recipes. Regardless of that I will share with you & with readers some information on Carla & how she developed her present business empire (success story)& also a very good recipe for PANETELAS de Guayaba. As I remember Carla's Panetelas (butterfingers) are cut in bars & then sliced in two & filled with guava jam. Then they are assembled again in bars filled with guava.
Here is the information:
There is an old Puerto Rican saying. (Every child comes into this world with a piece of bread under their arm", which means that even when you think you can't make it, life will somehow provide for everything you need. No words have proven sweeter than this for Carla, of Carla's Sweets.
When she was twenty-one years old, she was full of hopes and dreams for the future. Then, she unexpectantly became pregnant with her first son. What she didn't know at the time was that this child would bring "sweets" under his arm, not just a "piece of bread"
Having said good-bye to graduate school, she started working with her parents in the family business, Basket Originals Cafe. Meanwhile husband Carlos, was working hard at his first job. But this wasn't enough to meet the economic demands that a new family brings, so they decided to find a way to earn extra money. One day, while on maternity leave Carla made up a batch of miniature meringues (merengues in Spanish). Today, Carla still has no idea why she chose to bake meringues, for she had never made them before, and knew nothing about making sweet confections.
Since she was working full time with her parents, she could only dedicate her evening hours to this new project. She beat the egg whites by hand until she saved enough money to purchase her first electric mixer. She experimented over and over again with the consistency of the mix, the baking time, the shape of the meringues, and many other influencing factors of the recipe, until she found the winning formula. To her surprise, a nutritionist certified her product as a fat free, low-calorie dessert; these factors became one of the product's most popular attributes and a unique selling point. Another winning point about her product is that they are all preservative-free, what a refreshing changes not to see a list of additives on the label! !
Once she was satisfied with the product, she began selling the meringues at her parent's cafe. The meringues rapidly became a favorite among the clientele, especially the weight-conscious consumer. With such great acceptance, she set out to broaden her customer base.
However, this was not an easy task. Her youth gave her the energy and enthusiasm, but not the much needed credibility she so deserved. The idea of a young woman making small meringues by hand seemed like no big business to anyone, but herself. So she began leaving her product on consignment at different stores and the demand for the meringues increased rapidly. However, she did not have the time or the money to grow at the same pace as the demand.
In 1994, knowing that she had a good product and the public's approval, she bought her first industrial beater with a $2000.00 loan she took from the only person willing to lend her money, her father. She paid back $100.00 monthly, for the next two years. On Saturdays she prepared a week's supply in the kitchen of her parent's cafe. On Sundays, instead of going to the park, her husband and her son accompanied her to distribute the products among her clientele. To meet the growing demand, in December 1994 she rented a 250 square foot store to accommodate two industrial ovens she had purchased with the small savings they had, and at that time hired more personnel.
Due to the rapid growth, in 1995, she decided to formally establish her first small production shop and store: Carla's Sweets Factory .At this 518 square foot store there was enough room for two additional ovens and more staff. With a $15,000 loan she bought additional equipment. At this time, she decided it was the right moment to stop working for her parents and devote all her time to taking her business to new heights.
In 1996, she received yet another sweet surprise. Her second boy was born and brought something unexpected under his arm. The popular blue and pink baby meringues were born. Packed in precious bags, they soon replaced the traditional cigars and lollipops given as gifts when a new baby is born.
With an increase in orders island wide, her husband Carlos and herself united efforts to develop this promising business. He took a major risk when he quit his job in the investments field to run the operations and finance end of Carla's Sweets. Together they became a winning team.
One year later, in the first week of December 1997, all their hard work paid off Carla's Sweets opened a 4,400 square foot facility in an Industrial Park.
In 1999 her third son was born and her scope of products had also new beginnings. At this time three new products were introduced. What sweet success!
Today more than 75 employees work together on producing more than 18 products including chocolate dipped meringues, panetela de guayaba" (guava fruit smothered on butter fingers (not butterfingers-the candy)) all types of brownies, "mantecaditos,{shortbread), "polvorones" (melt in your mouth cookie morsels), "pastelillitos de hojaldre" (fruit between flaky pastry sheets), cookies and of course the famous low-calorie meringues.
In 1997 Carla was granted the Quality of Excellence Award by the Association of Products Made in Puerto Rico, the first in a series of awards that recognized her achievements in only six short years of being in business. Her nomination to Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration and Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the prestigious International firm of Ernst & Young earned her an interview on CNN Financial News. From then on her sweet story has gone beyond the local news to the pages of such renowned publications as Business Week Magazine. As a tribute to her humble beginnings. Carla dedicates her time to inspire young students to expand on their entrepreneurial spirit. She participates in motivational workshops and seminars.
Carla's Sweet's products are distributed island wide to more than 400 establishments, including major supermarket chains, movie theaters specialty stores and gift shops. She has locations strategically positioned in the major upscale malls throughout P.R. She also specializes in catering her desserts for those special occasions, both personal as well as corporate functions. The products have also caught the attention of consumers throughout the United States.
Panetela RECIPE (Cuban)
One pkg Golden Cake
butter
8 Oz sour cream
2/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
In a Cooking bowl put the cake mix, sour cream, oil, sugar and eggs, mix well. In a large Savarin, smear the bottom and sides of the pan with butter, add half of the above mix and sprinkle the mix of cinnamon and brown sugar, then add the rest of the mix. Bake at 350 degree for 45 minutes.
Note: After you do the panetelas, you cut them in half, stuff & smear guava ham to one of the sides & assemple it again like a Guava sandwich. This is not the real recipe, but the results might be similar.
