H
alloween has candy, Thanksgiving is all about the pie, but Christmas is the cookie’s time to shine. Whether you’re bringing a dozen to a party or leaving a plate out for Santa, cookies are the perfect treat to celebrate the season. And, if you’re looking for something truly special this year, local bakeries have plenty of festive options to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Christmas cookie craze
’Tis the season of sugar, spice and everything nice! By KELSEY O’CONNOR
Piece-A-Cake Bakery’s claim to fame is its cakes. The bakers behind the East Dundee shop have competed on TLC’s “Ultimate Cake Off” twice, but the bakery gives the same love and attention to its cookie selection.
During the holidays, Piece-A-Cake Bakery offers double the selection of cookies as it does the rest of the year. Guests can stock up on chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, jam prints, butterhorns and many more. But its classic sugar cookies are always a customer favorite. “Our sugar cookies are our No. 1 seller all year long,” says founder and manager Diane Ahrens. “During the holidays we have so many Christmas cut outs, which make the sugar cookies even more popular.” The shop is currently stocked with plenty of holiday-shaped cookies, such as candy canes, Christmas trees, stockings and ornaments. All the sugar cookies are hand cut and intricately decorated. It also takes custom orders for anyone looking to personalize their holiday dessert tables.
Photo provided by SweetPea Cakes & Cupcake Boutique
Piece of Cake Bakery also is using its Christmas cookies as a means of giving back. In 2004, Ahrens founded Operation Sweet Tooth, a program
that has sent hundreds of cookies to troops serving overseas. Guests can bring in a name and address of a loved one, plus about $20 for postage. Then the Piece-A-Cake team will ship an assortment of fresh baked cookies to servicemen and women at no extra cost. “My husband and I are both veterans, and it was always special to get something from home. It meant a lot that people remembered you,” says Ahrens. “That’s been my goal, that our troops know they aren’t forgotten.” SweetPea Cakes & Cupcake Boutique whips up an array of sweet treats that get rave reviews from its Crystal Lake customers. While it’s well-known for its cakes and cupcakes, guests shouldn’t leave without checking out the gorgeous cookie selection. “We’re known for how artistic our decorated sugar cookies are,” says owner Carrie Burie. “It’s a little piece of art you can eat.” The thick, soft sugar cookies are cut and decorated by hand and are available in a variety of holiday and custom shapes. All the cookie options at SweetPea are made entirely from scratch. There are a few staple flavors, such as chocolate chip, chocolate truffle and macarons, but the selection can vary day-to-day. One must-try item is its “World’s Best Monster Peanut Butter Cookies.” What makes them the world’s best? Not skimping on the peanut butter, says Burie. “I can’t even explain to you those peanut butter cookies,” she says. “It’s indescribable; they just melt in your mouth. They’re just unbelievable.” The shop takes custom cookie orders, including cookie trays and personalized sugar cookie shapes. They can accommodate allergy and gluten restrictions, and also offer shipping on cookie orders. “They make a really special gift,” says Burie. www.nwherald.com/magazine