Today's Case:
Re: Heinemann's Bakery
From: rick
Date: 9/20/2023, 5:19 PM
To: Phaedrus
On 9/20/2023 3:31 PM, rick wrote:
Hi,
Stumbled upon your website while hunting a recipe. The business name is
Heinemann's Bakery, Chicago, Il. The two products are chocolate frosted
(cake) donuts and garlic chips. I was able to find the actual ingredients
that were pulled from the packaging label of the doughnuts but don't know
what to do with it.
I pasted below.
Thank you, Rick
Hello Rick,
Rick, I'm afraid the news is not good. I have been to Chicago only once, for a business meeting and a brief vacation. I have never been to Heinemann's Bakery, nor have I eaten any of their products. I searched the Internet and our library of cookbooks in every way that I know, but I could not find any recipes at all for the two items you ask about. Bakery recipes hardly every get posted on the Internet or published in books. One must settle for a few "copycat recipes" or "tastes-like" recommendations, but I could not find either for the garlic chips or the chocolate cake donuts from Heinemann's, nor could I find any mention at all of these items from Heinemann's Bakery. The list of ingredients is not helpful. That is a nutritional list, but not a list of recipe ingredients.
The only thing that I have for you is a suggestion or two: Find another bakery that makes chocolate cake donuts that you like or try the recipe that I have here: Chocolate Cake Donuts There are other chocolate cake donut recipes on the web.
As for the garlic chips, I'm not sure what you mean? There are crispy garlic chips that are made by frying or baking actual thin slices of garlic. You can find recipes for making them, and you might be able to purchase them already produced. I've never heard of a bakery selling these. There are also "garlic bread chips", which are thin slices of toasted garlic bread. You can make these yourself or you can purchase them as well. Also, there are garlic bagel chips, both commercial and homemade.
I will post this for reader input.
Phaed
Re: Heinemann's Bakery
From: rick
Date: 9/20/2023, 10:22 PM
To: Phaedrus
Thank you for a detailed explanation. I'll tell you what I have learned. Heinemann's Bakery
was based in downtown Chicago and there was an outlet on the north side of the city where I
lived in the 60's. It was located at the end of the CTA train line. The outlet would receive
overstock or near end of life of products. Their selection was phenomenal. I believe they
were bought out by a grocery chain named Dominick's in the 70's. Heinemann's then baked
goods in-store. Their offerings weren't as extensive but still offered quite a selection.
Sometime in 2013 Domimicks was gone and with it Heinemann's bakery. Not long after that I
found their coffee cakes popping up at Jewel/Osco grocery stores. I thought my luck was
finally changing and those donuts would magically appear. Sadly they never did. After some
digging I called the headquarters of Heinemann's and learned that they will only be offering
coffee cakes and nothing else. Why? I was told that they are able to freeze those cakes and
let them thaw as they are being delivered. Showing up fresh. They can't do that with those
donuts. So that put me at a deadend. Over time I have tried many offerings and found a newly
opened Meier's store came pretty darn close. But not long after I discovered them they closed!
So to this day I can only dream of those donuts. What set them apart was the thickness and
real chocolate flavor they possessed.
As for the garlic chips they were packaged in those clear plastic containers. Best described
is if you sliced a mini french bread to about 3/8" thick and toast them with lots of butter
and powdered garlic (no salt). They had the texture of a crouton but buttery (not at all soggy)
and perfect amount of garlic. Those can easily be made but it will involve a bit of trial and
error. But those donuts!
Thank you again and I like your webpage! There is quite a bit of good things there. You are
bookmarked and I will spread the word on my end.
Rick
