Postcards from the Road: January 2015

January 6, 2015 Cakespy

What in the world has CakeSpy been up to? Well, my friends, quite a bit. In the past few months, I have visited many places, seen many things, and tasted many, many desserts. Let's take a quick tour of the recent past, shall we?

November started very nicely with a trip to Nashville for the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Not only did I get to see some old friends and meet some new, but I got to reunite with my boyfriend, the Pillsbury Doughboy! Since I love the photo, I will just show it again, OK?

When I got back, I finished up an article I wrote for New Mexico Magazine, featuring some original dessert recipes. It was awesome to write for a glossy magazine and such a pleasure to work with Candace Walsh, a writer and editor who is also sort of a hero to me. I can't wait for you to see it in print in February. Here's a mysterious little sneak peek:

Photo via Doug Merriam

Doug Merriam, a totally awesome photographer with whom I worked on the story, turned out to be a Very Good Person to meet. We decided to do a swap: photo tips for me, social media tips for him. I've already seen an improvement in my photos, such as this one of microwave fudge...

and I hope you'll enjoy the new photos I take, with not only my new photo skills but also my new camera!! That's right, after 7 years of using a $40 point and shoot for all my photos, I've upgraded to a real camera. It was a big deal to me, as I had never spent more than $40 on a digital camera. I got this one used, and in total with accessories it came to nearly $200. I realize many bloggers may laugh at this, but for me it was a pretty big deal.

I got involved with my etsy store in a big way, adding new prints. While alas, right now the shop is shut for the month, check it out in February for some awesome new prints and artwork, including this illustration which was comissioned by the James Beard Foundation.

I was hired by a longtime customer to do a new painting for the holidays. The first painting I ever did for her was of a cupcake, a banana, and a John Deere Tractor. Yes, for real.

In this painting, the couple is reunited with their tractor...in Scotland. This was a very fun painting to do.

With the holidays drawing close, I started to get all sorts of sweet treats in the mail. I received some dried plums in the mail--apparently, they are not prunes anymore. Names aside, these made some awesome bar cookies when I used them instead of raisins to make the award-winning "H-Bars" recipe from the new book Holiday Cookies: Prize-Winning Family Recipes from the Chicago Tribune for Cookies, Bars, Brownies and More.

This isn't necessarily cake related, but Porkchop the pug got the good news that he had lost five pounds. That little boy was getting sort of fat but he's in good shape now! Here is a picture of me and Porkchop in case you needed some cuteness.

I also got to see several recipes I created for Peanut Butter and Company go live--a delicious salty caramel pie...

and to-die-for peanut butter snowballs. Serious love for these addictive morsels!

I also did my first recipe for Colavita, which came out great: lemon pistachio olive oil tuiles. Pinkies out!

I quickly followed it up with a second recipe for chocolate babka made with olive oil, which also came out splendidly.

I taught a class for kids in Santa Fe, on the important subject of holiday cookie baking. Here's a snapshot from those several hours of adorableness.

Oh, and I painted my yoga mat.

As Christmas grew closer, me and my sweetie packed up our bags and headed east. We drove from New Mexico to Connecticut, which meant that I could add a few more states to my map of states where I've done yoga. Here are the US states in which I've done yoga so far:

Oh, by the way. In Lawrence, where I stopped to do yoga, I also got to re-visit Sylas and Maddy's in Lawrence, Kansas, which I had previously visited in August on my massive road trip. This is a place worth visiting.

We got to go to the Uprise Bakery in Columbia, MO, and were delightfully surprised by their offerings. From rolls to a cappuccino brownie that looked like a Nanaimo bar to awesome coffee, this place was a wonderful spot.

I need to tell you, though, the big hit of the trip was Terre Haute, IN. We stopped there for the night, and in the morning, we knew we simply had to check out a place called Square Donuts we found online. I mean, how could you not?

The donuts were a treat, and yes, they were square.

But even bigger treat was a few blocks away, where we happened upon the Clabber Girl factory!

I hadn't known they were based in Terre Haute so this was a real surprise. But as we went in, the surprise blossomed into pure delight. They have not only a factory but a full-fledged MUSEUM going on!

We toured the museum, and then settled in for breakfast in their cafe. They had really awesome biscuits and sweet baked goods, such as the below almond chocolate croissant, which was PACKED with filling. This place was a real treasure and I highly suggest it.

We powered on through to Connecticut, arriving Christmas eve. I didn't take a picture, but my sweetie's sister in law made a bûche de nöel. Since she is French, like, as in born and raised in France, it was amazing. As you might expect.

The next night we had a quiet dinner with some cakes from the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Do you believe I've never had one of their desserts? I actually really enjoyed them, especially the key lime cheesecake, yummmmm.

After that, I took the train down to NYC for some time with friends. Me and my friend James watched "Christmas Icetastrophe" which was as terrible as it sounds, and then ate bagels, which were better than anywhere else because they were from NYC. I also got pizza, which is always necessary.

I spent part of the next day with my friend Phil, and even picked up one of these at Whole Foods:

...before heading down the shore to my parents' house in NJ. In NJ, I snacked on Shazaam cookies from Nature's Corner...

and took yoga classes at YouNique Yoga in Belmar. Then I got sick and all I could eat for a day was ice cream from Hoffman's (pictured top of post). Actually, can I get sick more often? That was kind of great.

We then packed up our bags again and headed toward Asheville, North Carolina, where I will be spending this month doing a yoga immersion at the Asheville Yoga Center. I'm staying in a cute little log cabin!

So far, Asheville is simply amazing. We had a great first meal at Homegrown, a great follow up breakfast at Green Sage Cafe, and then went back to Homegrown because it was that great.

We've also sampled the goods at French Broad Chocolates and City Bakery...more to come on those. But suffice it to say that this cake pop I stuck in my mouth was very tasty.

We've hit up a few grocery stores, because for me, there isn't much finer than exploring a new grocery store (not kidding). I got a "brown cow" cheesecake at Fresh Market, and enjoyed it in a no-frills kind of way.

We also got a bunch of other goodies at Fresh Market and Harris Tweeter, the local grocery chains. What can I say, I love grocery store bakeries. So yes, this happened:

...and this:

I can't wait to see what comes next in 2015!

Happy New Year!

Bali Diary: Seniman Coffee is Amazing

March 25, 2014 Cakespy

I really need to tell you about this experience I had in Bali. I mean, I've had a lot of experiences that have been great here, but one of my favorite things day to day has been the fact that they give you cookies with your lattes. It starts every day out right.

Of course, that was until now. Seniman Coffee has raised the bar, and I don't know if cookies will be enough anymore. Because they give you the thing pictured above with your coffee. Please, allow me to explain.

So, I go to Seniman Coffee, a popular spot with expats and a place that every person in Portland would probably faint from happiness if they saw it, and order a latte.

A few minutes later, a little tray is delivered to me with three separate segments. One contains a latte (duh). One contains a cup of water (nice touch). The third contains what looks like a cigar or thin, mini burrito. I'm intrigued.

What's this? I wonder.

I take a bite.

Holy crap! It's delicious! It's like a pancake, wrapped burrito style, and it contains a coconutty mixture. Oh my god! I love this thing. I actually had the willpower to put it back on its tray so that I could take a photo to show you all.

I grab the closest server. "What is this?" I ask.

As it turns out, it's a traditional sweet called jaje dadar, which is said to be frequently doled out with coffee (though this was the first I'd ever seen it).

It's simply a crepe-like pancake prettily wrapped around a mix of coconut and palm sugar. But it is so, so good. I want this experience to happen every time I order coffee. Also every time I visit an ATM. Actually, I would like someone to follow me around and dole these out at regular intervals.

It's a fantastic two-bite treat, and I am so delighted that I've had it. This is definitely the best coffee accessory sweet that has been delivered to me in Bali.

Oh, and the latte was pretty good, too. The theme at Seniman is "Imagine you know what you are doing", and when I'm there, I don't imagine, I know--I'm eating something awesome.

Love from Bali,

CakeSpy

Mentioned: Seniman Coffee, Ubud. Online here.

Sweet Find: Alchemy, Penestanan, Bali

February 23, 2014 Cakespy

Photo via Alchemy Bali

I have a confession to make: in Bali, I've been eating...

health food.

You heard me right, but I want to assure you that everything is OK. I haven't abandoned you. Because as it turns out, even health food can be naughty every now and again.

I'm talking raw desserts. They have no leavening, so they're usually nice and dense, often luxuriant with coconut oil as a key ingredient.

And--I know, you wouldn't expect this from me--fresh fruit is amazing here. Stay with me.

The establishment which has inspired my healthy kick is none other than Alchemy, a raw and vegan cafe in Penestanan, a neighboring area to the more famous Ubud. Seriously, everything here is so good.

We'll start with their breakfast parfait bar, OK? You start by picking a type of yogurt or milk, and then get to add on five toppings (you can get more for an up-charge).

Choosing is difficult with a rainbow of fruits fresher than I've ever tasted, nuts, muesli, dried fruits, and--my favorite--the raw coconut whipped cream. I don't know how they make that stuff, but I don't care if it's vegan or gluten free or raw: I could eat it by the bucket.

So here's what you might get after you choose.

Afternoons, they have a full menu and juice bar. Everything is made to order, and incredibly fresh - like, you can taste the trees the fruit came from, and the sweet air of Bali.

But most importantly, they have a generous case of raw desserts. They are all delightfully dense. This makes me happy, especially when the dessert in question is a smoothly luxuriant chocolate mousse cake or a cacao truffle or even a spirulina slice which looks surprisingly like a Nanaimo bar.

Here are just a few (photos from their website). All of these desserts are raw.

It's all good, too. The only problem is that they don't do espresso here and gosh that would be nice with these sweet treats. Guess we'll have to leave that to Kué up the street--more on that later.

And--how cute is this--if you get something small to go, they will wrap it in a banana leaf. It's a good reminder: OMG! You're in Bali! Awesome!

If you don't think you'll be making it to Bali anytime soon, they do have a number of recipes on their site!

Alchemy, Penestanan, Bali. Online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Angelo Brocato, New Orleans

December 30, 2013 Cakespy

It's probably about time that I tell you about my trip to Angelo Brocato in New Orleans. It's been there since 1905, so it's about time you made it over.

Listen, I forget how I learned about this place. Probably on a website, or in a guide book. That is to say--it's not an unknown place. But I am here to tell you that when you read about it on a website or a guide book, you must listen to what the people say. You must go to Angelo Brocato in New Orleans.

It's a little out there. It's not on Bourbon Street, it's not in the Garden District. But it's worth a jaunt.

When you get there, you'll see this sign outside. Don't you love it already?

When you go inside, you'll be greeted by a big bakery case, and next to it, a big gelato case. And then, there are chilled desserts.

What will you choose? I'll tell you what we chose. Maybe that will give you some ideas.

We'll start with the cassata.

Let's make that two.

If you've never heard of the stuff, Cassata is a traditional Sicilian treat. It starts with sponge cake which is drenched in liqueur, then layered with a cannoli-esque cream then sealed in with marzipan and candied fruit. I don't know if that tells you how delicious it is, though. It's rich and surprisingly not over-sweet, delicate yet substantial. The one at Angelo Brocato is wonderful, and full of almond-y flavor which works beautifully with the cream. This marzipan was so good I wanted to marry it.

But...as great as the cassata is, it's even better with gelato.

On to the ricotta cheesecake.

It's just gently sweet, crumbly and somewhat dry--not in a bad way, but you definitely want some coffee or tea with this guy.

Next up was a "Greek cap", basically a puff pastry stuffed with almond cream. It tasted like the best part of an almond croissant, all condensed into a little hockey puck shape.

Are you still hungry? I'm still hungry. How about some chocolate and hazelnut gelato?

It's so smooth and creamy--I think this is my favorite gelato since Capogiro in Philadelphia.

So, basically, to summarize. Before:

AFTER:

And it was such a joy to do it. Please, let me urge you strongly to visit Angelo Brocato--as soon as humanly possible. It's old school, it's quality, it's a joy. I hope they do it for a hundred years more and longer.

Angelo Brocato, 214 N. Carrolton Street, New Orleans. Online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Bread, Durango CO

October 21, 2013 Cakespy

When I recently went to Durango, Colorado, the first thing I did was ask about bakeries. And based on the popular opinion of the locals, the place to go was Bread.

So...I went to Bread. And I am so glad I did. I liked them from the get-go, when I spied this outside:

I mean seriously, isn't that a great idea? Love it.

I liked it even better, though, once I went inside. I have a theory that bakeries tend to be one of two styles: either a bread bakery, or a cake bakery. Bread bakeries tend shine when it comes to, well, bread, but also carbohydratey pastries, especially with laminated dough. So croissants, cinnamon rolls, morning buns...that kind of thing. Whereas cake bakeries tend to specialize in cupcakes, cookies, delicately crumbed pastries and sweets.

Bread is, as you might have guessed, a bread bakery. And a good one at that. After all, the outdoorsy atmosphere of Durango definitely calls for some high-energy carbs.

Listen, they have a lot of great things at Bread. We tried the brownies, which are huge and decadent and come in different flavors on different days (pecan, hazelnut, cherry, and walnut were some that we saw, and they typically have a gluten-free variety, too), the chocolate cookies, and the bread. Each thing was clearly made with care and precision, and I was impressed by the overall quality.

But the true siren call for me at this bakery is something called the Pecan Roll.

It's sort of like a morning bun, I suppose. But if I were pressed to describe it, I'd say equal parts croissant and pecan sticky bun...with a soupcon of pecan pie filling thrown in.

This is the type of pastry that makes you pause between bites, look side to side at anyone nearby who will listen, and say in a slightly choked-with-emotion voice, "this is so good". It really is. The marriage of a perfectly flaky dough (flaky enough to shatter in your mouth, but not so flaky as to shatter in your hand) holding in a bountiful butter flavor which explodes in your mouth is a thing of beauty. But it gets even more beautiful--gorgeous!--when you add a caramelized pecan mixture.

Seriously. It will make you want to sing. Or at least buy six more to stockpile at home.

Bread is a very sweet bakery, with a friendly staff and an incredible carbohydratey aroma. I think that if you find yourself in Durango, you will adore it as much as I did.

Bread, 42 County Road 250, Durango CO; online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: DoCo, Farmingdale NJ

October 8, 2013 Cakespy

The other day I was in a clothing store in Red Bank, New Jersey. While I was browsing some accessories, I heard two girls in dressing rooms next to one another talking.

"Have you been to the new doughnut shop in Farmingdale?" one asked the other.

I moved closer to the dressing rooms, so I could hear.

"It's really good, they make them to order," she continued.

It's not creepy that I stood outside of someone's dressing room to hear this, right?

Well, rather than identify myself as a creepy stalk-listener, I headed right to the internet on my smart phone to find out more. Turns out, in an unlikely corner of New Jersey, there is in fact a new donut shop: DoCo is its name (it is a cool way of shortening "Donuts" and "Coffee"--sort of like SoHo, but with doughnuts). It should not surprise you that I was there less than 24 hours later.

It took me a few minutes to figure out how DoCo worked, since when you walk in there are no doughnuts on display. It's just boxes and a menu that you see.

So how you do it is you can either choose one of their menu concoctions, or you can choose a glaze and any toppings you like, and they'll make the doughnut to order. And as for doughnuts, you can either do a "regular" -- a dense, cake doughnut--or a "kronut" as they call them...their riff on the famous NYC "cronut" croissant-doughnut hybrid. On the day I went, they also had beignets.

Going for variety, I got a regular doughnut with apple pie toppings, a "kronut" with cannoli cream topping, and a doughnut with maple topping and bacon.

What a happy moment.

The apple pie doughnut was a regular cake doughnut round, topped with a spicy apple pie filling type topping and a big ol'crown of whipped cream. Freshly fried, the doughnut was a nice base for the moist toppings, and held its shape. The filling didn't have that "from a can" taste, which was nice. A very pleasant fall doughnut.

I'll tell the truth, I didn't get a chance to try the maple bacon! But judging how quickly SpyDad scarfed it down, I am going to say it was operation: success. Same doughnut base as the apple pie doughnut.

I think the real star of the show, though, was the kronut. It practically oozed with the fry oil that was retained in the flaky folds of dough, which gave me an inkling that I should be feeling guilty eating such a decadent treat...but I didn't.

The addition of the cannoli cream is simply genius. It has that slight tangy bite that, as I never realized til a few days ago, gives a doughnut dimension. Seriously. Try it if you ever have the chance.

Overall, the doughnuts managed to be hearty, healthy servings, with some evident creativity, but zero fussiness. The total bill for three doughnuts was less than $5, which I think is fantastic.

It may take a few minutes to learn how things work at DoCo when you visit, but it's worth taking the time to figure it out.

DoCo Donut and Coffee Company, 5015 Route 33 and 34, Farmingdale, NJ. On Facebook.

CakeSpy Undercover: No Regrets Bakery, Alvord TX

September 18, 2013 Cakespy

Last week I found myself driving along a long stretch of highway in Texas, several hours between here and there.

And then, unexpectedly, I see a sign along the highway: "Bakery ahead". Did I really see that? Yes, I did, because there's another one: "bakery ahead" with a little arrow pointing to the left.

You can bet your bottom silver dollar pancake we pulled over at the next turn signal.

What we found, quite unexpectedly, was a gluten-free, no-refined-sugar bakery, smack dab in the middle of Texas. No Regrets Bakery is the name.

"No offense", I said to one of the owners, Casey Harris, "but you're kind of out of the gluten-free belt."

She was kind enough to laugh at this, acknowledging that it was certainly the truth, but that their trailblazing had been rewarded: this was their first anniversary, and they'd gained a cult status with locals and those not-so-local. Turns out that just because this type of bakery isn't common in Texas doesn't mean that there isn't a demand.

So, No Regrets Bakery has come along to fill it. But why start an oasis of gluten free, non refined sugar, low glycemic index baked goods? As the owners say,

"This bakery is our way of paying it forward, our blood sugar came back high twice and that was enough to scare both of us. We changed our lifestyle and diet, lost a lot of weight (60lbs and 40lbs) and our blood sugar stabilized at low normal. My husband never stopped craving sugar so I started manipulating recipes to replace the refined sugars and then started removing wheat flours to remove the simple sugars, replacing with gluten-free flours to make a baked good with higher protein and more complex carbohydrates. I started as a cottage industry out of my home and then received a call that a restaurant wanted to carry my products and No Regrets was launched with the location on HWY 287 in Alvord, TX."

I realize that the idea of a gluten-free, "paleo-friendly" Hostess style cupcake might frighten my sugar-loving friends. Or that the idea of a birthday cake made with coconut flour might sound downright strange. Or that the idea of homemade protein-rich bars full of flax and berries might just sound like hippie food that isn't worth your time.

Listen, I don't really care how they do it, because the most important thing here is that what they make at No Regrets Bakery tastes good.

Here's the raw/vegan cherry vanilla bar, filled with dried cherries, dried cranberries, flaxmeal and vanilla stevia.

It was actually a very good bar. Homemade versus store bought, when it comes to granola type bars, makes a big difference. This one had a really nice tartness from the cranberries, too. I approve.

We also got a "Chocolate Pecan Bar", made with cocoa powder, toasted pecans, dates and dried cranberries. It tasted like a Lara Bar, but better.

We also got one of the "power balls", with almonds, almond extract, unsweetened coconut, maca and agave. It was a decadent and tasty little morsel.

And they were giving out slices of birthday cake because of the aforementioned anniversary! This cake did not taste like deprivation at all. The chocolate masked any coconuttiness from the coconut flour, but it definitely tasted lightly nutty in a good way. The frosting, which is agave-sweetened, didn't have a weird or artificial taste, which pleased me. I can deal with a cake like this, if this is what gluten-free cake can be.

We also picked up a doggie cookie for Porkchop the pug. I don't think he cared that it was corn and wheat free--he just ate the thing.

Overall, this was a magical stop in Texas. Hit them up if you find yourself on highway 287! Or, help them out with their fundraising goals to open a second location in the Dallas metro area.

No Regrets Bakery, 8879 Highway 287 North, Alvord, TX. Online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: The Buttermilk Drop Cafe, New Orleans

September 16, 2013 Cakespy

I first heard about the Buttermilk Drop in a New York Times article, gloriously entitled "A City Drenched in Sugar". I had known that New Orleans was a city famed for its sweets, but I don't think I really knew until I read this article. Not only King cake waited for me in the Big Easy, but doberge cake and snowballs and doughnuts, too.

Actually, a particular type of doughnut called the Buttermilk Drop.

As I learned from this site, the buttermilk drop is a doughnut unique to New Orleans which gained fame at the now defunct but still beloved McKenzie's Pastry Shoppe. It is, on the surface, not an incredibly unique treat. It looks like a doughnut hole, but it's bigger. But not quite as big as a full-sized doughnut. But one taste will tell you that this is a very special doughnutty morsel. Rich in buttermilk, yes, which gives them a perfect delicate crumb yet substantial texture, which is gorgeously and generously coated in a thick glaze.

I can understand why New Orleans would simply not stand for this doughnut disappearing.

Today, from what I gather, you can get buttermilk drops at two places: Tastee's, which apparently purchased the rights to a number of McKenzie's recipes, and The Buttermilk Drop Cafe.

I recently tried them at The Buttermilk Drop Cafe, an establishment with an interesting story. Owner Dwight Henry first gained fame as a maker of sweet treats, then gained local celebrity status when he put incredible effort into helping re-open businesses in his Seventh Ward neighborhood following Hurricane Katrina.

And then, he was "discovered" when the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild was filming in his neighborhood, and ended up being featured in the movie. So basically now, in addition to being famous for making doughnuts, he's being featured in New York Times Magazine style shoots.

Well, I will tell you, I was intrigued.

So when you walk into The Buttermilk Drop Cafe, I was greeted by an odd sight. A large room with ample seating space...but no seating. A menu that seemed to invite sitting and staying a spell...but nowhere to sit and stay. Cool artwork on the wall and even ceiling.

A large case greeted us, but only a portion of it was filled. All of what filled it looked good though: DOUGHNUTS. Glazed and cake, vanilla and chocolate, in rounds and braids...

and, of course, the famed buttermilk drops.

From behind a small glass window, a friendly girl took our order. It was alarmingly affordable. The doughnuts and buttermilk drops were all well under a dollar each, which was refreshing.

We got a few buttermilk, a few chocolate, and of course several buttermilk drops.

The doughnuts were very, very good. Light in texture, with a solid buttermilk flavor, and most importantly, drenched in a highly delicious glaze.

But the real star was the buttermilk drops. Was it the power of suggestion, that I was ready to love these best because I had heard so much about them? Perhaps. But d-a-m-n were they fine doughnuts.

The texture of the buttermilk drop is perfect. Like I said before, it's a delicate crumb, but a substantial doughnut in nature. I love the size, too. It's more serious than a mere doughnut hole, but not quite a full size doughnut. It is the perfect snacking size. And the glaze was so liberally applied that it kind of fused into the drop's crust...oh, heaven.

So what am I saying here? Get yourself to the Buttermilk Drop Cafe. I was impressed by how "real" the place has remained even following its fame. Weird about the seating, but you can deal. This is an experience that must be lived by doughnut lovers.

The Buttermilk Drop Cafe, 1781 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Online here.

Sweet Discovery: Isabella's Cookie Company

July 7, 2013 Cakespy

Do you ever look at a cookie long and hard, say "I'm gonna eat you" in a sort of cowboy-gangsta drawl, and then imagine it screaming when you bite into it?

No, neither do I. Especially not when eating this Red Velvet Cookie from Isabella's Cookie Company.

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes, cookies. Namely, the ones in the box of samples I recently received from the aforementioned Isabella's, a boutique cookie company based in Redondo Beach, California (am I the only one who hears Patti Smith saying "gone-gone"?), with availability mostly in the Southern California area (at stores such as Whole Foods) but available for purchase online, too. I was pretty psyched to receive them, because they seem like a cool company. And they offer all of these flavors! Dazzling, no?

In my sample box, there were three flavors: Red Velvet, Ginger, and "The Limey".

What I liked first, before even sampling any of them, was the nice size and satisfying weight of the cookies. They were small-ish, but a good size to enjoy two (not too huge that one is more than enough, but not so tiny that you need like six). They had a satisfying heft, and I had a feeling they'd make a good snacking cookie.

Here's a picture of the Limey from the website. Inspired by Key Lime pie, this cookie has a strong lime presence, but also has bits of handmade graham crackers, white chocolate chips, and --brand new -- they just "added sweet lime-infused vanilla drizzle to make your lips go smack!". It's a tasty cookie, and I like the creative cookie take on a classic pie.

The other two varieties, it turned out, were both vegan--the V-Ging, a molasses ginger cookie with a vanilla drizzle, and their newest addition, the Vegan Red Velvet cookie. They teamed up with another business, The Buttermilk Truck to create this treat, which "combines the heavenly flavor of their red velvet pancake but topped with a sweet vanilla drizzle."

I'll tell you the truth. I am probably not the most qualified to review the Ginger cookies, because...I do not like ginger cookies. They're like, a second or third choice cookie flavor for me. But an associate who is a fan says that they were moist and chewy and just this side of underbaked...in a good way.

I do, however, feel qualified to tell you about the Red Velvet variety.

Like, yum. There's a nice little cocoa scent to them, and a really nice texture. Moist. Slightly crisped (but not crispy) on the edges. Chewy. Dense in the center, like they are approaching cookie dough, but they have most definitely been baked. An interesting, almost buttermilk type flavor, but gee whiz, they're vegan! I have no idea what they put in them, but this is a very good cookie. Were I to taste it blindfolded, I might not say "Red Velvet" right away if asked to guess the flavor. But I would say it was good. Not too sweet, actually. A hint of cocoa, a lot of nice, dense, slightly soured (in that buttermilk way--good thing) flavor. A nice hit of sugar from the glaze. A perfect cookie with milk.

Overall, I will tell you this--I was impressed. Since I received the samples gratis (I love my life), I didn't know how much they cost when I received them. But I looked it up--$6.50 for a bag of 10. I vote "worth it".

A sweet cookie find indeed!

Isabella's Cookies--find them online (including a store locator) here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Sugar Bakery and Sweet Shop Cupcake Truck, Connecticut

July 6, 2013 Cakespy

I'd like to tell you the truth: I suspect that I receive more pictures of desserts that people have eaten than the average bear. People are sending me dessert pictures all the time. Usually, though, they don't do things that would satisfy my spy curiosity, such as include what the dessert is or where they ate it. They just send a picture.

But a few days ago, when a few of my friends were at a Zombies concert in Connecticut and saw a cupcake truck, not only did they send me a photo of the partially eaten cupcake...but they included tasting notes and more information about the truck, too. It has a cute story, so I thought I would share it with you, dear readers.

The truck is the mobile outpost of East Haven's Sugar Bakery & Sweet Shop, a bakery which has been around since 2004. It's run by a mother-daughter team, Carol Vollono and Brenda DePonte. According to their website, Brenda had been living in New York City studying fashion merchandising and marketing, and missed her family, but even more importantly, she missed how they connected over dessert. While visiting home, mom and daughter were having a sesh discussing their dreams and future plans, and somehow dessert came up. Inspired by the dessert boom in the city and wanting to take advantage of mom's baking skills, they decided to give commercial baking a go, putting a new twist on classic recipes. Apparently, "The collaboration of the two minds was epic. Sugar Bakery was born!"

I think that's cute. But cuter still? The goods.

They're delivered in this adorable truck. Wouldn't you be happy to see this at a concert?

And wouldn't you be even happier, when you approached, to see this menu?

Well, they must be good if they've been on TV, right?

Definitely time to give it a try. My buddies chose the "Big Blue", a blueberry cupcake with blueberry mousse filling and...you guessed it, blueberry buttercream. Here's a before shot.

As reported, this was a very good cupcake, not to mention healthy "account of the blueberries". That definitely fits into my world view of sweets!

Sugar Bakery and Sweet Shop, 422-424 Main Street, East Haven, CT, with a roving truck, too. Find them online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Simona's Bakery, Sea Girt NJ

July 5, 2013 Cakespy

When you walk into Simona's Bakery in Sea Girt, New Jersey, you could easily mistake it with an old-school Italian bakery that has been there for generations.

As a matter of fact, it's been there only about a year, give or take. But that old-school feel has a strong basis: it's the newest bakery from a family that has 4 generations of baking experience. Locals may recognize the style of the bakery as being similar to Delponte Bakery in Bradley Beach. But it's not a ripoff--it's their daughter!

In spite of the similar appearance, I felt as if there were subtle differences between the two bakeries. Some of the cookies by the pound were different, and the decoration on the cakes had a slightly different style. But like I said--subtle.

I was pretty excited to see some different brownie varieties--plain, frosted, Cookies n Cream (Oreo, basically), walnut, and German Chocolate. I decided then and there that it was a brownie kind of day. I asked the employee "should I do plain frosted, or German Chocolate?". She looked at me like I clearly must have something wrong in the head. "You should get..." she said slowly, as if I might have trouble understanding, "the German Chocolate."

Good lord, was she right! The chocolate explosion in my mouth. The sticky-sweet coconut brown sugar topping. The little dollop of chocolate on top. I felt happy chills while eating it, and it wasn't just the air conditioning in my mom's car. This was a good brownie. I wish I could tell you how it compared to the plain, but I don't care about the plain. I love the German Chocolate.

SpyMom got an orange pecan biscotti, which she deemed "good". She didn't add much beyond that, but I did note that it disappeared in a rather rapid way.

SpyDad got a walnut brownie, which similarly disappeared quickly but without much comment.

Overall, I was impressed by my visit to Simona's. I wish I had gotten more photos for you to ogle, but you see I was on a mission to get--and eat--a brownie. So the one at the top will have to suffice. Go there.

Simona's Bakery, 2201 Highway 35, Sea Girt; online here.

Glazed and Infused, Chicago

June 1, 2013 Cakespy

The best way to become dazed and confused? By sugar and carb-o-loading on all things Glazed & Infused. This is a new-ish boutique doughnut chain in Chicago, and it has a sweet story for me, personally.

Way back, when I started CakeSpy.com, I started to connect myself to the bakery pulse of the USA. And one of my favorite bakery discoveries was Dozen Bake Shop, an adorable bakery chainlet in Pittsburgh. I even did an interview with then-owner, James Gray.

Well, this adorable fellow made quite an impression on me, and we kept in contact through the years, though we'd never met in person. Then, fast forward several years. James has sold his bakery in Pittsburgh and moved to Chicago, where he is the manager and a partner in a doughnut shop chainlet called Glazed and Infused. I happen to be visiting Chicago for my book tour. Finally, we get to meet!! We are adorable!!

Naturally, we had a chat over some doughnuts. So, since I believe that everything tastes better with a backstory, I'll tell you a bit about the shop's history first.

It's owned by a restaurant company called Francesca's, which owns several restaurants in Chicago and beyond. But this was the company's first foray into morning sweets. This made James a great fit for the company, as he has experience with pastry and sweets retail, which is, as he puts it mildly, "very different" than restaurants.

They've quickly grown to five locations, and on the date of our meeting, James was headed out to scout location #6. Spreading beyond Chicago is a definite possibility, with an idea of bringing high quality doughnuts to the masses in a friendly and accessible way.

In Chicago, the doughnuts have a healthy and loving following. In chatting with a customer who works nearby, he said that Glazed and Infused is his little "treat for myself" for walking to work, you know, to balance out all that exercise. On Yelp, one customer says, "If you want to feel like you're licking the floor in heaven, go to Glazed and Infused!", giving it a very high star rating. I must admit, I don't know exactly what that means, but I like the sound of it.

Looking at the variety of doughnuts available, your head might start to spin. They're prettily arranged, and the flavors are mostly standard fare but with a little twist--think, a bismarck doughnut stuffed with locally made blueberry jam, or instead of bavarian cream doughnut, a Creme Brulee Doughnut.

I, of course, got hooked up with a whole box of them. YEAH!

What you've got in this picture is (from top left, going clockwise) an old-fashioned glazed, coffee glazed, creme brulee, "Bar Snack", Bismark featuring blueberries, and chocolate toffee (featuring Terry's Toffee, made in Chicago!).

Curious about that "bar snack" doughnut? Well, it includes basically all of the little junk foodie snacks you might find in little bowls at a bar--pretzels, peanuts, chips, and then some M&M's (why not?). It makes for a salty-sweet guilty pleasure of a treat.

To start my doughnut eating quest immediately, though, I went for the Banana Cream Cheese, which is composed of banana cake with cream cheese frosting, salted caramel drizzle & candied walnuts. It sounded a lot like Hummingbird Cake, so I was totally in!

Yum, dudes! The nicely banana-scented cake was soft and gooey owing to that caramelly glaze, definitely easier to eat with a fork. The cream cheese frosting was decadent and smooth and lightly tangy, and those crunchy walnuts added the perfect texture contrast.

This doughnut made me a very happy spy. See?

Overall, I was very impressed with the doughnuts. What is a fairly large operation already has managed to maintain great quality in their doughnuts, and I love that they've tweaked the classics just enough to make them special, but not so much that they are too weird or inaccessible to please a crowd.

So, there you have it. If you're in Chicago, I highly suggest you give Glazed & Infused a try!

Glazed & Infused, multiple locations; find them, and more info, at goglazed.com.

CakeSpy Undercover: Huckleberry Cafe, Santa Monica

April 24, 2013 Cakespy

I love me a good cafe. And in Santa Monica, California, you'll find plenty of nice ones. Airy, sunny, often with outdoor seating. You can smell the ocean in the air if the wind is right.

My new favorite is a bit in-land, but what they lack in the scent of sea air, they make up for in the smell of sweet carbohydrates. It's called Huckleberry Cafe. It's owned by a couple--half of which earned their baking chops at San Francisco's famed Tartine Bakery.

I had read about Huckleberry on websites and in magazines over the past few years, so I was delighted to finally have a chance to visit while spending a few days in Santa Monica.

The website told me that "Everything served at Huckleberry is made on site using the best quality ingredients, including organic flour, Vahlrona chocolate and farmer’s market produce. The menu changes regularly with the seasons and on the baker’s whims."

So, I'll tell you what I had, but I can't guarantee it will be there when you go.

First, the maple bacon biscuit. I am a biscuit lover, and this one was a fine specimen. Sort of like a hybrid between biscuit and scone, texture-wise, with a mellow sweetness from the maple. Yum. But then it was punctuated by salty spots of bacon. This was no "bacon just for attention" type of sweet. It was really effing good.

Next up was the multigrain oat bar with a cherry filling. This was different, I was told, because it usually has blueberries. Whatever. This cherry thing was freaking good. Tart cherries against a backdrop of oaty buttery cookielike goodness, then topped with brown sugary crumble. Don't be fooled by the word "grain" and the presence of fruit--this is not health food. No way, man. It's tasty-town.

The bakery case is STOCKED, though. You'll find shortbread cookies, croissants, cakes (cornmeal blueberry? YES!), layer cakes, scones, biscuits, and then in the cold case, trifles and salted caramel bars and other tasty stuff.

Huckleberry is mos' def a new favorite of mine. It's a fantastic place to spend time and eat. I hope you'll visit next time you find yourself in sunny Santa Monica! Also go visit my sister. You might find her around the new Doc Martens store! She does all of the retail planning for them, so feel free to be effusive about their fantastic displays.

Huckleberry Cafe, 1014 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica; online here.

Pastry Profiles: Chocolate Tart from Tree House Pastry, Santa Fe

April 17, 2013 Cakespy

Tree House Pastry Shop and Café is not easy to find. It's in an unlikely spot--inside of a mall, across from an insurance agent. But it's worth seeking out, particularly for their chocolate tart. It's both vegan and gluten free, but don't be scared off when I say that, because there is nothing virtuous at all about the taste of this devilishly decadent tart. Does the secret lie in the crust, made of crushed candied walnuts? Or is it the dense, lusciously luxuriant slab of chocolate topping, which is so thick that it will coat your teeth? Or is it the secret addition of raspberries which add a little tart burst to all taht chocolatiness? Either way, after a few bites, you don't care so much about the ingredients as you do that it keeps on finding its way to your mouth.

I wouldn't go quite so far as to tell you this tart alone is worth a trip to Santa Fe, but...I am saying that if you are in Santa Fe, this tart is worth seeking out. Or maybe it will make you strongly consider Santa Fe for your next vacation.

Tree House Pastry Shop and Cafe, 163 Paseo de Peralta (inside of the DeVargas Center), Santa Fe, NM 87501; online here.

Sweet Times in Lewes, Delaware

March 6, 2013 Cakespy

Recently, I had the sweet good fortune of spending nearly a week in Lewes (pronounced "Lewis"), Delaware. I was there to paint a mural for three very lucky little girls in their home.

I already shared some process shots with you, but here are a few photos of the finished mural.

Mural in Delaware

But guess what, my friends? Muraling wasn't all I did in Lewes. I also ate some totally sweet treats.

First up was a breakfast of baked oatmeal at Café Azafrán. This does, I realize, veer slightly toward health food, but it was sweetened, and it was so freaking good that it needs to be mentioned. Somehow, the geniuses at this cafe have turned oatmeal into a baked brick of lightly sweetened deliciousness. It had the texture of crumb cake, and remained cohesive enough to handle, but had the taste of oatmeal. It was a splendid breakfast, and they will serve it with milk or yogurt (or just plain). Unfortunately the photos don't do it much justice, so you'll just have to trust me: it's well worth a try.

Although it is not food related, I should tell you that Lewes has a dutch history museum, and over the entryway...well...that looks a lot like a unicorn to me! Clearly, I was meant to mural here.

Back to the sweet stuff. Lewes also has a bakery. It's called Notting Hill Coffee Company, but it has a big sign above the store that says Lewes Bake Shop.

Now, instead of asking what I tried here, you should ask "what didn't you try?". Because it is the primary bake shop in town, and I was there for DAYS. So I got to try a lot.

Including...the "Ooey Gooey", a treat all their own which is described as "not a twist, a danish, a biscuit, or a sticky bun...it's all of the above!".

Visually, they look like a twisted cruller.

But taste-wise, they defy one definition. They're definitely ooey gooey. More solid than a doughnut. Not quite as sturdy as a biscuit. COVERED in gooey caramel icing stuff. Oh goodness are they good. It's possible that more than three were consumed during the muraling time.

This bakery featured a lot of sweets made with pastry dough rolled into sticks--including the "gorilla stick", which included a chocolatey nut mixture...

As well as the "Lewes Creation" which had a cinnamon-sugar-apple mixture smeared in the middle.

In both cases the pastries are surprisingly light and shatter when bitten, but are very pleasant in the mouth, indeed.

For breakfast treats, the croissants could not be beat. Here's the "Swiss Almond" one, made with a mixture of almond paste inside and almonds and chocolate on the outside. Yum.

Similarly delicious, though quite different than the croissant, was a sticky bun. Served in generous slabs and rich with caramelly topping and nuts, these yeasty rolls made mornings happy in this wintry seaside town.

The bakery also does coffee in several flavors (they are beyond happy to let you try all of them) and they do all sorts of flavored hot chocolates. My favorite was the one where they double the chocolate (no, really). It sounds like it might be too much, but trust me, it's not.

Oh, what a delicious trip! Thank you, Lewes, for the sweet memories.

Places mentioned:

Notting Hill Coffee, 124 2nd Street, Lewes, DE; online here.
Café Azafrán, 109 Market Street, Lewes, DE; online here.
Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE; more info here.

Interested in your own CakeSpy mural? E-mail jessieoleson@gmail.com.

CakeSpy Undercover: Potito's Italian American Pastries, Philadelphia

March 6, 2013 Cakespy

Where once, on Walnut Street, was the Philly Chocolate Company, now there is Potito's.

The chocolate company has moved, and Potito's has opened a center city outpost of their bakery, which is based in South Philadelphia.

And of course CakeSpy has visited. How could you NOT visit a place that offers a huge cannoli filled with millions of baby-cannoli?

Photo: ThrillistDudes, I know. I know. It's like witnessing the miracle of cannoli birth.

At the bakery, you'll be greeted with a generous display of baked goods, ranging from Italian classics (cookies by the pound, cannoli, lobster tails, etc) to American sweets (cupcakes, pies, etc). Because the bakery prides itself on being Italian-American, I decided to stick with an Italian roster of sweets to sample.

First up, the cannoli. At $3.95 each, I consider them fairly heftily priced, but obviously made with love and care. I've been told that in Chicago, there is a place that sells them for $9.00 per, though, so maybe I shouldn't focus so much on the cost, but rather tell you that the filling was dreamy?

Photo: Potito'sA rainbow cookie was highly satisfactory, a solid version of the Italian bakery staple.

Next up, an Italian ricotta tart. It's that lovely featured at the top of the post. Clearly they know their ricotta filling, which was a very nice texture and flavor. Lightly sweet and nicely complemented by a cocoa topping and strawberry on top. The crust was lightly sweet, making for a pleasant backdrop for the tart.

Potito's Bakery, two locations (Center City and South Philadelphia); online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Nook Bakery and Cafe, Philadelphia

February 24, 2013 Cakespy

There it is, hidden in plain sight in the middle of a busy city block: Nook Bakery.

I say hidden not because it really is, but because somehow I had walked by roughly a zillion times without ever actively noticing that it said "Bakery" on the door. I thought it was just a coffee shop! No offense to coffee shops, of course, but for me, bakeries hold higher interest.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that on the day I had my glasses prescription updated and finally noticed the word bakery, I went right in to buy something.

They have a very nice bakery display, including cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and bars. I hope nobody minds, but I snagged a few photos from their Yelp page to give you a better idea, because I only had my phone camera. Here are some of the things you might see there.

After much debate, I settled on a brownie and an apple custard bar.

Mostly, I am going to talk about the apple custard bar, though, because that was my favorite.

What seemed a pie like pastry molded into a Napoleon shaped brick, this apple custard bar had a sturdy bottom shortbread-y layer and a sturdy brown sugar crumb topping, but the inside was all gooey yum. The custard was smooth and played oh so nicely with the light spice of the apples, which permeated all parts with a sweetness that was most welcome to this mouth.

I would definitely need another.

I will certainly be visiting Nook again, and I have my sights set on more bar cookies and the delicious looking cupcakes (one of which is pictured above, courtesy the Nook Yelp page).

Nook Bakery and Cafe, 15 South 20th Street, Philadelphia; online here.

Sweet Times at Ms Goody Cupcake, Philadelphia

February 17, 2013 Cakespy

We're going to talk about Ms. Goody Cupcake today, I promise. But first. When you walk into a bakery, do you consider every single little thing that had to come into play for this experience to happen?

In your own life, zillions of little tiny things have happened, of course. But I'm talking now about the bakery itself. It may have started as a dream, but then it went through a strenuous time of buildout, health inspections, and refining recipes that work perfectly in a home kitchen to be suitable for commercial production and consumption. It boggles the mind.

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Gigi, the owner of Ms. Goody Cupcake in Philadelphia, and had the pleasure of learning more of her story. And with that, here are a few things you may not have known about this sweet little spot nestled in the up and coming East Passyunk area:

What's in a name? The name came to her in an unexpected way: at a big box store! Owner Gigi was debating cupcake shop names--she had already dismissed Gigi's as it was already taken, and had rejected several others that seemed to generic. Then, while in a Wal-Mart parking lot in New Jersey, she overheard a conversation in which one person called the other a "Ms. Goody Two-Shoes." She thought--that's it! Ms. Goody Cupcake was born.

Sweet Trivia: Gigi's husband owns a pizza shop a few blocks away. I found this impossibly romantic, the perfect marriage of the foods I always eat on my birthday!

Overcoming obstacles: On the day that she opened, Gigi slipped on the store's newly mopped floor and had to close! When she re-opened again, she suffered another injury shortly thereafter and had to close yet again! Luckily, her supportive neighborhood was ready and waiting for her sweet treats.

Playing favorites: Gigi doesn't like to play favorites, BUT. Her personal favorite cupcake from the menu is the Tiramisu cupcake, offered as a special on occasion, which features coffee and mascarpone. Yum.

Happy Hour: Ms. Goody cupcake does offer several boozy cupcake options. They're not available all the time, but they're popular when they are around. Beer-pretzel cupcake? Sounds perfect for Father's Day. Talk about a sweet buzz.

Now that I've given you some fun tidbits, let's talk about the cupcakes. There is a roster of about five flavors (basics, you know) that are always available, and then every day you'll see several other flavors that are specials. On the day I went, they included a "Banana Split" (banana cake, chocolate drizzle, cherry on top--pictured top), "Lunch Lady" (peanut butter and jelly), and "Holy Cannoli" (cannoli cream-esque frosting, bits of shell on the top - yum).

I tried one of their regular cupcakes--the "Pretty In Pink", which is a champagne cupcake available in the prettiest cake color, and the aforementioned "Banana Split". I thoroughly enjoyed my cupcake experience on both counts. I wouldn't call the cupcakes here fancy--but don't think that is an insult in any way. They are homey types of cakes, and that is sometimes very satisfying. The frostings are assertively dense, and perfectly sweet. The cake itself falls somewhere in the middle--not poundcakey, but definitely not spongey or over-light. The champagne cupcake had a nice bite from the champagne which was rather nice with the sweetness of the frosting. The banana cupcake was satisfyingly moist, but not to be confused with banana bread, ever, with all the sweetness happening on the upper level.

I also tried a cake truffle--once again, the "Pretty In Pink". You could still taste that little bite of the champagne, which was especially nice against the white chocolate coating, which can be so-o-o-o sweet sometimes. Nice.

Thought I didn't try them on this visit, they also have cookies, a different type of cake every week (Jewish Apple cake on the day of my visit), and doggie treats. They also offer custom cakes by request.

In the East Passyunk area? Go check them out, yo. It's a fun neighborhood to walk around in, as well.

Ms. Goody Cupcake, 1838 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia PA; online here.

Almond Croissant, Elizabeth Street Cafe, Austin TX

February 10, 2013 Cakespy

I have sampled the almond croissant by Elizabeth Street Cafe in Austin, and I found them highly satisfactory.

My path was indirect, however. Although I have been to the cafe, which specializes in Vietnamese food with a Frenchy twist, I actually sampled the croissant at the (sadly) now closed trailer La Boîte. It was a very cute spot: a trailer on a hill selling macarons, coffee, croissants and sandwiches. Here is a photo by Aimee Wenske and Jeff Kauffman.

I had visited after it was suggested by a reader; me and a buddy stopped by the pre-funk before breakfast at 24.

Which takes us back to that almond croissant.

It was supplied by the Elizabeth Street Cafe, I learned, and it was a fine specimen. A crackly exterior that did that nice shatter-crunch thing that a good croissant should do, in your mouth, not in your hand. A rich, almond-y flavor that permeated each bite. Crunchy almonds on top to give it a texture contrast with the smooth, slightly gooey interior. Overall, a very satisfying croissant experience.

That's all. Go get one yourself.

You can't enjoy one at La Boite anymore, but go right on over to Elizabeth Street Cafe, 1501 S. 1st Street, Austin; online here.

Happy New Year!

Hope it's been a magical summer for you.

Love, CakeSpy

Tree House Pastry Shop and Cafe, 163 Paseo de Peralta (inside of the DeVargas Center), Santa Fe, NM 87501; online here.