Amber Darrington runs Le Cookie Monkey in Portland. Petite and bubbly, she is giddy to discuss all things cake and dessert with me. She even warms my heart by bringing cookies to our meeting. Not just ordinary cookies, however. These are chocolate cookies with white and dark chocolate chips and dried cherries mixed in. I show incredible restraint by sharing with my husband rather than eating all five of them myself. The cookies are soft and chewy, absolutely perfect!
But enough about me and my cookie-eating habits--read on and learn more about Le Cookie Monkey, the awesome cakes and cookies Amber can whip up for your wedding, or anytime you need a super-fabulous treat.
First things first. What is with the name choice?
When I first opened shop, I wanted to do ice cream sandwiches, so that's the "cookie" part. Then I figured out that was not feasible in the long tern, but I still desired to keep "cookie" in the name because I love to make cookies and consume them. I am also a Francophile, so I tossed in the "Le". Monkey it is what my Mom used to call me when I was little. There you have it: Le Cookie Monkey.
When did you open Le Cookie Monkey?
My husband and I moved here from Minneapolis in July 2009, right after our wedding. I have worked in the bakery and food industry for 15 years, so I knew I wanted to stay in the same field. First I tried to talk my husband into doing a food cart, which we both laugh about now--that is a tough one to imagine!
My true cooking expertise lies in cakes, cookies and tarts, so a bakery made more sense. I decided to take the official plunge with Le Cookie Monkey in October 2009. Hence I am relatively new on the scene--it has been a blast thus far.
What is the difference between Le Cookie Monkey and other wedding cake bakers?
Everything I make, be it cakes, cookies or tarts, I bake from scratch. Nothing is ever frozen. With the larger establishments, they will freeze your cake, because they have too many orders. But for you, if you wedding is on Saturday, I'm baking it on Friday, not Wednesday. This ensures you get the freshest, best-tasting cake.
Any wedding cake trends for 2010?
Cupcakes are still popular, and an affordable option. They are very fun for the couple to design, we can really jazz up cupcakes and make they very unique.
I am still seeing a trend in dessert buffets as well, where couples opt for a smaller cake and then also have cookies, mini-cupcakes and pies laid out as well. Yummy!
How can couples save money on their wedding cake?
One of the simplest ways to save on your wedding cake is to have a smaller, elaborately decorated cake, then order a few sheet cakes which can be cut up after you do the cake-cutting at the reception. No one will be the wiser, you cannot tell what the cake looked like after it is cut up.
Cupcakes are also less expensive than a tiered cake. I am in the process of building two cupcake trees, which will also be available to couples shortly.
Tell me about cake tastings.
For tastings, I charge $10 per person for 2-3 cake flavors. I bake up little mini cakes for the couple. If the couple books their cake with us, the fee is credited to their order.
What can you do for couples besides bake their wedding cake?
Luckily my interests are varied, I adore making wedding favors for couples as well. I love baking cookies, and I have some very fun cookie cutters which are awesome to design unique and tasty favors for your guests.
I can also make cake pops. These are crumbled cake mix, mixed with buttercream frosting then dipped in chocolate and decorated. Put on a stick and ta da, you have a cake pop.
Elizabeth's interjection: my mouth is watering at the thought of a cake pop--oh my gosh, that sounds terrific!
Brenna makes this comment
28 January 2010
Lindsay makes this comment
26 January 2010