Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "wedding cake"Sugar and Spice: A dessert aficionado's fantasy.Mary Franklinheadline-456812011-02-17T22:28:08Z2011-02-17T22:28:08Z<p> The economy is finally showing signs of dragging itself out of the quicksand. This slow but steady comeback has sparked some pleasant surprises throughout downtown over the last few months. Like a chain reaction, specialty businesses are popping up in some rather unexpected places, encouraging more to follow suit, as rents are becoming more affordable and creative spaces more available.<br /> Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts, 1201 F St., is a valuable oxygen source to the span of 12th from D through H streets. For the last six months, that area had stretches of blocks with no tenants as “for lease” signs littered the windows. Now, change has come.<br /> <br /> I pass by that location every night on my way home from the shop (I manage Endless Autobody, a new auto body shop on the corner of 12th and Sproule), and I have been watching the little corner shop's evolution from a papered-up mystery spot to a beautifully decorated, upscale but intimate “dessert-ery” where ladies dressed in white chef’s coats work late into the evenings behind glass windows.<br /> <br /> "One day," I would say to myself each night I passed. One day I would go in and end the mystery.<br /> <br /> As it happened, it was a beautiful, sunny Saturday. I'd been out at Harlow's the evening before, shooting Tommy Castro and his band, and I still had my camera with me. I locked up my shop and headed home, down 12th, and as I passed those glass windows yet again, I swung a hard left at the next block. They were open!<br /> <br /> Carissa Jones, owner and dessert visionary, has a short bio on her website that I read before stopping to talk with her. Trained at the California Culinary Academy, she rented shared spaces, doing desserts at several high-end restaurants before deciding there were enough cheesecakes and chocolate molten lava cakes in the world. It was time she embarked on her own solo gig, and, after a year of waiting it out, a space finally opened up downtown.<br /> <br /> "The location had to have a hood" she explained as we chatted over an astounding array of Valentine-themed mini-desserts.<br /> <br /> "I'd searched and waited for over a year for the right space to become available. I wanted lots of natural light and, of course, it had to have a hood. (an exhaust hood used when making heated food.) They can cost as much as $60,000 if you have to install one from scratch. So, I waited it out and finally...voila, we are here!" she said.<br /> <br /> "There had to be an audience for what I wanted to do before I would commit to this space," she continued, "and with our wedding and event clientele referring us to more clients, I knew there was at least some kind of a desire for this. So I picked a spot where I can grow, and here I can, but I know that I could never have made this transition without the help that I have."<br /> <br /> Jones was talking about the devoted, hard-working friends who pitch in at a moment's notice, and also on a more regular basis to lend a hand piping icing, baking, mixing and working those long hours I kept seeing. She also discussed the value of externs and stäges.<br /> The Art Institute has funding for their students to train on-site at different businesses as interns to gain valuable work experience, and you can have someone come work with you for a month or so. There are also stäges – apprentices – of which Jones has one.<br /> <br /> She hired someone to train to learn the pastry craft, and because they have no experience or knowledge of the industry, they work for free. Her stäge worked alongside her for a few weeks, and Jones realized she was really dedicated and could handle the excruciating attention to detail required to make some of these meticulous, tiny confections.<br /> <br /> Jones has never regretted hiring the trainee. "When you see someone earnest to learn what you love, what's closest to your creative heart, it's easy to invest in that," she said.<br /> <br /> Brandy Capik, the woman I had seen in the window all those late nights, has been a strong asset to Jones from the start. Her "friend in need" was busy putting circles of icing on a counter full of cookies as we talked, and the two ladies reminisced about a cupcake that Capik created recently.<br /> <br /> "Maple syrup and bacon cupcake," Jones confidently said as she watched my face squench up into a “thanks, but no thanks” grimace.<br /> "Seriously," She was prepared to expound on the concoction. "The maple syrup icing she made was so incredibly good, I couldn't stop eating it and had to go up the street to Jim-Denny's to get pancakes to go with it!"<br /> <br /> "But ... the bacon?" I squenched again.<br /> <br /> "Well now, that is why we’re here. Desserts are a reward, a luxury to indulge yourself with, and you have to have adventure if you are going to make desserts your passion. There is a whole world to discover, and were are definitely adventurous." Her reassuring smile was starting to sink in and I was beginning to feel as though I'd missed out. </p>
<p> "Something happens when Brandy transforms the bacon into candied bacon,” Jones said. “The smoky meat flavor dissipates, and what's left is remarkably surprising. She added that Capik’s husband loved them.<br /> <br /> "We had him eat one, and his exact words were, 'It's not supposed to taste this good!' " Capik said.<br /> <br /> As I stood there with the wonderful aroma of dessert luxury all around me, they finally wore me down, and I tasted a formed truffle. The tiny chocolate shape is filled with liquor, but not like you would find in a cordial. These bites are infused with raspberry Chambourd, Jack Daniels, Grand Marnier and a host of other flavors. The dark chocolate truffles have no bitter aftertaste or oily consistency. All you taste and feel is the smoothest chocolate ever made on earth. Jones said you don't get that bitter oily consistency because she uses real cream mixed into the chocolate.<br /> <br /> At their in-store counter display, they offer mini crème brûlées – chocolate, coffee, caramel and vanilla; cupcakes with Nutella cream; sugar cookies; cake lollipops; "popular" tarts; oatmeal sandwich cookies and pink vanilla marshmallows. If you can stay for a cup of the custom roast coffee (provided by Vaneli's in Rocklin), you could try an apricot and almond mousse – or the white chocolate raspberry with passion fruit.<br /> <br /> When I asked her if there were any orders she couldn't do, she replied quickly.<br /> <br /> "Cheesecake. There is no cheesecake here, and I will never make another chocolate lava cake again."<br /> <br /> Occasion cakes are available with 48 hours’ notice and can be created in any cupcake flavor. Daily menus are offered on their Facebook page.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.sugarandspice.me">www.sugarandspice.me</a><br /> </p>Mary Franklin2011-02-17T22:28:08Z