Freshness in bakeries

As bakeries face an unpredictable economy and the inconsistent stream of customers that comes with it, pastry shops face the pressure of keeping their food fresh, while throwing the minimum amount of money into the trash.

Some Crust Bakery in Claremont takes advantage of end of the day left overs in the form of their happy hour sale as a way to attract customers. Happy hour takes place in the last hour of every open business day and left overs are sold for half the price. If left overs are still left, the bakery uses it as samples the next day.

Other bakeries, like the Cupcake Shack in Pomona, also take full advantage of their left overs to preserve freshness. Khai Jackson, owner of the Cupcake Shack, does not throw away any food and uses his left overs to make cake pops.

Both bakeries used to give their food to homeless shelters but stopped because they became more savvy in the way they managed their left overs. Their solutions are influenced by the need to save and properly use the money invested in their products.

Although most bakeries try their best to ensure freshness in their products, it is always best to ask the bakery what their policy is on day old food.

Cupcakes For a Cause

The first Inland Cupcake Fair brought together local bakers to showcase their talent and provided an assortment of exotic, as well as traditional cupcake flavors to family and friends who came together at the Riverside Municipal Auditorioum on March 17.

The event was organized by IEShineOn.com , an entertainment guide for the the Inland Empire, and directed its proceeds to the California Riverside Ballet and the Foothill Family Shelter.The Inland Cupcake Fair also served as an opportunity for amateur and professional bakers to enter contests in best ingredient and best overall categories.

Attendees walked in circular rotation through the auditorium to music as friendly bakers talked about their featured cupcakes and special ingredients. As more people started coming in during the first hour, several booths had garnered attention from people and gathered lines circling around the auditorium.

Although there was a large variety of cupcake with unique flavors, such as chicken and waffles and jalapeno, the fair did run out of cupcakes before 4 p.m, the expected ending time of the event. By the time some people arrived around 2 p.m. there were few cupcakes left which seemed to have left people disappointed.

Overall, the event was successful in promoting the organizations in need and giving people that did manage to arrive early a delicious and fun time.

For more information about the fair, including the winners, and other events in the Inland Empire visit:  http://www.ieshineon.com/

Sugar free desserts

The Thinnery has served the Upland community for 35 years and is currently the only sugar free bakery in Southern California that offers healthy alternatives while satisfying any sweet tooth.

With "no guilt feelings" as their motto, this bakery offers a solution to the problem of consuming half a day's calorie intake after eating a slice of cake.

Saccharin, maltitol, apple juice, Splenda and fructose are used as a replacement for sugar in their recipes. Saccharin, an artificial sweetener that is used to lower the calorie count, is an ingredient that tends to leave a bitter after taste which is why it is mixed with a variety of alternative sweeteners.

According to The Thinnery's nutrition facts, their mousse brownies contain approximately 125 calories. In comparison, a Starbucks double chocolate brownie contains 410 calories. Like their mousse brownies, most of their desserts are less than half the usual calorie count of a specific pastry.

The Thinnery also offers custom made cakes and cupcakes, but because the sugar and cholesterol free whipped cream melts easily, they do not make wedding cakes. In addition to their large selection of baked goods, The Thinnery recently added vegan free cinnamon rolls and donuts as well as a gluten free menu.

For more information visit: http://thethinnery.com/