Maddiebird Bakery: Sweet Comfort

Friday, January 20th dawned chilly and rainy in Chicagoland, and I had a feeling it was going to be a down day. I work at a local faith-based nonprofit, and I wanted to do something special for my wonderful colleagues. Religious organizations often seek to nurture their community with both spiritual and corporeal food, so I figured I'd spread the love...with cupcakes!

Maddiebird Bakery has been in the Rogers Park/Edgewater area on Devon for the past couple of years. I first tried their confections during the RogersEdge Restaurant Crawl last autumn, and their bite-sized samples were memorable and heavenly. They also specialize in glorious gourmet cakes for any occasion. One easily can tell that their treats are made with creativity, dedication, and affection.

These were sold out, alas!

When I stopped by last week I asked the owner, Michele, for the PussyHat cupcakes they had advertised on social media. Unfortunately they were sold out, but it led to a pleasant discourse on how important it is to create safe spaces in our neighborhood- and Michele made it clear that Maddiebird is one such safe space. It's a relief to know that Edgewater and East Rogers Park can enjoy tasty treats in comfort.

I've never really considered myself to be a cupcake person- I'm a bit too dainty to think about taking huge bites and ending up with frosting on my nose- but I think Maddiebird has converted me. My office mates and I happily shared an assortment that included banana with vanilla frosting and chocolate with salted caramel frosting. I had the S'mores cupcake, and it was just as good as the real thing...maybe better. Picture a chocolate cake with a thin layer of molten chocolate on top, and a tasty tower of creamy vanilla frosting sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs and topped with the cutest little red heart. Imagine my surprise when I finally found my way to the middle of the cake to discover a marshmallow fluff center! *SWOON* Irresistible.

I definitely want some more of Maddiebird's S'mores confection!

 We all cope with different situations in different ways, and I knew that the best way I could observe Inauguration Day would be by bringing something made with love to those around me. Thank goodness Maddiebird Bakery was there to help me facilitate.