A few weeks ago I attended the wedding reception of a friend where I had my first experience with some of the delicious baked goods that come out of The Flour Shop located at the Shops at Highland Village. I couldn’t stop thinking about them after I ate them, so I figured the best solution would be to feature them on Foodie Friday so that I’d have an excuse to try out some more of their fantastic goodies!
So, this week we headed over to chat with owner and chef, Cara Vasquez, about how she was able to turn this incredible dream of hers into a reality.
After graduating from high school, Cara found herself struggling with what to do next in life. And after going back and forth, ultimately followed some advice from her mother to turn one of her favorite hobbies into a possible career and enroll in culinary school. So, Cara attended the El Centro College Food & Hospitality Institute in downtown Dallas where she refined her passion and skills. She then spent the next 10 years working as a baker and bakery manager for a Dallas restaurant. And then about 4 1/2 years ago, was able to fulfill her dreams of owning her own bakery when she opened The Flour Shop in Highland Village.
As we talked to Cara, it was incredible to see all of the passion and love for what she does come through. When we asked her what people should know about her bakery, we received what I think is one of the all-time greatest answers we’ve ever received from any previous Foodie Friday owner. This is what she said:
“I still walk in every day and can’t believe this is mine. I mean, who gets to come to work and bake every day? I cannot express how much I appreciate how welcoming everyone has been and how much support we’ve received since we opened. And I love that I’m able to bring my passion and recipes to the public. For us, it’s about creating something special. It’s about awakening a memory or emotion. And that means the world to me.”
I mean, how could you not want to eat some of her fabulous creations after hearing something like that? There’s a reason everything she serves is so delicious and it’s because of that passion and love for what she does.
So, let’s talk about some of those awesome bakery items, shall we?
My favorite thing we tried was her Black Velvet cupcake which is a typical Red Velvet cupcake filled with a chocolate ganache. My life was changed forever the moment I tasted it, and I’m so grateful that I had the foresight to take 4 of them home with me!
I love that they get so creative with their flavors here! While the State Fair was going on, they served fair-related cupcakes including a Funnel Cake cupcake, a Fried Cookie Dough cupcake and a Fried Oreo cupcake. And now that it’s Fall, they’re serving flavors like Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Spice.
But they don’t serve just cupcakes! They’ve also got a great assortment of cookies, brownies, pies and the biggest Rice Krispie Treats I’ve ever seen!
Another awesome thing you should know about The Flour Shop is that they have a special Thanksgiving menu prepared to help you out with your big meal! Included on the menu are some great options like tons of pies (caramel apple, pumpkin pecan, chocolate cream), breads (pumpkin spice, cranberry apple, dinner rolls), and – of course – cupcakes.
Just keep in mind that your orders have to be placed by Monday, November 23rd, at 2 p.m. and that order pick-up is that Wednesday – just in time for the holiday!
Or maybe you’re hosting a holiday party and you’d like a custom cake – The Flour Shop can do that too! Just take a look at some of the beautiful cakes they’ve created for other customers!
The moral of the story is that we had a great time getting to know Cara and hearing her story about how The Flour Shop came into existence. And we’re so lucky to have such a passionate and inspiring bakery owner like her right here in our community!
So, we definitely encourage you to support The Flour Shop and would definitely suggest you find a way to incorporate some of their tasty options into your holiday meals this year!
Have a great weekend, Foodies! And don’t forget to come visit us at the Dorothy’s Dash today at Flower Mound High School where we’ll be collecting entries for our “Foodie Friday: Dinner for Two” contest!
*The Flour Shop is located at The Shops at Highland Village, 1401 Shoal Creek #150, Highland Village TX 75077.
Jay Marks updates the Foodie Friday blog each week. Read more at http://iamjaymarks.wordpress.com
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