Moving to Chicago was a big deal. There were so many factors involved in getting WHC started - or should I say restarted? - that I’m frankly relieved I didn’t know what was in store. In this case, ignorance was a God-send!

I thought I had all this time to set up, but before I knew it, holiday orders were looming right around the corner and I was still researching rental kitchens. Luckily Chicago has a huge food truck and catering industry, so there are several commercial kitchens that operate under Chicago’s “shared kitchen” license.

The shared kitchen concept helps small business owners like me minimize overhead by offering a fully stocked, fully licensed commercial kitchen for rent by the hour. It’s especially important in large metropolitan areas because most cities don’t allow any retail sales of foods unless they are prepared and packaged in an approved and licensed (read: non-home) environment. The concept is truly brilliant. I’m not exaggerating when I say that WannaHavaCookie would not exist without access to kitchens like this.

Another fun thing: shared space means lots of foodies under one roof. I get to meet food truck people, caterers, bakers - even a couple that makes fudge from scratch! We’re all in the business because we love it, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone - especially at 3am on a Tuesday. (People just don’t know…).

When I met with Alexis at Kitchen Chicago, I found a new home for WannaHavaCookie. I worked crazy overnight shifts for most of the holiday season (have I mentioned they are open 24/7?), and have since settled into a schedule that’s a bit more family-friendly - something I’m certain my assistants appreciate! Kitchen Chicago was always willing to work with me and made it easy to feel like a partner instead of just another renter. In addition to the kitchen space available, there’s also a packaging area that is absolutely enormous.

Please visit www.kitchenchicago.com for more info.  Alexis and her staff run a great shop, and the event space is also available for private parties.

Our new flavors are finally here and I’m so happy to see them hit the big stage!  We’ve got a fun Valentine gift, a new bar cookie (now the Linzers don’t have to fly solo), and a super-yummy whoopie that actually managed to surprise even me!

First up: the “Be Mine” whoopie pie.  A custom version of our red velvet dough, made into a heart shape and filled with three different buttercreams.  I’m a purist when it comes to whoopies - I think all those dough shapes are a total cop-out - but even I can admit that the hearts are cute, and perfect for Valentine’s day:

"Be Mine" Whoopies

Next, my new personal favorite: the rum pecan bar.  My baking assistant Analiese says, “This bar is out of control! It’s crunchy, yet chewy; sweet, yet salty. There’s a rummy after-flavor and crumbly chew that takes you by surprise. Wait, can I have another one?”  Love it!

We roast whole pecans, give them a rough chop and mix them into a rum-spiked batter.  The crust is parbaked with just a bit of the batter to hold together, then the rest is poured on top and baked to nutty goodness. When batter meets bar? Well, we think it’s divine.  Try a taste a see for yourself.

Pecan Rum Bars...or should I say Pecan "YUM" Bars??

Have you ever thought of having a whoopie pie for breakfast?  Well, now you can admit it a bit more quickly than usual (because you know we all do it!).  We’ve created the ultimate breakfast whoopie: Chocolate Chip Maple.  They taste like pancakes!  and maple syrup!  The best part? No fork, no plate, no sticky mess.  Sweet.

Chocolate Chip Maple whoopie pies

You may have noticed that our blog hasn’t been updated since June. Well, that was the month we moved! Yep, WannaHavaCookie has made the trek from bustling New York to windy Chicago. It wasn’t easy leaving.  Mark and I were in New York for ten years (which my friend Lynn says actually made us honorary New Yorkers!), and we really loved it there.  The decision really came down to a better future for us and for WannaHavaCookie.  We realized that our goal to expand in the future can happen much more quickly in Chicago, thanks to less overhead cost and a receptive foodie environment.  Besides, Chicago is in desperate need of a good whoopie pie.

My mom says “move” should be lumped in with those other 4-letter words people don’t say in polite company.  I’m starting to agree with her.  This time the move wasn’t just for my personal stuff, but included WannaHavaCookie, too.  What a mess!  Even small but vital changes like locating the nearest UPS became a factor for finding a new home.  And there were the big things on my list: getting WannaHavaCookie approved to do business in Illinois (I’m registered as a “foreign entity” because I’m incorporated in New York), finding classes so I could become certified as a Safe Food Handler, both for Illinois state and for the city of Chicago, finding an entirely new kitchen staff and baking space - and training them in time for the holiday rush.  It took much longer than I anticipated, but things are working out well…six months later.  We’ve found a kitchen home at Kitchen Chicago (more on them in the near future) and I was blessed to find several amazing employees who have already learned the basics and are fast becoming a dedicated group of professionals.  We have some pretty good times, and let me tell you, there is never a dull moment around here!

Now that I’m settled, I’m looking forward to an amazing 2012 for WannaHavaCookie.  We’ve got some new treats to roll out that are getting final touches before their spring debut.  This blog will begin seeing some life again, thanks to MUCH more frequent updates and a plan to offer you an insider’s peek into everything we’re doing! So, keep checking back, or “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get updates and deals.  Here’s to a fabulous year for WannaHavaCookie’s new Chicago home!

Emily & I spent a lovely evening surrounded by future brides at the New York Wedding Salon Expo a few months ago.  We were there to showcase WannaHavaCookie, of course, and Emily came up with a great display of our classic and mini whoopie pies that really looked gorgeous.  Then I took this quick photo:

Needless to say, I’m no professional.  Luckily, Bill Hollingsworth came to the rescue!  I met Bill about halfway through the event.  He’s a freelance photographer and was having a great time at the event, capturing fun shots of attendees and organizers, talking to people and being the gregariously charming man he is.  Then Emily gave him some samples of our mini whoopie pies, and he became our very own walking billboard.  (Haha, “Bill”board, get it??).  Bill talked up our whoopies all night long, encouraging anyone and everyone to come over to our small little corner and sample for themselves.

Imagine my surprise when a few days later, Bill sent me a link to his photo album of the event, including some truly gorgeous shots of WHC’s table.  He saw the exact same display that I did, but his photographic talent elevated it to something worthy of a magazine cover.  Take a look at these:

This is what photographic talent can create! Thanks, Bill.

Centerpiece close-up

Another angle of the centerpiece

My favorite shot from Bill

The mark of true talent lies in the execution.  Hopefully, my treats live up to my standard, just as Bill’s photos already do!

Here are a few pics of some custom whoopie pie birthday cakes.  I’ve been getting a lot of encouragement to offer these online, but they are a challenge to keep in one piece for shipping.  Maybe once we find a new (permanent) home we’ll be able to offer them for pickup.  Meanwhile, it’s delivery only for these guys!

My first "commissioned" birthday cake!

Vanessa works on a custom design

The finished masterpiece!

With our Limelight shop sadly no more (our lease was up on April 1), my assistant Vanessa and I finally had a day to work on some testers for new bar flavors.  I know - it’s such a hardship to test out new desserts.  We sacrificed our taste buds for some interesting results.  I think we may have a few potential winners here…

Recipe courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

Recipe courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

By far my personal favorite, these pecan bars are addictive — tons of crunchy topping, gooey center and a buttery crust.  I’ll confess, I made these about 2 years ago and wondered if they were as good as I remembered.  They’re better.

Recipe courtesy of JoyofBaking.com

Recipe courtesy of JoyofBaking.com

These “Magic Bars” were a close runner-up to my favorite pecan bars.  Both Vanessa & I agreed, though - too much chocolate takes away from the coconut chew.  I also thought the sweetness could be toned down a bit.

Recipe courtesy of JoyofBaking.com

Recipe courtesy of JoyofBaking.com

Three words: needs more lemon.  Not really what I consider a success, but still…I didn’t throw it away!

Recipe courtesy of The New Cookie Book, by Catherine Atkinson

Recipe courtesy of The New Cookie Book, by Catherine Atkinson

Meh.  Not a real winner here - this one was rather dull in comparison to the others.

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to speak with a class of high school seniors at the High School of Arts & Technology.  Imagine me being a role model!?  It was surreal to be speaking instead of listening.  But even though I did most of the talking, I learned a thing or two.

Today’s high school seniors are media savvy, ambitious and have already formed opinions on everything from food to government.  They are smart, and they are just waiting for someone to ask them, “What do YOU think?”

I introduced WannaHavaCookie, but the best part of my day was starting a dialogue about social media.  This class knew their stuff, and weren’t afraid to offer opinions on everything from great gifts (customize!) to favorite desserts (ice cream, cupcakes, chocolate, cheesecake - even sweet potato pie!).

THANKS TO ALL YOU AWESOME SENIORS!  Can’t wait to come back and see what else is in store for your final semester of high school!

MLK seniors enjoy their whoopies!

Last weekend’s Chocolate World Expo was very well-received, despite the crazy weather.  Rain began around 8am and continued the entire day, but the Expo attendees didn’t even flinch.  I even managed to snag a few minutes with Frank Ranu, who was kind enough to post his interview on YouTube.  Check it out.

I’m quickly learning that “Expo” is code for “free sample.”  People lined up for tastings, and there were plenty to be had.  Our biggest challenge is making sure that those samples generate interest, which means we have to cut everything within minutes of sampling or it gets dry and then just doesn’t taste as good.  I handled most of the cutting, and Mark and Emily (my new VP of Sales, yay!), introduced WHC to the waiting crowds.

I went through literally thousands of samples, which meant I was cutting for about five hours.  By the end of the day, I was developing a cramp in my cutting hand.  Hopefully some of those people will remember where they got that yummy whoopie pie!

WannaHavaCookie kiosk in the Limelight Marketplace

“Hey, Marisa, where have you been?  I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Yep.  That’s because I am now the proud (and exhausted) proprietor of a 7×3 foot space on the first floor of the newly opened Limelight Marketplace at 47 West 20th Street, New York City.

I signed the lease literally ten days before the grand opening on Friday, May 7.  Mark took over construction - creating a to-scale replica in Powerpoint (have I mentioned how much I adore my husband??) so we could figure out what type of shelving would actually fit in the space.  Approval came on Tuesday; the buildout happened Wednesday; the VIP gala premiered Thursday, May 6.  And we’ve been going full steam ever since.

That first weekend was crazy — lots of people and great buzz.  Since then it’s calmed down and now it’s become a daily juggle of bake, stock and sell.  We’re getting some return customers (yay!), but have yet to “finish” our space with wall accessories (bummer).

The biggest learning curve has been stocking product.  All the whoopie pies at the store must be as fresh as those I sell online.  That means I’m in the prediction business.  How many whoopie pies can a baker sell in a day?  It’s a huge margin, and primarily dependent on factors completely outside of my control.  And so I spin the proverbial wheel of whoopies and hopefully learn a thing or two along the way.

We’re offering 6-7 whoopie pie flavors each day, with mix-and-match combination deals for 3, 6, 12 and 24 whoopie pies in our WHC-brand packaging.  It’s heartening to know we’re making some new friends, especially since my old ones have been generously understanding about my lack of availability.

I miss my friends and hope to see them soon.  Meanwhile, come by the Limelight.  Tell me what you think of WHC whoopie pies.  I really want to know.  And please, for the love of all that is good and right, don’t call them macaroons!

My first official public appearance for WannaHavaCookie was a combination of timing, press mentions and luck.  Metro NY’s “Get in My Belly” article mentioned WHC whoopie pies when it went to print on January 14.  A few days later I got a call from Jacki Zix, who was organizing Macy’s Cellar Kitchen cooking demonstrations.  They were featuring women-owned businesses in honor of March’s status as women’s history month.  Of course I said yes!

I’m pretty comfortable in front of people, so the opportunity to showcase WannaHavaCookie was a lot of fun.  The crowd was a mix of mid-week shoppers and hard core foodies — some even took notes!  I had a great time, and Jacki was thrilled with the whoopie pies as well, so I hope to be back at Macy’s in the future.

Here are some photos courtesy of my wonderful friend Teri Patapoff, who agreed to play photographer for the day!

Pre-show prep

Poster Recap. I'm on March 18th

The Macy's Professionals...and me

Stage for mixer and ingredients

Practical tv angle shows work area from above

TV is especially nice for those standing in the back row

Intro time

Mixing vanilla buttercream

Answering questions from the audience

Final assembly: whoopie pies, mint and vanilla buttercreams

Talking with the audience after the demo

My first autograph!

The fan who asked for my autograph!

Whoopie pie recipes

Whoopie pie samples