Gentlemen Prefer Blondies: Delicious Blondies from Oddfellows Cafe, Seattle

In Seattle, there is a place called Oddfellows, and it is classified as both a cafe and bar. What does that mean, exactly?

Well, basically it means that you can belly up to the bar and get a delicious bar cookie to go along with your beverage. And my newest obsession? The Oddfellows Blondie.

This butterscotch-chip and nut-studded bar cookie is a bit of brown sugary, buttery bliss--pleasingly dense without being leaden, assertively but not aggressively sweet, soft and chewy, but firm enough that it doesn't crumble. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if there was a blondie to make brownie devotees question their allegiance, this might be it.

Oddfellows has a rotating selection in their bakery case; call first to ensure availability. But even if they don't have these, they're bound to have something good. You can find them at 1525 10th Avenue (b/t Pike and Pine), Seattle; online here.

Getting Down to Biscuit: Vegan Jam Biscuits at Watertown Coffee, Seattle

There's nothing like a good biscuit, especially when it's tender, flaky, and extremely buttery.

But wait, what's this? At Watertown Coffee, their biscuits pack a delicious punch, and have the ability to challenge my buttery-biscuit desires, because you see, they're vegan.

On a recent visit the baker mentioned that her biscuits had received high praise--"better than Macrina's" was, I believe, the phrase tossed around--and after that, well, we had to try them.

But as for the superior biscuit, I really can't go down that road, because these are simply two different specimens of biscuit--and both delicious. Where the Macrina jam-filled biscuit is buttery and lightly crumbly, the Watertown biscuit is a little more...almost cookielike, or shortcake-y, and a little less crumbly. It is perfectly paired with a generous dollop of jam, and makes for an exceedingly sweet little morning treat (sizewise, they qualify more as breakfast accompaniment than main dish).

Biscuits from Watertown Coffee, 550 12th Ave., Seattle; online here.

Orange You Glad? The Orange Glazed Cake Donut from Family Donut, Seattle

I like fruit, really I do.

Just not in dessert, where my philosophy is "if you're gonna do it, do it". I don't like the creeping suspicion that my sweet treat might be a little healthy. 

However, when it's in glaze form on a cake donut, as in the case of the Orange Donut at Family Donuts, a greasy spoon of a donut shop if there ever was one, I find it acceptable.

First off, it's a cake donut, which means that it's delightfully oily and decidedly not low-fat. Believe it or not, the citrus flavor permeating the fried dough is actually kind of nice--it cuts through the flavor of "fry" which can sometimes be lacking in dimension. The orange flavor is in the cake donut but also the glaze, which is applied liberally.

To put it mathematically? Crisp citrus orange flavor + hefty round of fried dough = TOTAL YUM.

Family Donut Shop, 2100 N. Northgate Way, Seattle.

Summer Sweetness: Summer Flavors at Trophy Cupcakes

What's sweet this season at Trophy Cupcakes? So, so much. Here's what's on the roster for the hot (yeah right!) Seattle summer:

Pina Colada Cupcakes: Try a refreshing Piña Colada Cupcake! A rich coconut pineapple cupcake with Sailor Jerry's spiced rum buttercream topped with a Maraschino cherry! Available Tuesdays and Fridays.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes In honor of Kelley Moore's new show, So Much Moore, Jennifer created a signature cupcake. The So Much Moore is a fresh lemon cupcake filled with tangy house-made lemon curd and topped with toasted marshmallow meringue. Jennifer shared details of how it's made on a recent show... Check it out here. Available every Friday. 

The Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes: Starting with strawberries from Hayton Farms this is a Strawberry Cake with a Graham Cracker Crust, topped with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and a fresh Berry on top. Delicious, yes. Decadent, yes. Fresh, you betcha! Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes are available every day of the week (pending strawberry availability) throughout the month of July.

For more information and locations, visit trophycupcakes.com; for up-to-the-moment updates, follow them on Twitter!

Sugar and Spice: Almond Cardamom Cookies from Traveler's, Seattle

Down the street from CakeSpy Shop in Seattle's Capitol Hill, there is a sort of hippie food, tea, supplement and gift shop called Travelers. They have a sort of cult following for their chai tea (not to be confused with tai chi, although many of their patrons do that, too).

Now, there's nothing wrong with their chai--nothing at all. But the reason I go there is for the cookies. In particular, the almond cardamom variety.

Chewy, rich, spicy, and lightly sweet, this is kind of like oatmeal cookie meets spice cookie, and both sides become more delicious as a result of their union.

It's the type of cookie that you could probably psych yourself into believing it's healthy, but really, it's not.

It's a simple cookie, but a very good one: and when paired with a spicy chai, it might just whisk you away to a faraway place, if just for a few moments.

Travelers, 501 E Pine Street, Seattle; online here.

Battle in Seattle: A Whoopie Pie Bake-Off at Oddfellows Cafe

The first thing that you'll notice about the Whoopie Pie scene in Seattle? There is none. Aside from the occasional sighting at Oddfellows Cafe or at a handful of other spots around town, they're relatively unknown in the Emerald City.

Until now, that is. Whoopie Pies are making their debut as a weighty contender in the Seattle baked goods scene at 11 a.m. on July 21, 2010, when Oddfellows Cafe hosts the great Whoopie Pie Bake-Off!

Interested in entering your prized pies? Here are the instructions:

Instructions for Whoopie Pie Bake Off

• Bakers may have two whoopie pie submissions, a classic whoopie pie and/or a variation on a classic whoopie pie, which must still be identifiable as such. Both pies will be entered for the grand prize, Whoopie Pie Champion!
• Each baker must submit by July 18th in email (to tallulah@lindashq.com) the following:

1) Your name as you would like to see it on the ballot for the judges (this may be your real name or another name such as a nickname or the bakery you represent)
2)A few details about your whoopie pie: what kind it is (red velvet, rainbow, etc.), if you have a special name for it (Marta’s Magical Pie, etc), anything else you want us to know or include about your pie. We will use this information for a write up to be given to the judges in addition to other TBA purposes.

Submission of Whoopie Pies on day of event.

• Whoopie pies are to be baked at home and brought to Oddfellows at 10:30AM; that’s 30 minutes before the event is scheduled to start.
• We request that you bake at least 7 whoopie pies (6 for eating, 1 for display), however you may bake more than 7 (especially if your pies are on the smaller side!)

Judging

• There will be 5 official judges as well as an open vote among customers for crowd favorite. 
• The official judges will pick one whoopie pie for each category. The categories being:

1) Best Classic Whoopie Pie

2) Most Interesting Take on a Whoopie Pie
3) Whoopie Pie Champion

• Whoopie Pie Champion is the grand prize but there will also be prizes (umm, CakeSpy art included!) for winners in the sub-categories of best classic and most interesting.

This awesome event will be open to the public on July 21 at 11 a.m. at Oddfellows Cafe + Bar, 1525 10th Ave., Seattle.

Sweet Summer: The Strawberry 66 is Back at Cupcake Royale for July!

Let's get excited about Cupcake Royale. Why? It's that wonderful moment in time (the month of July) when they sell their made-locally, loved-globally treat, the Strawberry 66 Cupcake, made with "Sweet, ripe, super fresh strawberries from Skagit Sun Farms in an oh-so-summery buttercream atop a moist vanilla buttercake. Reminiscent of strawberry shortcake".

Why 66? Well, it's made with 66% local ingredients. That is no small feat! So not only is it sweet, it's a great way to support local farmers and vendors. Why does this matter? Well, according to owner Jody Hall,

I really believe in a sustainable business model - and local is one aspect of this ideal.  The 3 components of sustainability are environmental impact, economic viability, and impact on people.  With our effort to support local, independent businesses, we're hitting all three.  Because we're buying local products, we have a lighter environmental impact.  Impact is even lighter when we support the sustainable efforts of others as well. For example, our flour is sustainably grown with "no-till" farming methods that preserve topsoil, and our sugar is organic evaporated cane juice and has a much lighter impact in its processing.  

Looks like this summer is going to be totally sweet!

To obtain one of those delicious Strawberry 66 cupcakes, you can visit any of the four Cupcake Royale locations all July long; for more information, visit cupcakeroyale.com; for instant updates, follow them on Twitter!

Cake Byte: Delicious Pina Colada Cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes

Pictured in front of Nihontown by Ken TayaPina Coladas? So passe. It's all about the Pina Colada cupcake these days, and if you're feeling the need, Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes has you covered.

What makes up a Pina Colada cupcake? Inspired by the classic cocktail's flavors, this sweet treat is comprised of a pineapple coconut cupcake topped in coconut rum buttercream--all prettily topped with a maraschino cherry. 

But really, telling you the facts about the flavor do little to convey the extremely enjoyable experiene of eating it: this cupcake is super sweet, and perfectly complemented by a boozy (watch out!) frosting, which is definitely not for kids but oh so enjoyable for adults. 

I'd go so far as to say that any hour this cupcake is consumed is an extremely Happy Hour. But watch out--other flavors might get jealous!

Pina Colada Cupcakes, available every Tuesday and Friday through June at all Trophy Cupcakes locations. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow them on Twitter and on Facebook!

Whiskey Me Away: Chocolate Whiskey Cake from Columbia City Bakery

It's always five o'clock somewhere, but really, any hour that you devour the chocolate whiskey cake from Columbia City Bakery is a happy hour indeed.

This loaf cake is actually pretty simple: it starts with a dark as night, exceedingly dense and rich chocolate cake, which is then topped with a crowning glory of sweet-but-with-a-bite whiskey-espresso icing glaze.

Something happens when these flavors come together: the chocolate, the whiskey, the sugary glaze with a buzz of espresso: it might just make you tipsy with pleasure overload.

Oh, is this ever a happy cake.

Chocolate Whiskey cake from Columbia City Bakery, 4865 Rainier Ave. South, Seattle; also frequently available at the Broadway Farmer's Market; find out more online at columbiacitybakery.com.

Put the Lime in the Coconut: Cupcake Royale Debuts Toasted Coconut Lime Cupcakes for June!

Goodbye forever, May 2010! Hello June, and hello to Cupcake Royale's new flavor of the month: Toasted Coconut Lime. As they put it:

Yeah, we did it. We put the lime in the coconut and baked it all up. Moist coconut cake gets a tart and tangy swirl of real lime buttercream. We finish it off with toasted coconut for a truly tasty tropical treat!

And knowing that June is a big month for dads and grads, they kindly offer some life-lesson cupcake tips for grads:

1.  If you are giving a speech at your graduation, hide a cupcake under someone's chair. At some point, that person will find the cupcake and begin cheering wildly. Hopefully this happens either during or immediately after your speech.

2. If you are still a little miffed about a certain bad grade, give that instructor a cupcake...better yet, a 2-pack! They won't change your grade, but at least they'll know that deep down, you're really a swell kid after all.

3. If your parents are still speaking to you after all the senseless things you've done and all their money you've spent over the past four years, give them cupcakes. This one really goes without saying, whether you are graduating from college or kindergarten.

4. If you are throwing a graduation party, going to a graduation party, or just like graduation parties, order tons of cupcakes from Cupcake Royale. Literally, TONS.

5. Finally, you're graduating! Give yourself a cupcake already, and congratulations from Cupcake Royale! We believe the children are our future, and we believe those children should eat cupcakes.

The Toasted Coconut Lime cupcake will be available for the entire month of June at all four locations; for more information, visit cupcakeroyale.com.