I’m not really a cake person. I’d much rather eat a cookie or a brownie, or some ice cream. I’ll admit, however, to getting caught up in the cupcake movement when it hit the area, falling for Cupcakes Gourmet when it first opened. But that love affair was short-lived. I quickly remembered cookies and brownies, and lost interest in the cupcake thing.

So, though I’ve seen Dia Doce at the East Goshen Farmers Market on several occasions, I always walked by without much of a glance (after all, My House Cookies, Laura’s Biscotti and Market Day Canele all also appear at the same market). Being a reluctant slave to food trend, however, I have to admit that, the other day, I walked past their cupcake truck at an event and couldn’t resist the temptation to try a Maple Bacon cupcake. After all, cupcakes and bacon are two of the biggest trends we’ve seen over the past 5 years or so, and I’ve never had the combination.

Despite the fact that I didn’t particularly care for the Maple Bacon flavor, Dia Doce are perhaps the best cupcakes I’ve ever had (I got a box of 4 for $10). Yep, better than Cupcakes Gourmet. The cakes are incredibly moist, the frosting-cake ratio is perfect, and the flavor combinations are very creative.

For the bacon cupcake, the maple frosting and cake were both nice, but the chewy bacon added an odd textural element. Though it was fun to try, I wouldn’t order it again. The chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake (pictured), on the other hand, was perfect for me – as it was kind of a combination of a cookie and a cake. We also tried a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting that was filled with a salted caramel cream, adding even more moistness to the wonderful cake. Lastly, the pumpkin pie cupcake – an obviously seasonal choice – was probably my favorite. Rich with fall spices, this cake was insanely moist and the frosting had just the right sweetness.

Has Dia Doce converted me to a cake person? Not quite. But if I do get the hankering for cupcakes (or the need to please those in my household who do love them), I know where I’ll be getting them from now on.

Dia Doce sells cupcakes at a variety of farmers markets in the area. In addition, you can track their cupcake truck online or rent it for a private event.

Dia Doce Cupcakes
http://www.diadoce.com
610.476.5684

(note: photo from Dia Doce Facebook page)

While perusing the selection one Thursday afternoon at the Great Valley Farmers Market, I was drawn towards a booth that was covered in pretty little cakes. (Somehow I leave the Farm Market with just as many baked goods as produce these days.) Not only did the cakes look tasty, they had a tasty name as well: MacDougall’s Irish Victory Cakes. The story behind these cakes is actually quite fascinating, yet I think owner Deborah Streeter Davitt does it better justice than I could (on their website):

Once upon time, in the early 1900s, a handsome laddie named James MacDowell (of the MacDougall Clan, and I am proud to say, my Great Granddad) from Belfast, Northern Ireland was famous for his rich, buttery cakes adorned with gorgeous, intricate decorations of marzipan. Winning gold medal after gold medal throughout the British Isles for his sugary talents, he was soon highly sought by the royalty of England, Ireland and Scotland. He baked for dignitaries, Kings, Queens and regales which carried a most prestigious title, but James set his sights for the ultimate dream – America – the land of milk and honey. He said goodbye to fame and landed in Syracuse, NY where he worked for his American Sponsor in a tiny bakery. His victory was bringing his family to a better world which made him a MacDougall legend and my inspiration!

Fast forward to today … it’s highly debatable whether I inherited Great Granddad’s good looks and his fame for sure.  Lucky for me, what I did inherit was his passion for baking cakes, working hard and, most of all, making people happy with a wee bit of something sweet!  As of tribute to my Great Granddad – MacDougall’s Irish Victory Cakes came to be!

As for the cake itself, it’s worth seeking out. Though simple — at heart, it is a basic butter cake — it is darn tasty. Firstly, it’s insanely moist. Then there’s chocolate chips (always a welcome addition) and these little wisps of butterscotch. And let’s not forget the whiskey. A “wee bit”, it says, but really it is quite prevalent. The aroma is all whiskey. The taste contains quite a bit as well. It’s not harsh or anything; in fact it is quite nice. And I don’t even drink whiskey! We had the “traditional” cake, which came with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. There were a number of different varieties, including one with peanut butter and one with extra whiskey. The cakes come in 3 sizes, the 4-inch mini (pictured), 8-inch and 10-inch.  They can be found at Great Valley Farmers Market, Our Deli in Paoli, Nota Bene Boutique in Malvern, and can be ordered online. MacDougall’s Irish Victory Cakes Malvern, PA 610-608-6889 MacDougallsCakes@verizon.net http://macdougallscakes.com

I was walking through the East Goshen Farmers Market, trying to figure out what to make for dinner, when I came across a small stand selling pastries that looked a bit too serious to be displayed in such a casual setting. After ascertaining that they were canelé (ca-neuh-lay), a French pastry from Bordeaux, I recalled reading a short article in PhillyMag that gushed over the treats. At the time, I had made a note to get my hands on some, but I guess the mental post-it fell to the floor. Still, here I was, staring them in the face. Were they the same ones lauded by PhillyMag, or some imposter? I wanted my first canelé experience to be the real deal, but had no time to research. I took the plunge.

As it turns out, canelé are not exactly widely available in the US. In our area, as far as I can tell, there are a number places that sell them, but only one who makes them: Market Day Canelé. At the very least, the bakery run by canelé zealot Gil Ortale (who appears to be developing quite the online reputation with his religious views on the subject) is the only Philly-based bakery making these with any level of seriousness. Ortale spent months honing his recipe and (perhaps more importantly) technique before bringing these goodies to market, and once admitted that he “cried gallons of tears over them” before finally being satisfied enough to share with the public.

Ortale’s obsession is our gain; his canelé, which look kinda like mini bundt cakes, are absolutely fabulous. So simple, yet so complex and unique. The outer crust, which is often described as “deeply caramelized”, is perhaps even lightly burned, and slightly crisp, with a pleasant bitterness that cuts through the sweetness of the custard-like interior. It’s quite amazing that the interior looks an awful lot like a regular old cake, yet is ever so much more moist. Subtle notes of Tahitian vanilla and citrus lead the way, with the occasional splash of rum to wash it down. All in all, the pastry is a perfectly balanced dance of divergent but complimentary flavors and textures.

Market Day’s canelé are available in packages of two for $5; for the same price, a 6-pack of mini-canelés can also be acquired. Though I haven’t tried the minis, it seems that the balance between bitter crust and sweet interior, both in flavor and in texture, would not be the same, but perhaps I’ll be surprised. The bakery also sells caramels and both sweet and savory tarts, with varying availability. They can be found at East Goshen Farmers Market every other Thursday (check the website each week), and Bryn Mawr Farmers Market on Saturdays, as well as a number of other places in the Philly area.

For more, follow Market Day on Facebook, or check out Ortale’s blog.

Weinrich Bakery's Butter Cake

My family is not originally from this area, so although we have lived here for more than 20 years, we are often less familiar with local traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation, especially those that have begun to fade away. One such specialty is Philadelphia Butter Cake (a.k.a. German Butter Cake, but not to be confused with St. Louis Butter Cake), a dessert known for its sweet, decadent, butter-based frosting. We’d actually never heard of this until recently, but once informed, I was quickly determined to find out more and seek some out in the local area.

Though butter cake is not exactly a hot topic online, quite a few posts can be found on message boards, blogs and review sites, written by people who grew up in this area (Northeast Philly especially), that reference it as something that was one of their favorite treats as a kid. It appears this pastry was quite popular through the 60′s and into the early 70s (and surely before that), but started to lose its luster in the late 70s, perhaps early 80s. While there are some bakeries that still make it today, it is a lost art, handcrafted only by those establishments that still remain from the heyday.

Though tracing the specific origins of this treat has proved difficult, it’s a relatively safe assumption that it comes from German settlers to the area, who brought with them Butterkuchen, a sweet yeast cake from northern Germany. Though the German version does use quite a bit of butter, it does not typically have frosting, save perhaps a simple glaze. Leave it to Philly to make any foodstuff more decadent!

True Philly Butter Cake has three essential components. First, the cake, which serves as a base for the dish. It’s yeast-based, so made from a dough that has risen (as opposed to batter), and has the flaky consistency of a danish. Next comes the “filling”, a buttery, VERY sweet, oozy frosting (made from mostly butter and sugar, with some eggs and milk) that lives between the cake and the third component, a paper-thin, golden layer of frosting that has crisped in the oven.

For those who haven’t tried it, this cake isn’t something that will blow your culinary mind; it’s just an old-school, simple, tasty treat that pairs quite well with a cup of coffee or tall glass of milk. If anything, it can be a bit over-sweet, which argues for a strong, black cup of joe.

After some digging, I found two butter cake-baking shops out here in the ‘burbs (feel free to suggest others in the comments): Weinrich Bakery in Newtown Square – serving traditional German goodies since 1961, and D’Innocenzo’s, a mainstay of the Lancaster County Farmers Market in Strafford for more than 25 years.

Both had the basic components, with a few subtle differences. Weinrich’s cake was about twice as thick, with deeply browned sides and an insanely gooey middle. D’Innocenzo’s cake (also available in apple or cherry) was much thinner, with less cake and less frosting, making it a tad drier. Both were tasty and well-made, so it is hard to pick a winner. Weinrich’s was sweeter and generally more intense, so I would probably choose D’Innocenzo’s for regular consumption, because it was more balanced and less overwhelming. For a special occasion or to share with family and friends, however, Weinrich’s might be more likely to make a big impression.

D'Innocenzo's Butter Cake

D’Innocenzo’s Bakery
Lancaster County Farmers Market
Wayne, PA
610-687-6580

Weinrich Bakery
3545 W Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA
(610) 356-9918

For many years, the word “biscotti” conjured up images in my mind of brittle, roof-of-the-mouth-ruining, stale cookies that were flavored mainly by the same nasty anise spice that makes everyone avoid the black jelly beans. I’m not alone — these oft-maligned cookies certainly don’t receive the reverence that other similar baked good receive in most circles of this country. The thing is, however, that most people — including myself, until recently — have never had fresh, well-made biscotti.

Recently I was lucky enough to get a tasting of these treats from Laura’s Biscotti, a small, independent business based out of Malvern that sells homemade biscotti and granola. Though all biscotti have a somewhat brittle texture due to the twice-baked nature of their baking, Laura’s are more crumbly than crunchy, which creates a light and airy feeling as you eat them. Dunk them in some coffee, and they get even better.

Of the flavors I tried, brown butter pecan was my favorite — its buttery, nutty flavor is the perfect foil to an afternoon cappuccino. These actually reminded me a bit of grandma’s spritzgebäck butter cookies — a holiday treat in my family and noble company for any comparison. The chocolate pistachio were also excellent — and another example of Laura’s brilliance with flavor pairing. For traditionalists, Laura does offer an almond anise flavor, but you’ll have to taste test those on your own. As for me, I’m lining up next to try the dark chocolate fig (year-round) and pumpkin spice (fall only). Other flavors include Cherry Pistachio, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Ginger, Cranberry Orange Walnut, Lavender Lemon and Caramel Apple Walnut.

Laura also offers two varieties of homemade granola – Dad’s original (based on her dad’s recipe) for the hard-core granola, and vanilla, which is a bit sweeter (though not nearly as much as the stuff you find on supermarket shelves) and fruitier.

The story of how Laura’s got started is rather amusing; its about as backwards a story as you’ll hear. She was working at Caffe Craze in the Malvern train station a few years back, and she brought some homemade biscotti to the owners of the just-opened Restaurant Alba to welcome them to the neighborhood. Chef Sean Weinberg liked them so much, he asked her if she could make them to serve as part of their dessert menu. From there, Laura began to develop flavors and has slowly grown the business over time. (Let this be a lesson to you youngsters out there — a little neighborly courtesy could change your life!)

Laura’s Biscotti are now available online and at many local establishments including Burlap & Bean in Newtown Square, Caffe Craze and Worrell’s Butcher Shop in Malvern, Carlino’s in WC and Ardmore, Talula’s Table in Kennett and coming soon to Whole Foods Devon. For ordering details and a full list of retail stores, visit her how to buy page.

Recently I’ve been speaking with a variety of food-based small business owners, and I always tend to ask them what their “secret” is. Interestingly, most of them tend to look confused at the question, and Laura was no exception. She couldn’t really think of one — so here’s my take: folks like Laura  don’t really have a secret per se; they simply use good ingredients, and put their heart and soul into small batches of the food they create. This isn’t rocket science — it’s baking. Simplicity plus love equals quality.

Laura’s Biscotti:
laura@laurasbiscotti.com
http://laurasbiscotti.com
610-620-4537

B.T. Baking is a small company right here in Haverford, PA producing some of the richest, gooiest, most decadently awesome organic brownies that you’ll ever try.

Owner Todd Kelly is originally from Richmond, VA, and more recently Washington DC, where he worked a 9-to-5 but spent his free time baking brownies from scratch. Kelly started selling the goodies at farmer’s markets and soon had what he calls an “awakening” — that he needed to quit working for the man and start selling brownies full-time. Kelly and his wife had some family in the Philly area and felt it was a better market than DC/VA, so they moved up here are started baking. Kelly told me that although he isn’t originally from the Philly area, he feels at home here now because of all the support he’s received. Philly people may be tough at first, but once you’re one of us, we’re also intensely loyal. And we have a great food scene!

The flagship B.T. offering is the chocolate brownie (which also serves as the base for the other flavors). This is, quite simply, one of the finest brownies we’ve ever tasted; as shown in the photo above, the top’s crackly exterior quickly gives way to an insanely moist, fudgy interior packed with complex and lingering flavor. It is a chocolate taste explosion!

For B.T.’s peanut butter brownie, Kelly snakes a ribbon of organic PB through the chocolate brownie. Personally, I found that the intensity of the peanut flavor actually took away from the fudgy chocolate bliss — so although this is quite good, it isn’t the B.T. offering I’d reach for first. Kelly even admitted to me that he too – as an eater not a baker – felt the chocolate brownie is so simple and amazing that it doesn’t really need the PB addition. The many PB & Chocolate junkies out there disagree, however, so this version is quite popular.

The cookie brownie, on the other hand — which contains a thin layer of chocolate chip cookie on top of the chocolate brownie — is our pick for the the standout choice. Though it isn’t a unique idea, the balance that Kelly finds here is astonishing. When taking a bite, a momentary wisp of cookie floats across the taste buds, then quickly washes away with the lusciousness of the chocolate brownie. Alongside a tall, cold glass of milk, this is about as close as you can get to dessert perfection.

When asked the secret to this amazing flavor, Kelly admits that his recipes are quite simple, but that he takes care to use extremely high-quality, unprocessed, organic ingredients. The difference between the organic flour he uses and a generic supermarket white flour may not be that noticeable, he says, but when you apply that small difference across each ingredient (even though there are only 6-7 total!), it does show. One ingredient choice that’s especially interesting is the use of evaporated cane juice in place of sugar. It’s less processed, so it is darker and contains more nutrients than table sugar (though it has the same amount of calories), and perhaps helps keep the brownies so moist.

These outstanding brownies can be ordered online at http://btbaking.com and picked up at several local stores. In the ‘burbs, look for them at Burlap & Bean in Newtown Square, The Cooper Market in Bala, and the Swarthmore Food Co-op. More locations can be found here.

Whole Wheat Baguette

South Philly Italian bakery Carangi Baking Company has recently opened at 1556 Lancaster Ave. in Paoli, bringing a wide variety of freshly-made breads, pizzas, stromboli and other Italian specialties to the ‘burbs.

On our first trip, we tried a whole wheat baguette, which was insanely fresh, and had a flaky, crunchy crust and a wonderfully light interior. It was great both as a sandwich holder and dipped in olive oil with dinner. All the breads looked spectacular, though most are, in the Italian tradition, made with exclusively white flour. We also tried the decadent ricotta cannoli in chocolate-dipped shells, which certainly rivals any cannoli we’ve had. La Colombe coffee is served (also available for whole bean purchase); the espresso we tried was not spectacular, but still one of the better ones we’ve had on the Main Line.

chocolate-dipped cannoli (a little roughed up from the trip home)

Carangi also offers Sicilian-style pizza in a variety of flavors, including tomato pie, several types of Stromboli, such as broccoli rabe, roasted peppers & cheese, plus a variety of breakfast treats including pepper and egg sandwiches, bagels and assorted muffin varities. All the food is take-out only, as there is no seating inside.

Our only complaint about Carangi is the hours — they close on the early side (6pm weekdays), and are closed completely on Mondays.

View Larger Map

Carangi Baking Co Mainline
1556 Lancaster Ave, Tredyffrin, PA
(610) 648-9393‎
http://carangibakery.com (Philly location only)

If you are not familiar with the Steve’s legend, it is a ice cream franchise started outside Boston in the early 70′s by a guy named Steve Herrell, who is most famous for inventing the “mix-in”, where pieces of candy and other confections (Heath Bars, Reese’s and Oreos were some of the first) were mixed inside the ice cream. (Others put it on top, not in.) The original Steve’s laid out the ice cream on a cold slab of granite, mixed in the candy, and served up perfection. It is lesser known that Herrell created his unique brand of rich, creamy ice cream by mechanically altering a small, commercial batch freezer, and that this freezer has become the standard to which manufacturers now design. It should also be noted that Ben and Jerry (yep, the actual guys) credit Herrell as their inspiration, for both the production method of the ice cream and the flavor creations. Not bad, eh? (Read more about Steve and Herrell’s, his current business.)

A year or two ago, I started to hear buzz about two new ice cream franchises in the area — Cold Stone and Maggie Moo’s. Seems they had this radical new idea… put ice cream on cold slabs of granite, mix in candy, and sell it! My reaction was a mix of skepticism and promise — skeptical that it took so long for this method of ice cream making to travel 6 freakin hours down I95, hopeful that my days in ice cream purgatory were ending. Unfortunately, though I tried, and though it was better than any other option, Cold Stone never lived up to the hype for me. I loved that I could get brownies or heath bar or pretty much anything else mixed in, but their ice cream just isn’t that good. Though the original Steve’s turned me into a person who thinks plain IC (without a mix-in) is too boring to bother with, I realized that the quality of the stuff was more important than I thought.

This summer, however, things have changed…

Bruster’s, a nationwide chain originally started in Bridgewater, PA, came to Frazer. I can say without hesitation that Bruster’s chocolate shake is the single best milk shake I have tasted since I left the last Brigham’s (king of the Boston frappes) behind in ’90. And although they don’t have mix-ins, the “Stick in the Mud” — chocolate ice cream with a fudge ripple and chocolate-covered pretzels — holds up to any combination I could come up with on my own. If you splurge on one caloric ice cream binge this summer, make sure it includes Bruster’s rich, flavorful goodness. 102 Lancaster Ave. 610-408-0883

Handel’s in Berwyn ain’t bad either — great homemade ice cream that reminds me of rainy summer nights in The Hub. The “Dark Chocolate Chunk” is one of the most decadent flavors I’ve ever eaten. 576 Lancaster Ave. (610) 640-1606

Of course, if you want the real thing, make sure to visit Steve the next time you’re up in Northampton, MA. You won’t regret it.

(Or, if you find yourself on the other side of the pond, stop in here. But that’s another story for another time…)