A World in Which Chocolate Bars Cost $18

Recently, I was offered a sample of a new chocolate bar.

It's called Good & Evil, and it's a bar with a serious pedigree: it was designed by big names such as Eric Ripert, Tony Bourdain and Christopher Curtin of Éclat Chocolate. As I was informed, the bar is "made from extremely rare Peruvian cacao beans and studded with nibs, will make its official debut at the New York Chocolate Show on Friday, November 9."

Oh, and did I mention...it's $18 per bar?

Yes. You heard me. This bar of chocolate is $18 at eclatchocolate.com. 

Would I like a sample? Heck yes. I want to know what an $18 chocolate bar tastes like!

But while I waited for the bar to arrive, I had a good few days to fantasize about a world in which chocolate bars are $18. What else would happen in such a world, I wondered? Well, I was pretty sure that in this brave new world...

Or maybe...just maybe...a world in which there are $18 bars of chocolate is an opportunity to make the most motherfluffin' amazing s'more of your life.

Which is exactly what I did when I received the sample. Since this was a fancy s'more, I decided to use some of my leftover Walkers shortbread. A chocolate like this was worthy of something more delicious and fancier than a commercial graham cracker, in my opinion. But the marshmallows...I just used regular jet-puffed ones. Don't judge me.

You guys. It is possible that this was the best s'more ever made in the history of the world. It was buttery and expensive and sweet, all at once. The cheap marshmallows made it a sort of "silver spoon and paper plate" type of experience.

I don't think I can ever eat a "regular" s'more ever again. Gosh, is this like flying first class--you can never go back to coach, comfortably?

Oh, I'm kidding. The chocolate is very, very good--but I'll be honest, I don't know if I ever would have tried it if it hadn't been offered. But I sure enjoyed it once they did offer it to me.

It was a rather nice way to taste the "sweet life". Want a taste? It's available for $18 on eclatchocolate.com if you are curious.

Sweet Art: Baltimore-themed Art by CakeSpy!

So...not long ago at the Wilton Workshop, I got to meet Rachel of Coconut & Lime for the first time. This was a pretty big deal for me as I am a pretty big fan of hers. AND! She asked me if I might be interested in creating some artwork for Baltimore's first CupcakeCamp!

Well, needless to say "YES" was the rapid and assured answer, and here's the result: a sweet Baltimore-themed piece featuring Baltimore architecture and characters (fictional and factual!).

Oh, and speaking of Baltimore, have I mentioned lately that I will be stopping there on my book tour? Yep, November 14 we'll be having an event at Dangerously Delicious Pies. Details TBA!

For more about the upcoming event, stay tuned via coconutandlime.com.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Faux Chocolates at Keszler Gallery, NYC

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

This one was a sweet installation indeed: a huge (it was at least as tall as me!) piece of art in the window at Keszler Gallery on Madison Avenue in NYC. These chocolates are delightful, but not delicious: they are fake! It sure is gorgeous to feast your eyes on, though.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Donut Worry, Be Happy

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to adding bits of sweetness to my daily surroundings, via sidewalk chalk, small cutouts, and the like--I call it "gentle street art". Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

This one is simple: a reminder to Donut Worry, Be Happy. I left it at a parking meter in Seattle. Hope whoever found it loves it!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy and Rampage Toys Art Collaboration

Um, OMG. You know how that totally sweet art show with Rampage Toys is coming up at CakeSpy Shop?

Well, there are going to be some collaborative pieces done by Mr. Rampage (Jon) and Mlle. Spy (Jessie)--we are combining our cupcake awesomeness on two very special pieces, one of which is pictured at the top of this post! If you believe what Jon says, it says "Forbidden Love" below the image. 

Here's the 411 on the show:

This show will showcase paintings and toys from Seattle based character designer Jon Malmstedt - RAMPAGE TOYS!  Jon's work focuses on fun and colorful creatures that just so happen to be monsters.  Expect scenes of urban destruction a' la the classic films 'Godzilla' and 'Mothra', but with a bent in the direction of silly - instead of Godzilla think 'giant cupcake that has no arms.' The show will include paintings, custom vinyl toys, handcast resin figures and a couple collaborative pieces done with the Cakespy herself - something for anyone who loves monsters, cupcakes, monster cupcakes or all of the above! 

The reception will be on Thursday, May 12, 5-8 p.m. at CakeSpy Shop, 415 E. Pine St., Seattle WA 98122. Shop for Jon's work in advance here.

Sweet Poem: Butter by Andrea Cohen

Dear readers: it is now time for me to share with you the most beautiful poem I have read, possibly ever, but definitely this week. It is entitled Butter and was written by a brilliant soul called Andrea Cohen. It's as if this poem was written for me, about me, to me, and from within me.

It was so motivating, actually, that I did the above illustration, inspired by it, and straight from my butter soul. Here is the poem:

Butter by Andrea Cohen

I’ve never seen the land
of milk and honey, but at

the Iowa State Fair I glimpsed
a cow fashioned of butter.

It lived behind a window
in an icy room, beneath klieg lights.

I filed past as one files
past a casket at a wake.

It was that sad: a butter cow
without a butter calf. Nearby I spied

a butter motorcycle, motorcycle-
sized, a mechanical afterthought

I thought the cow might have liked to ride.
You don’t drive a motorcycle; you ride it.

But not if you’re a butter cow, not
if you’re a butter cow who’s seen, if

not the land of milk and honey, the land
of milk, and dwelled within it.

It had a short life span, the butter cow.
Before it died, I looked

deep into its butter eyes. It saw
my butter soul. I could

have wept, or spread myself,
for nobody, across dry toast.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Love Note Left on an Airplane

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to adding bits of sweetness to my daily surroundings, via sidewalk chalk, small cutouts, and the like--I call it "gentle street art". Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.

This time, I thought I'd make a flight less grueling and a little sweeter for the next person to grace seat 31F on the plane I just flew back to Seattle from NYC, so I left a little love note. I know it would make my day to find something like this, so I hope it makes someone else's day! 

Master-Peeps Theatre: Mondrian Peeps

The best part about Easter? Messing around with the candy, of course. There are so many things you can make happen with the sweet treats that proliferate around this time of year--make S'meeps (that's Peeps S'mores), create dessert taco plates with rice pudding and jellybean "rice and beans"; you can make Cadbury Creme Deviled Eggs.

But it's also fun to add a bit of high culture to your candy-eating, and so I present this Mondrian-inspired Peeps creation. Filled in with black jellybean outlines around Peeps, marshmallows, and various other candies to fill in the gaps, this was as fun to make as it will be to eat.

My favorite part, of course, is the Peeps that are torn in half to fit in certain sections. I will tell the truth, it was gratifying to rip them apart.

If you like Peeps art, you might also enjoy the Starry Night one I made a few years ago:

Happy Easter Season!

Cake Byte: Taste of Home has Totally Sweet Coloring Book Pages

Click here for the download-able version!Guess what? Jane and Michael Stern, those Roadfood warriers willing to eat the fattiest and most delicious and interesting regional foods, have joined forces with Taste of Home.

And I would officially like to commend them on their Very Good Decision. Why? Because they are in good company--I work with Taste of Home, too!

And it's because of that I feel that I am very well qualified to say that Taste of Home is totally sweet. I know this because I have visited their test kitchens, have done illustrations for the print magazine, and am a regular contributor to their website, where I design kid's coloring book pages.

I'd like to share one of my favorite coloring book pages with you right now, if you don't mind. It is for something called Turkey Wafflewiches (OMG!). You can click here to go do the download-able version.

If you have a kid--or just like to color--you can find the full series here. You can also read the interview they did with me here.

Sweet Dreams: Custom Artwork for Le Reve Bakery in Seattle

So. You probably already know that Seattle's Le Rêve Bakery is a sweet spot to pick up buttery Kouign Amann, croissants, and/or cloudlike macarons. In fact, I'd even deem it worth walking up Queen Anne hill (and to those who know this hill, this is very high praise).

But they're not just good bakers: they also have extremely good taste in art, as evidenced by the recent request of one of the owners that I create this custom piece, as a birthday surprise, for her co-owner! It features sweet treats (inspired by items on their menu) hanging outside of their bakery.

And then, upon receiving the finished artwork, she was so impressed that she commissioned a second one--for herself!

Now, if that's not a sweet story, I don't know what is. 

Visit Le Rêve at 1805 Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle; online here.

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Art at The Paperdoll in Bellingham, WA

Guess what? Bellingham's about to get sweeter.

That's right: CakeSpy Art will be on show all April long at The Paperdoll, the cutest store in Bellingham!

I have been making an absolute art zombie of myself recently, painting some sweet scenes of my favorite Bellingham landmarks, including but not limited to, scenes of my signature anthropomorphic baked goods at Mallard ice cream:

...and at Mount Bakery:

...and at Rocket Donuts (nom nom):

...as well as many others.

In fact, I worked so hard the other day that after eating a slice of chocolate cake the size of my head and completing four paintings in one go, I had a massive crash.

Just more proof that I never do anything halfway, sweeties.

CakeSpy Art at The Paperdoll, all April long. The Paperdoll is at 312 West Champion, Bellingham WA. Online here.

UPDATE: There will be an artist reception on Friday, April 1 from 6-10 p.m. Because I am working at my store today, I will not be arriving at the reception until approximately 8pm, but I will indeed be there!

More Sweet Art For Sweethearts: Custom Romeo and Juliet Pie Painting

This Valentine's Day, the artwork I did for Bleeding Heart bakery wasn't my only delicious commission!

I also created a very sweet piece for a celebrity piemaker named Kate Lebo in Seattle. This one did present a challenge--said piemaker presented the situation to me as such: "I am a pie maker. My boyfriend has to avoid gluten. Is there any way you can portray this with star-crossed lover slices of pie?".

The answer, of course: yes. Yes, I can.

So what I did was create a scene of two pie slices atop their family flours, with the Romeo-pie, even though he knows that delicious Juliet may be the death of him, saying "Thou art my flour, sweet Juliet!"

Now, that's a love story we can all agree is totally sweet!