Hip to Be Square: Square Cupcakes at Columbia City Bakery, Seattle

Like, OMG! A square cupcake!

Wait, wait. Before you accuse me of being too easily impressed, allow me to assure you that this cake, from Seattle's famous Columbia City Bakery, has more going for it than just an unexpected shape: it's also a deliciously decadent and dense carrot cake. Proving that sometimes subtle sweetness is all you need, this cake derives much of its flavor and sweetness from the natural flavor of the carrots, which are then made even better when paired with a rich, buttery, cream cheesy frosting piped into a cute nubbly texture. Add a few nuts on top for crunch, and you've got yourself a winner.

It's so hip to be square, when you're a cupcake.

Square cupcakes (!), available at Columbia City Bakery, 4865 Rainier Ave S., Seattle; online here.

Breakfast of Champions: Biscuits and Sugar Butter from Coming Home by Rosanna Bowles

With her book Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions, author Rosanna Bowles (who, in addition to writing books, also owns a dishware empire--and yes, that's her real name) has a mission: to bring people together through real, live, human connection--by establishing year-round traditions, many of them featuring delicious food.

And the first tradition I'm ready to embrace? Biscuits with Sugar Butter.

As the recipe intro states,

This recipe has its origins in the pioneer era and has been handed down through four generations in my family. My mother's classic biscuit is very much like the version that is eaten widely throughout the South. I believe that the sugar butter may come from Virginia, where my great-grandparents settled after emigrating from Wales. Like many truly great recipes, this is one that has survived many generations and carries with it the love with which the food is made.

And after preparing it for breakfast, I can firmly attest that these lightly salty biscuits smothered in sweet, praline-y butter is the type of stuff that glues families together, makes people fall in love, and makes bellies very happy. Ready to taste the love? Here's the recipe.

Pat's Biscuits and Sugar Butter

Adapted from Coming Home by Rosanna Bowles

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, plus three tablespoons melted butter (for glazing the biscuits)
• 1/2 to 1 cup whole milk
• pats of butter, for serving (in case the sugar butter isn't enough)

 For the sugar butter

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (more if necessary, to your desired consistency)

 Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 450. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the room temperature butter with two forks (pie crust style!)--or go ahead and do this with a food processor if you've got one, mixing until the mixture is about the consistency of cornmeal. 
3. Add 1/2 cup milk and mix (or pulse) until combined. Add more milk if needed until the dough has reached a consistency where you can form it into a large, soft ball (it will be sticky; handle with floured hands on a floured surface).
4. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface for 30 seconds--about 10 folds. The dough should be fairly moist and light--overworking will make the biscuits tougher (though still pretty tasty!).
5. Form a ball with the dough, and then roll it out into a half-inch sheet on your floured surface using a well floured rolling pin. Using a biscuit cutter, larger cookie cutter, or a mid-sized drinking glass, cut into rounds or shapes. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter, because I, you know, love biscuits.
6. Put the biscuits on your prepared sheet. Brush the tops with the melted butter and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, but keep the biscuits on the baking sheet until the sugar butter is ready--this will keep them warm. Nom.
7. Prepare the sugar butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar and cook until the mixture bubbles. Add the cream, and turn down the heat to keep the cream just below a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes on low heat, ur until the sugar is dissolved, the mixture has started to reduce and thicken, and the flavors are working for you (you'll have to taste it for this part. Be brave.)
8. Add a bit more cream if the sugar butter is too thick for your liking and stir to combine.
9. Get ready to serve. Put a pat of butter on top of your biscuits, and ladle a big ol' spoonful of the sugar butter on top. Enjoy.

Sweet Links: A Batch of Sweet Memorial Day Recipe Ideas

Three! Day! Weekend!

...and I'll bet you haven't even thought about what you'll bring to the barbecue tomorrow. Well, here's a sweet batch of recipes and ideas perfectly suited for outdoor eating!

Chocolate Cakes grilled in orange shells, a CakeSpy entry on Serious Eats!

Hot dogs and hamburgers--made completely from sweets! 

...of course, along those lines, burger macarons would also be cute.

Pop Rocks-infused cookies are bound to bring fireworks to any affair.

Nobody likes getting their hands dirty, so why not serve up some deep fried cupcakes on a stick?

S'mores Pie, as featured in the NY Times T Magazine.

...or, even easier, how 'bout some S'moreos?

Of course, my offering tomorrow will be a revamped version of the Cookie Cake Pie, and let's just say I'm a highly anticipated guest.

Cake Byte: Sweet New Stationery at CakeSpy Shop!

What's sweet at the CakeSpy retail shop this week? Here's a peek at some of the sweetest new stock!

New cards by The Beautiful Project: Did you know that CakeSpy's Canadian food blog buddy Everybody Likes Sandwiches is also a stationery designer? Well, her designs are just as great as her blog and I'm pleased to have several of her card designs in the store, including the one shown above;

and this sweet veg-friendly scene of soy milk n' cookies;

some sweet Happy Birthday cupcakes;

and some snarky sweetness by way of the statement "even your farts are cute" paired with two gassy little bunnies!

The cards are available online and in the store, 415 East Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122; Tue-Sun, 12-7 p.m.

Word on the Sweet: Street Treats, a new Mobile Bakery in Seattle

So. I've never jumped into a cab and said "follow that vehicle!".

But the moment may be coming, now that Street Treats, the newest addition to Seattle's mobile food cart network, is just about to launch (as soon as next week, pending inspections!). Because wherever they are, I want to be. (OK, maybe it won't be necessary: they'll have a set schedule, so stalking them will be far easier, if less dramatic).

You see, Diane, the self-taught baker behind the sweets--er, scenes--happened to drop by my store the other day with a platter full of awesome.

And after enlisting some brave friends--including a cast of writers and foodies including writers from Mango Power Girl, Absinthe & Oranges, and the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog to aid in the sampling of said treats, I can say with certainty that the reactions are just as sweet as the treats.

Two of the unanimous favorites featured lime:

The bar cookies with a brown sugary crust, a healthy dollop of lime curd, and a fat topping of coconut and crumb;

and the lime-poppyseed cookies, which were bright and dazzlingly buttery, and a welcome respite from the more expected lemon-poppyseed combo;

and not far behind was this weighty, oh-please-don't-let-it-end cookie, which featured white chocolate chunks and a white chocolate-orange infused filling;

and this carmelita, which satisfies sweet, salty, chocolatey, and buttery cravings...all at once. (pictured top)

The standouts were ably backed by an assortment of the usual suspects, including blondies, chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, and molasses cookies, as well as a moist, dense carrot cake cookie sandwich with a sweet, equally dense cream cheese filling.

Oh, and they'll also be featuring treats made by other local heroes like High 5 Pie and Half Pint Ice Cream!

Find out more at streettreatswa.com; keep updated on the daily goings-on by following them on Twitter!

Cake Byte: Sweet Red Velvet Cupcake Tasting and Newlywed Kitchen Book Signing at CakeSpy Shop!

Lorna Yee says her Red Velvet is more delicious than this one. See for yourself!Red Velvet Cake is delicious--this is a fact. But who makes the most delicious variety of this sweet Southern treat?

As a devotee of the big-as-your-head variety served at Seattle's Kingfish Cafe, I was intrigued when pint-sized foodie Lorna Yee made the bold claim that her recipe (featured in her and Ali Basye's new book, The Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together ) was even better.

Why not see for yourself? Lorna is going to be making a batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes which will be served at CakeSpy Shop next Sunday--and she'll be around to sell and sign her great new book . And there will be a professional photographer on site--Jackie Baisa, who will have the title of Official Red Velvet Paparazzi for the day.

As for the book? Yes, it's designed for newlyweds, full of recipes and stories to share with your plus-one. But you know what? Even if you're not a newlywed, you'll probably like the way that they eat--the book includes recipes for the Red Velvet cake you'll be tasting, as well as other delicious savories and sweets such as these Chocolate Mudslide Cookies.

Why not join us and eat some cake?

Here are the details:

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Newlywed Kitchen Cookbook signing, featuring Lorna Yee and Jackie Baisa

• Date and time: Sunday, June 6, 12 p.m. til the cupcakes are gone and you've spent all your money on cookbooks and other cool CakeSpy stuff
• Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 E. Pine Street (near Summit), Capitol Hill, Seattle
• Open to the public! 

CakeSpy Undercover: Love At First Bite, Berkeley CA

Love at first site? Pshaw. It's all about Love at First Bite, and you'll find it in Berkeley, CA, where there is a bakery which bears said name. Don't you kind of love it already?

Well, Cake Gumshoe Katie recently went and bravely sampled several mini cupcakes, in flavors such as matcha, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, lemon and red velvet. Of course, this is just a small sampling of the delicious flavors available; find the full assortment here.

So what tasted best? According to Katie, "I gave highest props to matcha, lemon and red velvet--the matcha was divine. The lemon frosting was unreal. The red velvet was moist and perfect."

And of course, it doesn't hurt that they also showcase another Berkeley superstar, Peet's Coffee. (CakeSpy Note: Peet's is like, my favorite coffee in the world!)

But to seal the deal of this sweet review? "I wish I could have tried some of the others like pumpkin bliss or bunny love."

Final word? When a bakery keeps you wanting more, it's a good thing!

Total sweetness is yours at Love At First Bite, 1510 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 848-5727; online at loveatfirstbitebakery.com.

(CLOSED) Cake Poll: Totally Sweet Snubbr Cookbook Giveaway!

Who's ready to win something sweet?

(pause for deafening applause)

(realization that on the internet, you can't hear anyone cheer)

OK, so here's the deal. It's a totally sweet giveaway sponsored by Snubbr.com!

What cookbook have you always wanted to try?

We're giving away a 1 free cookbook, any cookbook you want - it could be a baking cookbook, vegan cookbook, whatever (as long as it's under $30) to 1 lucky reader.

How do you enter? Just leave a comment below with the title of the cookbook you covet, and why you want to win it, and next Friday, June 4, at 12 p.m. PST, we'll pick one winner at random and send you the cookbook. US residents only this time, please.

Of course, if you need recommendations for cookbooks, head on over to Snubbr.com (the ones sponsoring this sweet giveaway). It's a new site that is like Yahoo Answers for shopping advice. You just ask them a question like "What's the best cookbook?" and their experts will dish out recommendations for you.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Clockwise from left: Pop-Tarts; food fails; cute cupcake toppers from Confessions of a Cookbook QueenIn case you needed suggestions: six new ways to eat chocolate, from ChefShop.com.

Sugar circus: a whimsical circus-themed dessert table feature from the Amy Atlas blog.

What kind of desserts does Clothilde of Chocolate & Zucchini eat? I must confess a minor obsession with her "moblog" documenting basically every delicious French thing she eats, especially the desserts.

The scoop on ice cream scoops, via Al Dente Blog.

What exactly do baking soda and baking powder do in baking? Find out here.

Something's fishy...Sushi-shaped donuts. Yup, you heard me. (via Bon Appetit)

Why chocolate fries never took off, and other food fails, via Mental Floss.

Cupcakes...topped with mini cupcakes! (pictured above; via Confessions of a Cookbook Queen)

Writing (and baking brownies) as therapy: the NY Times on Cakewalk: A Memoir by Kate Moses

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats: kind of like macaroon meets cereal treat. (via Craving Chronicles)

Chocolate chip cookie dough Pop-Tarts: I'm sorry...but how did I not know these existed?

Supernatural, and super delicious: Nick Malgieri shares a brownie recipe in Saveur.

Cinema and Sugar: revisit this old CakeSpy post (with supporting comments!) featuring desserts from the silver screen.

 

Cake Byte: Bakerella's Cake Pops Book Coming this Fall!

Photo c/o Cupcakes Take the CakeGear up your credit cards sweeties, because here's a book you will need to buy: Cake Pops by Bakerella! Released by the always-fantastic Chronicle Books.

Here's the scoop via Cupcakes Take The Cake:

Rachel and I went to Book Expo today, so we haven't been able to post. While at the Chronicle Books area, I spotted a mock-up of Bakerella's Cake Pops book which will come out September 2010. Congrats to Bakerella and we can't wait to get a copy!

CakeSpy and Bakerella have a very special relationship, having bonded over art and then engaged in a sort of back-to-back sweets combat -- and as a result, I can't wait to be the first on line to buy her book at my favorite book store and--natch--get it signed when she comes to town!

Read more on Bakerella's site!