About Crafted at the Hearth
Our Baking Journey
Crafted at the Hearth is a small batch bakery that takes pride in creating a delightful range of baked goods, including cookies, brownies, scones, and cinnamon rolls. Our products are crafted with the finest ingredients, a sprinkle of passion and a whole lotta love.
When it comes to creating baked goods, I try to go beyond the ordinary and what's known. I enjoy combining different flavors and imagining how to incorporate different elements and bring them to life. I want my baked goods to stand out from the crowd by their design and flavor profiles. I want to create that which inspires myself and others to push the boundaries of what we think we know in all parts of my life, even the realm of baking.
My Story
I'm Chelsea Heersink owner and baker at my Cottage Bakery - Crafted at the Hearth. I am looking forward to offering baked goods to my community and through the state of Montana. A bakery has been in the works for the last few months and I have landed on a Cottage Kitchen Bakery. Operating my Cottage Bakery from my home gives me the opportunity to bake for you and also continue my work as a Massage Therapist, CH Massage Therapy, and have work-life balance that allows me to get back into the outdoors hiking and traveling to find future inspiration.
I have loved baking since I was a child. I have fond memories of making Chocolate Chip Cookies with my Aunt Theora while snowed in at a cabin our family had rented for hunting season. I remember rolling the dough into perfectly shaped balls before running outside to make snow angels.
I made birthday cakes with my cousin in my childhood home on our worn, green card table that was for all crafts and baking and childhood fun.
Baking with my mom making brownies, cakes, and those amazing Peanut M&M Cookies!! And after the batter was all mixed together, my mom let me like the spoon.
I remember when I made a pecan pie for a church auction to raise money for our girls group. The night before the auction, my cat, Freckles, ate part of the crust. There wasn't time to remake the pie, so my dad bought it back for $80.
As I grew older, I created. Stepping away from recipes and letting my creativity take off. Some experiments turn out amazing, while others... not so much. I love seeing where my imagination will take me.
To this day, my high school track teammates remember and long for the cookies that I made for the track meets. My brother and his friends raving over whatever 'Kitchen Sink' cookie I had put together at the time remarking, 'One day someone's gonna marry you because of your cookies.'
I competed in 4H with Cake Decorating learning the intricacies of flower making.There was that summer I created a new cake flavor every week, our waistlines didn't like it, but boy was it delicious.
And when the time came to look at collage, a part of me longed to go to Johnson and Wales to become a Pastry Chef, but I found my calling to be massage therapy at the time.
My parents bought me my first Kitchen Aid Mixer for my birthday while I was in high school. Now nearly 20 years old, that mixer is still making masterpieces bringing my whims, dreams, and visions to life. And while it may wobble and I have to babysit it a little more than I used to, there has never been a better gift. At the time, I didn't know just how much I would use it, or the path it might lead me, and I couldn't be anymore grateful. I am excited that it is still with me as I embark on this journey that has been a long time in the making.
Crafted at the Hearth will blossom and grow as the years go on. In its infancy, my focus is on bringing all of you cookies, bars,, cinnamon rolls, butterhorns, and cakes.
Check out our Facebook Page to follow the journey!
Licensing
I run my bakery under the Cottage Law and the Montana Local Food Choice Act. Both of these allow me to bake from my home and sell to the public with proper information, labeling, and face to face delivery.
All items produced in my home will be labeled with ingredients, common allergies, my contact information, and Made in a Home Kitchen that is not subject to retail food establishment regulations or inspections as directed by my local Health and Sanitation Department. I also carry Food Liability Insurance for home bakeries. By following all of these regulations, it helps ensure that my product is not only eye-catching and delicious, but my customers are well-informed and safe from any food related illnesses.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me and I would be happy to answer any questions.