CTBites follows every food-related crumb related in Connecticut.
The mouth-watering website — founded and edited by Westport’s own (until she moved to Bridgeport) Stephanie Webster — chronicles the openings (and closings) of restaurants of every possible cuisine in the Nutmeg State.
It features the best places for Easter dinners and Passover catering.
And the other day, CTBites ran a guide to “Connecticut’s Most Crave-Worthy Cookies.”
What makes this story “06880”-w0rthy is not the inclusion of The Cake Box, with its chocolate chip cookies baked in a pie, topped with chocolate, caramel and salt.
The Cake Box’s chocolate chip cookie “Oh My Pie.”
Kneads also gets a shout-out, for their chocolate chunk, coconut macaroons and ginger cookies.
But the truly intriguing part — something I could really dig my journalist’s teeth into — was the inclusion of 4 Westport bakeries I had never ever heard of.
And I call myself a gourmet.
Turns out, they are just that: bakeries, but not retail outlets. They make cookies (and many other goodies). But they sell online (and, in a few cases, deliver).
They make up part of that e-commerce economy we hear so much about. They’re Westport businesses, hidden from most of us but thriving in cyberspace.
I emailed all 4, to find out more.
Dipped From A To Z was founded in 2021, after Amy Zitter searched all over Fairfield County for a unique food gift.
She couldn’t find one. So she decided to provide a fun source for all things confectionary.
Dipped From A To Z offers unique desserts. Specialties include gourmet cookies, Oreo brownie cookie pie, custom chocolate letters, custom chocolate gift boxes with many themes, beautiful platters and more.
Amy recently added a candy wall and candy cart. A “Dipped Room” (appointment only) is a fun candy store, for parties and “dipping classes” where clients design their own sweets like chocolate bars, candy sushi and cookies.
Click here for more information.
EXTRA DESSERT HELPING: Amy says the company is named for her two children/taste testers, Ashley and Zach. But her name — Amy Zitter — helps too.
Amy Zitter
Leven(thal) Bakery was lauded for its “mouthwatering oversized cookies that are crisp on the outside and thick and gooey on the inside. Piled high with chips, sprinkles, peanut butter cups, or marshmallows depending on the flavor, your heart will skip a beat.”
Owner Jessica Leventhal (without the parentheses) had no business or culinary experience. She’s a nurse practitioner at Yale (assistant director of research coordination, to be precise).
But she always loved baking, and has done more of it while on maternity leave as a way to spend quality time with her 3 1/2-year-old son. (The other kids are 2, and 6 months.)
This past February, she wanted to make a cookie reminiscent of what she used to get in New York. Friends and family told her “half-jokingly” to sell them.
Instagram did the rest.
Over the past 3 months Jessica has taught herself every aspect of a bakery business: inventory, order forms, packaging, delivery, etc. She learned about social media marketing too.
She also applied for a cottage bakery license, to work out of her home.
Jessica says her cookies — “oversized, mound-shaped, crisp on the outside, thick and gooey on the inside” — are unlike anything else found locally. She also offers mini-size and cookie cakes.
Customers’ favorite cookies include chocolate chip and Reese’s peanut butter (chocolate and peanut butter chips, chopped Reese’s cups, and a cup in the middle).
She takes custom orders too: a favorite candy bar or dessert in cookie form, or specially colored sprinkles or M&Ms.
Her customers range from food bloggers and event planners to families, local businesses, charities, students and teachers. She has enjoyed meeting people from all over Fairfield County, and being part of their special occasions.
Click here for more information.
EXTRA HELPING: “Leaven” (when used with dough) means “to rise.” Hence the business’ pun/punctuation on Jessica’s last name.
Jessica Leventhal, with kids and cookies.
Cloudy Lane Bakery sounded interesting — especially because there is no Cloudy Lane in Westport. (The address was Franklin Street.)
CT Bites noted: “These great tasting treats that don’t sacrifice flavor are also free of gluten, dairy, seed oil and refined sugar. How fabulous is that? Got an allergy or diet restriction? Let them know, because they want you to enjoy treats too, like their tasty ganache and blondie cookie bars, muffins and banana bread.”
Unfortunately, owner Dani LeBlanc said, they moved their holistic, health-inspired bakery to Bethel a month ago.
But their Westport connection continues strongly, with connections at the Farmers’ Market, and by wholesaling to retail stores in town.
Click here for more information.
Dani LeBlanc
The 4th local bakery, Macaron Maman, has locations — according to CTBites — in Fairfield, Norwalk and Stamford, plus Westport.
It’s “your place to find French macarons in every color, flavor and shape (think macarons that are shaped like dinosaurs, teddy bears, bowls of Matzoh soup, rainbows!), for any holiday or event that you want to make just a little more special,” the writeup said.
An email request for information was never answered. C’est dommage!
Click here for more information, anyway.
FUN FACT: What’s the difference between “macarons” and “macaroons”?
Google says they are “different in their appearance, taste, and texture. A macaron is a meringue-based sandwich cookie that is tinted with food coloring. A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut. The preparation for these two cookies is also very different.”
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