Dessert Darling

Brownies with Fiber

Well why not?! If you're going to make brownies from a box mix, vary it up a bit and throw in some healthy fiber for a change!  Lynn, from The Actor's Diet, made "idiot-proof" brownies by adding in black bean-puree instead of eggs, water, and oil.  She claims in this post here that it was quite the successful experiment! 

I know Hungry Girl has a similar trick, but instead of bean-puree, she uses a can of pumpkin for a low-guilt, healthy, but goey batch of brownies.  And finally, a friend of mine swears that all a good batch of brownie-mix needs is a bit of alcohol, like Makers scotch.  Have you tried any of these ideas before? What do you think?!

 
 

Tasty Donuts

Ben from B-side Blog is hilarious.  I normally drop in on his site to check out his laugh-out-loud reviews on intellectually stimulating shows like, you know, The Real Housewives series on BRAVO (Ha). Today though, I was pleasantly surprised to find a dessert review!  

I have driven past Tasty Donuts on Santa Monica Blvd. myself, Lord knows how many times, and always wondered if it was worth making the stop.  It looks like the kinda joint that would use recycled oil and thus have mediocre donuts.  But according to Ben, they might possibly have the best donut in LA!  Well who knew?! Guess I'll have to make a stop there after all and give you the scoop myself someday! In the meantime, check out Ben's thoughts on these donuts here!

 

 

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Pie Recipe

It's rare that you'll find me posting about a Lemon dessert, but this Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Pie from CookingSF just looked so lovely that I couldn't resist.  It seems to be the perfect summer-time treat and the best way to dispose of all those lemons that some of us have growing in our back-yards!

Click here to check out the recipe!

 

 

Delish Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunchies Recipe

OHMYGOSH these Look Seriously delicious.  Now, I'm not going to lie, I used to make legendary Chococlate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls myself back in the day.  Forming each ball was pretty labor intensive and I'd always end up eating half of them (thus the reason for banning myself from baking!).  

Leslie Sarna's Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunchies are slightly reminiscent of my famous balls (heh heh), but look a bit easier to make as they're simply amorphous clusters.  Plus, they don't have all the butter and powdered sugar that my recipe called for, so they don't seem quite as rich.  Anyway, click here or check out LeslieSarna.com to see this easy-to-make recipe!

 

 

Chocolate Cake at the Palm Restaurant

Hi, did I say I was going to take the week off from desserts? Well, that lasted a whole day!  How quickly I hop on the saddle again.

After catching a live viewing of American Idol (fun!) my guy and I headed to the one restaurant that wasn't too crowded to watch The Lakers...AKA, the most expensive place downtown, The Palm.  I can't say I'm really a fan of their food, and now that sentiment extends to their desserts. First, I had the somewhat disappointing carrot cake, and now I've experienced the $14 chocolate cake let-down.

For $14.00, I want magic.  What I got was a ginormous, six layer hunk of mediocre-ness. The shiny layer of "icing" was actually a dense, rubber jacket, and the chocolate drizzle below surely came from a Hershey's squirt bottle.  That said, we both enjoyed the mouse-like side that was moist and delicious.  And while  Bigger is clearly not Better, the presentation was rather impressive and deserving of recognition for its ambitious efforts.  So three cherries for The Palm's chocolate cake!

 

Too Many Cupcakes

Yes, it is possible for even the Dessert Darling to have too many cupcakes.  This weekend we bought boxes of cupcakes for a photo-shoot and I ended up eating at least 8 of them.  That compounded with the Dodgers and Lakers both losing this weekend (read: too many Dodger dogs, nachos and beer) have left me saying, No More junk food this week!  

So what's a Dessert Darling to do while she gets bikini ready for the summer?? Fear not my fellow Sweet Teeth! I shall not leave you Sugar-Free this week! Instead, I'm going to feature recipes, articles, and posts from other fabulous blogs that I know and love.  If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment here or on my FB page.  And while you're at it, be sure to "Become a Fan" and "Like" my blog by clicking on the blue box on the right!!!

For now, check out this fantastic post about the wholesale and retail LA bakery, Bakelab, from the food-loving blog, DianaTakesaBite.  

 

 

 

100 Calorie Ice Cream Sandwich Julie's Organic Ice-Cream

It's hard to find an actual ice-cream sandwich, you know, made with real ice-cream, that comes in a 100 Calorie serving size. I scoured the shelves at Whole Foods, my eyes cruising by the soy, coconut milk, yogurt, and even goat-milk options before I landed on on Julie's Organic Ice-Cream sandwiches. 

The "Juliette" has thin chocolate wafers that neatly contain a bar of delicious vanilla ice-cream. Made with natural and organic ingredients, Julie's Organic "Juliette's" won my heart.     

For more info on Julie's Organic Ice-Cream, click here.

 

 Note, this image is of the larger sandwich, not the 100 cal bars!

Flourless Chocolate Cake at Newsroom Cafe

Today I enjoyed a fantastic lunch at The Newsroom Cafe to celebrate a friend's birthday. Their desserts are expensive and the carrot cake that I had last time didn't exactly thrill me.  While I had low expectations, I had high hopes that the flourless chocolate cake would be worthwhile. 

This rich and delightful dessert exceeded my expectations and beckoned plenty of "mmmms" from around the table.  Shaved chocolate slivers adorned the cake which consisted of a soft truffle-like layer atop a more dense cake-y layer.  While decadent and rich, this cake was more creamy than it was chocolately.  Finally, vanilla ice-cream and a delicious strawberry added the perfect birthday touches for a 4- Cherry chocolate cake at the Newsroom!

For more info on The Newsroom Cafe, click here. 

 

 

 

Vanilla Milkshake from In-N-Out

Today my fiance and I drove home from a gorgeous wedding in Palm Dessert and made a crucial In-N-Out stop.  Now, I know In-N-Out is essentially the Holy Grail of fast food chains.  I really do appreciate their fresh ingredients, simple menu, and commitment to quality food on the go.  That said, their milkshake did not blow me away.

Now, the difference between a milkshake from one fast food joint to another's is minimal.  They're all pretty delicious.  In-N-Out's shake gets cherries docked for it's consistency though.  It was too thick to suck up through a straw, so I ended up inhaling unnecessarily big of gulps through the side. Which left me feeling like I had a brick in my stomach. Which annoyed me, because I never really felt like it was so heavenly delicious that I needed to inhale the whole thing. So bleh.  Three cherries for In-N-Out's vanilla shake.  

 

Acai Mango Sorbet from Belizza

Belizza! Love this Acai Mango sorbet! I'm not normally a sorbet girl. I find it a bit shocking with with it's icy cold temps and disproportionate ratio of high sugar to low fat.  I need some cream and substance in there to balance it out!

In this instance though, Acai is a creamy super fruit that's packed with both antioxidants and yumminess.  Not only is Acai supposed to give you great energy and glowing skin, but also, it's the hangover cure of choice in Brazil.  Voila!  

Finally, the sweet mango is the perfect mate to the mild acai for a rockin' summer, low cal treat.  :)

For more info on Belizza's Acai sorbets, click here. 

 

Banana Creme Pie and Chocolate Panna Cotta at Dominick's Restaurant

Desserts at Dominick's Continued~

Banana Cream Pie:  Hmm, this petit, four-squared dessert was good, but left us wondering a little bit... where's the Banana Cream Pie?!  A small handful of the actual pie rested in a large pastry cup that sat in a pool of chocolate sauce.  We would have appreciated more banana cream pie, less filo dough cup. Three Cherries for this dessert.

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce: Mmm, now this was more like it!  This thick, pudding-like dish was cool, chocolatey and delicious, especially with the caramel sauce touch. I'm beginning to think Chocolate and Caramel is almost as sweet a marriage as Butter and Sugar's!  4 Cherries for a solid Panna Cotta dish.

Over all, 4.5 Cherries to Dominick's for a wonderful evening with great desserts (let's not forget the 5 cherry Fritters)!

For more info on Dominick's, click here. 

 

Fried Ricotta Fritters at Dominick's Restaurant

The other night I had a delicious dinner at Dominick's, with even better company, and 3 lovely desserts to end things sweetly.  

Our favorite offering was the Ricotta Fritters with a side of Blackberry Compote and Creme Fresh whipped. Mmmm, these heavenly fried ricotta balls were warm and generously rolled in sugar.  The berry compote and whipped cream gave us delightful options to play with as we relished each delicious bite. 5 Cherries for the Fritters!

To see my thoughts on the Chocolate Panna Cotta and Banana Cream Pie, tune in tomorrow!

For more info Dominick's restaurant in west Hollywood, click here. 

 

Marzipan Treats and Pastries at Berolina Bakery

Today my friend and I stumbled upon Berolina Bakery in Glendale, where I had the most delicious marzipan treat. It was called a "Vacuum" and was basically a small log of mild rum soaked chocolate cake, enveloped by a layer of marzipan, with the sides dipped in a delicate shell of chocolate.  The mild rum and almond flavors ruled the show as the chocolate took a quiet seat back-stage.  The consistency was thick, pasty, and delicious! 5 Cherries for the Vacuum!

The pastry, on the other hand, bored me with it's thick dried out sides. However, it did have delicious fruit on top!  Over all, the Berolina Bakery earns 4.5 cherries for the exquisite Vacuum, which almost makes me forgive and forget the very ordinary pastry.  

For more info on Berolina Bakery, click here.

 

Caramel Chocolate Pot de Creme at Little Next Door

The second dessert that my brother and I shared at the Little Next Door was the Caramel Chocolate Pot de Creme. Compared to the light Creme Brulee, this was a rich and decadent dish that felt like thick mud to my spoon. Even so, Chris still thought it was a lighter version of a traditional Pot de Creme and suggested, yet again, that they'd used reduced fat ingredients.

The nearly bitter dark chocolate pudding boasted a delicious caramel topping with a small cluster of salted nut slivers that left me yearning for more sea salt flakes.  Finally, a delightful fig added the final touch to a special and unique Pot de Creme that ultimately earned itself a 4-cherry rating.. but just barely.  

For more info on the Little Next Door, click here. 

 

Creme Brulee at Little Next Door

My brother was in town for the night and we had a delightful dinner at my neighborhood haunt, the Little Next Door.  While Chris shares our family's infamous sweet-tooth, he takes it to the next level with his appreciation for heavy, creamy dishes. 

The first item we ordered was the creme brulee (clearly I've been in a custard mood lately). Upon first bite I practically did a happy dance. Finally, a dessert done well at the Little Next Door! First of all, it looked perfect with its evenly glazed, fire-burnt top, and long, exotic vanilla bean.  Secondly, it tasted delicious.  The creme was whipped seamlessly thin and had a strong vanilla presence.

While I enjoyed the smooth and lighter version, my brother shook his head, noting that it tasted like they'd use reduced fat milk or cream, a huge no no in his book. (Sigh).. fair enough.  We settled on 3.5 cherries for the creme brulee!

To see our thoughts on the Caramel Chocolate Pot de Creme, tune in tomorrow!

For more info on the Little Next Door, click here. 

 

Churros at Cobras and Matadors

 

Wow, these were pretty excellent poofs of fried dough that boasted soft warm centers and a slight dusting of cinnamon-sugar. The "churros" at Cobras and Matadors were not your traditional Spanish doughnut sticks that you'd find at a fair, all firm and crispy and sometimes cold and stale.  While this difference let down one of my girlfriends, I found the fresh warmth and bubbling softness of dough inside to be a total delight.  

What befuddled me was the dark chocolate pairing.  While the chocolate itself was delicious, it's strength completely drowned out the cinnamon-sugared flavor of the doughnut (which the churro could have used more of to begin with). A much better dipping sauce would have been caramel, butterscotch or even an icing-glaze to harmonize with the subtle flavors of the fried deliciousness before us.

For more info on Cobras and Matadors, click here. 

  

Flan at Cobras and Matadors

Nothing beats a girls' night out where you enjoy great food and wine, even better conversation, and a debate over the rankings of each dessert for the DessertDarling blog ;)

An evening at the tapas restaurant, Cobras and Matadors, yielded such an excellent night.  The first dessert that we dug into was the flan. This traditional Spanish custard left my companions disappointed as it lacked a "burnt" caramel layer and was a bit firm, perhaps due to being over-cooked or having too many egg-yolks, both traits the table did not appreciate. 

I have to say, I think my friends were pretty picky, but that said, we all agreed to give the flan at Cobras and Matadors a solid three-cherries.  While good, it lacked~

Tune in tomorrow to see our thoughts on the Churros!

For more info on Cobras and Matadors, click here.  

 

Banana Crepe at Izayka-Ya

Wow,what a gorgeous looking antidote to the sodium packed meal I had just indulged in at the popular Isayka-Ya Japanese restaurant in West Hollywood.

How I admired the diaphanous crepe enveloping a banana and vanilla ice-cream, as it rested beneath whipped-cream, chocolate drizzle, and a few slices of caramelized bananas.  This dessert was about to be bonkers.

And yet, it wasn't. Like many things in Los Angeles, this dessert was simply an illusion. Why, you wonder? Because the banana was a whole, complete, plain old raw banana :-P Not caramelized, not fried, not sauteed... not even dusted with a whisper of powdered sugar.  A plain stinking banana.  The kind you eat in the morning or when there's nothing better to snack on. And the vanilla ice-cream didn't exactly inspire poetry either.  

(Sigh)... the presentation looked exciting (if not phallic), but the reality disappointed me.. and I hate being disappointed.   Had they simply caramelized the large banana the way they did the garnishing on top, this dessert could have been a contender.

 

Creme Brulee at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Today I enjoyed a delicious Lavender Creme Brulee at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.  It looked and tasted quite lovely, even though the first spoonful shocked my senses into thinking it was too sweet. I quickly got over that initial reaction and polished the plate clean. 

While some lavender treats can taste like soap, this one only had a subtle hint of flower for exotic flare. Finally, I could taste a richness enhanced, perhaps, by extra egg yolks, which personally, I enjoyed. Overall, a great lunch experience!

For more info on Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, click here. 

    

Mint Brownie from Heirloom LA Catering

Last night I attended an event where I enjoyed mint brownies served up by Heirloom LA Catering.  

This three tiered dessert had a smooth and mildly minty center, sandwiched between an equally smooth and fudgy top and a traditional brownie bottom.   Additionally, this treat featured fine gourmet touches, like the dustings of pure, bitter cocoa powder, a slight tease of sea salt, and a teeny mint sprig garnish on top.  

Ooh La la~

For more info on Heirloom LA Catering, click here. 

 

Macaroons from Little Next Door

It's a wonder that The Little Next Door can be as darling as it is, with French cuisine as delicious as it is, yet have desserts that are so mediocre you could cry.  You might recall my less than glowing review on their flourless chocolate cake here.  Now it's the macaroons.  

It's pretty hard to go wrong with macaroons.. and if you're a french restaurant, you really should be able to nail these Parisian, almond cookies.  Yet the macaroons from The Little Next Door have continuously underwhelmed me.  This time the meringue was over-cooked and crispy and the fillings were thick and dense, like little lard patties.  

While these macaroons have the tasty ingredients to be delicious, the execution is simply not Melt-in-your-Mouth-Good.  

Organic Chewy Brownie from FABES Natural Bakery

I really appreciate FABE's All Natural Bakery for concocting organic treats that don't have bleached flours, refined sugars or hydrogenation. Their Chewy Brownie is just that... chewy.  You can taste the sweetness of the agave nectar and enjoy the soft, Tootsie Roll like consistency, but I won't lie and tell you it's just like sugar and butter! 

Also, somewhat distressing, is this article that I came across that claims that agave nectar is actually worse for you than high fructose corn syrup!! A DessertDarling-say-what? This can't be!!  See, this is why I just stick to the real stuff.  It all probably ends up being bad for you, but at least you get desserts that taste amazing.  

For more info on FABE's All Natural Bakery, click here.