“I sleep three hours a night and bake a hundred cakes a week,” says Jennifer Meyers, chief confectioner at the superfood confectionery Earth Sugar in Phoenix. “I like to say that I create the purest form of joy.” Meyers, currently a one-woman show, presents raw organic desserts made from whole foods. Their top product, Super Bark Classic Crunch, is a mix of cashews, dates, coconut and mesquite topped with cocoa crunch, maple drizzle and sea salt crystals. “Basically, I take ingredients that have been around since the dawn of antiquity and mix them with the sweetness that comes from trees, bees, plants and seeds,” she says. “My goal is to create decadent, tasty foods that you can enjoy regardless of your dietary preferences – things that are made without all of the processing and gross ingredients that harm our general well-being.” Meyers grew up in small town New Jersey where her grandparents ran a meat market and grocery store selling home grown fruits and vegetables and ethnic supplies. Her other grandmother was an English teacher who taught Meyers to write. Related Stories I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of the New Times clear. “Growing up I knew how to get a story on paper and I knew how to get a story down on paper, and I thought one of those would be my life,” she says. Writing prevailed over baking, at least in the beginning. Meyers studied journalism at Penn State and ran the university’s lifestyle magazine. Then something happened to her stomach. Click to enlarge You will not find gums or tapioca fibers in Jennifer Meyers’ Earth Sugar Treats. Jennifer Meyers “I didn’t know what it was,” she says. “But literally overnight I couldn’t eat, and my trash can of one belly would digest it so as not to eat without getting sick.” Meyers was eventually diagnosed with a serious digestive disease known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO. She switched to a gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free diet, stopped eating processed foods, and started reading the ingredient list on every food she bought. “I learned how these terrible foods affect your skin, your mood, your hormones, and your eyesight,” she says. “I wanted to do something to change that for others.” On a whim, she booked a flight to Phoenix from her post-college home in New York City. While she was here, she met her boyfriend and decided to stay and see if she could make confectionery. In March she launched Earth Sugar with a test run. click to enlarge The Caramel Candy Microcake from Earth Sugar has a soft almond crust, cake butter caramel and a biting cocoa coating. Jennifer Meyers “I posted an ad on my Facebook page offering a sample of my organic confectionery,” she says. “You know, just to see what the interest would be. And in about eight hours I had more than 250 paid orders. ”Suddenly, Meyers was in the candy store. Today, Earth Sugar is available at half a dozen farmers’ markets, various retail outlets in the valley, and the company’s website. She regularly does business at the Carefree Farmers Market on Fridays, the downtown Chandler market on Saturday mornings, and the High Street Market on Sunday mornings. She visited the downtown Vegan Night Market earlier this month and plans to return for the next on November 13th. Followers can keep up with Earth Sugar on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok. “I’m overwhelmed,” she admits. “I became a full-time pastry chef overnight.” An unusual word, she admits. “But I never knew what to call myself because I’m a bit like a variety show. I’m an inventor and I’ve worked in journalism, and when I make sweets, I don’t mix them, I don’t bake them, so I’m not really a baker. I don’t feel like a cook and I don’t want to call myself a maker either. ”Meyers believes that she calls herself a pastry chef. “I haven’t found anyone who makes candy that doesn’t contain thickeners or gums or toxic chemicals or food coloring. My confections are just nuts, seeds and fruits that are sweetened with some form of plants. Many others add monk fruit or tapioca fiber, both of which are natural. But are you healthy? ”Meyers is friendly when people call her a baker. “I feel strange because I can’t even start making a regular tray of brownies,” she admits. “But you’d better believe I can make one with avocados, black beans, and jicama if you want.”
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