My Weekend Cupcake Tour

This Memorial Day weekend my friend Kim and I went on a cupcake walking tour with Great New York Tours. Admittedly we were a bit surprised at how many people came out for food walking tours on a holiday weekend. But hey, people like food and to see new places around the city so why the heck not indulge in one. First things first though, Kim and I ate actual savory food pre-tour. Having done self-made tours with friends I knew that I would be craving actual food with all the sweets so better to get in some salad and soup beforehand leaving yourself ready to indulge. It turns out others on the tour did not consider this and there was some moaning as we got to our third and fourth locations (passing many eateries along the way) that the desire for something outside of sweets was vocalized. So there's a plan for you. If you're doing a walking tour of sweets only, make sure to eat beforehand or prep to do so somewhere in there.

Anywho, onto the tour! The sun was out but it started to get a might bit cloudy with the anticipation of rain. Yet it was fine for walking and scouting out shops. We all met up at the corner of Union Square Park (West) and then proceeded to our first location: Baked by Melissa.

I've had Baked by Melissa before and find the cupcakes okay. They are very much bite sized and I can gulp one down in a second (really, I can). Though the cupcakes are good and the variety of flavors do make them a catch. Melissa's first opened as a teeny shop in SoHo six years ago and has steadily grown in that time to have several locations in NYC (even in Long Island).

We got to enjoy May's mini-of-the-month which was the Neapolitan cupcake. A vanilla cake with chocolate icing and strawberry filling (that was also a dollop on top surrounded by chocolate). In one bite you got the vanilla, chocolate, and fruity strawberry flavor. I enjoyed it as did the others and I would recommend trying it before the month of May is out. Also, if you go I'd suggest the cookie dough. Really any of the minis with fillings are the ones to get for the added taste. Just their cupcake with frosting is not enough flavor, at least for me.

Next up was a staple in NYC. You may see as many Crumbs Bake Shop in Manhattan as you see Starbucks which tells you of their popularity. Crumbs is a brand I used to swear by when I was in my early 20s and they first started branching out.

At Crumbs our guide Mallory brought out a couple variety mini packs, thankfully. If you've ever been to Crumbs one of their big items was the ginormous cupcake as big as ones face. I am not joking. Check the size out. They have minis, "normal" size, gigantic, and also one ridiculously big cupcake that serves as a cake I guess.

It was first come/first serve in terms of the flavor you got and with me and Kim being in the back of the line I ended up with red velvet. (This would become a trend for the remainder of the tour for me.)

The red velvet was not good. And as I've come to see Crumbs cupcakes are not the pinnacle of cupcakes. If you should eat one cupcake before you pass on to the next life, Crumbs should not be it. The red velvet was nothing like red velvet. It was somewhat dry, the icing was buttercream (a hard buttercream) with sprinkles that was piled too high onto the cake itself. Having a grandmother of Southern roots who can make red velvet cake in her sleep has left me a bit spoiled and quite critical. Do not get their red velvet.

A bit more walking lead us to Amorino Gelato. Mallory called this the "palate cleanser" of our six-dessert course. Amorino is tres fancy and apparently this location in Greenwich village is the only one in the United States with the main being in Europe. Yes, NYC gets almost everything good.

Within minutes Mallory returned with a cup full of spoons and a tub of mango sorbet. She dug in giving each of us a healthy spoonful and we, or at least I, marveled at the creamy texture and natural flavor of mango that was so rich it really did hit all the taste buds. I don't know how much their sorbet costs but I will buy it in gallons! It trumps anything I've had by Haagan Dazs and of course the magic words are "all natural."

There was more walking along University Place passing many street vendors selling their art and a foray into Washington Square Park for brief pictures. The whole tour Mallory was giving us historical facts not just about cupcakes but about NYC locations we passed and I have to say it felt as though Mallory were made for this kind of tour. Her voice elevated, she knew when her jokes were corny, and she was efficient at each and every location taking care to make sure no one was lost or strayed too far behind.

After some walking we got to West 3rd Street and Molly's Cupcakes, a place I had passed many times, making a mental note to return there but had not actually been to.

Molly's is a fairly new cupcake establishment but is one that has some awards behind it. Most notably, to me, was the fact that the owner won the first Food Network Cupcake Wars which I used to watch on the regular.

Lucky us that we would not be getting minis but full sized cupcakes, or perhaps not so lucky as we were two-thirds of the way through a sweets tour. We got to choose our cake and our icing with the knowledge that our proceeds from doing this tour would have a portion go to a charitable organization. Sweets for a cause. I like it.

I went with the red velvet and cream cheese icing.

And I gotta tell you. I have NO regrets on that one. The cream cheese icing was perfect. Creamy, rich, with the perfect cream cheese/sugar balance. It was not too much icing but the taste heavy enough to balance out with the moist cake. Now the cake didn't have the chocolatey taste (as red velvet is basically a chocolate cake with red dye), however, red velvet is also a light chocolate cake in that it contains the powder and not many other items to enrich the chocolate taste. Yet, you should be able to sense some chocolate in there. Nonetheless, would I get this cupcake combo again? Hell yes. And a taste of the brown butter icing was exactly how brown butter tastes. Spot on, Molly's Cupcakes.

We headed up Bleecker then off into some back streets to go to our next location. Not for cupcakes but to eat part of what was in the bakery's name: Milk & Cookies Bakery. At Milk & Cookies we were treated to the salted oat cookie. An oat cookie with toffee and white chocolate bits and crystallized salt on top. The cookie was a treat, large considering we'd just had a few cupcakes. It was crumbly around the edges yet soft in the middle making it all kinds of chewy in your mouth. The toffee and white chocolate and oat mix was well done but the crystallized salt bits on top deterred in that it gave the sweetness a heavily salty kick. I would suggest a flaky salt rather than the drops of salt to be a bit more subtle. But again, a good cookie.

Our next and last stop was the original location of Magnolia Bakery before it became a thing. (Thanks Sex in the City.)

And it was at this point that the skies opened up and started to drizzle, rain, than downright pour down on us.

Under umbrellas Mallory, smartly, divided the cupcakes with the group and provided boxes so that we could take them home. Anticipating that we'd be sugared out and want to get the hell out of the rain ASAP. And what cupcake did we get from Magnolia? You guessed it, red velvet with vanilla buttercream.

Kim and I boxed our cupcakes and rushed to Five Guys to avoid the rain that continued on in heavy and light stretches for another hour or so. (Thanks Five Guys for housing us!) I ate my cupcake as we waited the rain out and talked. The buttercream in this case was a nice whipped one that worked better texture-wise than the buttercream on the Crumbs red velvet. Also, the cupcake was better than I remember. The last time I had a red velvet from Magnolia (about 3 years ago) it was not that good. This one had more of the chocolatey taste that Molly's lacked but again, I was quite upset about the pairing of red velvet and vanilla buttercream. For me, red velvet needs cream cheese icing. It requires it. Maybe that's a purist attitude or not. But it just isn't red velvet for me.

In sum, I had many tasty items and was introduced to three new eateries and was reminded of why I did or kind of liked the others I had had in the past. The tour was under 2 hours. There was fun--I'd suggest bringing a friend. Mallory was de-lightful. And for the most part the weather cooperated so that we didn't lose momentum. Well organized all around.

What I would say is that at $50/per person seems a bit high in price for what you get. But I also understand a portion goes to the bakeries and leaders like Mallory. I got this at a Groupon price and would suggest that. Perhaps the other food tours may give you more for the $50 fee but 2 mini cupcakes, 2 full cupcakes, a cookie, and a spoonful of sorbet don't quite add up to this for me and if you knew the itinerary you could get all that for quite a bit less. BUT, what you are going is for the experience and fun of it--and it is fun.

Lastly: Dear Great New York Tours, Please drop Crumbs from your cupcake line up. I know it's convenient because it's on the current tour route but there are better places! If you extended the route a bit or started it elsewhere and weaved around the Lower East Side I know you could find other places. Just a suggestion. Your friend, Jenn.

And that, was my weekend cupcake walking tour.

Interview with @IvyBakery (Celebrating 13 years of butter gooies, cupcakes, and a growing menu for a great bakery in lower Manhattan.)

I got my first taste of Ivy Bakery from my Pie Party a couple years ago. Someone brought the buttermilk pie, which I had heard tons about. When I tasted it it was creamy deliciousness and I added Ivy Bakery to my list of "must try" bakeries. I started following Daniellan Louie on social media and had heard about her anniversary event last year, unable to attend I was all ears for the next event. But a few weeks later Hurricane Sandy landed with a vengeance and many businesses were hit, especially those in lower Manhattan. I kept updated with anything Daniellan may need and was glad to hear of the patronage and aid from those in the community and throughout NYC. I also brought some canned pumpkin her way since it was unavailable and couldn't help but indulge in her butter gooies and pumpkin goods while there. Daniellan was so sweet and she puts a lot of effort to expand Ivy Bakery's menu and atmosphere to be a welcomed spot for everyone. There are games along with sweet & savory treats for purchase, so you can just lounge and absorb the homey atmosphere as well as the lovely aromas coming from each and every homemade good Daniellan presents. Ivy Bakery is one of those NYC gems that I hope you've already discovered or will.

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What inspired Ivy Bakery and the items you make? On your website you say “(an) experience at Ivy Bakery is a journey back home, when things were less complicated, less processed, and just tasted real and good.” Many of the bakers I’ve spoken to mentioned a deep connection to home, family, and comfort when it came to their decision to focus on baking full-time and this seems to be the aim when customers taste your goods as well.

I really just like to cook/bake, feed people, and always wanted to create a place where people felt comfortable, safe, and relaxed. You could come in your pj's or in a suit and feel at ease. Walking into my shop should feel like walking into your past when the smell of fresh baked cookies put a smile on your face. I'm not looking to force those ideas of home, family, and comfort on people, it just seems to arise when people experience my desserts.

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You are a baking Super Woman with a capital ‘S’. Whenever I see your Facebook posts it seems like you’re a one-woman baking/business machine. There’s private and group baking sessions, custom orders, paleo dinners, parties, Saturday lockdown, and so much that you do for Ivy Bakery. How does it all work out for you in terms of the events, baking, publicity, etc.?

Thanks. Yes I do a lot because I want to offer a lot. There are days where it's great and a buzz is generated and our classes are filled. And there are other days when not a soul walks in or signs up. I don't think Ivy Bakery has gotten to that point even after 13 years where we're a city name. [We're] still a hidden gem in the concrete jungle and if you're lucky you'll come across it. Personally though, I am exhausted but I enjoy what I do. Other than traveling, eating, and learning new skills, there's nothing more I would rather do than be in a kitchen.

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Happy Anniversary! I can’t wait for the party this Saturday! Thirteen years is a huge achievement for any business. Ivy Bakery started out in your kitchen, moved to Bay Ridge, and is now in SoHo. Did you imagine you’d end up in Manhattan when you started Ivy Bakery? What changes do you have in store for Ivy in terms of savory & sweet items as well as continuing to branch out in NYC and perhaps the tri-state area?

Thanks, again! I can't wait either, it's tomorrow and there's still a lot of work to be done. I'm a tad discouraged only because it happens to be a holiday and in general a bad weekend where most people already have plans. However if it's a light show, I'll still be okay as I would hope that those that do attend have a great time and eat well. My annual cupcake contest is still in the air as not enough people have signed up. We MAY have to post pone it and hold it during our Halloween Party.

I always knew I would return to Manhattan, that is after all where I started it. I've always envisioned [Ivy Bakery] in Manhattan but at 18, with every realtor looking at you like a joke, there was no way I was going to be able to get or afford a space. So I opened the first store front in Brooklyn. We're working on more dietary selections such as vegan and paleo options. We already have a great line of gluten-free items that can be custom ordered. Definitely try my gluten-free honey cake, cookies, and rainbow cookies, OMG! The 600+ menu is on constant rotation so do note that flavors may come and go, but you can always order for special events or parties.

I will also be focusing on more events and dinner parties, or parties in general as I prefer to host a gathering. Perhaps meetups could take place in the space, that would be pretty awesome. My ultimate goal though or my new dream is to get myself in a position where I can travel, teach, bake, cook, learn, and of course eat. However, it seems difficult without selling yourself out to some overly dramatic reality TV show. I'm not about that, though I have been invited many times. I'll find a different way. Perhaps my own show on YouTube, hah!

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Hurricane Sandy was a big hit for many, especially for local businesses (particularly ones in lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island, and Queens.) What pushed you to persevere during this time? There seemed to be support from locals in the area and Ivy Bakery fans.

Hurricane Sandy... what can I say, it put me in a really bad position, it was my first true holiday season at the new space in SoHo, we had a huge Halloween party planned with food trucks, sponsors, etc, the works! And all of it got cancelled as well as being closed without power for over a week and spoilage of all finished products and inventory. Not a dime back from any emergency loans or insurance. I was denied everything. As much as the media would have liked to say the city helped small businesses, it absolutely did not for myself or many other business owners I know. You and I, and small neighborhood organizations are the ones who should get any credit for really trying to generate business back into the community. I had some amazing customers who volunteered to drive me to the shop when the bridges reopened to check on the damages. I also had some customers who brought in eggs and canned goods to help restock the shop when everyone was fighting at the markets to replenish their lost inventory. They are why I persevered because I had to get back on my feet, reopen, shrug it all off, and keep going for amazing people.

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You’ve catered at many corporate and individual events and Ivy Bakery has had a presence at the NYC Wine & Food Festival. But, if someone is going to remember Ivy Bakery for one item, what would you want them to think of as  your signature? Would it be the buttermilk pie or butter gooie bars (my personal fave) or some of your savory items?

I would say the buttermilk pie as it's what I always push and should be remembered for. It's symbolic for classic traditional southern sweets which I emphasize. However, I bake comfort sweets and eats from around the world. Second would be my tres leches cups, which are my personal flavor and I think third due to current popularity would be the butter gooies.

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Beyond Facebook, Twitter, and your Paleo blog are there other social media outlets that people can find out more and/or keep tabs on Ivy Bakery?

Yes, definitely Instagram if you like looking at food/dessert porn. I'll try to get back to YouTube eventually. It's a social juggling act, I try to make myself available on most, but there's just never enough time or energy to get it all done. Sorry, Pinterest. lol

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Thanks so much, Daniellan for the interview and looking forward to the big celebratory bash tomorrow (all-day).

Interview with Hot Blondies Bakery co-founder Laura (Bringing edgy and fun eats to NYC.)

Last year my friend Lesley and I were introduced to Hot Blondies Bakery (HBB) at the Grub Street Food Fair. My fave is the peanut butter chocolate chunk blondie.  A moist, dense block of brown sugar, chocolate, peanut butter goodness. In this blondie nothing overwhelms. It is a fine balance, which is definitely a delicate thing to accomplish in baking. My husband, a purist at heart, very much enjoyed HBB's classic blondie. After tasting said confection I Googled HBB in the hopes that I could visit them for more blondie goodness and found that they're an online bakery based in New York City specializing in blondies and brunettes (aka brownies). Blondies have fast become a go-to baking item for me and a fave.  As a fan and emerging baker I decided to reach out to HBB founders Laura (marketing guru) and Lorin (brains behind the baking) for an interview. Laura was extremely gracious and kind (and excited!) to grant me an interview during one of their busiest fall seasons, which says a lot for the delectable treats that Hot Blondies Bakery has to offer.

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JBH: In terms of branding I have to say I love the signature blonde baking. It seems to take a fun jab at the dated “housewife” idea that women can’t be adept in the kitchen and be attractive, or shouldn’t be in the eyes of a conservative society. If I may ask, who came up with the branding and was it easy or was it a sudden epiphany?

HBB: It was really a collaborative effort. We [Laura and Lorin] are both creative people and we wanted to start a bakery that stood apart from all the rest. In our opinion there are too many cutesy, pink, grandmother-like bakeries specializing in cupcakes out there. Hot Blondies Bakery is not your average, traditional bakery. Our vibe is edgy, yet fun. From the conception, we knew we wanted to establish Hot Blondies Bakery as a unique, luxury baked goods brand.

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JBH: Hot Blondies Bakery (HBB) is an online bakery. What was the impetus for having Hot Blondies available online mainly and not having a storefront where people could pop in anytime they please? Also, how long has Hot Blondies been around?

HBB: The start of HBB kind of happened organically. We didn’t have a huge amount of money to invest at the beginning and we were both working full-time office jobs, so starting with an online shop seemed to make the most sense. Once our business started to take off we realized it was time to move from renting commercial kitchens to building out our own. We started HBB a little over 3 years ago and feel that a retail shop is the next step in growing our business. Stay tuned for more details…

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JBH: Hot Blondies doesn’t just offer blondies and brunettes, but also cereal bar treats, tarts, as well as gluten-free items and other bars. Is Hot Blondies strictly for us bar lovers or would you consider offering other varieties of baked goods? Or do you think that may take away from the appeal and branding of Hot Blondies?

HBB: At the beginning we wanted to focus on just blondies and brunettes. We’ve slowly expanded our menu to include other baked-goods and our customers really love the new additions. Shipping perishable, delicate items can be a challenge, so it’s something we’ve always had to be mindful of before adding a new item to our website. But when it comes to our baked goods we try to innovate everything, or it just gets very stale very quickly (no pun intended). We can’t wait to offer other varieties of baked goods and when we open up our retail store we’ll definitely be adding more to the HBB menu!

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JBH: And since I’ve brought up gluten-free. A few months ago I did all gluten-free baking. It was an eye-opening experience. When you started developing gluten-free goods did you find that there was a lot of experimentation involved, as there is in baking naturally? As gluten-free items can be just as tasty yet it seems that mainly the texture, depending on the flour(s) you’re using, is the difference.

HBB: Yes, definitely. We have experimented with our gluten-free brunette recipe quite a bit. The recipe we use now is not the one we originally started with. Not that our original recipe was bad. But you evolve, and the one we have now is even better. Since the need for gluten-free products seems to be on the rise we’re continuing to educate ourselves and explore this new trend in baking.

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JBH: Are there flavors that you would completely rule out using in one of your blondie or brunette recipes? For instance I’ve heard many times over that my two loves, lemon and chocolate, just do not go together but I think if one found the right recipe....

HBB: We’re open to everything! We’ve noticed in our baking classes that people love to go crazy mixing the most random ingredients together when customizing their blondies. And they actually end up tasting quite delicious. We’re also fairly adventurous eaters so we’re not scared to experiment.

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JBH: Speaking of, I see Hot Blondies offers classes, most recently in decorating and Passover brunette baking, what other classes have you offered or intend to offer those interested in trying their hand at baking? In your classes do you seek to show that baking shouldn't be a nerve-racking experience? Many of my friends fear their ovens, really.

HBB: We usually tie our group baking classes into specific holidays/seasons. We also offer private baking classes for bachelorette parties, team building/corporate events, children’s birthday parties, or just for people that want to have a fun evening with friends. Our baking classes usually involve a little bit of alcohol (not the kids ones!), which helps people relax. By the end of the class they all realize it’s not nearly as intimidating as it looks.

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JBH: After enjoying Hot Blondies at the Grub Street Food Fair last fall I was hooked, and inspired! I had a blondie versus brunette competition for my 30th birthday where friends made (or purchased) blondies or brunettes and we enjoyed both in harmony. I think it helped people realize that there’s a lot of variety in bar form. Is showing variety something you sought or seek to do with Hot Blondies? Especially with the blondie of the month club (the latest flavors are Candy Corn Blondies and Pumpkin Patch Brunettes)? And when developing new flavors/recipes do you find that you try to make new flavors by the season or whatever inspiration you may have at the moment?

HBB: Thank you for the compliments! Lorin has a real talent for coming up with new recipes for our blondies and brunettes. The seasons definitely play a role in what recipe we develop and we’re always open to ideas and suggestions from clients/customers. Our brand is influenced by contemporary culture– film, music, fashion, etc. We’re lucky to live in a city like New York; we find inspiration everywhere.

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JBH: Hot Blondies was a staple at Madison Square Eats over the past few weeks. (Yay!) And I’m happy to see a list of eateries that offer your delicious treats on your ‘News’ page. But where else will we be able to find Hot Blondies? Do you frequent places like Brooklyn Flea or Chelsea Market or various street fairs that pop up around NYC? Do you have staples that you appear at annually or monthly? Were you at this year’s Hester Street Fair?

HBB: We’re very selective about the food festivals/events that we’re involved with. We only choose those that have a very well-edited group of artisan food vendors. We’re very proud to have been a part of the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg since the beginning. We now take a hiatus from doing them during the warmer months because our product melts in the heat, but we’ll be back this winter. Sadly, we had to stop doing the Hester Street Fair for that same reason. And we love being a part of Mad. Sq. Eats and the Grub Street Food Festival each year and are already looking forward to the next ones! And of course people can place orders any time they want with same day delivery in Manhattan through our website: http://shop.hotblondiesbakery.com/

I want to thank Laura again for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to do an interview and to her and Lorin for creating some delicious baked goodies in a different way for us New Yorkers. 

Hot Blondies can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and their website where you can make orders, check for classes & HBB appearances, and join their mailing list to get first dibs on the new blondie of the month and receive special discounts!