Sweet Moravian Buns | Kolaches

The September Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Lucie from ChezLucie. She challenged us to make a true Czech treat –Kolaches! This translates to Sweet Moravian Buns.

I sometimes fail to understand the mindset of a company or organization. After more than 20 years of purchasing products from The Victorian Garden, my account was closed as I do not spend enough with them. They were quite convinced that my customers would continue buying product from them directly, or through another supplier and for all but one of my customers, this has not been the case. And as for me, well I have been buying the products from other suppliers. So, my money is still being rotated in the economy, but this company is no longer the beneficiary of it. Another company I have loyally supported for more than 20 years is The Body Shop. I bought their make-up when ever I travelled overseas and eventually they opened a store in Sandton City. Once we moved here I would buy product when I went up to Johannesburg and so of course I was quite excited when they opened a store in Somerset West. The store revamped two years ago, and with the new look came with a new manager who is most condescending. A few weeks ago I went into the store and enquired from the sales staff member who was standing next to me whether the BB cream had SPF in it and whether I needed to use a moisturiser with the ‘moisturising foundation’. She did not know the answers and told me she would ask the make-up artist. The make-up artist then came and gave me an answer totally unrelated to my question. This of course upset me as the sales staff member had not listened to my question. Once I had re-asked the questions and received the answer I continued to look at products. I then turned round to the same sales staff member who was still standing next to me and told her I had another question. Her response was to turn her back to me and call out to the store manager to come and help me. This is so rude! I made it quite clear to the store manager just how rude I thought it was – she had been hovering the entire time. And her response was to tell me exactly what type of training the staff get. Well, she clearly needs training in being polite, humble and apologetic. I interrupted her to tell her I would rather leave the store and come back when the staff were willing to help and she carried on with her rude attempt at justifying the staff behaviour telling me my questions were wrong! If this had been the first time she had been so rude to me I would have left it, but it has happened on more than one occasion where she has talked to me in a manner unbecoming a senior member of a store. It is as if she would rather not have customers. So, I headed to twitter to complain and eventually the regional manager and I resolved the issue. I had been shopping to take advantage of the buy 2 get one 1 free offer and when I went back, the staff knew I could still get the special and I was treated with the utmost respect and by friendly staff, willing to assist. The one issue here is why does it have to take a tweet to get decent service and, will I get the same service next time I go into the shop? Whenever I have a day like this one, I turn to baking for some comfort. The preciseness of baking means I have to concentrate, and it takes my mind off of the situation and helps put me in a better mood. As Moravian Cakes were next on the list of things to bake, I set my hand, and my mind to making them. I have called them buns as they do not resemble a cake in my mind.

Click on the links for conversions and notes.

What I blogged:

• one year ago – The Dinner
• three years ago – Far Breton
• four years ago – Prawn And Caper Butter

Dave and I are away in France and we will be back at work on the 1^st of October. I will start replying to blog comments then. You can read our daily diary of our trip by clicking here.

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