Our first bite of this honey-soaked cake was warmly spiced, super moist, soft, and sweet – everything a honey cake should be. It makes a fantastic dessert sliced thick and served with a warm cup of black tea. If you happen to be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, this traditional, delicate cake will help you get off to an exceptionally sweet year. Or you might just want to sink your teeth into Claire’s very chewy, not-too-sweet, fudgy brownies – the product that started it all. The Exceptional Brownie is offering Free Shipping on all orders $30 and over All Week! Read below to learn more about the woman behind it all.
Rosh Hashanah (or The Jewish New Year) is from Sept 8-10. What is the significance of the honey cake?
Honey certainly dominates during Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, honey cakes are the traditional cake for the Jewish New Year, as is anything that has apples and honey. Both signify a hope for a sweet new year. After the blessing over the wine and the bread (challah) are recited for the Rosh Hashanah main meal, it is customary to take an apple (symbolizing the new fruit of the season) dipped in honey and offer a prayer asking for a a good and sweet New Year.
What were you doing before you decided to start The Exceptional Brownie?
I was the owner of my own marketing communications firm with fortune 500 clients. I always enjoyed being my own boss, and the benefits of being an entrepreuneur. (Prior to that, I was the head of an advertising manager in NYC.) The creative passion I had plus the business acumen I developed was the foundation for my new business, The Exceptional Dessert LLC.
Your products are “certified kosher”. What exactly certifies something as kosher?
Kosher foods are those that conform to the rules of Jewish dietary laws. Certified kosher means all ingredients are kosher, even the flour and baking powder and salt, have to be certified kosher. Plus, the bakery is under the supervision of a special Rabbi who ensures the ingredients are kosher and does not permit any meat products or non-kosher products on the premises.
You won the “People’s Choice Award” in COPIA’s Best Darn Brownie Contest in Napa, CA. Which brownie won that contest?
Our Double Chocolate Brownie won that competition as that was our original Brownie. After I won the competition, I was inspired further and created the other flavors such as Espresso, Peanutty Swirl, Berry Nutty, etc.
5. How would you describe your products?
Our Exceptional Brownies are all natural, chewy and intensely chocolate. We purposely make sure our brownies are not too sweet so you can taste the premium chocolate and other flavors and ingredients. Our honey cake is moist, sweet and lightly spiced.
6. What was your most memorable food experience?
Watching my grandmother bake left an amazing impression on me and I enjoyed her ability to NOT follow a recipe, but to create by the “feel” of the dough and the “look” of the dough. From the second she got up, she was in the kitchen creating new baked goodies and never wrote the recipe down. That’s why I spent many hours with her writing down everything she was doing, and while she threw in a “handful” of flour, I would try to measure what a “handful” was so we would be able to replicate her recipes years later.
