Page 34 May 2013 Sweetest of the sweet: Treats you don’t want to miss By Amanda Goossen It’s no secret I have a major sweet tooth. If you’ve been reading this column since its inception in October of 2011, you know I’m an equal opportunity sweets addict. I love it all. I’m also quite passionate about the things I discover throughout the Valley. Once I fi nd a treat that tickles my taste buds, I become obsessed. I eat it again and again. I plan my day around my ability to fi nd bakeries, ice cream shops and food trucks. Some of my favorite people in town are the brilliant minds who design these treats, partly because I admire their efforts but largely because I visit them so often. I know what you’re thinking. Don’t fret, friends, I’m a healthy gal. I balance my sugar with lots of fruits, veggies and a neighborhood run once in awhile. Eleven years ago when I met my husband he taught me the value of a balanced diet. For this, I will forever be grateful. I’ve recently found myself thoroughly in love with four local treats, which I encourage you to track down, taste and enjoy. Pop Tarts Butter and Me Bakeshop 4014 N. Goldwater Perfectly fl aky, buttery pastry enveloping seasonal fruit, what else is there to say? Butter and Me Bakeshop in Old Town Scottsdale is hard at work every morning making some of the very best pastries this city has ever seen. Owner and baker, Kelly Garcia is talented and kind. She is less known than the rest of the famed Phoenix bakers, but deserves to be at the top of the list. Her version of this childhood favorite is decadent, to say the least. Shakes The Stand 3538 E. Indian School Never in my life have I had the pleasure of tasting such a perfect, well made and delicious shake. Each fl avor, from the regular chocolate and vanilla to the extravagant Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Chili and Banana, all are decadent, rich and impressive. Hand-spun with high quality ingredients, the shakes take a bit of time but are well worth it. Want a little hint: If you like banana, even a tiny bit, do yourself a favor and take a sip of this banana shake. Welcome to heaven. Mint Chocolate Chip Gelati Rita’s Italian Ice 4730 E. Indian School #113 A year and a half ago, on my fi rst visit to Rita’s, I saw an ad for the gelati and thought it sounded terrible. Italian ice layered in a cup with custard seemed like a peculiar combination. Then, somehow I tried one. I’ve been hooked ever since. While there are an entire list of combinations I fi nd to be satisfying, such as mango ice with vanilla custard, Florida orange ice with vanilla custard, cookies and cream ice with chocolate custard, there is one that simple makes my heart happy. Mint chocolate chip ice with coffee custard is to me, the most awesome combination Coffee, chocolate and mint in one bite? Yes, please. Chocolate Chip Cookie Echo Coffee 2902 N. 68th St. #135 Chewy, gooey and perfectly packed with chocolate, the chocolate chip cookie at Echo Coffee is still one of the most surprising fi nds in all of my sweets and treats hunts. Absolute comfort in one round cookie, I fi nd myself sneaking off to grab one more often than I like to admit. 28 Crafts on Draft ■ Stone Hearth Pretzels ■ Huge Outdoor Patio 3622 N. Scottsdale Road ■ 480.947.4006 ■ BratHausAZ.com Sun–Thurs 11am–10pm ■ Fri & Sat 11am–Midnight HAPPY HOUR Mon-Fri. 3-6pm. $2 off drafts. $1 off bottles. with complimentary Moscato and Chocolates! and live music by Tony Putrino and his accordian from 4:30pm-8:30pm

Page 35 May 2013 Gluten-Free Apple Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Cupcakes: 1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix 1 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ cup water ½ cup butter, softened 2 tsp. vanilla 3 eggs ¼ cup applesauce Frosting: ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 3 ½ tbsp. pure maple syrup 2 cups powdered sugar ¼ cup chopped walnuts for topping (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 16 paper baking cups in muf fi n tin. In large bowl, beat cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, ½ cup butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in applesauce. Divide batter evenly among muf fi n cups. Bake 15-18 minutes or until top of cupcakes are golden brown. Cool completely, 30 minutes. In large bowl, beat ½ cup unsalted butter, cream cheese and maple syrup with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frosting may need to be refrigerated if it seems a little thin. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with nuts. Store loosely covered in refrigerator. Diet to ease symptoms can include these cupcakes By Amanda Goossen In March, Arcadia resident Susan Reina was diagnosed with celiac disease. The day the words were spoken by doctors felt like both a blessing and a curse. “For over two years I had all sorts of random things going on with my body – an enlarged lymph node in my neck, back pain in my scalpia and extreme re fl ux,” Susan said. After seeing numerous doctors all over Phoenix, Susan said she felt helpless. “I fi nally broke down, which is totally not like me. My husband, Mike, said it’s been two years of feeling this way. Let’s go to Mayo,” she said. When Susan got to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale she had a full series of tests. She saw every specialist possible. Finally, after seeing something in her blood work, a doctor brought up the idea of celiac disease. Susan was immediately tested to see if she had one of the two genes related to the disease. She had both. “I didn’t have the typical celiac symptoms,” Susan said. “So it wasn’t the fi rst thing on the minds of the doctors.” Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is primarily found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune reaction in their small intestines, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients. For those with celiac disease, the most common symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating products that include gluten. The only cure for celiac disease is to follow a strict gluten-free diet. “The entire fi rst weekend after my diagnosis, I was depressed. I’m young, I work out, and I’m essentially healthy. My life had to change and I had to stop eating all the things I loved, like brownies, cookies and cupcakes,” Susan said. After two weeks on the gluten-free diet, Susan felt the difference. “I used to be exhausted all the time. I thought it came from being a mom to two young boys, working as a physician’s assistant with odd hours, and being a stay- at-home mom,” Susan said. “Suddenly I realized how much better I could feel, and the diet was worth it.” With renewed energy, the busy mom of two was anxious to try new recipes and discover ways to eat the things she had always loved so much. Susan joined the Greater Phoenix Celiac Support Group. Surrounded by people like her, she learned how to cope with her new diet and how to cook accordingly. Gluten-free Apple Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting became a new staple. “I’ve learned to play with recipes. I start with the Betty Crocker Gluten-Free yellow cake mix and add ingredients to change it up,” Susan said. And now, with her new recipes and a little experimentation, cupcakes are welcome back into the Reina home. 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