The LaFave family, a mother and two daughters, have perfected the art of baking macarons. They’ve unlocked their creativity in the kitchen and are ready to share their spin-off on the french pastry with Racine.
The family-owned business, Create Cafe, began operating in March of 2022. Heidi LaFave and her daughters, Shelby and JAKlynn are the creators and bakers.
“If you say macaroon, with two Os, that’s the coconut hard cookie. Macrons with one O is the French delicate cookie. We make the French delicate cookie,” says Heidi.
Becoming Bakers
“My oldest daughter wanted to learn how to make them (macarons) and I’d been promising forever,” Heidi notes.
Heidi followed through on her promise and the trio learned how to make these sandwich cookies. Sharing the small treats with family and friends led to selling these delights at various markets and events on the weekends.
Come Oct. 8, their new business will open up at the Midwest Market, 2210 Rapids Drive. They’re putting down roots in the former Crumbs & Icing storefront at the market.
They will open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. The grand opening will feature a pink champagne macaron tower.
Their own roles
The three have their own personal roles in the Create Cafe. Together, they are creative minds making creative macarons.
Like any mom, Heidi oversees the business and helps where help is needed.
Shelby, who does not live with her mom and sister, visits their house to bake. She’s in the kitchen all hours of the night preparing and baking these sweet meringue-based confections.
JAKlynn is in charge of the filling. She puts the cream base between the two cookies.
“She’s also my taste tester because she lives with me,” says her mom about JAKlynn.
Create Cafe: more than macarons
While you eat, you’re invited to shop their gift store items. Custom orders are also accepted for gift items and macarons.
“Whether it be crafts or stuff that we bake, we create everything,” says Heidi.
Their business, Create Cafe, provides something sweet for shoppers visiting the Midwest Market. It’s also a place to buy gift items. The trio spends time making custom gifts and crafts.
They have personalized egg carton holders, mugs, home decor, and more.
Create Cafe’s bakers currently work out of Heidi’s home. They will soon operate out of a kitchen in Kenosha. It’s another step forward for their business as they scale their shop.
Together, the family focuses on bonding with each other by baking. The outcome is quality time together, financial help for the girls, and a treat for the community to eat.
Their own spin
The LaFave family is taking this cookie to the next level. Offering unique, original designs, and six flavors each month is what sets their macarons apart from others.
Right now, Create Cafe has cookie dough, cran-raspberry, maple, cookies & cream, Butterfinger, and chocolate ganache macarons in stock.
“They are also gluten-free. We want to stay gluten-free because we have a couple of family members that have to eat gluten-free.”
Heidi LaFave, Create Cafe owner
This design process doesn’t compromise their taste, but shows off the baker’s skills.
When it was time to go back to school, they created rulers, apples, and pencil macarons. They’ve even designed macarons that look like cheeseburgers and cows. This Halloween they are working on creating a Hocus Pocus-themed macaron.
According to Heidi, important steps when making macarons include waiting the right amount of time for them to dry, paying attention to the humidity and making sure the batter is the right consistency.
It is a labor of love.
Learn more
Find more information about this business spotlight by visiting their website. Visit their Facebook page for more details, to request custom orders, or to learn more.
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