bakingbuyer - August 2011 - (Page 30)

DESIGN OF THE TIMES Scientist Your customers might eat with their eyes, but they taste with their palates. And these days, your cakes need to appeal to all the senses if you want to keep up with the layers of competition out there. Just look at the rise in popularity of savory-sweet combinations. “Customers nowadays want different flavors,” says Jennifer Atwood. What used to be custom flavors unique to retail bakery is becoming so mainstream that customers can get them aanywhere. “We have to do something different to keep them coming back,” Atwood says. “We have to keep ahead of the trends, and not follow behind them,” she says. Atwood uses flavored essential oils from Sosa, which offers oils in flavors ranging from the commonly known, such as mint, to the outrageous—including rose and even dirt. Atwood has found that a little essential oil goes a long way. By just adding two or three drops of strawberry, she can create a strawberry—or even basil— flavored icing that isn’t too runny, overbearing or chemical tasting. The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs. “If you don’t have this book, you need to get it,” she says. In The Flavor Bible, you can find ideas—as well as do’s and don’ts—for any number of flavor combinations. For instance, if you want to try new combinations that begin with banana, the book offers a list of flavors that go with bananas, from the best to the least likely. It also offers “flavor affinities,” or sets of two to three flavor combinations, such as banana, date and oatmeal. Atwood encourages bakers to think outside the box when concocting new flavor combinations. But be careful when it comes to flavor intensity. “You want just enough to where the flavor is enhanced,” she says. When working with a variety of flavors, beware of cross-flavoring or cross-contamination. Be sure to thoroughly clean your utensils, or use different utensils for each distinct flavor profile. JOANIE SPENCER Unique Flavor Combos At a workshop for the Deep South Retail Bakers Association in Baton Rouge, LA, Atwood demonstrated ideas for distinctive products with unique flavor profiles • Lemon macaroons filled with basil buttercream • Danish with lime cream cheese, macadamia nuts and caramel • Fig cupcake topped with orange buttercream and walnuts A world of possibilities Don’t just think of one or two new flavors; think of a few flavor combinations to incorporate into your production. Atwood suggests The Flavor Bible: 30 · BAKING BUYER · AUGUST 11

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bakingbuyer - August 2011

bakingbuyer - August 2011
EDITOR’S NOTE - Consumers Cut Portions
CONTENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS - All Things Baking Educational Program
INDUSTRY NEWS - Caravan Announces Staff Changes
INDUSTRY NEWS - Symrise Offers Tropical Fruit Flavors
INDUSTRY NEWS - Dancing Deer Unveils 100% Whole Grain Line
INDUSTRY NEWS - Allergen Free Spray Addresses Market Need
BREADWINNERS - The Whole Truth About Whole Grains: Installment Two
BREADWINNERS - Food Shoppers Shift Attention to Fiber, Whole Grains
BREADWINNERS - Team USA Profile
DESIGN OF THE TIMES - Cake imatating Life
DESIGN OF THE TIMES - Be a Flavor MAD Scientiast
BAKERY BIZ TIPS - Invest in Retention
FOODSERVICE INNOVATIONS - Lunch is in bag
CONSUMER PURCHASING - Parents Push for Nutrition
Cake Couture
Inventive Hospitality
Honey Sweetens the Deal
EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY - Portion Control
FEATURED PRODUCTS
LIQUID ASSETS - tea: The Wonder Drink
SMALL TOWN BAKER - ADIEU FROM CANDO
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
MARKETPLACE NETWORK
AD INDEX
BAKER’S DOZEN

bakingbuyer - August 2011