The inside of the liquid dark chocolate caramel tart

**Update**  Dominique Ansel Bakery has just added a ton of new pastries and other items.  Two of my favorites are the liquid chocolate caramel tart and the salted pistachio religieuse.

The liquid chocolate caramel tart is the perfect size pastry.  It’s super small but very complex for a pastry from a case (ie. not made to order).  The outside of the tart reminds me of one of my favorite Ansel desserts from when he was at Daniel–the warm guanaja chocolate coulant. Inside the tart shell is a layer of chocolate ganache above a soft caramel core.  These layers sit atop a rectangle of chocolate cake soaked in expresso (to enhance the chocolate flavor).  All the layers, including the slightly crisp and salty shell, go together really nicely–this may be my new favorite chocolate offering from DAB–even ahead of the Mini-me!

(more…)

Dominique Ansel Bakery | No Comments »

La Bergamote's almond croissant: approved by my father

Last week I took my father to lunch for his 78th birthday.  He said he wanted to go to one of the places along his daily walking route.  That led us to La Bergamote in Chelsea.  He’s been raving about their almond croissants for the last  year or so.  Like his son, my father takes his pastry very seriously.  The last time I visited my parents’ apartment in Chelsea I saw a white paper bag on top of the fridge with oil spots all over it.  When I took it down to investigate, my father lowered the newspaper he was reading and said “that’s my almond croissant from La Bergamote–you can eat anything else in the house–but not that–sorry!’ (more…)

La Bergamote | No Comments »

I have found that New Yorkers are particular about their hot chocolate.  Usually, they fall in one of two camps:

1) The hot-chocolate-as-dessert camp.  These people believe that no hot chocolate is too thick or too sludge-like.  They’re happy if a plastic spoon can be stood on end, supported only by the pudding-like contents.  They view hot chooclate as a meal.

2) The hot-chocolate-is-a-drink-like-coffee camp.  These people are no less fussy about quality, percent cacao, etc. but they believe that you should be able to drink hot chocolate easily in any situation where you would drink coffee or tea.  If they get a cup of hot chocolate and notice that it spills easily they are happy.  (more…)

City Bakery, Dessert Truck Works, Donatella, Francois Chocolate Bar, Jacques Torres, L.A. Burdick, Wafels and Dinges | 6 Comments »

Baked stuffed apple with almonds and cranberries cider caramel ice cream and cider reduction

Guest post by DessertBuzz contributor Doctore:

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending another remarkable lunch with Niko from DessertBuzz.  This was the third in an incredible string of dessert tastings over the past three weeks that included Johnny Iuzinni’s fifteen-course blockbuster at Jean Georges and Michael Laskonis’ refined art-like desserts at Le Bernadin.  Now, we were in the creative hands of executive chef Galen Zamarra, chef de cuisine David Sturgeon and the rapidly rising star, pastry chef Catrine Oscarson at Mas La Grillade. (more…)

(Mas) La Grillade | 1 Comment »

Everyone has to go sometime, you might as well be killed by dessert. Francisco Migoya's eclair

On Monday night DessertBuzz attended “Killed by Dessert”.  Six of the country’s top pastry chefs came together to create and serve their “favorite things” in a special meal to benefit Share Our Strength.  The evening was a unqualified success.  There was something really special about the contrast of the casual dining environment of an industrial kitchen and the fastidiousness of top-level chefs and their teams working as if they were feeding the president. (more…)

Killed By Dessert, Momofuku Milk Bar, Special Events | 4 Comments »

The beautiful black sesame panna cotta, sour cherry sphere, mandarin sorbet

2011 has to go down as one of the most exciting and tumultuous years ever for the top end of the New York pastry chef world.  On the exciting side: Bravo’s Top Chef : Just Desserts franchise finished its second season with NYC’s own Johnny Iuzzini as the head judge and a bevy of New York based pastry chefs as guest judges and hosts.  Alex Stupak, another of NYC’s elite pastry chefs, finally got the praise he deserved for his restaurant Empellon, proving once again that pastry chefs can make the switch into savory (or management) and blazing a trail for future pastry chefs to follow. (more…)

Best fancy pants restaurant desserts, Best of New York City, Le Bernardin | 2 Comments »

The Doughnut Plant creme brulee doughnut

In October the Doughnut Plant stole the show at the New York Food and Wine “Sweet” event.  They brought a selection of doughnuts, including a delicious jelly doughnut, but their creme brulee doughnut, which was hand-blow-torched on the spot was the hit of the show and netted them the prize for best dessert at the 2011 Sweet event. (more…)

Doughnut Plant | 4 Comments »