Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Hello Kookie, San Francisco

Love's sweet arrow (or was that the dentist's drill?) has struck CakeSpy's sweet tooth again--and its name is Hello Kookie.

Upon discovering their site through a DailyCandy Kids feature, an immediate sweet crush formed.

Hello Kookie was born when owner Dina couldn't find cute, simple and organic cookies for her son's birthday; teaming up with her buddy Wendy, they decided to create a cookie (or kookie, as they call it) which would be enjoyable for kids--but fun for parents too.

And to that point, their cookies are adorable without being too precious -- rendered in an anime style, these sweets are like beautiful graphics made edible.

But they also take taste seriously: their tagline is "cute...but not too cute to eat."

Currently these cookies are available via special order in the Bay Area; however, orders can also be shipped in the US. For more details, check out their FAQ page or keep updated on their progress via their blog!

CakeSpy Undercover: Mount Bakery, Bellingham, WA

In Washington, there is a mountain of keen interest to outdoorsy types called Mount Baker.

But to cake gumshoe-ing types, Bellingham's Mount Bakery is a much more palatable proposition.

This place isn't strictly a bakery--it is also a cafe serving breakfast (including a gorgeous Eggs Benedict, if you're into that savory stuff) and lunch items. But we're here to talk about the sweet stuff right now.

On our recent visit, after the requisite period of analyzing the choices, we settled on some solid choices: the black bottom muffin and the Linzer Cookie.

Now, for those who have not been initiated into the black bottom muffin club, they are basically one of the best muffins out there (with a possible rival in the doughnut muffin), in that they don't even pretend to be healthy: they're largely comprised of cream cheese and chocolate. Dense and moist, taster Nicole commented that she was impressed how the cream cheese taste permeated the entire muffin--definitely a decadent treat.

And as for the Linzer Cookie (the cookie version of the famous tart by the same name)--oh, what a cookie.

For one thing, it already wins points because it's a sandwich cookie--and everyone knows that sandwich cookies are basically the best excuse to eat two cookies at once and not be judged.

But it's even better when the cookies are excellent, like these: they're lightly crumbly (not quite as much as a pecan sandy, say, but slightly more than a sugar cookie), extremely buttery, and nicely complemented with a layer of slightly tart preserves and a sweet layer of confectioners' sugar on top.

(Oh, and as a P.S. -- right next door is a cupcake shop which says "coming soon" called Icing on the Cake!)

Mount Bakery, 308 W Champion St, Bellingham, WA 98225; online at mountbakery.com.

Cake Byte: Whoopie Pies in Harrods Department Store

Now, I know I declared that no way were whoopie pies going to be the next big thing. But according to CakeSpy readers Ellie and Shamila, who both reported on the fact that the trendsetting Harrods department store in London, is now stocking the cream-filled sweet burgers in their food halls, could that be changing?

Here's the scoop from the Harrods site:

Originally a New England phenomenon, the craze for these cookie-textured treats has already swept America where they are flying off the shelves at speciality shops and boutique bakeries up and down the country. Harrods pastry chefs have expertly crafted four of these delectable delicacies, creating luxurious Whoopies based on the time-honoured recipe of the pies. Each comprises two delicious cake pillows filled with homemade buttercream and topped with cute edible couture.

Shoppers will be tempted by:

• The Classic, a heady mix of dark chocolate cakes, vanilla cream and sparkly couture
• A seasonal Gingerbread, slightly spicy and adorned with chocolate and mini polka dots
• A Pistachio extravaganza featuring green fondant icing and finished with edible glitter and silver balls
• The retro Red Velvet, made with chocolate cakes, peanut butter cream, burgundy fondant and topped with sugar hearts.

I still don't know about them being the next big thing, but I sure do know I'd like to take a big bite of any (or all) of the varieties on offer in Harrods!

Do or Donut: The German Chocolate Cake Donut from Rocket Donuts, Bellingham WA

Every so often, a donut comes along that can only be described as a holey experience.

And this baby is worth a pilgrimage to Rocket Donuts in Bellingham, Washington: The German Chocolate Cake Donut. 

Now, the whole theory behind Rocket Donuts, which boasts a cool, sci-fi inspired interior, is that "donuts just ain't serious business"--the idea being that donuts are an indulgence, something fun, and something to be enjoyed. No, they're not healthy, but they do you good. 

But while they claim not to take themselves seriously, the donuts are indeed serious business. With a gorgeous display filled with varieties including a perfect Homer Simpson pink frosted cake donut with sprinkes, pretty crullers, several vegan options, and even a devilish maple bacon bar (not one of the vegan options), deciding on just a couple of flavors was difficult. 

Ultimately, we (myself and CakeSpy buddy Nicole) chose several cake varieties, including the chocolate frosted cake with coconut on top, the Homer Simpson (my term, not theirs), and the donut of the month, the German Chocolate Cake.

While all flavors had a dense and flavorful crumb, the flavor of the month really took the cake. The donut itself had an understated chocolate flavor which wasn't overpowering, but rather perfectly balanced by a thick slathering of traditional coconut-rich German chocolate cake frosting, which added moisture and richness to every bite. The sweet little cherry on top not only added an extra dose of sweetness, but it sure was cute too (and cuteness cannot be underrated in baked goods).

To sum it all up? When classic cake flavor meets cake donut, each bite is like a little jaunt to Bliss City. Of course, if you don't like coconut, bet you wouldn't turn away one of these:

Rocket Donuts, 306 W. Holly St. (Corner of Holly and Bay, Downtown Bellingham), 360.671.6111; online at rocketdonuts.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on My Kids' Cookies, Bainbridge Island WA

Cookies are one of those foods fraught with nostalgia--few people can think of freshly baked cookies without sweet memories of the mom, dad, grandma, or neighbor who baked them. And that is the idea behind Bainbridge Island-based My Kids' Cookies, a retail bakery run by Barbara Reininger, who, according to their website,

began baking these fabulous cookies when her children were young. Having a love of chocolate chip cookies, but not able to eat them all, she began to give them away to friends. Her children wanted to share with their friends too, so they created the cookie raffle. They'd pick a friends name and off they'd go to deliver ‘just because’ cookies. More than one of the happy beneficiaries suggested that Barbara begin selling her cookies and the rest is My Kids' Cookies history. Barbara used to bake cookies to get her kids to do their homework. Now she's baking cookies to pay for college.

But not only is the story sweet--so are the cookies. Since they opened in 2007, they have branched out from the chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal varieties to offer a number of other delicious cookies and sweets as well: milk chocolate peanut butter delights and gorgeous slabs of buttery shortbread, as well as some non-cookie goods like brownies, pumpkin muffins and cupcakes--many of which can also be shipped nationwide.

Perhaps the best thing about My Kids' Cookies is that while they have grown, they've still remained very true to their humble beginnings: simple, unfussy, but very good treats that would taste just as good today as they would have after school when you were little. Oh, and they've maintained a great sense of humor, too.

My Kids' Cookies retail bakery is located at 9723 Coppertop Loop NE, #202, Bainbridge Island, WA; a variety of their baked goods can be shipped and are available for purchase online at mykidscookies.com; if you want yet more, you can keep in contact via their blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Sweet Love: A Valentine's Day Bakery Crush on Fields of Cake in Maine

Question: What is love?

Answer: Love is sweet, rich, and full of butter. And this Valentine's Day season, the collective CakeSpy heart has been captured by the sweet treats made by Fields of Cake, a Brunswick, Maine-based custom order baking operation which (joyfully!) is able to ship a select few sugary sweets nationwide.

So what kind of sweets could you get by mail? Here's a roundup:

Red Hots Fudge: White Chocolate Fudge with just enough crushed red hots for a creamy, spicy balance that is out of this world! $6/ 8 ounce box

Red Velvet Whoppidy-Do’s (pictured top): Red Velvet whoopie pies filled with scrumptious Amaretto Buttercream and half dipped in White Chocolate and beautiful edible red glitter. Amazing. $9/ half dozen

Fresh Raspberry Truffles: Fresh Raspberries, filled with a bit of almond paste then dipped in silky dark chocolate. $12/ 8 ounces (note: these are not shippable)

Fresh Strawberry Marshmallows: Beautiful light pink swirled clouds of strawberry sweetness. If you have never tasted a homemade marshmallow, DON’T miss out on this. They are heaven. $9/ dozen

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies: As big as a saucer, with chunks of delicious fine dark chocolate. These cookies are crispy on the edges and soft and chewy in the center made with 3 kinds of sugar and a few of my own secrets. $15/ dozen

Chocolate Toffee Marshmallows: A light delicious vanilla bean marshmallow swirled with fine dark chocolate and chunks of toffee. Insane! $9/ Dozen

Heartbreaker Cupcakes: Chocolate cupcakes, filled with chocolate chunks and smoked sea salt caramel, topped with chocolate ganache and white chocolate buttercream. (shipped cupcakes will be in mason jars) $21/ half dozen

Combo Pack: 4 pieces of Red Hots Fudge, 2 Whoopidy-Do’s, 4 Truffles, 4 of each Marshmallow and 2 Giant cookies. Blissful Excess at it’s best. $18/pack (Note: If you are having the combo pack shipped to you, the truffles will be swapped for either 4 extra pieces of fudge or 4 extra marshmallows, your choice).

Want to order? You can check out the Fields of Cake shop, or contact Head Baker Carrie by email at carrielynnfields@gmail.com or by phone (so old-school!) at (207)449-7982.

Hopeless Quandary: A Quest for the Elusive Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

There are probably worse things than having a craving for a particular sweet which you cannot satisfy.

Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind at the moment.

This is why, when CakeSpy reader Stephanie sent a plaintive plea a few weeks ago inquiring about Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, I couldn't help but feel her pain.

Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, you say? Yes, friends. It exists. It's a rare holiday treat produced by Haagen Daz which includes delicious swirls of the beloved holiday confection. It's so much more than just peppermint--and don't you dare confuse them.

But with such deliciousness as this, why was it so hard to locate?

As Stephanie reported, she visited several retail outlets (grocery stores, big box stores, etc) which advertised the dear dairy stuff--some of which even had it specifically advertised in their freezer aisle--but nary a pint was to be found.

On her urging, I too took up the cause, but to no avail--the sweet stuff seemed to be impossible to find in Seattle (although I did discover this--Take The Cake ice cream!).

But just when she was about to start drafting a strongly worded letter to Haagen Daz, a little lightbulb went off. After all...doesn't Seattle happen to be the home of the only Haagen-Dazs store in the Northwest? As Stephanie reported, "I googled "Haagen-Dazs ice cream" and the store was the first thing on the list, so I called and she said she had it. The pictures show the freezer case at Fred Meyer and the absence of the ice cream, despite the huge picture; the ice cream store owner who packed it for me and the cute thing she wrote on top.

So after all that, how was the ice cream? "It's a lovely ice cream, pepperminty, for sure. The white chocolate flavor is very subtle. I think if snow had a flavor it would be peppermint bark ice cream." Though she notes that one could "probably make an excellent substitute with any good vanilla ice cream and pieces of peppermint bark", ultimately it was worth the quest--"I always look forward to the Ghirardelli peppermint bark that is everywhere this time of year, that's why I was so obsessed with finding the ice cream."