Locanda Verde sour cherry scone from Karen DeMasco
I swung by Locanda Verde’s bakery counter yesterday to see what kind of seasonal baked goods Karen DeMasco was serving up. There were two new items I have never tried before, blueberry mini pies and sour cherry scones. I scored a scone but unfortunately, the blueberry mini pies were sold out by 1:00. (more…)
Vegan carrot cake from Vegan Divas in NYC
A few weeks ago I wrote about how bakers and pastry chefs can create great tasting vegan desserts with a little effort. Case in point is the simple, not-too-heavy carrot cake from Vegan Divas. (more…)
LeMonde Orange Hazelnut Tart
There are at least three reasons to visit LeMonde–there may be more–but I am only willing to go out on a limb with these three: Their Coq Au Vin, their crepes and their french pastry or plated desserts. (more…)
Vegan Divas Chocolate Cake from Garden Of Eden
The popularity of vegan desserts and pastry continues to grow as more people begin to focus on the health of the foods they eat. And yet there is still so much resistance to vegan desserts. Why is that?
There’s actually no reason why a vegan dark chocolate cake can’t taste as good as it’s egg and dairy containing cousin! Here’s the thing– in pastry, fat is king. It’s one of the most important elements of a successful dessert. Fat is what delivers the flavor to your tongue and taste buds. Why do peanut butter, ice cream and croissants taste so damn good? The fat!. (more…)
Chocolate Ganache Cake From Georgia's
I have written about Georgia’s, the lone French pastry outpost on the Upper West Side, before–but that was to recognize their Key Lime tart and their sweet but excellent scones. This time, two days before Bastille Day, I wanted to give them some love for their chocolate ganache cake. This is a straight-up-dark chocolate cake made with three sponge layers, two light ganache layers and one darker ganache glaze layer. It’s not super dark or bitter but it’s also not too sweet to make your teeth hurt. My piece was also very moist and fresh. $7.00. (more…)
L.A. Burdick frozen Hot chocolate - expensive but good.
L.A Burdick on 20th between 5th and Broadway doesn’t actually list a blended frozen hot chocolate on their menu. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s a pain in the arse for their staff to trek into the kitchen for every order? I understand that customers would make this request since their standard hot chocolate is so highly regarded. My guess is, some regulars nagged them (that’s what I would do if I lived nearby) until they conceded. In any event, despite it not being on the menu, you can and should try a frozen hot chocolate from Burdick this summer.
Payard's coconut chocolate and coconut push-up pop
In addition to the great pastry that you can always find at FC Chocolate Bar in the Plaza Hotel, Mr. Payard has added some fun, ice-cream-based items just in time for summer. On Friday I tried two of his push-up pops. The chocolate-coconut-chocolate and the raspberry-coconut-strawberry. The ice cream in both pops was very rich and creamy but the coconut and chocolate get the nod because the dark chocolate and the super-flavorful coconut, go really well together. Both pops are, however, equally fun to eat! $5.00 each.
