Sweet of the Day: Ice Cream in Pretzel Cones, Miller's Twist, Philadelphia

The best invention, possibly ever: ice cream in pretzel cones. Honestly, the combo is all WIN, no lose. 

I discovered this feat of awesomeness at Miller's Twist, a pretzel-hot-dog-ice-cream vendor in the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. 

After being drawn in by the sign for Butter Brickle ice cream (a flavor you really don't see enough), I noticed that I could get a cake or wafer cone, like a jerk...

or, for a mere $1.25 more, I could get either a waffle, chocolate, cookie, or pretzel cone.

Pretzel Cone! No contest!

The sweet, creamy ice cream against the sturdy, salty-carby-crackery pretzel cone, was basically the best thing ever. It was a sweet and salty combo which called to mind the decadence of french fries and a shake, but was devoid of the greasy sogginess that can occur when you dip your fries. The pretzel cone stood the test of cone consumption time, not collapsing under the weight of the ice cream, and not leaking or getting soggy toward the end. 

Butter brickle in a pretzel cone was a very delicious combo, but to bravely test out another option for you, I returned the next day and got another pretzel cone, this time with peanut butter ripple ice cream.

It was also, I am happy to report, quite delicious. So, to review: if you are in Philadelphia, get yourself to Miller's Twist for a pretzel cone!

Find Miller's Twist on Facebook here.

Sweet Discovery: The Cookie Lady, Ogden UT

The Cookie Lady of Ogden, Utah, has a new fan: ME.

No, she doesn't run a retail operation, but she sells her sweet wares at coffee shops and gourmet grocers all around the greater Ogden area. I picked up some of her cookies at Grounds For Coffee, a small coffee chain. I was told that the cookies were "really, really good" - so naturally I had to pick up a few. There were oatmeal, chocolate chip, and even vegan varieties.

The standout? The chocolate chocolate chip cookie with pecans.

For one thing, the cookie is a nice, decent size. Not too big, but not annoyingly small, it's a mouthful but it won't leave you feeling sick afterward. A good start.

And the cookie itself has a great texture: crispy on the edges, chewy on the inside.

And the flavor brings it home: rich and chocolatey, buttery and well-rounded, with a nice crunch from the pecans, this cookie is clearly made well, made with love, and made in a home-baked tradition. That is to say, it's like grandma's homemade cookies...but better than my grandma's homemade cookies. Plus, the flavor combination is just a little bit unexpected.

Other than Grounds for Coffee locations, I can't tell you where else you might find the cookies in the area, but if you felt like doing your own sleuthing, the company's info is listed on the cookies; you can find their phone number and info here.

Five Reasons Why CakeSpy Loves Bassett's Ice Cream

In 1861, Lewis Dubois Bassett, a Quaker school teacher and farmer, began making ice cream in his Salem, NJ backyard using a mule-turned churn.

In 1885 he began selling his wares at 5th and Market in Philadelphia; in 1893 he moved shop to the newly-opened Reading Terminal Market.

And the sweet, creamy stuff has been sold there ever since.

Fast forward to the modern-day. Bassetts now churns out ice cream which is sold all over the Philadelphia area and even beyond, but the heart and soul of the company remains at the Reading Terminal Market.

And here are 5 reasons why I love Bassett's:

1. Their ice cream is not fancy, but it is very good. It's proof that when you've got a good process and good ingredients, the product will shine; there isn't much that is gimmicky or trendy about this ice cream, and that's part of why I like it.

2. Gadzooks!  The flavor. What is it? As I learned from their website, 

Bassetts decadent chocolate ice cream with pieces of Brownie Points peanut butter brownies, chocolate chunks and a rich caramel swirl. Gadzooks Original was unveiled at WMMR's Spring Break '06.

3. They are steeped in sweet lore and adventure. Per their website, in 1935, Lewis Junior, who took over the business, "ships 10 quarts of ice cream, packed in dry ice, via freighter from New York through the Panama Canal to the American Embassy in Tokyo. The voyage takes several weeks but the ice cream arrives in perfect condition".

4. Details matter: their waste bin at the Reading Terminal Market is shaped like a big ice cream cone. 

5. Daily specials: on a recent visit, I had a double-header: one scoop of macadamia nut ice cream paired with one scoop of vanilla butterscotch. It was decadent, creamy, and completely dreamy. I loved every moment of that ice cream (pictured top).

Seek out your own reasons to love them; find Bassetts online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Doughnuts and More at Cle Elum Bakery, WA

I've been to Cle Elum Bakery in Washington before.

I've tried their tantalizing Torchetti, and lovingly learned about the bakery's history.

But on a recent visit, I had the good fortune of trying a few more goodies: their quiche (savory, I know), as well as several of their doughnuts (cake and a yeast variety with coconut coating) and their divinity.

The quiche (not pictured) was truly outstanding. The crust was just flaky enough, and full of flavor. The filling (vegetables on the day I went) was not at all bland (a common quiche complaint for me)--it was simply bursting with flavor, and required no seasoning whatsoever. It paired beautifully with the dark, rich Caffe Vita coffee which they serve.

The doughnuts were divided, in my mind: the cakey varieties were pretty perfect, just greasy enough, and delicious with coffee. The yeast varieties were not quite as memorable in this Spy's opinion, relying more on the toppings for flavor, with a slightly drier interior. 

The divinity was unlike any other I've tried, more like a meltaway cookie. Extremely delicious, melt-in-your mouth, with a tantalizing slight saltiness that will make you want to keep on eating more. 

The bottom line? Cle Elum Bakery is well worth a visit, and not just for the famous Torchetti. Of course, next time I know I have to try the butter horns--or else, says my friend Molly!

For more information, visit the Cle Elum Bakery Facebook page.

Sweet of the Day: Maple Pecan Doughnut from Beiler's Bakery, Reading Terminal Market

From Wednesday through Saturday at the Reading Terminal Market, some very magical things can be obtained at Beiler's Bakery, one of the Amish vendors at the market.

At this fairyland of carbohydrate and butter, one can obtain sticky buns, cookies, shoofly pie, cakes, breads, whoopie pies, and more. 

But the most recent sweet treat I knew and loved by Beiler's was the Maple Pecan Doughnut.

Because I realize you probably don't have one in your mouth right this instant, let me tell you about eating it.

First off, it has a sweet maple frosting on top, which is dotted with toasty pecans with a maple drizzle. It makes for a sweet, candied pecan type of taste. 

Then, inside of the doughnut, there's a generous amount of sweet cream filling, which acts as a very nice complement to the maple on top. 

To temper the excessive sweetness, the yeast doughnut itself is not extremely sweet, acting as a carbohydratey jacket for all that sugary, creamy goodness.

This is an extremely enjoyable doughnut to eat; personally, I have found that filled doughnuts are the way to go at this stall, as they are baked off premises and the filling keeps the doughnuts moist, whereas non-filled doughnuts can tend toward slightly dry.

Beiler's Bakery, Reading Terminal Market; online here.

Sweet Surprise: Delicious Pumpkin Cake from a Rest Stop in Council Bluffs, IA

I'm going to file this one under "unexpected deliciousness": pumpkin cake from a Sapp Brothers Travel Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

I found myself in this rest area for the typical reasons: to refuel the vehicle and to use the facilities while road-tripping.

But I spied something unexpected while I was about to exit the building: a display of cakes and cookies, which said that they were homemade. Say what? 

There was Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, and a variety of cookies.

Oh, and Pumpkin cake. Yeah, let's try a piece of that. Well, actually, three: the box came with three thick wedges, each about the size of a butterscotch Krimpet, for $2.99.

And guess what? This cake was genuinely good. Not just good-for-something-purchased-at-a-gas-station, but actually good. The cake was moist and nicely spiced, and the frosting was generous, and very sweet and rich.

Much better than picking up a big gulp and corn nuts on the road, in my humble (and sweet) opinion.

Seek some sweetness for yourself: you can get this cake at Sapp Brothers, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Cold and Sweet: Custard from Culver's, Home of the ButterBurger

If you live in the Midwest United States, you are probably aware of a chain called Culver's, where they have two main specialties: something called the ButterBurger, and frozen custard.

Here's a ButterBurger. It's served on a buttered bun. Oh yeah.

Now, I was already halfway in love with them based on this stellar roster of menu items, but the deal was completely sealed when I tasted their custard.

I opted for the caramel-cashew sundae, which was prepared to order, and was--I'll just say it--way better than I thought the custard would taste at a chain restaurant. Cold, creamy, and clearly fresh, the custard itself was a solid base for the buttery caramel and crunchy cashews. The sweet, slightly salty toppings atop the rich custard made for an extremely addictive combination--this sundae made me wish the ice cream weekend could be longer.

I wouldn't necessarily say this custard would rival that of some of the custardists I've come to know and love in different parts of the country such as Kopp's, Old School Custard in Seattle, or Scooters in Chicago, but as an on-the-road choice, Culver's would definitely be my pick for a sweet treat.

Culver's, multiple locations throughout the US (mostly in the midwest); online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cameo Cakes, Brielle NJ

This is a chocolate chip cookie.

But.

This is not just any chocolate chip cookie.

This one has the extremely high status of being SpyMom's pick as "the best chocolate chip cookies on the Jersey Shore". And SpyMom (who is also a famous children's book illustrator, btw) knows her cookies. After all, I credit her as the one who taught me everything I know about sweets.

Now, I will confess: as a bona fide lover of soft and fat chocolate chip cookies, I was a bit dubious. These looked suspiciously flat and crispy. But one bite took away all my fears.

Crispy, yes, but extremely buttery and flavorful. They shatter in the mouth in a sort of caramelly-brown-sugary explosion, which is punctuated by deep, dark, rich chocolate nuggets. Somehow, I found my soft-cookie-loving-self loving this cookie, and wanting more. 

I knew SpyMom wouldn't lead me astray. 

But if you are simply not to be brought over to the crispy cookie camp, don't fret: Cameo Cakes has plenty of other good stuff. For instance butter cookies, festively decorated:

...and crumb cake (one of my personal favorite foods):

...and all manner of other pastries, cookies, and bread-type things. They do wedding cakes too!

Basically, whether you look to the cookie or not, you'll probably find something you like at this charming Brielle, NJ bakery.

Cameo Cakes, 406 Union Avenue, Brielle, NJ; online here.

Help a Spy: What's the Best Bakery in Seattle?

I need your help. I personally (as Seattle-based dessert blogger and self-proclaimed "Moderate Internet Celebrity" Jessie Oleson, A.K.A. CakeSpy) need your sweet assistance!

This website is wrapping up a huge contest called "So You Wanna be a CakeSpy?", wherein hundreds of bakers from all over the country submitted recipes inspired by CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life for the chance to win a free trip to Seattle to hang out with me and visit some of my favorite local bakeries. OMG!

Here's where you (and anyone you'd like to ask) come into the picture. Where do you think I should take the winner? Sure, there are plenty of amazing bakeries in Seattle — but which one takes the cake? Will it be a battle between the big famous cupcake shops? Or is it a delicious off-the-beaten-path destination? I really want to pick the best place, so I need sugar-loving Seattleites to weigh in! This is a chance to show off Seattle's stunning array of bakeries.

So, Seattleites (or people who are in the know about Seattle sweet spots): Where would you take someone from out of town for the very best pastries in Seattle?

Gelat-o-Clock: A Visit to Gelato Classico, San Francisco

When it comes to Gelato, the setting is a big part of the experience. It is, as I like to say, a “strolling food”, so all the better to have sweet surroundings while you stroll and enjoy your treat.

That having been said, in San Francisco, I felt it necessary to try some gelato in the so-italian-it-hurts North Beach. It's touristy, but it's fun. I also love Stella Pastry there, by the way.

So after consulting the best source for fast information (um, twitter), I learned that Gelato Classico was the place to hit. So after touring Tcho, I strolled on over for some gelato.

I chose a scoop of the crème brulee paired with the dark chocolate. I'll tell the truth, with flavors like tiramisu, chocolate-hazelnut, a good-looking vanilla bean, and many others, it was not an easy thing to decide. But here's the happy thing: It was a good decision.

I strolled my gelato over to the park, where every single person around me proceeded to say “Omigod where did you get that?”. I think I may have single-handedly caused a big rush at the gelato place in this way, because it really was a sunny and perfect type of day for a chilled treat.

The caramel-vanilla crème brulee flavor didn't have the toastiness of crème brulee, tasting more like a caramel-vanilla, but that was just fine with me, because this is a good flavor combination. The dark chocolate was delightfully rich, but not so fudge-like that it left a slick on my teeth. The gelato was solidly good, but it was the experience of strolling with it in North Beach that truly made it magic.

Gelato Classico, 576 Union Street. More info here.

Seriously Delicious: Serious Business Pastries, Portland OR

Seriously, dudes and dudettes.

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite new baking businesses. It's called Serious Business Pastries, and it's a special-order operation based in Portland, OR. 

What's so special about Serious Business Pastries? For starters, the sweet history.

I first "met" owner Lindsay Yousey several years ago when I discovered her blog entry featuring Starry Nights cupcakes. Now, consider that at the time, she was not baking professionally. Actually, her background was in psychotherapy. They looked pretty professional to me, though, so I urged her to become a professional baker.

And she listened to me! I love it when people do what I tell them.

After honing her pastry skills at Mother's Bistro and Grand Central Baking in Portland, she opened up her own operation.

And when I was in Portland for Crafty Wonderland, I got to sample her baked goods--she brought me a big stack of freshly-baked "Serious Snickerdoodles", which are described thusly:

Our bakery’s hallmark cookie. We developed and nurtured this recipe over a number of years, and we’re quite pleased with it. Tender sugar cookie base, with all-natural cinnamon chips, and rolled in our blend of vanilla-cinnamon-sugar. They’re outrageously delicious, whether fresh from the oven, or the day after. 

And oh, are these cookies good. Soft but not gooey, buttery but not too crumbly, these cookies yield to your greedy teeth, linger on your tongue long enough to impart a buttery flavor all over your mouth, and then melt into sweet oblivion into your belly...and make you want to repeat that bite over and over. 

But that's not the only item offered on the menu: they've got plenty more cookies, cakes, and even the outrageously delicious-sounding "Muffinletta":

Inspired by our love of food from New Orleans, this is a large savory yeasted muffin that’s almost as filling as the sandwich that bears a similar name. We begin with our own sourdough starter muffin base, and mix in olive salad and shredded smoked provolone. From there we add artisan cured capicola, soppressata, and Genoa salami and top it off with sesame seeds and a pierced olive. No mayo ever touches these muffins, ever.

So, I suppose you must know what I am getting at here. If you live in Portland, it is my strong suggestion that you seek out Serious Business for your next special-order batch of baked goods, or seek them out at an upcoming farmer's market!

For all the info, visit the Serious Business Pastries website or find them on Facebook!

Cake Byte: Cupcake Royale Brings Back the Deathcake Royale!

Image: Cupcake RoyaleIt's that time of year again. That beautiful time of year when Cupcake Royale brings the Deathcake Royale back to the masses, for a limited time only.

As they put it:

DEATHCAKE IS HERE - Seattle's most lovingly lethal cupcake is back – reformulated in a sharable babysize.

In a laboratory explosion of sheer genius, the Cupcake Royale scientists created the cult fave Deathcake Royale: Theo Chocolate decadence fused with Stumptown Espresso Ganache and accessorized with a pinch of fleur de sel.

Personally, while I loved the scale of the big version, the smaller version is still crazy delicious, and probably better for your health. I'll just eat three to make up for the dainty size, ok?

For more, visit the Cupcake Royale website!

Sweet Discovery: Trenary Toast from Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Image: Trenary Toast website

Have you ever heard of Trenary Toast?

It's sort of like a cross between biscotti and cinnamon toast, and it's a specialty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I learned of it on The Splendid Table and nearly broke everything in my path to google the stuff.

To learn a little more about the sweet itself, I'll give you the description from the Trenary House Bakery website:

Our toast is made from a sweet white bread, baked fresh daily. To create our cinnamon toast, we paint the bread with a wash and hand coat each piece with a tantalizing cinnamon and sugar mixture. It is then baked again to acheive that delicious crispy crunch for dunking into your favorite beverage.

As Jane and Michael Stern echo, "Like biscotti and zwieback, Trenary Toast is a brittle breadstuff eminently suitable for dunking."

Seems that this has been a specialty of the area since the 1930s, when the bakery was built; even through the time the bakery (with living quarters) was changed to a boarding house, and then back to a bakery (which it is now), the toast has been a mainstay. 

You can order online, or as they urge on the site,

Come and visit us in Trenary in the heart of Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula and try some of our delicious Trenary Toast in the familiar brown bag, have a cup of coffee and freshly baked Cinnamon Roll. Take yourself back in time when everything was fresh and sweet to the taste. A simplier time, hand crafted by people who care.

Sounds good to me. Find out more at the Trenary Home Bakery website!

Sweet Discovery: Pasteis de Belem from Portugal

The best kind of mail? The kind that comes with an introduction to a new baked good. And recently, I became friends with a new baked good with a fascinating history, via reader Sofia from Portugal, who is "married, have 2 girls, baked my first cake when I was 12 and never stopped since, work in the shipping business and am part-time cake designer since 2007 and I am totally and absolutely mad about chocolate." A true friend! Here goes Sofia:

I Live in Lisbon, Portugal and would like to tell you about some sweet pastries called Pastéis de Belém (baked since 1837).

Well, how shall I begin to describe these marvelous, wonderful and crunchy pastries? Let's start with a little historical context.

It all began early in the 19th century.

Next to the Jerónimos Monastery, there was a sugar cane refinery, but liberal revolution resulted in the extinction of the religious orders and convents, and monasteries were closed and the workers and the clergy were expelled.

In an attempt to prevent eviction, a monk had the idea of selling some sweet pastries, which quickly gained success and began to be called Pastéis de Belém!

At that time Belém was still far from the city of Lisbon. However, the grandiosity of the monastery and the Tower of Belém attracted visitors who soon grew used to savoring the delicious pastries baked in the monastery.

Nowadays it is said that the recipe is still the original, some ingredients remain a secret, and the pastries are baked in the “secret room”.

Now the pastries…

The outside is made of light, crunchy pastry with a slight pinch of salt. The inside is creamy and sweet. They are better when still warm and are served with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

If you’d like to come over and have a taste, prepare yourself for a long line.

In the Summer or in sunny Winter days one good thing to do is to buy the pastries and cross the street to eat them in the park sitting on a bench, if available, or on the grass (beware of sparrows that will approach to eat crumbs)!

How I like to eat them: take little bites around until the filling is surrounded by a thin coat of pastry and then put it all in my mouth.

Note: In the same street, but one block away there’s a Starbucks and I can assure you, it all goes very well together.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Wine Country Cupcakes, Benton City WA

Things that are great: Wine. Cupcakes.

But are they better together?

Indeed, says Debra Layman, one of the owners of Benton City, WA-based special-order baking company Wine Country Cupcakes. Specializing in booze-infused cupcakes, these are sweet treats for the adult whose palate is a bit more refined but who still enjoys the nostalgia of a delicious classic childhood treat. Here's a bit more of their story:

Please...tell me your story, Wine Country Cupcakes. Who are you, how did you get started, and where are you going with your business? The Wine Country Cupcakes & Custom Cakes story………. I had been taking care of my Mother who had Alzheimer and kidney failure for over 5 years, so when she passed I was so lost I had to find something to do so I asked my daughter if she wanted to come over and do some baking I knew I need a pleasant diversion and baking always had a way of making the world better. So we baked and worked to put together a recipe for Merlot cupcakes and the rest is history. Now as far as where we are going with our business we are looking forward to expanding and within the next year moving into a larger studio. 

If Martha Stewart contacted you and wanted to try just one of your cupcakes, which flavor would you give her? Now as for Martha Stewart that was the most challenging of all the questions, my daughter Meghan and I have really struggled with this one First we thought we would give her the “Dark Chocolate Merlot” it has been our most requested flavor from the beginning but then we felt that maybe she would enjoy a more light and festive flavor which would be the newest flavor we offer which is the “Spiced Pear Chardonnay” Our many customers who are winery club members seem to really love it so I guess Martha will have to take both and decide which one she prefers.

Do boozy cupcakes actually retain the alcohol, or does it "burn off" during the baking process? Now as far as the alcohol burning off of the Boozy cupcakes …… the alcohol content in a baked product is only reduced by approximately... 60%.

Why do you always have to eat the Guinness cupcake cold? The reason we suggest that the Guinness cupcakes are better cold is due to the fact this is a very dense cake similar to a brownies so when you eat it cold it has the wonderful chewy consistency.

Is pairing wine cupcakes with wine excessive, or delicious? Would you suggest it? Oh pairing wine with cupcakes not only delicious but makes the experience brilliant , I actually have a customer who has told me the only way to do is to take a bite of the cupcake and sip the wine through it. He has told us it is heaven and we believe him because when he told us about I as we watch him explain his face went from being a professional business man to this bright eyed 12 year old boy his eye even got a sparkle to them.

What is your response when people say that "cupcakes are over"? Now as far as cupcakes being over Meghan and I both agree that cupcakes will never be over as long as we each have that inner child who allows us to enjoy the sweet moments in life.

Tell me one of your best cupcake moments of 2011. I think that our best cupcake moments of 2011 would have to be when a couple came all the way from Hawaii to do a tasting for their upcoming renewal of their wedding vows. To think that people would travel so far just to try our cupcakes amazing.

Do dudes go for the beer cupcakes more than girls? Now as far as Dudes liking beer cupcakes more than girls no really they seem to both enjoy them equally.

What’s next for Wine Country Cupcakes? To keep working with our local wineries to come up with new ideas for flavors and keep bring those smiles to our customers because there is nothing better than to watch someone eat a cupcake and watch them break into a smile, or when someone meets you for the first time and they respond with “You’re the cupcake lady!” you can’t help but smile.

For more, visit the Wine Country Cupcakes website!

Sweet Times at Sweet Cupcakes, Boston

As you probably already know, I have been out of town a lot lately on something magical called Book Tour. This is a journey I've been taking to support my awesome new book CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, which is conveniently available at Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble, and many other fine retailers.

But my book tour has been extra-special, because instead of conducting it at book stores, I've been going to BAKERIES. It's a Tour de Sweet!

And right now, I want to tell you about my first East Coast stop, which was at a magical place called Sweet Cupcakes in Boston. They have a few locations around town; I visited the one on School Street, downtown.

First off, I was greeted by a bevy of beautiful seasonal cupcake flavors in the bakery case:

...but things got far better when they brought out a tray of cupcakes with edible toppers featuring my artwork!

Now, you may think that it being that my artwork was featured on the cupcakes, it might be hard for me to eat them.

But this was not the case. They were freaking delicious. I wish I was eating another one right now.

Moreover, the aesthetic and color scheme in the place couldn't have been more appropriate.

...and as a bonus, I got to hang out with awesome people like Bethany and Tina of Scoopalicious;

and my buddy Phuong:

...Phuong is also going down as "favorite person ever"...because she also brought me some Boston Cream Pie from nearby Parker Hotel:

Shani, who collects my rubber stamp designs also came...and was packing her sweet supplies!

...and I got to meet Jill of Sugarbird Bakery, who came all the way from Providence! She rules!

My friends Dan and Kelsey also showed up from Rhode Island--making for a sweet treat on an extremely sweet evening. 

And I sold out of books, to boot. Best signing ever!

Visit SWEET when you're in Boston--here's their website!

Teeny's Tour of Pie: Emmy's Organics, Ithaca NY

CakeSpy Note: This is the second in Teeny Lamothe's Tour de Pie series on CakeSpy! Teeny is touring the country, learning how to make pies at some of the nation's sweetest bakeries. She'll be reporting here on each stop! This stop: Emmy's Organics, Ithaca, NY

Where: Ithaca, NY to work at Emmy's Organics 

When: Ithaca was the second stop on the tour and was from the beginning of October to the end.

Why: I actually went to college and was friends with one of the co-founders of Emmy's, Samantha Abrams. Being at Emmy's had less to do with baking (seeing as they are a raw company) and so much more to do with learning everything small business. I was really interested in spending some significant time with both Samantha and Ian in order to really get a feel for what it was like to build a business from the ground up. 

How: October was lovely. I think I really learned a lot about myself and what it's going to take in order to begin a successful business. I definitely had moments of doubt and insecurity, but luckily both Sam and Ian were there to offer endless support. This month everything settled into something much more real and therefore achievable, as long as I'm willing to put the work in. 

Observations: It was wonderful to experience firsthand the growth spurts of a young company. Both Sam and Ian are incredibly knowledgeable about the value of food, and what a huge part it plays in people’s health and well being… not to mention an affinity for all things small business. I loved going to their kitchen because they both understand that for me learning means doing. Being able to mix the recipes, spread the granola and hand press the cheesecake crusts, all the while being told why certain grains and seeds benefit from sprouting, and what substitutes for what, means that I’ve been able to accumulate a vast amount of knowledge in a short amount of time. I also did a lot of baking and selling on the side. Being in Ithaca, using local ingredients and selling pies to strangers helped to instill a huge sense of pride in myself and my product. It’s was a blast price shopping different flours and trying different variations on my favorite fall recipes. I got to sell my pies at Felicia’s Atomic Lounge during their happy hour, and it was a huge success… I mean, who doesn’t want a tiny pie while sipping on a fall cocktail?? Ithaca was a huge lesson in everything small business, as well as a real sense of coming into my own as a potential business lady. It was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Tour of Pie Recipe: Sweet Potato Pie (because it was in Ithaca that I bought my first box of bulk sweet potatoes)

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatos
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tbs allspice

Procedure

cut potatoes in half, lightly oil the cut surface and place cut side down onto a baking sheet. bake @ 325 until tender. coooooool. remove peel and puree. In a large bowl mix 2 cups worth of the puree with the ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Add the eggs and beat them in. Add in the honey and the heavy whipping cream all while mixing. Pour filling into crust and bake at 400 for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted 1in from the edge comes out clean. cool on a rack before enjoying!

Teeny's Tour of Pie: High 5 Pie, Seattle

CakeSpy Note: This is the first in Teeny Lamothe's Tour de Pie series on CakeSpy! Teeny is touring the country, learning how to make pies at some of the nation's sweetest bakeries. She'll be reporting here on each stop! First stop: Seattle!

Where: Seattle, Washington

When: The first stop was September... beginning to end.

Why: I found a friend in pie and a fellow lady baker: Dani Cone. She is a truly savvy business lady as well as an inspired pie baker. Dani was the first person to say yes to the tour of pie! 

How: The first stop on the tour was phenomenal. I couldn't have asked for a better way to begin. Not only were Dani and lead baker Anna happy to host, they seemed enthralled with the idea of a pie tour. They provided some really solid advice as well as major baking time. I was able to go in four or five times a week and learn the process of making a High Five pie. 

Observations: I was able to do all sorts of things during the month I was at High Five. I learned how to make fillings by the pound rather than by each individual pie. I helped bake the wholesale pies, packaged them and got them ready for delivery. There was always crust to be rolled out. Anna was very conscious of not wasting excess dough, and I've actually incorporated a lot of her crust ideals into my own pie making. While I was there I fell in love with their marionberry pie and their savory reuben pie. I made my very first cream pie ... banana cream, thank you very much! and was able to share my own recipe for french silk pie, which I think they might still make on occasion. (and if they do, I am endlessly proud) Every day at the kitchen felt like a collaboration. If we weren't making the actual fillings we were talking about them, bouncing ideas off of each other and essentially letting the excitement of baking pie permeate our lives. The whole month felt very surreal, I had a hard time grasping what my life had become. Every day I got to play with butter and flour and that at the end of each day our labors resulted in delicious pies. It was truly an inspiring first stop. 

Tour of Pie Recipe: I did a lot of biking while I was in Seattle, and after getting very lost one day I stumbled on a huge cache of wild blackberry bushes. I later found out that they grow like weeds along the bike trails... but that day I thought I had discovered an amazing hidden treasure. I was tired and frustrated and entirely lost lost lost, but I dove into those bushes without a second thought and picked blackberries until my arms were sufficiently scratched, my fingertips were sufficiently stained and my appetite was sufficiently sated. So, clearly, the Seattle 'tour of pie' recipe is for...

Washington Blackberry Pie

Whole Wheat Crust Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 c shortening 
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 tbs)
• 1/4 c vodka
• 1/4 c water

Procedure

1. mix all the dry ingredients. cut in the butter and shortening until the pieces are about the size of peas and coated in flour. add the vodka, smush together with a spatula. add the water, smush together with a spatula. it's gonna be a little sticky/wet. divide into two balls, put in baggies, refrigerate for at least half an hour.... ya know, while you mix the filling. 

Blackberry Filling Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh or frozen (but definitely handpicked if possible!) blackberries
• 1/4 c sugar
• 4 tbs cornstarch

Procedure

1. mix everything together and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. assemble the pie! Roll out the first of the chilled crust balls. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter pie dish, trim any excess dough but be sure to leave a 3/4 inch overhang, spoon filling into the crust. I would use a lattice for the top crust, because it's just the prettiest with the dark blackberries. Arrange 7 or so dough strips on top of the filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction on top of the filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.
3. bake for 45 - 55 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown and your blackberries are bubbling. 

CakeSpy Undercover: Sugar Bakery, West Roxbury, MA

Not long ago, when I was in Boston for my Tour de Sweet Book tour, I happened upon a bakery that had a name I liked: Sugar Bakery, located in West Roxbury.

I liked the look of things once I went inside, too. They had whoopie pies:

and cupcakes:

and cookies:

and something really magical called Alpine Cake, which I want to try next time.

but on this trip I kept it simple and got the toasted anise cookie with icing and rainbow sprinkles (or jimmies, if you must).

Not only was this cookie pretty to look at, but it was sweet to eat: buttery-crumbly, slightly softer than a typical biscotti and fatter, and scented with anise, but not in an overpowering way. It was a perfect post-breakfast cookie after a massive morning feast at the nearby Rox Diner, and ideal when paired with milky coffee.

So you know what I say? Go to Sugar Bakery in West Roxbury.

Sugar Bakery, 1884 Centre Street, West Roxbury MA. Online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Cake Gumshoe Jenny's Sweet Texas Finds

Photos: Purple House DirtCakeSpy Note: Cake Gumshoe Jenny, who blogs at Purple House Dirt, is an invaluable source of sweet knowledge. She's visited sweet-shops in Ireland and was a recipe tester for my lovely and amazing book. After recently visiting the State Fair of Texas, she also hit up a couple of other sweet stops along the way:

After the State Fair, I also snagged some snaps at a little roadside hand pie shop I found in Hillsboro, TX. I had the tastiest sweet potato pie in this bakery-in-an-Exxon. I watched as they rolled out fresh dough and filled each pie full, and then fried the whole thing in peanut oil. They advertise for miles before you get there - and if you don't pay attention you'd just pass it on the interstate. But it was worth the stop for a hot pocket of sticky sweet potato. 

Funky Monkey DonutI've added some pictures from another sweet spot I encountered in Austin - Gourdough's. It is manna from doughnut heaven. Open really late in the night, they have drunken cravings covered - from donuts with fried chicken and honey butter to menu items that make you giggle when you order them (Blue Balls, anyone?). I caught Gourdough's the night before Austin's all-mobile-food bonanza, the Gypsy Picnic, and was lucky I did - it wasn't open any other night I was visiting. Although I know the area well, finding this little truck was a bit of a challenge - I must have driven by 6 times before I saw the driveway. I watched groups of 5 and 6 eating single doughnuts, and I was worried I over-ordered...but sacrifice I must! I got the Funky Monkey - which is basically bananas foster over cream cheese icing and a fresh fried old fashioned doughnut (it might have been a cake doughnut, but it was hard to tell). I ate that one blazing hot, standing in my rental kitchen gorging at midnight. I also grabbed a Miss Shortcake (pictured top), one of the favorites on the menu, and at it for breakfast. Another cake doughnut covered with cream cheese frosting, but then topped with sliced strawberries. I know I'll be back there again. 

For more of Jenny's adventures, visit Purple House Dirt.