Lucky Spoon Bakery

 If you're looking for an amazingly moist, and soft muffin or cookie made with almond flour, you really ought to give Lucky Spoon a try. They're a newer bakery out of Salt Lake City, UT, and are slowly spreading their products across the western U.S.

Zest Bakery

Zest Bakery is located in San Carlos, CA and celebrated it's 1 year birthday last week.  I met the owners, husband and wife team Patrick and Charissa last fall at a gluten free fair and have been wanting to visit their bakery ever since.  I finally had an opportunity this past weekend and their donut did not disappoint; neither did anything else really.

They have a really cute, yet small place- with a zesty (bright) color scheme. With a selection of donuts, cookies, and muffins everyday, plus a select sandwich menu, and a few special items in the fridge like pie crusts, quiches, and cheesecake, anyone who loves food will fine a tasty treat they've been craving at Zest.

Smart Treat Bakery

Smart Treat was ultimately a bust for us. Started out with promise, but we soon discovered that there were more sunflower seeds than we could handle. Inconsistencies in the product made each bite a different experience instead of each bite being delicious. What did you think of these, did we get it wrong? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

Miglet's Bakery

If you have a sweet tooth and are passing through the San Francisco bay area, then Miglet's is a most stop! Plus there are some thrift stores in the nearby area. Make it a day- that's what I did.

GNI Bakery

So while I spent the week in the San Diego area, I felt the urge, and some obligation to my readers, to check out some new gluten free options in the area. In Escondido, CA you will find GNI Bakery, otherwise known as Gluten Not Included. The trip to this bakery was anticlimactic. My mother-in-law had previously been there, and had described a long display counter with an amply amount of comfortable seating. It was what you might expect from a bakery/cafe. The outside of the windows are decorated nicely, but the inside is dark, and the retail space is tiny. The counter is pushed up close to the door, with a small selection of fresh baked goodies and no seating. The rest of the place has been rearranged for mass production for their wholesale accounts. So the trip to the actual bakery was disappointing, but was their product decent?

We bought a large brownie for $2.50, some cheese focaccia for $6.99, and a set of 3 pizza rounds for $7.99. The brownie was super soft and fudgy, but it was missing something and the focaccia was just ok. The pizza crusts were super thin, but seasoned well. Be careful not to burn the edges, as their directions were to bake at 460 degrees, which seemed extremely high for an already baked thin crust. We did ours at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes and it came out great. If you love thin crust this is a really good option and I would consider buying these again. GNI Bakery has their products sold at multiple San Diego health food stores, as well as some area attractions, like Legoland, and Sea World, so next time you're out, see if you can find their cookies or breads at the store.

The GF Cookie Jar in Florida

A viewer of GFree TV recommended a bakery out of Florida, and so we contacted the GF Cookie Jar for samples, and we received them soon after. Their chocolate chip cookies weren't the best we've ever had, but still delicious. The brownies were great--Mike especially liked the Mint variety--while the cream-filled cakes "twinkies" left us wanting more cream filling, even though the flavor was great. Overall, we recommend giving them a try.

Canyon Bakehouse Cranberry Muffins

Recently I was sent samples from a gluten free company out of Loveland, Colorado: Canyon Bakehouse. They make breads, muffins, and foccacia. You'll have to wait for an episode of GFree TV to find out our full opinion of the breads- my favorite is the cinnamon raisin- but for now on to the muffins. $6 will get 4 relatively large muffins and currently the Cranberry Canyon Crunch is the only flavor muffin they make.
Each muffin is 380 calories, which makes me think "holy cow" because I personally only consume 11-1,200 calories a day, and a muffin is not going to hold me over very long. Their base is white rice flour, and they do contain sugar, eggs, and corn. These muffins most definitely have a somewhat gritty-crunchy texture to them, (probably from the millet, pumpkin, & poppy seeds) and I would classify them more as a savory muffin, then a sweet, fruit muffin. I actually enjoyed the muffin more so heated up with some butter on it then straight out of the package.
My husband thought they were a little dry, and I somewhat agree. They seem to crumble a little too easily. Additionally, I think they would be better with more cranberries. The one thing I don't know for sure is their shelf life. I tried contacting the company about it but have not gotten a response back. Overall, this muffin is no Udi's, but it has great promise.

Looking for a Gluten Free Wedding Cake?

If you're a bride-to-be and have food allergies one of your first thoughts is likely to be what do I do about the food, the wedding cake. I know that it was one of my immediate thoughts. I ended up having gluten free cupcakes made from a vendor in southern California, but if I had been married closer to my home town I would have loved to use one of these two vendors. Perhaps for an anniversary cake. Anyhow, the 2 dedicated gluten-free bakeries in the San Francisco bay area that I would highly recommend are Miglet's Bakery and Crave Bakery, both of which are run by women with food allergies, and both cater to special occasion cakes. Crave's fruit tarts, and Miglet's mini cupcakes are two of my favorite special treats.

Crave Bakery will cater to those who need to avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts or all of the above, while Miglet's can cater to all of those, plus allergies to corn. I'm not sure what Miglet's tasting charge is, but Crave offers a cake tasting for $20.

I am also told that the following non-dedicated bakeries in the bay area can also cater to gluten free wedding cakes:

Flour Chylde Bakery 850 Grant Avenue, Old Town Novato, CA 94954 4158937676

Cakework 613 York Street San Francisco, CA 94110Phone: 415 821 1333

Bewitching Elegance 1170 Broadway Burlingame, CA 94010 San Francisco, CA 510 4696976

Miglets Gluten Free Bakery

Last winter I discovered Miglet's Gluten Free Bakery at a big event in San Francisco, and her red velvet cupcakes are to die for! Her bakery currently does not have a retail front, but her products can be found at Mariposa's Bakery in Oakland, and Drager's Market in the bay area. Closer to my home, Gluten Free Specialty brought her products in for the holiday, and will continue to carry them on special occasions.

For instance, for Valentine's Day GFS will be offering a package of 12 mini cupcakes from Miglets, as well as some other treats. I have already told my husband I want some of those mini cupcakes for Valentine's Day, and if he doesn't buy them, I will just have to get them myself. I've tried her peppermint cupcakes as well, it was an accidentally mix up, and I don't like mint, but man I liked whatever she did to her mint cupcakes.

It seems that she can accommodate gluten free, dairy free, and even some egg free versions of her products, and in addition to cupcakes, offers small cakes, tarts, and pies. Plus, from what I'm told, this bakery offers gluten free wedding cake options. Now if I had gotten married in this area, I would definitely consider her services in that department, and I know many people in my area are always looking for special occasion cakes, so do consider Miglets.

(You can read more about Miglets Bakery, and their association with the Taylor Foundation responsible for Camp Celiac in the San Francisco bay area....here)

Gluten Free Sandwich Petals

Kind of like a tortilla, kind of like a flat bread, and shaped like a flower petal. Thru the end of January, Monday's from 12 am to 12 pm MST, Sandwich Petals is running a BOGO deal!: 2 boxes of 36 Petals for only $25! I think this product is certainly worth a try!

Highlights and benefits of this product straight from the source:

• They're Virtually allergen free - Contains Zero: Dairy,Egg, Peanut,Tree nut, Shellfish, Soy, Wheat. Does contain fish (A portion of the omega 3’s from Tuna Oil).
• Diabetic & diet friendly – low glycemic ultra-low blood sugar rise due to low sugar content and very slow digestion
• Contain Omega 3 – heart healthy
• Prebiotics – helps digestive system health
• Delicious – Agave Grain (think honey but better), Spinach Garlic Pesto, and Chimayo Red Chile
• Easy storage – no freezing or refrigeration needed

Katz Gluten Free Products

Katz Gluten Free, located in New York, has been offered gluten free products since 2006. A young and upcoming company, they not only cater to the gluten free population, but the Jewish gluten free population, offering items such as Challah bread and Rugelech.

I generally do not care for products that have to stay in the freezer until you're ready to eat them, as while I feel companies are trying to extend the life of their products this way, it also really dries them out. So how do these bakery items fare to products I'm used to finding in California?

Marble Cake: Did not have the "super fluffy" taste as advertised. No one barely touched it at a party.

Chocolate Rugelech: Item was not visually appealing, and really didn't taste much like chocolate.

Cinnamon Rugelech: Somewhat dry, but when heated up in the microwave for a minute, it was decent. Probably give it a 2.75 out of 5.

Chocolate Dipped Cookies: Just plain dry.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Best item from the company that I tried. My husband gobbled these right up. They were a dry, crumbly cookie, not soft and chewy. More of a traditional chips ahoy style. I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

Overall, I'm not a fan. I'm going to give this company the benefit of the doubt that there products started out good, but just doesn't travel distance well.

Is that Cookie For Me?

I was introduced to a new and tasty gluten free product over the holiday season: Cookies for Me?. The company is based in Pennsylvania, so I think it's an absolute treat to find them here in California.

Now I have to say I was very apprehensive about these cookies at first, because they are gluten free, egg free, nut free, and dairy free, and food products that are free of multiple allergens understandably seem to have a harder time maintaining a good taste and texture. Not these! To the touch these cookies do seem quite firm, which can sometimes be a sign that that gluten free cookie isn't going to taste good. However, once you open up the package, you can see for yourself that the cookie is somewhat flaky, and absolutely delicious.

Cookies for Me? made some adorable holiday-themed sugar cookies, and I'm hoping they come out with some equally fun ones for Valentine's Day.

Crave Bakery Chocolate Cake- Episode 25

We reviewed their apple and apricot tarts in Episode 21 of GreeTV. Now we’ve got our hands on one of their chocolate cakes… although a little dry after sitting in our freezer/fridge for two weeks, none of the chocolate flavor got lost–that’s for sure! We recommend dropping what you’re doing and eating this cake the moment you buy it, because if it’s this good after 2 weeks, it must be a smash hit when it’s freshly baked.

Crave Bakery's Pumpkin Tart

Having people with food allergies over for the holidays and concerned about making a gluten free dessert? It can be a little tricky baking gluten free, so if you want a nice, quick fix, you should try the pumpkin tart from Crave Bakery. As stated on their website, this dessert is "packed with flavor and freshness, sold as an eight inch tart". I have a serious sweet tooth, so my only compliant about the tart it that it could be a hint sweeter, but for everyone else, those without a desire to eat pure sugar, it's perfect. The crust is just right and the texture of the pumpkin is right on par. If you live in the Sacramento area there is a limited supply at Gluten Free Specialty, for those of you who are last minute planners. And if you miss out for Thanksgiving, pumpkin and apple are also favorites for Christmas.

Filling:
Pumpkin, Organic Rice Milk (filtered water, organic whole grain brown rice, organic expeller-pressed high oleic safflower oil or sunflower oil, organic vanilla extract, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, carob bean gum, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2), Organic Free-Range Eggs, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger, Nutmeg, Citrus Fiber

Crust:
Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Organic Free-Range Eggs, Tapioca Flour, Cane Sugar, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt

Crave Bakery-Episode 21

Owned and operated by Cameo Edwards, Crave Bakery offers gourmet gluten-free desserts. Today we tasted an apple and an apricot tart… But will they leave us craving more? Find out!

French Meadow Bakery Sandwich Bread

French Meadow Bakery offers a variety of gluten free breads, including a white sandwich bread and a cinnamon raisin bread. I was given both to sample as a potential product to be carried at my local health food store, and used the cinnamon raisin bread every morning for breakfast with butter and cheese or jam. I wouldn't use it for anything else except toast but it gets 2 thumbs up for that.

Now for the sandwich bread, I have been in love with Udi's white sandwich bread since I met it. How does this bread compare? Well it starts in the freezer, which pretty much means you have to toast it, so for that it gets a mark against itself. As for texture, it is not as light and fluffy of a sandwich bread as the Udi's, which means it has less holes, which is a plus, and thus makes making a grilled cheese sandwich much easier. In fact, for making grilled cheese, I prefer the French Meadow over the Udi's.

A complaint many people have about gluten free bread in general is that the slices are so small. The French Meadow bread is a slightly larger slice of bread than the Udi's, maybe by half an inch per direction, which doesn't sound like much, but it's something. And as for price, it falls at the lower end of what most gluten free bread costs, coming in at around $5.00. So overall, I still like Udi's, as it reminds me more of a "Wonder Bread," a squishy bread you'd find on the bread aisle and it gets a 4 on a scale of 1-5, but the French Meadow is good in its own way, getting a 3.75 from me on a scale of 1-5.

Crave Bakery Cheesecake

At the Gluten Free Cooking Spree in San Francisco last week, I finally got to meet Cameo Edwards, owner of Crave Bakery. She was super generous in giving my husband and I product to review for GFree TV. We will be having a couple episodes featuring their products, and typically we like to make sure our first taste of a product we've never had before is live on the show, so the viewer gets our authentic reaction.

With all the desserts in our fridge, and feeling slightly under the weather, we popped open the cheesecake the other night without turning on the video camera. In any case, we've had several bites, and my husband and I have mixed feelings. The cheesecake part is right on par with taste and texture, although Mike thought it should be slightly thicker (taller). As for the crust, which appears to be made from almonds, we have mixed reviews. I liked the taste, although a little greasy, probably from the oil of the nuts, but my husband says cheesecake should only be made on a graham cracker crust. Keeping this all in mind we rate this cheesecake a 3.75 on a scale of 1-5. It sure is great to see some delicious gluten free premade pies and cheesecakes, especially with the upcoming holiday season.

Mariposa Coconut Lemon Square

So recently I visited the Mariposa Bakeshop, and while I was there I picked up a few extra goodies, including their coconut lemon square. It's a 2 oz square that costs $2.75, and well worth it. The crust is thin and moist, but it does not crumble in your hand. At first glace you might think it has oats in it, but really it's the coconut and the pecans. It's about 90% chewy and 10% mildly crunchy.

The lemon taste isn't like a punch in the face, like a lemon square I like to make, or a lemon cream pie; it's a very delicate lemon flavor. I'm sure there are a whole lot of calories in this square, which is why I'm splitting it into 2 servings, but really I don't know, because it has no nutritional information on the label. Now that I have had a few bites, I wish I had bought another, but they are only good for 10 days or you can refrigerator or freeze them so they last longer.

Ingredients: gluten-free flour mix (organic brown rice flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour), dark brown sugar, eggs, natural unsulfered coconut, mechanically pressed organic palm oil, pecans, powdered sugar, organic unrefined cane sugar, lemon juice, lemon oil, salt.
Allergens: contains pecans and eggs.

Udi's Blueberry and Lemon Muffins

I love the Udi's breads, and their pizza crusts, but are their muffins equally satisfying? Yes and no. I've tried out both the blueberry and the lemon, which are sold in packs of 4, and they are very moist, but their flavor could be kicked up a notch. Check out my full review on Episode 10 of GFree TV.


Thanks Udi's! Your muffins made breakfast really easy for us while on our road trip.

Apple Hill and Azna's Bakery make for a Fun Fall

Northeast of Sacramento, CA is an area referred to as Apple Hill, a community of 50 or so ranches that primary produce apples, pumpkins, wine, Christmas trees, and more. All the ranches are bustling throughout September, October, and November, and a once quite county road can sometimes turn into stop and go traffic jam in the height of the season. Some ranches offer craft fairs and music, in addition to pick your own, and homemade goodies. My husband and I have been up there the past few years and have a few favorite stops, including the Fudge Factory, which is located by a beautiful lake you can sit by under the shade of a tree, and enjoy your afternoon.

With Apple Hills' prime season upon us, and if you are driving up from Sacramento, don't forget to check out Azna's Bakery on your way; your semi-local gluten free, dairy free, and vegan-friendly bakery. Plus when your non-gluten free companions end up buying a slice of gluten-containing apple pie at one of the farms you'll be happy you pre-purchased a gluten free goodie, be it a cinnamon roll, a cupcake, or a scone, but make sure you go up on a Saturday, as Azna's is closed on Sundays. (And I've had their cinnamon rolls, and they are truly delicious).

Below is a copy of their menu as of May 2009.