Just Opened, Katie’s Bakery Offers Simple, Small Sweets

 

“When it comes to gluten free and vegan, people want a really amazing, delicious dessert. But [these restrictions] take away everything that makes a baked good,” said Lynn Griffith, the owner of Katie’s Gluten Free Bakery. Griffith has tackled this dilemma with the creativity and created a line of elegant baked goods in a dedicated gluten free bakery.

 

 

Griffith started experimenting with gluten free cooking when her daughter, Katherine, was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. She later eliminated for the same reason and challenged herself with eggless (vegan) baking.

 

“It all started three years ago with a tea cake,” she said.

 

Griffith uses the term “tea cake” loosely – referring not to the Southern dessert but to a cake that goes well with tea. These tiny tea cakes are now the bakery’s signature product and come in different flavors, like coconut, orange and banana. These powder sugar dusted cakes are airy, light and full of flavor. They are made with brown rice flour and are also dairy free.

 

“I love the simplicity of a good cake – a cake that can stand on its own,” said Griffith.

 

 

After successfully making small cakes, Griffith set her sights on the ultimate crunchy cookie. She left out the gums and binders that are typically used in gluten free baking and instead created a delicate and crisp oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with simple ingredients. Katie’s also offers a vegan double chocolate chip cookie and slightly spicy oatmeal ginger crisp cookie.

 

“Katie’s Bakery is an expansion of what most people think of as gluten free,” she said.

 

Katie’s Bakery refines gluten free baking with an elegant touch. The baked goods are light and minimalist and bite-sized with flavors that shine through. Although they serve chocolate cupcakes and cupcakes with toasted swiss meringue, don’t expect to find sugary baseball sized cupcakes dripping with sprinkles. Griffith prides herself on offering simple baked goods that just happen to be allergen-friendly. The cake’s small size is a bonus – you’ll be able to taste multiple tea cake flavors without going into a sugar coma.

 

 

Since the baked goods are preservative free, they have a short, roughly 24 hour shelf life. Griffith explains that all the baked goods are frozen after baking so that they can be served at the peak of freshness. Customers can also pick up frozen desserts and reheat them at home if they’re not planning to eat them right away. Not only does this ensure that each bite has that fresh-from-the-oven taste but it gives customer the flexibility to have their dessert any way they wish.

 

“You can dress it up when you’re at home but our focus is small and simple,” she said.

 

Griffith was inspired by the clean aesthetic and homey feeling of bakeries in the south of France and recreated that feeling with her minimalist layout and classy desserts. Katie’s Bakery is a take out bakery without seating but they do offer teas, Jaguar coffee and smoothies like the Almond Butter made with homemade almond milk, almond butter, golden flax seeds, a banana and stevia or agave. She also plans to launch the line of baking mixes later this spring so that everyone can enjoy gluten free goodness.

 

“I want people to think of Katie’s as a bakery first – one that just happens to be gluten free,” said Griffith.

 

 

Katie’s Bakery is located at 11 West Dayton St. in Old Town Pasadena and open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.katiesglutenfree.com or call (626) 714-7400.