A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Sheep come in a variety of shape's and sizes. They can present themselves as calm, warm, and comforting. Sometimes fluffy. Baked goods also fit this description.

Wolves (the stereotype, NOT the intriguing Canis lupus so often regarded as something it's not) are complex, tricky, and conniving.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing = Sweets!

They just look so good and make me feel like once I eat them, the present moment will immediately be better. What is WRONG with me? Am I addicted?! Multiple baked goods per day, boxes of candy, bowls of ice cream (I don't really even LIKE ice cream) and terrible guilt are PLAGuing me. So good for the heartbreak diet and blossoming yoga practice. My appetite is insatiable. I'm still too lazy to bake and have moved on from apathy to crazy person anger but all of that aside and lucky for you, this leads to more reviews.

The regionally famous WaterCourse Bakery Scout Cookie = sheep in wolf's clothing.

It looks like one big bad cookie but guess what? It's not - it's vegan AND gluten free! For those of you who say it tastes like a Girl Scout Samoa, you're wrong. Those cookies are gross and this one is WONderful. I feel like I'm eating something healthy (even though I'm not) and I get to lick chocolate off my fingers :) You can find them at my favorite coffee shop and other fun places around Denver.

No need to tell you about the Crushery's ridiculously amazing chocolate chip cookie again because the last time I went and had one, the 5 doctors I was eating with came to the same conclusion SO, case closed. Go get one. Next stop? The Pajama Baking Company just down the street. It smelled like cinnamon rolls as we walked up so after having lunch I shared and smapled 3 of their try-it sized treats with some VOC peeps.

Our taste tests revealed that the Chocolate Chip Macaroon was the best, followed by a yummy Peanut Butter Brownie and then a disappointingly mediocre Chocolate Brownie. They each cost a dollar or less and my group of 6 was able to have a taste of each one. SUPER deal. Check 'em out.

Later that same day I finally had the pleasure of experiencing the Denver Cupcake Truck.

Jamie had the Red Velvet but said the frosting was better than the cake. Isn't that always the problem with red velvet? I had the Denver Snowball and loved it. Almond cake, chocolate buttercream, and coconut. Mmmm, delicious.

And I almost forgot Flour. How could I? I returned to my beloved bakery while on an escape to Boston last month and tried 2 new items. The Maple Walnut Scone won out over the Granola Bar packed with cranberry-apricot-apple jam only because it had more sugar. What can I say. I am addicted.

Maybe this should have been several posts. Maybe I should stick to baking instead of publishing a blog full of feelings. Maybe tomorrow the reality of wolves in sheep clothing won't bother me so much. Maybe wolves should just leave the disguises behind and admit to themselves and everyone else that they have been deceptive. Deception = dishonesty. Being dishonest is the same thing as lying. Lying is wrong.

Boston is Filled With Bakeries

I am waaaaaaaay behind on sharing about all of the incredible things I have eaten lately so we’ll start with Boston. Boston is full of Bakeries. I'm pretty darn sure I gained 5 pounds in 3 days as I ate my way through the entire South End last weekend with my bestie, Rachel. We walked, walked, walked all OVER that lovely, twisty, brick paved city but when you eat dessert at every meal, it doesn’t really make a difference! I guess I don't mind too much though becasue we all deserve to over indulge every once in a while. Especially when celebrating a birthday ;)

Let’s start with the South End Buttery. Isn’t it lovely?


This corner café emits welcoming warmth with its fresh flowers, large windows, soft lighting and friendly staff.


Before we got our fresh, healthy and local lunch, I scarfed down this awesome chocolate, chocolate, nut and-something-or other cookie. It was awesome.


Then I took home this red velvet cupcake. The cream cheese frosting was a tiny bit too tangy for me but man oh man was the whole thing quite tasty later that night.


Rachel saved the best for last so on my third and final day in the bay state, we went to Flour. We were probably there for almost 2 hours but the waiting in line (twice) and waiting for food in this ridiculously popular café didn't even phase me - I was completely overwhelmed! Hopefully Rachel was the only one to notice my indecision as I stood wide-eyed and salivating at the bakery case, trying to pick my poison. It was impossible to get a picture of the whole counter because we were packed in like sardines, but I hope this gives you an idea of the baked bounty.



Every day Flour serves EVERY baked good you could EVER want. Bread, rolls, scones, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, cupcakes, granola bars, shortbread bars, fruit tarts, mouse, cake, brownies, pie, you name it! I guarantee that any craving you ever have will be satisfied at this place. And they do it up like that EVERY day! I couldn’t believe it. Every single thing was fresh AND gorgeous. It’s everything I think a bakery should be. So once again, as we waited for our fresh and home made breakfasts, I started off with a little dessert!


What's that, you say? An amazing little, eat right away, melt in your mouth, triple chocolate mouse cake!


After breakfast I left Flour with a cheddar and chive scone, brioche au sucre, full belly, giant smile on my face, and this awesome book!



Flour is a wonderful, beautiful and delicious bakery. I know I say this a lot but I just keep finding things that are better than the last. I won't bother to tell you about the so-so trendy cupcakeries that have popped up everywhere but places like this deserve rave reviews. It was an incredible inspiration for me so do yourself a favor and visit the next time you’re in Mass. Happy eating!

Baking Layer Cakes

Layer cakes are hard. More than anything, well only baking wise of course, I want to be able to produce a perfectly shaped, flat toped and smoothly iced layer cake. Three layers is my favorite. I once made a carrot cake that seriously took forever but I learned a few things that day and hope to not repeat 8-hours-standing-barefoot-in-the-kitchen again. Ouchie. Unless someone is paying me because it’s five years later and I’m the best at-home cake baker in Denver ;)

The occasion was Matt and Rebecca’s wedding celebration at work. We got them a waffle iron and served this cake.


Here are some things I have learned thus far about layer cake baking:
1. Have enough pans to bake all of your layers at once. Not doing so takes twice as long and produces layers with slightly different textures.
2. Be overly generous when greasing your pans. I always thought, “A little is all I need – more cost effective and a tad bit healthier.” I was wrong and HAVE cried when large chunks of cake are still in the pan after flipping the rest out.
3. Use a measuring cup or scale when diving batter between pans for evenly sized layers.
4. Drop each pan on a hard surface (only from a few inches above) a few times after the batter is in and before you put them in the oven. This levels the batter and helps eliminate any large air pockets.
5. Take the cake out of the oven within the cook time suggested. I left the cake above in a bit too long after forgetting that it will have time to fully set while cooling afterwards. It was a good recipe but ended up being too dry.
6. Run a butter knife or small frosting spatula between the cake and pan after removing from the oven to make sure there aren’t any tiny snags on your edges.
7. Let your cakes cool completely before trying to remove them from their pans or you may encounter the problem described in tip #2.
8. Level your cake layers by cutting the tops off with a long, freshly sharpened serrated knife, or one of these handy wires I bought at Cake Crafts in Englewood.


And for many, MANY more tips on cake baking, read America’s Test Kitchen baking book for THE overall best baking tips I have found. Supplement those with high altitude adjustments found in Susan G. Purdy’s Pie in the Sky.

Maybe someday my layer cakes will look more like this!


Congratulations to Lisa and Brandon in Texas, whose wedding I just returned from this morning. Their amaretto cake above was delish!

Tips on frosting layer cakes to come and please, please let me know if anything I post ever works (or doesn't!) for you.

Lots 'O Good Looks, Good Eats and Bread Revisions

Warm brownie sundaes are one of my all time favorite desserts and go to option if splurging while out. Most are okay, some are good, and this one from the Chop House was the best EVER. I made sure to share with the dinner's honoree, birthday boy Tyre.


I visited D Bar again recently for a friend's birthday. The Cake and Shake, Brulee of the week and glass of crazy bubbly wine were all delish. I heart you D Bar.


The Mighty Acorns also had their season closer on a hot, hot Sunday afternoon and celebrated with food and drink at the ridiculously amazing home of Liz and Chad. Chad's Super Chocolate Cookies were TO DIE FOR. Seriously, I have been looking for a homemade cookie recipe like this for YEARS. Maybe someday he'll share it with me?


And just this past weekend I made a solo road trip up through Wyoming, Idaho and Montana to attend the wedding of Danika and Dave, one of the sweetest couples I know. Their cake was GORGEOUS. Don't you think?


FYI to all the bread bakers - I've made changes to the "Holy Mackerel!" post so reprint or recopy if need be!

D is for DESSERT!

I have no good reason for not visiting D Bar earlier. I knew it existed and had even seen the massive waiting line spilling out on to the sidewalk. But why didn’t I stop?! No problem. That’s over with and I can now say D Bar is currently at the top of my Denver dining list.


Why, you may ask, am I using an entire blog entry for one restaurant? Because the D in D Bar stands for DESSERT. Normally I don’t really like places that are total scenes where you wait a really long time for something you can get at several other places in town, but D Bar doesn’t feel like that at all. It’s definitely a bit of a scene but because they have a large patio, great staff, and the evening was warm, I didn’t mind waiting 30 minutes on 17th street sidewalk with white wine in hand. I also had a lovely dinner date ;)


I suggest going not only for dessert but also for dinner. The plates are small, the flavors rich and deep, and the sweets more than large enough for sharing. Our party of three ordered D Bar Dates, The Monika, Wraptastic, and Kobe Sliders. Uh. May. ZING. Seriously. The best dinner out I have had in quite some time.

Knowing it could only get better, we then successfully finished off a Rhuberry!, Cake and Shake, and some sort of Souflee that came with a tropical fruit sauce and baby beignets. It was long past dark by the time we got to dessert so I don’t have any good pictures to show you, but you can check out photos on their website here. Go try this place. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Summer Solstice Ramblings

It's officially here, yay summer! Fresh fruit and veggies galore, eating on patios, and long days of sunshine. Ahhh :)

I have 10 followers now, thanks friends!

Somehow I made the most delicious peanut butter cookies ever last week and failed to take pictures or blog about them. That's okay though because it wouldn't really be fair - you can find the exact, perfect recipe in my other favorite high altitude baking book "Pie in the Sky."

I have also been working on what I think I shall call, Berry Sweet Cornmeal Muffins. No Mary Mullins bread yet either.

New blog label: Good Looks!
Entry number one, Offshoots Cafe at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Aren't these cute?!



I'm out for the next four weekends. Hopefully I'll have time to bake something. I'm thinking strawberry pie would be perfect for the 4th...