Homemade Goodies by Roz has a Kashrut Hechsher, which is the highest level of certification. They have the Keystone K, and they maintain it with pride; the procurement process was intense.
Homemade Goodies by Roz opened for business in 1997, but didn’t become a kosher bakery until 2008.
“From the beginning, we used traditional Jewish recipes, and we had a solid wholesale and retail base,” owner Roz Bratt said. “Then 2008 hit, the economy crashed and business was really tough. Becoming kosher was the only thing we hadn’t tried.”
It turned out they made the right choice.
Today, the bakery is an inviting, cozy shop at 510 S. 5th St. where customers can sit with a cup of coffee and a sweet, or takeout from the tantalizing offerings in the case. The menu features traditional kosher baked goods, with a wide selection of cakes, pies, muffins, cookies and breads.
Homemade Goodies by Roz has a Kashrut Hechsher, which is the highest level of certification. They have the Keystone K, and they maintain it with pride; the procurement process was intense.
“We scoured the bakery; everything was boiled for a specified period of time, the oven was blowtorched, we had a team of seven rabbis here for the inspection,” Bratt said. “It was kind of intimidating, but we got the kashrut and things have gone well ever since.”
In addition to the steady stream of walk-in patrons, the bakery has a large wholesale business and a number of synagogues as regular customers. They also make wedding cakes.
Bratt was willing to share her tips on nondairy baking, and even provided her kosher chocolate cake recipe. Her main point is that the substitutions do the job.
“These recipes are delicious, and the nondairy options really work; if they didn’t taste good, we couldn’t serve them,” she said.
Bratt recommends the following substitutions:
Butter: margarine, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil or soybean oil
Heavy cream: nondairy creamer
Milk: soy milk or nondairy creamer mixed with water to thin it
Buttermilk: mix one cup soy milk with one tablespoon of white vinegar
Sour Cream: Tofutti sour cream
Cream Cheese: Tofutti cream cheese
Kosher Chocolate Cake by Roz
Cake
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1½ tsps. baking powder
1½ tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk
½ cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
Add eggs, soy milk, oil and vanilla, and blend on medium for two minutes.
Add boiling water and mix carefully.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes until done — when toothpick comes out clean or cake springs back when touched. Cool and remove from pan; top with chocolate frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
1 box confectioners’ sugar
½ cup margarine
⅓- ½ cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsps. soy milk
Mix ingredients until creamy and thoroughly blended.
