Mermaids Bakery and Pie House, Denver, Colorado

Posted by Brandon Shook on January 31, 2010 0 Comments

Now that’s a fashionable Mermaid.

If you’re not a writer, you may not know that when constructing a story or an article – a proper one – at least, should have a introduction that gives way to a story arc that rises to a climax and then ebbs into a conclusion. Well, in today’s article we’re going to forget proper writing etiquette and go straight to the climax. Mermaid’s Bakery and Pie House in Colorado has 30 flavors of cup cakes….are you hearing me? 30 FLAVORS! Move over Baskin-Robbins you’ve officially been replaced in my heart. Sorry, got a little excited there.

And, worthy of my excitement, Diana Ayala, owner of said “land of deliciousness,” has worked long and hard to create a delectable range of masterpieces as whimsical as the bakery’s name. Diana got a lot of her inspiration from her mother and grandmother, and when she was a child she had two dreams: to be as creative as possible, and to become a mermaid. And look, she did it one fell swoop…who says dreams don’t come true. Now all I have to do is work on becoming a “superhero” (since that’s my dream) … After five minutes of frantically jumping in the air I decided to give flying a break.

You would think the natural progression of her childhood dream would be to go from child, to baking – to mermaid right? Well actually Diana went to school to study fashion. Yeah, now not every bakery comes equipped with its own fashion designer. Diana took her love for fashion and creativity and turned it towards her love for baking. When you think about it, it’s pretty obvious how fashion can play a role in baking. If you check out some of Diana’s crazier cakes you’ll understand too. Like the TV show “Ace of Cakes,” Diana has created some rather amazing masterpieces. She has built everything from a haunted house complete with a “Thriller” version of Michael Jackson, to a giant Tiki head. But don’t be fooled by her whimsical designs. Diana also does serious and elegant wedding cakes too.

Despite having a small kitchen to work with, Diana is able to use her space and ingredients to her advantage. Everything they cook with is made of organic and natural ingredients and that’s why people always come back for more. Diana is able to make sweets that aren’t too sweet, but are truly tasty at the same time.

Diana also listens to her community. When people began looking for gluten free-goodies Diana felt bad there weren’t a lot of good gluten-free deserts for people to buy. Through a lot of trial and error and some help from her friends, Diana was able to add gluten-free deserts to her menu. The Mermaids Bakery and Pie House is a shining testament to Diana’s hard work, and the increasing number of cupcakes are a tribute to to her creativity. So if you ever find yourself lost in Denver with an aching sweet tooth, look up Mermaids Bakery, you won’t be disappointed.

For a taste of Mermaids Bakery and Pie House in your own kitchen, try out their Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, and let us know how things turn out!
(Recipe generously provided by Diana of Mermaids Bakery and Pie House in Denver, CO)

Mermaid’s “Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies”

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1.In an electric mixer: Cream the butter, shortening, and sugars. Add eggs one at a time and mix until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.

2. With the mixer off, add dry ingredients and mix on lowest speed until just combined, Do not over mix

3. Use an ice cream scoop to make even size balls of dough and place six on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 3 inches apart. Press dough down with a spatula to make about 4 inch rounds.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 8 minutes and take out of the oven, (the cookies will continue to cook on the sheet after you take them out). Do not over bake. Leave on sheets for 2 minutes before removing. Place on a wire rack and let cool.

Filling:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip all ingredients in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, evenly spread 2 tablespoons of filling onto baked underside of a cooled peanut butter cookie, gently press another cookie onto the filling.

Store in an air tight container.

Contact or visit Mermaids Bakery and Pie House at:
1542 Champa Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 534-0956

For directions, click the “View Larger Map” link directly below the map!

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