Laura Bednarski picks up a couple of pre-easter treats at her favorite local bakery.
By Laura Bednarski
There is a bakery in a neighboring Chicago suburb that I die for. Everything I get from this bakery is luscious. I have to say that I am a bit of a baking snob. I bake well, not to brag or anything but I know good bakery when I taste it. I bake for work and taste so many recipes after awhile you just have a feel for quality. 
The cupcake thing has been all the rage for quite a few years now and I have tasted 
many. I must say few are worthy of the calories and the hefty price tag.
These cupcakes from the Three Tarts Bakery are what I consider cupcake perfection. Just the right amount of frosting to cake. The sweetness and fat are balanced in the frosting which is a butter cream. This is the key. Having a good cake is nothing if the frosting is bad. Some are too sugary, grainy or just plain too much.
As a little pre-Easter treat for the kids I picked up a few cupcakes from the bakery. One was chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream and sprinkles the other yellow cake with vanilla butter cream topped with coconut shreds. They were so excited when they came home from school and each had a cupcake waiting to greet them. I have to say they were even better than I make. The cake is moist but has structure. As I said above the frosting is perfect.
This bakery is also a cafe and they have wonderful soups, salads and sandwiches which are made from the bread they bake on the premises. Not baked-off being sent frozen blobs from a far away locale. Fresh baked as in made by a baker from scratch. You know like they did in the “old days”!
The bread at the bakery is gorgeous artisanal bread. Which tastes as good as it looks. They have done special orders for me for food styling jobs that have made me a great success at the shoot. Making mini rolls that I could not find in stores needed to fit a layout. They also make breads of different shapes and sizes. The staff is very accommodating and the bakers are very knowledgeable and great at what they do. So refreshing in today’s cookie cutter society.
If anyone is in the area, stop by or give me a ring and we’ll have a latte or tea and lunch. Oh I forgot to mention the lattes are good too!
Three Tarts Bakery
Northfield Village Square
301 South Happ Road
Northfield 60093, IL
