Only the Sweet & Savory Bake Shop could take a simple cookie and transform it into an award-winning, gourmet dessert two years in a row.
‘It just shows that we really care about what we do and we put a lot of thought into the process,? said Debbie Meyers, who co-owns the downtown Oxford bakery with her partner Scott Eschelbach.
Sweet & Savory won the People’s Choice Award at the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Third Annual Cookie Gala held March 30 at Detroit’s Atheneum Suite Hotel. The award was voted on by the more than 400 people who attended the gala.
‘It’s probably one of our favorite events,? Meyers said. ‘It’s a bunch of happy people eating dessert all night. You can’t beat that, right??
The competition featured Sweet & Savory along with 13 prominent Metro Detroit restaurants, all creating delectable desserts and appetizers using various Girl Scout cookies as part of the recipe.
‘They give you a cookie. You don’t get to choose your cookie,? Meyers noted.
Sweet & Savory was given Lemon Chalet Cremes, a sandwich cookie featuring a lemon cream in the middle.
‘We make a fresh lemon curd here that is always really popular in tarts and things, so it just came to mind immediately to pair (the cookie) with our lemon curd in some way,? Meyers said.
Meyers and Eschelbach decided to use the cookie to create a variation of a traditional English dessert ? the trifle.
Sweet & Savory’s lemon trifle consists of layers of lemon mousse, lemon curd, fresh raspberries and blueberries, and crushed Lemon Chalet Creme cookies.
‘Usually, in a trifle, you use a pound cake, but we replaced it with cookies instead,? Meyers said.
They also used the crushed cookies, in combination with white chocolate, to create a ‘cookies and creme bark? to garnish the dessert.
Folks attending the Cookie Gala absolutely loved it.
‘They were just raving as they were tasting it,? Meyers said. ‘Lots of people came back for more and told us it was the best in the room.?
‘Everybody thought it looked beautiful and tasted beautiful,? Eschelbach said. ‘That’s our objective ? for it to be good inside and outside.?
It was a particularly sweet victory for Sweet & Savory given they competed against such notable restaurants as 220 in Birmingham, The Lark, Andiamo Detroit Riverfront, The Hill Seafood and Chop House, and The Roostertail.
‘When you walk in and you’re up against 13 restaurants, you never know what’s going to happen,? Eschelbach said. ‘It was good to be recognized.?
‘Since we’re a bakery and we don’t do plated desserts everyday to win two years in a row was really exciting for us,? Meyers said.
Last year, Sweet & Savory won the CEO’s Choice award at the gala.
Located at 9 S. Washington Street, Sweet & Savory Bake Shop will celebrate its ninth year in October. For more information, please call (248) 628-4210 or visit the bakery on-line at www.sweetandsavoryonline.com.