Totally Sweet: Our 25 Most Delicious Bakery Experiences of 2008

It's been an exceedingly sweet year, this 2008--in so many ways. To commemorate, we've decided to do a small recap of the top 25 sweets that have sparked our imaginations and palates this year, from bakeries we've visited all across the country. Since there was no way we could list them in any order of preference, and as such are listed in no particular order--in our hearts, all 25 were a perfect 10. Here goes:


Berger Cookies: Baltimore's pride, these little cookies are shortbready, chocolatey, and we suspect, filled with crack: they're that addictive. We are forever in debt to Mitch for having opened our eyes to their glory.


Black and white cookies from Freedman's Bakery, Belmar, NJ: We grew up on Freedman's cookies, but rediscovered them during a visit east in early 2008. These are what a black and white cookie ought to be: a soft, cakey base the size of a saucer, with soft frosting, and just the slightest bit of overlap between chocolate and vanilla.

Carrot cake from Baker Boys, Asbury Park, NJ: Some may say that dressing up carrot cake with golden raisins and mascarpone frosting is a bit too pinkies out for a classic, but we couldn't keep our forks off of it.

Corn Muffin from Muffins Cafe, NYC: There is nothing more elusive than the perfect corn muffin. They're either too bread-y, too cakey, or crumble apart too easily. But we feel completely confident when we say that these ones are perfect: sweet but not too much so, while still maintaining a slight crunch on the top but remaining solid when torn or cut in half.

Lemon curd Tart from Papa Haydn, Portland, OR: We tried this tart last Valentine's Day weekend, and it was surely love: tart yet creamy, with a layer of buttercream between the lemon and crust, topped with a tart raspberry coulis. Oh baby.

Ginger biscuit, Cafe Besalu, Seattle: Cake Gumshoe Chris swears by the ginger biscuit at Besalu, and upon tasting it, we all agreed: these sweet biscuits, made with cream, are a treasure.

The Potato, Nielsen's Bakery, Seattle, WA: Like, oh. my. god. The potato is something like an eclair, only richer and more delicious, with a topping of marzipan and dusting of cocoa; we don't care for fries, but we like these potatoes very much.

Pumpkin cupcakes from hello, cupcake in Tacoma: A dense, moist pumpkin cake (unsullied by raisins, which we can't stand in pumpkin cakes!) topped with cream cheese frosting and adorned with an adorable pumpkin topper--what's not to love? 

Peanut Butter Pie at Zoka: This pie is off the hook indulgent, about 6 inches high, with a buttery crust, a dense, peanut butter-chocolate filling, and swirls of chocolate on top. So rich, so decadent...so delicious.

Whoopie Pies from Baked, Brooklyn NY: We had a lot of fun interviewing Matt and Renato of Baked earlier this year, but what made the experience even sweeter was tasting their amazingly delicious Pumpkin whoopie pies, which are dense, cakey, and utterly indulgent.

Caramel-Oatmeal Bars from Simma's Bakery, Milwaukee, WI: My, oh my. These rich, buttery, oaty-crusted bars had a generous midsection of caramel-chocolate filling, topped with additional bits of oat crumbs on top, and they were so delectable they made our heads spin. Thank you to the MKE Cupcake Queen for taking us over to Simma's!

Cake bites from Sweet Tooth Fairy: When we got down to just one left, there was an actual fight about who deserved it most. Tears may or may not have been shed.

Anginetti Cookies from Morris Park Bakery, Bronx: When we tried the Anginetti cookies at Morris Park Bakery, they had just been glazed, and were still slightly warm--the slightly tart citrus taste combined with fresh sugar glaze made for a memorable experience.

Vegan earl grey shortbread cookie, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago, IL: Undoubtedly Bleeding Heart is one delicious spot, but the baked good that stood out in our memories was the Vegan Earl Grey shortbread cookie. Utterly devoid of the most important ingredient in classic shortbread--butter--these nonetheless had a gorgeous, melt-in-your-mouth richness and a perfect sandy texture.

The "Ravioli", Termini Bros. Bakery, Philadelphia: Like a cannoli and a calzone had a sweet, sugary baby. Need we say more?

Whole Wheat-Honey Donut, Randy's Donuts, Los Angeles: The honey glazed whole wheat flavor combo was unexpected, but surprisingly addictive: we've dreamed of it ever since our visit to Los Angeles earlier this year.

The Deathcake Royale, Cupcake Royale, Seattle: This was probably the richest and most indulgent dessert the Cakespy crew tried in 2008. It was hard to finish, but Head Spy Jessie did it--after which she was told it was intended to be shared. Oops.

Sables from Bittersweet, Chicago: Who doesn't love a good butter cookie? These ones were phenomenal, with a perfect tooth-feel and with little flecks of bittersweet chocolate which contrasted nicely with the buttery sweetness. Thanks again to Natalie of Bake + Destroy for having suggested Bittersweet!

Strawberry cupcakes from Make My Cake: These cupcakes, with real bits of strawberry studded in the frosting, were simply delightful.

Chocolate Graham Cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes: Don't just take our word for it--they were good enough to be featured on Martha Stewart! 

Banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery, NYC: It may be #2 at Magnolia, but we think the pudding trumps their famous cupcakes any day.

Wedding cake from Cameo Cakes, Brielle, NJ: At Cake Gumshoe Kelly's wedding, we tasted what might have been the most delicious wedding cake we've ever had--a buttercream-topped confection which looked fanciful and tasted wonderful.

Marshmallows from Three Tarts: Had we ever really tasted marshmallows before we came across this little shop in Chelsea? We can't say for sure, but now we're hooked on these treats, which are light as air and delicately sweet.

Six Layer Bars, PCC, Seattle: So rich, so dense, so decadent. Six layers of heaven--also known as coconut, chocolate chips, graham cracker, walnut, white chocolate chips, and evaporated milk. These ones are excellent. 

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies, Whole Foods, Seattle: These cookies are delicious, perfectly spiced and with a healthy dollop of jam in the center--the perfect breakfast cookie. 

Here's to an even sweeter 2009! Happy New Year!

Bananarama: Chocolate Frosted Banana Shortbread Cookies

'Twas the day after Christmas, 

And when we did rise,

Inside the kitchen

Was an awful surprise:

Not a cookie remained; 

The plates were all bare

So we pushed up our sleeves

And made cookies to share.

It's true; when we woke up this morning, we had the horrific realization that all of our Christmas cookies had been eaten. No, seriously. and the only sources of sweetness in the house were an overripe banana and some leftover chocolate frosting. Getting a bit crafty, we altered a classic old fashioned sugar cookie recipe by upping the butter and adding aforementioned banana to the batter; once out of the oven, we topped the cookies with a dollop of chocolate frosting for a delectable bit of added richness. The finished product was a moist, cakey, shortbready cookie which tasted even better as they cooled and the banana flavor developed. We decorated a couple like anthropomorphic Hostess cupcakes, for no particular reason, but aren't they kinda cute? What a sweet and unexpected post-Christmas miracle.

Here's how to make 'em:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks
  
• 1 super-ripe banana (same ripeness you'd use for banana bread), cut into chunks
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  

In a large bowl stir together the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, the egg, banana and the vanilla. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and stir the mixture until it forms a dough. Chill the dough, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight (Note: we only let ours cool for about 30 minutes; your finished cookies would probably be smoother and better-looking if you allowed the dough to cool longer, but try telling that to the cookie-hungry masses.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll rounded tablespoons of the dough into balls, and arrange them 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Either leave as balls for fat cookies, or use cookie cutters or flatten slightly for cookies with a more uniform thickness. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until they are pale golden. Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool. The cookies keep in an airtight container for 1 week.

Holiday Sweetness: A Roundup of Custom Holiday Artwork

Some may say that the joy of the season comes from giving, but we know the truth is the most fun part is the getting--and the ripping open--of awesome presents. Cakespy art figured into giving and getting this year; here is just a small sampling of some of the fun custom commissions which were opened (to extreme joy, hopefully!) this holiday season:

For one lucky Seattle baker, a portrait of her family (as cupcakes) near the Space Needle;


For another Seattle family, a portrait with bunnies;

For one family of music, book and cupcake enthusiasts, a family portrait (complete with their other Cakespy artwork in the background);

For another recipient, this puppy-and-Cuppie;

As a surprise commission for the proprietress of a rubber stamp company, a crafty little Cuppie;


As another sweet surprise for someone really sweet, a multilayered diorama;


For a dear friend, a collection of memories and inside jokes;

For another, Cuppie becomes muse for a playwright recipient;

Of course, all of this being quite exhausting, we'll close out with a trip to the scenic Taal Volcano in the Philippines.

Thank you so much for your business and fun orders in 2008!

The True Meaning of Christmas (Cookies, That Is)

What is a Christmas cookie?

Is this a trick question? Perhaps.


On the one hand, you may think that a Christmas cookie is one that you make (and eat) around Christmastime. But is that all there is to it? Because certainly Christmas cookies aren't just a result of everyday recipes dressed up with red and green sprinkles or dye, are they? It seems to us that certain cookies, while available at other times of year, proliferate around the holiday season--spritz cookies, gingerbread, cutout sugar cookies, for instance. In addition, how is it that nearly every family has a unique collection of cookies--ranging from bonbons to melt-in-your-mouth meringues to Rum balls--that only come out around the holidays?

To discover the true meaning of Christmas (cookies), we had to look back--way back--in time. Now, it's no secret that sweets have been part of holiday rituals since long before Christmas was a declared a holiday (which was in 1870, in case you were wondering). But according to Foodtimeline.org, it was a combination of Eastern spices and European flair that contributed to the cookie's success:

Ancient cooks prepared sweet baked goods to mark significant occasions. Many of these recipes and ingredients (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, dried fruits etc.) were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages. They were highly prized and quickly incorporated into European baked goods. Christmas cookies, as we know them today, trace their roots to these Medieval European recipes. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America. German lebkuchen (gingerbread) was probably the first cake/cookie traditionally associated with Christmas.

Naturally, cookies lend themselves very nicely to cookie cutters, which we would surmise is one reason why they tended to stick around as a Christmas tradition--not to mention that they have a long shelf life, travel well, and are made in larger batches that imply bounty (that is to say, even though 24 cookies and one cake may have the same surface mass, the number of items can fool us into feeling as if there is more to share).

Of course, the article goes on to state that sugar cookie type recipes descended from English traditions; perhaps their trip over the Atlantic was the inspiration for Animal Crackers, which were originally designed as Christmas ornaments. 

While the tradition of Christmas cookies may have its roots in Medieval Europe, and while we may associate some cookies with the holidays more than others, it's also true that Christmas cookie recipes today come from all over the world--it would not be unusual to see German Lebkuchen, Scottish Shortbread, Italian Pizzelles and all-American Cornflake wreaths sharing the same plate. Why so? Well, we surmise that it's an illustration of evolution--as people immigrated and adapted, naturally they would want to honor their culture's recipes with the Christmas cookie tradition. While this may blur the boundaries of what is a Christmas cookie and what is just a cookie, it certainly does make the variety and joy of discovery at holiday parties a whole lot more fun. 

And of course, it makes us all better able to add a few more recipes to our arsenal--as well as experiment--each year, sometimes with delicious results. 

But what of the US tradition of leaving cookies for Santa, you may be asking? Well, to us, that one's easy--clearly, Santa (whoever he or she is) wants a midnight snack. Duh.

Want more?

• For a by-country list of Christmas cookies, visit christmas-cookies.com (though we didn't recognize any of the US ones!)
  
• For more information about Christmas cookies in history, visit The Food Timeline.
  

Make My Cake: A Gratuitous, Sugary Love Story

What follows here is a love story between Cakespy and Make My Cake.

We met this bakery years ago, at its old location, near the 2 and 3 train entrance on 110th Street. The location was unlikely, near a fried chicken joint, correctional facility and a dentist office, all on the north side of Central Park. You could smell the cake from a block away, its sweet sugary scent compelling more than one early morning commuter to have a cupcake for breakfast. The cupcakes were sweet--so sweet, in fact, that they have the power to make a black coffee taste as if it's had sugar added when consumed together. In fact, the first time we visited, one of our spies had to double check as to whether or not sugar had been added to the coffee. It hadn't--the cake was just that sweet.

Since then, Make My Cake has grown out of its space and moved into a gorgeous spot on 116th street (with another location/operations center at 2380 AC Powell Blvd.--owner JoAnn Baylor manages this spot, while daughter Aliyyah managest the 116th Street location). To us, this new location embodies everything a bakery should be: it's got a beautiful awning and entryway (exciting to walk into); it's thoughfully and sweetly decorated with cake paraphenalia, yet manages to escape looking saccharine with funny touches like a sculpture of a voluptuous little baker lady; it's got a well-stocked pastry case which lends itself to gaping and many sweet moments of indecision, and the employees are friendly and willing to offer suggestions (on a recent visit they suggested the strawberry cupcake, made with fresh strawberry bits in the frosting, in case you were interested). 

Have we mentioned that we love this place?

Of course, appearances aside, what keeps us coming back is the cake. Owner JoAnn Baylor originally hails from Mississippi, and the cakes do seem to subscribe to the laws of Southern cookery--that is to say, don't skimp on butter or sugar; use fresh ingredients; and--very importantly--make 'em pretty. These are not necessarily subtle cakes--but they are good, with light (almost springy) cake which somehow still manages to be very rich, moist and buttery, and thick, dense, frosting with a touch of "bite" to the texture.  And sweet. In fact, just as we remembered it, so sweet that it would be overkill to add sugar to your coffee. To some, this may sound like a bad thing. Fair enough, although we can't say we understand you. But to be sure, we're not alone in our love--their cakes have captured the attention and love of not only Cakespy but actual celebrities too, including P. Diddy, Vanessa Williams and the entire NY Knicks team.

Make Make Cake, we love you.

For more information, visit makemycake2.com.