Dessert Darling

Baking Betty's Make Heavenly Cookies

I was recently craving cookies when quite instantly, the most delicious cookies came my way. Call it the Law of Attraction.. or don't, but the very next day I received a darling box of glorious cookies. The treats came from Baking Betty's and stood out to me for three reasons. 1) the fun name 2) the darling packaging, and 3) the scrumdiliuptious cookies. I received one bag of large cookies and one bag of mini-mes. Both sizes were soft and chewy chocolate chip dreams with the surprise addition of little marshmallows on top. These marshmallows made traditionally substantial treats seem airy, light, and heavenly! I'm swooning just thinking about them and shall hereby throw them into the ring, nominating them for the 2011 Golden Cherry for Best Cookie! Woa, competition is getting fierce this year! Stay tuned in November for the Golden Cherry Awards to see who wins in each category!

 

For more info on Baking Betty's, click here. 

xoxo

Laura Wants More DD- Do You?

In book club last night, my friend Laura insisted that I start posting more photos and videos of myself. Evidently this is entertaining versus narcissistic. Ha. And supposedly you guys won't care if I have no make-up on... DearLord Laura- what have you gotten me into? 

 

 

Oh- and Laura has forbidden me from ever turning the camera around on her again. I mean, really?!

 

xo

Studio Frozen Yogurt- An Old School Joint with Celebrity Sightings

   

I once said that Frozen Yogurt falls into one of two categories: Good frozen yogurt and Bad frozen yogurt. Studio Frozen Yogurt in Studio City, though, remains an exception, falling somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. This old school yogurt joint came before the days of self-serve machines and fancy flavors like Red Velvet Cake and Tart Goji Berry Bonanza. They have limited flavors in a range of sweetener options like fructose, artificial sweetener, and actual sugar. The frozen yogurt itself is only OK and can make you feel a little ill to your tummy (depending on sweetener choice), but they serve you gargantuan sizes for your money, and even give you a whole cup full of goodies when you order toppings on the side. Finally, Studio Yogurt is known for some celeb encounters, and well- what's not fun about that? Three cherries for average yogurt with great prices and decent extras. 

 

For more info on Studio Frozen Yogurt, click here. 

xo

Sweet Arleen's Cupcakes, Not as Sweet as I'd Like

I told my guy that I needed to try Sweet Arleen's Cupcakes since they won an episode of Cupcake Wars and her bakery is nearby his work. My sweetheart proceeded to come home with two large boxes with every flavor and more!! Awwwe. How can I not award 5-cherries to that!?

Alas, I must share my honest opinion and frankly, these are not my favorite cupcakes. Firstly, I'm not a fan of silky whipped frosting that has a mild, greasy, butter taste. Secondly, the size is simply not conducive to cupcake eating. These treats are awkwardly large with such a high top of frosting, you can't eat them without getting a dollop on your nose. Proof that these cupcakes are not visually inviting with their clunky stature? I had a party the following night, prominently displayed the cupcakes, and no one ate them!

That all said, you can tell these treats are made with fine, fresh, and natural ingredients, and the cake part itself is quite delicious. I met a man who doesn't like sweet frosting and he thought that these were the best cupcakes.. so there you go. Overall, 3 cherries for Sweet Arleen's cupcakes in Westlake Village, CA!

 

a tray of cupcakes left over from my party

 

For more information on Sweet Arleen's cupcakes, click here. 

ps: the cream cheese frosting is much sweeter than the buttercream, but dare I say- too sweet? just fyi

xo

Cookies By Joey- an Intensely Delicious Experience

Uhhhahh! Sometimes you bite into a dessert so sumptuous that time freezes around you. Your mouth relishes the sweet, buttery, and chunky goodness in slow-mo as your head tilts back in quiet elation. This, my friends, is the result of eating Cookies By Joey. The shape and texture of these deep pocket cookies remind me of the famous ones from Levain Bakery in NY (review here). However, Joey's cookies are far superior in flavor and even size, as Joey's are not quite as monstrous. 

My Cookie-fiend friend insisted that these were the best cookies he had ever tried, and now I see why. While Cookies by Joey are based in IL, they ship nation wide. I'm officially nominating Cookies by Joey for the 2011 Golden Cherry Awards! Stay tuned.    ;-) 

 

For more information on Cookies By Joey, click here. You know they'd make a great Valentine's gift! 

xo

Sugar Shock- a Birthday Extravaganza!

Sweet Arleens, Hansen's Cupcakes, Wonderland Bakery, Johnny Rockets, Joey's Cookies, Baking Betty's, Cake & Art- Oh My!

I had a lot of delectable goodies this weekend! I guess when you're the Dessert Darling, you've gotta expect that your friends will bring you all sorts of sugary sweetness. :)

The best of all? My dear fiancé planned an incredible day and night with my friends, starting at Knotts Berry Farm in the morning and ending with pizza, champagne, and a rowdy game of "Celebrity" into the wee hours of the night. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world- I mean, how cute is this DD cake that he got me from Cake and Art?! (minus the melted wax everywhere!)

 

 

While the 24th is my actual birthday, many many thanks for all the heart-warming birthday wishes that I'm already getting!!  If I had one birthday wish, it would be to spread the DD love.  So please, share Dessert Darling.com with a friend today, or Follow me on Twitter if you're not already!

Stay tuned this week for upcoming reviews on all those b-day goodies!

 

XOXO

 

Froyo Life, Great Premium Frozen Yogurt

In Beverly Hills I stumbled upon a fabulous Frozen Yogurt chain called Froyo Life. With around 12 different flavors and over 25 different toppings available, this self-serve frozen yogurt place ranks up there with the likes of Menchies and Yogurt Stop. One thing that differentiated Froyo Life though, was that they offered more low-fat options than you normally see at yogurt joints. Since my fave flavors were low-fat (versus fat-free) the yogurt was more reminiscent of eating soft-served ice-cream: that slight amount of fat made for a noticeably richer experience. Also, I didn't see healthy ingredients like live yogurt cultures and acidophilus advertised the way I do at other places, like my all-time fave, Yogurtland.  Overall, a delicious 5-cherry experience, but if I'm going to do Fro-Yo, I want my live, active yogurt cultures! 

 

For more information on FroyoLife, click here. 

xo

Thinny Thursday Tip, Ask for a Doggy Bag

This Thinny Thursday I'm sharing a tip that I rarely employ myself, but it does work. When a restaurant serves you a plate with enough food to feed an army, ask your waiter for a Doggy-Bag before you even start. Split half to go, and half for now. This way you leave room for dessert and get a free lunch the next day. ;) 

 

xo

photo from metropoleparis.com

Big Sugar Bakeshop Has Small Sugar Results

I really wanted to like the cupcakes from Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City.  Indeed, I always want to like the treats that I try. Alas, these cupcakes never reached the climatic crescendo that one craves from an indulgent dessert. I was first weary of the thin layer of frosting on top, and then further put off by it's mild, buttery flavor and slippery, greasy touch. The cake itself, though, is perfectly tasty. If you're not a frosting person, these cupcakes might be for you.  Otherwise, there're far better cakes in the bakes out there..~

 

 

For more information on Big Sugar Bakeshop, click here. 

 

Low-Cal Doughnuts from Starbucks

 

Today I dropped into Starbucks and sampled the 130 cal, mini-doughnuts. They never looked that appealing to me, but thought it my duty to at least try them and report back. Verdict is: they taste just like they look.. dry and uneventful. That said, the glaze on top is still nice and sweet if you want a quick, low-cal fix, and eat just the top off like I ended up doing.  

 

xo

Maison Richard Cafe and French Bakery, Heavenly Chocolate Mousse!

If you're looking for true French pastries, Maison Richard Cafe and French Bakery offers a great selection of exquisite delectables. I purchased an eclair, chocolate mousse, and custard & apricot pastry, thinking that I'd enjoy little bites from each. Not a chance: I inhaled all three goodies on the spot. The eclair was smooth and subtle with rich chocolate ganache on top. The pastry was mild and lovely with its cool custard and sweet apricots, and the chocolate mousse... My Gawd. The chocolate mousse! The chocolate mousse was insanely delicious with a slightly salty tinge and a heavenly whipped consistency that, for some reason, made me think of eating freshly made cookie dough. In a word, Divine. Cinq cherries for you Maison Richard!

 

 

For more information on Maison Richard, just off of Melrose in Los Angeles, click here. 

 

Best Vegan Cupcake, Hands Down

I've had a lot of bad Vegan desserts, so when I found a good one, let alone a delicious one, it nearly shocked me silly. Naturally, this vanilla goodness came from one of my favorite cupcakeries in S. Cal, Yummy Cupcakes. This Vegan vanilla/vanilla cupcake was so delicious I almost think they're lying. Ha. For this crafty work of tastiness, I must award Yummy Cupcakes yet another Golden Cherry for the BEST VEGAN CUPCAKE! Voila!

 

Vegan cupcake on the right

 

For more information on Yummy Cupcakes, click here. 

 

 

Thinny Thursday Tip, I Never Eat Fried Food

I've always been known for my appetite and people often ask me, "How do you do it?!" I could never fully answer this question until I just watched an episode of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Nearly every item presented was deep-fried and/or super cheesy. What were these alien foods???

You see, growing up in California, there're only three foods that I knew came fried:

Chips, French Fries, and Doughnuts

That's it.

Chips I knew because I got a small bag of Dorritos in my lunch bag. Fries I'd eat.. oh, maybe once every four years? And really, they were more of a vehicle for ketchup than a chance to eat the bland and greasy fries themselves. Doughnuts, well yes, Doughnuts I knew because I'm the Dessert Darling, and I love all things sugary. Still though, doughnuts were a super special treat, reserved for extraordinary occasions.

 

 

Sweet E's Delightful Cake Pops

Yesterday I wrote about my exciting discovery, Sweet E's Bake Shop, and her mini-cupcakes here. Today I'm sharing that her Cake Pops are as great as any Cake Pop can be. They're not too sweet, not too mild, and super fun to eat (these pops are secure on the stick, which not all Cake Pops are). It's hard to achieve a balance of flavors with Cake Pops and Sweet E's has done an excellent job. I have to say though, as trendy as they are, I'd take a cupcake with tactile frosting any day over a Cake Pop.

 

For more information on Sweet E's, click here.

The Perfect Sized Cupcakes by Sweet E's Bake Shop

Yay! I love love lOVE finding darling bakeries, like Sweet E's Bake Shop, that I know I'll frequent for its giftable goodies, adorable party options, and personal indulgences! Sweet E's recently transitioned from a Dessert Truck to a store front on Robertson in Los Angeles. "Adorable" barely begins to describe this pink polkda dotted place. The Candy Cupcake was fun and colorful with its mini M&Ms and the Cookie Dough Cupcake tasted exactly like cookie dough. The best part about Sweet E's cupcakes though? Their darling, perfect size. These treats are not too mini like those from Baked By Melissa, nor are they large and intimidating. Indeed, these cupcakes are just bigger than a golf ball. The downside of smaller cupcakes, though, is that they're not as moist and bouncy as their larger counterparts. I also found my iced-cookie to be a little firm and dry. Otherwise, Sweet E's Bake Shop might be my new Go-To place for buying treats for friends, meetings, Book Club, etc!

 

 

For more information on Sweet E's Bake Shop, click here.

Stay tuned for my review on Sweet E's cake pops! 

xo

Vegan Cakes from Real Food Daily- Hit or Miss?

 

OOoh Vegan food.  How to rate you?? 

Real Food Daily is a holy mecca of sorts for Vegans and Vegetarians in Los Angeles. Personally, all that tofu terrifies me. However, I wanted to try their cakes to see if I could find alternatives for people with dietary needs. (Sigh)- ok, to put it delicately, I find all this stuff to be rather unpalatable. I can taste the soy and imitation ingredients.  I am a dessert critic, after all. That said, my friend, who was on a refined-sugar free diet, absolutely swooned over the "cheesecake," and also enjoyed the carrot cake. Even she had to admit, though, that the chocolate cake was "off."  In the real world of desserts, these cakes would get 1.5 cherries, but for you undiscerning Vegans out there, these treats could pull off a 4-cherry feat. Ultimately, I shall award an average score of 2.5 cherries to the trio of cakes that I had at Real Food Daily. 

For more information on Real Food Daily, click here. 

 

Strawberry Peanut Butter M&Ms in a word

gross.

Click here for my thoughts on better M&Ms ;-)

 

Cake Pops by PoparazziPop

How adorable are these Cake Pops?! If you're not sure what a Cake Pop is or how to make them, click here. In the meantime, let's discuss PoparazziPops.  These delightful creations come in a variety of gourmet flavors like Champagne and Strawberries, Blood Orange Chocolate, Fleur de Sel, and High Octane Espresso, to name a few.  These pops are tailored for adults who don't have a super sweet tooth.  While I'd rather have a mild pop than a saccharine sweet one, I think these treats could use a bit more frosting in the centers to punch up the fun. I must say though, it's hard to achieve a perfect balance with Cake Pops as you may know from past reviews! Overall, a solid 4-cherries for Poparazzi's gourmet and darling treats!

 

 

For more info on PoparazziPop, click here. 

xo

Thinny Thursday Tip, Never Drink Soda!

Never Drink Sodas

This Thinny Thursday tip is pretty self-explanatory.  Soda has been linked to pancreatic cancer, heart risks, rotting teeth, and of course, obesity.  I know a guy who simply cut soda out of his diet and dropped 15 pounds. Wop-babaloo-bop, there you go.

And for you diet soda fans who drink a beverage as a snack or food substitute, you're drowning your insides in disgusting chemicals for nothing, because studies show that "artificial sweeteners increase weight gain odds." Studies also show that even sugar free sodas result in an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome ("a cluster of risk factors linked to diabetes and heart disease").

Yikes!

Anyway, it's a complete waist of calories to drink them, if you ask me. I'm a huge fan of the tall glass of water! If you need caffeine, drink tea! Tea can have incredible benefits for your body. Green tea is practically touted as a panacea by some!

If you need bubbles, try fruit flavored sparkling water.  Or if you want a cold palette cleanser with a kick, try Kombucha!  This fizzy beverage is amazing and naturally low in calories :)

 

 

 

Finally, if you must must must have "soda", try all natural brands made with natural sweeteners and fewer calories.  Hope that helps! :)

 

xo

Style Café Moms Magazine, Twists on Traditional Treats

Hi guys! I know we're just past the holidays, but I'm so thrilled and excited to share this 3-page spread that I got in Style Café Moms Magazine winter issue! Style Café Moms is a lifestyle brand that reaches "influential moms who crave information from parenting advice to healthy eating to affordable fashions." It's truly a fantastic magazine and I'm honored to be a part of it.  

To read my article and see how I made these Frosted Ginger Cocoa Brownies, click here, e-scroll to page 42, and double click to enlarge the article. Or heck, go out and buy an issue! You'll surely love it. :)

 

 

xoxo

 

Fairytale Brownies Assure a Happy Ending

For my first review of 2011 I thought I'd start with a 5-cherry Bang! My brother recently sent me a box of gourmet, Belgium, Fairytale Brownies.  The wrapping on each brownie made me skeptical since it gave the illusion of being an artificial, store-bought item. However, these brownies enchanted me upon first bite with their gooey consistency inside a thin, crispy layer of cooked, brownie perfection.  Heaven! The Belgium chocolate gives these brownies a lovely depth, while the array of flavors endows them with charm and variety.  Fairytale Brownies are the perfect gift to send a brownie lover for his/her birthday, Valentine's day, or just to say "thinking of you."  And look! There's even a post-holiday sale right now. :)

 

For more information on Fairytale Brownies, click here. 

 

Real Maple Syrup and Snow, a Yummy Combination

Happy New Year everyone!!! 2011 is sure to be one of the Best year's yet! I'm so happy it's finally here. :)

I just got back from an incredible ski trip in Whistler, Canada, where they served these sticks of maple syrup poured onto a bed of snow, to form a taffy-like treat.  It was the best way to replenish my energy after a day on the slopes!

 

In 5th grade I actually wrote a paper on the Colonial Days where I remember reading that these were the treats of choice back in the day!

 

To see more pics from my Whister trip, click after the break.  Official dessert reviews will resume tomorrow!  Hats off the the people of Whislter for being some of the nicest people in the World!

xo