You have enough to do, cooking your holiday entree and side dishes. Let someone else help with the baked goods.
Persian-inspired carrot cake
Sisters Nela and Zara Salehi of Atlanta-based Shirini Bakery offer sweet treats that reflect their Iranian-American heritage, and which are made from recipes inspired by their father’s baking. We started with shirin cake (“shirin” translates to “sweet” in Farsi), which is their carrot cake, but goes far beyond the traditional idea of what carrot cake can be. The moist cake layers include sliced almonds, golden raisins and dried barberries, along with the carrots, and the cream cheese frosting is topped with thin strips of candied carrots. Barberries are one of the surprises here; a bit tart, they more commonly are used in savory dishes. Truly, this is the best carrot cake ever. We couldn’t look at their offerings without ordering a few others, such as the macaroons that started the business — and which come in the classic almond and coconut flavors, but also cinnamon apple and matcha. We also enjoyed puff pastry sticks dusted with powdered sugar, as well as Persian rice cookies, made of rice flour, flavored with rosewater and topped with poppy seeds. Also, the pistachio cupcakes with rosewater frosting, garnished with dried rose petals, are amazing.
$14 per 6-inch cake. Order online for delivery, or for pickup at Prep Atlanta. shirinibakery.com.
Credit: raven468
Credit: raven468
Vegan cheesecake
Yes, there is such a thing as vegan cheesecake, and when you serve one from Raven McGrew of Atlanta-based Madame Gypsy’s Bakery, we can promise you it will be as decadent as any dairy cheesecake. McGrew makes her cheesecakes using cashews and coconut as the base, then her imagination runs wild. We sampled several flavors, including the very seasonal sweet potato silk cheesecake — perfect for your holiday table. If you’re willing to go with chocolate, McGrew offers several options, including the Turtle (vanilla cheesecake with caramel and chocolate ganache, salted pecans and chocolate buttercream) and the Queen of Cups (peanut butter cheesecake topped with homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream). McGrew bakes vegan pastries, too, including brownies, mini-cheesecakes, chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake bars. Gluten-free options are available on request.
$65-$70 per 9-inch cheesecake, which serves 10. Order at madamegypsys.com. Orders can be picked up with three days notice, or delivered with four days notice.
Credit: Leah Lonsbury
Credit: Leah Lonsbury
Yeast rolls
“Eat well. Do good. Change lives.” That is the motto of Atlanta nonprofit Just Bakery, and you can do all that just by ordering your Thanksgiving baked goods from them. The bakers are resettled refugees, who receive job training, professional certification and a living wage while baking a range of delicious baked goods. For Thanksgiving, you can order yeast rolls that need just 20 minutes to emerge hot and fragrant, ready for the table, as well as ready-to-serve pumpkin pecan bread, pumpkin cheesecake (both regular and gluten-free), and two varieties of pie: apple and black bottom butterscotch pecan. All are available for pickup Nov. 19-24 at locations in Decatur, Dunwoody and Tucker, or can be delivered for a $5 fee. Just Bakery also is baking its regular assortment of breads, including rosemary and sea salt focaccia and — our favorite — multigrain. Other treats include jeera biscuits (cumin-scented Nepalese shortbread) and cheesy garlic bread sticks. All are available for pickup or delivery.
$12 per dozen yeast rolls, $30 for pies or regular cheesecake, $35 for gluten-free cheesecake, $5.50 for vegan petite pumpkin pecan bread. Click on the Order for Thanksgiving button at justbakeryatl.org.
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