Tuesday

Two Daughters Bakeshop & It's To Die For Banana Bread

Hello my friends, I'm giving my Wheatless In Vancouver blog a little up-do. Every now and again I'll feature a local business who dedicates their service to gluten free peeps like myself, (and you!)

Today's feature business is Two Daughters Bakeshop in North Vancouver BC. and as happenstance would have it, I'm also featuring Erin Ireland and her It's To Die For banana bread.

 I first came across Two Daughters Bakeshop by stopping at a booth at the North Shore Green Markets, a fun, nighttime market at Shipbuilder's Plaza in North Vancouver. More recently I saw a tweet by Erin Ireland for her It's To Die For Banana Bread. She's now selling a gluten free version of her legendary banana bread and was producing a batch at Two Daughters Bakeshop, which I didn't even know was now an actual shop. Planning on visiting a few vendor friends at the market nearby, I decided to stop into the bakeshop first, to see what was available. 

As we arrived and parked the car on the street above the shop I actually smelled banana bread in the air. No I'm not kidding. We had a hard time finding the entrance to the shop and I was wandering around like a dog, sniffing the air, convinced I could find it by smell alone. We did finally find the shop, with it's entrance in the back, off of a lane way. And sure enough, there was Erin was still hard at work on her gluten free banana bread loaf baking! She was just as surprised to see me there too. I got to sample some while it was still warm. It's not overpoweringly banana, it's a nice balance of ingredients. A more mature version than what we're used to. I have to admit, that unfortunately I'm not a huge banana fan, but this stuff is really good! I'm looking forward to when she introduces her It's To Die For Lemon Loaf! Hopefully it will be just as moist and outstanding as the banana bread.

An exhausted Erin Ireland nearing the end of her epic 11 hour baking session.

The Two Daughters Bakeshop story:
Lisa is a mom of-- you guessed it -- two daughters. The younger of which has Celiac disease. She had been baking with wheat for years until the diagnosis of her youngest child changed that life recipe. Experimenting with different gluten free flours for months until she finally got the texture the way she wanted it; moist and spongy, not dry and crumbly. I'm happy to report she's got it right! The brownies are moist and rich and the "Oreo" is gooey and sweet. With her own gluten free, egg free and dairy free recipe she's now branching out, offering her own flour mix for sale and by expanding the business. Soon there will be a covered porch in the back to enjoy her baked goodies and coffee too. Thanks Lisa! Nice to chat with you and your little helper too.



Lisa Reichelt. Owner/proprietor of Two Daughters Bakeshop.