By: Julieta Hernandez Photos by: Rachel Benavides
Inside a little box of delights neatly rest artisanal confections, fait avec amore by a local cottage baker. That is the world of Sucré, Jeannette Hernandez’s home-based pastry workshop for the sweet-seekers of the Coastal Bend.
Hernandez, wife and mother of two, has mixed and baked and iced delicacies for a decade. Recently, the Corpus Christi native decided it was time to whip up her own baking business, and ventured out solo to start Sucré. The name, meaning “sugared” or “sweet,” is what Hernandez envisioned she’d name a business of her own someday – back almost a decade ago when she studied French in college.
“My favorite desserts to make are classical European desserts, because I love how buttery, delicate, not overly sweet, and beautiful they are,” says Hernandez. “I appreciate the time and technique required to make them. It’s methodical and brings me back to some of my favorite memories of being in school and visiting Europe.”
Hernandez was classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu, where during her time as a culinary arts major, she happened to fall in love with the art of pastry making. Along with her formal training, Hernandez has also gathered skills from working in the patisserie field. Hernandez’s passion for baking drives her success at filling orders from home, including sometimes working well before the sun comes up and adhering to health and safety rules that have challenged her to think creatively in terms of using her space.
When the pandemic began, it started out with Hernandez baking loaves of bread for some of her friends, bartering baked goods for a few groceries, and working on her own recipes during the lockdown period.
“My husband asked me why I didn’t want to start selling my baked goods. And I honestly didn’t have any reasons good enough to counter his reasons why I should,” she says.
The plan started with her making dessert boxes, but after deciding to include a la carte options as well, the end result turned into a full-on menu to pick a variety of pastries from.
“The support that has been shown for my small business has been so encouraging. Every order that comes in feels like confirmation that I made the right decision. Still a nerve-racking one, nonetheless.”
From different flavored madeleines, to macarons, to entire crafted cakes, Sucré’s website displays her menu with instructions on ordering from her cottage kitchen.
Hernandez hints at a super special box for Valentine’s Day, as well as miniature assortments “that can be gifted to teachers, friends, classmates … a secret crush, perhaps?”
Contact:
@sucre.cc | sucrecc.com
