Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, E is for Eat from Lapham's Quarterly

Image: Lapham's Quarterly FOOD editionCakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

This was a sweet find in the current (food-themed!) issue of Lapham's Quarterly. If you haven't already, go buy it! It's full of fascinating foodie lore and stories.

Gad-Zukes: Zucchini White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe for Serious Eats

August is prime time for zucchini. And such proliferation means that means that after you're done making healthy summer pastas, salads, grilled vegetables and wholesome stir-fry dishes, you'll still have plenty left over to make dessert.

You could make zucchini bread, or even better, zucchini cake—but for a lighter bite with a zingy citrus burst, why not try White Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies? These drop cookies are simple to make, and offer a sweet summery variation on the usual chocolate chip cookie. Many zucchini-based sweets call for shredded zucchini, but for this recipe, I prefer to dice and lightly sauté it in brown sugar and butter. The zucchini absorbs the sweet, rich flavor of the sugar and butter, adding moist, chewy flavor bursts throughout the cookie, which are gorgeously complemented by sweet white chocolate.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Art Featured on the Bon Appetit Website!

How sweet is this, buddies? My artwork is totally featured on the Bon Appetit website today, in addition to a plethora of thought-provoking food links. Naturally, my illustration of hipster cupcakes in front of a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, watering hole was perfect as a header.

Find the feature here.

Seeking Sweetness: Behind the Scenes with This Charming Candy

So, if you've ever seen my store (CakeSpy Shop, conveniently located at 415 East Pine Street in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood), you're probably already familiar with the wares of This Charming Candy, a Seattle-based purveyor of creative and delicious lollipops.

When you come to the shop, you'll see something like this:

But in case you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, I'll give you a sneak peek.

Recently, I went to their culinary studio in North Seattle, and they allowed me to take a few shots of the sweet process. Well. I was too late to see the candy mixture being mixed, but I did get there in time to see it gently cooling and hardening in molds:

...but you should know that as with any art, there are always the leftover bits--like an artist's palette littered with little bits of this and that color, here's a small rainbow of cast-off sugar:

...and once the lollipops are at the right consistency, they're ready to be packaged with sleeves and ties, on deck:

...and then we'll have packaged lollipops!

...and now, if you head on over to CakeSpy Shop at 415 E. Pine Street in Seattle, you can buy a fistful for yourself. Or call us at 206.605.3589 - we do mail order too!

For more about This Charming Candy, visit their website. 

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Bagel and Whoopie Pie Get Married

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

Recently I was commissioned to create an image of a bagel and a whoopie pie getting married (it's true) for a couple, who then used it on various gift items for guests of their wedding. Looks like one lucky guest gets to lounge after the festivities in a very fashionable hoodie!

Seeking Sweetness: Holiday Card Sneak Peek #4

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

Here's a sweet sneak peek at one of the upcoming 2011 Holiday Card designs in the CakeSpy line! They will be available online in a week or two; in the meantime, I'll post a different sneak peek every few days.

Pastry Profiles: Huge Cinnamon Rolls from Johnson's Corner, Colorado

Recently, I found myself in Fort Collins, Colorado, where I asked my Aunt (who lives there and would officially be considered In The Know), "what is the best baked good in the area?".

There was no hesitation or delay in response: "Cinnamon Rolls from Johnson's Corner."

Now, here's the thing about Johnson's Corner. If you didn't know it was Cinnamon Roll Mecca, there wouldn't be any big indications as you came up to the establishment. For one thing, it's a truck stop / gas station. The type of place you'd be more likely to pick up coffee, beef jerky, or (if you're a trucker or just feeling dirty), a place to take a shower.

But as you approach the snack counter, which advertises things like burgers, fries, and sandwiches, there they are: Cinnamon Rolls not the size of your head, but roughly the size of two of your head. This may be an exaggeration, but not by much. So big!

Turns out, the Johnson's Corner has a long history. According to their site: 

In 1950, Joe S. Johnson and one of his station managers, Clayton Bearly staked the outlines of a new Johnson's Corner on the old US Highway 87. With nothing around but farm land and a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains, Johnson’s Corner opened in 1952. Most thought Joe crazy for building in the middle of nowhere, but shortly after construction began on an interstate highway that would run right in front of the new truck stop. The words “build it and they will come ” never rang more true. When Interstate 25 opened in the early 60's, the legacy of Johnson’s Corner began. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, Johnson’s Corner has never closed its doors.

But the site Westword.com was a bit more revealing about the history of the sweet rolls themselves:

Since 1952, this family-owned and -operated truck stop has been serving down-home, King of the Road cuisine to hungry truckers, travelers and wanderers of every description. And while a recent overhaul has rendered it nearly unrecognizable from the Johnson's Corner that generations of road people came to love, the cinnamon rolls -- first prepared by local celebrity Ida May (CakeSpy note: she also lived in an interesting home) in her home kitchen, and today whipped up from her original recipe by the hundreds every day -- have not changed a bit. They're still fat and sticky, topped with a glaze of sweet-sweet icing, and they still require a fork, a big appetite and several napkins to get through. Keep on rolling.

...but you know, it's clear that I am not the first one who has noticed these sweet rolls. Per the Johnson's Corner website again, 

Renowned for their World Famous Cinnamon Rolls, Johnson’s Corner was even featured in a Hollywood movie. In 1995, it was a location for the United Artists’ movie “Larger than Life,” starring Bill Murray and Matthew McConaughey. Bill and Matthew are only a few of the many celebrities to grace the booths of Johnson’s Corner.

In 1998, Travel & Leisure magazine picked Johnson’s Corner as having one of the “Ten Best Breakfasts in the World.” A few years later, in 2003, it was featured on the WB2 Network as one of the best roadside attractions in the United States. And in 2004, the Food Network called Johnson’s Corner the "Top Truck Stop Resturant" in the country.

Well, clearly the story is compelling, but what about the goods?

Happily, as big as these cinnamon rolls are on size, the deliciousness follows in direct proportion. They wouldn't be qualified as fancy fare--not by a long shot--but they are made fresh, with non-scary ingredients (the huge clamshell package in which I received mine to-go, there was nothing I couldn't pronounce), and will keep you fat and happy for a long time after eating--I'd even put it into "I'd share that" territory. Seasonal flavors are available; I went with the original cinnamon roll, which was so carb-y, sweet, and cinnamon-y that it felt like eating a warm hug. A huge, delicious hug of a cinnamon roll.

Johnson's Corner Truckstop, 2842 SE Frontage Road, Johnstown, CO; online here ; cinnamon rolls can be purchased online here.

Seeking Sweetness: Holiday Card Sneak Peek #3

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

Here's a sweet sneak peek at one of the upcoming 2011 Holiday Card designs in the CakeSpy line! They will be available online in a week or two; in the meantime, I'll post a different sneak peek every few days.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Sweet, Allergy-Free Funfetti Cupcakes

Photo: Elizabeth GordonIf you follow my site, you probably know a few things about me, including: I love butter, sugar, cream, flour, unicorns, and rainbows. And if there is a cake that can put all of these things together (OK, maybe not the unicorns), it is Funfetti. This cake might just be my muse, inspiring pancakes, sandwich cookies, cakelets in the toaster oven, and more.

But as it turns out, my muse-cake has also provided some inspiration for someone unexpected: Elizabeth Gordon, owner of Betsy & Claude Baking Co., a baker specializing in allergy-free treats. As she said of CakeSpy on her site in an entry that made me blush,

Mostly... I read her posts and chuckle because they are so funny and witty, drool over whatever she’s put up on Serious Eats that week and then go about my day.  It never occurred to me that one of her wheaty, eggy and dairy-ful ideas would become one of my greatest gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free inspirations.  And then, over Memorial Day weekend, my kids wanted to bake, and I just didn’t feel like making something from scratch, so I let them make a Funfetti cake from a box (we were in someone else’s kitchen). 

Well, looks like this desire led to some delicious creativity, because Elizabeth dreamed up a downright delicious-looking allergy-free variation on the world's most festive cake; even though it is devoid of butter, eggs, and wheat, I'd totally hit this cake. And by that, I mean eat it.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Elizabeth Gordon's website!

CakeSpy Undercover: The Shoppe, Denver CO

Sometimes, work is hard.

But sometimes, it's not. Actually, work was quite easy on the day it involved visiting and tasting treats from The Shoppe in Denver, Colorado.

The Shoppe's decor reminded me of the short-lived but much loved Chaos Theory in Chicago; a little quirky, a lot fun, with the real showpiece being the sweet treats enclosed in their small but well-stocked baked goods case.

But what to go for?

Tres Leches cupcakes (pictured top) were a must--they looked to be absolutely oozing with sweet dairy deliciousness, and when put on a little plate, they left a little milky ring around the bottom, so saturated were they with the triple-threat of milky nom-ness. Choosing the mini size was a good idea though, because a little went a long way with these deliciously dense treats.

Second up? The Pezzimenti, because, well, that's one I hadn't seen before. Turns out, the Pezzimenti is a banana cupcake filled with Nutella, topped with peanut butter frosting--that is to say, how could it possibly be bad? The cake was quite pleasing but the real star was the double-nutty plus chocolate frosting, which was smooth and rich and I would totally eat it by the spoonful if given the opportunity.

Of course, there are many other tempting flavors, including seasonal specials--for instance, if you were to walk in today, you might find flavors like Peaches and Cream, Colorado Cherry, or the "Michael Jackson" -- described as "A Vanilla cupcake filled with decadent chocolate truffle and topped with both white and dark chocolate frosting".

And with that, I decree that you are in Denver, you should make an effort to visit The Shoppe. They are located at 3103 East Colfax, Denver; online here.