close window ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL-OUTLOOK Thursday, June 12, 2003 French Cafe, a Bakery, a Place for Kids By Charlotte Balcomb Lane Journal Staff Writer DELICIOUS IN DOWNTOWN: A delightful new pastry shop opened in mid-May in Plaza Escalante just east of Downtown. The shop, called Patisserie C, Creative Cakes and Cookies, is the brainchild of baker and decorator Suzy Caplan, a native of Albuquerque. She left a career in hotel sales and marketing to take up her first loves — baking and decorating. "I realized how much I love to create pretty things," explained Caplan, adding that the "C" of the name can stand for either "chocolate" or "creative." Of course, Caplan is another option. Patisserie C makes colorful cakes for birthdays, graduations and baby showers, and decorates them with whimiscal chocolate plaques, edible drawings and buttercream designs. Caplan also specializes in wedding cakes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies and unusual truffles with flavors like almond-amaretto and chocolate-carrot cake. Patisserie C also serves breakfast goodies prepared by her father, Reuben Caplan, a frequent winner of baking contests at the New Mexico State Fair. Breakfast specialties include pastries, muffins, sour cream pound cake and Caplan's award-winning cinnamon rolls.   close window