Ok, I've made up my mind, I'm going to try to sell my cookies, brownies and cheesecakes online, and maybe even the flour mixes as well. If the response is good enough, I can consider starting a fully-fledged bizness with a physical shop, probably at the airport or SMU/SIM/NUS.
The overall concept will be somewhat similar to the macaroon shops, Petit Provence, and Royce chocolates, i.e. quality ingredients, freshly baked, nicely packaged, just a select few choices, but ALL VERY TASTY :D.
Prices will be higher than supermarket, but not extravagantly so. I've calculated, and I think my business model should be focusing on trying to get the sales figures above a certain value rather than trying to maximize profit margin per cookie. Then and only then can the prices be realistically affordable rather than ridiculously high.
I've also thought about copying the sales method of Papa Roti and Beard Papa bakeries but I've seen how their business at food basements of some malls are quite slow even during crowded evenings, so I think Singaporeans just aren't very receptive to queuing up for takeaway costly gourmet desserts yet. Therefore, the sales method I will probably go with is pick out your own cookie/puddings for $1+ each like a typical bakery. But due to cooling requirements, cheesecakes and brownies will still be sold from the counter.
However, health-conscientiousness tends to be very strong now, I myself have refrained from ordering desserts at a pretty good cafe near my workplace because of the calories, so I think smaller portions and light not-too-sweet tastes are critical for overcoming this mental barrier. If I open a full fledged cafe in the future though, then I can consider selling bigger portions like Delifrance and Starbucks, and with whipped cream/syrup and other sides as well!
I'm not a fan of overly sweet desserts, and I really do love my chocolate dark and my cookies crisp. So my offerings will tend to be based these 3 tenets.
No prices yet, but here's the menu for now. I only use real butter, not vegetable oil.
You can also see some pics I took during my early attempts here:
Photo album
Menu (2012-03-13)
Cat's tongue cookies
Very flavourful and not overly sweet, this cookie is wonderful with a good pot of tea or coffee. Its light and crisp texture melts in your mouth at first bite and will leave you craving for more. If you've tasted Hokkaido's 白色恋人 before, then you know how addictively tasty this cookie is.
Available flavours - strawberry, lemon, orange, orange chocolate, chocolate, raisins, pandan, coconut, nutella.
Viennese cookies
Mildly sweet and with a velvety smooth, crumbly texture. This cookie is great on its own or with a good )
Available flavours - chocolate, pandan, coconut, nutella.
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate cookies has always been my first love and I started out baking purely CCC for several months before I even considered diversifying. I can proudly say that the scientist in me has lead to tirelessly tweak the recipe for 80+ carefully catalogued attempts. I can proudly say my final result is near the pinnacle of perfection for crispy CCC.
Available flavours - Dark choc, dark choc and macadamias, dark choc and almonds,
Dark chocolate brownies
I owe this recipe to Ms Ng CY who baked and brought such a wonderfully chewy and chocolatey brownie to the office that I had to ask her for the recipe. I've modified it a few times to change the chocolate, sugar and butter proportions. If you like chewy brownies that is not too sweet and has a crisp crust, with complex inter-mingling flavours, then you will love this :D
Available flavours - Dark choc plus any combination of cinnamon, rum, macadamia, almonds, nutella
Light cheesecakes
Who can resist my cheesecakes? Its cheesiness blends perfectly with the mildly sweet flavours, ah..... Heavenly to smell, divine to taste, and disappears magically in your mouth. (They are somewhat lighter than the american light cheesecakes, and quite a bit moister than the really really light and cakey Japanese cheesecakes.)
Available flavours - almond, strawberry, lemon, orange, and maybe pandan too...
Gluten free coconut cocoa cookies
Spectacularly crisp and crumbly texture, alluring coconut fragrance, slight caramelized taste, sweetened to perfection.... I invented this recipe from scratch. It's made with oat flour I ground myself from raw oats, so it's gluten free! Other good stuff include gula melaka instead of sugar, and actual shredded coconut flesh. Droolzzz...
