SAVORY & SWEET SISTERS | November 2015

The Sugar Path 315 W. State Street, Geneva www.thesugarpath.com 630.262.3353 Owners: Michelle & Nina

A SWEET STOP IN THE WESTERN SUBURBS As the temperature falls, leaves change color, harvest is underway and what a wonderful bounty this year brings. With all the crisp ripe apples we decided to get to the bottom of The Sugar Path’s pie secrets. They offer year round pie baking classes so with our aprons and rolling pins in hand we headed to Geneva. These sisters’ story is as sweet as the pie.

It all started in the small town of Sterling, IL with their Mother and Grandparents. After their Grandfather returned from the war he found solace and peace in gardening. With their abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables their Grandma got to baking! These sisters grew to love baking and decided to share their desserts with everyone. Opening The Sugar Path gave them a chance to do just that. It’s a place they wanted people to stop by for a savory or sweet treat while escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday.

So what are their secrets? They gather only the best ingredients. As we found in class the kind of butter you use can make a big difference to the taste of the crust. Michelle and Nina only use Midwestern butter from Wisconsin cows. Michelle shared with us, “often times it doesn’t matter the recipe it’s the ingredients”. These sugar sisters like to shop local and are often found at Heritage Prairie farm, Selmis, Kuipers, Windy Acres and the local green market. These precious pies have to sometimes wait for key ingredients and always depend on the season. The pumpkin pie is their Grandmother’s recipe with cream from Kilgus dairy and local spices. Our favorite Salty Honey starts with locally sourced honey made into custard and topped with shaved sea salt. The Sugar Path isn’t all pie. The cupcakes look just as good as they taste. T

hey have created hundreds of cupcake flavors. The Sugar Path features about 8 cupcake flavors every day. Nina finds the time to add all the details to these mini cakes. She remembers her Grandmother always having a yellow cake with chocolate frosting in the fridge. Salty Caramel is a favorite and starts with a chocolate cupcake, vanilla buttercream, caramel drizzle and sea salt. The pumpkin cupcake is perfect for this brisk weather. A pumpkin cupcake topped with maple cream cheese frosting and a pumpkin pie crust cut-out. We always love the Do-Cups a combination of donuts and cupcakes. Delish! Another favorite is the Quiche.. of course the crust is amazing!

The Sugar Sisters sum it up, “Pie Is the type of dessert that causes people to put their busy lives on pause; to sit down at the table and linger over it with a steaming mug of coffee; to strike up family conversations.” This Thanksgiving as you gather your families around the table don’t forget the dessert!

ABOUT THE CRITICS Stephanie & Tiffany Schmoker are west suburban sisters who have always shared a love for dining out and they also enjoy cooking together. They came from a family of 7 and grew up on farm with fresh fruits, veggies and more. Watch for their review of a different west suburban restaurant in each issue of Glancer Magazine.

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