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Archive Sep 14, 2015
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Sometimes there is really nothing like mom’s baking. At other times, mom could learn a thing or two from her daughter. It’s from this power dynamic between mother Dawn Martel and daughter Sasha Crescentini that Bakeology vegan cookies were born.
The passion for cooking runs deep in this family and their culinary ambitions were so in sync that while Sasha was working on getting her catering business running, Dawn had plans to open a restaurant. It was then that the two decided to join forces and create a vegan alternative to the traditional Chips Ahoy goodies. What makes a chocolate chip cookie anyway? Is it the milk? The eggs? The morsels of chocolate?
A relief for vegans and a sweet bonus for the omnivorous, Bakeology has perfected three recipes: the classic chocolate chip cookie, the snickerdoodle, and the vanilla chai shortbread. The mother-and-daughter duo share additional vegan and gluten-free recipes on Bakeology’s site and have tried in their spare time to encourage others to think outside the egg.
LA CANVAS: Describe a fond memory you two have in the kitchen.
BAKEOLOGY: We will never forget the feeling of when our first cookie machine arrived. We had been hand-scooping for about 9 months and we decided it was time to take the next step in our business. The arrival of the machine was so exciting and it also represented a step forward in our business.
LAC: Sasha’s grandmother was into nutrition, and Dawn has been involved in the restaurant and catering industry. What it’s like to be in a family setting that is so kitchen-centric? Are you always exchanging recipes with each other?
B: It’s a blast! Whenever we are all together, everything revolves around the kitchen and what we are going to eat. Thanksgiving is a home run because we each have our own territory to cover. My mom takes care of the savory dishes, I make the pies, and my grandma makes the amazing healthy side dishes with lots of veggies. It’s also fun to blend all of our different perspectives together to create one masterpiece!
LAC: What have you learned about each other after starting to work together?
B: We have learned so much. We realized we balance each other out and complement each other in a business setting. We finish each other’s thoughts and move forward in a seamless way most of the time. If we are trying to figure out the next cookie flavor and one of us doesn’t agree, we have learned it’s not the right decision and to not move forward. If we are both ecstatic about the idea, we are in sync and move forward. We are both so into all steps of the business and always have a need to taste the dough…
LAC: I can imagine that you can disagree in the kitchen…but are your palates similar? Do either of you have a bigger sweet tooth than the other?
B: Our palates are very similar. When we eat together, we always end up enjoying the same dishes or not. My mom definitely has the bigger sweet tooth…we call her the “Cookie Momster.”
LAC: Do you have any secret tricks for the aspiring vegan/gluten-free baker?
B: Here are the rules we live by when baking:
Use organic coconut oil instead of butter.
Use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour.
Use flax seeds instead of eggs. 1 flax egg= 1 tbsp ground flax seeds plus 3 tbsp warm water.
Here’s our recipe for 1 cup of gluten free flour:
½ cup rice flour (brown or white)
5 tbsp almond meal
3 tbsp tapioca starch
Use evaporated cane juice or coconut sugar instead of white sugar.
Catch their delicious baking snapshots + tips on their Instagram feed.
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