Brunchkin, it's just the cutest little word, don't you think? When I came across posts by the Brunchkin as I scrolled through my Instagram feed last summer my interest was first peaked by this adorable little word and then by the fact that someone was selling abelskivers, skivers as we call them and I knew that I needed to track them down, meet the owners and try their Danish pancakes. We ended up meeting Jordan and Charlotte, the founders and owners of the Brunchkin, during a family trip to Greenbluff last Fall. I saw that they were going to be at Hierophant meadery so we made sure it was one of our stops for the day and I'm sure glad we did. Jordan and Charlotte are warm, welcoming and witty and have positively delicious abelskivers and baked goods to offer. We visited a bit and instantly hit it off. We learned that they had just moved from Austin, TX a few months prior (summer of 2017) and along with their cat Jep (they joke that he is their dish washer so he always has very clean paws), anticipation to pursue a dream in their and Jordan's great grandmothers Abelskiver recipe had relocated here to Spokane. "Jordan's great grandmother brought her family recipe for Æbleskiver pancakes to this country from Denmark, and they've been a favorite celebratory breakfast for the following generations." Jordan and Charlotte (a gluten-free pastry chef), "want to bring this perfect anytime food to the people of Spokane." They describe their abelskivers as"just sweet enough to satisfy and lightly spiced. The Æbleskivers are topped with freshly made whipped cream and our whimsically flavored homemade jams."
We saw Jordan and Charlotte again during Chocolate decadence where they had a booth and we visited some more. At this point I knew that I wanted to hear more of their story and be able to share that story with all of you. They graciously invited me to come over for an afternoon brunch at their lovely home in the Perry District and I accepted their invitation. I invited my dear friend and fellow foodie Angela (@come.eat.with.me on Instagram) to join me and the 4 of us enjoyed a leisurely Thursday afternoon of watching Charlotte transform batter into piping hot abelskivers, conversing about our food and life journeys and of course eating all the goodies that Charlotte is a magician at making. It was such a sweet and memorable afternoon we even listened to some smooth jazz on their record player as we were winding down our time together. It was how I would imagine Jordan's great grandmother would host family and friends when she invited them over for her delicious abelskivers.
We wondered how the Brunchkin came to be and Jordan shared,"It had been a pipe dream I had had for a long time since it's family recipe but it never came that close to being a reality until after Charlotte managed a bakery in Austin where she got to do pretty much whatever she wanted." Charlotte added, "Oh yeah, it was awesome, I was basically handed a bakery by the last girl who ran it. It was in a Thai restaurant and Thai grocery store, so my bakery was also a vegan ice cream shop, so we had every option available to us." After Charlotte managed the bakery for 2 years, "all the pieces for starting the Brunchkin started to come together, starting a new business here in Spokane has less risk and the community seemed supportive of it." They also added, "getting any sort of notice in Austin is really hard because so many people are established there, being able to come in and be somewhat of a pioneer in Spokane was a huge appeal for us along with all of the other quality of life things."
While their delicious abelskivers are the unofficial star of the show for the Brunchkin there are many more baked goods and sweet goodies they offer. Don't even get me started on their Salted caramel and lavender brownies. You guys I literally have NO self control with those brownies.
Jordan and Charlotte are excited for the opportunities that the future holds and are so glad that their paths have brought them here to Spokane and I am telling you, Spokane is lucky to have them.
So without further ado...
Meet Jordan and Charlotte, founders and owners of the Brunchkin.
::You'll be having a weekly pop up at Batch bakeshop in the Spring, what more can you tell us about that?::
"Mika at Batch Bakeshop invited us to rent her awesome space to expand our menu and offer the full brunch experience we had in mind when starting Brunchkin! We want to serve what we love to eat - full flavored, decadent but healthful Scandinavian inspired dishes and drinks. Expect beautiful grain bowls, coffee and tea drinks with our house-made nut milks, smoked salmon creamy sandwiches, and, of course, our aebleskiver pancakes. As always, we will have a completely gluten-free menu. We will be open every Sunday starting at the end of April!"
::ALL of your products are gluten-free correct? Did you choose to go that route because of your own dietary needs?::
"I (Charlotte) was diagnosed with Celiacs as a kid so I grew up on gluten-free foods. I know why they get a bad rep - so many baked goods used to be starchy and dry or a crumbly mess. We love to make gluten-free food that is “so good you wouldn’t know it doesn’t have gluten”. We even make some decadent breads for everyone to enjoy."
::What are the delicious desserts are you offering as special orders for Valentines Day?::
Flourless lemon cake ~ A bright single-layer cake with whole lemons pureed and baked into the flourless batter. This moist cake is rinsed with St Germain and topped with a delicate elderflower glaze. 9" cake decorated with rose petals and candied lemons. Gluten Free and Dairy Free. $38
Cherry-chai chocolate pie ~ An oatmeal cookie crust, spiced cherry compote with chocolate silk filling and a hint of espresso. This is "a decadent and curious tart - crunchy, salty oatmeal cookie base under a chai spiced dark cherry compote. Finished with a ganache of the darkest chocolate silk with a hint of espresso and topped with a touch of sea salt." Gluten-Free. $35
::What are your hopes and dreams for the Brunchkin?::
"We are hoping to expand into a full-time cafe and looking for the right partnerships and space this year to make that dream a reality."
::Where can people expect to find you guys in the year ahead and is there anything else you'd like people to know about you?::
"We are hoping to be at the Kendall Yards, Perry and Fairwood Markets and every Sunday from the end of April come find us at Batch Bakeshop for a decadent, homestyle brunch!" Charlotte is available for private cooking work as a personal chef. She has a health coaching certificate and can and will cater to a family's dietary needs. She can even provide you with a meal plan based on the dietary needs.
::What do you love about Spokane?::
"We are still in shock at how nice everyone is. Like, even getting a new drivers license is a positive experience here. We still don’t understand what makes this such a kind, supportive place, but we are loving it. And one of the biggest reasons we moved here, to get closer to all the beautiful nature opportunities, has not disappointed."
::When were you and Jordan married? I know you are still semi-newlyweds.::
"We wed on a gorgeous, rainy day in October of 2016. It was on my (Charlotte’s) family property and was just the best day ever. So much of our wedding was handmade, from the hand dyed napkins (everything in our kitchen was blue after) to the ice cream sandwiches, and felt like us, and honestly ended up being an inspiration to make Brunchkin happen."
::Do you have an embarrassing or fun fact that you'd like to share?::
"Well, Jordan's weird fact is that he’s only chewed gum twice. He swore it off after the first time, and then Charlotte’s big brother managed to peer pressure him into his second piece. He maybe hates it more than ever now. A weird thing about me (Charlotte) is that I have a super nose. It’s a blessing and a curse. There are a lot of bad smells in the world, but it helps in the kitchen!"
::Tell us more about your kitty, you've joked that he's your dishwasher?::
"Jep is our four year old tuxedo cat. He got his name from a character in our favorite movie, "The Great Beauty". It’s short for Giuseppe. He looks fancy but he so, so isn’t. He’s a gross boy. His favorite things in life are his nightly jerky treat (which Jordan hides in a different location for him to find every night) and playing about 10 minutes a day of fetch with these little wool balls. Oh, and somehow taking up half of the bed at night so we have to sleep at weird angles."
You can find the Brunchkin on Facebook and Instagram and place orders on their website Brunchkin