Make Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby’s raspberry crumb loaf, oatmeal milk chocolate toffee cookies and vanilla sheet cake with strawberry buttercream<\/p>\n
Published May 02, 2025<\/p>\n
Last updated May 02, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n 12 minute read<\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n Our cookbook of the week is Crave<\/a> by Calgary-based sisters Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby, who co-founded the Prairie bakery of the same name.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS<\/p>\n Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n <\/span>or<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Jump to the recipes:<\/strong> raspberry crumb loaf<\/a>, oatmeal milk chocolate toffee cookies<\/a> and vanilla sheet cake<\/a> with strawberry buttercream frosting.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby have worked together for 20 years, but they\u2019ve been sisters and friends for 50. \u201cEverybody always says, \u2018I can\u2019t believe you can work with your sister.\u2019 And we always say, \u2018We grew up on a farm. If we weren\u2019t getting along, we had no one to play with,’\u201d says Willoughby. \u201cWe just have such a high respect and regard for one another that we make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n After graduating with degrees in food business management and community rehabilitation, respectively, McIntyre Jackson and Willoughby founded the first Crave<\/a> bakery in Calgary in 2004. They now have four locations in Calgary, one each in Edmonton and Saskatoon, and a seventh opening in Kelowna in June \u2014 their first new store in 12 years.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe like to say we had a purposeful pause while we raised three kids,\u201d says McIntyre Jackson. (She has one and Willoughby has two.) Now that their children are grown, the sisters are moving into their \u201cnon-active\u201d parenting phase. \u201cWe can let it fly a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n McIntyre Jackson and Willoughby started Crave with a cache of family recipes, including their grandmother\u2019s chocolate cake and their mother\u2019s buttercream icing and vanilla cake<\/a>. In their cookbook debut of the same name, they share more than 70 recipes they\u2019ve developed over Crave\u2019s 20 years, including the never-before-published buttercream frosting<\/a> that\u2019s won them many devoted fans.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n There\u2019s been much speculation about a secret ingredient in their buttercream, also known as their \u201csuperpower.\u201d McIntyre Jackson stresses that there\u2019s nothing covert about their recipe. The foundational vanilla version calls for just four ingredients: icing sugar, whipping cream, butter and vanilla extract. (She thinks it\u2019s the salted Calgary-made Foothills Creamery<\/a> butter they\u2019ve used from the start that sets their frosting apart.)<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n After kicking off the book with how-tos, including icing a two-layer cake and dipping cookies, and homemade pantry items, such as ganaches and custards, they launch into 12 of Crave\u2019s celebrated buttercream frostings, which readers can make their own by adjusting the amount of sugar, adding colour or using different extracts and mix-ins.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Amid the flawless buttercream swirls, candy-coloured sprinkles, cupcakes, cakes and cookies, one of the book\u2019s full-page photos shows a patchwork of their family\u2019s handwritten recipes filling the frame. McIntyre Jackson says it was important for them to capture. They grew up on a farm outside of High River in southern Alberta, where the baking of their grandmothers, aunts and mom was a constant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n McIntyre Jackson started baking as a child with their mother, Helen McIntyre. \u201cJodi and our younger sister would always be outside, riding horses, moving cattle with Dad, and that wasn\u2019t really my forte. I\u2019ve always loved to bake. And I can remember sitting on this little brown stool when I was seven and hand-making the shortbread. It was always a true passion of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n After graduating from university and a job in Safeway\u2019s manufacturing division, McIntyre Jackson asked Willoughby, a director of clinical services working with young children from high-risk homes, if she would join her in opening a bakery. What Willoughby initially lacked in baking know-how, she made up for with her management and people skills.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI said, \u2018Absolutely.\u2019 I didn\u2019t even hesitate. I wasn\u2019t a baker. Carolyne taught me how to bake. I always had a passion and a love for it \u2014 and a respect for it \u2014 and I always enjoyed the baking. We came together with complementary skills and opened our first bakery, which is now going into 21 years in September, and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The sisters attribute Crave\u2019s longevity to the driven, enthusiastic employees who work alongside them. \u201cOur biggest thing is that we hope people who walk through our doors leave with a lot more than they started with. And we\u2019re really lucky. We have so many people that have worked for us for five years, 10 years,\u201d says Willoughby.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n McIntyre Jackson adds: \u201cI think you gather people around you who want to work with you, and that\u2019s also part of the success. We love what we do. We\u2019re passionate about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n There are many \u201ctrue bakers\u201d on their staff who love the craft and often share their favourite recipes. The raspberry sour cream pie in the book is one example. Since Aldene Atkinson, one of their \u201cdearest\u201d former employees, gave it to them, it\u2019s become a beloved summer staple. Their Auntie Louise\u2019s gingerbread recipe is another. McIntyre Jackson and Willoughby remember their aunt meticulously rolling out paper-thin cookies when they were teenagers. When it came time for them to make gingerbread for their bakeries, she was happy to pass the recipe along.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Family recipes like these, whether theirs or from others that have been given to them over the years, are at the heart of their bakeries \u2014 and now, book. \u201cWe started Crave because we wanted to share really great baking with as many people as possible,\u201d says Willoughby. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the whole essence of the cookbook.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n McIntyre Jackson adds: \u201cWe\u2019ve always been on a mission to bake everything the best we can. And that comes from family recipes and a little bit of love.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Makes:<\/strong> One 8- \u00d7 5-inch loaf<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n For brown sugar crumb topping:<\/strong> Article content<\/p>\n For loaf:<\/strong> Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Place all the brown sugar crumb topping ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix the ingredients until they are well combined and large crumbs form (the mixture should form a ball when squeezed in your hands). Set aside.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Position a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat it to 350F (177C). Butter an 8- \u00d7 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In a medium-sized bowl, add the 1 1\/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with a whisk and set aside.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In a glass measuring cup, add the sour cream and vanilla.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the 3\/4 cup butter on medium speed for about a minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Continue mixing on medium speed for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Crack the eggs and egg yolk into a small bowl. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one by one. Stop the mixer and scrape the mixing bowl, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix for about a minute or until everything is well combined.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, then add the sour cream and vanilla mixture. Mix for 30 seconds, then add the remaining flour and continue mixing for 30 seconds to combine. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then mix on medium-high for a minute or until everything is well combined.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a spatula, gently fold the raspberries into the batter.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the brown sugar crumbs. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a probe thermometer inserted into the centre of the loaf reads 200F (93C).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Notes:\u00a0<\/strong>All our recipes call for salted butter. If you opt for unsalted butter, we recommend slightly increasing the salt in the recipe to maintain the desired flavour.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Place any leftover crumb topping in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Makes:<\/strong> About 50 cookies<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n 3 1\/2 cups (320 g) large-flake oatmeal Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Position a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat it to 350F (177C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In a medium-sized bowl, add the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute. Gradually add the sugars. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla. Mix for 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the mixing bowl, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix for about a minute or until everything is well combined.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, and continue to mix on low speed. Slowly add the oatmeal mixture and mix for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Then add the milk chocolate and toffee bits and mix until just combined.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Using a cookie scoop, drop the scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, then follow the instructions for How to Dip Cookies (see below<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:<\/strong> In step 5, instead of the milk chocolate chips and toffee bits, add 2 cups (400 g) of dark chocolate chips.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Melt the coating chocolate in a bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water or in a glass bowl in the microwave.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dip the cookie halfway into the melted chocolate and place it on the prepared sheet. Gently push the cookie from the non-dipped side along the parchment paper a couple of inches. This will help maintain a round edge and prevent excess chocolate from pooling on the cookie\u2019s side. If using sprinkles, sprinkle immediately after dipping to ensure they stick to the chocolate before it sets. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing the cookies.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n![\"recipes](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/craveFeat.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=VXRw5EXlXNA0F_YbX_Pldg\")
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Recipes Sign In or Create an Account<\/h2>\n
![\"recipes](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/craveCoverInline.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=hnt0gPJEOvHF4ppIo-0BBw\")
<\/picture>RASPBERRY CRUMB LOAF<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
![\"recipes](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/raspberryLoafInline.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=Kp-bZZceYOPeuzXEWygVwg\")
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3\/4 cup (115 g) all-purpose flour
1\/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
1\/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
1 1\/4 cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
1\/2 tsp baking powder
1\/2 tsp salt
2\/3 cup (170 g) sour cream
1\/2 tsp vanilla extract
3\/4 cup (170 g) salted butter
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3\/4 cup (150 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
3\/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar crumb topping<\/p>\n<\/section>\nStep 1<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 2<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 3<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 4<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 5<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 6<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 7<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 8<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 9<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 10<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 11<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
OATMEAL MILK CHOCOLATE TOFFEE COOKIES<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
![\"recipes](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/oatToffeeCookieCropInline.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=bEgiQSoU1VeYeNxh4XVlcA\")
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1 1\/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1\/2 tsp baking powder
3\/4 tsp salt
1 cup (225 g) salted butter
3\/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3\/4 cup (150 g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3\/4 cups (250 g) milk chocolate chips
1\/2 cup (85 g) toffee bits
1 cup (250 g) milk coating chocolate (optional, for the dip)<\/p>\n<\/section>\nStep 1<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 2<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 3<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 4<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 5<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 6<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 7<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
Step 8<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
VARIATION<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
HOW TO DIP COOKIES<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
VANILLA SHEET CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n