Regulars at the Headhouse, Fitler Square and Clark Park farmers markets know Liz Begosh as the plucky former pro cyclist who's developed a fudgy fanbase with her Betty's Tasty Buttons, her specialty line of bite-size fudge treats made from local/artisanal ingredients. (Check out Elisa Ludwig's July 2007 profile of her.) Now, Begosh and her mother, Marbeth, are putting down roots with Betty's Speakeasy, tentatively scheduled for a summer opening at 2241 Grays Ferry Avenue (right next to the Balkan Express and a few clops down from Grace Tavern).

The 650-square-foot shop will specialize in artisan confections (and fudge and fudge sauces, of course). After they settle in, they plan on expanding their offerings into weekend suppers using seasonal ingredients based around offerings from their farm friends. Begosh also says it'll serve as a pick-up/drop-off point for community supported agriculture, or CSAs. The interior will be crafted with sustainability in mind, as well — she's working with a green flooring dude, and has been chatting with Good Karma Café owner David Arrell about his shop's many green features.

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Roz Bratt, who's run Homemade Goodies by Roz (510 S. Fifth St., 215-592-9616) for more than a decade, closed her shop up on Jan. 1 to begin the process of converting it into a certified kosher bakery. It's almost ready to go — the new shop (same name, though) should be open in the first week of May. "The rabbis in the neighborhood would always ask, 'Why don't you try to be kosher?' I didn't know whether it would be good for me, but finally decided that I've gotta go for it," says Bratt.

Rabbi Dov A. Brisman of the Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia is supervising the detailed process. Aside from the approval of the physical premises, a big concern in kosher baking is coming up with dairy substitutes — margarine for butter, soy milk for milk, etc. Bratt is using Tofutti's non-dairy cream cheese and sour cream in recipes, as well; she'll also sell these products on their own (not always easy to find). Known for her cupcakes and decorative cakes, Bratt will also be offering Jewish apple cake, quick breads (banana, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.), muffins, cookies, scones, pies, wedding cakes, cheesecakes and more.

The bakery will be shomer shabbas, closing early on Friday and staying dark until Sunday.

THIS WEEK IN SWEET STUFF: News on Betty’s Tasty Buttons, Homemade Goodies by Roz