Saturday, November 30, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Our First Tasting!
This past Sunday Kevin and I held our first tasting for a group of select testers. Each tester was hand selected based on a character trait that I knew would be key in providing us with an unbiased opinion of our items. Testers included -
A former Las Vegas restaurant manager
And a plethora of ages, genders, so on and so forth of people.
I admit it, readers - I was incredibly nervous. With confidence in my two recipes - my pumpkin and my chocolate cupcakes, I also tested out two other recipes that I was very unsure of. I'm a perfectionist and sometimes a bit too hard on myself, but I figured I'd throw caution to the wind.
One of my dear friends managed to snap a picture of our spread since I had completely forgotten to do that. Fortunately, she let me steal the picture and put it up here:
From top to bottom are our new chocolate chip cookies (these had caramels), my chocolate cupcake turned brownie disaster (I'll get to THAT story momentarily), and our chocolate cupcakes. The pumpkin ones were not quite ready to put out yet. We sprinkled the cupcakes with blue sprinkles since we were also revealing our baby's gender to our friends that day. (Hint...it's not a girl....)
The results came back overwhelmingly positive. Sparkles' hubby later arrived and snarfed at least two or three of each cupcake and told me that it was so nice to be able to trust a baker when they say 'yes, these really are gluten-free'. One of the issues I run into when going to bakeries is that while they offer a gluten free cupcake, it is an 'option' and baked on the same machinery that the other items are baked on. This = cross-contamination...and that's not good for those of us that are super sensitive.
The critiques were mostly on our frosting flavorings - the pumpkin pie cupcake's whipped cream could have been slightly sweeter (I agreed) and the brownie's cream cheese frosting needed a touch more vanilla...or better yet - change it to buttercream. Unfortunately my marshmallow topping for my hot cocoa cupcakes didn't set well, but my photographer of the day found the batch in my fridge and ate it with a spoon. I hear it was still delicious. I promised her that next time we would serve it and that I would pay better attention when making it. There was also one comment on adding a bit more spice to our pumpkin cupcake.
The compliments - readers, I hope you're as excited as I am about this - none of our items contained any of that 'grit' that you feel when eating a gluten free sweet. You know what I'm talking about...the dry, chug a gallon of milk to swallow, sandy feeling in your teeth you get when eating something gluten free? Gone. We have officially mastered the texture of a regular cupcake, all without sacrificing taste, density, and moistness that is known in the cupcake. Even our cookies provided a bit of crunch and chew in them, so both sides of the cookie debate were satisfied. I am pleased as punch!
Our next tasting will be held in late January/early February. We are offering the hot cocoa cupcake with its marshmallow topping, and I'm currently testing a few other recipes in my kitchen. I promise there will be better pictures next time!
So...let's talk about the brownies before we close out this post.
A few weeks ago I found a gorgeous chocolate cake recipe that I knew I could easily convert and reproduce with my own spin on things. We don't believe in copying other baker's recipes and using them as our own here at The Gluteny Bakery, kids. We start with a base and off we go!
And off I went. And here's what I got:
A former Las Vegas restaurant manager
A wife that cooks gluten-free specifically for her husband (you can meet her here)
An oil worker, his wife and their 4 year old daughter - all three are novices to baking and completely unaware of the gluten free world. The picky 4 year old was just a bonus for me to taste the flavors. I mean...if a kiddo won't eat it, why bake it?And a plethora of ages, genders, so on and so forth of people.
I admit it, readers - I was incredibly nervous. With confidence in my two recipes - my pumpkin and my chocolate cupcakes, I also tested out two other recipes that I was very unsure of. I'm a perfectionist and sometimes a bit too hard on myself, but I figured I'd throw caution to the wind.
One of my dear friends managed to snap a picture of our spread since I had completely forgotten to do that. Fortunately, she let me steal the picture and put it up here:
From top to bottom are our new chocolate chip cookies (these had caramels), my chocolate cupcake turned brownie disaster (I'll get to THAT story momentarily), and our chocolate cupcakes. The pumpkin ones were not quite ready to put out yet. We sprinkled the cupcakes with blue sprinkles since we were also revealing our baby's gender to our friends that day. (Hint...it's not a girl....)
The results came back overwhelmingly positive. Sparkles' hubby later arrived and snarfed at least two or three of each cupcake and told me that it was so nice to be able to trust a baker when they say 'yes, these really are gluten-free'. One of the issues I run into when going to bakeries is that while they offer a gluten free cupcake, it is an 'option' and baked on the same machinery that the other items are baked on. This = cross-contamination...and that's not good for those of us that are super sensitive.
The critiques were mostly on our frosting flavorings - the pumpkin pie cupcake's whipped cream could have been slightly sweeter (I agreed) and the brownie's cream cheese frosting needed a touch more vanilla...or better yet - change it to buttercream. Unfortunately my marshmallow topping for my hot cocoa cupcakes didn't set well, but my photographer of the day found the batch in my fridge and ate it with a spoon. I hear it was still delicious. I promised her that next time we would serve it and that I would pay better attention when making it. There was also one comment on adding a bit more spice to our pumpkin cupcake.
The compliments - readers, I hope you're as excited as I am about this - none of our items contained any of that 'grit' that you feel when eating a gluten free sweet. You know what I'm talking about...the dry, chug a gallon of milk to swallow, sandy feeling in your teeth you get when eating something gluten free? Gone. We have officially mastered the texture of a regular cupcake, all without sacrificing taste, density, and moistness that is known in the cupcake. Even our cookies provided a bit of crunch and chew in them, so both sides of the cookie debate were satisfied. I am pleased as punch!
Our next tasting will be held in late January/early February. We are offering the hot cocoa cupcake with its marshmallow topping, and I'm currently testing a few other recipes in my kitchen. I promise there will be better pictures next time!
So...let's talk about the brownies before we close out this post.
A few weeks ago I found a gorgeous chocolate cake recipe that I knew I could easily convert and reproduce with my own spin on things. We don't believe in copying other baker's recipes and using them as our own here at The Gluteny Bakery, kids. We start with a base and off we go!
And off I went. And here's what I got:
I had a George Takei moment - "Oh my..." but pulled off the good parts and tasted my creation.
Heaven help me, these were the most amazing brownies ever! There was no way I could put this into a cupcake tin and serve it. This batter needed to be formed into a cakey, gooey brownie that you dunk in a glass of milk and stuff your face with.
But the same thing happened in the brownie attempt (I was too angry to take a picture at this point) when the brownies completely caved in on themselves, so I scrapped the whole project for the night.
The next morning I researched my issue with my falling brownies and had no luck. In gluten free baking, the rules change, so what might be a mixing issue to you could have been a flour issue for me. So...I asked around. I contacted a gluten free bakery up north with my recipe and told them my exact process. I also asked a popular gluten free blogger for her thoughts. The first bakery read my message but did not reply. The blogger? She told me she didn't bother 'with other people's recipes'. I was obviously on my own. Frustrated, I went head first back into the batter on Saturday morning, with lots of minor changes that I was unsure would make a difference. And guess what happened?
You guessed it....we had brownies. Chewy brownies with a light and sweet crust soon entered my kitchen from my oven. I experimented with different densities - a lighter, thinner brownie and a cakier (I have an English and Writing degree and today "cakier" is most definitely a word) brownie. Both were equally delicious, though I wasn't as stuffed after the thinner brownie.
So what did I do? Well....
- I purchased fresh baking soda and baking powder.
- I gently whisked my eggs before adding them to the batter.
- I reduced the amount of baking soda.
- I changed my flour brands.
- I hand mixed the entire way.
Plus I did a few other things, but you'll just have to taste them and guess what I did.
We are still working hard at our logo, new site, Facebook page, and a new recipe. However, Kevin and I are both a little 'cupcaked-out' this week and are instead enjoying this lovely Fall weather. Oh...and I have to plan my menu for Thanksgiving. Did I mention that I'm hosting 19 people in my house? Off to Costco for 15 pounds of potatoes!
Monday, November 4, 2013
New Flavor, New Happenings!
Lots of new things are taking place at my home this past week. We are undergoing some renovations with our newly purchased house and I am slowly stocking up my supply cabinet. This week my new whipped cream dispenser arrived, along with 50 replacement chargers. I may have already wasted one in my attempts to test it out, but no worries, 49 are left and ready for me to use!
We are also working on designing our logo and perhaps even a slogan. We sent off our request the other night and are anxiously waiting to see what the artist rendered for us. Hopefully by January we will be able to obtain our licenses and purchase our own site domain, instead of hiding in a blog. :)
Starting a business can be frightening and overwhelming, especially if you aren't sure what to do or where to start. I'm fortunate that my mom owned two successful businesses, one during the economic recession that still stayed afloat until she retired to be a full time grandma (and one of my favorite taste-testers). The experience has been eye opening and is the reason why Kevin and I decided to start this little bakery out of our home/online until we get a good feel of the market.
Okay...enough small talk. Let's discuss our newest flavor: Hot Cocoa!
With the time change comes the cooler weather. This weekend I opened all of the windows in my house and pulled out my favorite throw blankets to snuggle up with. I love the clean Fall air, the holiday commercials on TV, and rummaging through the Sunday paper looking for Christmas gift ideas.
I also love hot cocoa. Hot chocolatey goodness with a pile of marshmallows overflowing the cup and warming my insides (and making Baby #2 happy) always helps me unwind and remember to enjoy the cool nights, because Houston summers with their 110 degree temps are always around the corner.
This feeling inspired a new idea - why not a hot cocoa cupcake? Why not a marshmallow topping? This should be pretty easy, right?
As is the case with all gluten free baking, not so much. I lost an entire batter after an experiment went awry (my resources tell me to adjust the baking soda for my next attempt).
Back to the drawing board. On Saturday night, after much research, calculating, and measuring...and maybe a few mishaps with our homemade marshmallow frosting, here we are:
This little gem is the perfect sweet treat on a 'not cold enough for hot cocoa' type of night. It is a chocolate cupcake with a pillow of our homemade marshmallow frosting, which can be served 'toasted' or as the picture shows. I found a few candied snowflakes for garnish and voila! Both the cupcake and frosting are obviously gluten free, otherwise I wouldn't have already eaten 4 of them.
The other recipe I tried has a different direction that I'm going to attempt to steer it in this week, and if it works out, I promise to post it here.
So now we have two flavors, a pan that I'm still scraping residue off of, and a logo in the works! I hope everyone is getting as excited as I am!
Jeanne
We are also working on designing our logo and perhaps even a slogan. We sent off our request the other night and are anxiously waiting to see what the artist rendered for us. Hopefully by January we will be able to obtain our licenses and purchase our own site domain, instead of hiding in a blog. :)
Starting a business can be frightening and overwhelming, especially if you aren't sure what to do or where to start. I'm fortunate that my mom owned two successful businesses, one during the economic recession that still stayed afloat until she retired to be a full time grandma (and one of my favorite taste-testers). The experience has been eye opening and is the reason why Kevin and I decided to start this little bakery out of our home/online until we get a good feel of the market.
Okay...enough small talk. Let's discuss our newest flavor: Hot Cocoa!
With the time change comes the cooler weather. This weekend I opened all of the windows in my house and pulled out my favorite throw blankets to snuggle up with. I love the clean Fall air, the holiday commercials on TV, and rummaging through the Sunday paper looking for Christmas gift ideas.
I also love hot cocoa. Hot chocolatey goodness with a pile of marshmallows overflowing the cup and warming my insides (and making Baby #2 happy) always helps me unwind and remember to enjoy the cool nights, because Houston summers with their 110 degree temps are always around the corner.
This feeling inspired a new idea - why not a hot cocoa cupcake? Why not a marshmallow topping? This should be pretty easy, right?
As is the case with all gluten free baking, not so much. I lost an entire batter after an experiment went awry (my resources tell me to adjust the baking soda for my next attempt).
Back to the drawing board. On Saturday night, after much research, calculating, and measuring...and maybe a few mishaps with our homemade marshmallow frosting, here we are:
This little gem is the perfect sweet treat on a 'not cold enough for hot cocoa' type of night. It is a chocolate cupcake with a pillow of our homemade marshmallow frosting, which can be served 'toasted' or as the picture shows. I found a few candied snowflakes for garnish and voila! Both the cupcake and frosting are obviously gluten free, otherwise I wouldn't have already eaten 4 of them.
The other recipe I tried has a different direction that I'm going to attempt to steer it in this week, and if it works out, I promise to post it here.
So now we have two flavors, a pan that I'm still scraping residue off of, and a logo in the works! I hope everyone is getting as excited as I am!
Jeanne
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Pumpkin Pie
In an effort to keep my readers interested and believing that I really am opening a bakery, I present to you our first real creation known as "The Pumpkin Pie" cupcake.
Please accept my apologies on my iPhone's not-so-perfect photo taking skills; it's not the greatest of pictures, but when you're just getting started, there isn't much funding in the way of a camera. I assure you that a better picture will arrive once I get my hands on a better camera. Hello, Christmas wish list!
When you think of pumpkin pie, you don't always think of cream cheese frosting. This test has a can of Reddy Whipped Cream on it (I know, don't be hard on me...I've already ordered this). To add texture, I chopped up some candied pecans and sprinkled them over the cupcake. Voila!
One more test - what did the inside look like?
Not too bad if I say so myself. Dense, of course. But soft and moist and with no aftertaste or burning desire to suck on Tums, this cupcake passed the test. The remaining 8 cupcakes (we had to taste several times to be sure they were good...) are in my freezer going through the 'freezer test'. With the short shelf life of gluten free baked goods, it's important that they stay just as yummy as the day you bought them up to at least 2 weeks after purchase.
And with that, we have our first cupcake. This cupcake will only be available October 1st through Thanksgiving, and is one of my first samples to be tested by my team on November 10th. Looking forward to it!
Please accept my apologies on my iPhone's not-so-perfect photo taking skills; it's not the greatest of pictures, but when you're just getting started, there isn't much funding in the way of a camera. I assure you that a better picture will arrive once I get my hands on a better camera. Hello, Christmas wish list!
When you think of pumpkin pie, you don't always think of cream cheese frosting. This test has a can of Reddy Whipped Cream on it (I know, don't be hard on me...I've already ordered this). To add texture, I chopped up some candied pecans and sprinkled them over the cupcake. Voila!
One more test - what did the inside look like?
Not too bad if I say so myself. Dense, of course. But soft and moist and with no aftertaste or burning desire to suck on Tums, this cupcake passed the test. The remaining 8 cupcakes (we had to taste several times to be sure they were good...) are in my freezer going through the 'freezer test'. With the short shelf life of gluten free baked goods, it's important that they stay just as yummy as the day you bought them up to at least 2 weeks after purchase.
And with that, we have our first cupcake. This cupcake will only be available October 1st through Thanksgiving, and is one of my first samples to be tested by my team on November 10th. Looking forward to it!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
About Us
Welcome to The Gluteny Bakery! We are a small (as in two people with big ideas and big sweet tooths) 'company' located in the outskirts of Houston, TX. Our goal is to open a little slice of gluten-free Heaven in our area within the next five years. While our timeline is extensive, we have plenty to accomplish to get there!
I'm Jeanne, the writer and baker behind this big idea. My journey into the dark world of the gluten free began in 2010, when I was diagnosed with a minor wheat allergy. Let me explain...
In early 2010, I started feeling like absolute garbage. I've always been a smaller person - at 5'3'', I weighed 105 pounds at my high school graduation - and very active. I rode dressage and hunter/jumper, played tennis, joined a gym, and built my relationship with my husband in the kitchen. While we loved sweets, it wasn't to the extent that my body should have reacted the way it did. Gradually I started gaining weight - and I couldn't get it off. I swore off sodas, sweets, eating after 8; I ate more fruit (I then ate less fruit), I went on Weight Watchers, I ran 2-3 miles three times a week. Nothing worked. I tried diet pills...I tried everything. I also noticed that my allergies worsened to the point where I was always sick regardless of what medication I took. Depressed, I figured that this was just who I was. Soon, I developed dull, achy headaches. Nothing worked for me, and so depressed I was at my wits' end, I headed over to my OBGYN's office to see what was happening to me. I love my doctor and her staff - I've been seeing them since 2002 - and they have always taken excellent care of me. Knowing that they would get right down to business, I made the appointment and poured my heart out to them. They responded by taking five vials of blood from me and sending me home to wait.
A week later, the results were back - I had developed a prolactinoma, but behind all of that mess, they also caught my wheat allergy. Wheat allergy?? Yep, get off all wheat products and do it now.
So I did.
I'm sure that's exactly how easy it was for you too, right? WRONG! Immediately after my prolactinoma was treated, I got pregnant. I then threw caution to the wind and ate whatever sounded good to me and my now 2 1/2 year old garbage disposal of a little boy. I figured that being pregnant would outweigh the wheat allergy...and boy, did I outweigh it. At delivery I weighed almost 200 pounds. I had developed gestational diabetes and my body was so swollen and in so much pain that I spent my last two weeks of pregnancy in bed in my jammies. I delivered a beautiful 7 pounds 14 ounces boy and went home three days later. I immediately swore off gluten. At one point I could cheat a little, but soon my body responded in ways that kept me home from work. The pain, the burning, and the body aches were too much to bear.
I wish I could tell you that it was easy to do, but we all know how heartbreaking it is to stand in the grocery store and burst into tears because all you want is a cookie or to find a steak marinade that won't send you running for cover. Many nights I choked down the prepackaged frozen bread that I'd paid $8.00 per loaf. Many times I brought my own sweets - prepackaged, of course - and chugged a half gallon of milk or water to just so I could have something sweet. But I've stuck with it, and in those 2 1/2 years that I've been a mommy, I've lost a whopping 80 pounds, have low blood pressure, clearer skin, reduced my antidepressant medication by 75%, and have enough energy to not only chase our son around, but to be pregnant with our second baby! This pregnancy, while completely different in that I've had severe morning sickness, is the same - no gluten. But what does every pregnant woman want?
Cupcakes.
Cookies.
Pastries.
And there is no way I'm eating that prepackaged stuff ever again.
So that brings us to late 2013.
I'm originally a SharePoint analyst and a Technical Writer, but for the past six months I've had an urge to start baking. One of my dear friends from high school just learned that her little girl is gluten, dairy, and egg intolerant. My heart ached knowing that Jassy can't have a yummy cupcake or a chocolate chip cookie like the rest of her friends. So...I got to thinking...and thinking...and like the writer that I am, I got to writing and researching. Why not start a gluten-free bakery? There aren't many local specialty bakeries within a 20 mile radius of our house, and my son's school is already peanut free, and our research is showing that gluten-free purchases are rising (as in the grocery stores near me are always out of sweets).
With that being said...welcome to "The Gluteny Bakery". Why "Gluteny"? Think about it. Who says celiacs and wheat allergic people can't indulge like the rest of the world? Who says you have to buy prepackaged, frozen for 6 months before hitting the stores baked 'goods'? That's why we're here! Our goal is to create a bakery that will make you feel like you've indulged in the real sweet thing. We are starting our operation as completely wheat free, and as we grow we will experiment with egg and dairy free items. Once we're up and running in our facility, we will guarantee peanut/nut free and dust free items as well. My other half of this operation is my husband Kevin. Originally a restaurant manager for over ten years, he is the brains behind our bakery. His business sense, experience from quick to full service restaurants, kitchen equipment knowledge and the ability to make the world's most amazing gluten free fried chicken is why he's being brought on board.
Finally, we have our first taster, our son Mason. Mason is a fan of Eggo Waffles, peanut butter and crackers, pancakes, and all things gluten that make my esophagus burn into oblivion. Therefore he is our first taster of what we bake. If it's good enough for his gluten-savvy tastebuds, then it's worth sending out to my other tasters.
So...sit back, enjoy the ride, the pictures, the experiments...the journey that is "The Gluteny Bakery". Thanks for reading!
Jeanne
I'm Jeanne, the writer and baker behind this big idea. My journey into the dark world of the gluten free began in 2010, when I was diagnosed with a minor wheat allergy. Let me explain...
In early 2010, I started feeling like absolute garbage. I've always been a smaller person - at 5'3'', I weighed 105 pounds at my high school graduation - and very active. I rode dressage and hunter/jumper, played tennis, joined a gym, and built my relationship with my husband in the kitchen. While we loved sweets, it wasn't to the extent that my body should have reacted the way it did. Gradually I started gaining weight - and I couldn't get it off. I swore off sodas, sweets, eating after 8; I ate more fruit (I then ate less fruit), I went on Weight Watchers, I ran 2-3 miles three times a week. Nothing worked. I tried diet pills...I tried everything. I also noticed that my allergies worsened to the point where I was always sick regardless of what medication I took. Depressed, I figured that this was just who I was. Soon, I developed dull, achy headaches. Nothing worked for me, and so depressed I was at my wits' end, I headed over to my OBGYN's office to see what was happening to me. I love my doctor and her staff - I've been seeing them since 2002 - and they have always taken excellent care of me. Knowing that they would get right down to business, I made the appointment and poured my heart out to them. They responded by taking five vials of blood from me and sending me home to wait.
A week later, the results were back - I had developed a prolactinoma, but behind all of that mess, they also caught my wheat allergy. Wheat allergy?? Yep, get off all wheat products and do it now.
So I did.
I'm sure that's exactly how easy it was for you too, right? WRONG! Immediately after my prolactinoma was treated, I got pregnant. I then threw caution to the wind and ate whatever sounded good to me and my now 2 1/2 year old garbage disposal of a little boy. I figured that being pregnant would outweigh the wheat allergy...and boy, did I outweigh it. At delivery I weighed almost 200 pounds. I had developed gestational diabetes and my body was so swollen and in so much pain that I spent my last two weeks of pregnancy in bed in my jammies. I delivered a beautiful 7 pounds 14 ounces boy and went home three days later. I immediately swore off gluten. At one point I could cheat a little, but soon my body responded in ways that kept me home from work. The pain, the burning, and the body aches were too much to bear.
I wish I could tell you that it was easy to do, but we all know how heartbreaking it is to stand in the grocery store and burst into tears because all you want is a cookie or to find a steak marinade that won't send you running for cover. Many nights I choked down the prepackaged frozen bread that I'd paid $8.00 per loaf. Many times I brought my own sweets - prepackaged, of course - and chugged a half gallon of milk or water to just so I could have something sweet. But I've stuck with it, and in those 2 1/2 years that I've been a mommy, I've lost a whopping 80 pounds, have low blood pressure, clearer skin, reduced my antidepressant medication by 75%, and have enough energy to not only chase our son around, but to be pregnant with our second baby! This pregnancy, while completely different in that I've had severe morning sickness, is the same - no gluten. But what does every pregnant woman want?
Cupcakes.
Cookies.
Pastries.
And there is no way I'm eating that prepackaged stuff ever again.
So that brings us to late 2013.
I'm originally a SharePoint analyst and a Technical Writer, but for the past six months I've had an urge to start baking. One of my dear friends from high school just learned that her little girl is gluten, dairy, and egg intolerant. My heart ached knowing that Jassy can't have a yummy cupcake or a chocolate chip cookie like the rest of her friends. So...I got to thinking...and thinking...and like the writer that I am, I got to writing and researching. Why not start a gluten-free bakery? There aren't many local specialty bakeries within a 20 mile radius of our house, and my son's school is already peanut free, and our research is showing that gluten-free purchases are rising (as in the grocery stores near me are always out of sweets).
With that being said...welcome to "The Gluteny Bakery". Why "Gluteny"? Think about it. Who says celiacs and wheat allergic people can't indulge like the rest of the world? Who says you have to buy prepackaged, frozen for 6 months before hitting the stores baked 'goods'? That's why we're here! Our goal is to create a bakery that will make you feel like you've indulged in the real sweet thing. We are starting our operation as completely wheat free, and as we grow we will experiment with egg and dairy free items. Once we're up and running in our facility, we will guarantee peanut/nut free and dust free items as well. My other half of this operation is my husband Kevin. Originally a restaurant manager for over ten years, he is the brains behind our bakery. His business sense, experience from quick to full service restaurants, kitchen equipment knowledge and the ability to make the world's most amazing gluten free fried chicken is why he's being brought on board.
Finally, we have our first taster, our son Mason. Mason is a fan of Eggo Waffles, peanut butter and crackers, pancakes, and all things gluten that make my esophagus burn into oblivion. Therefore he is our first taster of what we bake. If it's good enough for his gluten-savvy tastebuds, then it's worth sending out to my other tasters.
So...sit back, enjoy the ride, the pictures, the experiments...the journey that is "The Gluteny Bakery". Thanks for reading!
Jeanne
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