Wonderful Gluten Free Bakery in Boston area
February 15, 2011
The products I've tried from Glutenus Minimus gluten-free bakery in Belmont, Massachusetts are fantastic -- whether you buy them pre-made, or buy one of their many pre-packaged mixes to make yourself. Their extensive line of products include cookies and squares, muffins, cupcakes/cakes, coffee cakes, loaves, and breads.
They sell their baked goods and their mixes at their bakery in Belmont, and they also have their products available at area restaurants, bakeries, and markets. You can also order their mixes on their website. Special occasion cakes and cupcakes are available via special order, too.
We have tried their blueberry muffins, which were fantastic...very moist and tasted like "the real thing." The mini vanilla pound cake we purchased was also very flavorful with a good pound-cake texture. These products were indistinguishable from gluten-containing baked goods.
We purchased three gluten-free mixes to make at home: the Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Mix (a top seller), the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, and the Vanilla Cake Mix.
The coffee cake was outstanding. I'd never made a gluten-free coffee cake before, and most of the pre-made ones we'd tasted weren't all that special. I definitely know why this is one of their best sellers. And it was SO easy to make (just add butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and what I like to call the "secret" ingredient: sour cream (to make it moist). The coffee cake did not last long in our house!
Next up was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, which I decided to try less than a week later...on Valentine's Day. My husband has always LOVED the huge cookie "pies" you can get at Mrs. Field's for special occasions. We hadn't had one in years, and I felt it was "cruel and unusual punishment" to bring one in house since our 8-year-old son (the family member with Celiac) wouldn't be able to have it. So I
decided to make one on my own...using this mix from Glutenus Minimus.
I followed the directions on the box, adding butter, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Then I spread a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and formed a large heart with the dough. I was hoping the dough would hold its shape and not "spread" too much as it was cooked, turning my well-crafted heart into a big blob! I had to cook the cookie much longer than the directions for regular-sized cookies on the box, but it turned out great -- held its shape and all. Then I decorated it with some icing and a Valentine's message...Viola! Mrs. (Gluten-Free) Fields!
I have yet to make the Vanilla Cake Mix...I think our sweet tooths have been satisfied for a while!
If you live near Belmont, definitely check out Glutenus Minimus (just not on Sunday or Monday when they're closed!). Or, if you live outside the Boston area, try ordering some of their products online. They're easy and wonderfully tasty!