sweet laurel bakery cake shop

I had been plotting my visit to the Sweet Laurel Bakery Cake Shop over in the Palisades for quite some time now. I’m a huge fan of Laurel herself (and her cottage is to die for), as well as her delectable baked goods! But as well all know, the pandemic hit, and so I really haven’t been out & about all that much. In the meantime, I’ve been baking up a storm from the cookbook, and boy are there some tasty recipes to be had! Sweet Laurel recipes are all gluten, grain, and refined sugar free, and many are also vegan as well, making them a great choice for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions. My bestie Rachel McConn (an amazing nutritional therapy practitioner & natural foods chef, by the way) came up from San Diego to hang for a night, and since she has Celiac Disease, the bakery has been on her must-visit list as well. We headed out on a (safe & socially distanced) mission for sweets, and we were not disappointed.

The star of the show was the ice cream sandwich- snickerdoodle cookies with chocolate ice cream. This was so delicious, not to mention all vegan & gluten free! It totally hit the spot on a hot summer day. I can never say no to carrot cake, so had to get a slice of that as well. This one is lightly sweet, and studded with walnuts and raisins. The probiotic cashew cream frosting is super unique and provides such a nice tang! Even my one year old got in on the sampling, and he was definitely a fan. I can’t wait to return to try some of their super food lattes and keto frappes- yum! And lastly, don’t miss Laurel’s new savory cookbook, which is now available for preorder!


coolhaus

I love funky sweets, so I was super pumped to try Coolhaus Ice Cream from the moment I discovered them on social media. They started as an ice cream truck, but have gotten so popular that they now have scoop shops in LA and Dallas, as well as several mobile trucks in LA, NYC, and Dallas ! The idea is simple, but delicious: build your own ice cream sandwich from a scrumptious list of freshly baked cookies and housemade ice creams. Mix and match if you want, and there are even vegan and gluten free options available as well! Ice creams come in tasty and unique flavors like campfire s'mores, balsamic fig & mascarpone, and fried chicken & waffles, while the cookie options range from classic double chocolate to peanut butter Captain Crunch to confetti whoopie pie! The sandwiches are named after architects and architectural movements that inspired the design-minded owners (hence the "cool houses" created from ice cream & cookies). Plus, they're served in an edible wrapper, so don't be afraid to get messy as you dig in! I guess you could say I'm a big fan, as I've visited the truck in both NYC and Texas- I guess now I just need to find them in LA :) But good news for me and everyone else: Coolhaus is now sold in many retail stores, as well as available for purchase online! Trust me on this one, get you some Coolhaus ice cream, stat!