The Brookfield Princess and More!

There is a new cupcake in town. Real, adorable, delicious, honest-to-goodness cupcakes. Earlier this week, Miss Julia's Bakeshop in the Galleria West shopping center on Bluemound Road quietly opened their doors.



Miss Julia's is owned by Paula Hienz (left) and visited regularly by its namesake, daughter Julia (right), when she is home from college in Michigan.



A little over a year ago, Paula decided that she wanted to give selling sweets a try, at a local farmers market. Her focus at first was going to be shortbread. It was Julia's suggestion that she focus on cupcakes, instead. Thank goodness Julia nudged her in that direction. The results are delish! Paula, a former RN, has been baking for her 5 brothers and sisters since she was a young girl. Something she felt came naturally and something that they always raved over. As an adult, she has always been the go-to friend when it came to a need for sweet treats at parties and family gatherings.



Sales at the Farmer's Market were brisk, and Paula quickly developed a following in the western suburbs of SE Wisconsin. When the weather got colder, the Farm Markets started to shut down for the season and her outlet to sell her goodies went away. All winter long Paula and her hubs tasted and developed the recipes and in January of this year she found a new kitchen space that required a storefront, and thus...Miss Julia's Bake Shop was born!



Nestled inside the central mall of the Galleria West shopping mall, at first site you might wonder if a cupcake shop -- or anything for that matter -- could survive in this location. But it only takes a moment to see that the surrounding shops include a high-end yarn shop, the biggest bead shop in the area, a scrapbookers paradise, a kitchen store, a salon and several high-end ladies boutiques. Sounds like a good formula for instant cupcake-friendly traffic.



Paula hired some front counter help and a pastry chef to get the business started. At the front counter, Whitney has immediately become a perfect face when customers come in the door. Behind the scene, her pastry chef Jamie is a graduate of De Paul and culinary school and even used to work for another cupcake company in Illinois. Together, they present a selection of goodies that are hard to resist. The classics are present like chocolate, red velvet and vanilla. As are creative creations like Key Lime (umm..yum!), Lemon Drop, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Stout and Raspberry Tart. There is even one called The Brookfield Princess, vanilla cake with pink buttercream and a tiny crown -- you know what that is an homage to, and if you don't -- you probably ARE one! There are more irresistible flavors on the rotating menu, but you will have to pay them a visit to check them all out!

Congratulations, Ladies! It was a pleasure to meet you and I wish you nothing but the best!

Miss Julia's Bake Shop
Galleria West Shopping Center
18900 W. Bluemound Rd., Brookfield
Monday-Saturday 10:30am-6pm
262/797-9650
www.missjuliasbakeshop.com