342290 Mon Nov 13 14:42:23 -0800 2006 17 12 Boston Area 0 2016924 Since Hanley's closed last December, I've really been missing their brambles, particularly around the holidays since they were a tradition for me. (for those that don't know, Hanley's was an old-school bakery that made these amazingly light pastry cookies filled with raspberry...yum!) I remember a rumour a while back that the new bakery that took it's place would be carrying on the recipe... anyone know anything of it? Anyone been to the new bakery? I can't recall the name. It's on Centre Street in West Roxbury. Mon Nov 13 14:42:23 -0800 2006 17855 Kbee 1 2016931 Hi, Checked out the bakery last week - it's not open yet but it looks really nice inside. Seems liek they would have to be opening very soon. For some reason the name escapes me.. it's right next to the Real Deal on Centre st.. i believe it's owned by the same people. Mon Nov 13 14:47:53 -0800 2006 2016924 24728 Redhohoho 2 2016940 Yes, that's the one... not open yet? Wow, I was by there over the summer and it looked close. I had heard that since the owners were local and knew the Hanley's peeps that they would be carrying on some of their more popular recipes... hope it turns out to be true! The holidays just arent' the same without brambles, and I hate to think I'll never again eat one. Mon Nov 13 14:51:31 -0800 2006 2016931 17855 Kbee 3 2017176 The bakery is named Sugar and, yes, it's owned by the same guy that owns the Real Deal (he also owns the Brookline Spa, BTW). They are planning to carry the brambles and it's scheduled to open before the end of Nov. I was by on Friday and it looks like they could open today. Mon Nov 13 16:30:14 -0800 2006 2016940 15032 ChefOfTheFuture 1 2062241 Just was at Real Deal for lunch - delicious as always & couldn't resist picking up a loaf of the gorgeous bread Sugar has in the window! Also beautiful display of cookies & pastries. Good to see it was doing a great business. I don't know what they look like but apparently they do make 'brambles' Fri Dec 01 18:51:14 -0800 2006 2016924 25089 kparke30 2 2062321 Hopefully the brambles are better than the worst scone of my life that I had there last week. Fri Dec 01 19:13:36 -0800 2006 2062241 14253 Joanie 3 2067755 We went to Sugar the night before Thanksgiving... we ordred 6 brambles adn 1 loaf of pecan cranberry bread... it came to $10 and change!!! I won't be going there often w/ prices like that. I thought to myself this is no Lyndell's.. The brambles were good - nothing that I would faint over though. THe bread could have used more nuts and cranberry but it was nice lightly toasted w/ some butter. But I just thought the prices were a bit mouch.... Mon Dec 04 12:58:36 -0800 2006 2062321 24728 Redhohoho 1 2068297 stopped by yesterday afternoon after a pretty good BLT at the real deal (hot, crispy bacon!). sugar's breads (at least their baguettes) looked like they'd been resuscitated from their par-baked state. any confirmations? i was so full from my BLT that i couldn't even muster a cookie. we saw north end-style neon-colored butter cookies, lots of muffins, some cakes, etc. Mon Dec 04 16:36:41 -0800 2006 2016924 14389 dchow 1 2088653 Finally made my way over to Sugar to check out the new bakery's brambles. I really had high hopes because they were supposed to be using the original Hanley's recipe. Sorry to say I was a little disappointed. Not that they weren't good -- they were -- but they weren't great, like their predecesor. Seems like they decided to "improve" the recipe. Not sure what they did, but they're smaller and crunchier with way more sugar. Not nearly as flaky...*sigh* Mon Dec 11 14:42:56 -0800 2006 2016924 17855 Kbee 1 2098456 I was skeptical about Sugar, but they have the BEST whoopie pies I've ever had - chocolate with cream filling, and pumpkin with cream cheese filling. Just delicious. Combine it with a loosey goosey at the real deal, and it's the best combination I can imagine. Thu Dec 14 03:49:13 -0800 2006 2016924 50806 sallyt 2 2105521 Hanley's brambles seemed to have a very small seed type of filling, that was not exactly too sweet or too tart. The brambles at Sugar are almost there, the pastry seems to be on the mark, but the filling seems to be seedless and not have the same texture. Such an afficionado on brambles :) But we were spoiled by the Hanley Bakery winning Bramble !!!! Give it a go Sugar, maybe the Hanley's can part with all the secret ingrediants !!!!! Sat Dec 16 18:27:56 -0800 2006 2098456 60157 jmgreen1952 1 2132927 I too, could not wait to try the brambles at Sugar--I was very disappointed!!! They are more expensive than Hanley's were and they're smaller and no where near as tasty. I won't be buying them again. I only wish I could re-create that recipe. I asked the girl at the counter if they were using the same recipe as Hanley's did and she told me "no"--on no uncertian terms--they are calling them brambles but are not using the same recipe from Hanley's. They are no where near as good either. Way too expensive...so sad to realize I'll never have anothe Hanley's bramble... Thu Dec 28 02:23:48 -0800 2006 2016924 62355 mymermaid 2 2136404 I guess the woman that used to make the brambles now works at Bochetto's (sp?) in Rosi Sq. My sister is going ot see if she is making them at Bochetto's.. I'll keep you posted. Fri Dec 29 13:09:58 -0800 2006 2132927 24728 Redhohoho 1 2247352 I live in Roslindale and checked out Boschetto's last weekend---the lady from Hanley's does in fact work there but there were no cookies even remotely resembling brambles in there. I didn't want to ask about them because I didn't know if the owner--who was also working at the counter--would be offended. Does anyone out there maybe have a good recipe for brambles that they'd like to share??? I think I'll have to resort to baking my own brambles though I'm sure they'll probably never come out quite the same... Wed Jan 31 16:50:16 -0800 2007 2016924 62355 mymermaid 1 2370355 Just read all these mournful posts about brambles and thought I had good news for you but, alas, I don't! I always used to buy the brambles at the Cookie Jar bakery in Wellesley until they moved to Norwood years ago. That's when I switched to Hanley's. Every now and then, though, I would go to the Cookie Jar in Norwood because those brambles were just a bit flakier--less doughy. I haven't been there in more than two years though and when I tried to get the phone number so I could post the address--I discovered there was no longer any listing. It shouldn't be that hard to come up with the recipe but it is--the dough is flakier than pie crust but it's not puff pastry either. Raspberry filling is easy but I'll be damned if I can figure out that pastry dough... I hope if anyone else can, they post it here! Fri Mar 09 12:45:12 -0800 2007 2016924 81347 amethyst lady 1 3078324 My father Frank McLaughlin, used to make brambles all the time, he was a baker in the Boston area for 50 years, he worked for Hanleys back in the 50's and 60's, he passed away in 1989 unfortunately I cant find his recipe for brambles anywhere, he made the brambles that you speak about, and my older brother and sister say he invented them, whether or not that's true I don't know, but he'd bring them home all the time and continued to make them until he died. He was an old school baker who was gifted at what he did, he even worked for a bakery in Dorchester that made the pastries for the man who founded dunkin donuts. I live in N.H. now but still run into people from the Boston area who are loooking for them, they never heard of them up here. I went to the Sugar bakery on Centre street and tried theirs and they weren't even close to what my father made. when I relayed my story about my father the woman at Sugar laughed at me like I was full of baloney. If he were alive today he would be quite pleased that so many people were looking for his recipe, which I'll continue to do. My daughter is in her first year at southern New Hampshire University to become a pastry chef, I met her pastry teacher the other night and she told me she was quite good at it, I said she must take after her grandfather. He was a fine baker, an excellent Father, and human being. Mon Oct 29 18:26:11 -0700 2007 2016924 138657 rmac 2 3078608 Thanks for the information. Hopefully, you will find the recipe. I haven't been too impressed by Sugar. Mon Oct 29 20:24:50 -0700 2007 3078324 46900 Seamus 1 3079022 ...and here we are, facing a second (or is it a third?) holiday season with no brambles. It's such a bummer, they've were a tradition in my family forever. Tue Oct 30 05:50:02 -0700 2007 2016924 76311 veeva