A Late Happy New Year Chicago

Hello and Happy New Year!

I'm sorry I've been behind on my writing, but the holidays caught up with me in the same way that the cold wind catches up with you while you are walking down the streets of Chicago - and then overtakes you and almost knocks you over. I am going to do a whole lot of adjusting to the blog, mainly to any recipes I post, and will be updating much more often. But first I thought I'd show you the sweet that gave me a happy start to the new year:

Oh yes, that is a cookie cake. His face and the numbers are off center. Despite the fail (which made me want to send him to Cake Wrecks), I fell in love with his goofy face and uncertainty about the new year. He made me wish for a good Mrs Fields cookie cake, but still kept me coming back for more soft cookie sliced up like a pie.


Now what you were really waiting for:
The Cupcake.

This bit of chocolate heaven was brought to you by Pheobe's Cupcakes at 3327 N. Broadway. Since this is just a short walk from my apartment and doesn't include spending money on transportation, this cupcake place has been a happy place for my entire apartment. I have been treated to their cupcakes many times, but this was the first time I had ever entered.

It is a small store, with a few small tables, and a counter that goes from wall to wall of cupcakes and cakes. You could easily miss it walking down Broadway with all the other shops and restaurants clumped around it. Yet, it is a little gem.

This particular cupcake was the "death by chocolate" - which sounds like part of my future obituary. It fit exactly what I wanted. Rich chocolate cake, soft chocolatey frosting, and chocolate crumbles on top. It was rich, but not to the point where I couldn't eat the whole thing. This cupcake is not for mediocre chocolate fans, such as my boyfriend.

We were both a little disappointed that day by the small selection. There was the very vanilla (his choice), salted caramel, funfetti, and Caramella. The Caramalla sounded tempting. An amaretto and vanilla swirled cake filled with caramel and topped with chocolate sugar cream almost beat out my love for chocolate. Yet it was the only really unique cupcake we saw. Very different from the crazy selections you see on Cake Wars or even at Molly's Cupcakes.

What I discovered after conversations with other cupcake fans and research on their website, is that they have flavors of the week. So one week may be simple, while the next will be crazy and fun. It also varies in decoration and recipe depending on the chef there. My boyfriend was told that Saturdays the best chef was in, so I recommend stopping by on Saturday to try out some of them. Otherwise, feel free to stop in and check out their delicious cupcakes for something new, quiet, small, and not as talked about.

Enjoy the new year and all the goodies it brings you!
- Mollie