KAPA‘A — The only gluten-free baker in the state is carving out a deeper niche for herself. Marie Castle, aka “Sweet Marie,” has expanded her business to include morning glory muffin dry mixes that have reached customers as far as
KAPA‘A — The only gluten-free baker in the state is carving out a deeper niche for herself.
Marie Castle, aka “Sweet Marie,” has expanded her business to include morning glory muffin dry mixes that have reached customers as far as Vietnam, and made-to-order wedding cakes that are shrink-wrapped and packed in dry ice and flown to the Neighbor Islands.
And she’s not stopping there. Castle has a franchise on the horizon, and the startup business launched by this effervescent chef is becoming a household name. That means the once-one-woman show has hired on two staffers, Tracy Ewing and Heather Wiley, with a third staff member to come on shortly.
“I’m a destination,” Castle said, welling up with tears while anecdotally telling tales of the customers who have returned to Kaua‘i just for her delectable treats. For Castle, helping others afflicted with celiac disease, an inability to digest gluten — the protein found in wheat and a host of other grains — is what it’s all about.
Like many of her customers, Castle has celiac disease, which, for some, has been linked to autoimmune thyroid illnesses like Hashimotos and Graves diseases.
“I remember sitting with a mom and her 3-year-old son (had celiac disease),” Castle said. “Her son came here and was just eating and eating. He couldn’t stop. She and I were crying together.”
Because of her own personal experience, coupled with her knack for producing in the kitchen and her ability to keep reinventing the wheel, Castle has been able to offer foods to people who otherwise would have sworn off of for life.
“My customers and I have certain dietary restrictions which bring us together,” she said. “My goal is to accommodate their needs.”
Recent formulas include her gluten-free pizza dough (which is available at Bobby V’s and Aloha Kaua‘i Pizza, both in Kapa‘a), which she will be selling in dry-mix form beginning in August.
“I’m so excited,” Castle said of coming up with a dough that would work for pizza crust, sans gluten. “It was hard. …It took me about five months.”
Though she won’t reveal all the ingredients of the pizza dough, it does include olive oil, tapioca starch, arrowroot and honey, she said.
Getting textures and consistency “right” is a challenge when working with alternative ingredients, but it’s one that Castle enjoys. Whether it’s experimenting with raw ingredients such as organic agave powder, an inulin that has been proven as an effective prebiotic, or chia flour, made from sprouted seeds and rife with fiber and omega-3s, she’s all about making comfort food wholesome and easy to digest.
And yes, that even goes for her coconut cheesecakes enclosed in chocolate ganache and her steamed, white-chocolate cake with juiced liliko‘i glaze.
While it’s hard to nail down just what to sample, keep in mind that forming a daily habit — whether it’s for the double-chocolate fudge, coconut tapioca or brown-rice brownies — is actually a wholesome choice.
Though Castle doesn’t want to laud one particular menu item (she said her favorite item is “everything” she makes), she takes pride in the fact that all have been researched and formulated for months to offer the same consistency one would expect eating a less-healthy option.
“Baking and cooking gluten-free is more chemistry and science, so once I create a formula, it is absolutely delicious,” she said.
Getting hooked on Sweet Marie’s confections has become commonplace for visitors, many of whom make a daily-routine breakfast stop in her shop. Perhaps it’s the smell of cinnamon-dense coffee cake or freshly-juiced liliko‘i.
Recently, with the filming of the Disney pirate film, Castle said she was pleased when the director and a few other staffers came back time and again for her snickerdoodle and vegan oatmeal-chocolate-coconut cookies.
“I feed everyone who comes in here,” Castle said.
Those wanting to attempt making treats such as Castle’s muffins or coffee cake at home can do so, with dry-mix options including banana, morning glory (carrots, apples, walnut, coconut, pineapples and raisins) and sour-cream-pecan streusel coffee cake.
To order dry mix or already-made confections online, go to http://www.sweetmarieshawaii.com.
