It seems like every week there is something new and exciting happening in the Atlanta gluten-free scene. Sometimes local businesses contact me to tell me about a new product they’ve introduced or about a new gluten-free menu at a restaurant. However, some tidbits of gluten-free news I literally just stumble into. Such is the case with Scratch Bakery in the Metro Atlanta area. The bakery owner, Amy, was kind enough to sell me a small gluten-free nosh box so I could review several of the gluten-free items she bakes. Please note that such a box is not currently available for purchase.
First up for review were the brownies. The Honeybee Brownies are very rich and very chocolatey. My husband preferred those more than the Cinnamon Pecan Blondie – which was my favorite of the two. The cinnamon flavor is actually subtle and the blondie is egg and dairy free as well. Each version was quite good and had a cake-like texture. There was no odd taste or aftertaste to either one. Neither had a hint of bean flour or the grainy taste that sometimes accompanies lower-quality gluten-free baked goods. The texture was really nice and I doubt any gluten-eaters would know they were gluten-free unless someone told them so. Heating the brownies/blondies up a little and adding ice cream takes them to a whole new delicious level, by the way.
My nosh box included three types of gluten-free cookies. Our least favorites in the bunch were the Chocolate Chipsters. The cookies were not bad, but there was some flavor I could not pinpoint that I wasn’t in love with. The cookies were very soft in texture which is something I’m always on the lookout for. Also in the box were two different types of ginger cookies. My husband loved the crunchier White Chocolate Ginger Crips and I much preferred the super strong flavored White Chocolate Ginger Chunkers. We didn’t think the white chocolate chips were needed in either ginger cookie, though they didn’t detract from the taste in any way.
Other gluten-free goodies from the bakery include Better Bananamagic Bread, Smacaroons, and two other versions of Chipters cookies. Scratch Bakery does not presently have a storefront and gluten items are made in the bakery. The owner is sensitive to cross-contamination issues as she knows people who can’t eat gluten and that is how her gluten-free goods came to exist. Obviously, everyone should eat items they feel suit their personal needs best.
There are several gluten items in the Scratch Bakery line that I think would be fairly easy to convert to gluten-free. Both quick pieces of bread and scones are easy gluten-free items to make. I use unsweetened applesauce in all my quick bread, but it’s not needed for scones. I just use regular recipes and sub either Pamela’s Baking Mix or Jules gluten-free flour for the wheat flour. Whatever Amy makes is likely to be very tasty so I hope she continues expanding her gluten-free product line. Scratch Bakery offers online ordering and there are a couple of delivery options for local orders.
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