American Artisan

 

A Commercial And Community Bakery

By Nancy K. Crevier

Andy Corson of Sandy Hook has found an outlet for his inner chef, and hopes that the all-natural scones, muffins, cookies, and other baked goods that he turns out each week from the basement kitchen at St John’s Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue will find an appreciative audience.

Mr Corson has been baking since he was in college at Indiana University, but when he moved to Connecticut from Missouri six years ago, he observed the popularity of baked goods that are produced on a small scale at farmers’ markets. Working part-time at March Farms in Bethlehem last summer, he came to truly value the quality of regional products from small farms. He decided in October to combine his love of baking and his appreciation of locally produced items, and the American Artisan Bakery was born.

An employee of The Taunton Press, Mr Corson can be found after work hours two to three days a week, and on Saturdays, mixing up batches of muffins and cookies, rolling out caramel rolls, and pulling pan after pan of goodies out of the ovens. Most of the baked goods will be delivered to the Blue Z Coffee House on South Main Street, Mr Corson’s primary customer, and he has arranged to sell his products at Shortt’s Farm & Garden on Riverside Road this coming summer.

“After I got all of the licensing and rented space at St John’s, it was pretty easy to get into. It’s nice to be able to work in town, and it’s on my way home,” said Mr Corson.

His baked goods are based on recipes he has tweaked himself and feature unadulterated white and whole grain flours and the freshest ingredients he can buy. “I use only fresh or dried fruits — never canned — Cabot dairy products, and a Belgium chocolate from Trader Joe’s. Eventually, my goal is to get at least 70 percent of my ingredients locally, from Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania,” Mr Corson said.

“I think what sets me off from others is the attention I give to developing the flavor of my products,” said Mr Corson. He looks to his innovative flavor combinations, such as lemon currant, and plum and toasted almond scones, and underlying flavoring combinations to give him an edge in a competitive industry.

“I go for a ‘homemade’ look,” he said, “and I pride myself on the scones. They don’t look like other scones.” Unlike many scones that are dense and flat, Mr Corson’s scones are plump pillows of white flour, cream, and butter studded with chunks of seasonal fruits. The flavors range from a zesty lemon ginger to cherry walnut to a mixed berry, oozing with juicy raspberries and blueberries.

His “Hockey Pucks” have also gotten rave reviews, and are one reason that Mr Corson’s bakery will be one of only a few in Connecticut featured in a May Bon Appetit magazine article about cooks in the 50 states who focus on natural and local products. When the chocolate ganache- and caramel-filled shortbread cookies robed in glossy dark chocolate were photographed over the holidays to promote a Taunton Press Fine Cooking holiday cookie contest, Bon Appetit took notice and contacted Mr Corson.

“They have gotten me a lot of attention,” he said of the cookies that he adapted from a beloved sandwich cookie recipe from Argentina, his wife Ximenia’s home country. “In Argentina, this cookie is called the ‘alfajor,’ but I thought that name might be confusing here,” explained Mr Corson.

Along with featuring local and natural products, the American Artisan Bakery has another twist: Mr Corson invites other bakers to join him in the kitchen. “I think there are probably other bakers out there who are passionate about one or two really good products that they want to sell, but don’t have the space at home to cook, or know how to market it. They can come here and I will direct them how to get state certification, how to use the kitchen, and help them package and market their items. I’m intrigued by the idea of a community or shared kitchen,” he said. “People are under the illusion that if you love to bake at home that you can do it commercially, but it does take some adjustments,” said Mr Corson, both to the recipes and to the equipment.

He plans to build up his commercial clientele, but also sells his goods to the public on his website bakelocal.com. There, customers can select from eight varieties of cookies, 11 types of muffins, pound cakes, cinnamon rolls, scones, and of course, the Hockey Pucks. Mr Corson recommends emailing him from the website for a list of which items are available, as some flavors are seasonal. Customer pickup for baked goods orders is every Saturday at St John’s.

“I’m looking forward to the fresh produce of summer,” said Mr Corson. “I’ve been having a great time here, meeting people and café owners, and really enjoying this.”

To contact Mr Corson about baking at St John’s, or to place an order, visit bakelocal.com.