Lady baker sweetens area, offers perfect Valentine's treats

To satisfy a request for chocolate, pearls, and something shiny this Valentine’s Day, look no further than Sweet Henrietta’s Treats.

Sweet Henrietta’s isn’t the name of a local jewelry store, however. It is the moniker for a line of sweet treats home baked by Tina Stanfield of Santa Rosa Beach.

Stanfield’s offerings range from cake pops to muffins to giant cupcakes to layered cakes.

“Kids love them,” Stanfield said of the cake pops, which are coated in pink-colored chocolate and embellished with edible pearls or sparkly sugar sprinkles. “They can be wrapped individually,” making them perfect to bring to a classroom Valentine’s celebration or to serve at birthday parties.

Her key lime and banana pudding cupcakes are her top sellers, she said, but “Red Velvet would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.” Other flavors include maple bacon (which tastes better than it sounds), piña colada, cookies-n-cream, and peanut butter cup.

Stanfield’s next project is another labor of love, as she was chosen as the baker for one couple’s special day. She is bringing the romance to a South Walton wedding with cupcakes, displayed on tiered, heart-shaped platters.

“I’m excited,” she said. “It’s my first wedding.”

Stanfield has always had an affinity for baking, growing up in a household of lady bakers, but it wasn’t until this August that she went “full blast” with Sweet Henrietta’s.

“Hearing people say, ‘Oh, that’s so good!’ That just really makes my day,” said Stanfield, who moved to the area in 2006 from Missouri, where she and her husband owned six café-bakeries, the specialties of which were barbecue and Stanfield’s cupcakes.

“We always vacationed here,” she said, “and we did not want to go back one year.”

So, she and her husband packed up and moved to live the dream in Santa Rosa Beach, where Stanfield decided she would do what she loved best — baking.

Sweet Henrietta’s has been sweetening the area since 2007, when it was formerly at Gulf Place. Stanfield later decided, however, that she did not want to have a store front, and now operates out of her own kitchen.

A one-woman baking team, Stanfield sells her freshly baked treats each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Seaside Farmers Market. Stanfield also sells by special order and offers free delivery to the 30A area.

One Farmers Market Saturday, a customer said, “I need a cake for tonight,” Stanfield recalled. “So after I left the Farmers Market, I baked her a cake.”

Though three- or four-days notice is appreciated for special orders, Stanfield can accommodate last-minute requests, if asked nicely enough.

Visit sweethenriettas.com for a full list of flavors and to place an order. “Like” Sweet Henrietta’s on Facebook and get 20 percent off your next special order of $25 or more.