Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cakespy

They say that when it rains it pours, and certainly there's a lot of sweetness in our world these days at Cakespy. Here's an update on some sweet things that we just had to share:

First, the BIG HUGE NEWS: our Head Spy Jessie has a grand new illustration gig! Starting in the April 2008 issue, you'll be seeing Cakespy illustrations in...Taste of Home! Taste of Home is a pretty awesome publication--they just joined the ranks of nationally audited magazines, entering at #9 – one step AHEAD of OPRAH and one step behind SPORTS ILLUSTRATED--this ranking officially makes them the #1 Cooking Magazine in the World, with over 3.2 million (no, we did not stutter) subscribers, and 250K copies of it on the newsstand each issue. Holy sweetness! But don't buy it solely for the Cakespy artwork--they also have some pretty awesome recipes, which come from a pool of over 90,000 reader submissions each year, and which are all tested in their in-house kitchen. And, did we mention they also have the coolest art director ever, who just so happens to be a cupcake lover in her own right, and author of the awesome Milkwaukee Cupcake Queen blog?

• Press/Praise: What sweet times! Cakespy was recently featured on some great sites: Bakerella, a wonderful blog by an incredibly talented and artistic baker, featured Cakespy artwork; the Seattle Times mentioned the "groovy" Cakespy artwork shown in Sugar Bakery+Cafe; Chicago-based Hungrymag.com featured our interview with Claudia Saraniecki of Babushka Bakery; Seattlest, a cool media and pop culture blog, featured our writeup on the Pink Frosted Cookie; Culinate called out our Sweet Sandwiches Project; and don't forget to check out the interview with Head Spy Jessie on Cherry Runway. Like Whoa!

** Addendum: But wait, there's more! Bakerella (mentioned above) also went above andbeyond and created the MOST amazing video featuring our own L'il Cuppie Character, rendered in fondant and having an adventure! It's amazing; watch it below, or here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3I9X9vjVc8&rel=1&border=0]

• New Bakeries! We've recently been tipped off to the opening of a few new bakeries; let us know if you've tried 'em! First, Cake Gumshoe Matt informs us that Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington, DC has just opened its doors; Sprinkles Cupcakes continues to spread sweetness with two new locations: a new store in Scottsdale, AZ is scheduled to open later this month, and a new Palo Alto location is slated to open up later this spring or early in the summer (for more information or precise locations, visit sprinklescupcakes.com). Out of Chicago, Whole Bakers is taking their gluten-free goodies nationwide with a newly-launched website full of shippable treats; the lemon shorties caught our eye. In Los Angeles, while Cake Monkey still hasn't found quite the right retail space yet, they are currently available for custom orders of darling little cakes (and homemade pop-tarts!!) from their commercial kitchen space. Or perhaps you're in Dubai, you jetsetter, you? Well, they're not brand-new, but they were new to us: Cake Gumshoe Kristin spied Scrumptious, a cupcake bakery whose wares are available by special order and at the Dubai Marina Market every Friday. So you don't have to go cupcake-free in Dubai! Whew! Cakespy Note: While some are opening, some are closing: New York Cupcakes in the Westlake Center in Seattle appears to have closed its doors, at least at this location. Judging by our last experience there, we say good riddance.

• Perhaps you're looking to buy Cakespy artwork? Happily, there are now several spots to buy: if you're in Seattle, Venue now carries Cakespy original artwork and buttons, and original paintings are for sale at Sugar Bakery+Cafe. In the Midwest? Happily, a new shipment will be heading out soon to the Renegade Handmade Store in Chicago! If you're in NYC, don't explode with pleasure, but rumor is that we'll be showing at the Renegade Craft Fair this coming June. Of course, artwork and custom work is always available through jessieoleson.etsy.com. Cakespy Note: Additionally, if you were one of the many disappointed parties who wanted to buy the original Valley of the Cupcakes painting, cry no more: a limited edition of prints is available!

• Finally, if you've ever visited one of the Sweet Melissa Pâtisseries in Brooklyn, you'll know why we're so excited about their brand-new cookbook! If you haven't had the chance to visit one of their three adorable Brooklyn locations, make sure to put it on your agenda for your next trip to the city; in the meantime, the nice people at the Penguin Group were nice enough to share a recipe to whet our appetites for what promises to be a delicious book (available at amazon.com):

Chocolate Orange Macaroons

Makes 2 dozen cookies

• 6 ounces best-quality solid semisweet (58%) chocolate
  
  
• One 14-oz. bag sweetened coconut
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites

Before you start: Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.



1. Using a serrated bread knife, finely chop the chocolate. Set aside.



2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut and zest, and rub together with your hands. (This will break up the coconut and release the orange oils.)



3. Stir in the sugar and chocolate to the coconut and mix to combine. Add the egg whites. Use your hands to mix until everything is coated and the egg whites are distributed evenly.



4. Using a 1-oz cookie scoop, firmly pack the dough into the scoop and unmold about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.



The foregoing is excerpted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy. All rights reserved. Copyright © Melissa Murphy, 2008.

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='cakespy';

Pretty In Pink: A Sweet History of the Pink Frosted Cookie

Regional Specialties--what's up with them, exactly? Sure, you have the big famous ones--New York bagels, Chicago deep dish pizza, San Francisco sourdough. But what about those not-quite-as-famous ones, existing just a little bit under the radar? Those ever-present little food items that you might even stop noticing simply because they are ubiquitous--it might take a trip or a move from your hometown to raise your awareness. But why is this, exactly? Why is it that kolaches about in Texas but are sparse elsewhere, that black and white cookies reign in the Mid-Atlantic, but don't seem to exist in the Pacific Northwest? Yes, these are the questions that fill our minds and color our days here at Cakespy--and right now, that regional bee in our bonnet is The Pink Frosted Cookie.

If you don't live in Seattle, you might not even know about this cookie (while it exists elsewhere, we've never seen it in quite the same proliferation in our assorted travels); even if you do live in Seattle, you might not have stopped to question why it is that this confection is always around--gas stations, delis, grocery stores, drugstores--everywhere! What makes this relatively simple cookie, comprised of a rich shortbread base and a very generous, very sweet frosting topcoat, so popular? Luckily for you, we found out about its history so you don't have to.

On our path of discovery, the first thing we discovered is that the "original" pink frosted cookie was sold under the name Uncle Seth's Cookie--while various takes on it exist (including a company we like, Bite Me, Inc.), this Uncle was the Founding Father. The company (and recipe) was sold to Seattle wholesaler Mostly Muffins in 1996, and this is where we discovered this story:

Uncle Seth’s Cookie was a concept developed from a passion of fun and feeling good. From the high mountain tops of Bali came the inspiration for the feel good cookie. Danny Brown, the originator and inventor of the Original Pink, also known as an Uncle Seth Cookie, found a kindred spirit in a man named Seth. Seth moved from a crazed urban setting better known as the City, to live his dream of peace in the mountains. The namesake of the Uncle Seth Cookie gave tribute to this man named Seth who changed his life for the sake of fun and happiness. To bring a bit of that passion and fun to light, Danny created a cookie that says eat me because you can. This cookie has a good aura. After nine years of hand rolling this Danish Shortbread, Danny too, decided to head for the hills. Mostly Muffins purchased Uncle Seth’s Cookies in 1996 and Danny was off to live in Hawaii!

Mostly Muffins now proudly carries on the tradition of fun and feeling good by serving the Original Pink to the entire Northwest community. Eat one of the Original Pink Cookies and you can’t help but smile!

Okay, so it proves that fact can be stranger than fiction--without, of course, explaining why the cookies are so popular, or why they thrived in the Seattle region. Our theory? So happy you asked. In our minds, the first aspect is timing: the cookie got its start being sold in coffee carts just as the coffee business was starting up in earnest in Seattle; naturally, they would appeal for the same reasons that coffee is so popular in the area--the climate just begs for rich treats and coffee during those rainy days that take up oh, eight months of the year. The second and perhaps more important aspect? Duh--The frosting color. there's no secret that pink frosting tastes better than any other color.

See? You've learned something new today! And while the pink frosted cookie itself seems to be a Seattle phenomenon, we do believe that the concept behind the regional specialty is universal, so approach your local treats mindfully; whether it's strange, cute or plain scary, there's bound to be a story behind that confection!

For more information on the pink frosted cookie, visit mostlymuffins.com. Not in the Seattle area but want a pink frosted cookie? We hear you: similar-looking products can be found online here and here, or--even better, we found a recipe which is said to yield a very similar taste to the original Uncle Seth's Cookie, right here at allrecipes.com.

Cakespy Note: Want our Cake Gumshoes to research a particular baked good in your area? Let us know! Feel free to leave a suggestion for us to sleuth in the comments or via email to jessieoleson@gmail.com.

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='cakespy';

Cakewalk Across America: What Mr. Cakespy Ate on Tour

What is it about traveling that always makes you so hungry? There's just something about the open road that makes us long for sweet treats, and lots of them. And this was certainly true of our own Mr. Cakespy's recent cross-country tour with his band, Speaker Speaker. Across the nation, all three band members found comfort, delight and adventure with sweet treats along the way; here are some of the sweet highlights of their rock and roll adventure:

Cakespy Note: Just look at how cute these guys are (above, clockwise from the left, Jasen Samford, drums; Colin McBride, lead vocals/guitar; Mr. Cakespy, bass guitar). Why not celebrate that cuteness by buying their new album online at bbrecordings.com or at a record store near you?

The first bit of sweetness on the road is found at Java Joe's Coffeehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. More coffee shop than bakery, their pastries are not made in-house, but rather come from a wholesaler; however, this didn't detract from the deliciousness of the molten chocolate baby bundt cake and chocolate indulgence, both of which were suggested by an employee. The molten baby takes the cake, with a rich, velvety texture that is felt not only in the mouth but right down to the soul; we'd take a bite of this baby anytime. Java Joe's Coffeehouse, 214 4th Street, Des Moines, IA; 515-288-JAVA (5282); online at javajoescoffeehouse.com.

Moving on to the next town and the next show, the boys' next stop is at the large and inviting Lane's Bakery in Madison, WI,a bit of an establishment in the area, where they've been serving up a dazzling array of Kringle, gorgeous cakes, danish, bread and gift items since the 1950's. One of the items that intrigues us most on their menu though? The sweet Cherry-cheese "pizza", an appetizing tart-interpretation of the classic flavor pairing more commonly seen in cheese danish. Lane's Bakery and Gift Shop, Inc., 448 South Park Street Madison, Wisconsin; online at lanesbakeryandgifts.com.

An unexpected bit of sweetness is found when the boys stumble upon Sweet On Chocolate in Syracuse, NY, a small confectionery shop with a mouthwatering array of handmade truffles. Upon an employee's suggestion Mr. Cakespy gets the pumpkin truffle; he is rewarded with a smooth, rich, and velvety treat with a wonderful tooth-feel and the perfect sensation of soft chocolate shell releasing the flavors within. Sigh. Sweet On Chocolate, 208 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY; online at sweetonchocolate.com (splash page only). To inquire about having chocolates shipped (they will do it, depending on the time of year) call (315) 478-0811.

Moving on, the boys have the exceedingly good fortune of hitting up a Cakespy favorite, The Baker Boys, in Ocean Grove, NJ. They had been eager to try their excellent Hummingbird Cake, but alas it was not on the menu that day; no worries though, they were able to drown their sorrows in their perfect, buttery little cupcakes and amazing brownies. The Baker Boys, 69 Main Ave., Ocean Grove, NJ; online at thebakerboys.us.

Moving on southward, the highlight of their visit to Austin, TX (you know, other than the show they play) is most definitely a visit to Mr. Natural, a veggie-friendly Mexican eatery with an amazing selection of baked goods including sweet empanadas, breads, cakes and pies; as a bonus there are plenty of vegan options (brownies and tofu pies), and they are able to make gluten-free pastries as well. Between them, our Gumshoes try the strawberry bar, a molasses bar, and a ginger cookie shaped like a pig; they are still raving about the rich and wonderful flavors. Yes, we heart Mr. Natural. Mr. Natural has two Austin, TX locations; visit mrnatural-austin.com for more information.

International Delights Cafe (no relation to International Coffees) was a welcome sight as the weary travelers reached Las Cruces, NM. While several of the pastries were from local wholesalers, the standout was the made-in-house baklava, which was rich, studded with pistachio, and completely delicious. International Delights Cafe, 1245 El Paseo Rd.
Las Cruces, NM, (505) 647-5956 ; online at internationaldelightscafe.com.

The Virginia Bakery in Berkeley, CA marks the last stop en route back to Seattle, and what a sweet stop it is: the brown sugar walnut danish is a study in indulgence, being so rich that even the lead-bellied Mr. Cakespy is almost unable to finish it. Almost being the key word. Virginia Bakery, 1690 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA, (510) 848-6711; online at virginiabakery.com.

The weary travelers soldiered on up the coast back, happy to be back in Seattle; for indeed, as sweet as the tour was, it was sweeter yet to be home again. 

Do you have any on-the-road favorites? We want to know! Email jessieoleson@gmail.com with suggestions for our next road trip!

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='cakespy';

Well-Bread: A Daring Bakers Challenge, and Seriously Sweet Sandwich Mischief

Breadmaking is an all-consuming process, both physically--and, in our opinion, emotionally as well. It involves patience (let the dough rise!), attention (is that yeast proofed?), proximity (don't let it rise in drafty spaces !) and yes, even a little tough love (punch the dough!). But when all is said and done, it's worth the effort: one needs only to take a hot, fresh loaf out of the oven and taste a piece, heated as though from within, upon which butter will melt like a fading apparition, to see why breadmakers are so dedicated to their art. The sense of accomplishment a baker feels upon completing successful loaves is simply incomparable--this much much we can attest to, having completed this month's Daring Baker's challenge (Julia Child's French Bread Recipe, suggested by Breadchick Mary and I Like To Cook's Sara).

However, if you're at all like the Cakespy crew, this moment can be short-lived, quickly giving way to thoughts like "How can we turn this bread into a dessert?". After all, the breadmaking process does work up an appetite. But what to make? Bread Pudding? French Toast (or, if you're feeling fancy, pain perdu)?While both are sweet choices indeed, after the physical work of making the bread, both just sounded so...hard. It was then that the answer came to us: why not fry up some sweet sandwiches? Quickly we assembled a grouping of sweet fillings and fried up our loaf, grilled-cheese style, in a griddle; here's how it all came out:

Frosting Sandwich: Our first experiment was a cake frosting sandwich. It seemed like a pretty safe bet; after all, bread with butter never fails to satisfy, and this is pretty much sweet butter, right? So we buttered up two slices and spread a thick frosting smear (pink, of course) in-between. The end result was a little runny, but was extremely delicious--the pinch of salt in the bread added a perfect complement to the sweet, creamy frosting. This one could be habit-inducing.

Cookie Dough Sandwich: When Atkins Dieters have nightmares, they probably look like this: a soft, rich spoonful of warmed cookie dough sandwiched between freshly baked bread slices, lightly buttered and fried. The resulting combination is a study in sinfulness: carbohydratey, slightly salty, rich, and sweet--all at once. As you might imagine though, moderation is key with this sandwich: a little goes a long way.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2298846818_56e39b25e7_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="

Couverture and Coconut Sandwich: This combination was dreamed up in the grocery store, where these two toppings were sold next to one another in the bulk aisle. It turned out to be a serendipitous pairing indeed--the coconut, which was not sweetened, added the slightest crunch to the velvety melted couverture (not tempered--eek!), as well as offering a nice contrast to the extreme sweetness. As noted above though...small bites of this rich little guy.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2298844482_cb0e1864fc_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="More

Melty Mint Sandwich: Ah, melty mints, is there a cuter thing in the world than thee? It's impossible to not smile when greeted with this chocolate-chip sized version of nonpareils. But does all of this cuteness mean a tasty sweetwich? As we discovered, the heated chips (which retained their shape for the most part during the frying, protected by the bread) made soft explosions as they melted in your mouth, and the sprinkles added a delightful texture to the mix: pleasuretown, ahoy.

Tofu Cream cheese, sweet coconut and pear sandwich: Thrown together with what was left in our kitchen, this combination was dense, rich, and lending to the toffutti cream cheese, a bit savory--and overall, deeply satisfying. Though it might have tasted even better on a slightly saltier bread to balance out the sweetness of the coconut (which we'd sugared for this version), all in all, we'd add this one to our lunch box. Vegan, to boot--we even used butter substitute for the frying!

So, adventure over, what have we learned?

The hardest part of this experiment was actually getting past the mental block that sandwiches ought to be savory; there was a certain part of the whole "sweet sandwich" concept that was hard to wrap the mind around. But really, most of the experiments were quite good: the sweet fillings were balanced by the texture and taste of the bread, lending an element of surprise and newness to both elements. Does this mean that fast-food joints ought to consider changing format? Well, perhaps not; in their extreme richness and sweetness, these sweetwiches are probably not a main-ticket item. But as an add-on or impulse item? Well, let's just say that when you start seeing the mini dessert-sandwich revolution picking up speed in chains across the country, remember where you saw it first.

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2298893154_b6eed59a79_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='cakespy';

Batter Chatter: Interview with Claudia Saraniecki of Babushka Bakery

They say that cooking is an art while baking is a science. However, the lines are blurred when it comes to talented bakers such as Claudia Saraniecki, proprietress of Babushka Bakery (a DBA of the long-established catering company Saranecki Bros., Inc.). While Saranecki's work shows intense precision, it's largely her sense of whimsy and creativity that drew us to her work: fanciful ballerina cookies, delicately flowered and tendril'ed cakes, and pastry light as air or heavy as the night, depending on the occasion. Working as a boutique catering baking company, she's worked on an incredible variety of projects, from corporate gift baskets to fancy dinners to yes--even wedding cakes. We recently took some time to talk pastry with Claudia; here's what we learned about confectionery, bakeries in Chicago, and what in the world a kolacky is:

Cakespy: You are a partner in Saranecki Bros., Inc, but your baking business is Babushka Bakery. Is this a division of the catering company, or a completely different business?
Babushka Bakery (Claudia Saraniecki): Babushka Bakery is a registered DBA of Saranecki Bros. Catering, Inc. We are a 65-year old family business that owns and operates four banquet facilities in the northwest side of Chicago. In addition to the on premise catering, we also have an extensive off premise catering division. Babushka Bakery provides pastries and cakes for many of our parties. I also have clients who do not use our other catering services.


CS: Saranecki Bros. is a family business, so it looks like there is a history of cooking in your family- so what drew you to baking?
BB: I married into the Saranecki family 25 years ago. But I was raised in a food obsessed family that included a grandmother of German and Alsatian heritage, another grandmother of Austrian-Polish heritage, and a very creative and enthusiastic Mother who baked daily for a family of 7 (five kids). As the eldest daughter, I learned to cook at an early age, then studied Food and Nutrition in college, finally earning an MS in Human Nutrition and a license to practice dietetics. While raising my own children, I began to test recipes for our catering company and also was asked to create a few signature products for the company. About this same time, my eldest son was diagnosed with severe food allergies that included cane and corn products. I had to cook everything from scratch for him for a few years. That responsibility went from being a necessity to a pleasurable habit and finally, a career path.

CS: Do you cook, too? Or are you primarily a baker?
BB: Yes, I am a good cook, and have done some personal chef work, but professionally I consider myself a baker.

CS: Can you give us an idea of the breadth of the projects you've taken on?
BB: Corporate clients present the largest projects. Early on, I received an order for 700 welcoming gift baskets for a corporate meeting to be held in Chicago. Each gift basket included several products that I made: a small sourdough focaccia, frango mint cookie, caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel, and I think a small cake. I was certainly inexperienced at the time, but you can learn so much under pressure. My friends and family all rallied to help pack the items the day of shipping. I made everyone wear babushkas (scarves) on their heads. My husband walked in and yelled; "Holy smokes, it looks like a babushka bakery in here!" And the name stuck!

CS: Would you ever be interested in opening a more traditional bakery?
BB: If I was 25 year old and knew what I know now... but, no, I will not be opening a traditional bakery. I enjoy knowing exactly how many items I will be baking in a week. I still have time to fine tune recipes and create new ones. And my family continues to be priority #1.


CS: What are some of your favorite things to bake?
BB: My focus has been on creating special, over the top cakes for clients the last few years. It's exciting and creative. But for fun, comfort, and relaxation, I love to bake rustic tarts and breads.

CS: How does commercial baking differ from small batch (at home) baking?
BB: I'll never forget the first day I walked into a Food Lab in college. I thought it would look all cozy and home ec'y. Instead, it was a lab. A stark, pristine white lab with ovens, scales, and refrigerators. The teacher saw my confusion as I looked for measuring cups and told me "now you will learn to cook properly, with skill and precision. You will learn to replicate your formulations and create standards for your products." That class changed my perception of cooking from a casual activity to a scientific method. My teacher let me know that the work we did in a food lab was as important as the chem or bio lab. Consequently, whether at home or in a commercial kitchen, the standards and practices are the same for me; sanitation, quality of ingredients, scientific methods, combined with aesthetics and taste. I always weigh ingredients rather than measure. It becomes a habit; my boys laugh when they see me weigh the fillings for their sandwiches.

CS: You mention in your bio that one of your specialties is Kolacky. Can you tell us a little bit more about what Kolacky is and why it's so special to you?
BB: Kolacky are small pastries that are commonly found in Eastern European countries. Sometimes they are yeast raised with a small dollop of fruit preserves. Other kolacky are made of cream cheese pastry that is cut into squares, filled with fruit preserves, then two corners folded up and baked. Saranecki Bros. has been selling kolacky for probably the entire 65 years....Our original baker was a clever, but mysterious man who made these unique and delicious pastries by the thousands. His kolacky differed from others; they were slightly sweeter, had mini chocolate chips, and were crispy rather than soft. Unfortunately, he died without revealing his recipe. I was asked to recreate the recipe. Little did I know that I would become the kolacky queen of Saranecki Bros.!

CS: Your cake drawing proposals are works of art in themselves! Do you have artistic
training? 

BB: Not in any traditional sense. But my mother created a beautiful home for us. My parents always made sure I had paint by number kits and art supplies as a kid. Being surrounded with loveliness makes it just natural to create something pleasing. And my sister is an artist, as is my best friend. That kind of exposure to creative people allows me to experiment. Also, my husband does not get flustered when I paint the house or front door in some non traditional manner. You do some pretty elaborate fondant cakes. 

CS: We've always been curious about cakes like this--do they taste good?
BB: My first exposure to fondant was Wilton brand. Wilton is a wonderful company, but that fondant has an unpleasant flavor. So I used modeling chocolate for about a year while I tested different brands of fondant. With the advice of Colette Peters, I tried Massa Ticino, which is made by Carma in Switzerland. It tastes like the inside of an Oreo cookie and is a dream to work with. On the downside, it is very expensive, made worse by the dollar/euro imbalance. My second choice is Satin Ice.

CS: To you, what is the most important aspect in making a great baked good?
BB: An obvious answer for a cake decorator is appearance; but by now, we've all been burned by the large rotating dessert display at the local Greek restaurant. So I try to not judge a pastry by its appearance. Fragrance is not as obvious, but is a wonderful aspect. A concierge phoned
me to say that she could smell how delicious my pastries were, right through the cellophane packaging. A good chocolate cake should fill a room with its perfume. But, for me, the aspect that makes a product really interesting is texture. For example, I have been making a smoothie for myself every morning for about the past 6 months. Every smoothie from day one was good, smooth, creamy, and sweet (not cloying). But when I started to add ground flax seedto the mix, then the smoothie became interesting because of the chewing needed for the flax. And chewing helps stimulate serotonin, which is a mental tranquilizer, which adds a new dimension to a breakfast meal. Nancy Silverton, in Breads from the LaBrea Bakery (the best book on bread making) writes about learning to bake bagels from a grizzled old New York bagel guy. He tells her, "the real flavor of the bagel comes in the chewing." I agree and like to put unexpected textures in many products. When making cookie dough, I will throw in a good pinch of coarse kosher salt at the end. The person who bites into a cookie and gets one or two
grains of salt will stop, and hopefully, consciously finish eating that cookie. It's become more interesting. We all love crème brulee, not because of the sweet, smooth, unctuous custard; but because of the contrast with the crunchy burnt caramel topping.

CS: What are some of your favorite desserts to eat?
BB: Rustic tarts with roasted fruit fillings, chocolate éclairs, and my own Turtle candies (slowly roasted pecans, homemade caramel, fleur de sel, dark chocolate).

CS: How often do you eat dessert?
BB: I have to test product all the time. It's tough on the wardrobe budget. And if I'm testing a recipe, then it's tasted for a few days in a row to see how it ages; what kind of shelf life a product has. Every Sunday, I prepare a large family dinner. That's when I'll bring out 2 or 3 desserts which my family loves to sample and critique.

CS: Have you noticed any dessert trends lately?
BB: Here's my hot list: cupcakes, red velvet cake, caramel, salt mixed with sweet, passion fruit curd, deconstructed anything (cheesecake, napoleon, cannoli) crazy flavored crème brulees, grilled fruits in the summer, ginger, peppers, hot chocolate, extremely dark chocolate (over 70% cacao), more intense milk chocolates. Also, here in Chicago, we are proud of our Vosges chocolates that have introduced people to mixing chocolate with unusual flavors and textures. Parisian style macarons seem to be the rage internationally with a lot of coverage in food blogs.

CS: Can you tell us a bit about the dessert scene in Chicago?

BB:  Some dessert places I've tried in Chicago: 

• Hot Chocolate: cute little restaurant with good food and excellent desserts.
  
• Bittersweet: small café; so-so food, overhyped pastries. Everyone can havea down day, but the dessert special was stale on the day I visited.
• Julius Meinl:  Austrian coffee and pastry shop and café. This is a chain inAustria, and I think the Chicago shop is the only one outside of Europe.Visit this place and feel like you've had a brief European vacation. Coffeeand tea is served on silver trays with tiny glasses of cool water. Lovely; skip the pound cake, but most everything else is delicious.
• Swirlz: very good cupcakes.
• Vanille: so French and delicious. Teeny tiny macarons. A small shop with a few chairs and sofa. The owner just received a best pastry chef award from Pastry Arts magazine.
• Gale Gand's restaurants: she also received the best pastry chef award. I've eaten at all 4 of her (and partner Rick Tramonto's) restaurants at the Westin Hotel in Wheeling. The best is Osteria di Tramonto where you can choose mini desserts for about a buck each. I think I ordered 5 or 6 and was not disappointed.
• Sweet Mandy B's: very cute, very retro American style bakery with seating. Good, pretty cupcakes and I enjoyed the sugar cookie.
• Alhambra: recently opened as a night club, restaurant, and banquet facility, but go, go, go to feel like you have stepped back in time to Morocco in the 1940's. If not in the mood for a meal, enjoy a silver pot of mint tea and some pistachio baklava. Ask to look around, it is amazing.

CS: What is your next goal as a baker?
BB: I hope to attend a class taught by Pierre Hermé this spring. I have started baking my way through his books in preparation for the class--it's been a very enlightening experience already.

CS: Do you have any advice for someone considering starting up their own baking business?
BB: I have friends who create beautiful objects for people. They ask me why I get so stressed about baking--after all, it's just cake. But the beautiful object that I make for people is put into their mouths and swallowed. It becomes a part of my customer! If this thought doesn't scare a novice baker from the business, then my advice is to get the best training you can afford, bake daily, take good notes, and find people who will evaluate your work kindly, but honestly. And always wear supportive shoes.

If you're lucky enough to live in the Chicagoland area and would like to have Claudia work on your upcoming event, check out gardenbanquets.com for more information or to make an appointment. For information on confections which can be shipped, or just to see more of Claudia's work, check out babushkabakery.com.

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='cakespy';