Dolce Mami

After I moved to Mazatlan it took me awhile to get over my love of flan and move back to my love of cake. But back I am (ahem), mostly due to the many Dolce Mami bakeries all over town. I had been missing dark chocolate, rich buttery desserts, “real” pecan pie and other such things until I started sampling (ahem again) some of the taste treats here, and now it’s sort of a lost cause. It doesn’t help (my figure or my waistline) that so many coffee shops and restaurants now carry their line of adorable, delicious individual two- and three-layer cakes, either. (What, you say - these are meant to be shared by two?! Harumph!) In the mornings, with coffee, it’s hard to say no to their moist, feathery Carrot Cake; come late afternoon, maybe it’s a mini-Guayaba Pie that strikes my fancy; and after dinner? Well, then it’s time to break out the German Chocolate, Tres Leches or Vanilla-Strawberry Cake. Now, you can buy full-size and even order party-size cakes, but my favorites are the tiny, 3-inch pasteles (cakes). Quality ingredients are what make the real difference at Dolce Mami, and calories notwithstanding, you get a bang for your buck that’s definitely worthwhile in my book. Perfect for gift-giving for every occasion, just the right size for a snack or dessert and beautiful just to look at, the cakes, pies and cookies at Dolce Mami won the 2010 Mazzie Award for Best Bakery by a landslide. -Janet Blaser