By Cindy Morris
In July, Cherry Hill welcomed Sweet Jonz Dessert Café, a uniquely different bake goods establishment for the area. Shani Saunders, Owner and Pastry Chef, is both savvy and sassy with her inventive creations. Clearly a boutique bakery, Ms. Saunders insists on French butter, organic fruits and vegetables, artisanal cheese and other high-end products that are not the norm in bakery ingredients.
Professionally trained at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill, Ms. Saunders moves beyond learned parameters and creates her own dessert concepts, fresh ideas that give her a considerable edge over the competition.
Sweet Jonz is also set apart by its French country-esque decor. It’s a large colorful space with a striking farmhouse cupboard that makes the perfect setting for her vintage family photos and the coffee station. From the black and white tiled floor to old world highback benches, a wall-sized blackboard menu, and whimsical touches, Ms. Saunders showcases her vision. A ‘looking glass’ window inside the Café allows customers to watch the Chef as she decorates one of her elaborate tiered cakes.
Although just a two-person workforce at the moment, the two work wonders, from French baguettes and croissants to an unforgettable crème brulée with a layer of salt-studded caramel. While you can find the classics, lemon pound cake (luscious), the best chocolate chip cookies and key lime pie (a personal favorite), you won’t find an inkling of anything standard here.
More proof: Her deep-dish apple pie with a lattice crust, a lush profusion made with eight varied apples. What bakery can boast that? Ms. Saunders even makes her own yummy brittle. You can take your pick of seasonal favorites and, I venture to say, never be disappointed. There’s Pumpkin Panna Cotta, Bourbon-spiked Pumpkin Mousse Parfait, Pecan-Caramel Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bites and Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie.
Ms. Saunders bumps up Banana Cream Pie with a banana-laced crust. And this mouthful is an absolute must – Bourbon-Caramel Sweet Potato Tart on ginger-molasses cookie crumb crust with candied pumpkin seeds.
Happily, Sweet Jonz is not all peaches and cream. Ms. Saunders makes all kinds of stuffed croissants for breakfast and lunch, and the best quiche I’ve ever tasted. Whether Greek, Italian or seasonal veggie, a single serving is a scrumptious chunk of savory goodness. This place is sure to be the new darling of desserts in South Jersey.
Need a fix? Make a beeline to 211-B Haddonfield-Berlin Rd. Cherry Hill, NJ