Sherlock Scones: Alice's Tea Cup, NYC

Alice's Tea Cup in New York City is a magical place. Well, actually, magical places--there are three, cleverly entitled "Chapter One"...and so on.

Why so magical? Well. It is an establishment based around the idea that tea need not be relegated only to teatime. It is Alice in Wonderland-themed. They have delicious scones.

Honestly, the only thing they're missing is a bunny hopping around telling you to “eat this”. Which, I suspect, might have happened if I had stayed around a little longer.

I had the great pleasure of visiting this establishment (the Upper West Side location, down the street from my new building crush, 126 W. 73rd street, which resembles a slice of wedding cake with draguees, really it does) with my extreme cake crush Elisa Strauss (you may know her as the famous cakemaker to the stars who released the books The Confetti Cakes Cookbook and Confetti Cakes For Kids, or from her numerous TV appearances). We ventured down the rabbit hole and enjoyed tea and scones. Here we are together to prove it:

But luckily, the scones also taste good. The basic buttermilk biscuit was a drier, more biscuity sort, which definitely needed cream and preserves (don't you dare not order the preserves and cream); far more interesting was the pumpkin variety, which was lightly sweet, more moist, and had a delicate glaze on top. The scones were actually on the saltier side (a definite pro for me), so they were perfect when topped with the sweet preserves, each and every sweet and salty bite a teatime revelation.

Perhaps the loveliest thing, though, is that these scones are so clearly in their natural element, and the full experience of eating them surrounded by a sort of magical-realism world is very queenly indeed. In fact, I may or may not have found myself humming a line from the animated Disney Alice In Wonderland movie as I exited...”you can learn a lot of things from the flours...especially in the month of June...”

Final thoughts: Alice's Tea Cup makes for a golden afternoon. If you can't make it to NYC this very instant, you can at least buy their cookbook, Alice's Tea Cup: Delectable Recipes for Scones, Cakes, Sandwiches, and More from New York's Most Whimsical Tea Spot.

Alice's Tea Cup, 102 west 73^rd Street; online here.

Pastry Profiles: Chocolate-Filled Shortbread Cookie, Whole Foods Lower East Side NYC

So, shortbread is pretty great. But you know what's even MORE great?

Shortbread that looks like a pretty little pouf, and then when you bite into it, it's filled with chocolate ganache. Awesome! As my friend James said, "the only thing that could make it better would be if it were filled with Nutella."

This sweet and heavenly bite was scored at Whole Foods on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was made on-site at their bakery, and it cost 99 cents. And I will tell you the truth, I really only went in and bought it because I had to use the bathroom.

But I was unexpectedly rewarded! This sweet treat was easily filed under “crazy delicious” upon the first bite, when a geyser of ganache burst through the cookie and into my mouth. The buttery, lightly salty shortbread worked perfectly with the smooth chocolate; the humidity in the air on the day of my visit made the chocolate a little bit gooey, but that just meant this cookie needed to be eaten quickly and assertively. No problem.

I asked about the cookie, and they say it's available fairly regularly, and one employee said "it's pretty much the best thing here." So you know what to do... 

Whole Foods, 95 E. Houston Street, NYC. Online here.

Pastry Profiles: Oatmeal Fudge Brownie at Gill's Deli, Rutland VT

Gill's Deli in Rutland, VT, is famous for its sandwiches.

But, you know, they also have a nice little array of home-baked goodies too.

When I went to Gill's as a sandwich ambassador for Serious Eats (my title, not theirs) I was able to scope out the bakery case, too, and pick up some treats.

But the one I want to tell you about is the Oatmeal fudge brownie.

Sort of like a chocolate fudge bar cookie on the base, this baby was studded with a sweet, crunchy oat topping which added a nice, nutty flavor, as well as a satisfying heartiness to the bar. Not a fancy treat by any means, it was a nostalgic, lunchbox style treat that was charming to find among the sandwiches, and worth picking one up if you find yourself in the environs.

Gill's Deli, Rutland, VT. Online here.

Love Letter to the Vanilla Kreme Donut at Dunkin' Donuts

Dear Vanilla Kreme Donut of Dunkin' Donuts,

You may have suspected this for some time, but I'd like to put it out there so it no longer tortures my soul from within:

I love you.

I love you, I love you, I love you. I have since the first time we met, on a serendipitous day in my third or fourth year, as a child growing up in suburban New Jersey. At that time, Dunkin' Donuts still allowed smoking, and was a popular hangout for recovering alcoholics, who could belly up to the donut bar at the location next to Foodtown on 18th Avenue, buy cigarettes at the vending machine conveniently located in the store, and drink unlimited coffee and eat donuts and talk about how long you'd all been sober and how deeply, extremely happy you all were.

I love how you're an elusive beast of a sweet treat: not every Dunkin' location has you. And even of the ones that do, not all versions are created equal. Some locations serve a version that looks like a jelly doughnut from the outside, but has a Kreme filling instead; some are served with a dollop of Kreme filling served on top, as a garnish; some have it coming out of the side, where the Kreme is piped in. Some versions have sprinkles. For the record, my ideal version is the one where the excess Kreme is piped out the side in a pretty pouf, with sprinkles.

I love how sometimes (oh, beautiful times!) when I purchase you, you are so full of Kreme filling that you weigh as much as a brick (the sweetest and best brick ever). Sometimes the Kreme filling is paltry, but I still love those times I have with you--just slightly less.

I love how your filling is called Kreme, not "Cream" or even "Creme". There is no illusion being made here that your filling is in any way healthy or good for me. And I appreciate that honesty.

I love how, when put in the freezer, the Kreme filling hardens into a sweet, hard (but not frozen) mass, and the experience of eating you, dear donut, can therefore be stretched out, sucking on the Kreme filling until it gently melts on my tongue.

I love how you make me a believer in yeast doughnuts, which are usually too airy and disappointing to me, but your Kreme filling adds the substantial aspect I seek in a sweet treat.

I love how you leave your mark upon me, leaving me looking like some sort of cocaine fiend after I've devoured you--and though you are a drug, the powder is far more benign, made of confectioners' sugar.

It is true: from time to time I have strayed. I have had a fling or two with Chocolate Kreme, but it cannot compare. There's just something about you, Vanilla Kreme, with that filling that tastes like the most wonderful donut filling adaptation of store bought birthday cake frosting, that I simply cannot quit.

And I never want to quit you, dear donut. Ours is a forever kind of love. And even though I live in Seattle, where we do not have Dunkin' Donuts, I promise to visit you whenever I return to Dunkin' Donuts country.

Love, CakeSpy

For a Dunkin' Donuts location close to you, visit dunkindonuts.com.

Sweet Sandwich: Bavarian Waffle from The Danish Bakery, Leavenworth WA

Oh, hi. Let's talk about something I got to eat recently. It was called "Bavarian Waffle".

A Bavarian Waffle is probably not what you'd think it would be simply judging by the name. It's not at all like a Belgian Waffle, for instance. It's not necessarily like a stroopwafel (Dutch syrup waffle) either, although that's more of a start.

Picture a stroopwafel--now shape it like a demi-baguette. Now, add a second slice of this stretched-out stroopwafel-y thing, and sandwich both crispy discs with a thick Bavarian cream and berry preserves. The crispy waffle-y bits were perfect with the cream in the middle; the strawberry was a nice touch, if anything it could have been a little less syrupy, but overall decidedly enjoyable.

Of course, if mystery waffles that look like baguette sandwiches aren't your thing, you could go for one of these figure-8 shaped "cherry custard" pastries (just power past the unfortunate typestyle choice):

...or a burnt cream danish, cinnamon crisp (like a large, flat cinnamon roll) or some Kringle. Or a pretzel, which are one of their signature items, judging by the carbohydrates that line the entryway and even the light fixtures.

Danish Bakery, 731 Front Street, Leavenworth. Read more here.

Via Delicious: Via Dolce Gelato, Leavenworth, WA

Dear Twitter: I love you. Because when I say "I am going to this town, what bakeries should I visit?" I get many many great suggestions. I believe this is what they call "crowd sourcing". And when it comes to seeking out sugary sweets to eat, it rules.

And this is how I came to discover Via Dolce Gelato in Leavenworth, WA (thanks, Dalipardon). Now, one might not think that a traditional Italian treat would be the thing to seek out in a Bavarian village, but One Would Be Wrong.

Via Dolce is passionate about their art, with a website which will not only educate you, but will make you very hungry. But not as hungry as looking at their lovely chilled case, which contains a rainbow of possibilities. I kept it pretty beige, with a scoop of Toasted Almond and a second of Stracciatella.

What both scoops had in common was that they were both highly delicious, creamy and dreamy and yet somehow still light--they didn't linger thickly but rather kept you coming back for more (and made me wonder why gelato is served by the scoop rather than by the vat).

But the real standout was the Stracciatella (don't ask me to pronounce it, I tried to when ordering and then was corrected, and had been so wrong that I blushed). What does Stracciatella taste like, you ask? Well, it's kind of like meeting chocolate chip ice cream's relative from the Old Country, who does everything the old (and better) way. Made up of creamy vanilla speckled with shreds, rather than chips, of chocolate, and it is clearly the way to go--they melt as you go and don't have a distracting texture like chips. You can find a recipe for it here.

Via Dolce Gelato, Leavenworth, WA; online at viadolcegelato.com.

Pass the Torchetti: Torchetti Cookies from Cle Elum Bakery, WA

The other day, I found myself in a magical land called Cle Elum.

Now, don't ask me how to pronounce the name of the town--but do ask me what I ate there, because I did find a magical place called Cle Elum Bakery.

I ate something called Torchetti, that's what. This is a traditional Italian cookie which I learned more frequently goes by Torcetti, which means "little twist"--which, you know, describes them pretty well. Physically they resemble Berlinerkranser or Calabrian Love Knots, but texture and taste-wise they are different; where aforementioned cookies are crumbly and buttery, these biscuits are more hearty and sturdier in texture with the addition of yeast, more like lightly sweet biscuits than butter cookies.

As I learned from this segment,

The recipe itself is very old, indicated by the use of yeast, not baking powder, for leavening.  These cookies are from the Piedmont region of northern Italy.  Turin, Piedmont's capital, was also Italy's first capital.  The city preserves remarkable architectural and cultural treasures.

They're a very nice snacking cookie, no matter what you want to call them or how you want to spell it.

Of course, if you can't make it up (or over?) to Cle Elum, you can try this recipe (adapted from Taste of Home):

Torchetti (or Torcetti)

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• Additional confectioners' sugar

Procedure

1. Place flour in a large bowl; cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and 2 cups of the crumb mixture; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in remaining crumb mixture.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 3-4 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down; divide into six portions. Shape each portion into twelve 6-in. ropes, about 1/4-in. thick; roll in confectioners' sugar. Shape each rope into a loop. Holding both ends of loop, twist together three times.
4. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Roll warm cookies in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. 

Stella! Cookies from Stella Pastry, North Beach, San Francisco

I love North Beach, in San Francisco. It's so touristy it's kitschy, and because of that, it kinda has soul. Kind of like an old Italian grandma who likes to wear rhinestones (spoken like a Spy who has a grandma who likes to wear rhinestones, no?).

And the bakeries are old-school, with the rows and rows of butter cookies that seem to be the hallmark of an Italian Bakery.

So when I visited Stella Pastry, I chose a sweet assortment of these sweet treats to sample: a rainbow sprinkled butter cookie, a pignoli cookie, and a russian teacake (I am not sure what they call them in Italian?).

Now, it's hard to say this without sounding like I'm making a jab, but let me try. These cookies are typically not the standout menu at Italian bakeries--for instance, at Stella, they seem proudest of their Sacripantina slice. Frequently, these cookies are somewhat dry (not to say they are stale, just drier in texture). It is that they are wonderful to look at, taste like sweet nostalgia, and always pair beautifully with milky coffee. Even if you don't have a glitzy Italian grandma, for a moment, you can pretend that she baked these for you.

And you'll get that sweet treat with a kick of nostalgia at Stella Pastry. So go visit!

Stella Pastry, 446 Columbus Ave, San Francisco. Online here.

I'm Smitten: Smitten Ice Cream, San Francisco

Smitten Ice Cream should receive a badge for "Very Adorably Named Ice Cream Establishment".

But should they receive a badge for "Extremely Delicious Product"?

Yes, yes, yes. I had the pleasure of visiting this establishment, in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, yesterday, with my friends Phil and Matt. We had some time to kill before seeing Tales Of The City, the Musical (no, really) so we decided to spend it carb-o-loading. 

Smitten is a sort of semi-permanent pop-up establishment made, strangely but delightfully, out of a recycled shipping container, and they make your ice cream to order.

We chose the "always available" flavor entitled TCHO 60.5% Dark Chocolate. We declined the offers to "Make it “hot” chocolate?" by adding candied jalapeño or topping it with coconut brittle, although they were very enticing.

Now, you have to have a few minutes to spend here, because they basically make the ice cream to order. It's true:

In the pursuit of creating better ice cream, Robyn Sue Goldman spent two years developing a one-of-a-kind ice cream machine, now named “Kelvin.” Kelvin’s uniqueness stems from its ability to make the smoothest, tastiest ice cream from scratch in 60 seconds. How? Kelvin runs on liquid nitrogen.  

Kelvin the machine takes a few minutes, but ultimately you're rewarded: this chocolate ice cream was not so much ice cream as like eating a melted, creamy chocolate truffle. And I mean this in a good way. It was extremely thick and very flavorful, and tasted like it was the opposite of low-fat. That is to say, awesome.

Worth a visit, but be warned that if there is a line, you're in for a serious wait. Sweet tip: a local told us that the other pop-up establishment sharing the recycling container, Ritual Coffee Roasters, has a "killer caramelized macaroon".

Smitten Ice Cream, 432 Octavia Street, San Francisco. Online here.

Best Friands Forever: The Chocolate Friand at Tartine, San Francisco

Visiting Tartine is kind of like a Mandatory Activity for any lover of baked goods while visiting San Francisco. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure, that the Pastry Gods will smite you with thunderbolts of artificial sweetener if you don't.

Let me tell you. I've been there before. I've tried the Morning Buns. I've sampled the gougeres, the eclairs, the meringues. But on this visit, I went for some smaller treats: a coconut macaroon and the Friand.

I shared the macaroon (so giving!) but the Friand was all mine. And it was a good Friand to me.

A friand, in case you were wondering, is sort of like a Financier, the sponge cakey almond cookie that I think is slightly better than the madeleine.

But this one was especially special—it was served in a little candy cup not unlike peanut butter cups, and the cakey cookie was chocolate-flavored...and, like most of the good things in life, it was topped with a nice dollop of chocolate ganache.

Now. It is worth noting that a Friand is also someone who is "cultured, having good taste"...so clearly, this Friand was well matched with me.

Find your own Best Friand, or something else delicious, at Tartine, 600 Guerrero Street, San Francisco. Online here.

Cake Byte: Trophy Cupcakes Debuts Pina Colada Cupcakes for June

Do you like Pina Coladas? Do you like Cupcakes? Well, lucky you: Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes has combined these sweet treats.

What makes up a Pina Colada cupcake? Inspired by the classic cocktail's flavors, this sweet treat is comprised of a pineapple coconut cupcake topped in coconut rum buttercream--all prettily topped with a maraschino cherry. 

Per the Trophy Cupcakes newsletter,

This seasonal flavor is our staff pick for our "Best Cupcake Ever", and it is no wonder why... Coconut Cupcake, caramelized pineapple, Sailor Jerry's Coconut Rum Buttercream, a cherry... and to top it off a paper umbrella! Helllloo Summer! 

I'd go so far as to say that any hour this cupcake is consumed is an extremely Happy Hour. But watch out--other flavors might get jealous!

Pina Colada Cupcakes, available all June at all Trophy Cupcakes locations. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow them on Twitter and on Facebook!

Cake Byte: Cupcake Royale Debuts Raspberry Rhubarb Cupcakes for June

The weather may not be very warm, but sweet signs of summer are evident at Cupcake Royale with the debut of their new flavor of the month for June: Raspberry Rhubarb!

What do they have to say about it? Raspberry Rhubarb is here!! Tart & Sweet. Come 'n' get it!

Well, that's simple enough.

You can get it all month long at Cupcake Royale; for locations and hours and availability, visit cupcakeroyale.com.

Capitol Sweetness: Cake Gumshoe Stephanie Visits Three Washington DC Bakeries

CakeSpy Note: Cake Gumshoe Stephanie is a bona fide Cool Dudette, and when she visited DC, she shared her favorite bakery finds and even had a chat with one of my personal cake-maker crushes, Warren Brown. Want to read about her adventures? Go for it:

While in DC, we stayed in contact with the main office of CakeSpy and were alerted that the Red Velvet Cupcakery was recommended. It was late on a warm night when we stopped by and most of the business was oriented towards frozen yogurt, but I snagged a "Birthday Cake" cupcake with a little sprinkle of sugar confetti. It was not a party in my hand, but a tasty cake.

Strolling along the C&O Canal in Georgetown, we spied Baked and Wired.

Completely drawn in by the excellence of their display, but unwilling to carry cupcakes the rest of the rainy day, a couple of delicious cookies were squirreled away for later (self portrait in the window, above!)

Last day in DC, we strolled by CakeLove on our way to the infamous Ben's Chili Bowl. Friendly faces in the bakery drew us in as much as the likelihood of sweet treats. While taking a quick photo of the cupcake case, we were greeted by a melodic "Welcome to cakelove." Turned to see a smiling face that matched the photo on the cover of the book on the counter. It was the man himself, Warren Brown. We talked at length about Italian Buttercream made without Crisco, the ratio of frosting to cake, and Cakespy and her store and blog (which has featured Mr. Brown's recipes!). The strawberry frosted chocolate cupcake was easily the best of my DC sweets. Warren, if you catch this - thanks for the chat! Next time, we'll make a beeline to Love Cafe if we want to eat breakfast on U Street. It was a pleasure to meet you.

Places mentioned:

Red Velvet Cupcakery

Baked & Wired

CakeLove

Where I Want To Live: Taffy Town, Salt Lake City, Utah

Taffy Town, Population: YOU.

Or at least it could be. Because friends, this place actually exists. It is a candy factory, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Now, this company is magical in more ways than one. First of all, it opened my eyes to the fact that Saltwater Taffy, which I knew from growing up by the Jersey Shore, exists outside of the tri-state area. True, many accounts point to it being invented there (NJ pride!), but there are pockets of Taffy Territory elsewhere in the US: notably by the Oregon Coast, and also--news to me--in Salt Lake City.

I learned of this company in a roundabout way--while visiting a Bavarian Village in Central Washington. It's true. While visiting a Das Sweet Shoppe, a candy shop in Leavenworth, WA, I was impressed with the vast array of taffies in flavors from Buttered Popcorn to caramel to Cinnamon Bun (!) to Apple Pie to Huckleberry, and asked "are these made on premises?". 

No, the kind employee informed me, almost apologetically, the candies came from a company in Salt Lake City. 

Say what?

It's true, she said: these taffies were made by a company called Taffy Town, which had the best taffy she'd ever tasted--worth shipping, undoubtedly--made using salt from THE Salt Lake.

Well, that was interesting enough to get me to buy a half pound of the sweet stuff (one of which had a heart--no, really! I checked the site, and they don't usually), and to (with mouth full of taffy, which was, as hoped, salty-sweet-smooth and delicious) check out their website.

It's true, this company is like...Taffy City. Or at least Taffy Town, which makes their company name apropos. Apparently, after many years in the candy biz, they decided Taffy was their...ah, sweet spot:

For over 79 years we were known as Glade Candy Company offering individuals the finest in Gourmet Taffy.  In 1995, our name was changed to "Taffy Town"  to reflect our total dedication to taffy excellence.  We then expanded to serve a World Wide market.  Using a whipped process that produces a soft texture taffy that simply melts in your mouth, we then add the finest in domestic and imported flavors to obtain perfection in confection.

In case you didn't catch it, my favorite bit: "total dedication to taffy excellence."

While they make it VERY CLEAR IN ALL CAPS THAT THEY DO NOT GIVE TOURS OF THEIR PRODUCTION FACILITY, you can get the following from a visit:

Come in today and see over 60 different flavors of our rich tasting taffy to delight every palate.  In addition to our taffy, we offer you our NEW fresh creamy smooth fudge, and other gourmet candy creations.  We have all sorts of GIFT IDEAS:  including a Taffy Town Gift Certificate!  Also, we have a video playing on our big screen showing how we make the taffy.

Of course, if this alone doesn't seem worth a visit to Utah, here's a link to their retailers. Check out the Taffy Town website here.

Triple Sweet: Triple Berry Oat Bar from Sultan Bakery, WA

If you've read this site more than, oh, once, you probably know that I have a deep distrust of fruit in my dessert (it really does kind of dip a toe into "health food" territory). 

But in the case of the Triple Berry Bar from Sultan Bakery (the most beautiful sight along Highway 2 in Washington), the berries make for a triple threat of awesome.

Tart, sweet, but definitely berry-like, the suspiciously healthy fruit filling (which is also sort of a lie, because I suspect the "triple berry" was made up of marionberry, blueberry, and rhubarb--which I don't think is a berry) is not dumbed down by sugar but allowed to shine in the middle--but don't despair, because there is plenty of sugar on both the top and bottom to cancel out the lack of (added) sugar in the middle. A buttery cookie base acts as the anchor for this sweet treat, and the top contains a brownsugaroatbutter topping--spaces deleted because I want you to know how it tasted--and when it all comes together, it makes for some sort of "tastes like early summer" sort of magic. The middle is natural, but the top and bottom of the bar, baked with the natural bounty, make it...well, supernatural.

Buy some of this bliss for yourself at Sultan Bakery (also the home of delicious doughnuts), 711 W. Stevens Ave., Sultan; it's also fairly similar to the Mazurka Bar, the odyssey to the root of which and a recipe for which you can read about here.

Wickedly Delicious: Wicked Whoopie Pies, Freeport Maine

Whoopie pies are basically the best excuse to eat two large, cakey cookies at once, with a big smear of frosting holding them together.

There are two places in particular in the US in which this sweet treat proliferates: Pennsylvania and Maine. The style is slightly different in both places, and if you want to read about who truly invented it, you can read this great article in the New York Times.

And of course, in Maine there's even an added dimension of controversy, because the race between Whoopie Pie and Blueberry Pie as official state dessert was quite a hot debate.

But at this moment, we're going to set aside controversy and backstory and simply talk about some Whoopie Pies that I ate in Maine, from Wicked Whoopies. I went there shortly after I visited a big boot with Carrie of Fields of Cake.

If this place looks kind of corporate when you walk in, that's because it is; they have a retail storefront in the Freeport Outlets in Maine (and another in Farmingdale), but also have a very large mail-order business. 

Initially I found it slightly off-putting that each pie was individually cello wrapped in the style of Twinkies or lower-market treats, but I was extremely impressed by the variety of flavors--banana! Red Velvet! Pumpkin! Lemon!... and pretty much I got over it once I unwrapped slowly and saw what treasures awaited.

First off, the Maple Whoopie Pie. The cookie-cakes were extremely moist and redolent of that gorgeously mellow maple flavor; the cream filling was the perfect complement, extremely rich, pairing the mellowness of the maple with a nostalgically and fairly unforgivingly sweet charm. I say this in a loving way. It was a mouthful of awesome.

But the real highlight was the chocolate-covered mini whoopie pie ("whoop-de-doo"). these were under a dome and were not individually cello-wrapped, which made them feel slightly more pinkies-out.

Now, you might think that topping a cream-filled double-chocolate cookie sandwich would be gilding the lily, but you know, it actually didn't come off as excessive in the taste. The thin chocolate shell added a nice texture contrast, and kind of crunch-melted into the soft cookie as you bit into it. This was a fairly pleasurable experience to repeat over and over until the cookie was all the way gone. 

Final verdict: not pinkies-out fancy, but double-fist, big-time tasty.

Wicked Whoopies has two locations in Maine, but you can also order online; find out locations and order online here.

10 Reasons to Be Excited About The Confectional's Second Location in Seattle

A new bakery in town is ALWAYS a reason to celebrate. But here are 10 reasons, in no particular order, to be extra-excited about the opening of a second location (in Capitol Hill!) for The Confectional, a specialty mini-cheesecake seller with another location in the Pike Place Market:

1. Passionfruit Cheesecake. With Seeds. On Purpose. So, though he is American, one of the owners, Paul, spent a few years living in New Zealand, and as such is inspired by the flavors of his for a while hometown. And he's bringing a popular NZ flavor to this stateside sweet: Passionfruit! But unlike many passionfruit-flavored sweets to be found in the US (which are pretty rare to begin with), he's made the decision to include the seeds, because, as he says, "that's where the flavor is!". This sweet flavor will debut at the grand opening on June 4.
2. Bigger facilities. This means they have more room to experiment and dream up new flavors--they have thoughts (nothing definite yet) of further exploration into owner Paul's past in New Zealand (ANZAC biscuit crust, anyone?), and there was even some crazy-talk of possibly adding savory cheesecake to the menu.
3. Everything's like, totally natural, ingredient-wise. Cage Free Eggs and all that business. When they told me that there were no trans fats or hydrogenated oils on their menu, I was all like "Duh", because we are in Seattle and the Granola People Will Not Stand For That. But, you know, it's still impressive.
4. I can tell you a secret: bakery owners never tell you the truth when you ask "what's the best thing here?" because, you know, they take pride in your product. But I have a pretty good idea based on the way that they talked with extra love about certain flavors that the favorites of the owners (respectively) are the Mint Cookie Cheesecake (above) and the Caramel Cheesecake (below).
5. Gluten-Freedom. The chocolate-coated cheesecake truffles are all gluten-free, my wheat-wary friends! They can do gluten-free (crustless) cheesecakes too, upon request.
6. A Good Crust to Filling Ratio. Don't know about you, but huge slices of cheesecake often have too much cheese, and too little crust to offer a flavor and texture complement. When served in mini portions though, there's plenty of crust to add a nice cookielike dimension to the creamy cheesecake flavor.
7. Colombian Hot Chocolate. Description: "This delightful concoction, created by owner Paul Verano, is an homage to a recipe passed down from his Abuelita Tutu. Paul’s version is the thick European-style drinking chocolate that satisfies serious chocolate cravings." This stuff is good, and now they have a coffee adaptation of it. Yeah!
8. Everyone who works there is extremely attractive and nice. This does matter.
9. More mail-order. Even if you're not in Seattle, the bigger space is allowing them to expand their mail-order business. Cheesecake by mail? You bet your bottom dollar. 
10. If I really need to give you one more reason to be excited about a new sugar-shilling establishment in Seattle, we have Big Problems.

Go there! The grand opening is on June 4. In the meantime, the opening is soft, but the cheesecake is HARDCORE on Broadway, right next to Poppy restaurant. Hit 'em up at theconfectional.com.

Pastry Profiles: The Majestic Bar from Corina Bakery, Tacoma WA

Riddle me this. What's a Majestic Bar?

No, it's not a bar at which they serve grandiose alcoholic beverages (though, come to think about it, such an establishment wouldn't be so bad, would it be?).

No, the Majestic Bar, at least at the lovely and amazing Corina Bakery in Tacoma, WA, was described like this to me:

"Like a magic cookie bar but with frosting & MORE chocolate chips." 

I know--like poetry, right? Of course, if you're not familiar with the Magic Cookie Bar (also called Hello Dolly Bars and 7 Layer Bars, and other names), let me give you a primer. This decadent bar cookie starts out with a graham cracker base upon which several layers of deliciousness are piled, including but not limited to sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. They are rich and delicious. They also make a great pie, with the ingredients distributed slightly differently.

But when you make the upgrade to the Majestic Bar, you're on decadence overload, in the best way possible.

To sum it up: If you are what you eat, you might just become the Monopoly Man by the time you finish this big bar of awesome.

Of course, Corina also has a very worthy case full of other stuff, like this:

The Majestic Bar, available at Corina Bakery, 510 6th Avenue, Tacoma WA; online here.

Sweet Bite: Cookies N Cream Truffles from Whole Foods, Seattle

Sometimes you just need a two-pound slice of chocolate cake.

But in the unlikely event that you have a lighter appetite, if you find yourself in Whole Foods, you might want to consider their made-in-house truffles. On a recent visit to the Roosevelt location in Seattle (the one most likely to see Dave Matthews, I hear), I saw cookies and cream and German Chocolate varieties; I decided to give the Cookies and Cream one a try.

A little more substantial than a typical pre-packaged truffle but not quite as heavy as a full-size brownie, cupcake, or cake slice, I found the truffle extremely agreeable both in size, quantity, and in flavor: a smooth chocolate coating (fresh, not bloomed and stale!) containing a rich oreo creme-and-chocolate filling.

A sweet little find; available by the pound, they will sell you them individually upon request; they average about $1 each depending on weight.

Truffles by Whole Foods, made on-site in Seattle (and maybe near you too?).

Sweet Love: CakeSpy Visits Flour and Sun Bakery, Pleasantville, NY

Pleasantville, NY, has a rich history--it was a Dutch trading post as early as 1695.

But even more interesting: its rich present, particularly the buttercream dream that is Flour & Sun Bakery, just off of the metro north train.

When I recently headed up to Pleasantville to meet with my awesome literary agent Gail Fortune, I had the exquisite pleasure of meeting one of the managers and bakers, and--most importantly--the chance to sample some of the goods.

Choosing was difficult--after all, they had a stunning array of delicious flavors. On any given day, the assortment could include such choices as chocolate cookie dough, fluffernutter, Cereal (vanilla or chocolate cupcakes topped with fluff or chocolate fluff rolled in cereals such as Trix, Cocoa Crispies, and others), Magic Bar, Orange Poppyseed, Watermelon, or Pumpkin Pie.

I went for a special that day--chocolate halva--as well as the Banana Peanut butter (decorated to look like a monkey! shown above), as well as a chocolate and a vanilla-strawberry specimen. I brought them back to the city with me, and this was such precious cargo. I think that everybody in Grand Central Terminal was looking at me with jealousy in their eyes.

As the friendly manager had informed me, they are famous for their chocolate cake, which is dense and fudgy--almost brownie-like. No dried-out chocolate cake here, thank you very much. The vanilla cake was similarly dense, but very buttery and flavorful. My favorite frosting was the intriguing halva, which was nutty and sweet, and really did taste like the love child of the classic middle eastern confection and american buttercream. In a very good way.

Worth a trip from NYC alone? Maybe not (unless, like me, you are willing to travel an hour just for a cupcake), but if you find yourself headed north of the city for whatever reason, definitely worth a detour.

Also of note: Flour & Sun also makes decorated cookies, as well as Cupcake Truffles ("cupcakes and icing mixed to an ooey-gooey truffle-like consistency dipped in chocolate and decorated. Truffles are also available on a stick to ad a fun and celebratory element to any party.")

Flour & Sun Bakery, 19 Washington Avenue, Pleasantville, NY; online at flourandsunbakery.com