Welcome to
NIQUI BAKES
Niqui Bakes is the name of my new home baking business here in El Dorado County, California.
Though my experience is long, the business is new, and as always, a one-woman show. It has a basic structure, and we will see how it evolves.
In short, my food story is: I am an Italian expat, and I used to be a chef/restaurateur when I still lived in Italy. Until I burned out, which is when I moved to Hawai'i.
I have recently returned to baking as a way to calm me and soothe my soul, and simply could not stop. Yielding to encouragement from family and friends, I started offering my baked treats to the neighborhood. The response was quite enthusiastic, so I made the jump, and here I am.
Who is Niqui? I am.
Niqui is a nickname, the short version of Monique, which is what my mum sometimes calls me.
DISCOVER
the baked treats I am offering
Cookies.... lots of those
I really enjoy baking cookies the most. They give me great satisfaction. They are like art in a bite.
The ones you see in these images are only few. My repertoire is rather large and keeps expanding, especially
as I tweak and update my old recipes from my restaurant years.
Cakes
Round cakes, loaf cakes, bundt cakes, small, medium and large.... and always what I enjoy eating myself.
Of course I am constrained by the California cottage license food list, but you can still do a lot within those parameters.
Tarts & Tartlets
Tarts large and small will begin to happen as soon as I have reworked my recipes to be compliant with the California cottage food requirements. That means no pastry cream, no fresh whipped cream and all that good stuff. Sigh!
ABOUT MY BAKING
how the process works
I bake everything fresh and from scratch.
The ingredients I use are as organic as possible. The eggs are usually local, but always from pasture raised chickens who eat well.
My baked treats are therefore 95% organic, even if I cannot label them so.
This is how I eat, so this is how I bake.
In a way, baking for me is like a meditative process. It soothes me and brings me joy. I would like for it to continue that way, because the joy and love is transferred to my baked treats.
And seriously, I bless the food and infuse it with energy each time, so I'm not kidding.
I bake what I love and what I enjoy eating myself. There is a lot of baked goods I love, and I like variety in everything.
What I don't like to eat or bake will not happen in my kitchen.
Generally, I bake two to three a week, usually so that fresh baked goods are ready for Friday pick up.
I bake something different every week, as that keeps it fun and interesting for everyone, myself included. I also like to follow the seasons as well as use herbs in my sweet treats.
Everything is beautifully packaged and presented, so they can also make wonderful gifts.
I post my weekly baking schedule on my Facebook page and Instagram account .
You can also find me in the local NextDoor chapter, and the El Dorado County Chat group on Facebook.
I would now like to invite you to enjoy browsing around this beautiful blog where, among many other things, you will find a lot of my recipes.
You can easily start from the latest posts below, or go to the main menu at the top of the page.
Latest Posts
Follow me on Instagram
Oops, I just realized that yesterday was World Chocolate Day! 🤎
How did I miss that?! 😄
Do you know that Hawai’i is (possibly) the only place in the world where cacao can both be grown and turned into chocolate?
I have a photo rich post on the blog where this story follows the chocolate making process from bean to bar starting in a cacao plantation on the North Shore of O’ahu.
You can find it among my links in my profile, or if you prefer, you can comment CHOCOLATE here and I am happy to send you the link directly.
Happy rest of this Tuesday (for some reason it felt like Sunday this morning), and happy rest of the week!
xoxo
M
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#loob_experience #chocolate #cacao #Hawaii #Oahu #hawaiichocolate #hawaiilife #hawaiinei #northshoreoahu #alohaspirit #oahulife #lethawaiihappen #foodguiltnomore #earthenergy #naturehealing #ichliebefoodblogs #wholefoods #mindfulfood #foodphotography #foodstyling
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©Monica Schwartz - all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce in any way without written consent.
🍓 PASSION FRUIT TARTLETS WITH SUMMER BERRIES 🫐
as July’s new Calendar Wallpaper!
Happy July everyone!!
I had made these Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Tartlets with Summer Berries for a 4th of July potluck party with my neighbors in Honolulu.
The brightness and summery colors of the images called to me, so I decided to feature them in the July Calendar Wallpaper. Of course the recipe is also available on the blog. I hope you will enjoy both wallpaper and recipe!
Download the wallpapers at the link in profile, or if you prefer, you can comment TARTLETS and I will be happy to message you the link directly.
May your July exceed your best expectations, and I wish a fantastic 4th of July weekend to all who celebrate!
xoxo
M
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#loob_food #theartofslowliving #calendarwallpaper #ilovesummer #summertime #summerfood #summerfruits #berries #summerlife #fourthofjuly #4thofjuly #passionfruittartlets #tartlets #fruittartlets #bakingforthesoul #bakedfromscratch #summerrecipes #foodstyling #foodphotography #berriesseason #mindfulbaking #bakingblogger #afternoontea #crostatine #italianfoodbloggers #dolcivisioni #summereats #mindfuleating #foraging #mindfulbaking
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© Monica Schwartz - all rights reserved. Do not reproduce in any way without written consent.
Happy 30th Birthday to my nephew Massimo, aka Max!!
Sorry I am not there to celebrate on the day, but such a big birthday wants more celebrations so we can do it again when I get there.
Also, as I prepared these images to be shared, I realized that: not only is it time for new photos, but that it is loooong time for new photos of his sister, my niece Greta.
So be ready, both of you, as I am putting this in my schedule for when I return.
🩵🥳🎂
M
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#loob_people #portraiture #environmentalportraiture #italianlife #portraiturephotography #peoplescreatives #portraitlegacy #artofportait #portaitshoot #makeportaitsmagazine
For al Orchid Lovers like me!!
I have just found out that, on July 26-27 San Francisco is hosting another wonderful Orchid event featuring glorious artistic displays, workshops and plant sales.
I have been to several of these events and love them. I even shared a photo-rich post on the blog for your pleasure, if you would like to get a preview. You can find it at the link in my profile or, if you prefer, you can comment ORCHIDS below and I will be happy to message you the link directly.
Orchids in the Park will take place at the SF County Fair Building, at 1199 9th Ave, SF and is organized by the San Francisco Orchid Society. You will find links to purchase tickets at the top and bottom of my post.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
🩷M
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#loob_nature #orchids #sanfrancisco #california #sfbucketlist #ilove_sanfrancisco #sanfranciscoworld #onlyinsf #mysanfrancisco #visitcalifornia #sanfrancitizens #sfbay #citybythebay #sfgate #igerssf #explorecalifornia #womenwhoexplore #solotraveler #girlslovetravel #thetravelwomen #cntraveler #summervibes #orchidlovers #naturephotography #flowerphotography #gardenphotography #gardentherapy #naturetherapy #flowersmakemehappy #moodforfloral
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©Monica Schwartz - all rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written consent.
🌟 NEW POST ON THE BLOG! 🌟
“My Foray Into Home Baking As A Business”
In this new post I share my personal experience between 2023-2024 when I found myself selling my baked treats like hotcakes and, for a while, seriously considering home baking as an actual business.
I share how it all happened, what I learned, the fun parts, the exhausting ones, what worked and what didn’t.
Whether you are thinking of starting a home baking business or not, I hope you will find it interesting. Besides, there are lots of drool-worthy pics in there to lift the spirits and tempt the taste buds.
You will find the link in my profile, under “Latest Post”, or you can comment BAKING under this post and I will be happy to send it to you directly.
Happy Wednesday everyone!
💗
Monica
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#loob_food #homebaking #homebakingbusiness #baking #bakingforthesoul #cookielover #italiancookies #bakersofig #bakingblogger #cookiemonster #cookies #amaretti #shortbreadcookies #afternoontea #foodandwine #cakelover #foodgawker #afternoonteaparty #teatimepoetry_ #italianfood #biscotti #cantucci #biscottidinatale #dolcettidinatale #mindfulbaking #mindfulfood #food52 #inmykitchen #cottagefood #bakedfromscratch
