
Josh: Oh, yeah.
Back then, they didn'’t have pulleys and engines grinding down all the cacao beans.
They had to to this by hand.
We'’re gonna do that here, too.
What a glorious mess.
Josh: Ha ha ha!
Now here'’s a very interesting thing.
Notice how quickly that that chocolate mass thickened up.
Marilynn: This is labor-intensive... Josh: Very much so.
even with the machinery.
This one in particular we'’re going to use as choco flake, as we call it, to make all of our drinks here.
I'’ve got to tell you, I have learned more about chocolate.
It'’s amazing.
Thank you.
You are such a great teacher.
It was my absolute pleasure, but you mentioned that you were going to make something.
What did you have in mind?
We'’re gonna be making a bread pudding as only the Brass Sisters can make a bread pudding.
Ohh... Now, you'’re the chocolate expert.
Absolutely.
Now, for something like that, you want a flavor that'’s clean, straightforward, and really gives you a taste of everything that we do to make this chocolate taste so good, and my best recommendation would be our cacao puro chocolate Mexicano disc.
Marilynn: We'’re gonna be having a party.
Oh, really?
Yes.
I think it would be great if you could come, and you can bring a guest.
Well, thank you very much.
I'’ll be sure to stop by.
Are you going to be making that bread pudding?
I think we just might.
See you tomorrow night.
See you then.
Can'’t wait.
Be there, or be square.
[Laughter] Now you can tell how old we are.
Marilynn: Bruce, are you taking us to the Clear Flour Bakery?
Bruce: That'’s where we are.
We'’re just around the corner.
I love that place.
We have a history with that place.
Not only do we buy our brioche there.
Everything they bake is wonderful.
Look at that.
Look.
Look.
Look.
It'’s wonderful.
It'’s bread.
It'’s pretzels.
It'’s granola.
I can'’t wait.
Let'’s go.
Let'’s get in line.
We got to get in, wait our turn.
The anticipation is everything.
You'’re so right.
Isn'’t this pretzel day?
It is but we haven'’t made them yet.
Baker Christy'’s breads are divine, so when we found out that they made pretzels, we were ecstatic.
This is fabulous.
Oh, this is lovely.
We'’ve never made pretzels, but we'’ve always wanted to.
Oh, look at this.
Don'’t touch.
I'’m not touching.
Marilynn: I'’m in a professional bakery kitchen.
Both: ♪ Pretzel, pretzel, pretzel ♪ ♪ We'’re gonna bake pretzels ♪ This is one of the happiest days of my life.
Marilynn: It'’s really exciting for us... Christy: Oh, that'’s so nice.
because we want to know the basic pretzelness of pretzels.
Christy: So let'’s wash our hands, and we'’ll get you hats, and then we'’ll start our mix.
Oh, wonderful.
Two home bakers having an adventure.
Who is this handsome, young man here?
This is our baker Graham.
So the mix contains salt and malt and butter and a little sugar and all the flour, and the mix is gonna pretty firm.
There'’s not very much moisture.
There'’s a lot of flour, gives that nice, chewy texture to the pretzels.
Sheila: I can see the chunks of butter, the slices.
Yes.
Yeah.
Sheila never met a chunk of butter she didn'’t like.
Baker Graham is one of those secret treasures that every bakery should have.
Do you know how long it would take us to hand-knead a batch of dough like this?
Half a day.
Half a day.
Two elderly women kneading dough for half a day.
I mean, it'’s like performance art.
Sheila: It smells so good.
Then we'’re gonna move it over to the big mixer for 3 more minutes on speed two to fully develop the dough.
Oh, boy, look at that.
Wow.
I think that baking bread is an act of love because it nourishes not just the body, but it nourishes the soul.
[Sheila gasps] Sheila: Look at that.
Marilynn: It goes back to the beginning of time.
When you break bread with someone, you are communing at the table.
So take your small piece of dough and press it down so that you get a, like, larger shape, and now we'’re gonna take the faraway edge and bring it towards you.
Now we'’re gonna just roll this out.
You just got to push a little more.
All right.
It takes a lot of pushing, I'’ll tell you.
It does.
It takes a lot of pushing.
Marilynn: In another 10 years, I'’ll be a master... That'’s right.
or mistress, whatever you want to call it.
Baking skills doesn'’t happen overnight.
It does not.
No.
It does not.
So go ahead and make your pretzel out of that.
You can cross left over right or right over left, but it'’s one full twist.
All right.
Every pretzel has a personality, and I'’m gonna call this one Marilynn.
This is getting better, don'’t you think?
Oh, yours are really beautiful.
When you feel that dough in your hands, you feel power.
So now we'’re gonna get to dip the pretzels in the lye solution, which is what'’s in here in the bowl, lye mixed with water, and the pretzels have risen a little bit, but we put them in the refrigerator for a little while, so now they'’re firm enough that we can actually pick them up.
Christy, what, exactly, is lye?
Lye is sodium hydroxide.
The lye tends to help the outside brown really well in the oven because the bake is short, but it also lends a taste which is that real pretzel flavor.
This is very exciting... Oh, I'’m so glad.
and I think it'’s a wonderful pretzel adventure.
Marilynn: I was so satisfying to smell the pretzels baking, and when they came out of the oven, they were so fragrant and warm, they were just wonderful.
Oh, my goodness.
Look what you made?
We made pretzels.
Ha ha ha!
These are unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
We had a eureka moment at the bakery.
What if we used pretzels as well as brioche in our bread pudding?
I saw that you had brioche today.
We do.
You have the traditional one with the topknot.
We'’re gonna buy some of those today, and you know what we'’re gonna do?
We'’re gonna make them into our famous bread pudding.
Oh, what an honor that would be.
That'’s great, so you'’re gonna combine pretzels and brioche?
Yes.
Yes.
I think it'’s worth a chance.
And you know what else?
Chocolate.
Well, there'’s nothing ever wrong with chocolate, is there?
No.
And you know what?
I know it sounds a little unusual.
Not to me.
Well, what do you know?
[Laughter] Could we try one?
Oh, I'’d-- Yes.
They'’re ready to eat now.
Oh, there is nothing like a fresh bagel.
It'’s a pretzel.
Ha ha ha!
There'’s nothing like a fresh bagel.
Oh-- Ha ha ha!
There'’s nothing like a fresh pretzel.
You got that right.
You can say that again.
Oh, the smell is heavenly.
Marilynn: Thank you so much.
You have golden hands.
I'’m in pretzel heaven.
Now its time to build our new creation.
Sheila: A beautiful bread pudding made with chocolate and pretzels.
And brioche.
Don'’t forget the brioche.
This is gonna be a wonderful recipe because it has chocolate in it, it has the salt from the pretzels, and sweet butter, the best ingredients.
Always use the best ingredients that you can obtain.
You know, this-- bread puddings were actually made from bits and pieces.
You'’ve heard of pain perdu, lost bread, where you take French bread that'’s a little bit stale and you soak it in cream and milk and butter.
This is great.
We'’re really moving along.
Ladies, start your engines.
OK.
This is your chocolate.
OK.
This is my chocolate.
OK.
Here you go.
OK.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, listen to that chocolate.
Number one, I am putting this in here, and I'’m gonna melt it.
OK. We'’re ready to make the custard, and, you know, always use full-fat milk, none of this 2%, 1% half-percent.
Duck eggs.
Ohh...
They'’re beautiful.
Aren'’t they wonderful?
Oh, look at the color of those.
Isn'’t that lovely?
Now, Sheila, this is the first time we'’ve ever baked with a duck egg.
I know.
Here we go, beautiful duck egg.
I recommend that you break these up just a little bit before you start adding the other ingredients.
I think the custard comes together much better.
There we go, French sucre.
OK, so we'’re going to add this.
I'’m gonna put this in.
I would suggest putting a small amount in... Yeah.
Try that.
and that will make it easier to amalgamate.
Like that word?
I do.
I was an English journalism major.
Oh, I know that.
What the heck?
Let'’s put the pretzel pieces in.
We need a generous layer, but not too much.
We'’re gonna have secret chocolate layers, too.
OK.
I'’m gonna start pouring.
Doesn'’t that look good?
We got-- I love the glossiness of the hot fudge sauce.
All right.
Now, usually, I would put this in a little dish, but you know what?
Let'’s do it this way and let'’s be generous.
You know how Mummy used to say, "Always give with a full hand"?
Yes, and it doesn'’t matter if it gets mixed up with the chocolate.
Oh, no.
It doesn'’t.
Bruce: I never had raspberry and chocolate.
Oh, you don'’t know what you'’ve missed.
Bruce, you'’re a child.
OK. Now I'’m gonna pour a little bit.
You don'’t have to pour all of it.
Well, it will sink in, you know... Yeah, but you know what?
I don'’t want any overflow.
Yeah.
I think you'’re right.
My one concern about using pretzels in our bread pudding was that they wouldn'’t soak up the custard.
But they did.
We had this great sugar cookie recipe, and we turned them into pretzel cookies, and then we dipped them in chocolate.
They were beautiful, and they tasted great.
Everyone arrived for the party, and the table was all set.
If you come to our home, we'’re gonna make you feel as comfortable as possible.
We'’re gonna spoil you rotten.
Opa!
Oh, I love it.
Wonderful.
Nicely done.
It also turns out to be my birthday.
Sheila: You'’re the birthday girl.
Marilynn: OK. We'’ll each take a sip of that.
We'’re not driving.
I don'’t drive, anyways.
Josh: Where do you have to go?
The party'’s here.
Marilynn: This is the ultimate victory for the Brass Sisters.
We decided that we'’re gonna combine pretzels and the brioche from the Clear Flour Bakery, and we were gonna make a chocolate, pretzel, brioche, raspberry bread pudding.
Man: That'’s fine with me.
Yeah.
Cheers to that.
Marilynn: Let the adventure begin, little drizzle there of raspberry sauce.
This is a Brass Sisters effort.
You'’ll notice the crunchy pretzel topping, pretzel cookie, nice, big dollop of raspberry whipped cream.
Sheila: Ladies first.
OK. Ladies first.
Thank you.
Oh, looks delicious.
Josh: Thank you so much.
Marilynn: And what about Phil?
Yeah.
Here we go.
Thank you so much.
This is what Sheila and I love.
We love feeding people.
That'’s for you, Thank you.
and the birthday girl gets the last one.
Christy: So good.
Marilynn: The crunch on the top introduces you to the delicious, dark, earthy taste of the chocolate, all soaked up by the buttery brioche and chewy pretzel.
Christy: Now that we'’re all here, why don'’t we do a toast to Marilynn?
Oh, wait.
We need a little more bubbly before we have a toast to Marilynn.
Phil: I'’ll hop in on that if you wouldn'’t mind.
New friends become old friends very quickly in our home.
To new old friends... To new old friends.
and chocolate and gluten and the Brass Sisters.
Wait.
Whose birthday is it?
Mine.
Today?
Really?
Who just rang the bell?
Is it a male exotic dancer?
Man: Ha ha!
Is that what you wanted for your birthday?
No.
I would probably have a talk with him.
Man: All right, so you don'’t know this is happening.
Sheila: What should I get my baby sister on her birthday?
Oh, my God.
Hi there.
I told Bruce that she likes fish.
It'’s a fresh fish delivery for Marilynn.
I must say, this is still the best birthday I'’ve ever had.
Oh, they are so beautiful.
We'’re both harmless.
We like to joke, and we like to flirt, but we'’re absolutely harmless.
Speak for yourself.
In that case, I'’ll stay.
Good.
Oh, that'’s wonderful.
Phil: ♪ A spoon in the bedroom, a dish in the sink ♪ ♪ The cow and the moon have stepped out for a drink ♪ ♪ Whenever you'’re free, I need a little more for me ♪ Marilynn: What a journey this has been.
I think what I learned was that people all over the world are pretty much the same...
They'’re wonderful.
and food just doesn'’t taste as good if you don'’t share it with someone.
Phil: ♪ In your pajamas and slip into bed ♪ ♪ The cow and the moon have jumped over our heads ♪ ♪ But so many, many believe ♪ ♪ I need a little more for ♪ ♪ Ooh, whoa, whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ [Chuckles]