Auntie Loo's Treats

Presentation: - 5 Points : (

For all of the good buzz I hear about this place, my tastebuds keep telling me differently. Every time I try one of their offerings, I am underwhelmed. The pastry is generally dry and crumbly with frosting that is overly sweet. Not to mention the fact that everything looks slapped together with frosting often oozing down the sides of things. I’m sure others will disagree with me, but I find it unappealing. The look of food matters a lot to me. Is it just me, or does the presentation of food leave an impression about what goes on behind the doors to the kitchen? 

Or, am I just being too picky??

Presentation: + 5 Points : )

I really love that this place is local, vegan, and strives to be mostly organic. I love the concept of the bakery and the fact that they are catering to people who have a difficult time eating typical sweet treats. I really do! I just wish the quality was better. Maybe their non-GF food is better-tasting. I don’t know. I’ve visited small vegan bakeries in New York, Montreal and Toronto that have amazing pastries and who do gluten-free incredibly well. The cakes are light and moist, and the presentation is impeccable. So, it is possible.

This past weekend, I was offered an Auntie Loo's ‘Cranzipan’ cupcake at Market Organics’ customer appreciation event. It was a cranberry-marzipan concoction, as the name suggests. I was enticed by the free-ness. The cake was dense and not very flavourful, while the frosting was ultra sweet and overpowering. I actually had to physically fight with my cupcake to get the paper off of it - A sure sign of a tough cake. This resulted in a lot of torn paper and a few rough hunks of salvageable cupcake (Not my most graceful moment). In the name of science, I carefully proceeded with the tasting. The cupcake definitely needed a cup of tea to balance out the dryness and sweetness. That made a big difference, and I actually enjoyed it, though I left behind half of the frosting. I wouldn’t have eaten it without tea or coffee. I’m not sure of the ingredients, but I presume the heavy texture is due to rice flour which is not finely ground.

I can see why people who haven’t had cake in a while would think these cupcakes are great. But, if you bake at all, you’ll be able to make something better at home. Or, just use a baking mix. (I recommend Pamela’s baking mixes!)

I’ve also tried Auntie Loos' gluten-free/soy-free brownies, and they are inconsistent. For a while, they were really hard and bland, so I stayed away whenever I saw them at the grocery store. Then, there was a period where they were amazing and moist and I started to get hooked! But, for the past few months, they’ve been hard and dry again. I am wondering if they might have misplaced the good recipe or lost an awesome baker? If the brownies go back to being tasty, they will gain me back as a customer. I commit to that!

The one thing that is excellent about this place is the specialty cake decorator. I have seen some of her work at various craft shows, and the wedding cakes are truly beautiful and finely crafted. I can’t speak for the flavour, but they certainly are lovely to look at.

That is my take! Am I crazy?

I’d love to hear other opinions on this!

Auntie Loo's Treats
507 Bronson Ave.
613-238-ALOO