Sweetie Pie: CakeSpy Loves High 5 Pie and a Butter Love T Shirt Giveaway

Guess what, sweeties?

At long last, High 5 Pie has opened its retail operation in Seattle, on 12th and Madison. Which, not that you asked, but is right along my usual route from home to the store each day. You know what that means: CakeSpy's gonna be high on pie forever!

Now, I was pretty primed to love this bakery. After all, I've been a big fan of their pies (previously primarily found at owner Dani Cone's Fuel Coffee locations) for a long time.

Aaaand (full disclosure) I was a consultant for some recipes on their menu, which has expanded with the new retail operation (fun game: to to the bakery, and guess which flavors I helped develop). High 5!

But upon visiting on New Year's Day with Mr. Spy--our first official bakery visit of the year!--we were even more impressed than we expected.

Here are just a few reasons you should love the new High 5 Pie retail location:

• The pies are delicious. They come by the slice, in mini pie form, in hand pie ("Flipside") form, or as pie fries! And since they sneak crack into the pie crust, you bet your bottom dollar it's good.
• They serve them a la mode, if you'd like, with Bluebird Ice Cream.
• The space itself is beautiful, with a slightly more minty green version of Tiffany blue used all over the place--on the custom espresso machine, on the signage, you name it.
• But of course, they still maintain some secrets.
• And they have delicious cookies (and biscuits, and a few other items in addition to pies...including a nice variety of gluten-free and vegan items)
• ...and they have this t-shirt. BUTTER! LOVE!

Now, here's the thing. I bought this t-shirt, in Unisex Small, but as it turns out, your dear Spy is smaller than small, and it doesn't quite fit.

This is good news for you though, because I'm doing a giveaway! Even if unisex small isn't your size, I'm sure you can find a willing recipient for this BUTTER LOVE tee.

Want to enter? Simply leave a comment below, telling me what flavor of pie you favor best. The giveaway will close on Thursday, January 13, at noon PST; one winner will be chosen at random. US and Canadian entrants only, please.

For immediate pie gratification, visit high5pie.com.

Update on Friday, January 14, 2011 by Cakespy

UPDATE: THE WINNER!

We have a winner! Kase was chosen at random, and her thoughts on pie are: "i love love LOVE anything citrus, so it's gotta be key lime or lemon meringue tied for favorite. That said, I do enjoy baking any pie that involves booze, wink wink."

Sweet Fusion: Cookie Bread from Fuji Bakery, Seattle

I'd like to talk about a beautiful bit of fusion that is going on at a Seattle-area bakery called Fuji Bakery.

Now, if you've ever visited this bakery, you probably think I'm going to talk about how their offerings are a mix of Japanese-meets-French baked goods. And that would be a very natural thing to assume.

But you're wrong. I'm going to talk about how they've combined bread and cake into a form that they call "Cookie Bread".

That's right. Cookie Bread. Please, can we make this an official baked good category? It sounds so much better than "scone" or "quick bread" or "sweet roll".

It looks like a scone, but in fact, it's very light--almost like the texture of Challah bread. The raspberry white chocolate variety (the "Frambo") was lightly tart but totally sweet, what with its swirled  little bits of white chocolate and lightly crunchy sugar topping.

Of course, as previously mentioned, it was rather light in texture, so I found that adding a thick slather of butter kept it from floating away. And, of course, made it even more delicious.

Seek out some sweet Cookie Bread of your own--Fuji Bakery has two locations, in Seattle and Bellevue. Find them online at fujibakeryinc.com.

God Save the Kouign: Kouign Amann from Le Reve, Seattle

"I like croissants, obviously. But I liked the firmer texture of this thing." - Mr. CakeSpy

So, even if you've never heard of Kouign Amann (don't worry, it's not pronounced the way I tried to say it at first, either), maybe you've got an idea of what it's like to eat.

But what...is it, exactly?

I like the explanation on this site: "Kouign Amann is a wickedly delicious little cake made from bread dough and plenty of butter and sugar and more butter and sugar. Multi layers of dough, butter and sugar are pressed into a thick cake which is slowly baked until the sugar caramelizes. "

I've had the very good fortune to sample this sweet treat in Paris, but more recently, was delighted to discover it at new-ish Seattle bakery Le Rêve. They have a bunch of French-y specialties mixed in with American sweets at their Upper Queen Anne location, but I zeroed right in on the Amann. 

After asking and being told it is actually pronounced something like "Queen Ah-mahn", I went home with the goods. Our thoughts?

This denser, more sugary cousin to the croissant is a thing of buttery beauty indeed. A very satisfying breakfast, and very nice when served with jam (because fruit makes it healthy). We are excited to check out more of the sweet treats at this new spot, and are delighted that Kouign Amann may be a growing trend--I have heard that Bakery Nouveau will be offering it soon (if not already!).

CakeSpy Note: Want to make some for your very own self? Find a recipe and more lore on the David Lebovitz site.

Oh Mia Word: Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes by Mia's Cupcakes, Bellingham, WA

Photo of cupcakes by Mia's Cupcakes (not the ones I ate, but similar in appearance)Bad news for cupcakes: Red Robin has added them to their menu. I have to say, I'm filing this as a "jumped the shark" moment.

Happily, on the same day I heard aforementioned news, I also received a surprise delivery of delicious cupcakes to the store from Mia's Cupcakes of Bellingham, WA. Now, you must know that I was primed to like the cupcakes made by someone was so passionate about their baking, and about sharing their baked goods, that they trekked to Seattle with them and hand-delivered me a batch. And someone who shopped at my store too. Yeah!

But you know what? The cupcakes were really amazing, and not simply because of the circumstances mentioned above (though, you know, it didn't hurt).

So, let's talk about the goods: vegan dark chocolate cupcakes, with (dairy) peppermint frosting. A beautiful marriage of dark and light, these cupcakes hit the perfect contrast in both color and in flavor, with a dark, moist (yet not oily or over-dense) cake paired with a light yet decidedly buttery swirl of subtly peppermint-y buttercream. It's the kind of flavor that somehow goes down very easily after a rich meal (as we found after the first annual CakeSpy employee dinner party at Cheeky Cafe in Seattle) and yet doesn't leave you with a sugar-hangover sort of feeling. 

If you're in Bellingham, seek out this special-order bakery, toute-sweet. Yes, I said that.

Mia's Cupcakes, Bellingham, WA; find 'em on Facebook!

Gingerbread in the House: Gingerbread Crepes Recipe from Macrina Bakery

Gingerbread cookies are perfect for later on in the day, but what about for breakfast?

Howsabout these delicious Gingerbread Crepes, the recipe of the month from Macrina Bakery?

Here's the intro and recipe from their newsletter:

Jeanine Riss, one of our former chefs created these crêpes for a special Christmas Eve brunch at our café. They were a big hit, selling out earlier than expected. Jeanine found it best to prepare and fill the crêpes one day in advance. That way all she had to do in the morning was prepare the compote and syrup and reheat the crêpes before serving.

For the crêpes:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/3 cups whole milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Canola oil

For the citron ricotta filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup candied citron*
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

For the cranberry compote:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the vanilla syrup:
1 cup pure maple syrup
1vanilla bean

Powdered sugar

Preparing the crêpes:

• Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl. Toss together and set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl combine milk, eggs, and molasses mixing together with a whisk. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture into the bowl of flour, whisking as you pour. When ingredients are fully combined, whisk in 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

• Heat a small (7-inch) nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and brush with a little canola oil. Ladle in just enough crêpe batter to eventually cover the bottom of the pan, about 2 tablespoons. Lift and tilt the pan to spread out the batter more quickly. Cook until edges start to turn brown, about 1 minute, then flip the crêpe over with a spatula and cook the other side. Transfer finished crêpe to a large plate and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the batter, placing paper between each crêpe as you finish. You should have 8 crêpes.

Preparing the citron ricotta filling and assembling the crêpes:

• Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, candied citron, and orange zest in a medium bowl mixing well with a wooden spoon.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lay the crêpe out on a work surface and scoop equal portions of citron filling into the center of each crêpe. Roll each of the crépes into a log and place them seam sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with the remaining melted butter.  (It may be necessary to reheat the butter.)
• At this point the crêpes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight. If you are ready to eat, move on to the next step.

Preparing the cranberry compote:

• Combine cranberries, water, sugar, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until cranberries begin to burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drop in butter, stirring until butter is melted and evenly distributed. Set aside.

Preparing the vanilla syrup:

• Pour maple syrup into a medium saucepan. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise and using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds out of each half and add them to the pan.
• Drop opened bean pods into the syrup for extra flavor and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bean pods and set aside.

Finishing the crêpes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place baking sheet of crêpes on center rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes. Crêpes will be heated through and golden brown on the edges.
• While crêpes are baking, reheat the cranberry compote and the vanilla syrup.
• Place 2 crêpes in the center of each plate and top with a generous scoop of compote. Drizzle warm syrup around the edges of the crêpes, and garnish the plate with a little powder sugar. Serve while still warm.

Tate's-Off: A Tasteoff Featuring Homemade Vs. Purchased Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies

For your consideration: Tate's Bake Shop, in Southhampton, NY. As their website invites, 

If you're in the Hamptons and walk around the charming little Atlantic coast town of Southampton, you'll see a celadon green Victorian structure with white shutters, framed in flowers, that seems to attract people like bees to a hive. It's Tate's Bake Shop, the fairytale culmination of a dream that got started when 11-year-old Kathleen King began baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand not far out of town.

Sounds pretty idyllic, huh? But wait, there's more: in addition to having a full-fledged retail store, retail mail order business and wholesale division, they also have a cookbook, released a couple of years ago: Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Southampton's Favorite Bakery for Homestyle Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Muffins, and Breads. 

And even more recently, they sent me a parcel of samples, containing aforementioned cookbook, as well as a variety of mail-order cookies (in three flavors: macadamia, oatmeal raisin, and their bestselling item, chocolate chip cookies). Now, of course I am thankful for these goodies--I mean, who doesn't love free stuff? But at the same time, every time I receive something like this, the mischievous side of me can't help but cry out to be heard.

And so I decided to put these cookies to the test by doing a taste-off: Tate's Versus Tate's. I made a batch of their bestselling item--the chocolate chip cookies--and then my friend Danny and I did a taste-test of the mail-order version versus the homemade version. Which would win?

Now, I realize that I probably had the home-team advantage here: my cookies would be slightly fresher, warmer, and we both would have known that someone superbly cute had made them. So to level the playing field, I did make sure to fully cool the cookies before serving, and then to lightly warm both specimens on the still-warm oven before serving. The results?

Appearance:

Tate's Mail Order: More perfectly formed than the homemade version, and the chocolate chips must have been different, because they were slightly flatter in this version.

Tate's Homemade: Slightly irregular, but not displeasing in appearance. Also the centers were slightly lighter, probably because if anything I err toward slight underbaking.

Texture:

Tate's Mail Order: Very crunchy--crackery, even.

Tate's Homemade: Crunchy on the outside and mostly through, but lightly chewy in the center even when cooled.

Taste:

Tate's Mail Order: Dry, but not stale--still very buttery, and redolent of brown sugar and deep chocolate flavor.

Tate's Homemade: More moist, even when cooled and crunchy. Pleasingly salty, and although they used less chocolate than the original recipe, they still tasted like they had more chocolate chips. Perhaps uneven distribution? Or perhaps the fact that although they had cooled, they still retained that chocolatey glow of taste from the oven permeations?

All said and done: While it was clear that these were variations of the same cookie, the homemade version definitely won. Obviously, even though I tried to level the playing field, one thing holds true: just-baked cookies always win. There's a certain something that comes from home baking that can't be beat. Nonetheless, I feel as if it might have been a slightly different outcome had we just scored the Tate's mail-order ones on the same day they had been baked.

Final word: Unless you're in the tri-state area and can go to the source, buy the book and make 'em yourself.

Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I used Rodelle--they recently sent me some as a sample and I am very impressed!)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients just until combined.
4. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don't overmix the dough.
5. Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons or an ice cream scoop.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges and centers are brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Sweetness Overseas: Cake Gumshoe Cynthia Discovers Cafe 85 Degrees in Shanghai

CakeSpy Note: Don't you love seeing friends' vacation photos? Well, I do...especially the beauty shots of all the delicious foods they ate while away. Here are some shots from CakeSpy buddy (and budding Gumshoe) Cynthia's recent trip to Asia!

Here are some pictures from Cafe 85 Degrees, the Taiwanese bakery I loved in Shanghai. I started photographing the more bizarre items:

... then started taking pictures of standard, sweet pastries.

Then someone who works there caught me and asked me to stop. I didn't have enough Chinese to explain that my friend runs a famous website about baked goods and all things sweet in the United States. Oh well.

International CakeSpy snub aside, the sesame buns and the mocha bread (pictured top of post) were delicious. Also, Cafe 85 has the cheapest good coffee in Shanghai (8 RMB versus 30 at other places) and amazing hazelnut lattes.

Here's their site: http://www.85cafe.us/

Sweet Tart: A Bakery Crush on Three Tarts, NYC

Right now we really, really need to talk about how much I adore Three Tarts, a little gift and confectionery shop in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood.

Now, you know it's got to be special to stand out, especially in such a star-studded neighborhood which is also home to the Chelsea Market, Billy's Bakery, and La Bergamote.

What sets Three Tarts apart is that it's not completely a bakery--it's more a gift/treasure store that happens to have a lovely little bakery case. And the tiny sweets are indeed big-time treats. Why don't I tell you about some of the treats I've enjoyed there?

How about...a homemade marshmallow? SpyMom and I have sampled the raspberry ones, and let me tell you that I'm not even a big marshmallow fan, but these are evidence that when something is executed well enough, it can make you a believer.

Of course, if you like your marshmallows a little more tricked-out, you might enjoy something like the reverse s'more, a chocolate-covered marshmallow and graham cracker confection (pictured top). Le yum!

If marshmallows aren't your thing though, you might like what they call a "yumball". You probably already like it based on the name, but it gets even better when you bite into it: these are basically fancy cake truffles, small but intensely flavorful and decadent. My favorite? The Vanilla-Lemon, "Vanilla and lemon cake mixed with cream of coconut and Malibu rum, rolled in white chocolate and shredded coconut". Oh, yes.

Another treat worth noting? The cookies. I picked up an "Annie" cookie last time I visited, and this meltaway-type cookie was redolent of butter, beautifully crumbly, and made me regret not having bought a second one.

Happiest of all, even if you're not in NYC, Three Tarts does ship their goodies--you can shop online here. But seriously--next time you're in the city, you must visit, because it really is such a happy and sweet shop!

Guest Post: Bakery Suggestions for Springfield, MO from Emma Chapman of Red Velvet Sweet Shoppe

CakeSpy Note: I have to admit, I am always curious to hear what bakeries are beloved by bakery owners. Happily, I recently received a great list of bakery suggestions from Emma Chapman, co-owner of Springfield, Mo-based Red Velvet Sweet Shoppe. Here's the lowdown on Red Velvet, an obvious must-visit if you're in the area...as well as other suggestions for delicious sweets in the area! Images all provided courtesy Float Away Studios.

Red Velvet Sweet Shoppe is new in town. The entire store is actually owned by two sisters, one who bakes cupcakes and makes bubble tea, and one who loves handmade and vintage. Daily cupcake flavors include (but
are not limited to): Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle Cookie, Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter Monster and Cookies and Cream. The sweet shoppe also offers bubble tea in variety of flavors on a rotating basis. 211 East Commercial Street in Springfield, MO 65803; online at redvelvetcatering.com

But the sweetness doesn't stop there. Where else do the owners of Red Velvet suggest stopping in for a sweet? Why not try one of these places suggested by co-owner Emma:

• The Cup (cravethecup.com) tons of yummy cupcakes and coffee drinks. My favorite is the tuxedo flavor:)
• The Pie Box (mypiebox.com) charming place to get sweet or savory pies to go. My personal favorite is the fancy peach, although I really NEED to try the old fashion buttermilk pie soon.
• Amy Cakes (sweetsbyamycakes.com) located downtown and is probably Springfield's longest running cupcake and confections bakery. My favorite is the mini red velvet cupcakes. 

You can learn more about Emma and her bakery Red Velvet Sweet Shoppe here, and keep up on her adventures via her blog here.

Sweetness Up North: 50 Most Excellent Moments from a Vancouver, BC Weekend

O, Canada. How buttery and sweet are thee? 

Delightfully, deliciously so, as Mr. Spy and I found on a recent weekend trip to Vancouver (which is part of what I would call Nanaimo Bar Country). And now, you can share our delicious adventures, photographically at least, with a rundown of our 50 sweetest moments in Vancouver, BC:

1. First Nanaimo Bar of the trip! It was from a chain coffee shop (shame!) but it tasted like heaven.
2. Slight savory interlude: OMG Eggs Benedict from Seb's Market Cafe. Happiness: they have three types of Hollandaise.
3. Banana French Toast from Seb's. Yes!
4. Peanut cake from Anna's Cake House.
5. Danny, the happiest boy to ever eat Peanut Cake at Anna's Cake House.
6. Have I mentioned that I'd love to live in a Cake House?
7. Fresh Gooey Cinnamon Rolls.
8. The gorgeous pastry spread at Liberty Bakery, which looks like it's been there forever.
9. In particular, the Eccles cakes...
10. and the Butter Tarts, which is what we went for.
11. The World Peace Cookie, a Dorie Greenspan shout-out, at Coco et Olive, an adorable little cafe.
12. This sign, which kind of describes my life.
13. Lovely cream-filled chocolates from Rogers' Chocolates. Hazelnut Swirl for Mr. Spy...
14. ...and Maple for me.
15. OMG LOVE: The Granville Island Public Market, which is kind of like a mashup between Pike Place Market and the Reading Market in PA.
16. Intriguing: Orange Nanaimo Bars, Stuart's Bakery, Granville Public Market.
17. ...Eccles cake and more--including Nieman Marcus Cookies!--at Stuart's Bakery.
18. ...sweet jams: Cinnamon Pastry Records, Stuart's.
19. What exactly is a scrumpet? A cross between a scone and a crumpet, found at Muffin Granny, Granville Public Market.
20. Another Canadian specialty: the Date Square, also spied at Muffin Granny.
21. Lychee gelato, anyone? From Pizza Pzazz (I know, terrible name), Granville Island Public Market.
22. Another savory break! Pizza from Pizza Pzazz.
23. Ooh, rainbow roses! Buy me some, Mr. Spy!
24. A gorgeous spread at ChocolaTas, Granville Island Public Market.
25. Tarts!
26. Slabs of decadent caramel from Olde World Fudge.
27. Also, a sweet spread of handmade lollipops with Halloween themes at Olde World Fudge.
28. Poppyseed rolls (Canadian rugelach?) from Siegel's Bagels.
29. Fruit filled bagels, Siegel's Bagels.
30. A view of my new favorite place ever, Lee's Donuts.
31. Wisdom from Lee's Donuts.
32. ...and a cream puff from Lee's, which is what we chose to eat.
33. Chocolate swirl cheesecake from Luella's Fine Foods.
34. Bubblegum ice cream from The Milk Man.
35. Black. Forest. Cake.
36. Tarts and pies galore! At A la Mode.
37. Blueberry bread from Terra Breads (I saw this all around town at grocery shops and coffee shops too).
38. Pause for a sweet self-photo. Fact: we cannot stop looking good.
    
39. Turtle cheesecake!
40. Halloween-hued macarons from La Baguette Bakery.
41. Croissants from La Baguette. Le Yum.
42. Spying Butter's marshmallows at Whole Foods! Sweet!
43. Vanilla salt cookies by Kreation, as spied at Whole Foods.
44. New Hat! Doesn't cover the dopey expression, though!
45. NRG Orbs: what are they? They're very heavy, whatever they are.
46. Question: Does Mona Lisa like sushi? The answer is yes.
47. What we chose from Butter: the Maple Snickerdoodle sandwich.
48. It gets another number to show you the innards. Like, whoa!
49. The raspberry-rhubarb pie from Savary Island Pie Co., not beautiful but very delicious.
50. The peanut butter crispy Nanaimo bar from Savary Island Pie Co. - I will be dreaming of this.

Oh, and there's a bonus! The week after my Vancouver trip, I had a surprise visitor in the shop -- Miss Kickpleat herself! And she brought me a muffin. Totally sweet!

Thanks, Canada, for the memories! For more photos, visit my Flickr page!