My nearest local grocery store, Kroger, has an excellent bakery that offers customers everything from artisan bread to delightful desserts. I spoke with Henry Shumat, a 33-year employee for Kroger’s Bakery about the advantages and challenges in working at a supermarket bakery.

 Q: Did you go to culinary school or receive pastry training at any point?

 Shumat: No, when I started working in 1976, [Kroger] didn’t have a bakery. They sent us to  Columbus and trained us there. Back then, we were actually a full scale bakery.

 Q: Are you not a full scale bakery now?

 Shumat: Well, they’ve taken a lot of the skill part out of the job. It’s now very take’n’bake. When we get the bread, it’s been par baked, so we just have to lay it out and bake it in the ovens here. We don’t work with the dough or any of that anymore.

 Q: How has your job changed as a result of this?

 Shumat: I was a baker-baker then. And later I was a doughnut maker. Now, we no longer complete the entire product from start to finish. Kroger wanted people, with limited training, to be able to just bake.

 Q: Is there anything that Kroger bakers actually make from start to finish at the store?

 Shumat: The specialty case. The cake decorator has to spend a lot of time working on each individual item in there.

 Q: Even though the baking here has turned into an almost assembly line process, do employees like yourself still specialize in something?

 Shumat: I handle the breads. I am proud of the case of the French bread.

 It seems the industry has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years. While most of the initial processing for the bakery is completed off-site, the Kroger bakery still bakes everything fresh and keeps the quality of products high. Even so, it is hard to see all of the talent seeping out of our everyday market bakeries, especially since independent bakeries are struggling. What will happen in the next 30 years?

Brownies to Die For is a wonderfully vivid cookbook describing the various combinations and varieties available to brownie bakers everywhere. The book starts off with some of the more traditional brownies such as chocolate fudge and Blondies. However, Shaffer’s creative side quickly becomes apparent as she explores adding odd combinations to these pieces of chocolate heaven. Shaffer adds everything from marshmallow fluff to chili powder in order to spice up this classic. The photos accompanying these delectable recipes will make your mouth water.

While the recipes are highly flavorful and creative, the baking times are a little skewed. This is not a book for the beginner baker due to this issue.  Even with this issue, the book still stands out as a beautifully creative enterprise that offers new and exciting ideas for the everyday brownie. Most recipes also include “Bev’s Bite,” which is a small tip or snippet of brownie lore for the reader.

The book also includes supplemental recipes for her delicious chocolate and caramel sauces that can be drizzled on top of any of her brownie recipes. Shaffer also includes extra ice cream recipes which can be served with many of the more basic brownie treats mentioned in the book.

To purchase this book, check out the listing on Amazon.

When I visit Akron, I always like to check in on my two favorite bakeries, West Side Bakery and West Point Market. West Side Bakery is a small bakery that packs a big punch. Their cakes are on par with what you would see on Food Network. They also make the most delectable tea cookies, something that is hard to find in your average store. Within the past few years this bakery has also added lunch and breakfast items, making it a great place to stop and eat as well as take a few treats to go.

West Side Market, the other Akron favorite, is much more than a bakery. This market is an upscale grocery that offers the highest quality products from around the world. Shopping here is likely to take hours, but every minute is enjoyable. The market also offers an in-house bakery that is amazing. They offer artisan breads as well as some of the most amazing dessert creations. They are famous, however, for their Killer Brownies. The bakery offers four different varieties: Original, Raspberry Suicide, Peanut Butter Krazy and Killer Blondie.

Another bakery I cannot seem to stay away from is Ann’s Pastry Shop in Wadsworth. When you walk into this shop, you are instantly transported to another era. Scrumptious treats and baking memorabilia are stacked high on the shelves, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The sweet scent of sugar and lingering coffee is always in the air. Here they even still wrap up your purchases with string and don’t even think about asking for a low calorie option. They have the best chocolate chip cookies in the area and are definitely worth the drive.

Check out more of my favorite bakeries below on the interactive map.

Photo provided by ScienceJunkies.com

First, I should probably clarify–baking has a different set of standards than your local health facility when it comes to fats. Most health agencies recommend margarine these days because it is lower in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. However, margarine does tend to contain trans fats, which are bad for healthy cholesterol. If you are trying to eat healthy, know that the tub or liquid margarines are generally recommended as they are low in trans fats and saturated fat.

When it comes to baking, however, there is a distinct difference in bakery containing margarine than those containing butter. Butter is usually always preferred by bakers to margarine. Butter has a low melting point, 98.6, which helps create the melt-in-your-mouth sensation in baked goods. Butter allows the dough to hold air, creating a fluffy cookie. Also, using oils or margarine can make the dough soft and difficult to handle.

Butter, in the U.S., comes in many varieties, grades and forms. There are three different grades of butter–AA, A, and B.  Grade AA is the soft, sweet creamy butter and is usually the best. However, Grade A is almost as good, but will sometimes contain a flat taste. Grade B is for commercial and manufacturing uses and should not be used for baking as it is usually missing the sweet creamy taste. Butter Through the Ages, a web exhibit, offers more information on butter grades.

The big difference in butters is really the form, whether it is salted or unsalted. Unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life, but it has a sweet flavor that is perfect for baking. Salted butter can last up to 5 months, but the salt can overpower the butter depending on the manufacturer.  Most bakers that use the salted butter will omit the extra salt called for in the recipe.

Although real butter is the best, some bakers still use margarine because it is on hand or simply cheaper. This is ok, but many times people use margarine for the health benefits. Sadly stick margarine, which is generally used in baking and cooking as a substitute for butter, has no real health benefits. Stick margarine has a lot of tans fat, making it an unhealthy choice for those watching their cholesterol. A typical stick of margarine has 3 grams of trans fat and 2 grams of saturated fat in a single tablespoon. The Cleveland Clinic has an excellent web site devoted to the debate between using butter and margarine in terms of health benefits.

“America’s Favorite Cookie”

According to a 2004 study by Information Resources Inc, Oreo cookies outsell every major competitor on the market shelves today. Introduced in 1912, the cookie originally had two filling flavors, lemon and crème.

The name, Oreo, has been under debate for decades, however. No one really knows why or how the cookie really got its name, but the most logical explanation is that it came from the Greek word meaning hill, as the original chocolate wafers were mounded.

Although the origins of the name have been lost to history, Oreos have become a long lasting cultural icon. People still remember exactly how they were taught to eat an Oreo and hundreds of products and recipes feature Oreo cookies. According to Retroland, the name Oreo is even one of the most popular names for pets.

The cookie is sold all over the world, with sales doing especially well in China.  The Wall Street Journal reported Nabsico, the parent company, rolled out a major campaign to integrate this treat into everyday life. The company reinvented the Oreo, tailoring it to local tastes.

In 2006, the company created the Oreo wafer, a complete departure from the American cookie. It was much more successful, outselling traditional Oreos and the competitor, HaoChiDian. Kraft, the parent company of Nabsico, also incorporated local opinions and ideas, such as a bicycle campaign that used spoke covers in the shape of Oreos. Here is one of the classic Oreo commercials that has been crafted for a Chinese audience.

“1,000 chips delicious!”

2007 Package

In second place in the cookie market are the crunchy chocolate chip cookies that were introduced in 1963. Now, Chips Ahoy! have gained a huge following both in the United States and in South America. This blue bag special is known for the 1,000 chocolate chips supposedly found in every bag, a campaign strategy the company rolled out in the early 1990s.

An interesting fact about the cookies, however is that this claim is fairly accurate. In 1999, as a result of a nation-wide competition, Air Force cadets proved that 93% of all bags of Chips Ahoy! contain at least 1,000 chocolate chips.

“Uncommonly made. Uncommonly good.”

It should come as no surprise that cookies made by elves would be “uncommonly good.” Keebler’s Chips Deluxe line offers consumers another chocolate chip cookie option, one that has been giving Nabsico a run for its money in unit sales. Led by Ernie, the head baker and spokes-elf for Keebler, the company currently offers eleven different types of their best-selling Chips Deluxe cookies.

The Keebler elves are among the most recognizable commercial icons. They were created in 1968, but the Keebler company has been around since 1853.  These industrious little bakers live in a hollow tree where they produce their delicious treats with magic ovens.

The company takes this company legend seriously, as their headquarters are located on One Hollow Tree Lane in Elmhurst, Illinois. You can meet the Keebler elves through the  interactive company web site. As Ernie says, “To me, a Keebler cracker or cookie is edible proof that elves exist.”

On a local note, Kroger markets offer all three of these varieties, so customers can stock up on their favorites. “Our best selling brand is obvisously Nabsico, but the top three varieties we sell are Oreo, Chips Ahoy and then our Kroger brand of chocolate chip cookies,” said Athens Kroger employee Greg Word.

All Recipes has an especially large index of cookie recipes that are created by real bakers. Each entry has an adjustable recipe with a converter gadget that will adjust the serving size according to what you put in. The recipe is followed by a forum where users can add reviews and write comments about the recipe. Many users add suggestions on how to make the recipe better or healthier.

Since the site is very community oriented, there is a recipe exchange offered for cooks. Users can request recipes, send in their own or ask cooking questions. Users can find fellow cooks in their region using the information from member profiles as well as be highlighted in the cooks section of this page.

All Recipes also gives users the option to search for recipes using their ingredient search. Users can put in the ingredients they want in the recipe and those that they don’t—their search does the rest. Since All Recipes also has informational articles, the site also lets users search by keyword for articles.

Recently the site has also created an in-house blog. It is still getting off the ground (there are only 6 posts so far) but stay tuned for some interesting commentary on all forms of cooking.

This site is really motivated to help everyday people make delicious meals and treats in their own kitchen. I love the community atmosphere of this site and the welcoming design. Check it out sometime when you’re looking for something new to try.

There are many “healthy” choice cookies that add oatmeal, but beware of ones that just add oatmeal to the recipe. Cookies that are truly a healthier choice will reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar and calories in the recipe as well as adding a component such as oatmeal. While I think that oatmeal can be healthy, I also know it’s a great ingredient for cookies.

Oatmeal one of the easiest components to add to a cookie, as it soaks right into the dough and blends with the flavor of other add-ins like raisins and chocolate. 

There are typically four different types of milled oats in your grocery store. First, the old fashioned milled oats are the ones that can be found in the Quaker Oats canister. These are the rolled oats that cook in five minutes. Quick oats are smaller, and generally cook within a minute in the microwave or on the stove. Instant oats are found in the packages that many people consume for breakfast. They are cut superfine to cook faster.

 When baking, it is advisable to use steel cut oats over the instant. Steel cut oats are only cut, never rolled, preserving their nutty flavor and hearty texture. Instant or quick oats are more gluttonous, so using the steel cut oats will allow for creamier dough without the gluey effects.

Oatmeal is a great way to make simple, fresh tasting cookies. My mother had always made her famous oatmeal cookies, the recipe which is posted in the recipe section. Check it out and remember to keep an eye out for other pantry items that can be used to make the next great treat.

My mom's simple, but delicious cookies

Drop Cookies

Drop cookies are the most popular and one of the easiest types of dough to create. This is the glue that forms everything from chocolate chip cookies to oatmeal raisin. This type of dough is usually slightly sticky and moist. It is also the easiest to prepare, as its name suggests. Simply spoon out the cookie dough onto a tablespoon and “drop” it onto a cookie sheet.

Press Cookies

These cookies are a specialized form of sugar cookies. Bakers that ulitize this type of cookie have to prepare them with specialized equipment. The dense dough is placed in a cookie press and then the dough is squeezed through a mold, creating  specific shapes.

Refrigerator/Icebox Cookies

Icebox cookies are made by chilling a log of drier type of dough, creating a stiff, pliable dough. It is a variation of a butter cookie that is usually cut into thick slices and the slices are baked until crispier than a traditional cookie.  When the dough is chilled, wither in the refrigerator or freezer, the dough becomes stiff, making it easier to slice.

No Bake Cookies

No Bake cookies are actually more of a candy than a cookie. Most are created by melting chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal together to create a sticky substance that is then transferred to wax paper surface where they cool and harden.

Bar Cookies

Bar cookies are basically the casserole of cookies. These cookies are formed by baking dough in a rectangular glass baking dish and then cutting the cookies into squares for serving. Most drop cookie recipes can be converted to bar cookies for convenience. Rice Krispie Treats are considered bar cookies as well, even though they are not baked.

Rolled Cookies

As the name suggests, these are your grandma’s recipes that require a rolling pin. Many of these recipes are part of the essential Christmas cookie traditions because they can be frosted. The dough is usually chilled and then rolled out in flour or powdered sugar. The dough is cut out with cookie cutters or a pastry wheel. Gingerbread and yeast cookies are common examples of this type, although some types of shortbreads are included in this category as well.

A chocolate chip cookie is only as good as its chips, right? Last week I set out on a mission to see what type of chocolate chip people would choose as their favorite in a blind taste test.

I bought four different brands of semi-sweet chocolate chips from the local market. The first brand I chose, Nestlé Toll House, has been around since Ruth Wakefield invented her famous Toll House Inn Cookies in the 1930s. According to Nestlé’s web site, the company struck a deal with Wakefield so that her recipe would be printed on their baking chocolate. The company didn’t actually create chocolate chips as they’re known today, however, until 1939.  Seeing as this brand has been selling chocolate chips for more than 50 years, I thought it would be a clear winner in the taste test.

The second chip I chose was from the Ghirardelli line of chocolate chips that most markets now carry. This chip was by far the most expensive of the bunch, but many people love the taste of the Ghirardelli chocolate squares and other products from the company.

The third option was an Organic chocolate chip by a low-cost brand called Private Selection. These chips had no preservatives and are USDA approved. I thought I would add this option to the mix in honor of the friends and family I have who are really into the organic food. I initially wondered if they would taste the same or possibly better since they had no unnatural preservatives.

The last option, of course, was the cheap store brand. In this case, it was Kroger Value brand, which was the cheapest option when I was shopping for these sweet morsels.

I chose to survey 72 women because everyone knows that females have a heightened sense for chocolate! The results were very surprising!

The results of the chocolate chip blind taste test!