What Makes Us Different From Others?

You’ve probably figured out by now that we’re picky about the ingredients we use to make our GiggleBake sweets and savories. There are two reasons for that: Quality and Ethics. “Quality” speaks for itself, of course. But a company’s ethics – when it comes to producing their goods – matter to us, too. When we’re given a choice, we’ll go for the socially-responsible, sustainably and ethically sourced options every time.

We’d like to share our choices with you, and the list below is subject to change and growth over time as (we hope) more and more companies make the decision to incorporate those practices into their operating philosophies.

• King Arthur Flour.This one was a no-brainer for us, because we’ve known about this company, how they make their products, and how they operate for a long time. Many of you may only know them as “the more expensive flour on the supermarket shelf.” To that, we can only add: “Thank heavens it’s available to everyone!”  There are many reasons we admire King Arthur (and if you’d like to see them all, just check out their website). But the two that are most important to us are these:
  • Their products. All flour is not created equal. Many home bakers aren’t aware of this – but it’s part of the reason sometimes recipes just don’t turn out right – and they’re not sure why. But we’ll let them explain it (from their website): “King Arthur Flour has the most rigorous standards for the wheat used to mill our flour—which means consistent baking performance, always. WE ALLOW A VARIANCE OF ONLY 0.2% IN PROTEIN CONTENT. Our competitors allow a 2.0% or higher variance in wheat they use in their flour, which can dramatically affect the outcome of baked goods.” Add to that that all their wheat is grown in the USA, plus it’s never bleached or bromated – and it makes us feel like we won the lottery every time we use their flour.
  • Their social responsibility. King Arthur is a 100% employee-owned company. And it just gets better from there. Founded 226 years ago, they’ve always maintained a commitment to the environment, to their employees, their products, and to communities They are also a founding B Corporation – a new type of corporation that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems, that aspires to do no harm and to benefit all. As a B Corporation, they are held to comprehensive and transparent social and environmental standards. (Don’t you wish you could say that about all companies?) Overall, they’ve created a pretty impressive legacy – one that stands on the right side of the things that are important to GiggleBake, too.

• Guittard Chocolate.  Most people – when they hear the words “chocolate” and “slave” in the same sentence – might just apply that to their own inability to pass up anything made with that creamy confection. But the truth is, there’s a much less savory reputation surrounding slavery and chocolate – and sadly, many of the most well-known chocolate purveyors in the world still subscribe to these practices. (If you’d like to read up on it, here’s a good source to discover more.) GiggleBake could never condone such methods of cocoa harvesting, which is why we made the decision to use Guittard chocolate exclusively in our baking and candies. Certified Fair-Trade and committed to Slave-Free cocoa harvesting, Guittard helps to make our GiggleBakes guilt-free (if calories don’t count, that is). To the best of our knowledge, GiggleBake is the only baker committed to the use of slavery-free chocolate in its products.

• Rumford Baking Powder. Why? It’s aluminum-free. ‘Nuff said.

• Honeyville Almond Flour.Yep – we know we mentioned above that we’re die-hard fans of King Arthur. But after baking thousands of our favorite little sweeties (macarons) – we have to admit that no almond flours on the market came close to the consistent quality and flavor of Honeyville’s Almond Flour. Non-GMO and Kosher, in addition, of course, to being Gluten-Free, Honeyville is based and made in California out of California almonds. They are recognized as being among the leaders in milling and quality certifications in the industry. The story of founder Lowell Sherratt, Sr.’s selfless act of helping many Japanese-American families avoid the March 1942 internment deadline that was set by President Roosevelt – by relocating Honeyville to Utah – was just the icing on the (gluten-free) cake for us.