By Liz Biro | StarNewsOnline.com
Every so often the Cape Fear region gets on a sweets kick and sugar shops start popping up. This time, one is on wheels.
Pastry chef Stephanie Rosse, who owns the new Carolina Beach bakery Sweet Bliss at 3 Pelican Lane, has caught the food truck fever hitting this area.
Rosse’s Sweet Bliss food truck, due last weekend, Hurricane Irene permitting, joined the Poor Piggy’s BBQ & Catering food truck making rounds in Wilmington (www.poorpiggys.com). Additionally, Catch restaurant chef Keith Rhodes plans a Catch food truck in coming weeks.
Sweet Bliss, both bakery and food truck, features cupcakes, cookies, pastries and Rosse’s all-homemade ice cream. The ice cream and its inclusions, whether caramel or peanut butter cups, are prepared from scratch.
Rosse, who opened her bakery Aug. 10, trained in France. She comes from the Durham-Chapel Hill area, where Rosse clocked time at Magnolia Grill.
Find the Sweet Bliss truck at Carolina Beach, Fort Fisher, UNCW, Monkey Junction and downtown areas, including PPD. The truck runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Stops are listed at Sweet Bliss’ Facebook and Twitter pages.
In Burgaw, pastry chef Monique Kirby has opened Burgaw Bakery, 102 W. Fremont St. Kirby specializes in fancy cakes for weddings, birthdays and other events, but she offers cupcakes and other baked goods, too.
“After over 30 years of dreaming and producing baked items for loyal customers and local businesses, I am now fortunate enough to bake my goodies in downtown Burgaw,” Kirby said.
Downtown’s Hot Pink Cake Stand, 114 N. Front St., has expanded again. For the past several weeks, the bakery has been stocking its pies at Mayfaire’s Happy Days Diner, 890 Town Center Dr., as well as at the new Carolina Farmin’ grocery store, 2101 Market St.
Now, Hot Pink operates the Happy Days sweets shop, where you can buy Hot Pink’s pies, hand pies, cupcakes and cake slices.
Pleasure Island Cupcakes recently got the call every cupcake company owner dreams about. Food Network rang to ask if mother-and-daughter owners Mimi and Kristina Jackson would be interested in auditioning for the show “Cupcake Wars.”
The Jacksons said yes, of course, and a couple of audition reels later they are still waiting to hear if their firm will be selected for the program. Meantime, they continue producing their coveted red wine cupcake named The Perfect Pairing, which won the 2011 Sweet Taste of Wilmington dessert competition. Dutch cocoa, Ghirardelli chocolate and California red zinfandel go into the cake, which is filled with raspberry sour cream and frosted with cream cheese icing.
Order Pleasure Island Cupcakes by calling 632-3156 or visiting www.PleasureIslandCupcakes.com.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110901/COLUMNIST/110909999?p=1&tc=pg
