Thank You for Giving Me the Best Day of my Life

Well folks, this is it. August is almost here and with it, I'll be hanging up my apron for a bit and headed to the beach. (Not to be confused with Paris Plage which I visited today and highly recommend for those of you stuck in the city this summer).



I feel like I hit the ground running at the rentree last September and just haven't stopped yet. It has been a crazy year! My first TV performance, my first Cupcake Camp, my first real cake disaster, and my first legal tangle (which I am still trying to solve). Look for some big changes here on the range as the new year gets underway in September. I am working on a new look and have some exciting projects which I need to keep under wraps for now.



It has been my utmost pleasure serving you all and I look forward to hitting the kitchen in high gear when I am back. I honestly believe I have the best job on the planet and if it wasn't for my customers, well, then, none of this would possible. So thank you everyone for keeping me in business!



And a special thank you to those who have lent their support and voices during the more trying times. Having my business name ripped off has been one of the most hurtful things I have ever lived through and I am trying to put that painful situation behind me. More developments to come on that as well...



I will be in France over the holidays and reachable if you can hold your cupcake craving at bay until la rentree. As a reminder, my email is info@littlemisscupcake.fr



Thanks to Joy C., one of my 1000+ fans on Facebook, who submitted the idea behind my new September cupcake which will be available starting 28 August. "Fields of Joy" will be a dark chocolate cupcake, filled with a pistachio creme brulee, topped with chocolate ganache and a hazelnut/pistachio studded chocolate disk. Have I got your attention? :P



I'm leaving you with some pics of my more recent orders. I have been lucky enough to have my cupcakes be a part of several weddings these past two months, and am looking forward to several more in August-October. If you are getting married and are interested in a cupcake tower, please do get in touch for a tasting and consultation!



Again, many, many, many thanks to you for your continued support and enthusiasm for Little Miss Cupcake cupcakes! Wishing you all a sweet end to your summer and see you in September.

xxx Little Miss Cupcake

The Sweet Escape

I’ve been coming to La Baule for 7 years now. It’s a beautiful seaside resort on the West Coast of France, also known as the Cote d’Amour or Love Coast. I first visited the summer that my husband’s grandfather died. He had lived long enough to learn of our pregnancy but sadly not to meet his great grandson who carries his name, Jacques, as a middle name. It was a bittersweet trip as it was Jacques who originally came to La Baule in the ’60’s and made it into a summertime tradition for the family.



It was early July and my husband and I should have been toiling away in our respective cubicles caught up in the rat race that was our lives in New York. Instead, in the days following Jacques’ funeral, we found ourselves spending leisurely afternoons strolling the beach, daydreaming about the summers to come and the child we would soon be bringing into this world. When we travel, my husband and I tend to spend a lot of time posing various “what if?”questions that have been the jumping-off point for many life-altering decisions.



It was on one of those lazy days of summer that we first discussed the idea of moving to France; after 10 years in the US, my husband was itching for a change of pace. Shortly after we returned to NY from this trip, we (on a lark) ran a “for sale” ad about our apartment in the Sunday NY Times and the rest is history. But I digress.



Guerande is one of the neighboring towns to La Baule. It is world-famous for its salt mines, and many local specialties, savory and sweet, are made with “fleur de sel” including the caramel au beurre salé which flavors a multitude of desserts like crepes, gauffres (Belgian waffles), bonbons and ice cream. The most well-known pastry of this region is the Brittany Kouign Aman which means literally “butter cake. “ There is no way to describe a Kouign Aman and do it justice; you simply must try one for yourself. It’s a mixture of hard and chewy pastry; salty, sweet and caramel glazed, buttery goodness. It’s one of the main reasons that we come back to La Baule every summer…seriously!



So, where to get the best Kouign Aman and other luscious caramel treats in La Baule? Lucky for you I have done my research. It’s been a tough job but I am happy to share the fruits of my labor. Without further ado, I present to you: The Best of La Baule-Escoublac – an itinerary in caramel…..

I’ve shopped around and can honestly say the best Kouign Aman I’ve eaten is at the Boulangerie Clérault on the Place du Marché. It’s buttery without being overly greasy, and they have the perfect ratio of caramel to pastry – I hate when bakeries skimp on the caramel! The Maison Larnicol on Avenue de Gaulle is a new contender this summer for Kouign Aman. We’ve only tried a few of their varieties, but were pleasantly surprised by their kouignettes (mini kouign amans) that come in such exotic flavors as pistachio, apricot, raspberry and nature.

Bar none, the baguettes Retro at Le Grenier a Pain on avenue Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny are the best in town (they also do a fantastic olive fougasse). When there, I always pick up a sachet of their mini beignets – small, sugar-dusted donuts filled with either raspberry jelly, melted chocolate or caramel au beurre sale (obviously my personal favorite!).



Belgian waffles, called gauffres, are a dessert that the French have appropriated at many of their seaside resorts and La Baule is no exception. For a mind-blowing caramel experience, stop in for a gauffre au caramel at L’Igloo on de Gaulle (they also boast over 110+ flavors of ice cream including Whiskey and Coke, Tomato, Rhubarb and Smurf). Don’t like caramel (what’s wrong with you???)? Never fear, you can also ask for your gauffre with white, milk or dark chocolate chips, Nutella, crème Chantilly, lemon curd, strawberry jam and a variety of other tasty toppings. Be sure to check out their gauffre iron – a rotating waffle maker that cooks 12 gauffres at a time (pictured above)!



Of course a trip to the beach would not be complete without a stop for ice cream. La Baule got its first gelateria, Gelateria Verdi on Blvd. Hennecart a few summers back. Bypass their Crème Caramel gelato and go straight for the Caramel au Beurre Sale instead. I literally need to cross the street away from this place when I walk by to avoid going in…it’s that good! A special mention goes to La Fraisiere on de Gaulle which serves traditional ice cream and soft serve. Their swirled Caramel au Beurre Salé/Fraise-Framboise soft serve is tart, milky, soul-satisfying and delicious!



Brittany is known for its crepes – the savory variety is really called a galette and the sweet is a crepe; we usually don’t differentiate between the two in the US. Ar Poul Gwen (which refers to the neighboring town Le Pouligen, in Brittanese) on de Gaulle is IMHO the best creperie in town. Their open kitchen affords customers a view of the art of crepe-making in action and it really is a beautiful sight. Their crepe au caramel is a warm, drippy, gooey affair that will leave you licking your fingers and looking for more.



Macarons are a French dessert staple. You’ll find several exotic varieties at Phillipe Rousell, a chocolatier on Allee des Camelias, or at Chatellier or Maison Larnicol on de Gaulle. Caramel au beurre salé macarons are an obligatory standard here in La Baule.



Finally, one of the oldest candy-makers on the beach, Manuel on Blvd. Hennecart offers a large assortment of hand-made candies and desserts; it’s a one-stop shopping temple for anything sweet. Our favorite there is a taffy lollipop called a niniche. It’s a wonder to see them make it with special machines used to stretch, drag, loop and cut the taffy. They offer about 18 varieties daily including the CaraManuel which is…you guessed it…made with caramel au beurre salé. A word of caution to those with expensive dental work – you may want to skip these and go directly to their ice cream bar!



I always come back from La Baule with caramel treats for friends and family. You can buy jars of spreadable caramel au beurre salé or chewy caramel candies at many of the local supermarkets and gift stores like Marché Plus and la Trinitaine in La Baule, Carrefour Market in Guerande, and the Biscuiterie des Marais in Guerande, Pornichet and Pornic.



La Baule-Escoublac is approximately 5 hours from Paris by car and 3 hours on the TGV.

Can You Feel It? Can You Feel It? Can You Feel It?

What I am feeling right now is a mix of...

Anticipation. We leave in less than a week for 2 glorious weeks at the beach. Just me and the kiddies! We'll be hitting the road in just a few days - literally as I am driving there. Don't know what I had in mind when I suggested this. As a native NYer, when I am in a car, it is usually behind that plexiglass screen that divides the front seat from the back in a yellow cab. I've never been a regular driver and 5 hours in the car alone with 2 kids might be biting off more than I can chew. But God willing, we will get there! :)



Sadness. My husband will be staying behind in Paris because someone has to pay the bills. 2 weeks without him has me blue and I'm sure the kids will be asking for him constantly.



Anxiety. Since last Fall, I've quietly been building a small business. I've nurtured it and lovingly cared for it as you would....a plant or.....a child or an.....entrepreneurial adventure. And now I am closing up shop for about 6 weeks. Will people really remember Little Miss Cupcake come this September? Luckily, I'll be back in Paris towards the end of July and already have some orders booked but as they say out of sight, out of mind.



Relief. We just came in from the park where it was about 85 degrees in the shade! Thank goodness, I won't be baking in my hot kitchen all summer!



Frustrated. I'm going to go almost 6 weeks without baking cupcakes! The last time we left for a week I was really wishing I had brought a cupcake tin along. I may have to sneak one of those silicone jobbies I never use to the beach in case a bout of creativity hits me. Which has been known to happen after spying a basket of fresh blueberries at the market or during a Thai dinner out with friends. I guess I'll need to check the oven there since I've never used it for more than reheating a quiche.



Ancient. I'll be celebrating my 30+ birthday towards the end of July and am having a hard time grappling with how quickly life seems to be moving these days. It feels like just yesterday we were walking in a snowstorm at 2AM to the hospital in Manhattan where my son was born. Tomorrow, he graduates from kindergarten. Not to mention my daughter who was just a baby scooting along the floor a minute ago and now has about 100 words to her vocabulary including "jump" which she is constantly doing.

Elated. I'll be visiting NYC this summer after a 3 year absence and catching up with lots of old friends. I'll finally see my best girlfriend married and sample some of the cupcakes I have been reading about all these years at various cupcakeries in and around Manhattan.



Nostalgic. Two of my childhood idols passed away this week. You know who they are. I can still remember running on the beach and playing with friends in our backyard as a little girl pretending to be Charlie's Angels. We would always fight over who got to be Farrah. She was so beautiful with that dazzling white smile, perfect body, and immaculately coiffed blond mane. You ever see that classic Whoopi Goldberg skit where she has the pillowcase on her head and pretends she is the princess with the long flowing blond hair? Well, that about sums up my resemblance to Farrah - me being the brown-haired, brown-eyed child who carried about 10 lbs. of "baby fat" well into my 20's. But a girl can dream right? Not to mention Michael, who thrilled ed us with the moonwalk and his other moves, and turned MTV on its ear in my HS years. They played Thriller every hour on the hour the weekend it premiered. All 13.5 minutes of it. I even owned a pair of black penny loafers which I am sure were influenced by him. The white glove, the red leather jacket...there were kids in my school who proudly donned both. They must be having one helluva party up in that great celebrity clubhouse in the sky!

Stressed. There is so much to do before we leave. The dry cleaner. The bank. The supermarket so that my husband has food while we are away. Does he even remember how to cook for himself? The pet store for the fish food. The cupcake orders that I have to finish this week. Which reminds me...what am I doing here on the blog when I should be getting this other stuff done? :) So, I'll see y'all later....



Hope you enjoyed the cupcakes in this post which are a mix of an order I did this weekend for Emma (who is in the US but wanted to send something nice to her friend here in Paris who recently gave birth) and my Summer Berries Iron Cupcake cupcakes, Le Murier, Strawberry Swing & Raspberry Berry Berry Good, which you have seen before but this is just a reminder that VOTING IS NOW OPEN!!!!

**RELATED POSTS** Little Miss Cupcakes aka Oh Thank You Emma!