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.

Batter Chatter: Interview With Jennifer Morin of Cupcake D'Lish

Problem: you are near, but not in, Seattle, and want a cupcake. STAT! Well, instead of driving all the way to Seattle like a jerk, you can now pick up a dozen cupcakes right on your home turf via Cupcake D'Lish, a new custom-order cupcakery. But since everything tastes better with a backstory, let's have a little interviewsy with the baker who makes the magic, Jennifer Morin:

Cupcake D'Lish. Tell me baby, what's your story? It all just came to me one day out of the blue that I really needed to find a useful outlet to vent my artistic talent through! I tried different things and baking just seemed to stick! Honestly I was excited about baking because I would be able to decorate. The cake part would come with time.

Cake or Pie? Definitely cake.

Pants or Skirt? Skirt (steak) that is!

Yes or No? Always yes. I only use no on my kiddos!

Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Vanilla……it just goes with everything! Don’t let my husband read that.

Tell me about how you and your husband are working together on this business: what do both of you (respectively) bring to the table? My husband and I work very differently towards Cupcake D’ Lish. I am the artist and baker; he is my #1 taster.

What is the last delicious thing you ate? The last delicious thing I ate was my organic vanilla stuffed vanilla cookie.

Any plans to open a retail location? We plan to open a retail cupcakery in the near future. Definitely on the Eastside.

Please, tell us something I might not know about or expect of you. Surprise us. I don’t like chocolate. (CS Note: But kindly, she will make it for the rest of us.)

What is next for you and your business? Our business has been growing by leaps and bounds with larger catering requests and the addition of another Farmer’s Market in North Bend. We are working our way towards opening a retail location.

Find Cupcake D'Lish online here and on Facebook here.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Scrumptious Crumb by the Nutropolitan Museum of Art

Photo: Theresa Raffetto for The Nutropolitan Museum of ArtCakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to adding bits of sweetness to my daily surroundings, via sidewalk chalk, small cutouts, and the like--I call it "gentle street art". Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

This daily sweet isn't by me, but it sure did sweeten my day, so I had to pass it on: the "Scrumptious Crumb" sandwich which celebrates the best part of crumb cake--the crumb--in delicious sandwich form. Simply genius! As seen on the Nutroplitan Museum of Art.

Sweet and Salty: Cashew Bacon Brittle Recipe by Seattle Pastry Girl

Photo: Seattle Pastry GirlCakeSpy's got a sweet crush on Seattle Pastry Girl.

Now, it's true that her sweet blog is full of sweet and buttery recipes, and we seem to be sympatico in many of our cookbook and baking loves.

But the biggest reason at the moment for my crush is your delicious, sweet-and-salty-and-so-decadently-indulgent Bacon Brittle.

After picking up a sack of this sweet n' salty stuff at the Bakesale for the South at CakeSpy Shop, it was basically love at first bite. More substantial than typical nut brittles, the caramelly sweetness was gorgeously paired by the salty bacon, which also kept the treat from being achingly sweet (a problem with so many brittles!).

Now, Seattle Pastry Girl doesn't sell this sweet treat around town in general, but its sweet and salty deliciousness can be attained at home--I found the recipe on her website.

That's right: make your own Cashew Bacon Brittle at home. Here's the recipe.

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.

Give me More: Sweet Love for Alfajores by Sabores del Sur of California

Not long ago, via Foodbuzz, I received a parcel of goodies from Foodzie, a cool service that will send you a monthly parcel of unique food finds from around the nation. A fun way to get to know some new products.

But by far and away, the item in the parcel that captured most of my sweet little heart was the Alfajores made by Sabores del Sur, in the SF Bay area.

Here's their description of the sweet treats: "filled with creamy dulce de leche caramel and dusted with white powdered sugar, these South American treats have been described as "little bites of heaven".

Of course "little" might not be the right word in this case, because the ones in this parcel were a mouthful, hefty crumbly sugary cookies sandwiched with a generous filling of dulce de leche (I think it's Spanish for "addictive-as-crack"). 

Though you may not have heard of alfajores before, they are quite popular--even ubiquitous--in South America. There are many different variations depending on what country you visit. Per Wikipedia:

In most American alfajores there are two layers of cake, and a filling in between. In Argentina its basic form consists of two round sweet biscuits joined together with mousse, dulce de leche or jam and coated with black or white chocolate (many alfajores are sold in "black" and "white" flavours) or simply covered with powdered sugar. There's also one variation, called "Alfajor de nieve", that instead of having a white or black chocolate coating, it has a "snow" coating. The "snow coating" consists of a mixture of egg whites and sugar. Peruvian alfajores are usually coated in powdered sugar, as seen in the picture, and are filled with manjar blanco. Most alfajores come packaged in aluminium foil, in Mexico they are made with just coconut, and are normally a tri-color coconut confection, in Nicaragua, they follow more in the lines of the Canary island type of alfajores and are made with molasses and different type of grains including corn, and cacao similarly to most chocolate bars, though hand-made are just as accessible and generally packaged in plastic wrap or wax paper.

Certainly Sabores del Sur are worth seeking out (check out their site, or find them on Foodzie), but if you prefer to make your own, check out this recipe via RecipeGirl.com or this recipe for Pisco-infused alfajores on this very site.

Biscuit Time: Skillet Diner, Seattle WA

It is possible that a new word needs to be invented for the level of happiness that is to be attained by eating a biscuit at the newly-opened Skillet Diner in Seattle.

Skillet Street Food gained a following tooling around town as a mobile fancy food truck, with its bacon jam, poutine, and epic burgers gaining an almost cult-like following.

But I am telling you, you must eat the biscuits. Recently I hit up the brick-and-mortar location with my friend Nicole, and ate some savory food (it was very good) to warm up for the carb-fest.

And what a carb-fest it was. This biscuit was all things at once: flaky, buttery, dense, light, sweet, salty, and oh, so good. Oh dearie me, what was in it? I'm not smart enough to guess ingredients, so I have no idea, but it had something that made it different (lard?). It had flecks of brown sugar. It had nubbly little bits on the craggy exterior, making for a perfect outer crunch. It was like a biscuit party in my mouth. 

A happy biscuit moment indeed, and they serve them with homemade jam to boot.

Skillet Diner, 1400 E. Union, Seattle. Online here.

Biscuit Time: Peels, NYC

Photo: Peels NYCIt's always biscuit time in this spy's eyes.

But even so, biscuit time is more satisfying at some locales than others, and my most recent sweet spot is Peels in NYC.

Tipped off to this awesome from Serious Eats staffers Erin and Leandra, I knew that I had to visit after hearing tales of their dense and delicious buttermilk specimen.

And happily, it lived up to the hype.

As promised , the biscuits were substantial yet flaky, and completely buttery and heavenly.

Not sweet themselves, they can be dressed up in whatever way you'd like, going savory (creamed collards, eggs, and ham, anyone?) or sweet, with a simple coating of preserves and butter.

And I daresay that this is the type of carbohydrate versatility that we could all use in our lives.

Peels, 325 Bowery, NYC. Online here.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Willamette Valley Confectionery

A couple of weeks ago, at Crafty Wonderland, I met the two men of my dreams.

They were at a booth surrounded by cake pops, homemade pâtes de fruits, chocolates, and toffee. There was a dreamy sign that said "Willamette Valley Confectionery".

Of course, they also appeared to be a couple, but that was ok with me, because I really just wanted their candy. 

And oh, what candy it was.

Let's start with the cake pops. They really, really wanted to upsell the fact that they were gluten-free, and that is fine by me, and it made me happy for people who can't eat gluten, but it really wasn't of great importance to me.

But happily, devoid of gluten as they might have been, they were full of flavor: very moist, rich, and extremely--like, your tooth might fall out but it would fall out so good--sweet.

The pâte de fruit was a bit more subtle, still very sweet but made with local Marionberries. And shaped like a heart! Love.

Willamette Valley also boasts a full line of confections, such as barks, chocolates, and tiny cakes. 

Happily, if you are in Portland or the environs, you can pick up their goods at Whole Foods markets; it is slightly pricier but still delicious to have the goods shipped, which you can do via their website, willamettevalleyconfectionery.com.

Cookie Time: Butterscotch Pecan Cookies Recipe by Big Girls, Small Kitchen

CakeSpy Note: I am so glad you have plenty of money, because there's another book you should buy this year in addition to my CakeSpy oeuvre. It's called In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes from Our Year of Cooking in the Real World and it's by Cara and Phoebe of Big Girls Small Kitchen. Here's a guest post from these talented sweeties:

There are about a million reasons to bake, most of which are enumerated right here on CakeSpy. Sweets bring such pleasure, and they’re the easiest treats to share.

But sometimes a batch of baked goods is not just about the chocolate (or the butter or the sugar or the maple syrup).  We send off treats when we want to express an emotion or make a gesture that we’re just not eloquent enough to put into words. We bake, box, and deliver, and poof!—we’ve conveyed how we feel. 

So whether it’s guilt, atonement, or pity you need to demonstrate, we’ve got the sweet for you in our book,  In the Small Kitchen, which comes out on Tuesday, May 24^th! A whole section, called “Tins of Treats” is organized by emotion and the treat that goes with it. (In case you can’t wait, the answer is: brownies assuage guilt, “lotus” blondies are for atonement, and classic chocolate chip cookies are best for ameliorating a pitiable situation.)

For now, something simple: cookies for gratitude. It’s possible this is what cookies were invented for.

These Butterscotch Pecan Cookies are something special, as is fitting when you’re thankful. Their toothsome texture makes each bite melt in your mouth, and the sweet taste of butterscotch is balanced every so slightly by espresso. But the best part is the sweet-and-savory coating: these babies get a roll in a sugar-salt mix before going into the oven to caramelize and bake. Gratitude, indeed!

--Cara and Phoebe, bloggers at Big Girls, Small Kitchen and authors of In the Small Kitchen.

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

Makes 24-30 cookies

If you can’t find butterscotch extract, use 3/4 cup butterscotch chips and decrease the pecans to 1 ¼ cups.

• 2 cups (8-ounces) raw pecans
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon butterscotch extract (see note)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

 for coating the cookies:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment (or just bake in batches).

2. Spread the pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, checking every minute or so after 5 minutes have passed. You want the nuts to be fragrant and sweet but not burnt. Set aside to cool. (You can do this step a while in advance.)

3. Put 3/4 cup cooled pecans in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the pecans are just ground--you don't want to turn them into a paste.

4. On a cutting board, chop the remaining 1 ¼ cups pecans into small pieces. Put the ground and chopped nuts in a small bowl and add the flour, baking soda, and teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

5. In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixture, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.

6. Add the egg, beat until combined, then mix in the extracts and espresso powder.

7. Pour the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix just until the flour is incorporated.

8. Prepare the coating: mix together the additional sugar and salt on a shallow plate. Form the dough into 2-inch balls, and roll the balls in the sugar-salt mixture until coated. Place the balls on a baking sheet 3 inches apart.

9. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the tops are just barely firm. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before gently removing to racks or plates to cool completely.

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.

Bake the World Better: Sharing BAKED Blondies with Capitol Hill, Seattle

Not long ago, the extremely cute and talented boys of BAKED (one of Brookyn's finest bakeries!) collaborated with Williams-Sonoma to create Blondie and Brownie mixes based on their award-winning recipes.

And I'm just going to say it: while the impulse might be to say that homemade is generally better than a mix, these are definitely better than any I've ever homemade (perhaps sad; definitely true).

But I don't want you to take my word for it, especially since I am well-documented as being in love with the proprietors of Baked. So, I took it to the sweet--at my store.

I left this note:

...here are some of my favorite responses:...and someone maybe had a religious experience?

...and at least one person was knocked on their side:...but perhaps this eater summed it up best:

So there you have it. Don't take my word for it, take it at the trusted word of the hipsters of Capitol Hill, Seattle. Baked Blondies are your new BFF. For reals. 

Baked Blondie mix is available at Williams-Sonoma locations, or you can also fly to the East coast and pick up a batch at BAKED, buy them to ship online, or buy their books here and here .

Sweet Fancy: Morfey's Makes a Fine Wedding Cake in Seattle

When it came time to get married, I didn't have a single wedding cake.

No, I had five.

My favorite one, of course, was the one my dear SpyMom made: a three tiered pink confection which was sort of like my soul, interpreted in wedding cake form. Here's a picture of it:

But my second favorite, which was obtained from a retail baker, was from Morfey's Cakes in Seattle. It was a three-tiered confection, frosted in Tiffany blue and piped with a delicate white. It was lovely, and it was delicious.

So it should come as no surprise that they are one of about six places in Seattle which I frequently suggest  to couples asking for wedding cake advice.

The Morfey's Cake, it should be said, is not an incredibly fussy affair. If you're looking for a cake with lighted effects or molded fondant to resemble the building where you met, this is probably not where you want to go (there is definitely a time and place for these cakes, of course!).

But if you're looking for a solidly good, fluffy, old-school cake with a light, almost whipped-texture type frosting, you're in the right place.

I love their simple, homey decorating style too--it looks like something that a home baker could aspire to, but, you know, it's better than you could probably do at home (no offense). And, it doesn't hurt that when you walk into their baking space in the shadow of the Space Needle in lower Queen Anne, it smells like you are walking into a cake being baked--that is to say, sort of like how I would imagine heaven to be.

When Mr. Spy and I attended a wedding this weekend, for the lovely Kim and Andy, we were delighted to see that they had obtained their special-day cake from delicious Morfey's. This baby had three tiers of awesome: Kim, who emailed me from Paris, where she was eating a croissant on her honeymoon (lucky girl!) says that "The top 2 tiers were coconut cake with white mocha filling, the bottom was chocolate with chocolate mousse filling, then buttercream frosting on the outside!" 

I didn't get to try both types, but can attest to the deliciousness of the coconut cake. (I took tasting very seriously)

So, this is all to say--if you're looking for a wedding cake in Seattle, definitely put Morfey's on your list for a tasting.

For more information, visit morfeyscake.com.

U-Bake, I-Eat: U-Bake Cookies by Grand Central Baking Company

Grand Central Baking, which has retail bakery locations in Seattle (at one of which I got to wake up early and experience the life of an early-morning baker) and Portland, has expanded their repertoire to offer some new U-Bake products, including pie dough, puff pastry, and sweet little ready-to-bake nuggets of delicious cookie dough.

And recently they asked me if I'd like a sample to try out at home.

Hmm, free cookie dough? Count me in, baby.

When I went to pick up my sample, the employee asked which flavor(s) of cookie dough I'd like; I asked her which was the best one. When she hesitated, I said, "Well, tell me which one is your favorite." Much better: "The oatmeal chocolate chip" she said, not missing a beat. Sold!

So brought my little bucket of baby hockey-pucks of ready-to-bake dough home, and set to preheating. I simply placed them on the cookie sheet and baked, and 9-13 minutes later, the picture at the top of the post is what came out of the oven. Well, minus the googly eyes.

A little weird-looking on top, so maybe I'd finesse the dough into balls a little more before baking, but that complaint is purely visual. The cookies were very good--and when I brought a tin of 'em to my friends at Madison Park Greetings (my former employer before I took on full-time Cake Gumshoery), they were quite pleased, too.

U-Bake cookie dough is available at Grand Central Baking locations; visit their website here. Also, you should probably buy their book, The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery -- because I have it and can attest that it's got some good recipes.

Sweet Innovation: Cupcake-Stuffed Strawberries by 1 Fine Cookie

Photo: 1finecookieSo. It's been proven that cupcakes are better when stuffed with things. Truffles, mini pies, even cupcakes!

But what about when you stuff cupcakes in other stuff? 

Photo: 1finecookieTime to meet the greatest cake innovation that has ever met health food: cupcake-stuffed strawberries, dreamed up by my new favorite website, 1 Fine Cookie. A clever riff on cake truffles, these babies start with strawberries which are cut at the bottom to let the delicious cupcake-and-frosting slurry in, and then coated in chocolate or candy wafer coating; the result is extreme deliciousness and decadently addictive, not to mention clever as all get-out.

For the full tutorial and recipe, visit 1finecookie.com.

Toast of the Town: Brioche French Toast from Oddfellows Cafe, Seattle

Recently, Danny stuffed his face with something delicious: Brioche French Toast with Mascarpone and fresh fruit from Oddfellows Cafe in Seattle.

For one thing, when you have this plate put in front of you, it's pretty impossible not to smile. It's huge. It is the size of your head. Not that quantity is more important than quality, but, you know, a big plate of food is a happy thing.

And happily, the quality is equal to the quantity, if not greater. "This is really, really good" was Mr. Spy's first comment; when pressed, he added a few notes:

The texture, while crispy on the outside, was almost custardy inside, soft and buoyant, cakey bread which porously absorbed the delicious syrup and strawberry juice that dripped from the ripe, flavorful fruit. The mascarpone added a lovely, lightly tangy flavor contrast which worked beautifully with the syrup and berries, and the bread itself was studded with bits of (orange?) zest which added a nice tart edge and kept it from being sweetness overload.

Final verdict: very good. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, you'll probably be going to Oddfellows anyway, as they have so much delicious stuff; if you happen to be there in the morning, the French Toast is going to be a Good Choice.

Oddfellows Cafe, 1525 10th Ave E. Seattle; online at oddfellowscafe.com.

Cake Byte: Popsy Cakes Makes Cupcakes on a Pretzel

Are you still eating cupcakes with your hands, like a jerk?

Well, time to get with the newest cake delivery mechanism: via pretzel stick!

That's right. Capitalizing on the facts that everything tastes better on a stick and that sweet tastes better with a little salty, Popsy Cakes specializes in chocolate-coated cupcakes served on a pretzel stick.

As it turns out, while the company is new to me, it has been around for a while and has a very interesting story (per the website):

The PopsyCakes Company was founded by Jessica Cervantes when she decided to create an innovative cupcake on an edible stick in 2006 at the age of 16. Ever since her grandmother taught her how to bake, Jessica has loved measuring and tasting different ingredients - and mixing them up to see how her culinary creations would turn out. But it wasn't until Jessica became a part of the International Business and Finance Academy at John A. Ferguson Senior High school, that baking and business came together in a brand new recipe for success.

The budding baker/entrepreneur, who emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba as a child, competed against 25,000 business students across the country and won first place in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE.com) National business plan, a competition which was held on October 23, 2008 in New York City. Her innovative creation has caused a great buzz across the United States.

Popsy Cakes come in a variety of different flavors--I personally have my eye on the "Strawberry Milkshake", which is described thusly: "Taste bud bursting strawberry cake wrapped in creamy white chocolate. Finished with strawberry drizzle and colorful sprinkles (or jimmies if your are from New England!)." Of course, they also offer Vanilla Bean, Red Velvet, Peanut butter, and many other flavors.

A big thanks goes to CakeSpy reader Patti, who alerted to this cupcake trend and who gives them a rave review: "for me, it was a religious experience". 

Shop online at popsycakes.com.

Pastry Profiles: Homemade Ho-Hos With Cocoa Puffs from Oddfellows Cafe, Seattle

A big, heartfelt thank you to the modern marvel that is Twitter.

Because without it, I never would have been given a heads up about another modern marvel, the cocoa puff-studded homemade Ho-Ho at Oddfellows Cafe in Seattle.

Now, it is no secret that I love the bakery case at Oddfellows (recent obsession: the biscuits). But they also serve very respectable after-dinner desserts too, with a creative rotating menu. And on a recent evening, they served these babies.

A fancied up version of the junk-food classic, these were made with a light but flavorful chocolate cake rolled with a rich, creamy filling and then coated in a rich chocolate; a candy coating adhered an unexpected garnish: cocoa puffs. Strange as it sounds, it worked: they added a nice little crunch, and a little bit of an unexpected sweet and salty cocoa crunch to the rest of the cake. Plus, a nice homage to the treat's lowbrow roots. 

This item isn't on the menu every day, but there's often something creative like it; give them a call before heading over or follow them on Twitter to keep updated.

Oddfellows Cafe, Seattle WA. Online at oddfellowscafe.com.

Sweet Love: Sweet Art in Bellingham, WA

It's official: I am in love with Sweet Art in Bellingham, WA.

Why? Let me count the ways.

Let me start by sharing with you their self-description, as written by co-owner Jerry:

A small mom-pop type retail candy store and art gallery where my wife is the artist and I'm the candyman. She paints oils of flowers & landscapes and I dip chocolates and make candy.

That's right: an artist wife and confectioner husband who have teamed up to open the sweetest little spot--one that makes you feel as if you've entered Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole when you walk in.

Curios and art line the shelves (there's even a little diorama to peek in from the outside), and in the candy cases, row after row of confections:

Fudge, English toffee, Czech Toffee(!?), chocolate dipped strawberries, turtles and so, so much more.

...yes indeed, this is a special place to discover. But even better? The chocolates are delicious. It was after much debate that I finally settled on the fat little mint truffle, known as the "Bombay Mint Truffle", featured at the top of the post. 

If I've ever tasted chocolate-coated bliss, this was it. Rich, buttery, minty ganache that coats the mouth in the most delightful, flavorful way, this is one of those "I think I will close my eyes for a moment now" types of treats. In fact, I solemnly vow to make this a destination for every Bellingham trip, from now until eternity.

Sweet Art, 1335 Railroad, Bellingham, WA.

Sweet Love: A Crush on the Book FoodFest 365! by Yvan Lemoine

It's time to share with you my favorite food-book find in recent memory. It's a sweet (and savory) little morsel of a book entitled FoodFest 365!: The Officially Fun Food Holiday Cookbook by Yvan Lemoine.

This is a book which documents a national food holiday for each day of the year, and is punctuated with recipes and stories about each food.

After taking it out two times from the library, I decided that yes, I must own it. Because it's through this book that I learned several things, including:

-February 21 is National Sticky Bun Day

-April 7 is National Coffee Cake Day (may I suggest this?)

-April 16 is National Eggs Benedict Day (your choice if you want to make it Cadbury Creme Egg-style)

...of course, the fact that my birthday, August 26, is National Cherry Popsicle Day doesn't bother me too much (although cherry-topped cupcake day would probably be more appropriate).

It's a super-fun book; I highly suggest it, sweeties.

You can get a sneak peek on the book website here; Buy the book here.