Yes, Dave is my “sweet”. Here he is making a new sign in an attempt to get more foot traffic in the Bake Shoppe. The cookie business (online) is booming, but I am so friggin sick of throwing away cupcakes because so few people come into the shop. (I can only eat so many cupcakes before I turn into a complete blimp)

We’re thinking that maybe, just maybe, this sign will lure more bodies into the shop. Possibly when they read the sign they won’t be fooled by our OTHER sign.

It must be the cupcake misleading all those people looking for BREAD.  Doesn’t that look like a sign for a boulangerie?? I know I’d run right in and ask for bread. (or pie)

I didn’t get the finished product, but I think you get the idea. You must spell out your wares. Now there’s no mistaking what we sell. Although, we need about 7 more signs that say, chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, coconut cupcakes, maple pecan tarts, hand iced sugar cookies, chocolate whoopie pies, salted caramel cupcakes, seven layer bars, and so on.

We’re SO done spending $80 a week on advertising and are working on some more economical ways to get the word out about the Bake Shoppe.

A package arrived at the post office this week fro Preppy Pink Crocodile, who I haven’t properly thanked yet, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the lip gloss.

In case you don’t know, I’m a 40 year old woman who still loves The Kitty. Hello Kitty. I’ve loved her since I was in the sixth grade. She’s so simple and perfect. Just so you know, I’m not a Hello Kitty Freak or anything. I’ll take pencils, paper, lip gloss, sticky notes, ribbon, anything useful. I will NOT fill my home with HK wares like blankets and pillows, toasters (although the toaster is COOL) and stuffed animals.

There’s tons of HK junk out there, so please don’t everyone pick up the first Kitty items you see and ship them to me. And I do share my home with a man and I’m sure he doesn’t want to see Hello Kitty everywhere he looks in our house.

Thanks PPK, I love the stuff, those mini stickies will be perfect for marking pages in my cookbooks!!!!

And thanks to Jen and Steve for the adorable Hello Kitty/cupcake pen. I’ve been using it to make my weekly menu and grocery lists.

On to the sweet sweets:

I tried these out last week and they did pretty well. We sold three to the five customers that came in. I’d say that’s a good percentage. After all, along with bread, pie is the next most requested item. (I don’t know why, there are at least 4 places that sell pie in a 10 mile radius) I’m never selling pie, only TARTS.

It’s a recipe for Maple Pecan TART from the Tartine cook book.

I love this book and wish I could make everything in it. I also wish I could go to the actual Tartine bakery in CA.

I may be the last person on Earth to have tried the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for coconut cupcakes, but I finally did and I managed to eff it up. In a good way though. I mixed all 14 ounces of coconut into the cake batter. OOOPS! Well, I suppose you would only order a coconut cupcake if you like coconut, cause this coconut cupcake is LOADED with coconut.

Since the recipe includes almond extract, I put a French candied almond on the top. I actually bought them in France, so they are French. And so pink and lovely.

Well, I’m off to the Farmer’s Market this morning and then back to make Salted Caramel cupcakes, just the caramel, I baked the cupcakes and made the buttercream yesterday. I’ll post pictures of those lovelies as soon as I can.

Until then, get in your car and drive to VT so you can read our new signs and ask me for bread and pie, only to be disappointed that all I have is boring old cupcakes.