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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Among all the vegetable and fruit peddlers at the city&#8217;s farmers market, there is a table filled with homemade sweet treats including cakes, cookies and pops.</p><p>Cakes by Gail has been serving up baked goodies since 1978 and has been a staple at the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market for about seven years. Christine Biniek, daughter of Gail Biniek, runs the show at the market most Thursdays and says the exposure and interaction with customers has helped create a following of fans who come back each week for some specific sweet treats.</p><p>On Thursdays, nearly 30 varieties of home-baked products are offered to customers.</p><p>&#8220;Our Welsch cookies are definitely our best sellers for sure,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Welsch cookies are a popular local favorite and can be found at many church bake sales throughout the area. The doughy cookie is made with flour, sugar, baking powder and eggs and usually currants or raisins are mixed in. Once they are baked, they are sprinkled with sugar.</p><p>Another popular item that&#8217;s quick to sell right around lunch time? The pastie (not to be confused with a tassel-like decoration).</p><p>The pastie got its start in Northern Ireland and contain a variety of meats and accoutrements baked inside, Biniek said.</p><p>Cakes by Gail&#8217;s most popular pastie is made with chop meat.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s meat and potato filled. It&#8217;s like a big hamburger and fries wrapped up in a big biscuit,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Then there are the cakes, breads, nut rolls, muffins, cookies and much more.</p><p>&#8220;We make what we like everyday &#8212; correction &#8212; we make what my mom likes everyday and everything seems to do really well at this market,&#8221; Biniek said.</p><p>By the end of the day, the sugary supply is much lighter.</p><p>&#8220;We sell out of quite a lot. I&#8217;d say we sell at least 75 percent of our product,&#8221; Biniek said.</p><p>There&#8217;s a section of the tables dedicated to a variety of candies and fudge. Biniek started a lollipop line called The Lollipop Patch and features suckers of all different flavors. It has expanded to include a variety of other treats as well.</p><p>&#8220;My favorite is the candy fish lollipop,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It tastes just like Swedish Fish.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Christine Biniek takes money from a customer at the Cakes by Gail stand. Sweet treats are available every Thrusday at the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_candy.jpg</photo0><caption0>Christine Biniek takes money from a customer at the Cakes by Gail stand. Sweet treats are available every Thrusday at the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_nutroll.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nutrolls are some of the pastries sold at Cakes by Gail. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_nutroll.jpg</photo1><caption1>Nutrolls are some of the pastries sold at Cakes by Gail. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Sarah Haase</p><p><a href="mailto:shaase@www.timesleader.com">shaase@www.timesleader.com</a></p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Editor&#8217;s Note:</strong> There&#8217;s nothing like perusing a local farmers market and indulging in fresh, homegrown, homemade products. The Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market, in its 42nd year, offers wares, produce and baked goods from a variety of vendors. Check the Times Leader every week for the opportunity to get to know the vendors selling you honey, lettuce, apples, jams and more.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Sarah Haase at 570-991-6111. Follow her on Twitter at @tlarts.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

At the farmers market: Cakes by Gail