Ignite - Feeding Frenzy - Confection Encounters of the Sweet Kind

Feeding Frenzy

December 1, 2006
Confection Encounters of the Sweet Kind
by Justin Lee

SWEET PEA BAKERY

As the holidays draw near, visions of homemade desserts, both extravagant and simple, begin to dance in our heads. Without a care to carbs, or a bother with our belts, the gatherings of loved ones far and near for the enjoying (and indulging) of all things sweet is a tradition never stronger. Whether you prefer slaving in front of hot oven, trying to perfect that pastry or would rather skip effortlessly down to your local bakery for those sugary and sinful goods, there’s no hiding the fact that as the weather cools and those nights grow longer, perfect sweet confections are always on the radar.
Many local bakeries and pastry shops are known for their high quality and mouth-watering desserts, whether it be Christmas, or Christmas in July. However this time of year in particular, when we’re most vulnerable to the sins of sweetness, of course, these sugar factories we’ve come to know and love roll out an extra special line-up of delectable goods to tempt our palates all over again.

WILLO BAKERY

Well, salivate no more. Here are a few of those local sweet haunts and a few of their special confections being offered:

Already a Phoenix area institution, cake queen Tammie Coe recently opened her newest venture, Tammie Coe Cakes and MJ Bread (610 E Roosevelt, Ste 145, Phoenix, 602.253.0829), located along the burgeoning “Roosevelt Row” in downtown Phoenix. Serving Tammie’s nearly infamous (and equally eye-popping) cakes, as well as countlessly creative pastries, tarts, cookies, muffins and artisan breads, this central city outpost is great place to drop by for a cup of joe, grab a few extra carbohydrates and go. For the upcoming Christmas season, however, Tammie Coe is also unveiling a special-themed menu sure to impress even the harshest of South Beach devotees. With a collection of cakes stacked to look like a pile of Christmas presents entitled Santa’s Sack, to the popular MJ’s Fruit Cake–this local baking mainstay is serving items that should easily be listed atop anyone’s holiday wish list. Order ahead for many of the holiday-themed treats. It takes a little extra time to create such sweet perfections.

The Farm (6106 S 32nd St, Phoenix, 602.276.7288) is a hidden Phoenix gem nearly without equal. From its low-key and slightly more rural south Phoenix location, to the high-quality (and nearly entirely organic) ingredients used to bake their fresh and homemade goods from scratch daily, this popular spot is a great place to stock up on some extra sweet and wholesome findings. From pecan pies and shortbreads made with nuts picked straight from a mature onsite grove to their very popular Morning Glory muffins and “Farm Cookies”, The Farm’s bakery churns’em out without the slightest hint of compromise--decadent and delicious.

CAFE CITRON

One of newest independent bakeries on the scene The Sweet Pea
(209 W Jackson, Phoenix, 602.481.8232) opened last March in the heart of downtown Phoenix’s warehouse district and is already worthy of top-tier baking recognition. Housed in a converted industrial space below Campaige Place Apts. at 2nd Ave and Jackson, Sweet Pea is hard at work creating especially tasty and equally innovative desserts and other confections on-site from scratch. If the adorable space itself doesn’t persuade patrons to indulge, tasting any one of their custom recipes is likely to move you full throttle. Get this: Sweet Pea offers PB&J and mojito cookies and olive oil carrot cupcakes, as well as an equally impressive list of tarts and regular cakes. Creativity obviously doesn’t run low at this highly ‘sweet’ spot. Like other bakeries in town, Sweet Pea will also be offering a few special holiday-themed baked goods to help overload our needy taste buds. Among them, peppermint dark chocolate truffles, gingerbread cupcakes with lemon-scented icing and a special chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling topped with a white butter cream icing, coconut shavings and white sugar crystals intended to resemble wintertime snow. And as always, order ahead. Such delicious offerings usually require extra time and care.

Apart of the popular Willo Grocery and adjacent My Florist Café on the NE corner of 7th Ave and McDowell in central Phoenix, Willo Bakery (530 W McDowell, Phoenix, 602.441.5450) prepares scrumptious homemade pastries, tarts, pies and other desserts daily onsite, as well as some of the most sought after artisan breads in the city. A special holiday dessert menu is in the works here as well, call or drop by for the delicious details.

TAMMIE COE BAKERY

Recently relocated from the Borgata shopping plaza, the new Café Citron (20707 N Pima, Scottsdale, 480.948.3060) has finally found a new home at the hip DC Ranch Marketplace, in north Scottsdale. Serving superb American food with a strong French accent, their new home boasts a cozy bistro-esque interior dining room with an open kitchen and gelato bar. The restaurant also has a very large patio if dining al fresco happens to tempt. Besides a solid food menu, Café Citron also has a small, but worthy dessert menu that meets nearly consistent perfection. From a heavenly chocolate mouse cake to a rotating selection of incredibly authentic (and equally refreshing) gelato flavors to arguably one of the best crème brulee samplings this side of the Atlantic, the homemade desserts at Café Citron won’t disappoint. Stop by during lunchtime for a more casual menu of sandwiches and salads, served until 3pm Mon-Sun or for dinner when a more upscale selection is served after 5pm Tues-Sun. Also, a fantastic brunch service is available on Sundays.

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