Dessert Darling

Roasted Marshmallow Milkshake From The Best Thing I Ever Ate

A Facebook friend alerted me to the Toasted Marshmallow Shake at Stand after watching it on Best Thing I Ever Ate. I knew I had to track this shake down on my NYC adventures! I love this shake because while dauntingly thick at first (the straw nearly has the circumference of a dime!), it's made with gelato, a lighter ingredient than ice-cream.  Additionally, the narrow glass makes for a reasonable portion size, so even after downing a whole shake, you don't feel like you have a bowling ball in your stomach for hours on end (like most shakes make me feel!). 

The shake at Stand has a uniquely campfire, marshmallow taste, and that's because they blend real roasted marshmallows in with the vanilla gelato.  My only critique is, I'm not sure I'd choose the flavor Roasted Marshmallow as my top choice of shake! Marshmallows are rather sweet, and thus add an extra surge of sugar to an already balanced treat. Next time, I'll have to just try the plain vanilla or chocolate shake.~

 

 

For more information on Stand in New York, click here. 

ps: The burger I had there was Awesome. :)

 

Fun and Simple Cupcake Ideas for a HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Oooh, the weekend of Ghosts and Goblins has officially arrived!  I couldn't be giddier for festive parties and the season of sweets!  If you're entertaining this weekend or need to bring goodies to an event, try making these super easy but darling cupcakes that Leslie Sarna came up with! The graveyard tombstone and spider ideas would also look great on brownies. :)

 

 

Be sure to check out the fun video with step by step instructions on how we made these cupcakes here! 

 

 

Baked by Melissa - The Tiniest Cupcakes in NYC

I'd heard amazing things about Baked By Melissa's mini-cupcakes and was eager to try them on my NY adventures. Upon seeing them I was struck by how tiny these treats are in real life. Surely you could fit six of them into one normal cupcake! Which leads me to think, cupcake is a total misnomer.  Why, these are teaspoon cakes! And while rich, flavorful, and delicious, there's something lacking in the experience.  That said, tiny treats leave room for lots of flavor sampling, a huge bonus. These cupcakes are great for children, treating your office, party trays, and ladies who want just one bite! But if you really want to sink your teeth into joyful decadence, buy a real sized cupcake!

 

 

For more info on Baked by Melissa, click here.

 

 

 

 

Burgers and Cupcakes Produce the Best Cupcake in New York

Mmmm, now these delicious cupcakes could not have been more opposite from the Cupcake Cafe confections that I had just tried down the street from Burgers and Cupcakes. This joint wasn't on my "to do" list, but with a name like that, how could I not go in?

The cupcakes from Burgers and Cupcakes looked a little sloppy with tall mounds of pleasing icing.  Surely someone slathered on the frosting by hand and not with a fancy device. I liked this personal touch, because it evoked the notion that mom made them, and well, moms are kinda great.

Each cupcake was incredibly moist while not being too dense, had the perfect balance of flavors, and totally delicious frosting on top! Mmmm! One heavenly bite will sway even the biggest skeptic.

 

For more photos of their other cupcakes options, click ofter the jump.

For more info on Burgers and Cupcakes, in NY, click here!

 

Cupcake Cafe in New York City

I stumbled into the Cupcake Cafe by accident while walking the streets of New York. The cafe had an antique feel and boasted rows of artistically decorated cupcakes and cakes that were reminiscent of Sweet Lady Jane's darling creations. However, I feared that like Sweet Lady Jane's, these cupcakes would disappoint me with a fancy show and little substance. Alas, I was right. The cake was firm and made me think of biscuits, while the "frosting" was more like slightly sweetened butter that had softened just enough to form delicate flowers.  

I give Cupcake Cafe credit for having been around since 1988 and offering cake decorating classes, which would surely be fun to take! I also think their cakes would make lovely additions to elegant and feminine affairs like showers, weddings, and tea parties.  However, these are not the treats to buy  to indulge in or satisfy your cupcake craving!  

 

 

For more information on the Cupcake Cafe, click here.

Photo by Yanina Manolova

 

Cake Balls at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City

These "Birthday" cake balls from Momofuku milk bar don't necessarily smell that appealing at first, but upon sinking your teeth into the super moist and festive treat, you quickly forgive the Cap'N Crunch-like aroma. These balls taste like rich donut cake holes and have colorful sprinkles for dynamic and tasty bites of joy. 

 

 

To see my thoughts on the Cereal Milk at Momofuku, click here. 

For more information on Momofuku Milk Bar, click here. 

 

 

Cereal Milk Frozen Yogurt at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City

Today I had the totally intriguing "Cereal Milk" frozen yogurt at the Momofuku milk bar in NYC.  The name alone disturbed me, and then the first taste struck me with its strong Corn Flake flavor.  Could this treat really be abuzz in NYC!? The woman in front of me was oohing-and-aweing, "isn't it so great?!"

Ummmm, lick one, "not really," lick two.. and then somewhere between lick three and five it hooked me. Yea, actually, it kind of is great.  Weird!... Gross?.. Yum! Cereal Milk follows the salty-sweet trend with its own distinct flavor to set it apart from the sea salt treats that abound these days. Additionally, I tried the Salty Pistachio Caramel soft-serve which tasted like gelato heaven.  Mmm, who knew?!

 

 

Stay tuned for my thoughts on Momofuku's Cake Balls! 

Fore more information on Momofuku Milk Bar, click here. 

 

 

New York City Dessert Crawl

Woowee! Today was an epic day of dessert eating that started with a Cupcake Crawl (four tasty Cupcakeries), and then wound itself into a general Dessert Crawl as I managed to tack on a milkshake and macaroons.

Below is a sneak-peak of the week to come in reviews. :)

 

Billy's Bakery

 

Burgers and Cupcakes

 

Cupcake Cafe

 

Baked by Melissa 

 

Stand 4

 

La Maison du Chocolat

 

Tomorrow will be a chocolate and cookie day!  Wish me well ;-)

 

 

Dylan's Candy Bar - Fabulous Book and Fun Event

Looks like this is the week of book signings!  Tonight I attended Dylan Lauren's (of Ralph Lauren) book signing for her new, fabulous coffee table book, Dylan's Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life. It's a joyful compilation of gorgeous images and creative ideas for celebrating, cooking and decorating with candy. :)   

 

 

 

Ginger-spice Cookies from Williams-Sonoma Catalogue

These ginger-spice Halloween cookies from the Williams-Sonoma catalogue remind me of the German "peppernut" cookie, Pfeffernusse.  They bubble out and have a soft consistency, with a thin, mild, and hardened glaze that somewhat tempers the strong spices and cloves in the cookie.  With only 2.5 grams of fat for five little cookies, these are a very low-fat and forgiving treat.  While these Gingerbread cookies aren't quite the way grandma made them, they're cute to put out in a bowl or tray for Halloween festivities. Kids would surely love the fun and colorful options and they're just the right size for little hands. Just don't buy these cookies in hopes of total decadence, otherwise, you'll be tricked expecting your treat.

 

 

For more info on ordering these cookies from Williams-Sonoma, click here. 

 

Quite Possibly the Best Cake Pops Ever

Wow- now these cake pops were stop-in-your-tracks-throw-your-head-back-and-gasp Amazing. I recently attended a book signing at William-Sonoma for the book tour of Bakerella's fabulous compilation on making and decorating cake pops. Perhaps more exciting yet, I actually got to try one of her creations! These pops were perfection.  I learned that the cake was made with Sprinkles pumpkin mix and I could see that the shells were made with orange candy melting discs like these. Mmmm!  Completely, completely Amazing. 

 

To make these cake pops yourself, check out Bakerella.com or buy her darling book here!

And here are pics of Bakerella meeting all of us! 

Tasty Tuesday Video - Halloween Cupcake Decorating

 

Oh how I love the holidays... the traditions, the colors, the festivities, and most importantly, the goodies! Halloween kicks off the holiday season and what better way to celebrate than to decorate festive cupcakes! Thank you Leslie Sarna, "the dainty vegetarian," for teaching me these adorable and totally easy cupcake creations!

 

 

 

 

Cake Pops at Vanilla Bake Shop

You might have just seen my favorable review here for Vanilla Bake Shop's delicious cupcakes, but I have to say, their cake pops are a pass.  The chocolate shell, especially the white chocolate, leaves very little to be desired, and the frosted cake filling just doesn't enthuse me.  I'm learning more and more that the perfect cake pop is quite tricky to pull off! But hey, at least they look chic and appetizing! 

 

 

For more information on the Vanilla Bake Shop, click here.

To see how to make Cake Pops, click here!

 

Cupcakes at Vanilla Bake Shop

Sweet Sugar of Mary! Vanilla Bake Shop likes it SWEET! However, I don't mind the extra surge of sugar in their frosting because these treats also have wonderful flavor, unlike other intensely sweet icings that just taste like powdered sugar and butter (eh hem, Magolia and Buttercake Bakery). 

The minis melted in my mouth with fun and vibrant flavors, like the Key lime with citrus filling, the chocolate with whisky in the frosting, and the seasonal pumpkin spice. While the red velvet cake had a nice, strong cocoa presence, the cream cheese frosting was actually too sweet.

 

 

The large vanilla/vanilla cupcake had excellent flavor, but left room for improvement with its dichotomous consistencies. The frosting was whipped very thin while the cake itself was relatively firm and dense. This contrast lacked harmony, thus perfection. 

 

 

Overall, four cherries for Vanilla Bake Shop's super sweet but tasty gourmet cupcakes.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on their Cake Pops...~

For more information on Vanilla Bake Shop, click here. 

 

My Top 10 Favorite Food Sites from the BlogHer Food Conference

 

My Sister-n-Law from Cooking SF and I got down to business last weekend!

We attended the BlogHer Food conference in San Francisco, which was an incredible, sometimes overwhelming, and even times touching experience.  I learned golden nuggets of information, met and listened to some rock stars of the food blogging world, and came home with a mountain of biz cards and new sites for my Bookmark bar! One of the key points emphasized at BlogHer was that the blog world is a very giving community. By nature of being a blog, you are giving information that informs and/or entertains.  In the spirit of sharing, I'm listing my Top 10 favorite sites that I discovered at BlogHer. :) 

In no particular order:

 

944's New Online Feature - Ask the Dessert Darling

I'm so excited and thrilled to announce that I'll now be writing for 944's online site as the authority on desserts. Friends often call me with pressing dessert questions for last minute birthdays, house-warmings, showers, etc. and I happily guide them in the right direction. If you have any questions yourself, go on and ask! I am your resource for all things sweet and delicious. Click here to see sample Q and As that I've been asked and have answered before. Enjoy :)

 

 

Thinny Thursday - Choco-Laté Tea from the American Tea Room

This Thinny Thursday I'm introducing you to something very un-Dessert Darling-esque. That is because this item is not a dessert. However, if you are, for some reason.. ((gasp)) avoiding desserts, this is the "treat" for you.  Introducing Chocolate Tea that I recently received from the American Tea Room.

The Choco*Laté is a caffeine-free, fat-free blend of organic cacao husks, vanilla beans, and anti-oxidant packed rooibos. It truly smells just like chocolate.  The flavor is quite subtle as a tea, but lovely nonetheless. For a slightly more "decadent" experience, the website suggests adding milk and agave nectar. Mmm.  In general, I find that the times I'm drinking the most tea are also the times that I'm taking in the least calories, so if you're looking to keep the waistline down before the surge of Holiday treats, this is the perfect alternative to cleansing your palette after a meal!

 

  


For more information on the American Tea Room, click here. 

 

SCOOPS Gelato

The Heat is ON!  Evidently Mother Nature swapped her seasons on us, giving Angelenos a chilly summer and a smoking hot autumn so far.  No complaints here! This just means I get to eat more of my favorite dessert... gelato!

The other day I finally checked out SCOOPS, a charming little gelateria near Silver Lake that serves both traditional gelato as well as vegan, gluten and lactose-free options made with soy milk. This gelato holds true to the Italian tradition of using milk instead of cream, which results in a markedly lighter fair. This fresh rendition is incredibly desirable during a heat-wave (and a diet, for those counting cals)!

In addition to great consistency, Scoops boasts unique and original flavors like Mascarpone Butterfinger, Honey Lavendar, Red Velvet Cake (with cake and icing in it!) and their best selling "Brown Bread," which is an incredible combo of brown sugar with crunchy Grapenuts! Mmm. Five cherries all the way!~

 

"Brown Bread" on top of Honey Almond and gluten-free Pistachio 

 

For more info on SCOOPS, click here. 

 

Tasty Tuesday - SUPERFOOD Ice-Cream

You might recall from this post that I was floored by Kind Kreme's incredible vegan, organic, and raw ice-cream.  This little shop jazzed me up so much that I was inspired to shoot my next Tasty Tuesday video there.  Check out the incredible results of eating Superfoods! That's right! I'm really flying!  Enjoy ;-)

 

   

 

Huge Thank you to Stephanie Day and Lindsay Gareth for letting me work my magic on you!~

For more info on Kind Kreme, click here. 

Macarons from Miette in San Francisco

This weekend in SF I made sure to stop by the historic Ferry Building to to visit Miette, a little bakery that Conde Naste deemed to be one of the top ten pastry shops in the world. While I had an incredible experience with their caramel panna cotta and coconut cake, I'd like to discuss their macarons.

As a refresher, macarons are meringue based, almond cookies that sandwich delicious ganache or jam fillings.  Traditionally, macarons appear in festive and delightful settings ranging from intimate tea parties to elegant weddings.  Additionally, they make wonderful little gifts.  Half the charm of macarons is the range of playful colors and flavors in which they come.  This trait is where Miette's macaron's fall short. Their cookies only come in natural shades of rugged almond, or perhaps chocolate, depending on the flavor. While I love natural and organic ingredients for my goodies, the macaron is not the cookie to downgrade the fun.  

Furthermore, these cookies are extra chewy, thus lacking the melt-in-your-mouth quality that the best macarons possess.  Two and a half cherries for these natural yet drab and chewy cookies.

 

For more information on Miette, click here. 

Kettle Corn from POPS A LOT

Ok, I just took down a whole bag of gourmet kettle corn by POPS A LOT, which kind of makes me mad at it. But can I fault a brand for concocting popcorn so addictive-ly delicious that I can't put the bag down?? 

I've actually always found kettle corn to be supremely addictive by nature. With its hint of sweet and savory, it makes me dig through the bag in search of more flavor! POPS A LOT scratches your itch by adding a substantial amount of sugar and salt, thus yielding a more flavor-packed item than what you'd find at a street fair. For most people, this addition should be the satisfying touch that prevents them from downing the whole thing (..clearly, I'm not most people).

I appreciate how fresh and crunchy this popcorn tastes. Furthermore, it's made with 100% all natural ingredients, which is always a huge bonus in my book. POPS A LOT popcorn has a varity of tasty flavors, including a perfect caramel corn that you must try as well.

 

POPS A LOT also sells popcorn tins which would make the perfect gift to send this festive time of year. I've even heard that POPS A LOT is Julie Andrew's favorite treat to send! Yes, Maria from the Sound of Music sends POPS A LOT popcorn as her gift of choice. Um, need I say more?!

For more on information on POPS A LOT popcorn, click here.

 

 

Hello! Skinny Jeans - a Thinny Thursday Miracle

 

Catch Boutique is my favorite site to shop online because they carry the best brands and whatever I buy from there ends up being a beloved staple. Thanks to Catch, I recently discovered Hello! Skinny Jeans. Why Hello there Skinny Jeans, what have we here? Um, the most amazing jeans EVER!  These aren't just "skinny jeans," like the kind that emphasize big hips.. these jeans actually make you look Skinny! Just LOOK at these Before and Afters!!!

 

 

Is this for real?! Amazing. Thanks for the find Catch Boutique!

Now go get yourself a cupcake.~

To see MORE incredible Before and After's click below to continue!~

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie from Snookies Cookies

Giddy smiles.  Receiving a box of Snookies Cookies is like getting a care package from mom with its freshly baked cookies wrapped in tinfoil.  Once you unfold the tinfoil, an aroma of warm vanilla, sugar, and butter tickles your senses, luring you to delve into these delicious goodies immediately.  Snookies Cookies are perfectly chewy on the inside with firmly cooked edges all around.  I've sampled almost every flavor and haven't met a Snookie's Cookie that I don't like.  5 cherries all around for the quintessential chocolate chip cookies!

 

 

 

For more information on Snookies Cookies, click here. 

 

Carrot Cake at The Coffee Bean

I've had better desserts from airplane dinner trays than this impostor of a carrot cake at The Coffee Bean.  This slice totally disappointed me since it looked somewhat promising behind the glass and the Coffee Bean has delighted me before with its red velvet cupcakes (review here). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for this dense, bland and rubbery item which tasted of preservatives that were clearly failing at their job of preserving.  May this review save you from waisting your hard-earned money and calories on such unworthy rubbish.  

 

Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Ice-Cream at Kind Kreme

Wow- it's rare, if ever, that you'd see me award five cherries to a Gluten Free, Vegan, no less raw dessert, but I have to say, the soft serve ice-cream at Kind Kreme completely knocked my socks off. For ages my friend has been telling me about this cute little joint in Studio City, but I dilly-dallied, wondering how edible could this stuff really be?  I'm a changed woman. 

A sample of soft-served Chocolate Vanilla swirled

I started to feel healthy just entering Kind Cream where the air smells of fresh grass (which is odd since they don't actually have wheat grass), and wide smiles greet you from behind the counter.  The employees generously allow you to try their many creative flavors with mini, earth friendly wooden spoons.  As I tasted my samples, I learned quickly that the flavors sweetened with Agave Nectar were significantly tastier than those sweetened with honey, which left a bit of a bitter aftertaste.  Ultimately, the soft serve was the best option, but the the hard packed Ginger Basil, Rocky Road, Chocolate and Mint Chip totally delighted me as well. 

 

Made with "Superfood" ingredients like Maca, almond butter, Goji berries, Chia seeds, and Cacao nibs, this is one dessert that truly leaves you feeling uplifted and energize. The only downside of these high quality ingredients is their steeper price.  Also, there're some reports that Agave nectar can be hard on some people's systems. ((Sigh)), I guess you can't win them all.  Ultimately though, Kind Cream makes incredibly refreshing and delicious ice-cream that can compete with even the creamiest, most sugar-packed store brands...just make sure you pick the right flavors!  

 

 

Check out my Tasty Tuesday video here to see how Kind Kreme makes me Fly! ;)

For more information on Kind Kreme, click here. 

 

Rosebud Cakes in Beverly Hills

The other day my friend and I popped into Rosebud Cakes on Robertson where they artistically craft some of the most incredible cake creations.  I mean, just check out some of these photos! Yes- These are cakes!

 

 

         

 

And of course, they can do your traditional wedding cakes too..~

 

    

 

Most impressively, these cakes are crafted with buttercream, which is trickier, yet more delicious, than using fondant. However, I can't say that all the cake flavors that I sampled wowed me. The white cream with fresh strawberries was my favorite, which surprised me since that's not usually my first choice.  The options with chocolate chips in the layers were delightful and the carrot cake also stood out as a winner. But otherwise, I found the middle layers in all the samples to be too thick and firm to really melt me. Furthermore, the buttercream frosting had a bit of that whipped up, mild, but slightly unpleasant store-bought taste to it. (Sigh), sometimes you can't win them all. 

Rosebud Cakes will surely enchant your friends for any occasion, but for simply indulging in cake, I'd make other recommendations.~  (click on "Cakes" in my categories to see!).