Eat, Sip, Store: Northampton County baker specializing in gluten-free treats expands operation | Eat, Sip, Store

LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. – A baker specializing in gluten-free truffles, cookies, kiffles and different treats has discovered a recipe for achievement in Northampton County.

Nichole Malone, who has been baking for household and mates for a few years, in late 2021 took her ardour for pastry arts to the subsequent stage by establishing her personal home-based enterprise, Stonefield Farm Bakery.

Since her husband was identified with Celiac illness greater than a decade in the past, Malone has turn out to be well-versed in baking an array of gluten-free desserts, together with pies, cheesecakes and cupcakes, and he or she determined to make this the main focus of her new enterprise.

Stonefield Farm Bakery, at 2093 Leithsville Highway in Decrease Saucon Township, additionally affords conventional baked items, however Malone has seen the demand for gluten-free objects skyrocket over the previous 12 months to the purpose that she’s been making about 80% gluten-free baked items and 20% conventional.

To accommodate the gluten-free objects’ reputation, Malone determined to outfit a second work house – a devoted gluten-free kitchen – within the third bay of her storage. Contractors enclosed the house, including new partitions, plumbing, electrical retailers and kitchen gear.

In late Could, following a state inspection and attainment of a license for the brand new kitchen, Malone started baking out of the brand new house.

“I am actually excited to have this new house as a result of my house kitchen was getting just a bit bit too crowded,” Malone mentioned. “Now, I’ve an even bigger house and may think about doing the gluten-free objects with out having to fret about cross-contamination. I used to be at all times very cautious, however this takes it to the subsequent stage and offers the purchasers much more peace of thoughts.”

Previous to setting up the gluten-free kitchen, Malone was going to nice lengths to forestall gluten-free objects from coming into contact with gluten-containing components in her house’s kitchen.

She used two ovens – one for baking gluten-free meals and the opposite for gluten-containing meals, and he or she additionally saved components in separate pantries and used separate mixers, pans, utensils and different gear.

“I would bake the entire gluten-free objects within the morning, after which within the afternoon, I would do the entire conventional objects,” Malone mentioned. “Then, I would not bake for twenty-four hours, scrubbing all the things down within the meantime, earlier than I would start baking gluten-free objects once more. It obtained to the purpose the place I used to be baking nonstop, and it obtained arduous to juggle. So, that is after I knew that I wanted a separate kitchen for the gluten-free objects.”

Whereas Malone has been baking for a lot of her life, she grew to adore it much more in 2017, when she began working for a catering firm on weekends and discovered tips of the commerce from a skilled pastry chef.

When COVID hit in early 2020, Malone realized how a lot she actually loved it “when occasions and all the things else got here to a standstill,” she mentioned.

“Unexpectedly, I turned bored and thought, ‘Now what do I do?'” Malone mentioned. “Once I was speaking to my husband about it, he mentioned, ‘Why do not you look into going into baking by yourself?’ So, that is what I did.”

Stonefield accepts pre-orders of quite a lot of custom-made treats, together with decadent cheesecakes, cupcakes, and pies, many that includes domestically sourced components reminiscent of fruit from Stonefield’s neighbor, Bechdolt’s Orchards, and eggs from chickens that Malone raises on her property.

The enterprise’ top-seller – in each the gluten-free and conventional classes – is a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on the highest and facet and a chocolate ganache drizzle.

“My second most requested cake is a strawberries and cream cake, which is a vanilla cake with contemporary strawberries in between the layers and contemporary strawberry puree that I make and whipped cream on the edges and high,” Malone mentioned.

Across the holidays, Stonefield’s kiffles are additionally very fashionable, Malone mentioned. Conventional varieties embrace apricot, lekvar, walnut and raspberry, and Malone donates a portion of proceeds to an area cat shelter as a part of a “Kiffles for Kittens” fundraiser.

For the newest Stonefield Farm Bakery information, comply with the enterprise’ pages on Fb and Instagram. To put an order, name 610-704-1391 or e-mail stonefieldfarmco@gmail.com. Information: stonefieldfarmbakery.com.

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