My name is Vikki Cook and I've recently (today, in fact) started this business because baking is something I really love. But also, over the years I've often struggled to find great-tasting, interesting baked goods that are also gluten free, but didn't have bizarre ingredients in them. Hydroxymethylcellulose anyone?! Mmm...tasty!
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease at 18 (just over 10 years ago. Any jokes about nearing 30 WILL earn a slap!) . My Dad had been diagnosed around 3 years earlier, so I'd had an idea of what to expect and had done a little gluen-free baking already, but boy, did I SULK!! Cheesecakes! Brownies! Double chocolate chip muffins! Every time I thought about a delicious treat I couldn't eat any more, it was like being punched in the stomach. And let me tell you, the alternatives in shops back then were awful. Bread was a weapon of mass destruction and you could build walls with the biscuits!
But then it dawned on me - if I couldn't buy my favourite baked goods any more, why not make them myself? Since then there have been a few disasters. Well, lots, actually. Rock-solid chocolate ganache, collapsed cakes, choux pastry that looked (and somehow smelled?!) like cheesey mashed potato. In spite of that, my passion for baking has only grown.
After being diagnosed with M.E almost 3 years ago now, I had a really hard time, and in November 2013, I left my job. Afterwards, I decided to take a chance and try to turn my passion into a business. The Buttercup Bakery was born! Eventually, it would be great to sell my cakes at food fairs, markets, coffee shops, and maybe even one day have a proper bakery of my own (as opposed to my own kitchen!) but for now I'll bake a new thing every week and post pictures of it, alongside a post about it. I'll also give you hints and tips to help you improve your own baking, and from time to time, keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive home-spun recipe to try yourself.
So join me, won't you? Let's bake!
No comments:
Post a Comment