LAUNCH

Anne Hoyt and Taylor Nicholson make one of the best brownies you’ll find anywhere. The motherdaughter duo’s desserts, breakfast bars, breads and other baked goods aren’t just tasty, though. They are also organic, nutritious and 100-percent gluten free. The women recently opened Wholesome Foods Bakery in the Lake Highlands area where they’re enjoying an overwhelming reception from the neighborhood.

Taylor Nicholson: There are varying reasons for eating a gluten-free diet. For us it was Celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disease that makes us sensitive to products with gluten, a protein found in wheat. Anne Hoyt: I discovered I was a Celiac when I was pregnant — sometimes certain conditions or events, such as pregnancy, can cause the disease to surface. Some, like Taylor, are born with it. I had loved to bake, and when I realized I could no longer have gluten, I sort of went into mourning. Gluten is the doughy substance that holds a muffin or a cupcake together, and it is very difficult to bake without it. I tried a few recipes, but threw most of it out. Taylor kept trying, though, and she came up with these really good breakfast bars. TN: It all started because I wanted to make something my sister could eat while she was off at college — she had very few gluten-free options on campus.