Tarts Cart

Baking is an exact science: Perfect pastries require precise measurements and repeated experiments. So with her background in biochemistry, it's no wonder that Sandra Panetta excels in the kitchen.

Panetta recently launched Sweetbites, a vivid pink dessert truck packed with sugary snacks Tuesday through Friday--devised from family recipes and favorite flavor combinations--to last from breakfast throughout the day.

Morning items include crumbly brown-sugar scones ($2.50) that are studded with sweet cherries. Chocolate chip muffins ($2.50) get a hit of sour cream in the batter for a breakfast-friendly, not-too-sweet finish that goes well with coffee. (Panetta brews locally roasted Callao Coffee on the truck each day.)

Bars ($2.50)--like the Lemon Kiss and the chocolate-packed 3C--are buttery and just chewy enough to taste like the ultimate mom-made desserts.

There are plenty of cupcakes ($3), including the summery piña colada--a pineapple coconut cake topped with Malibu rum frosting--and Cookies 'n' Cream, which is cupcakes' Oreo-infused answer to ice cream.

Panetta still caters, and happily takes on challenges to devise custom items. She's up for any experiment.