Dining

Featured Chef Ben Lieberman of Talavera Restaurant, Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North.

Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, was recently in town to launch her latest delicious creations and the new Sprinkles ATM. She sat down with Arizona Foothills Magazine to share what’s coming to Scottsdale.

AFM: What inspired you to turn your love of baking cupcakes into such a successful business?

CN: I always grew up baking with my mom, and I really loved baking classic American desserts. Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, cupcakes and that was something I did because I grew up overseas and you couldn’t always get those things in local stores because I grew up in Indonesia and I had to make them myself if I wanted to eat them. So that was something I did all throughout my childhood and then I rediscovered it again after a career, small stint, in investment banking. I worked for a dot. com, I ended up going to pastry school and realized that I wanted to dedicate my life to this. I had no idea whether or not I would be able to make a living doing it, but my husband was supportive and he said “let’s give it a go” and so I just started working out of my kitchen and it grew from there.

AFM: You started your business in Beverly Hills. Are there any differences (clientele, location, etc.) you had to account for when the bakery in Scottsdale was created?

CN: Well, all of our customers are important no matter where we open. It just so happens that when we opened in Beverly Hills we had a lot of celebrities that come into our store, but the celebrities have to wait in line just like everybody else. It is very democratic, and we try to provide the best customer service to everyone. But in terms of differences between the locations, there are baking differences based on the climate. When we came to Scottsdale, I had to do a little bit of adjustment of the recipes because it is so dry and we had to make sure there was enough moisture in the cupcakes. We also developed these large Ziploc bags which we never had before. That was just when we got to Scottsdale so when people got their cupcakes they could zip in the moisture and, if it sat on their shelf for a few hours or overnight, they wouldn’t turn rock hard like what happens when you buy a loaf of bread and don’t protect it. So there are differences like that, but in terms of the clientele, all of our clientele is important.

AFM: This fall you plan on bringing the Cupcake ATM to Arizona. Can you tell us more about that?

CN: We are going to bring a single Cupcake ATM, and it will be connected to our store here. It will be the fourth Cupcake ATM. The first was in Beverly Hills, then we went to Chicago and I think Dallas will be open prior to getting open here. It’s a really special unique thing; we developed the first ever Cupcake ATM and it’s been a big hit in Beverly Hills where we opened it over a year ago. You get a freshly baked cupcake by swiping your card anytime, day or night, 24 hours a day. We have lines in Beverly Hills early in the morning, so people getting out of clubs or a late party with the munchies can now come to Sprinkles.

AFM: How do you keep them fresh?

CN: The ATMs open on to our bakery so bakery workers can very easily stock. The ATM holds up to 600 cupcakes but we never stock it that full because we are trying to keep it refreshed. There are basically only a few hours every day that they are in our store because we clean, prepare, and lock up for the next morning and the first workers get here at 3 or 4 in the morning, so there are only a few hours someone isn’t there so the cupcakes are always really fresh and that’s why it’s very important that the ATM is connected to our store.

AFM: Do you have anything new coming soon for Sprinkles fans?

CN: We opened an ice cream store in Beverly Hills a year ago. We are scouting a location for an ice cream store here in Scottsdale. We haven’t quite found it yet or nailed it down so we don’t have an announcement to make quite yet but we are definitely planning to bring the ice cream here because it’s such a perfect market, a perfect climate. We have two; we just opened one in Newport Beach after the success of Beverly Hills it’s been doing great. Beautiful homemade ice cream, we make it all ourselves, the best chocolate, vanilla, we make all of our own chocolate chips... It’s really special, old school American ice cream. It’s not gelato or frozen yogurt; it’s dense and creamy and gooey and really delicious.

AFM: You are about to start filming for the ninth season of “Cupcake Wars”. What’s it like on the show?

CN: Yes, season 9 begins in a couple weeks so we will be filming that. We’ve done over 100 shows so far so it’s been pretty amazing to see the success of that show. It airs all over the world, I mean it’s shown in Brazil and Singapore, so the popularity of the cupcake has grown worldwide.

AFM: Is there anything else you would like to share?

CN: Well, we launched our new sugar- free red velvet cupcake and we have a gluten- free and a vegan red velvet, so this is sort of the last thing we didn’t have for people with restricted diets. So, in response to customers asking for it, we are now launching it and hopefully people will like it in time for summer. We also have a lemon meringue cupcake coming out this summer which will be a unique cupcake for us because of it has lemon curd in the center, and we haven’t done curds before. It has a toasted marshmallow top and a sweet graham cracker crust.

AFM: Will you be trying to offer other cupcake flavors for those with dietary restrictions as well?

CN: Well, we will see how it goes and how popular it is. We figure that our main, core business is standard, more traditional cupcakes but we wanted to have at least one offering for people who couldn’t really indulge alongside their friends. People with Celiac or aren’t eating animal products or are diabetic and we wanted to do that. But if we are going to do that then we want it to be in our most popular flavor; not to say that we won’t come out with other flavors in vegan, gluten and sugar- free, but I don’t have a time frame on that right now.

AFM: What is the most popular cupcake?

CN: Red velvet is definitely our most popular cupcake; it doesn’t matter what store, it doesn’t matter where we are, it is always our number one seller.

AFM: What is your favorite cupcake?

CN: Dark chocolate. I like dark chocolate without the sprinkles because I feel that sometimes the sprinkles get in the way of the texture, that creamy frosting. Whenever I order dark chocolate it’s without sprinkles but you can get it either way.

India Plaza is celebrating 10 years serving the Valley of the Sun, highlighted by “India Plaza Night,” held April 14 at the two-acre center, 1872 E Apache Blvd., just east of McClintock Road in Tempe.

Photos by Russ Baurichter

Cabs to cabooses: We’ve got your ticket this month and next.

To celebrate women this month, and prepare for Valentine’s Day in February, we’re riding the spectacular Verde Canyon Railroad, an Arizona entertainment treasure, and enjoying some fine wine, and chocolates, on the way.

From the depot in Clarkdale, about an hour and a half north of the Valley, the scenic train runs year-round through the sublime Verde Canyon, offering riders eons of geology, red rock cliffs like those of nearby world-destination Sedona, Native American ruins, classic railroad trestles, a 680-foot man-made tunnel and a riparian habitat, where eagles make their nests and hunt.

Since 1990, more than one million passengers have enjoyed the four-hour roundtrip journey on the standard-gauge railroad, which includes vintage FP7 diesel locomotives, eight first-class cars, two coach-class cars, six open-air viewing cars and a private caboose.

Last February, the original Verde Valley Railway celebrated its 100th anniversary. The tracks once transported millions of dollars of copper from the area to Drake, where the ore was shipped along the Santa Fe to other areas of the country. After the mines closed in 1953, the line became the “Verde Mix” because of the blend of freight, livestock and passengers. Owner Dave Durbano purchased the line in 1988 and transformed it into one of the Southwest’s great scenic railroads.

Throughout the year, the railroad schedules special events. For Valentine’s Day, the Chocolate Lovers’ Festival, Feb. 12 through 17, features platters of desserts, chocolate fountains and specialty drinks in select first-class cars. “If the weather is chilly, our passengers snuggle on a love seat and watch nature’s love story scroll by through the coach’s panoramic windows,” says Teresa Propeck, spokeswoman for the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Love story? Adding to the colors, the red rock formations and the river, high on the cliffs are nests of eagles, who monogamously mate for life. On board, rail guests enjoy wines by Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery in California. These private-label bottles can also be purchased at the Whistle Stop boutique at the depot.

Let’s quaff:
2009 Chardonnay (All Aboard) — This wine is hand-crafted using a traditional cold-fermentation process in stainless steel tanks and then barrel aged in combination neutral and new oak barrels from France. This achieves a balance between neutral acidity and forward fruit characteristics.

Winemaker notes: “The 2009 chardonnay is a lovely hue of gold, with beautiful clarity and aromas of pear and vanilla custard. Medium-bodied in mouth feel, this versatile wine features flavors of white peach and a lingering finish of vanilla toast and spice.”

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Locomotive 1512) — Weibel’s cabernet vineyards are in Redwood Valley, a unique viticulture area. Mendocino County has warm days like Napa Valley and Sonoma County but cooler nights, which accentuates the delicate flavor nuances in the grapes as well as promotes a refreshing crispness. The estate vineyard showcases that classic Mendocino County character superbly.

Winemaker notes: “Rich, deep garnet color with aromas of dark fruits, hints of tobacco and toast, this smooth and well-structured cab will age beautifully. Weibel Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a rich, full, ripe style with a bounty of fruit on the palate and a long intriguing finish.”

2010 Pinot Noir (Route Red) — Weibel’s pinot noir vineyards in Potter Valley, in eastern Mendocino County, produce intensely flavored berries which have unique characteristics.

Winemaking focuses on conscientious methods including maintaining the elements of terroir and vigilance in barrel selection.

Winemaker notes: “It has lush, bright cherry and raspberry on the nose, followed with fresh berry-cherry flavor on the mid-palate. It finishes with nuances of rose petal and a hint of clove.”

2009 Merlot (Engine Engine) — Weibel’s merlot vineyards are in the southeastern Ukiah Valley-Talmage farming area—river bench land and soil consisting of sandy loam with a rocky substrate, which lends to excellent drainage.

Winemaker notes: “Known for its deep garnet color and bold plum nose, our merlot is multifaceted on the palate with elements of deep, dark fruits layered with spice and cedar. It finishes with long, unique anise, herbaceous flavors.”

Private Cuvee/California Brut Sparkling Wine (Escape) — Weibel handcrafts this traditional Brut in stainless steel tanks which retain the crisp bright flavors of chardonnay and pinot noir.

Winemaker notes: “A pale straw color with absolute clarity, our estate Brut has aromatics of tropical fruit, subtle notes of banana and pineapple that grace the nose, followed by flavors or bright, crisp apple with hints of melon and pear. The enticing finish has a delightful candied apple impression with a hint of spice.”

TO LEARN MORE
Verde Canyon Railroad www.verdecanyonrr.com.