By Erin Frank

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know by now I have a sweet tooth.  Imagine my satisfaction when I came across a table brimming with mini pecan pies, sweet potato pies, pecan pralines, red velvet cupcakes and more at sfnoir’s Wine & Food Gala this weekend.  The creator of this sweet spread?  Yvonne Hines, a baker and Bay Area native who is whipping up delightful Southern-style cakes and cookies just the way she likes them.

Take her Pecan Pralines for example—the Southern candy confection made with butter, sugar, milk and pecans is her signature sweet.  My personal favorite is her “Old School” Butter Cookie, a retro style treat based on the cookie recipe used at her school cafeteria growing up.  Yvonne’s authentic flavors and family recipes add a touch of nostalgia to her desserts.

I’d never recommend something I didn’t try for myself, so of course I had to have one of each. And at an event where I was already stuffed to the gills and limiting the portions I ate of each dish, Yvonne’s desserts were the one thing I ate every crumb of.  Her pecan pie has just the right amount of sweet with an incredibly layered flavor.  Her Red Velvet cupcakes are moist little cakes with just a touch of frosting.  If you’re looking for a fun twist on traditional treats for a dessert bar at your wedding, Pralines by Yvonne might be just what you need.

Want a little of everything but can’t imagine not cutting the cake?  In addition to her pies and cookies Yvonne makes buttery pound cakes, carrot cake, German chocolate cake, and even something called “Mama’s 7-Up Cake.”  I’ll be heading to her bakery to try some of these for myself (in the name of research of course!).

I’m continually amazed at all this area has to offer, and I love meeting bakers and chefs who express themselves through something delicious.  Yvonne started her business baking for friends and family, then turned her passion into a profession.  As she says, “It has been a sweet journey.”  With a mouth full of butter cookie crumbs, I had to agree.

Pralines by Yvonne

5128 Third Street, San Francisco, CA  94124

www.pralinesbyyvonne.com

For more information on special orders for weddings contact Yvonne at pralines@mail.com.