FOOD .

Faux Your Consideration

Vegans go nuts for Mike Landers' doughnuts.


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Published: Aug 28, 2007

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The very idea of vegan doughnuts may seem like sacrilege to those who die hard for the deep fryer, but over the last six months, Mike Landers has managed to carve out an alternative in a city that seems to run on Dunkin'.

Riddled with tubs of Earth Balance margarine, Landers' Port Richmond kitchen is warm and inviting, and he's quick to offer milk and cookies. Welcome to the ginger-haired 26-year-old's North Port Fishington Cookie Factory — one of the last places you'd expect to find a bevy of vegan baked goods.

"The idea started in January," says Philly native Landers of his confectionery brand, which features signature cookie varieties as well as doughnuts. "I was trying to get the perfect chocolate chip cookies down. I have a terrible sweet tooth, and since I became vegan [seven years ago], I've had to figure out how to make things that I miss." Landers, who has no formal culinary training aside from a monthlong stint in the Whole Foods bakery section, started by finding online recipes and tweaking them to suit his dietary specifications.

"At first it was just, 'Hey, I can make a good cookie, maybe I can make a couple of dollars on the side,'" says Landers of the endeavor. After perfecting some recipes, he got in touch with a friend who worked at 1 Shot Coffee in Liberties Walk, a connection that helped Landers get his products in the store. But when word of mouth helped business take off, he expanded to spots like Soy Café, Higher Grounds and Almanac Market.

Landers, who has a day job at Trader Joe's, takes Fridays off for a bulk baking session. He then distributes his goods on Saturdays, using the car he inherited from his aunt as his delivery truck. There is no hydrogenated oil, cholesterol or bleached flour in North Port goodies (though Landers admits that they are indeed sugar-laden). In addition to his reliance on Earth Balance (empty containers of the butter substitute serve as his cookie jars), the baker uses ground flaxseeds mixed with water as a substitute for eggs, a time-tested vegan technique.

Of all North Port's products, Landers' mini doughnuts are perhaps the most inventive. The fluffy snacks come in varieties like glazed, powdered sugar, crumb and flaky coconut. Cookie-wise, Landers says that his oatmeal Craisin recipe rivals varieties he bakes with carob chips, seed pods from the carob tree that work as a vegan substitute for chocolate. "I really like the chocolate chocolate chip cookie," says Landers. "When I did it, I thought it was the best cookie ever. But when I made the oatmeal raisin, I was like, 'Forget that.'"

Landers has Northern Liberties covered, but he doesn't hesitate to when asked to map out his future plans — he's keeping an eye out for a commercial space. And if your decision to go vegan ruined your relationship with cinnamon buns, know that Landers is working on a recipe for you, too.

"I spent six days a week showing up a 5 a.m., traying desserts and filling up muffin pans," says Landers of his short-lived Whole Foods gig. But founding North Port has provided him with more than just a flexible schedule. It's also granted him the reputation — and the accountability — that comes with running a brand all his own. "Now, if I mess up a recipe," says Landers, "it's because I messed it up — and it's on me."

(k_white@citypaper.net)

North Port Fishington Cookie Factory products are available at 1 Shot Coffee (1040 N. Second St.), Almanac Market (900 N. Fourth St.), Soy Café (630 N. Second St.) and Higher Grounds Café (631 N. Third St.).