by Chef Deb Traylor
Ever since we began, we’ve worked to make sure menu items always include an element of nostalgia, and hopefully, a bit of surprise.
At this point in our journey there are a few things we know. We know that people are happy when they get to relive a childhood food memory. We know that a pot pie must have a top and a bottom crust and it must be flaky. We know that no matter how hard we try to create a new favorite, Quadruple Coconut Cream pie is always our top seller.
Bottom line, we know people are happy eating pie. It’s something Ginger assured me was true when I asked her why she wanted to open a pie shop so many years ago. And you know, she was right. I see it every day. Pie does indeed equal happiness and that’s often because it’s attached to things we remember from when we were kids.
So given that, I am continuously looking at food and wondering how, or if, it fits with Ginger and Baker. I always have to ask myself “Is it us? Does it evoke a memory? Will this bring a smile? Is this a surprise?”
Which leads me to our recent offering of Frosted Farm Animal Cookies. With their pink and white glaze and the undeniable allure of bright rainbow sprinkles, my goodness, talk about a food memory! I loved Frosted Circus Animals as a kid and it’s a love I share with my oldest daughter, Meagan. Given the many choices on a snack aisle, she would pick those cookies every single time.
It’s that memory that got me thinking. I knew I wanted to create a better-tasting version, use farm animals instead of circus animals, and I hoped to bring a smile to everyone who walked by our pastry case. After all, it fits. We’re located in a renovated feed store, it offers a great memory and hopefully people get a little bit of delight when they see or taste them.
So where does the surprise come in? Remarkably enough, Ginger never had them as a child. Gasp! I know, and I don’t know how that could possibly have happened. Maybe she was too little to see them on the top shelf? Maybe she was too interested in horses to even care about a bag of frosted circus animals? I don’t know. I suspect her mom was just too good of a cook and most likely made better cookies. Whatever the reason, I am a little proud that Ginger’s first exposure to the iconic childhood cookie was in her own bakery, using her mom’s sugar cookie recipe as the base.
When you have time, bring your friends, and for a moment I hope we can remind you of a time when your favorite treat was a little bag of frosted cookies with some fabulous sprinkles! We’re looking forward to sharing a little nostalgia with you and creating more food memories.
Until then, thank you for your continued support, we love having you back!
