The Sassies had the opportunity to surreptitiously visit a local vegan bakery, City Cakes & Cafe, in the downtown Salt Lake City area. We put on our “We Hate Eating Animals or Their Byproducts” t-shirts and made a visit on the sly.

City Cakes & Cafe is well known for their vegan baked goods. As well as being a bakery, they are also a coffee shop and full espresso bar, and they make vegan and traditional wedding cakes.  City Cakes & Cafe opened in 2010 and has been receiving rave reviews from the vegetarian, vegan and meat eater communities. The bakery makes all of their items from scratch, and they also provide organic coffee an tea. The bakery also provides gluten free items and can accommodate other allergies.

City Cakes & Cafe is open for breakfast providing freshly made waffles, and for lunch with a Soup of the Day to satisfy your lunch time needs.

City Cakes & Cafe makes homemade vegan brownies, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit tarts, muffins and scones, and even at 8 PM at night, had a fairly large selection left in their case. They offer free Wi-Fi and comfy sitting areas so you can stay and lounge while eating your delicious goodies.

City Cakes & Cafe is open Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 9 PM; Saturday, 8 AM to 9 PM; and Sundays, 9 AM t0 4 PM. They are located at:

282 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-359-2239

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

None of the Sassies are vegans, nor vegetarians, and were a bit wary to try baked goods that didn’t have  butter, eggs or other animal-y goodness in them. Stay tuned for the reviews on Wednesday to see if they met our somewhat low expectations or exceeded them!

The Sassies had a fabulous time trying all the baked goodies from Red Riding Hood’s Basket. You know you’re eating delicious, good-quality food when you are about to throw up and yet you still can’t stop eating the brownies or truffles.

We were so engulfed in eating the yummy things, we didn’t even notice when the basket caught on fire and almost burned Jen’s house down! We didn’t know hot cakes were on the menu!

I personally love to bake and would be delighted to take one of Stephanie’s baking classes. I had an opportunity to see her in her element, in her culinary kitchen, and it was very clean and well organized. I’m always a fan of seeing where people cook so I can judge for myself that good standards are being practiced. I am very judgy.

The Sassies could not get enough of the peppermint brownies. Stephanie said that her peanut butter brownies were still in the experimentation stage, but I can safely say that all the Sassies would not only give two thumbs up, but a toe and a kneecap, as well.

I also loved the fact that you could tell the items were baked with good, organic ingredients and not with preservatives. I did have that weird aftertaste that a lot of baked items leave you with.

There has been a bit of controversy over our opinions over the cookies, as you can see by the comments on our review post. Many of the customers of Red Riding Hood’s Basket love the cookies and wouldn’t buy them from anyone else. The cookies were the least favorite item in the basket, so really the only way to settle the debate is for you to try them yourselves and form your own opinion!

GIVEAWAY!!!

One (1) lucky SassyScoops.com reader is going to win a CHEESECAKE valued at $30, flavor of your choice.

The flavors are: Chocolate Midnight, Mint Panache, Original, P-Nut Butter Cup, Pumpkin, Snickers Bar, Toffee Caramel (you can see pictures here.)

Entering is super easy. Just leave a comment on this post.

You can earn EXTRA entries too:

1 entry ~ “Like” Red Riding Hood’s Baskets on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.

1 entry ~ “Like” SassyScoops on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.

1 entry ~ Tweet about this giveaway with @SassyScoops and a link to this post and leave a comment with a link to your tweet.

1 entry ~ Update your Facebook status with a link to this giveaway and leave a comment telling us you did.

Happy entering! This giveaway will end on Saturday, April 30th at midnight MST.

All SassyScoops giveaway winners are notified via email.

So what did the Sassies think of Red Riding Hood’s Basket, a local health-conscious bakery? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Normally, bakeries tend to specialize in a couple of things, but THIS one… she had breads, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, cinnamon rolls, chocolate candies…I was anxious to start taste testing!
Emily: How soon can we dive into that cheesecake? And cinnamon rolls? Oh, and those mint brownies–can I have at least three?
Jen: {coming soon}
Jenny: {coming soon}
Kristina: I thought the baskets looked very pretty and well put together. The cookies were also quite large. I am a big fan of pastries that are the size of my head.
Stephanie: Everything looked so delicious. And I loved how beautifully the basket was packaged.
Vanessa: The peppermint brownies are here! Her peppermint brownies and I have a very special connection.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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Camille: The Snickers cheesecake! Hands down. I loved the consistency of the cheesecake along with the combination of the chocolate and caramel. Or the chocolate peanut butter brownies…close second!
Emily: I’d say it was a toss-up between the Snickers cheesecake and the peanut butter brownies. Oh, and those mint brownies would be in the toss-up too.
Jen: {coming soon}
Jenny: {coming soon}
Kristina: I loved the peppermint brownies as well as the orange truffles. I’m not usually a fan of orange and chocolate, but these were subtle.
Stephanie: The cinnamon rolls. I think that seems to be a recurring theme with me. But I really like cinnamon rolls!
Vanessa: The peppermint brownies by far; the taste and consistency of the brownie is spot on for me. I wish I could make brownies like this. I also love her prices (very reasonable) and enjoyed the truffles, cheesecake and the bread on the cinnamon rolls is perfect (just need a bit more cinnamon sugar inside in my opinion).
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: I wasn’t impressed with the cookies. They tasted very “floury” (is that a word?) to me. Not a lot of flavor that stood out.
Emily: I think the chocolate chip cookies were my least favorite. They didn’t have a lot of flavor outside the chocolate chips. And I wasn’t a fan of the hint of fruit flavoring in one of the cookies.
Jen: {coming soon}
Jenny: {coming soon}
Kristina: I wasn’t a fan of the double chocolate cookies or the chocolate chip cookies. I was expecting really rich, fudgey chocolate cookies and they were dry and not super flavorful. The chocolate chip cookies tasted like there was too much flour in them.
Stephanie: The cookies were too “fluffy” for my liking. I prefer a dense consistency.
Vanessa: My husband and I completely disagree on her chocolate chip cookies; he loves them and I think they are too floury and need more sugar. I also really did not enjoy the double chocolate chip cookies. I wish she used more local and organic ingredients, that is very important to me. Also I would like to see more passion come through for her product/company through her website.
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QUESTION

Would you refer Red Riding Hood’s Basket to a friend?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Sure! Really for the most part, it was delicious!
Emily: For someone (or a business) looking for some great baked-goods gift baskets, I totally would! And I enjoyed her homemade bread, cinnamon rolls and that cheesecake—to die for! Plus a few sheets of those peppermint brownies would be perfect for an event.
Jen: {coming soon}
Jenny: {coming soon}
Kristina: I would definitely recommend the majority of the items they provide. The cheesecake was excellent, as was the bread. I would also refer a friend to buy me a ginormous basket because I’m awesome.
Stephanie: Yes. I think it would be a great place for business owners to order for employees and events.
Vanessa: For the brownies, yes! I would recommend those for an event or holiday dinner, although for some of the other products, no, I would not. I think they need a bit more tweaking (the tastes and recipes).
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: So many baked goods in one place! Contact Red Riding Hood’s Basket and order your cheesecake and cinnamon rolls today! #Utah
Emily: Need some delicious mint brownies or cheesecake or cinnamon rolls for your party? Red Riding Hood’s Basket’s got ‘em! #utah
Jen: {coming soon}
Jenny: {coming soon}
Kristina: Little Red Riding Hood would never have been able to outsmart the Wolf if she had had these amazing baked goodies!
Stephanie: Red Riding Hood’s Basket is low on wolves and high on yum!
Vanessa: Can’t stop thinking abt Little Red Riding Hood’s Basket’s peppermint brownies! Get them as custom order or nice gift basket 4 someone u luv!
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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Red Riding Hood’s Basket.
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Atmosphere n/a	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Red Riding Hood’s Basket!

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Disclaimer: The Sassies were give samples from Red Riding Hood’s Basket to taste test for this review. Even though the Wolf was surely lurking nearby, we faced our fear and dove into the goodies for the sake of our readers.

As you read from the Wednesday review of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage, we all came away HUGE fans.  Ever since that night we’ve been dreaming of their eclairs, rolls, cookies and more.  Basically our bags are packed and we’re ready to move into Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage forever.

Turns out, you CAN buy happiness:

Fantasizing about three-tier cakes can be almost as enjoyable as eating them (fewer calories, that way, too):

While we did get to sample lots of tasties, we couldn’t eat everything in sight (major bummer):

However, we did get to take a yummy assortment home to savor… YAY!!!

And… {insert drumroll}… we get to share the baked delights of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage with one VERY lucky reader!

Just comment for your chance to win a quarter sheet cake from Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage!!!

Winning would mean you could be the hero of your family; you could share your sheet cake with them and make their dreams come true.

… or it could be a “ticket for one” to the most fabulous tastebud adventure you’ve ever been on. It’s your choice (we won’t tell if you don’t want to share).

Either way, you better hurry and comment so you don’t miss this chance! Meanwhile, run on over to Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage for a quick sweet treat while you wait to find out if you’ve won!

P.S. You can find Schimdt’s online and on Facebook.

So what did our Sassies and our fabulous guest Sassy Kristina think of Over the Top Gourmet Cookies? Are they as over the top—and decadent—as they look? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Camille: What a novel concept—combining delicious gourmet cookies with my favorite candy bars!
Emily: I can’t remember. I was mesmerized by those tasty-looking gift baskets and then my attention drifted to her toasted-coconut-topped delights in the display case.
Evonne: I want one of every cookie, and I’ll take all the decor home with me too!
Kristina: That I had died and gone to heaven, living with the Keebler Elves, who make the best cookies ever.
Michelle: The shop was adorable! I felt like a kid in a candy store! I loved the jars full of gum balls and cute heart-shaped measuring cups hung from the ceiling.
Quinn: Such a cute little shop! There is so much to see, especially all of the adorable packages of cookies and jars of candy.
Stephanie: Such a cute little shop! There is so much to see, especially all of the adorable packages of cookies and jars of candy.
Vanessa: That I finally made it to the cookie shop my husband swears by. I come home to these cookies bags hidden around my house all the time. The shop is decorated really cute—not too many knick knacks, just the right amount.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Aside from the obvious I love that it is a family-run business; her kids help out in the store; and her husband manages the marketing.
Emily: Like Camille, I too love that it’s a family-run business but my most favorite thing about Over the Top were the seriously over-the-top toppings on Rachel’s cookies!
Evonne: I loved the S’more cookie the most. Can’t stop craving it!
Kristina: These cookies have candy bars on top of them. It doesn’t get any more awesome than that. It’s basically the food equivalent of The Hoff wearing a Snuggie. Pure perfection. {Kristina, you freakin’ kill me!}
Michelle: I am in love with the S’more cookie. Fifteen seconds in the microwave and you will experience pure heaven! The warmed-up Milky Way cookie was a close second. Can you tell I like ooey gooey bliss?
Quinn: I loved how they use popular candies and candy bars with their cookies and treats. It makes it easy to take a familiar favorite and quickly find a favorite cookie. My kids went nuts over their M&M’s-covered cookie and have been asking for another one almost every day since. I really got a kick out of the chocolate-dipped, candy-covered fortune cookies.
Stephanie: The cookies. Especially the Reese’s peanut butter cup one. They were moist, chewy, and peanut buttery. Basically my cookie dream.
Vanessa: Knowing that if I bring home Over the Top Cookies to my husband I’ll be on his good side for a while. The cookies are very filling; in fact, you’re full after just one. Just the right texture, moist and chewy, and they taste very fresh. With the fun different candy bars inside I really think they are the perfect special occasion treat!
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: I don’t want to think how many calories are in a cookies that heavy that contain a candy bar on top of it! Don’t even want to think about it.
Emily: I wish her cute shop had a bit more seating. I hear in the summer you can sit outdoors, but in the winter it would be nice to have a cup of cocoa and sit and indulge a while. I also wish she had a few “mini” versions of her popular cookies. (A little portion control would help me out a lot! I ate an entire cookie in one sitting!)
Evonne: There was no place to sit and eat my delish cookie.
Kristina: The store was rather small and there was no seating. Which was a bummer, because I would really like to spend my afternoons there getting fatter and fatter.
Michelle: I wish you could get the cookies hot from the oven right at the store. They are good at room temperature, but they are phenomenal warm! {Oooh, Michelle…I LOVE this idea!}
Quinn: There’s no place to sit down and there’s so many things out that I wouldn’t dare take my kids in there, unless it was summer and they could quickly choose a cookie and then we’d run and eat it outside (my kids could wreak havoc in there FAST).
Stephanie: The small storefront. It would have been nice to have a larger area where customers could enjoy their treats.
Vanessa: I don’t want to think how many calories are in a cookies that heavy that contains a candy bar on top of it! Don’t even want to think about it.

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QUESTION

Would you visit again?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: I’m already craving the Reese’s PB cup cookies! I have a feeling I’ll be going back soon…
Emily: Heck, yes! I’ve driven past there at least once since then and would have stopped in if I didn’t have my kids in the car (way too much work). But I’ve been craving that coconut beauty since my first bite.
Evonne: Of course I would go back, because I am pretty addicted to baked goods.
Kristina: This is like asking if Mario Lopez is responsible for all the evil in the world. Of course!
Michelle: I have wanted to multiple times, but every time I have been in the area it was after hours. Darn it!
Quinn: It’s a little far away from my home, so it’s not somewhere I’d frequent, but should they build a location closer to my part of town I’d love to drop in for a sweet treat every once in awhile.
Stephanie: Yes, in fact I have been back. I cannot resist the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies. I may need a cookie intervention.
Vanessa: Yes, my husband and girls sneak on over there. The mini sizes are just right for me, the regular size is just too heavy of a taste! I would send these as gifts as well, really great quality.
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Camille: Treat your valentine to a gift basket of gourmet cookies from www.overthetopcookies.com
Emily: In the South Jordan area? Need a tasty (and tasteful) gift basket? Visit www.overthetopcookies.com. #utah
Evonne: If you wanna become seriously addicted to gourmet cookies this is the shop for you…www.overthetopcookies.com
Kristina: These cookies are so over the top, they make Lady Gaga look like a JC Penney model. {ROTFL!}
Michelle: Over the Top Cookies, it’s as if Mrs. Fields and Willy Wonka had a love child. Try one, you’ll never look at cookies the same!
Quinn: For a fun sweet treat or an awesome corporate gift basket, check out Over the Top Cookies in South Jordan #slc!
Stephanie: Over the Top Gourmet cookies will cause you to throw out your favorite cookie recipe and only satisfy your cookie cravings with their sweet treats.
Vanessa: Looking for a great present to give your husband for V Day, get a pack of Over the Top Cookies and you’ll be his favorite for awhile!

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Transformation Training with Laura Butters.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Over the Top Gourmet Cookies!

We just might have a GIVEAWAY for SassyScoops.com readers!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy Kristina. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog! We guarantee you’ll laugh your butt off. (Laura would be so proud if you did!)
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Kristina Pulsipher

Kristina lives in Utah with her husband and her well traveled Snuggie. Kristina is a full-time social worker, bringing joy, rainbows, and metaphorical unicorns to all the people she works with, on a daily basis. In her spare time, she can be found reading blogs, knitting blankets for disadvantaged hairless animals, shunning Twilight, and wearing high heels while vacuuming. Kristina’s dream job is to write for Conan O’Brien, or to move to Alaska and work on an oil rig. She’ll take whichever one gives her squeezy cheese for lunch. She blogs at Pulsipher Predilections.

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty excited to hear we were reviewing Over The Top Gourmet Cookies. Their shop is practically down the street from my house and I always wanted to stop in and try one of those enchanting cookies I had seen pictures of. Every time their ad comes in the mail it taunts me.

Rachel first got her idea for her gourmet cookies when thinking of a recipe to take to a church picnic. Needless to say, they were a big hit! Always an entrepreneur at heart (she sold suckers at school in the 6th grade) and wanting to share her lack of moderation in baking, Rachel began Over The Top Gourmet Cookies in 2003.  They specialize in outrageously tasteful gift baskets and in addition to their cookies, offer a selection of Triple dipped apples, triple dipped pretzels,  and gourmet cocoa.

Over the Top Cookies is truly a family business. Rachel is the mastermind behind the baking spending late nights and early mornings in the store’s kitchen making sure ingredients are prepped, dough is mixed and each and every cookie is baked to perfection with love in every one. You may chance to meet her son “the front man” who works at the store after school. Even all the brochures and menus are designed by Rachel’s husband.

Their charming shop opened in November 2008. A visit will delight your eyes with Jars full of gumballs and displays full of giant cookies exploding with toppings.

Over the Top Cookies:

1665 West Towne Center Drive, Suite B3
South Jordan
801.495.5920

Their shop is the cutest little nook across from Cafe Rio.

You can also find them online at www.overthetopcookies.com and see those pictures that call my name whenever they enter my front door.

Did these cookies delight the taste buds as much as the eyes? Stop by Wednesday for the official Over The Top Review!

image courtesy of inthisweek.com

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My Dough Girl, LLC
770 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT  84101

www.MyDoughGirl.com