FOOD

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BEST OF SWEETS

WE ASKED OUR READERS: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT IN THE 517 FOR SWEET TREATS?

BY MARY GAJDA

FLOUR CHILD BAKERY Flour Child Bakery on Bridge Street in Grand Ledge is a scratch bakery and makes great pastries, according to our readers. From brownies to pistachio-and-chocolatechip cannoli, we can see why. Something cool we found on the website at flourchildbakeryandcafe.com? The business offers lactation cookies for preorder. The product is said to have ingredients that help nursing moms. How sweet is that? PARK LAKE CREAMERY Located on Park Lake Road in Bath, Park Lake Creamery is known for premium ice cream, gourmet coffee and artisan chocolate. Its Facebook page @ParkLakeCreamery shows mouthwatering coconutalmond bars and even a tutorial for using Park Lake’s crafting chocolate to make the perfect mocha. Park Lake Creamery’s co-owner and chocolatier, Konstantin Zsigo, will mostly likely have his hands very full for Valentine’s Day. BAKE N’ CAKES A cruise down Kalamazoo Street in Lansing will lead you to Bake N’ Cakes for everything from custom cakes to fresh-baked cookies, cheesecakes, pies and cupcakes. Perhaps you could start the day with a fresh cinnamon roll and end it with a piece of Bake N’ Cakes’ popular carrot cake. This family-owned business has been around since 1983 and prides itself on using the finest quality ingredients. Visit bakencakes.com.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

We’d need pages upon pages to mention all the favorites, but our readers love Hinkley Bakery in Jackson for hot-glazed doughnut holes, Gigi’s Cupcakes of East Lansing for gourmet cupcakes, Mitten Raised Bakery in East Lansing for sweets galore and the Social Sloth Café and Bakery in downtown Lansing for flavors with a Turkish ethnic twist and a Mediterranean touch. Keep supporting all of these fine bakeries and small businesses.