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2011 Year in Review of NYC’s baked good offerings.
Annual review of baked offerings I enjoyed (or didn't) through New York City and perhaps another rogue area or two within the U.S.
Another year has come and gone and I have done a boatload of dessert eating, my friends! And with that brings another annual review of baked goods I tried, mainly in NYC, sometimes a rogue item gets in from another state (see Red Hen Baking Company's fantabulous maple bun!) I tried new faves and old haunts and wasn't disappointed, well most of the time anyways.
These are listed in no particular order but I definitely suggest trying them at least once. It's nice to get around the city every once in awhile.
Cream Cakes from Flushing mall (Delmanco) - I was first introduced to these when I first went to the Flushing Mall in Queens. As someone who went to high school in Flushing I was saddened I was just finding it. Especially after hearing last year that the mall would close in 2012 due to a bunch of unnecessary government intervention. Of course, that's going off topic.
Prior to entering the food court on the first floor you will see a Delmanco booth where they make these tasty sponge cakes with custard filling. You can get them hot off the presses which is a real treat. They are small in size but have a great buttery, vanilla flavor that is pure but also really addictive. I could eat a box full (24 count) and have. The light sponge cake is a delicacy in a lot of Asian desserts you may have. Fay Da Bakery and other places in Chinatown tend to have cakes in a similar consistency.
Baked - Soon after 2011 had begun, well like a week into January 2011 I went to brunch with Yoshie of Ramen & Friends, her husband, and her baby CK soon after the new year began. Since we had a car at the time it was cool wandering around a week after the blizzard in Brooklyn. And a place to hit up at the top of my list was Baked! Since I didn't know when I'd be in Red Hook again I bought a bunch of items. First up was the brookie (brownie/cookie), which was wonderful! An even mix of a brownie and a cookie in one with a cookie crust and brownie filling. As advertised on The Best Thing I Ever Ate with Claire Robinson noting that the salty and sweet brownie was the best thing she's ever had. For me it was good, not the best thing ever. The consistency was there with the more fudgy texture to the brownie but because it was more dark chocolate it lacked an additional sweetness that I enjoy in brownies. I also tried the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf, which stayed moist after a week when well sealed. The loaf had an even amount of pumpkin and chocolate, though there were a bunch of chocolate chips.
Dessert Truck - The Dessert Truck was MIA for much of 2010 due to licensing issues with parking and such or whatever food trucks have to get to to own their turf. With the return of the dessert truck I introduced my friend Ric to it. He had the creme brulee which was extremely tasty, perfect custard texture and not too thick of a sugar charred topping. I had the chocolate bread pudding, perfection with the creme anglais and some choco wafers atop. The donut squares with nutella didn't taste too great. I held them for the next day and toasted in the oven. Perhaps something about that took away from the taste as the texture was fluffy like a yeast donut and the nutella was good, but there was a somewhat metallic taste to the donut after I toasted it in the oven. And I had placed it on parchment paper so that was a bit odd. An additional bonus is that the Dessert Truck has opened two locations called DT Works in the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn.
Fat Witch Bakery - At my blondie/brownie themed birthday party last year a friend of mine introduced me to Fat Witch. She brought brownies (walnut & regular) and blondies. It was a good thing that I read that molasses was in the blondie because I didn't taste it and may have hesitated beforehand since I loathe the stuff. The blondie was brown sugar goodness! Fat Witch has nice bite-sized goodies that were like homemade in singularly packaged bits. Both the brownies and blondies are moist with a chewy consistency not too cakey and stayed moist in tightly sealed wrapping. My favorite was the walnut.
Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie - As per the name their specialty is key lime pie/tart. I got the mini version. The filling was nicely tart and very creamy in texture (since I carried the stuff home from Red Hook, Brooklyn to Jamaica, Queens). So it held up pretty well! The graham cracker crust is mighty thick for containing the filling and can withstand storms! The crust may be a bit much for some but it can be a good balance, especially when you need your key lime fix.
Butterlane - I was disappointed in Butterlane in years' past because of the fact that I got a stale cupcake and the icing was pretty mediocre, even by pumpkin standards. I tasted the cupcake with chocolate icing and toasted peanuts. This time around the cake was much better and moist. The way it should be. So I may give them another try.
Cake and Shake New York - Their stand is set up right outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had a big crowd so I decided to give it a try. Cake & Shake offers savory and sweet cupcakes and also cupcakes for dogs. Go figure. I tried the moon cake (yellow cake that the menu said there was vanilla cream inside, but is probably baked into the dough). It was pretty big and moist enough, but they kind of over did it with the mountain of icing on top. However the butter cream frosting was darn tasty. My friend Jen can attest to this. This was not the best cupcake I've had and for the price I may be hesitant to try another.
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck - After stalking them or really it's called following for a reason when it comes to food trucks. I stood online for what seemed an obscenely long time (It was 4th of July weekend) and had the "Bea Arthur" (vanilla ice cream cone with crushed Nila wafers and dulce de leche). The guys running the truck are uber-friendly and sweet, which probably added to the line wait. They put dulce de leche inside the ice cream as well as on top and inside the cone! It's not an overly outrageous choice but a good solid one that I did not regret. Time goes faster when you have company.
Babycakes - I tried Babycake last year and had a half/half like/dislike with their cupcakes. During a Ramen & Friends outing to Far Rockaway beach there was a stand. I have to say I was very disappointed in the frozen cookie sandwich (no ice cream, vegan icing and refrigerated). I was pretty irritated with the cashier that she gave me an overcooked cookie. Someone else in our party had a better one, but in the end the dessert itself was not that tasty. The missing element being the dairy for me unfortunately on top of a rock hard cookie.
Motor Boat and the Big Banana - The Far Rockaway outing also proved to have a favorite place many people went to. The day was really hot and so a frozen banana seemed an ideal treat. I purchased the frozen chocolate covered banana with peanuts and sea salt. It was good but the tastes kind of fought each other in my palate. I probably would have enjoyed the chocolate and peanuts and sea salt and then the chilled banana separately. But, it did cool me off on a hot day.
Blue Smoke Bake Shop - Went to Blue Smoke during NY Restaurant Week in the summer. When you enter you pass by their Bake Shop right across from the hostess stand. As soon as you walk in you get sugary eye candy! The Bake Shop is across from the hostess stand. I bought a few things. My favorite was the mini pecan pie. My first taste of pecan pie believe it or not. It was sweet but not overly so as I imagine it could've been. It had a nice flaky crust that was not overly buttery but worked for the pie itself. The mini tollhouse cookie pie was a bit much in pie-form. The choco chunks and cookie were overwhelming and I could barely taste the pie crust. I've had truffle pies which are brownies in a pie and think that may have worked better. Upon next visit I wouldn't mind trying their cookies on their own.
Sweet Chef Southern Styles Bakery - I tried their offerings when I was uptown near Grant's Tomb for Harlem Week. Now that I work very close to Harlem (literally a few blocks) I was excited to try some places in the area. I bought a handful of goods. One of which was their chocolate chip cookie. It was chewy, but didn't taste like your run-of-the-mill cookie. The sugary butter taste just wasn't there. Depending on your palate that may be a good thing. One of my faves was their mini sweet potato pie, perfection. They got it right with a buttery crust (which may have been made with lard to get the crisp texture) and the sweet potato filling reminded me of Grandma's. Maybe not my own, but someone's. Also a hot pick was the apple crumb pie! (I seem to have a preference for crumble pies these days. Particularly Mrs. Smith's Dutch Apple.) The crumbs were a good standard to which all should be held since it's mainly butter, sugar, perhaps some flour and lemon zest. The apples inside had a working harmony of sweetness and cinnamon flavor that wasn't too overwhelming. Again, perfect crust! The pecan pie (my second after having Blue Smoke's) was gooey, sugary goodness.
Clinton Street Baking Company - Just wanted to reiterate how much I LOVE the scones and blueberry pancakes here. By the by, Pancake Month is being held in February. Go! That is all.
Bread Alone Bakery - My mom purchased a pie from here at the farmer's market that regularly visits areas in Manhattan, particularly during the spring/summer. She got the apple crumb pie. As mentioned I'm more partial to a dutch type of apple pie than the regular these days so a crumbly/praline crust is right up my alley. The crust is the best part of a pie, for me, and the fact that Bread Alone's was sweet and crumbly was the ultimate test for me. I should also note that Bread Alone uses local ingredients from upstate New York. Good stuff and they use local ingredients.
Coolhaus Truck - The arrival of the Coolhaus truck was a nice surprise once I started my new job uptown this summer. They primarily sell homemade cookies and ice cream. So there may be a lull in service during the winter months, maybe not. They serve these items separately or as ice cream sandwiches and are pretty heavy handed with the ice cream when they make it. I was interested in trying the red velvet cookie (red dyed chocolate cookie with cream cheese icing) with red velvet ice cream (vanilla ice cream w/ red velvet cake chunks). But figuring that may be a bit much I ordered the maple white chocolate cookie with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. The ice cream was creamy and reminded me of Breyer's with the vanilla bean specks. The maple white choco cookie was amazing! Super chewy, lovely crunchy white chocolate bits, and the maple flavor was spot on! Not too subtle and not too overwhelming. Perfect cookie. I ordered the cake "pancake" cookie which was similar in taste to the maple white chocolate cookie. Red velvet cookie was chewy and chocolate-rich. Streaks of hardened cream cheese icing are okay but don't really add much to the cookie and flake off easily. Their snickerdoodle is good, pretty basic sugar cookie with a bit more crunch than the other cookies. Cinnamon sugar on top is not too heavy, which is good for a snickerdoodle.
First Prize Pies - I had the pleasure of meeting Alison at Pie Party Live in October. Her contribution was a s'mores pie at pie party live. Ridiculously delicious. So of course, I had to try her other offerings. I bought three mini pies to enjoy on my lonesome. And I guess share. Of the three I purchased my new favorite is Jay's cream apple pie. The crust is perfect buttery Graham cracker mix with apples and a cream topping that balances out the tastes with some cinnamon on top. Her samoa pie encompasses many of the pieces of the girl scout cookie and is also good. Especially for those that love their Girl Scout Cookies. As a fan of the peanut butter chocolate combo I liked this pie also but found with the dark chocolate it was a bit more bitter for my tastes. The peanut butter filling was light in fluffy texture but tasty.
Little Pie Company - Mom bought Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie! I had tried this for the first time last year during Just Desserts Day. I had it several times over the Christmas holiday so I'm a bit stuffed. Mmm, praline topping. Mom also bought the Mississippi Mud Pie, which is uber chocolatey. It tastes like a concentrated brownie and is very good warm/room temperature with vanilla ice cream to offset how intense the chocolate is. Crust, filling, topping the chocolate is everywhere!
Chipsy - Via a MunchOnMe coupon I got to try the newest deep fried shop's hot item: deep fried oreos with nutella. These are far superior to Chip Shops as the batter was more cake like and reminded me a of a donut which was a nice compliment to the oreo which got chewy inside. The nutella had a nice sugary addition and all the flavors meld well together so you can taste everything. Chip Shop had one bland batter that they seem to use for everything from the savory items to the desserts and it adds no taste to the overall dish. I'd go back to try Chipsy's deep fried candy bar as well. And they have a range of fries. Good stuff.
Spot Dessert Bar - I have passed this place many, many times and always said to myself "I'm going to go in there one day." Well, with a coupon for a free macaron that day came! I really enjoy the East Village and think this is a great addition. I had a red velvet macaron which truly captured the light cocoa flavor of red velvet cake with a sweet cream cheese filling. Not too sugary, but crispy and chewy. Perfect macaron. And since I was there I purchased the apple crumble cupcake. It was a moist yellow cake with cream cheese icing (light and fluffy) which was reminiscent of cheesecake and sweet apple bits on top. It was good and I'll definitely frequent this place again, but I would've liked apples inside the cupcake as well.
Apple Cafe Bakery - Again with the MunchOnMe coupons! After frequenting a bunch of places and getting free items I couldn't help but also purchase something else to get a sense of what their offerings were. Apple Cafe Bakery is brand spanking new, opening last fall. I had a peanut butter cookie, perfectly peanut buttery, nutty, and chewy! It was also pretty oily, so much so that it started to seep through the paper bag. A treat for those that enjoy peanut butter. I also got a sugar cookie which was fine, sort of lackluster in terms of taste, very basic but sugary. Lastly I got a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie which was tasty and very chewy (more so than the sugar cookie) and had a good balance in taste. Had more macadamia nuts than white chocolate which was fine. Tasted this thanks to MunchOnMe coupon. They also have pumpkin & red velvet cheesecake and pumpkin whoopie pies which I may be inclined to go back and try.
Soul Snacks NYC - This is a small operation and gets distributed through many locations in Harlem. At Manna's I saw the sweet potato cookie. In texture and taste it reminded me of one of my favorite cookies: pumpkin chocolate chip sans chocolate chips. It's more cakey than crispy and a nice size and bits of sweet potato in it. It's on par with pumpkin but the after taste is definitely sweet potato. It's a great balance of sweetness for this type of cookie. I'm very interested in trying more from Soul Snacks.
2010 Year in Review of NYC’s baked good offerings.
Another year has passed and with that comes the NYC dessert round up! This year was an especially busy year with lots of tasty treats to try and a root canal to cap off the year. Could it be from all the sweets? Nah.
I became addicted (and I mean New Jack City type addicted) to the freshly made doughnuts here. And not only was I addicted, I managed to get other people into it also. The thing about Doughnut Plant is that they have both yeast and cake doughnuts. So if you like Krispy Kreme style get a yeast doughnut, if you like Dunkin Donuts then the cake is for you. Not only do they have staples--my favorite by far is the tres leches doughnut--but they also have seasonal doughnuts. This past summer they had a sunflower doughnut in both yeast and cake form. Also available was strawberry. Currently they have a Panettone doughnut as well as a Meyer lemon one.
As much as I love the yeast doughnuts for their fluffiness and delicacy, the cake ones are phenomenal. The carrot cake doughnut was the perfect texture and had all the wonderful elements of a carrot cake complete with nuts, raisins (not so great), and a cream cheese icing filling! Yes, they got filling in the doughnut and the doughnut is round with a hole in the middle. How do they do it? I don't ask, I just gorge.
BBM's specialty is mini (and I mean mini) cupcakes. These things are decadent and flavorful and have nice fillings and icings. How do they get fillings in something so tiny? Again, I don't ask, I just mangia.
The cake is moist and I like the variety of flavors that BBM offers. I've tried all their staples. But my favorites are the cookie dough with a cookie or blondie-ish brown sugar cake with cookie dough in the middle and chocolate icing and a dab of cookie dough on top, and the peanut butter cup which, as you guessed it, is a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling some chocolate icing and a dab of peanut butter on top.
Something new BBM initiated was the ability to create your own cupcake for online orders and a cupcake of the month. I tried their pumpkin cupcake (of course) and while I liked the cake it was too light and the cinnamon filling too dense making a mess of a tasty cupcake. Otherwise, I have no complaints about BBM. If you follow them on Facebook you can learn of new deals and participate in their annual golden ticket competition during the 31 days of December.
My boss introduced me to Billy's Bakery when she went to get some items for a friend. I didn't realize there was a bakery that close to our office and had to see for myself.
Their cupcakes are tasty and moist and not too sugary. One cupcake I had, a plain vanilla with vanilla cream frosting, was a sore disappointment though. It was kind of dry and tasteless. But other cupcakes I've had--banana, pumpkin, carrot cake--did not disappoint. I also like their cookies at the cheap price of seventy-five cents, which may have gone up slightly. Their chocolate cake with chocolate icing is also a staple in our office for birthdays so I become very excited when I see a large chocolate cake and an empty box with Billy's teal label on it.
Babycakes isn't that far from Doughnut Plant so why not hit this place up? Babycakes is known for being a vegan-friendly bakery. And since I know more vegans or vegetarians who are lactose intolerant I figured I should see what the hype is about. Especially since this place has been featured in many NYC mags (TimeOut New York, NYTimes, etc.).
Well, I was slightly surprised and disappointed. I had the lemon spelt cupcake and the carrot cake cupcake. The lemon spelt was delicious and moist and lemony and sweet. I adored it. The texture didn't differ too much from your run-of-the-mill cupcake with eggs and butter and such so I was a happy camper. On the other end of the spectrum I detested the carrot cake cupcake. It had a strong clove or molasses taste that caused me to be unable to finish it. I loathe molasses with the very beings of my soul and was not keen on this taste.
I'd definitely go back and try more of their offerings, especially in regards to muffins and cookies to get a better sense of the variety they attain when making baked goods and to learn a few tricks of my own.
Amy's Bread is a hot spot for lunch time crowds. If you go during the lunch time rush (between 12-1:30) then expect a long line and to be rushed for an order. Know what you want and keep the line moving. I didn't partake in their sandwiches or soups, I spotted bars and cupcakes and was on a mission. I tried their lemon bar and coconut dream bar. The coconut dream bar was in fact a dream. It had chocolate and coconuts and brown sugar and bits of heaven as far as I'm concerned. I loved this bar and it was a large portion for the price.
Unfortunately, I was not as fond of the lemon bar. It was too tart for my taste and the crust was soggy. Too much lemon not enough bar to balance out the taste. But, for lemon bar standards I guess it suited most.
I heard about One Girl Cookies from The New York Times. It was featured because of the rise in variety of whoopie pies. And don't you know once I read that they do a pumpkin whoopie pie year-round I was sold!
It was a quick trip to Brooklyn from my office and back and it was worth it. Their whoopie pie is moist and delicious and more pie than whoopie or whichever is which in the title. I'm not a huge icing fan so the fact that this had a thick moist and cakey cookie on either end and less icing was a big bonus for me. I loved it and found eating two within a 20 minute period was a bit much. These things are pretty big. A few friends have told me they had bad experiences at One Girl Cookies with a stale cookie, but I say try this place again. You won't be disappointed and make sure they give you the fresh made stuff in the back. No display cookies, new cookies.
Their claim to fame is that they deliver cookies late night to college campuses. So if you're an NYU student I really envy you right now. Cookies & late night, man that's a great idea.
I went there during their "happy hour" which is after the lunch time rush around 2pm to 6pm or so when you can get 3 cookies for $2.50. Since this was the case when I went I took advantage. I had a sugar cookie, peanut butter cookie, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. All were delicious and they serve them to you out of an oven or heater of sorts so you get cookies warm. Warm, I tell you!
I also got a brownie which was okay, it was more cakey than dense and pretty chocolatey. Since they're named for cookies I definitely say try that and get a bunch because eating a warm cookie is the best feeling in the world. Don't argue with me on this one, just don't.
While breakfast for dinner is nothing new the blueberry pancakes and scones and pretty much everything I've tried (chicken and waffles, biscuits, scrambled eggs, cheese grits) from Clinton Street have been amazing! Of course there's no beating the blueberry pancakes.
Some friends and I went one evening and shared a batch of the pancakes while also partaking in the special that Wednesday of chicken and waffles. I had just come from Book Expo with an aching back and don't you know the food from Clinton Street cheered me right up!
The pancakes are wonderfully fluffy with a unique taste from the method of how they're whipped to perfection. The blueberry compote and maple butter (more a syrupy texture than solid) combined make this the best pancake I have ever tasted. And I love me some IHOP but Clinton Street (muah!)
When dining in the evening they give away the day's scones that didn't sell in paper bags. So you get a treat to take home! I've tried the chocolate chip and berry scones which are wonderfully crisp on the outside and moist (not too moist) on the inside. Just as a scone should be. The buttermilk biscuit (your pre-dining treat) is a wonderful homemade biscuit that reminds me of the ones my aunt made when I was younger. It has the same consistency of the scone, which is perfect!
The service at Clinton Street is great and unfortunately when the sun is up this place is always packed. So I'd encourage you to go in the evening when it may be easier to get a table and plus, remember, free scones!
After Ramen&Friends posted about Dessert Club having bread pudding I had to try it! I bought a friend a salted caramel cupcake which she said was very tasty.
Their customer service leaves something to be desired at the smaller location (they have a dessert bar directly across the street from them in the E. Village) but I liked the bread pudding okay. It wasn't sweet and reminded me of milk and the texture was on point but a bit more liquidy than solid.
For Anna's macaron crawl we stopped by there for macarons! I loved the salted caramel one it tasted exactly like it's name, so consider me sufficiently satisfied. I'll definitely stop by there to try those cupcakes though.
I have the Bubby's cookbook and was introduced to this place at Book Expo of America a few years back when they toyed with having a cookbook station that also provided samples from the recipe.
Well, I was in heavy pie mode this past summer and fall and just wanted pie. I had tried bites of two of Four and Twenty's molasses pie (hated) and lemon pie (didn't like either) so they aren't worth noting for 2010. I knew Bubby's was near my office and figured why not see what they have to offer.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised at their peach crumble pie. I love fresh peaches and summer is the best time for them. The pie wasn't overly sweet but a crumble (crumb) topping is one of the best. I love dutch apple pies and so on and so forth so I was pleased with the delicate sweetness of fresh peaches in their own syrup and a lovely crust with a nice brown sugar crumble.
Okay, so this place isn't in New York City but it is worth mentioning. Believe me. If you saw my August post on the grandiose maple bun then you know I hold a special place in my heart for Red Hen Baking Co. as I do for Vermont in general.
My post from August 2010 pretty much sums up my undying love for the maple bun. But there were other really good and healthy treats at Red Hen as well. I had a wonderful turkey sandwich with avocado mayo on wheat grain bread and an apple to boot! They have maple beer and carbonated drinks and fresh maple...everything! I would urge anyone going to or passing through Vermont to stop through Middlesex and visit this wonderful place of wonder and tastiness.
Just keep in mind if you want a maple bun to get there early.
In September BravoTV's new show Top Chef Just Desserts premiered and as part of the promotion they sponsored a Dessert Day throughout the U.S. For a New Yorker this was particularly pleasing because there are a vast amount of bakeries, in particularly in Manhattan.
The catch was that the bakeries were giving out samples for two hours (from 12pm-2pm). So, some co-workers and I made a trip around Tribeca. Little Pie Company was the last place we hit and I was introduced to their sour cream apple pie with walnut topping. Like the crumble topping at Bubby's it was amazing! Brown sugar type praline topping. Very delicious. And the sour cream adds to the apple filling.
When next I visited this place I tasted their sour cream apple coffee cake. Just as delicious! Except instead of pie crust you have buttery cake! Go to this place, run! They also offer to heat the goodies for you so you can have a nice warm piece of pie with your coffee, tea, or what-have-you.
My husband was the one to introduce me to Whole Foods about five or six years ago. At the time the main one was in Columbus Circle and now there are probably at least a half dozen or more locations in NYC alone.
Whole Foods is a bit pricey but not the most expensive supermarket you'll find, trust me. You get great produce and nice healthy and vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free friendly goods and they have quite the culinary stations. I like their dinners and my husband salivates over their mac n' cheese. But something else to love beyond the salad bar and soups and such is their dessert bar. Yes, dessert bar.
I've always been a fan of their bread pudding, simple, moist and topped with caramel! Can't beat it. But in 2010 I was introduced to their pumpkin whoopie pie which did not disappoint. It's large and only $1.49! I never really care for the icing inside the whoopie pie, but the 'pie' aspect albeit the cookie was moist like a cake and I find I love most pumpkin treats that are more cakey than dense or bar-like. When I last went to Whole Foods they still had the pumpkin whoopie pie so I urge you to snatch one up before spring.
All hail deep-fried pie! Chef Julian Plyter has created a wonderful, wonderful thing. At the Grub Street Fair I was caught by the words 'deep fried pie' as my buddy LPink and I were making our way out of the festival.
They offered deep fried apple pie with cinnamon sugar and deep fried pumpkin pie with ginger sugar. Also available were their ice cream cookie sandwiches that have been featured in Time Out NY and such.
Melt doesn't have a storefront or much of an online presence at the moment but I loved what I tasted. I bought my husband the deep fried apple and enjoyed the deep fried pumpkin for myself. The pumpkin was made with wheat flour and had a nice crumbly and not too sweet crust. With the sugar sprinkled all over it you couldn't have too much. The pie was like an empanada with the filling inside, a triangle of dough! I loved it, the ginger sugar wasn't ginger heavy and I got to taste every element of this wonderful dessert. Mr. Plyter please get a store soon and try to come to Queens while you're at it. Thanks, Jenn!
From my post on the Grub Street Food Fair I was introduced to Hot Blondies. They don't have a store front in NYC either, but they are very well established online so order away!
My friend LPink and I shared a peanut butter chocolate chip blondie which blew my mind! The more peanut butter the better, I say! Bring it, Hot Blondies! But the blondie was moist with the chewy texture known to blondies/brownies and had the right amount of mini chocolate chips (bittersweet, I believe) and was a decent size to split between two people.
A couple days later I indulged in the classic blondie which was good, not overly sugary pretty plain in taste. When I make blondies the brown sugar taste usually jumps at you not too much but enough that you know you're eating a blondie. While the confection was good I'd say I enjoyed the peanut butter one more.
Hot Blondies also inspired me for my latest b-day theme 'Blondies vs. Brunettes (aka Brownies)' so I look forward to trying more of their treats online and also posting about my latest b-day challenge.
And Grub Street pops up again! I could not sing Wafles and Dinges praises enough. The owner is amazingly friendly and his offerings are tasty as heck.
A fresh belgian wafle with spekuloos and strawberries and what not. What more can I say that I didn't already say in October? Nothing? Well, there you go.
Well, the holidays came and went and for Thanksgiving my mom purchased a boat load of sweets! She bought two pies (sweet potato and apple) and a red and white cake (red velvet one layer and butter cake for another) from Make My Cake.
This is a go-to spot for my mom and she often gets the pies and such from their. How the pies and cake handled a 15+ hour drive to South Carolina I will never know, but it did and they tasted good. The cake doesn't stay as well as you'd like so make sure to seal it up tight or eat it immediately. The red velvet isn't that heavy, it tastes like an overall butter cake. If you like red velvet I suggest continuing your search. For me, Grandma's red velvet was always the best!
As for pies I preferred the sweet potato. Apple pies I like with a crumb topping (as you may already know) so a basic dough top was 'eh.' It wasn't bad, just not as tasty a crust (not flaky or buttery) as I would've liked. But it definitely sufficed for the holidays.
Before Oprah, there was Food Network. Well not really, but before I knew Oprah claimed the key lime bundt from We Take The Cake as one of her favorite things I saw this place on Food Network's Road Tasted with the Deen Brothers.
I don't really order food online for the main fact that I am impatient and like my goods now. Plus, I wonder how fresh one can really keep baked goods as it travels all over the U.S. (I had ordered breads from Breadwinner after seeing a 'Papa Don't Peach' bread and others also featured on Road Tasted and was delighted by that though.)
So, I took a chance and in May I ordered the famous key lime bundt from We Take The Cake in Florida and waited a whole 3 days. (They automatically do 2-day shipping to make sure you get the cake at supreme freshness, plus I ordered on a Sunday.) Wow, one of the longest waits of my life!
When I received my package it was labeled as precious cargo. I opened it to see a bundt cake vacuum sealed with a nice cup of icing tucked in the middle for me to nuke and slather on. As soon as I got home I tore that thing open and by God I was in heaven! The cake was as moist as if it just came out of the oven. I took chunk after chunk barely leaving any for my husband and others. The cake didn't need the icing, but it was a nice touch. And readers, that bundt--which wasn't extremely large, but fairly sized for a party of four I'd estimate--was gone within 2 days.
I don't dare order another one because I know I wouldn't be able to resist devouring the whole thing. And the fact that you pay to have it shipped means you worship it even more. It's not as though I can simply take the subway and head over to this magical place that makes amazing key lime bundts. Oh no, I have to order and wait patiently for this order to be confirmed, shipped, and delivered. Oprah you and I have something in common.
Another year gone, more goods devoured, and a new year to appreciate what we do have and reach some goals. How many bakeries will I pursue and successfully conquer this year? Who knows, but I'll keep on trucking. Now, for exercise.