Born With a Spatula in Hand

Eva Abbott

We inherit many things from our parents. Outward appearance, musical ability or athletic prowess are a few examples. Sharing a love of certain activities comes to mind as well. In 14-year-old Eva Abbott’s life, her mother is an important influence on her exceptional ability and adventurous attitude regarding baking.

Eva was a toddler when she began baking with her mother, Carrie Abbott, founder and CEO of Newfangled Confections and owner of The Best Chocolate in Town. Eva absorbed and now reflects Carrie’s passion for the sweet side of the culinary world and is known as a baking prodigy within the Indianapolis pastry scene. Her curiosity spurs her to develop innovative creations and, like her mom, Eva is not afraid of making mistakes.

“My older daughter, Maddie, often jokes that her sister ‘was born with a spatula in her hand,’” their mother says. “I have always baked and it’s hard for me to remember a time when Eva wasn’t baking with me. She got serious at age 9, when she entered a kids’ baking contest. She had to submit complicated items like crème puffs, layer cakes, pies and tarts—not ordinary home-baked goods like cookies and brownies. She dug in and started baking away. She created about 10 to 15 different baked goods and even submitted photos and video. She entered the contest five years in a row,” Carrie says.

“Due to the kind nature of Indianapolis, at 11 and 12 years old, she had the occasion to do a bit of staging, which is shadowing another chef. This gave her the opportunity to work with Hattie McDaniel, who was at the time executive pastry chef at Vida, a Cunningham Group restaurant, and Gallery Pastry Shop. Before anyone offers something like that, they have to know the person is capable. Eva can get a job whenever she is at the point of wanting one,” says Carrie.

“My older daughter, Maddie, often jokes that her sister ‘was born with a spatula in her hand,’” mother Carrie Abbott says. “I have always baked and it’s hard for me to remember a time when Eva wasn’t baking with me.” 

FREEDOM TO CREATE

For Eva, baking is a creative process in which she finds self-expression while trying out new recipes. She loves to make desserts and treats for fun. To avoid the boredom that comes with repetition, Eva tests things several ways. Channeling her interest in producing healthier results, she investigates how using different types of flours affects the outcome. Lucky friends and neighbors are the happy recipients when there happens to be an extra batch or two.

One of Newfangled Confections’ signature products is Frittle, an award-winning hometown favorite. The concoction is an addicting cross between fudge and brittle. The business prides itself on giving a modern twist to old-fashioned favorites and the development of Frittle was a serendipitous experience. It was the outcome of experimenting with riffs off of a wedding reception dessert Carrie had created. The result was deemed absolutely delicious and has become an Indy favorite that has gone beyond local. It can be found in over 100 retail locations such as Target, Barnes and Noble, World Market, Fresh Thyme, Market District, Joann Fabrics and Kroger.

Newfangled Confections acquired The Best Chocolates in Town in 2020. Products include handcrafted truffles, dipped cookies, bars, chocolate truffle pies and toffee. Carrie’s artistic creativity shines through; the sweets are a treat for the eyes as well as being incredibly delectable. Offerings are never static but continue to evolve and rotate with variations of flavors and textures.

Left Carrie Abbott, right Eva Abbott

BAKING AS A WAY TO GIVE BACK

Over the years, Eva’s repertoire of baked goods has increased in scope and difficulty. Early on, during her shadowing experiences, she was exposed to complicated French pastries and involved techniques. Likewise, she has executed production of items on a large scale. Eva exhibits her mom’s inquisitive spirit and resourceful nature. Carrie encourages her to fearlessly try out new concepts and flavors—and not be daunted about the consequences.

A big opportunity to showcase her evolved skills as a pastry chef came when Eva was asked to create the plated dessert part of a farm dinner, a fundraising activity for the Patachou Foundation. These monthly dinners raise money to fund the organization, whose mission is fight hunger from many different angles. A farming operation allows food to be grown right outside the teaching kitchen door. Over 1,000 kid-friendly meals are supplied each week to eight different schools and community centers.

During the summer, a six-week paid Food Fellowship workforce program enables high school students recruited from Arsenal Tech and George Washington to gain career skills such as urban farming practices, cooking, hospitality, career-readiness and communication techniques as well as finance and business basics. Customer service principles are learned while working at the foundation’s coffee shop, Foundation Coffee Company. Each participant earns a ServSafe certificate, which makes them immediately employable.

“The theme of the dinner was commensality, the joy and practice of sharing a meal. Eva joined Chef Oya Woodruff of The Trap, a seafood restaurant, and Twinkle VanWinkle, Patachou Foundation’s executive chef, in preparing the dinner, which served 50 people. Each chef made something different and Eva’s Sweet Tea Cake was a real crowd-pleaser.

“I’ve been watching Eva for a while and knew she had done some big production work,” says Chef VanWinkle. “I thought this would be a good chance to display her natural talent. She loves baking and although her mom is a trained culinary professional herself, Eva has independently pursued this.”

Eva’s idea was to use sweet tea in a different way. Her Sweet Tea Cake featured a sweet tea sauce with a pecan tuile, a crunchy bit of decoration made from melted sugar and nuts, then baked into a shape. Following savory dishes such as a show-stopping plate of gorgeous tomatoes, gazpacho and farm-fresh salad made from ingredients grown right on the property, the final course that paid homage to sweet tea was the perfect choice. It’s a fine example of how she approaches her bakes. Says Eva: “Baking and sharing, to me, is a sense of unity.”

FINDING JOY IN MAKING OTHERS HAPPY

Eva’s signature go-to is her chocolate cake—but she delights in inventing variations. She makes a version that is vegan and gluten free. Currently, she’s into lemons, experimenting with lemon bars. Truffles and berries are other ingredients she is using in recipes she is developing.

In most ways, the younger Abbott is a typical teenager. When she’s not baking, Eva pursues other interests. She’s an avid reader and advocates wellness and fitness, always using high-quality foodstuffs and ingredients in her baking. Since becoming a cheerleader for Heritage Christian School, she has had to learn when to say no to baking projects when her life becomes too busy.

“Eva likes to bake because she knows how happy it makes people feel; she can make something that brightens their day. She works with a local business owner to make monthly birthday treats for his employees. I give her a lot of encouragement to try new things and tell her it’s alright to mess up. For the Patachou Foundation dinner she tested out four versions of her creation before she knew what she wanted to do. As long as she’s still learning and enjoying it, I’m glad to see her stay on this path. However, I’d like to see her leave some future options open,” says Carrie.

Eva’s 17-year-old sister, Maddie, enjoys assisting in the kitchen, but along with her dad, Jake Abbott, she’s content with sampling the resulting goodies. Her family feels baking has given Eva confidence to learn new things and an avenue to make new friends. They feel she is lucky to have a passion.

“I graduated with a tourism degree, but I loved the food side of hospitality,” says Carrie. “I was classically trained as a pastry chef and through a catering job, I realized the dessert side of it made me feel energized and it became a real passion. Right now, for the time being, baking is a passion for Eva. It’s wild to see; it’s like she is a mini-me.”

“I really hope the best for her,” adds Chef VanWinkle. “I’m glad she is getting some deserved recognition. She is an intentional and thoughtful person who is dedicated and passionate about her craft.” 

• The Best Chocolate in Town pop-up is in The Fashion Mall at Keystone, 8702 Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis; Newfangled Confections is headquartered at 1340 N. Illinois St. in Indianapolis. To order products visit NewfangledConfections.com.
• Visit ThePatachouFoundation.org to learn more about their mission.