Sweet Story: How the Kouing Aman became the Queen of Salt Lake City

CakeSpy Note: Believe it or not, there's a sweet spot in Salt Lake City where the delightful French treat known as Kouing Aman (pronounce it "queen ahmann" in your Frenchiest voice, please) reigns supreme. It's at a bakery called Les Madeleines, where pastry chef Romina Rasmussen's version has won fans far and wide (even Oprah is said to be a fan!). But how did this happen? Here's the story of How the Kouing Aman became the Queen, written by the Queen of Kouing Aman herself, bakery owner Romina!

I wish I could tell you a story of one of my adventures that took me to Brittany, France where I discovered this hidden gem of a pastry.

It’s not as exciting as that. I discovered the Kouing Aman (or kouign aman) in a trade magazine. I like to stay up on what’s going on in the industry and was intrigued by an article I happened upon. I didn’t even make it right away. I put it aside to make it when I had time. Eventually, I gently nudged a regular customer to order some so I would have to make time. She did, and nothing has ever been the same.

The instructions wouldn’t work at this altitude (in Salt Lake City), so I adjusted the ingredients and technique. It took several batches to get them just right, but not so many that I wanted to give up.

At first I added them to our rotation of special viennoiserie, just once a week. At that point we were still undiscovered, so I only made eight at a time. Just eight! No one knew what they were. No one could say it. I didn’t expect it to go well.

The first few weeks I sampled a few out and it was unanimous love at first bite. The third week I got “in trouble” with a guest for running out, as she had driven a long way. The following it was because I'd put them out on the wrong day of the week. I ended up adding another day.

By the sixth week I was making them every day and people were making excuses as to why they were eating them so often – you know sick friends in the hospital and other such tales. We quickly nicknamed them “crack” and cautioned guests about their waistlines if they ate 2-3 per day. I once saw it almost come to blows over the last one between two ladies.

No matter how many I made, they’d sell out. I started limiting them to six/day without advanced orders. But this only made everyone want them more. At this point I was making way more than eight/day.

Eventually The Food Network found us and featured the Kouing Aman on Road Tasted with the Neelys and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. We started shipping them, and now I can say they’ve made it to all 50 states. Being on The Food Network was a business changing endorsement that I am very grateful for.

CakeSpy Note: May we pause for a moment to observe that the box says "by giving BUTTER, you give your HEART"...? LOVE it!

Eight years later, the Kouing Aman isn't such a secret. You can get them in a handful of bakeries (four in Salt Lake and counting) in several major cities. Most recently they’ve been featured in O The Oprah Magazine and were named Food & Wine's top pastry of 2012. They're destined to become a classic.

To purchase Kouing Aman or to plan a bakery visit to Salt Lake City yourself, visit the Les Madeleines website!

Sweet Discovery: The Cookie Lady, Ogden UT

The Cookie Lady of Ogden, Utah, has a new fan: ME.

No, she doesn't run a retail operation, but she sells her sweet wares at coffee shops and gourmet grocers all around the greater Ogden area. I picked up some of her cookies at Grounds For Coffee, a small coffee chain. I was told that the cookies were "really, really good" - so naturally I had to pick up a few. There were oatmeal, chocolate chip, and even vegan varieties.

The standout? The chocolate chocolate chip cookie with pecans.

For one thing, the cookie is a nice, decent size. Not too big, but not annoyingly small, it's a mouthful but it won't leave you feeling sick afterward. A good start.

And the cookie itself has a great texture: crispy on the edges, chewy on the inside.

And the flavor brings it home: rich and chocolatey, buttery and well-rounded, with a nice crunch from the pecans, this cookie is clearly made well, made with love, and made in a home-baked tradition. That is to say, it's like grandma's homemade cookies...but better than my grandma's homemade cookies. Plus, the flavor combination is just a little bit unexpected.

Other than Grounds for Coffee locations, I can't tell you where else you might find the cookies in the area, but if you felt like doing your own sleuthing, the company's info is listed on the cookies; you can find their phone number and info here.

Where I Want To Live: Taffy Town, Salt Lake City, Utah

Taffy Town, Population: YOU.

Or at least it could be. Because friends, this place actually exists. It is a candy factory, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Now, this company is magical in more ways than one. First of all, it opened my eyes to the fact that Saltwater Taffy, which I knew from growing up by the Jersey Shore, exists outside of the tri-state area. True, many accounts point to it being invented there (NJ pride!), but there are pockets of Taffy Territory elsewhere in the US: notably by the Oregon Coast, and also--news to me--in Salt Lake City.

I learned of this company in a roundabout way--while visiting a Bavarian Village in Central Washington. It's true. While visiting a Das Sweet Shoppe, a candy shop in Leavenworth, WA, I was impressed with the vast array of taffies in flavors from Buttered Popcorn to caramel to Cinnamon Bun (!) to Apple Pie to Huckleberry, and asked "are these made on premises?". 

No, the kind employee informed me, almost apologetically, the candies came from a company in Salt Lake City. 

Say what?

It's true, she said: these taffies were made by a company called Taffy Town, which had the best taffy she'd ever tasted--worth shipping, undoubtedly--made using salt from THE Salt Lake.

Well, that was interesting enough to get me to buy a half pound of the sweet stuff (one of which had a heart--no, really! I checked the site, and they don't usually), and to (with mouth full of taffy, which was, as hoped, salty-sweet-smooth and delicious) check out their website.

It's true, this company is like...Taffy City. Or at least Taffy Town, which makes their company name apropos. Apparently, after many years in the candy biz, they decided Taffy was their...ah, sweet spot:

For over 79 years we were known as Glade Candy Company offering individuals the finest in Gourmet Taffy.  In 1995, our name was changed to "Taffy Town"  to reflect our total dedication to taffy excellence.  We then expanded to serve a World Wide market.  Using a whipped process that produces a soft texture taffy that simply melts in your mouth, we then add the finest in domestic and imported flavors to obtain perfection in confection.

In case you didn't catch it, my favorite bit: "total dedication to taffy excellence."

While they make it VERY CLEAR IN ALL CAPS THAT THEY DO NOT GIVE TOURS OF THEIR PRODUCTION FACILITY, you can get the following from a visit:

Come in today and see over 60 different flavors of our rich tasting taffy to delight every palate.  In addition to our taffy, we offer you our NEW fresh creamy smooth fudge, and other gourmet candy creations.  We have all sorts of GIFT IDEAS:  including a Taffy Town Gift Certificate!  Also, we have a video playing on our big screen showing how we make the taffy.

Of course, if this alone doesn't seem worth a visit to Utah, here's a link to their retailers. Check out the Taffy Town website here.

Dough-Eyed: Cookies and Controversy from My Dough Girl in Salt Lake City, Utah

Which would you like first? The good news or the bad news?

The good news: My Dough Girl Cookies, a bakery in Salt Lake City, makes amazingly delicious cookies. I mean, like, really good. Fat, chewy, buttery, and flavorful morsels, sweetly packaged in the cutest retro sleeves. I recently had the good fortune to try several when SLC-based Cake Gumshoes Rob and Carol came to Seattle for a visit and brought me four specimens for me and Mr. Spy to sample.

We tried the "Lilly" (lemon sugar cookie with lemonheads and lemon glaze), which was bright and sunny and -- surprise, crunchy!--from the addition of sweet-sour lemonhead candies, the "Sandy" (the special flavor of the month, with macadamia nuts, zucchini, and milk chocolate), which was an unlikely, but oddly addictive combination--

--as well as a rich, filled chocolate cookie, and what I think may have been the "Betty" (oatmeal cookie with fruit bits), which was moist, buttery, and not at all as healthy-tasting as it may sound. In a good way.

The bad news: My Dough Girl Cookies won't exist for much longer. You see, one chubby little white guy doesn't like this Utah-based bakery's name very much at all--the Pillsbury Dough Boy. As it turns out, owner Tami Cromar recently received a cease and disist" order from General Mills, saying that she'd better change the name of her bakery.  According to The Salt Lake Tribune, 

The national company, which owns Pillsbury, said the name is too similar to its iconic Dough Boy character and represents trademark infringement. The letter also suggests that because My Dough Girl sells frozen take-and-bake cookie dough — just like Pillsbury —the Utah product could tarnish the company’s reputation.

Rather than fight, Cromar has decided to comply with the request, which includes a gag order that forbids her to talk to news media. She referred calls and text messages from The Salt Lake Tribune to her attorney, Catherine Lake. Calls to Lake’s office also weren’t returned.

But don't despair, because there's more good news: Although the name will change, the cookies will not. As the article goes on to say,

"I have to stick to baking so cookies can still be a part of all our futures,” Cromar wrote earlier this week. “ If the Dough Girl fights, there will be no cookies."

And that would be seriously bad news.

Whatever you want to call them, you can find 'em at 770 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah; online here.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Leslie Fiet of Mini's Cupcakes, Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah, as we recently learned, has the highest Jell-O consumption per capita--not in the state, not in the USA, but in the world.  In fact, the jiggly stuff was actually declared the official state snack in 2001. Why so? As one theory goes (from a former Utah-ite), perhaps it's the ease in preparation that seals the deal: Utah boasts a lot of big families, and a package of Jell-O sure can go a long way. Really though, we're still shaking our heads over this one. 

Of course, while this lore is interesting, it doesn't necessarily bode well for the baked good scene in the state that Brigham Young made (in)famous. 

However, as we recently happily discovered, other choices are cropping up, in particular the Salt Lake City-based Mini's Cupcakes. Based on the positive response this pioneer cupcakery has received, it's clear to us that the state might be ready for some other snacking options; when we recently we had the chance to talk with owner Leslie Fiet; here's what she had to say:

Cakespy: You mention that cupcake bakeries in NYC served as part of the inspiration for Minis. Any bakeries in particular you'd recommend or that served as inspiration to you?
Leslie Fiet: In my other life I am a professional photographer and I have many clients along the east coast. While being in NYC it is impossible to ignore the cupcake craze there, and I got hooked on wanting to visit Magnolia Bakery because of Sex in the City. So I went there and all I can say is , they are cute, not great but cute. The staff was less than nice and I walked away a little disappointed after waiting in line. So on my next few trips I tried other places and fell in love with the coconut cupcake at Dean and Deluca. I loved that cake! I tried to get them shipped to me at Christmas just over a year ago and was sad to hear that there were no shipping options. So in January, while we were on a plane to Cancun, I informed my husband I would be opening a cupcake shop. His response, "ok, but you do not bake?" I do things like this all the time, he knows when I get my mind set that I will make a go of it no matter what. So by March of that year, I had a commercial kitchen space leased and all my recipes figured out (or so I thought) and hit the pavement and got some retail business to sell my cupcakes.

CS: It seems like the "mini" concept is not only part of your business but part of your life--you drive a Mini Cooper as well as making mini cupcakes! Tell us more! 

LF: I hate our "supersize me" economy and life we (most Americans) live. I hate all the stupid fad diets, they never work. Life lived in moderation in all things (except Gin and travel) is a very good thing. When I started doing my research on cupcakes I was shocked to find there were "Texas" size cupcakes! Even the regular size seemed big, I want a taste of desert not an additional dinner. I own a mini cooper which I love and I decided to do "Mini" cupcakes. But when I started looking for a pan I ended up using one that is right between a standard US mini and regular size, my pans come out of Europe so I think it is standard size in Europe. About 4 good bites. 

Cakespy Note: Let it be said, for the record, that the Cakespy crew is not necessarily opposed to Texas-size cupcakes. Just keeping our options open.

CS: Though the cupcake trend has been catching on across the nation, it's still relatively new in Utah. Were the locals skeptical about the idea of a cupcake shop?
LF: No, I was really lucky to have great support from day one! Well there were a few skeptical people (including my parents) but after getting my cupcakes in the right places, and doing the farmers market, doing a lot of research, creating custom packaging (all of you who use the mini inserts from Big River, single cupcake boxes, 1/2 dozen cupcake boxes you can thank me I gave them the idea and dimensions with my prototypes). Being the first cupcake place has been

 really good, especially once I opened up my retail store. I still laugh at how lucky I am people are in love with cupcakes as much as I am.

CS: You initially offered only cupcakes, but on your website it seems like you've considered adding some other items. What other items will you or have you added?
LF: A few things, I have a motto of only doing and baking what I love. Where my store is located we have no good food options, the Taco Cart on the corner or Taco Time on the other corner. Because we worked all day and never left, I started making sandwiches for myself and my staff, good for you type of things that taste good. Then I decided if I loved them so would other people so I offer a very small selection of boxed lunches, they are 1/2 sandwiches, a nice salad, and a cupcake. The presentation is really good and many of my clients are law firms and ad agencies. They love how they look and taste, this drives people to my store for a dozen cupcakes once they get one in a lunch at a meeting. I also love rice krispie treats, so I decided to make homemade marshmallows (pink of course) and use the marshmallows I make and turn them into crème for the rice krispies. They are more like a marshmallow sandwich, really good I usually eat one or two a day. I saw that episode of Martha Stewart and I loved the idea of cupcakes on a stick, so I decided that I would start doing that as well, the kids love them and they have gone over really great. Who knows what is next? I never can tell until something pops into my head.

CS: We're intrigued by the "Lemon Pie" cupcake. Is it a mini pie, or a cupcake?
LF: It is both! I make homemade lemon curd, fill my lemon cupcakes with it, frost them with meringue and take a blow torch to them. These are my favorite for breakfast.

CS: What are some of the baked goods in Utah that might be considered regional specialties? 

LF: My first thought was anything made in a crock pot, Dutch oven, or in a casserole dish. But that is for everything not just baked goods, so in thinking about it a bit more we do not really have a "baked good item" it is more of an ice cream and Jell-O state. If someone out there knows of something let me know?

CS: What is the bakery scene like in Utah? 

LF: Limited at best, we have a few great small local places for bread and pastries. Volker's and Crumb Brothers for bread, Les Madelines for French pastries (she has cuppies too) and Brugge for real Belgian waffles. Most of these I can only get during the summer at our farmers market.

CS: What is your most popular flavor at the shop? 

LF: Tie, the Diva (dark chocolate cake with pink cream cheese frosting) and the Breakfast at Tiffany's (vanilla cake with Tiffany Blue cream cheese frosting), because of how they look and their names I think.

CS: What is your personal favorite flavor?
LF: The Snowball. Coconut is my favorite.

CS: You do custom orders--have you ever gotten any wacky or off the wall requests? 

LF: No, not yet. Everyone has been really easy and understands I do what I do and my most wacky request has been for really bright colors ( I do not do them) or picks on top of the cupcake (I send them to the grocery store).

CS: You refer to an ideal cake-to-frosting ratio on your site. What is that ideal ratio to you? 

LF: 1.5 frosting to 1.0 cake. I like frosting.

Cakespy Note: We like the way you think, Leslie Fiet. 

CS: What do you think the next big thing will be in the baked good world? 

LF: Local buying, no additives, and back to the basics. I know of many places around here that are selling baked goods made with a box or shortening, hi-ratio, and crap. People are starting to realize that putting all that stuff in their bodies is not good, we will soon get back to the basics.

CS: Any advice for others who are considering opening a bakery?
LF: Research! Do your homework, do not be afraid to ask questions of others bakeries, do what you love and love getting up really early, charge enough for you product and time--you are not a grocery store.

CS: What's next for Mini's?
LF: Who knows? Life is a journey that should be enjoyed.

Are you in Salt Lake City? Well, duh, it's time to visit Mini's! They're located at 800 S 14 E
Salt Lake City, (801) 363-0608; but even if you're not in the area, you can learn more at mini-cupcakes.com!

Batter Chatter: Interview with Jennifer Vesper of Layers of Love in Utah

When one thinks of the hubs of great cake design, Utah is probably not the first place that comes to mind. And while no, it is not a center for hipster bakeries or retro-cool cupcake joints, the state is certainly not devoid of great feats of baking, as proven by our newest discovery, Layers of Love, a Utah-based special-order cake company run by fondant artist extraordinaire Jennifer Vesper. While Vesper always had an interest in baking, and crafts, it wasn’t until she discovered the wonders of fondant that she truly found her calling as a cake-maker. These days, she makes wonderfully detailed, gorgeous cakes for all sorts of occasions, from elegant wedding cakes to spirited, creative cakes for children’s parties. We recently caught up with Jennifer (or as her emails are signed, Jen) to talk cake, and learned about the dessert scene (or lack thereof) in Utah, her Pixie Stix addiction, and how blogs and cake work so beautifully together:

Cakespy: When did you start Layers of Love and what made you decide to start it?  

Jennifer Vesper: I have been decorating here and there since 1995, but I have just started doing orders in the last year. There was a lot that went into the decision process for me. I was afraid at first that if I did this for a living, it would become more of a chore than a pleasure. However, the more cakes I began to do, the more fun I had making them. Every new client presents a new idea that allows me to explore new techniques and creative processes. Cake decorating gives me such a great creative outlet and allows me to be home with my children at the same time. My children love watching me create, every time a cake goes out the door my four year old says “Mommy, it’s so beautiful.” I hope that it inspires them to follow their hearts and do what they love as well.

CS: How has having a blog affected or helped your business?  

JV: Having a blog has been the best thing that ever happened to my business. The domain name layersoflove.com (still under construction) was taken until just a month or so ago and so I decided to create a blog in the meantime. It has been fabulous to be able to have my entire portfolio online for potential clients to view. It has also given me recognition in areas outside my region. I am shipping my first baked goods next weekend. It is great fun!

CS: You are largely self-taught but have taken a Wilton class or two. In your opinion, were the classes helpful and / or worth it for others who are interested in taking them?
JV: The Wilton classes I took were very helpful for two reasons: they gave me a base knowledge of decorating and they got me excited to learn more. Of course my ultimate goal is to go to pastry school, but seeing as there is not one in my area, that may not happen until I actually start making money from this venture.

CS: In addition to taking a class or two, you have learned a lot from books and the Food Network—are there any particular shows, books or bakers that inspire you in particular?
JV: I love Alton Brown. He is so good at explaining why different ingredients are important and how they interact with each other. It helps me know what ingredients are good and bad together so that I can be more adventurous in my recipes. The more obvious answer is also true, I love Ace of Cakes! When I see them goof up, it makes me feel so much better about my mistakes! I also learn cool tricks…since I am mostly self-taught, there are a lot of little things that I used to do the hard way. Besides, Duff Goldman is my idol. Someday I will have a bakery complete with saws and welding materials! *grin* For inspiration, I love Cake Craft Magazine, American Cake Decorating Magazine and “Colette’s Cakes to Dream On” by Colette Peters. However, when it comes to recipes and getting advice, I use cakecentral.com. The people there are my best friends in baking! I am also an avid scrapbooker both on paper and digitally. Not only do I use my digital kits to help design my cake sketches, but I use that in my creative process as well. I will see paper, fabric swatches, stamps and think, “That would make the cutest cake!” My inspiration comes from my everyday surroundings as much as anywhere else.

CS: You work primarily in fondant icing. What makes fondant so special to you?
JV: I actually began using only buttercream. I can still make just about anything in buttercream if there is a request for it, but things are so much more realistic in fondant and gumpaste. I love that you can make anything happen with fondant, the sky is the limit. I feel like I am a child making playdoh masterpieces. Right now I am working on painting on fondant. I just discovered this medium and I am enjoying it so much!

CS: Your cakes are very intricately decorated. How long does it take you to make a cake like say this one (picture to left)? 

JV: This was my first quilted cake and I did it before I discovered impression mats, so it took me about 12 hours to do this cake including baking. Someone once said “the love is in the detail.” I think that is definitely true with cakes.

CS: A lot of your work is highly custom or specialized. What is the process of doing a custom cake? Do you submit sketches first to the client, etc?
JV: Most of my work is custom. I always have a customer consultation before starting work on any cake, whether it is via email or in person. If people don’t have an idea in mind, I send them examples of things that we could do and then we go to the next step. If they already know what they are looking for, I sit down with them and design their cake in Photoshop or PowerPoint. This way, I know we are all on the same page with color and design. I generally have brides bring me a color swatch so that we can match the fondant colors with their exact color scheme. Because I freehand most of my artwork and don’t work a lot with patterns, it is difficult for me to duplicate a cake that I have done. I try to get people to change something up a bit if they want it done exactly the same. This way they have their own unique piece and I have more fun creating something original.

CS: Have you ever had a cake damaged in transit? If so, what did you do?
JV: I have had minor issues. I always bring my emergency “tool kit” stocked with extra fondant, icing and every tool I used to make the cake. I also bring pre-made extra pieces so that I am totally prepared. I have had several funny ‘near’ disasters. One that really stands out was my first scroll work cake. I had spent all day on that cake and my hand was killing me from all the detail. I had to walk in a very small corridor next to an open pool to get the cake to the appropriate location. Most people don’t realize how much a three tier cake actually weighs, but they are heavy! I was making this delivery alone and didn’t see the small railing for the pool cover. I tripped, nearly landing both the cake and I in the pool. Thankfully, I recovered and everything turned out great. I was happy the bride and groom didn’t end up needing scuba gear for the cake cutting slice of their wedding.

CS: What is one of your favorite cakes that you've made? Can you tell us a bit about it? 

JV: My personal favorite was the Scooby-Doo cake. I just had so much fun doing that one. I got to watch old Scooby-Doo episodes for inspiration and really had a good time with it. I also felt that it let me artistic side shine through a bit more than the cookie cutter cakes do.

CS: You live in Utah—what types of desserts are popular in your area? We're intrigued by local or regional specialties.
JV: Other than green jello? *grin* I would have to say cookies are the big thing here. I have to say, Utah is seriously lacking bakeries. We have a few donut shops, but most of our bakeries here are in grocery stores! There are a few great places in Salt Lake and Park City, but out here in the outskirts there really aren’t too many options. I suppose I need to change that.

CS: We notice that you've done some cupcake orders too. How would you rate cupcake vs. whole cake orders? Is one more popular than the other?
JV: Whole cake orders are more popular here, but I have started to get orders for cupcakes that compliment the wedding cake. I personally LOVE cupcake orders and wish there were more of them! When people call to order a sheet cake, I have been known to talk them into cupcakes instead. They are less mess, less waste and when you put them in a cupcake tree or stand, you have décor as well as cake.

CS: In many areas of the country, there are cupcake-ONLY bakeries. Are there any in Utah?
JV: Not that I am aware of. In fact, I asked around and people said, “Why would there be a bakery just for cupcakes?” Crazy people! So, I am sad to report that the cupcake scene hasn’t gotten big here yet, but I hope it catches on soon!

CS: We notice that right now, you work primarily by special order. Do you think you'd like to open a retail location?
JV: I would love to open a retail location someday. I don’t know that I am in an area that would support a retail location, but I would love to give it a try…someday…

CS: Have you noticed any trends or popular themes for cake orders recently?
JV: Video game themed cakes have been fairly popular recently, and I have the perfect household for that. I run all my video game and Star Wars designs by my 8 and 9 year old boys before presenting them to the client. They are happy to tell me what is cool, and what I have completely messed up on. If every color isn’t perfect, they will let me know.

CS: What, to you, is the most important aspect in making a great cake? 

JV: I think the most important aspect is the detail. I love the WOW factor. I love it when I walk in the room and everyone stops to what they are doing and wants to see the cake. Clean lines and detail, especially in the simple elegant cakes, are the key to having a ‘great’ cake as opposed to an ‘ok’ cake. That also means that you have to really listen to your client and make sure you are on the same page and really know what they want the outcome to be.

CS: What makes a "bad" cake?
JV: Is there really such a thing as a “bad” cake? A bad cake, in my opinion, only happens when you and the customer were not on the same page. That is why sketching and communication are such important tools in the cake making process.

CS: How often do you eat cake?
JV: Unfortunately, every time I make a cake. Unfortunately for my figure that is. I taste test everything that goes out my door, so I try not to eat it much otherwise!

CS: Be honest. Do you have any junk-food dessert guilty pleasures, like Pop-tarts or Twinkies or the like?
JV: Of course! Who doesn’t love pop-tarts? My favorite guilty pleasure…Pixie Stix!

CS: What is your favorite type of dessert?
JV: I love a good cheesecake or crumb cake…mmmmm.

CS: What is next for Layers of Love?
JV: First off, I want to get my web site up and running, I think that will help me to branch out and get a bigger customer base this year. Eventually, pastry school so that I can explore more dessert options!

CS: Anything else to add?
JV: Just a thank you for including me in your list of talented bakers. I am honored!

Want to learn more, or order a custom cake? Visit Jennifer’s cake portfolio blog at layersoflove.blogspot.com.