Sweet Product: Whoopie Pies From Chococoa Baking Company

Not so long ago, I received an email from a place called Chococoa Baking Company, asking if I'd sample their whoopie pies.

Turns out this retail bakery (with an online and wholesale division) has made quite a name for itself in the North Shore of the greater Boston area, where they've been churning out what they call "the Whoopie"--a mini (3 bite-ish) version of the popular treat that is "A smaller, richer, triple chocolate version of the childhood treat." 

Co-owners Alan and Julie have some eclectic inspiration. For Alan, this is the realization of a lifelong dream to develop a snack food. He thanks his two heroes: first his mother, and then...former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan. Of course. As he explains it, "My mother was a great baker and always trying new recipes." As for Mr. Greenspan? He said that you do not need to develop a new product but rather improve an existing one. Nice. 

Julie, Chococoa's co-owner, is a Maine native who grew up making whoopie pies with her grandmother and mother; she felt that the classic treat could benefit from a makeover, too. 

Sure, I said, and they sent me a sample. But I don't know if they were aware of what exactly awaited their sweet treats when I received them. Because, you see, I like to get to know baked goods before I sample them. So, I unwrapped them and had way more fun with them than I ought to have.

First, I showed one my hamburger phone.

HAMBURGER PHONE!

I showed a few my book. They made appropriate cooing sounds of approval.

I gave some a healthy snack.

I safely wrapped a few and took them for a walk.

I took them to an 18th Century Garden. Bet you're wondering how I knew it was an 18th Century Garden.

I showed them statues.

I showed them historical landmarks.

Back home, I introduced one to a naked baby.

One enjoyed a conversation with a cupcake.

I shared with them some of my artwork.

I showed them my unicorn collection:

They were so happy.

and then I ate them.

Wow, you're thinking, when did this turn into a Whoopie Pie snuff film? No, people. They're just whoopie pies. They're meant to be consumed.

And for sure, these ones were rather tasty. In the parcel, as you've noticed in the pictures, there were several different flavors of filling. I tried ones filled with vanilla cream, salted caramel cream, raspberry cream, and chocolate ganache. 

What's clear is that these are a step above your typical ubiquitous whoopie pie, quality-wise--the fillings are on par with the frostings at a high end cupcake shop, and the cake is quite nicely made--very chocolatey, and not crumbly or devoid of flavor like so many whoopie pies can be, in my opinion. 

I vote that they are a highly satisfying treat. And proof that sometimes it's great to take some childlike joy in your food, and play with it!

Buy your own whoopie pies to mess with! If you're in Newburyport, visit 50 Water Street, where they have a retail location; or, order online. Here's their website.

Sweet Times at Sweet Cupcakes, Boston

As you probably already know, I have been out of town a lot lately on something magical called Book Tour. This is a journey I've been taking to support my awesome new book CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, which is conveniently available at Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble, and many other fine retailers.

But my book tour has been extra-special, because instead of conducting it at book stores, I've been going to BAKERIES. It's a Tour de Sweet!

And right now, I want to tell you about my first East Coast stop, which was at a magical place called Sweet Cupcakes in Boston. They have a few locations around town; I visited the one on School Street, downtown.

First off, I was greeted by a bevy of beautiful seasonal cupcake flavors in the bakery case:

...but things got far better when they brought out a tray of cupcakes with edible toppers featuring my artwork!

Now, you may think that it being that my artwork was featured on the cupcakes, it might be hard for me to eat them.

But this was not the case. They were freaking delicious. I wish I was eating another one right now.

Moreover, the aesthetic and color scheme in the place couldn't have been more appropriate.

...and as a bonus, I got to hang out with awesome people like Bethany and Tina of Scoopalicious;

and my buddy Phuong:

...Phuong is also going down as "favorite person ever"...because she also brought me some Boston Cream Pie from nearby Parker Hotel:

Shani, who collects my rubber stamp designs also came...and was packing her sweet supplies!

...and I got to meet Jill of Sugarbird Bakery, who came all the way from Providence! She rules!

My friends Dan and Kelsey also showed up from Rhode Island--making for a sweet treat on an extremely sweet evening. 

And I sold out of books, to boot. Best signing ever!

Visit SWEET when you're in Boston--here's their website!

Sweet Find: Nokodi Cookies from Tabrizi Bakery, Watertown MA

While I was on book tour in Boston, I took a little jaunt outside of the city to see what I could see. Happily, I was rewarded, sweetly, with a type of cookie I'd never tried before: Nokodi, spied at Tabrizi Bakery, a Persian bakery in Watertown.

I'd never heard of Nokodi before I walked into this sweet little spot, where I was greeted by the baker having what sounded like an oddly friendly shouting match with a--customer? Friend? Co-worker? who was standing by the counter. 

At the bakery, these tiny clover-shaped cookies are simply labeled "Nokodi - Chickpea Cookies". The website reveals that the ingredients include chickpea flour, flour, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla, and cardamom. 

But this doesn't come close to explaining the exquisite, spicy, meltaway quality that these cookies have when you eat them. They're almost powdery in texture, but when paired with a spicy mint tea, they're a thing of great beauty, not overly sweet but rather nutty-tasting, and decidedly addictive.

Of course, the small shop, which is in a state of charming dissaray, also boasts a variety of other Middle Eastern cookies (Berenji, rice flour cookies; Gerdeui, walnut macaroons; Nazok, flat cookies with seeds and honey) as well as sweets such as baklava, Bami (a small ball oval shape cooked in corn oil dipped in honey syrup) and Zolbi (Golden color pretzel shaped, dipped in honey syrup cooked in corn oil). They also have imported canned goods and snacks.

Overall, a sweet destination if you're in the Boston area!

Tabrizi Bakery, 56 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown; online here.

Tour de Sweet Boston: Eat Cake! in Newburyport, November 8

So, I really think you should come visit me in Boston when I pass through on my Tour de Sweet book tour.

On November 8, I will be making a sweet stop at Eat Cake! in Newburyport ( I'll also be stopping in downtown Boston on November 7, at SWEET). They will have books on hand for you to buy and me to sign and draw a cute little unicorn, cupcake or robot in for you.

But I don't want to be too bossy about it, so instead of saying "you'd better come, you!" I'll give you five sweet reasons why it would be a good idea for you to come. Totally your decision though.

1. Eat Cake! is adorable. They have exposed-brick walls and black and white checked floors. Classic!

2. The bakery has a very sweet story--sort of "If you bake it, they will come." Read it here.

3. On their menu is something that goes like this: "The Infamous Dipped Chocolate Fudge: cake dipped in Chocolate with Vanilla (or Oreo) buttercream, dipped in Chocolate again". I want that in my mouth.

4. They also have a "Today's Cupcake" feature on their site, where you can see what is available TODAY--with pictures. I love this.

5. I will be bringing some cute stuff to give away to lucky winners, including notecards, original art, and my famous cupcake-unicorn-robot socks.

This event will take place at Eat Cake!, 9 Prince Street, Newburyport, at 3pm. For directions and more, visit the Eat Cake! website.

CakeSpy Undercover: Cake Gumshoe Phuong Visits Eat Cake! in Newburyport, MA

CakeSpy Note: Want the best bakery suggestions? Ask a local! Read on to discover Boston-based Cake Gumshoe Phuong's most recent bakery visit: to Eat Cake! in Boston! You might want to check out her sweet online shop, too!

How yummy does this cupcake sound? 

Pumpkin spice cupcake with a cinnamon nutmeg spice buttercream dipped in butterscotch.

How about a coconut cupcake with a gooey coconut topping and vanilla buttercream with toasted coconut on top? Or a chocolate fudge cupcake dipped in chocolate with an Oreo buttercream and then dipped in chocolate again?

These are just a few of Hilary Larson’s decadent creations at Eat Cake! in Newburyport, MA. Hilary is a fan of CakeSpy and has invited us for a tour of her new cake studio. Eat Cake! specializes in party and wedding cakes that are freshly made from the highest quality ingredients. Everything is made-to-order so nothing is ever frozen.

I knew I was walking into something special when I smelled the sweet buttery aroma that permeated the street even before I stepped into the cake studio. It smelled even more amazing inside. I was greeted by smiling faces and a counter full of luscious cupcakes. Freshly-baked cupcakes are a new offering at Eat Cake! and they’re definitely a big hit with the locals. Like me, everyone was having a hard time picking out what they want. (Did you read the descriptions of these cupcakes at the beginning? Yeah, it was definitely difficult.)

Hilary was so welcoming and allowed me to roam around freely. The studio’s open layout creates such a comfortable atmosphere. While I was there, mini cupcakes were being filled with lemon curd and raspberry preserves. I find it so wonderful that they would take the time to fill mini ones. I can only imagine how great those will taste. I have to say that the sweetest surprise was little Charlie (Hilary’s baby) just hanging out in the back observing everything. 

Hilary generously sent us off with four cupcakes to try. My boyfriend and I couldn’t wait to taste them. I love the bright pink boxes that the cupcakes were packaged in. I also couldn’t get over how great the single cupcake container was. I’ve never seen this type of container before.

It guarantees that your cupcake will safely make it to its destination before being devoured. All of the cupcakes were delicious. They were so fresh and moist. The flavors were amazing! My absolute favorites were the pumpkin and coconut ones. The pumpkin cupcake was perfect for the fall. The spices and the butterscotch complimented each other so well. One bite and it made me think of the holidays. The coconut cupcake was a coconut lover’s dream. I love how the gooey coconut topping peeked out underneath the vanilla buttercream. These cupcakes just took me to my happy place.

So if you’re ever around Boston’s North Shore, make sure to stop by Eat Cake! You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to custom order a cake from Hilary one of these days. The flavor menu on the website is incredible; so many delicious possibilities!

With that, I’ll leave you with two more cake-lust inducing cupcake pictures of flavors that I didn’t have the chance to try this time around. This just gives me an excuse to go back and eat more cupcakes!

*Special thanks to Hilary for inviting us to your cake studio and thank you for making this write-up super easy because your cupcakes were truly wonderful!

CakeSpy Note: As a sort of P.S. to this post, Phuong was recently able to visit CakeSpy Shop--on the same day as Bakerella! Here's a sweet picture of us all together.

Eat Cake! 9 Prince Place, Newburyport, MA 01950 (978) 465-6057; online at eatcakeonline.com

CakeSpy Undercover: Toscanini's, Boston

CakeSpy Note: Recently I heard a rumor (well, in the NY Times, so I guess that's not really a rumor) that the best ice cream--like, in the world--was to be found at a place called Toscanini's in Boston. Boston! So far! But happily, Cake Gumshoe Jen lives there, and she was more than happy to case out the joint on a spy mission. Here's a piece from her spy diary (she took the photos, too!):

Having only one year left in law school and uncertain of where I would be post-graduation, I decided to make a “Massachusetts Bucket List” of all the places I needed to go or things to do before I graduate. On the list was Toscanini’s, an ice cream place in Cambridge that has been touted as having the best ice cream in the world by the New York Times. I grabbed a friend on a beautiful Saturday morning and ventured out.

My first impressions of Toscanini’s upon arriving were that it was small but cozy and crowded but friendly and relaxed.  The lines moved quickly and we didn’t have to wait very long before placing our order. Toscanini’s serves brunch on Saturday, so we decided to try that first. I had their Open Faced Sandwich, which was ricotta scrambled eggs, figs and prosciutto on toasted bread, while my friend had their Toasted Bagel, which had mascarpone plum preserves, and sea salt. Both were very delicious, and despite the busyness of the place the food arrived quickly.

After brunch it was time for the most important part of the meal – dessert. Gus Rancatore, one of the co-founders of Toscanini’s, was at hand to help me make the difficult decision of which ice cream flavors I was to ultimately consume. He was very friendly and helpful, asking me what kinds of ice cream I liked and giving me generous samples of several of his recommendations. I ultimately went with the caramel apple and the hazelnut, although I had also sampled the green tea Kit Kat and the burnt caramel (which were also delicious, but alas my stomach can only hold so much ice cream at one time). 

All in all, I definitely had a great time at Toscanini’s – the staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and there was a great atmosphere about the place. I’m looking forward to going back more often and trying all of their flavors.

Check it out yourself--find the location, menus, and more at tosci.com.

Cakewalk: A Sweet Boston Bakery Guide from Cake Gumshoe Phuong

CakeSpy Note: Want the best bakery suggestions? Ask a local! Read on to discover Boston-based Cake Gumshoe Phuong's favorite bakeries in Beantown! You might want to check out her sweet online shop, too!

I love Boston. I’ve lived here all my life. Boston has so much history and many fun activities to do. Most importantly, we have some of the best bakeries around. Follow me and I’ll show you a glimpse of what Boston has to offer and why I’m living a sweet life.

Omni Parker House: Well, I can’t talk about cakes and sweets in Boston without starting with our famous Boston cream pie. This cake (yes, cake!) was invented at the Parker House Hotel in 1855 by French chef M. Sanzian. Today you can still enjoy the cake at its birthplace now known as the Omni Parker House. If you think you’ve had a Boston cream pie before, think again. It is served as a small individual cake; not a slice of a larger one. The moist sponge cake is filled with a scrumptious pastry cream and covered with chocolate fondant icing. It is then finished with a cool spider-web design on top and the sides are covered in toasted almond (pictured top) It is heavenly!

Tip: Don’t forget to look around and enjoy the beautiful details of this historic hotel.

60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108 (617) 227-8600; online at omnihotels.com.

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Mike's Pastry: As you are walking around Boston or riding the T, you’ll probably notice many people holding a little white pastry box with blue letters. There’s a reason for it. Mike’s Pastry in the North End is known to have some of the best cannolis around. I really like the classic plain cannoli. The rich cream filling is not too sweet and the handmade shell is always fresh and crisp. Sometimes I don’t go there for the cannolis at all. I love their rainbow cookies and different types of macaroons (pistachio nut, almond, raspberry, etc.). This place is very popular especially at night so be prepared to wait in a long line.

Tip: Some Bostonians will say that Mike’s Pastry is a tourist trap and they will tell you to go to Modern Pastry Shop instead. There’s a constant debate as to which bakery is better. Both are on Hanover Street so my suggestion is to try both or go to the one with the shorter line. I personally haven’t tried Modern yet so I can’t comment.

300 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 (617) 742-3050; online at mikespastry.com.

(For those interested in Modern Pastry, it is located at 257 Hanover St.; online at modernpastry.com)

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Sweet: This is one of Boston’s few cupcakeries. I’ve followed the cupcake craze for a while now and it’s wonderful for Boston to finally have our own cupcake-only bakery. I love the ultra-girly pink and white décor. They even had My Fair Lady playing on the flatscreen while I was there. I tried the red velvet cupcake and it was good. I adore it because it’s a fun place to have a cupcake with your friends and although I prefer to bake my own, it’s nice to be able to pick up the pretty cupcakes as gifts when I’m in a hurry.

Two locations: 49 Mass Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (617) 247 CAKE; or, Zero Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 547 CAKE; online at sweet-cupcakes.com.

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Finale: This place offers beautiful fancy-looking cakes that are rich and decadent. I love looking at their bakery case. There are rows and rows of perfectly decorated cakes. The ultimate indulgence at Finale is to sit down and enjoy their plated desserts. Try the mini dessert sampler. It has mini versions of their popular desserts such as crème brulee, cheesecake, Boston cream pie, whoppie pies, sorbet, etc. It’s meant to be shared but I can definitely enjoy it all by myself!

Tip: Definitely come for dessert but enjoy your meal elsewhere. The food at Finale is okay. There are better places in Boston for lunch and dinner. Cakes and pastries are available for take-out.

Three locations: One Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116 (617) 423-3184; another at 1306 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446 (617) 232-3233; another at 30 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 441-9797; online at finaledesserts.com.

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Chinatown Picks: Many people might not know this but Chinatown is a great place to get baked goods. The pastries are good and not too sweet. Best of all they cost about a dollar or less a piece. I usually go to Eldo Cake House or Mei Sum Bakery for their layered sponge cake. It is filled with fresh strawberries or peaches and whipped cream. The cake is so light and fresh. You can buy a whole cake or just a slice of it. My favorite “bao” or bun is called “gai mei bao”. This bun is filled with a delicious sweet coconut and butter mixture. You can get this bun at most bakeries in Chinatown but I think Ho Yuen makes the best one. My other favorites are the custard-filled bun, ham and egg bun, hot dog bun, and so much more. Since they are so cheap, buy a bunch and try them all.

Tip: Service can be rushed and unfriendly depending on how busy they are. Just don’t take it too personally.

Eldo Cake House: 36 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111 (617) 350-7977.
Mei Sum Bakery: 40 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111 (617) 357-4050.
Ho Yuen Bakery: 54 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111 (617) 426-8320.

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Johnny Cupcakes: This could be the best prank store in Boston. Many shoppers are surprised to find out that this store doesn’t sell cupcakes at all! Every time I’m in there, there are always a few confused and clearly disappointed customers asking the staff, “So you don’t sell cupcakes?” I wonder if the staff gets tired of answering this question. I can’t blame the customers though. Johnny Cupcakes sells fun baked-goods-themed t-shirts that are displayed in bakery cases and refrigerators. It’s pretty deceiving from afar. You can read the story on how this business got started on their website. It’s pretty awesome. The t-shirts have a huge following because most are limited editions. It’s a great place to pick up something sweet without all the extra calories!

279 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 (617) 375-0100; online at johnnycupcakes.com.

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Flour Bakery: Lastly, if you only have time to visit one bakery while you’re in Boston, you have to go to Flour Bakery. To Food Network fans, this is the bakery where the owner, Joanne Chang, beats Bobby Flay in the Sticky Bun Throwdown. Yes, all the rumors about these amazing sticky buns are true. They are so popular that they are usually sold out by lunchtime. If they’re gone by the time you get there, don’t be too disappointed. In my opinion, the sticky buns’ fame really overshadows all the other tasty baked goods. Some of my favorite morning pastries are the blueberry muffin tops which are jam-packed with fresh blueberries and the twice-baked brioche; an almond lover’s dream. For lunchtime, there are even more goodies to pick from: rich brownies, housemade oreos, raspberry crumbs bar, coconut macaroons, cornmeal lime cookies, cupcakes, etc. Try the fresh fruit tart, the lemon-raspberry curd cake, or the triple chocolate mousse cake if you’re in the mood for a fancier dessert. Flour even has their version of the Boston cream pie if you didn’t make it over to the Omni Parker House. You really can’t go wrong with anything from this bakery.

Tip: You can call ahead and reserve the sticky buns. Just make sure you call early in the morning if you’re picking up on the same day. Flour Bakery also serves delicious sandwiches and lunch specials so the line is very long during lunchtime. Avoid the lunch rush if you can. This way you’ll have more time looking at all the wonderful pastries.

CakeSpy Note: You may also like owner Joanne Chang's pop-tart recipe, which was featured on CakeSpy a while back!

Two locations: 12 Farnsworth St, Boston, MA 02210 (617)-338-4333; or 1595 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118 (617)-267-4300; online at flourbakery.com.

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The final word? There are so many other bakeries that I can list but these are my go-to ones. I hope I’ve entice you enough to put Boston on your travel list. It’s great place to visit especially if you have a sweet tooth!

Batter Chatter: Interview with Sara Ross of Kickass Cupcakes

When you open a cupcake bakery with a name like Kickass Cupcakes, you're definitely going to be noticed. When we read about their opening on DailyCandy Boston, we were immediately intrigued by their offerings, which included some exotic new takes on the cupcake: cupcake shooters, deep fried cupcakes, and cupcake crisps, to name a few. Needless to say, we contacted them right away for an interview to find out more; happily, we found owner Sara Ross to be clever, witty, and just as much fun as her cupcakes, which are taking the Boston area by storm. Here's what we learned:

Cakespy: Has anyone gotten mad about your bakery's name? No offense of course, but some older New Englanders have a bit of a reputation for being...a bit uptight?
Sara Ross: The only people gave me any lip (was) the phone company…“Kickass Cupcakes…errrr…I don’t think we can list that”. But they did. Most people are loving the name. For anyone who has a problem with it, we say you can tell your wee ones it’s “Kick Stars” or “Kick’s”.

CS: When did you decide that you were going to open Kickass Cupcakes?
SR: Was there one defining moment? I think I was having a really bad day at work, and it pushed me off the fence about whether or not I wanted to really open up my own business rather than be someone else’s bee-atch.

CS: You're offering some unusual takes on the cupcake--cupcake "shooters", fried cupcakes, cupcake parfaits and cupcake crisps. Which of these products have been most popular so far?
SR: We haven’t started doing the deep fried cupcakes yet, those will be starting soon, and we’ve been getting a lot of people asking about them. The Go-Go’s and the Crisps are really catching on now, especially the Crisps.

CS: About those cupcake shooters. What exactly is a cupcake shooter? Are they cupcake flavored?
SR: Shooters are one gulp cups of specially crafted beverages to down with your cupcake. Right now, we have a vanilla bean infused fresh from the local dairy milk, iced organic cinnamon tea and seltzer and syrup, choose your flavor of Sonoma Syrup and we’ll mix it up with a shot of seltzer. I recommend downing the shooter with your cupcake…licking sugar off your arm with your shot is highly recommended.

CS: You offer deep fried cupcakes. Be honest...are they tasty? We're kind of curious, but kind of think we might go directly to hell if we ate one.
SR: They are super tasty…who wouldn’t love a cream stuffed vanilla cupcake dipped in a sweet batter, deep fried to order, then drizzled with chocolate sauce...YUM! More like straight to heaven!

CS: Has a person ever accidentally eaten a pupcake (your cupcake-shaped doggie treats)? Was it hilarious?
SR: My husband ate one without realizing it was a pupcake (that was funny!). And customers order them all the time, not realizing they are for dogs. Even though they have a little dog biscuit on the top. They are on a lower rack though, so maybe it’s hard to see. So we always make sure to tell people they are for dogs. I made some new and big signs that say “woof “ and “meow” to place by the trays, but still…

CS: Where do your recipes come from?
SR: My inspiration for the basics come from Rose Levy Berenbaum, the Queen of Cakes. As for flavor ideas, that’s my favorite part of owning a cupcake bakery, coming up with new flavors of cupcakes.

CS: Do you think vegan cupcakes taste as good as dairy ones?
SR: Absolutely! Although they do have a different texture since they are oil and soy milk based (our other cupcakes are all butter based). The vegan cupcakes are luscious in their own way. In the Java Jolt, the chocolate and espresso really enhance the richness. And we just introduced a new seasonal flavor, Cinna-Punk, a pumpkin spice cupcake with cinnamon frosting.

CS: Do you or will you ever offer any non-cupcake items on your menu?
SR: I don’t think so, I’m too much of a purist. But I am tossing around the idea of doing a breakfast and lunch cupcake. For example, the breakfast cupcake could be a savory cupcake with eggs and bacon, or maybe a spin on French toast with maple syrup and bacon and the lunchcup could be a biscuit cupcake with butter and really excellent proscuitto and arugula.

CS: Be honest...do you ever go home after a long day of making cupcakes with pure ingredients...and just break out the Twinkies or something?
SR: OK, you got me…I love junk food, and lately I have been fixated on Pop Tarts. And candy bars, especially Butterfingers. I see it as a yin and yang thing…one must have balance in this world, or else it might explode.

CS: What is next for Kickass Cupcakes? Any next-step goals?
SR: Another location. I would love to open another location in Boston.

Kickass Cupcakes is located at 378 Highland Avenue, Davis Square, in Somerville, MA. For more information, visit kickasscupcakes.com.