Recently in Notes from the Bakery Category

You know I'm working on my next cookbook, BabyCakes Covers the Classics, right? Of course you do!

Anyhow, I'm including a few savory recipes in this one because that's what many of you have been clawing at me for (maybe a little hyperbolic to say, but I'm fun like that). So with a little bit of grumbling and a lot of hair pulling, I've tested and retested my way to the holy goldmine of crepedom. I locked myself in my apartment all day to focus on the crepe recipe and after many tries it finally came together! All I did was put in a little bit (BLEEEP) and added extra (BLEEP) and then accidentally (BLEEPED) which made the most delicious, delicate, buttery rich gluten-free, vegan, soy-free savory cheese crepes I've had since my last crepe in '97. Sorry about the bleeps, you're just going to have to wait for the cookbook!

In the meantime, enjoy the photos! Next quest: The Pizzette! Oh, dear. I've got work to do...

Well, here I am all of a sudden under the 75 degree Los Angeles sun. Lots of miles away from the snowy, slushy, slippery streets in New York. I am warm, but I am also hungry. My last trip here was full of homemade meals on the fly but this time I've decided to eat my way through LA. I'm swearing off homemade meals and exploring what This Town (I'm told I should refer to LA as "This Town") has to offer.

So what's for lunch? Does anyone out there have a favorite restaurant in LA that I should check out? What should I order? What do you like? How do I get there? Will they accept cookies instead of cash? I want to be in the know!

Oh, and can you hurry please? I only have 2 brownies in my purse and I'm reaching for them right now!

Inspiring. Chic. Creative. Tie a ribbon, make a bow. It's your night to shine...

Hey! Hi guys! Have you seen our new neon sign outside our LA shop? Here's a picture of it being installed. I love the hearts, they make us all so happy! We are so pumped about our new late-night hours in LA, did any of you take advantage of them? If so, how was it?

Today our New York store is getting a much needed facelift (feeling a little competitive with the younger, fresher LA shop?) so if you follow us on Twitter or Facebook you've been aware that we are closed for repair today. The floors are getting polished, we're applying a fresh coat of paint and doing some extra-loving scrubbing. Can't wait to unveil it!

Oh! Also. Valentine's Day is coming up and we're going to be offering heart shaped sugar cookies with inscriptions and big heart shaped chocolate chip cookie cakes with frosting piped around the edges. Order today and get one with a personal inscription!

Ok--I gotta get back to business. Hope to see you guys soon!!!

Oh! You must be wondering what our new LA hours are, right? It took quite a few meditation sessions on the kitchen floor before I was clear: LA's BabyCakes NYC is a party bakery. We like to party with cookies and tea till super late at night and we know you do too. So without any ado, here's our official hours for LA and I hope you're stoked!

Ok, then. Here it is:

MONDAY: 12-6 or until we sell out. This is otherwise known as Day-Old Mondays--everything's leftover from Sunday, therefore 1/2 OFF!!!!!
TUESDAY: 10AM-10PM
WEDNESDAY: 10AM-10PM
THURSDAY: 10AM-MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY: 10AM-MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY:10AM-MIDNIGHT
SUNDAY: 10AM-6PM

I'm staying open very late because if you're anything like me, a night on the town looks more like a donut and coffee than a shot and a beer (perhaps I'm getting old?). Besides, BabyCakes NYC is the clubbing-est bakery ever! Who wouldn't want to spend a Saturday night chilling there?

See you soon, ok?

It has been 15 days, 9 hours and 4 breakdowns (mine) since the Los Angeles outpost of BabyCakes NYC opened it's doors.

For those of you who were at the opening, I apologize if I didn't take time to chat. To be honest, I was holding back tears of gratitude all day and I knew if I looked any of you in the eye it would have tripped me to tears and there would have been mascara all over the cookie sandwiches. I wasn't prepared for how emotional the opening was going to be. When the butcher paper came down from the window, it hit me that this was a big day for me and you. The day went by quickly and there were plenty of first timers checking it out, a great deal of New York transplants yearning for their old favorites, and so many parents on a mission to treat their child to their first donut or cookie or cupcake top. It was magic.

If you've had time to swing by the LA bakery yet, you'll notice that it's a unique emanation of the New York bakery. Although we wanted to recreate what we have in New York, we knew it was crucial to let this bakery be free to be itself. We wanted it to have it's own life and personality so we just let it flow. This bakery's got more room than New York--4 tables and chairs to rest your weary legs and a gasp-inducing vintage oil painting of two poodles with bouffants (thank you Bridget!). Of course we have Stumptown Coffee.

Since the opening, we've been logging long hours to get the bakery working as efficiently as possible. In the meantime, hundreds of people have schlepped downtown and many have taken to their blogs to report. Some love us, some hate us. But at the end of the long work day--it's the tearful parents that pull me aside to say thank you, and group of vegan kids munching in the front, and the celiac in the corner documenting her first donut in 14 years that make it so much more than worth it.

I guess I just want to take a minute to say thank you to everyone for tweeting, blogging, yelping, and simply talking to your friends about us. You are the real reason we are able to grow and your positivity and support are what keep us going. For real. Love you guys!!!

Holy holy. We've finally passed the very last of our inspections and we're opening this Sunday at 10am and serving it up till 8pm! I can't tell you how many anxiety-sweat bullets were flying around during our final health inspection but we made it!!!! That guy on the way left is Greg, our inspector of health and good tidings, and he said it was true.

Ok, I have to start doing my hair now (what? it takes like 3 days to get it just so). See you Sunday!!!!

And yeah, we'll have donuts.

Hey! Bakery update time!

We're in LA right now putting finishing touches on the bakery (that's the talented Lisa Donohoe painting our sign) and waiting for the Fire and Health Departments to get their post-holiday buns down here and give us the green light so we can open already! Jeeeeeez. I want you all to know we are just as anxious as you are for this opening and we are doing everything in our power to get this thing cranking by this weekend. Believe me, I CANNOT WAIT to get back in the kitchen--I am having some serious separation anxiety from the frosting, it's pretty pathetic.

We'll be launching an official countdown to our opening on our homepage by Friday so check back! Or you can always follow us on twitter for up to date updates!

Talk soon!

What better hat model could we ask for? I think that wearing this paper hat while baking from the BabyCakes Cookbook actually makes the recipes turn out better. And many agree. Call the bakery for an order!!

BABYCAKES NYC: COMING TO LOS ANGELES IN DECEMBER!!! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

Hey everybody! Watch this "we're this close to opening!" video we put together! Follow us on twitter here for up to the second updates!!! Whoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Publishers Weekly just posted an article addressing how cookbook authors are responding to reader complaints. I was thrilled when Lynn Andriani, the reporter who wrote the article, contacted me for a quote because some BabyCakes cookbook readers have had a hard time with my recipes while others are having amazing results with everything they try. I even put out this video to help people out with common mistakes they were making--I really, really want to help!

BabyCakes NYC: Some Baking Tips! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

I was sad to see that the article posted a list of negative reviews about my cookbook from a couple readers without balancing it out with positive reviews. The reality is, we get far more emails about successes than failures. If someone emails us citing failures we take the time to email each one back personally to get to the root of the problem. After a while, I realized that so many people were making the same mistakes so I decided to make the video above so that everyone would be able to enjoy better success. So far, it's helped so much. I get so excited when people stop by the bakery and tell me how the video helped guide them through recipes they weren't making right and that they now mastered the recipe. It's even inspired me to make more baking instructional videos for other recipes in the cookbook (more to come on that).

So why do people only post the negative? I don't know. Maybe people reach out on the internet when they are having problems more than they would if recipes are coming out right. In the end (and I can't say it enough) I'm here to help. These recipes aren't as easy as normal cookbooks, admittedly! I didn't master them in one try and I made tons of mistakes along the way too. But if you stick to it, you'll have a kitchen full of delicious desserts and even a few go-to recipes that will never leave your memory.

Until next time...