These gourmet toaster pastries upgrade nostalgic childhood treats
As much as I still love a good Frosted Cherry Pop-Tart, I’ll be the first to admit that this childhood favorite of mine could use a bit of an update.
Lucky for me—and the rest of Columbus, for that matter—Sunshine & Sugar Bakery is offering just the thing. The new Gahanna home bakery is slinging their very own gourmet toaster pastry in multiple flavors, and you won’t want to miss out.
“I started making them as a way to offer more pies, really,” said Sunshine & Sugar Bakery owner Melissa Johnson, who relocated to Columbus from Fresno, California. Johnson also brought her successful home bakery with her to Ohio (she officially opened here in central Ohio in February).
“I love pies but they’ve never been a bestseller, so I was trying to think of a way to market a smaller version, a hand-held version, because not everyone want a whole pie,” Johnson said.
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This naturally led her to the toaster pastry format, which she considers a form of an extremely portable hand pie.
“My Pop-Tarts, they’re a fun homage to childhood, except they have adult flavors and they aren’t so sickeningly sweet,” Johnson said.
Sunshine & Sugar offers these throwback treats in two different flavors: one with triple berry filling and buttercream frosting on top that’s finished with a triple berry glaze, and another with fresh strawberry filling, vanilla frosting, and sprinkles.
Gourmet toaster pastries aren’t all Sunshine & Sugar has on the menu, either. In fact, what the home bakery is most well-known for is something different: macarons.
But just like with her Pop-tarts, you shouldn’t expect Johnson to settle on boring or typical flavors. Her macarons are offered in varieties such as Fruity Pebbles, Birthday Cake, Snickerdoodle, Earl Grey, and even (get ready for this one) Hot Cheeto.
And if you can’t decide exactly what to get, you can always opt for one of Johnson’s treat boxes. These mix and match specialty items, which she describes as “charcuterie boards for desserts,” hold three to four different sweets chosen from what she’s currently preparing.
While Johnson plans to expand purchasing options to include online ordering soon, you can check out Sunshine & Sugar every week at the Dublin Market at Bridge Park.
If you like this, read: South Columbus bakery to open second location
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