What IS a Test Kitchen?
The Just Desserts Test Kitchen is a place to explore flavors, textures, mixing and baking techniques, find new ingredients and even packaging concepts. Everything to make sure the tasty treats we bring to the public look and taste as great as possible. We keep a supply of all natural flavor compounds, chocolates from many sources, dried fruits and nuts, books and catalogs to track down the newest and most creative components for decorations.

All Natural Developing Process
Small batches are the first stepping stone in any recipe, especially for us, a 100 % natural dessert company. Our recipes are based on real recipes, not on food science or any attempt to replicate real food taste through artificial means.

So when we want to make a new cake or brownie, if there is no recipe in the treasure trove of formula’s Just Desserts has created in its’ 36 year history, we may turn to a favorite cookbook such as the Cook’s Illustrated series or Julia Child’s How to Bake.

Sometimes I feel like a “dessert archaeologist”. Imagine a real archaeologist stumbling upon some ancient city or uncovering the ruins of a gilded civilization. I have the honor – and the daunting task – of carrying on the brand that Just Desserts has carried on for almost 4 decades! So when it comes time to create a new flavor of, say, a cupcake, the first thing I do is look at past recipes.

Mine them to understand what makes them taste so good, how is the flavor created and locked in? What ingredients, mixing techniques or baking times and temperatures are helping make this desserts taste so great? What can I glean from our recipes that will help me in creating the next taste sensation? Chances are, the basics of great cakes, brownies, frostings, glazes and fillings are right here in our bakery. I just have to unlock the secrets, find a new flavor base or fruit filling, ask our 100% natural flavor and even color “alchemists” to bring me the infusions I can use to bake up something that will stand the test of time like our classic carrot cake, brownies and chocolate cake.

The formerly humble cupcake – now a star in its’ own right – is a case in point. Our chocolate cake is made from unsweetened baking chocolate, we use the right type of sugar – not too much - and sour cream to make sure our cake bakes up moist and stays that way for the full shelf life. Then we use a rich and creamy frosting, such as cream cheese with real vanilla. And it wouldn’t be a cupcake without sprinkles! No mere chocolate chips or donut jimmies will do. We scoured the globe for this one and settled on Belgian chocolate shaped in spirals called spaghetti. Once our cupcake is frosted and ready to go, people exclaim that it’s the best cupcake they have ever tasted. We did not jump on the cupcake bandwagon, we simply put the classic Just Desserts recipes together in the cupcake form and of course it tastes great. This little cupcake looked so fine we named it the Black Tie Cupcake!

About the Chef
Working in new dessert product development for Just Desserts can be a daunting task. After all, Just Desserts has been a favorite bay area bakery since 1974. I am both honored and humbled to have the opportunity to help bring new taste creations to the Just Desserts label.

I sometimes think of my self as a dessert archaeologist. I have access to the “vault” of classic, tried and true Just Desserts recipes. Like an archeologist on a rare dig, I would never do anything to harm them. My challenge is to study the recipes - why do they taste so good? How was a recipe scaled up so if we make 10 or 10,000 they still taste great? What ingredients and mixing methods help our products stay moist and please the palate? How does each recipe resemble a home recipe, and how do they differ? What is the ideal baking time and temperature for each product? What can I glean form a classic recipe and than use that information to create a new flavor? In short, my job is to learn just what makes Just Desserts baked goods so darn good and work with our entire team to carry on that tradition!