CakeSpy Undercover: Belle Cakery, Philadelphia

Today was a beautiful day and so I decided to take a long walk and eat cake. I know, a fantastic idea, right?

And one of the bakeries on my list was the darling little shop called Belle Cakery in the East Passyunk area of Philadelphia (it's pretty hip there). It's mainly a custom-order cake shop but they have a well-curated selection of sweets in the front, and a few tables for seating. And when I say "a few" I mean more than three people is a crowd in this store. 

I went with a friend so we got a few things to try. What to get? After all, we had many options.

We kept it pretty simple. One pricey dessert, one cheap one.

First up, the oatmeal cranberry cookie. A steal at just 50 cents!

It was a highly pleasing cookie. I have been quite fond of the oat-and-cranberry combo since making "Cranzac Biscuits", and this cookie was a fine illustration of how delightful these flavors taste together. A buttery cookie that was crisp on the edges and chewy inside got a little liveliness from zingy cranberries, which brought the brown sugary-ness to life. A nice twist on a classic.

Next up, the pretty as a picture lemon poppyseed "Sunshine" cake. Visually it was fun in construction--a mini Dr. Seuss cake. It was extremely lemony--in a good way, not so tart it made you pucker but not so sweet that it hurt your teeth. It boasted a robust, custardy feel in the lemon sections; the poppyseed cake section was more like the complement to this part rather than the main event. Moreover, a delight. The employee said that it was his favorite dessert, like, ever, and that sold us--and he didn't steer us wrong. It was a very good cakelet-thing. At $6, it was spendy, but money well spent--a playful, fun dessert that was more exciting and exotic than a mere lemon cupcake. 

Belle Cakery, 1437 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia; online here.

Quesitos de Guayabas from Snow Bakery, Rincon, Puerto Rico

Ever heard of something sweet called "quesito"? It's ok, neither had I – and I am a professional.

The name translates roughly to—cute alert--”little cheese”. I told you it was cute! But what is it, exactly?

Well, to the uninitiated, a quesito is kind of like the tropical version of a cheese danish. But it is not quite a cheese danish itself. Differences? First, the pastry part is a little flakier. In recipes I found, it looks like it is typically a puff pastry.

Second, the shape. It's not a big flat round saucer; it's kind of cigar-shaped. This doesn't seem to be absolute, though; some versions that I saw were folded over, with two kissing ends meeting in the middle, and exposed ends. It's filled with a sweet cream cheese. And the most popular variation, by what I saw in the Rincon, Puerto Rico area, was the quesito de guayaba – the guava and cheese filled quesito. Here's an example of another one, from The Noshery.

This is a highly pleasant pastry, I must tell you. The flaky exterior gives way to a soft and slightly gooey interior, and there's a beautiful moment when you reach the unique middle texture where the gooey fillings have baked into, and beautifully altered, the texture of the pastry. I wish I could live in that moment. Or at least make it last longer than part of a bite.

The melding of the flavors is also quite nice—the buttery flakiness of the pastry, the sweet richness of the cheese, the mellow sweetness of the guava. It makes for an absolutely perfect complement for the small, potent cafe con leche that the panaderias all seem to serve in Rincon.

The Snow Bakery did a very nice job at the quesito de guayaba, and I sure hope to repeat the experience at a later date. In the meantime, if you're not Puerto Rico-bound any time soon, try out a recipe for them here.

For directions to Panaderia Snow Bakery, click here.

Sweet Story: How the Kouing Aman became the Queen of Salt Lake City

CakeSpy Note: Believe it or not, there's a sweet spot in Salt Lake City where the delightful French treat known as Kouing Aman (pronounce it "queen ahmann" in your Frenchiest voice, please) reigns supreme. It's at a bakery called Les Madeleines, where pastry chef Romina Rasmussen's version has won fans far and wide (even Oprah is said to be a fan!). But how did this happen? Here's the story of How the Kouing Aman became the Queen, written by the Queen of Kouing Aman herself, bakery owner Romina!

I wish I could tell you a story of one of my adventures that took me to Brittany, France where I discovered this hidden gem of a pastry.

It’s not as exciting as that. I discovered the Kouing Aman (or kouign aman) in a trade magazine. I like to stay up on what’s going on in the industry and was intrigued by an article I happened upon. I didn’t even make it right away. I put it aside to make it when I had time. Eventually, I gently nudged a regular customer to order some so I would have to make time. She did, and nothing has ever been the same.

The instructions wouldn’t work at this altitude (in Salt Lake City), so I adjusted the ingredients and technique. It took several batches to get them just right, but not so many that I wanted to give up.

At first I added them to our rotation of special viennoiserie, just once a week. At that point we were still undiscovered, so I only made eight at a time. Just eight! No one knew what they were. No one could say it. I didn’t expect it to go well.

The first few weeks I sampled a few out and it was unanimous love at first bite. The third week I got “in trouble” with a guest for running out, as she had driven a long way. The following it was because I'd put them out on the wrong day of the week. I ended up adding another day.

By the sixth week I was making them every day and people were making excuses as to why they were eating them so often – you know sick friends in the hospital and other such tales. We quickly nicknamed them “crack” and cautioned guests about their waistlines if they ate 2-3 per day. I once saw it almost come to blows over the last one between two ladies.

No matter how many I made, they’d sell out. I started limiting them to six/day without advanced orders. But this only made everyone want them more. At this point I was making way more than eight/day.

Eventually The Food Network found us and featured the Kouing Aman on Road Tasted with the Neelys and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. We started shipping them, and now I can say they’ve made it to all 50 states. Being on The Food Network was a business changing endorsement that I am very grateful for.

CakeSpy Note: May we pause for a moment to observe that the box says "by giving BUTTER, you give your HEART"...? LOVE it!

Eight years later, the Kouing Aman isn't such a secret. You can get them in a handful of bakeries (four in Salt Lake and counting) in several major cities. Most recently they’ve been featured in O The Oprah Magazine and were named Food & Wine's top pastry of 2012. They're destined to become a classic.

To purchase Kouing Aman or to plan a bakery visit to Salt Lake City yourself, visit the Les Madeleines website!

Sweet September: Trophy Cupcakes debuts the Bananas Foster Cupcake

OMG OMG OMG. It's an absolute bananarama at Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle, where they have a new flavor for September: Bananas Foster!

As they say in their newsletter:

Everybody loves Bananas Foster--from the decadent caramel to the yummy bananas down to the fancy flame finale!

We've turned this exotic dessert into a dreamy, delicious Trophy Cupcake. It all starts with a rich banan cake and a caramelicious Bananas foster filling. Then it's topped off with a mountain of toasted rum meringue and a crisp banana chip. 

It's pure Bananas Foster flavor, in handy cupcake form. 

Available every day in September at Trophy Cupcakes (I suggest calling first to ensure they still have stock, as the special flavors can sell out before the end of the day!); for locations, visit the Trophy Cupcakes website. 

CakeSpy Undercover: Bearded Lady Food Co in Olympia, WA

CakeSpy note: this is a guest post from Dawn M. Quinn of veganmoxie.com and Roxanne Cooke of roxannecooke.com.

Bearded Lady Food Co. is a mostly vegan, gluten-free bakery in downtown Olympia that makes and sells cupcakes, cake, cheesecake, brownies, cookies, ice cream, cheese plates, and sundaes. Many items are vegan and/or gluten free, but there are non-vegan versions of many of their goodies, too. You can pop in during the day to buy bakery case goodies, or show up in the evening for a seated dessert. Who could say no to making dessert a sit-down event? Dawn of Vegan Moxie and Roxanne of Roxanne Cooke Photography spent a recent Saturday evening trying a few of Bearded Lady’s plated desserts, as well as a couple beverages. Here are their impressions!

Dawn: After reading/hearing great things about Bearded Lady from friends and other vegan types, I knew that I had to get in to try their in-house baked goods and treats soon. My first trip to the shop happened rather accidentally: a group of friends went to dinner in Olympia, and a friend of a friend suggested we check it out. An amazing suggestion, as everyone (and me being the only vegan) thoroughly enjoyed their treats of choice and I couldn’t get the ice cream sundae I’d enjoyed that night out of my head. Fast forward a few months, and my friend Roxanne asked if I was interested in heading back to Bearded Lady for a most delicious blogging assignment: reviewing the bakery’s sweet wares for Cakespy. Um, yes please!

Roxanne: After that first successful visit to Bearded Lady with Dawn and other friends, I just had to go back to try more. I’m always up for trying new things, especially when it comes to baked goods and ice cream. Dawn: We came to Olympia from Tacoma on a warm summer’s afternoon, perfect for some sweet treats and cold beverages. I ordered an iced coffee, and was impressed by how decadent a normally simple beverage can be. Along with the accompanying soy milk I requested, the drink came with simple syrup that seemed to be dotted with vanilla bean flecks. I’d never seen anything like this before, and it added the perfect smooth and sweet flavor to the coffee that this traditional Americano, soy, no sweetener girl thoroughly enjoyed.

Roxanne: I couldn’t pass up the lemon fizz drink, since it was a warm evening (shorts weather, for sure). It didn’t disappoint; in fact, it was better than lemonade, yet just as simple! It was sweet but not overly so, and super refreshing and flavorful. Like Dawn’s iced coffee, the lemon fizz contained specks of vanilla that intrigued me and added a hint of sweetness that took it to the next level. All in all, it was the perfect choice for a summer night.

Dawn: Roxanne and I decided to order three desserts, again reaffirming the decadence of this outing, and my choices were the customizable “lil’ bit” sundae with vegan espresso-coriander ice cream, vegan chocolate mousse, toasted nuts, and vegan caramel sauce as my toppings, and a habanero sugar brownie. Roxanne had the espresso-coriander ice cream on our first visit, and I loved the flavor so much I knew I needed to try it again. The coriander flavor (something I generally don’t associate with sweets) really pops here, and the espresso isn’t overpowering, which allows the herb’s flavor to shine thorough. The addition of the mousse was a win this time around, as it was velvety smooth, boasted rich flavor and had a great texture. The caramel was great, no different in its appearance or taste from its non-vegan counterparts. Roxanne: My chocolate sundae consisted of vegan chocolate ice cream, vegan and gluten-free vanilla cake, fresh berries, and berry jam. There was a lot going on, but it meshed really well together. The rich chocolate ice cream was complemented by the fresh berries and berry jam. The vanilla cake was a bit dry, but it still went well with everything else. Overall, it was an extremely good combination I’d order again! Dawn: The habanero brownie stuck out to me in the bakery case because it sounded like an intriguingly rare combination: a super spicy twist on a traditional baked good. I took a couple of small bites and said, “This isn’t hot or spicy at all!” with a tinge of disappointment. I handed it over to Roxanne, who said “Whoa!” after taking her bite. After digging in a little deeper, I finally got it, too: pow! A peppery flavor hit like a kick in the mouth, in the very best way possible. The frosting was a bit hard, but that could be attributed to a few factors. The habanero sugar definitely added an element of surprise and bold flavor that made me opt for a brownie, a dessert option that normally doesn’t catch my eye. Well done, Bearded Lady. Well done.

Bearded Lady Food Co. 412 Franklin Street, Olympia, WA 360-943-6235 Serves bakery case goodies Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Evening sweet kitchen open Thursday-Sunday, 5 to 11 p.m. Online here.

Rock Out With Your Cupcake Out: Confections of a Rockstar, Asbury Park

Recently, me and SpyMom hit up Confections of a Rock$tar, a new bakery in Asbury Park, NJ. A rock n roll bakery is right at home in this town, which is famous for being the place that Bruce Springsteen made a name for himself, at clubs such as the Stone Pony. This town has inspired confections before: there is a bakery a few towns over called the Scone Pony (love it, don't you?). 

At Confections, they have really good cake. Like, we were impressed (we being me, SpyMom, and SpyDad - come on, this is like royalty visiting your bakery!). We got the "Greetings from Asbury Park" cupcake, which as a cinnamon cake with cinnamon infused frosting. Yum Yum Yum. Rich frosting, moist cake - a winner.

But what impressed me equally as much as the cake was some of the names for the baked goods, which were rock themed. Some were just given iconic names (like the aforementioned Asbury Park), some had clever puns such as "S'more than a Feeling", and "Macaroon 5" cookies. After a lengthy discussion, me and SpyMom decided that the Greetings from Asbury Park really ought to have been called Cinnamon Girl, after the Neil Young song.

Of course, this brought on a big conversation, and we'd like to present some ideas we had for future cupcake names and flavors. (And I'm kind of a pro--I once designed a whole baked good menu involving rock music puns. Rolling Scones, anyone?).

BonBon Jovi: Howsabout a cupcake stuffed with a truffle in honor of a NJ rock legend?

Chai Baby: Not "Cry Baby" - Chai Baby!

Cinnamon Girl: cinnamon cupcake, Neil Young would approve.

Bananarama: Make a delicious Hummingbird cake, and name it for the 80s group. 

Crosby, Stills, and Ganache: A chocolate feat of deliciousness inspired by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Peter, Paul, and Berry: A berry cupcake (could also be used with "cherry").

Bruce Sprinklesteen: A sort of funfetti variation inspired by the Boss.

Love me Two Limes: A lime cake and lime buttercream with a Doors feel.

Purple Glaze: A blueberry or blackberry cupcake with a matching violet-hued glaze would be a delicious homage to the rock song Purple Haze.

Another Peach of My Heart: Janis Joplin wailing "Piece of My Heart"? Enjoy it with a peach cupcake.

Greetings from Asbury Pork: Everyone has a bacon cupcake now; why not call it by a clever name?

Red Velvet Underground: Andy Warhol would love to eat the cake named after his pet project band.

Sympathy for the Devil's Food Cake: Rolling Stones approved cake.

But I digress. The main point of this post was to tell you that A) Confections of a Rockstar is worth a visit, and B) to inform you of how clever me and SpyMom are. Having (I hope) proved both points, I will now leave you with one more picture:

Confections of a Rock$tar, 550 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park NJ. Online here.

Sweet of the Day: Salty Krispie Treat by Street Treats, Seattle

Imagine a Rice Krispie Treat. Now, give it a luxuriant bath in brown butter, and stir in a sprinkling of sea salt. The Salty Krispy Treat ($2) is a grown-up rendition of a classic childhood treat, and a combination which will leave you with serious cravings for more. The true secret though? "Use good butter, not the cheap stuff", says owner Diane Scwierz.

Street Treats: Street Truck, location varies (schedule here); streettreatswa.com

CakeSpy Undercover: Federal Donuts, Philadelphia

Today, I went to a place called Federal Donuts. They specialize in the following things, listed in order of my interest:

1. Donuts

2. Coffee

3. Fried Chicken

Apparently they have awesome fried chicken. Maybe one day I will go back to try it, but I hear the lines are epic. But mostly, I wanted to try the donuts.  Let me tell you about my experience.

When I walked into the small space, I had a good feeling about the donuts when I saw this: 

I trust donuts!

Dollars to donuts, it was an extremely pleasant visit. When I walked in, I asked the friendly counter girl "what is going on here?" and she explained that they had a variety of "fancy" donuts ($2 ea), and you could also order donuts to be fried to order for $1.25. Whaa? Awesome. So the ordering began, and before you know it here is what was in front of me:

Whew! Time to get to work. Here's one of the spiced "Appolonia" donuts.

Here's the creamsicle "fancy" one. 

and here was the figgity fig fig. I think they called it "double fig" but clearly I have made my decision. Figgity fig fig!

But the basis of everything--the place from whence it all begins--is the plain donut. They are fried to order.

They have an interesting, smooth finish. But once you take a bite, you can see why this place is so freaking popular. It's delicious. It tastes like hot, doughy goodness. It's simple, and in its simplicity, it is great. It's assertively, but not aggressively, greasy, and somehow manages to have a feathery texture. It's a good donut to begin with, but the fact that it was fried to order, just for you, makes the experience so much richer.

 

Let's have another one of those, shall we?

The fancy donuts are also very good--flavorful, and I appreciated how the donuts themselves seemed a bit denser (I am a dense donut lover) and enjoyed the creative but not over the top flavor combos. But really, I think that the hot fresh donuts are the way to go. Or at least get one of each, so you can see it all for yourself. 

I got there pretty early, and it wasn't too crowded and they still had plenty of donuts. But I hear that they DO sell out, so try to hit them early or during off hours (I am thinking the weekend is probably pretty insane). And let me know if you try the chicken, but it might take me a while to move past these donuts to anything else!

Federal Donuts, 1219 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia; online here. 

Cakewalk (Mostly Carytown) in Richmond, VA

Richmond, Virginia is a fantastic place to get fat. And be very happy doing so. From barbecue to stick-to-your-ribs southern fare, they've got savory down--but they seal the deal with plenty of delicious desserts, too. 

I recently spent a day (yes, just one) in Richmond, and if I do say so myself, I made quite a bakery dent in the bakery scene, especially in the pedestrian-friendly Carytown neighborhood. Care to read about where I went and what I ate? Yeah, knew it. 

First up, in the morning, was TaZa for some coffee. But lo and behold, they had a bakery case and chocolates too! We picked up a couple of donuts made by Dixie Donuts (a glazed old fashioned and "French Toast", pictured top), as well as a few walnut creams from Chocolates by Kelly. The donuts were small, but extremely good quality; they had that wonderful "airy yet decadent" taste, like fancied-up Krispy Kreme donuts.

Next up was breakfast at The Village, where they have a nice dessert menu, but since it was breakfast, I played it safe and just sampled a shake. Chocolate-almond with chocolate ice cream, thank you very much! It was a very good shake. Also of note: if you get an egg dish, one of the optional sides (instead of hash browns) is fried apples. They're like eating the innards of an apple pie on the side of your plate. What a beautiful thing.

Asking for directions next door at Ipanema Cafe, I noticed that they had vegan blondies. I didn't get one, but I thought I should mention it to the vegans, because these looked pretty good up close.

It was time to hit Carytown. Carytown is clearly the "arty" section of town. You can tell by artful touches such as this rainbow-colored brick. 

I like me a good rainbow-colored brick, but I like it even better with a unicorn, don't you?

And they have a ton of bakeries there. Dixie Donuts, it turns out, has a retail outlet! But I'd already tried their donuts so I just peeked inside. It's very cute. Go there.

Next up: Bev's Ice Cream. Bev's is a nice place to get some ice cream - so I hear. But because I was on the move, I got some fudge to go. Nice and smooth, no "chocolate sand" here. I enjoyed it, and wish I had had a bigger appetite at the time so I could have gotten some ice cream too. 

Just up the street was Carytown Cupcakes.

After reading about them on Cupcakes Take the Cake, I knew this was a destination. Things that made me happy at Carytown Cupcakes? Let's see. For one, they had hummingbird cake on the "classic" (readily available) menu, and theirs was a particularly toothsome variety. Also pretty awesome: they have monthly rotating specials -- for instance, during my time there, they had "pie-inspired" flavors, such as "Strawberry Pie"--a vanilla cupcake with a Graham cracker crust, filled with cream cheese icing and topped with glazed strawberries.

Source: cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com via Cake on Pinterest

Near Carytown Cupcakes is a cute little gift store called World of Mirth, where they sell my book. They're out of stock at the moment though. Reminder: buy my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life.

Luckily, I wasn't tired of cupcakes, cos just up the block is Baby Cakes. Banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Caramel apple spice. Dark chocolate cake with pecan cream cheese frosting. Blueberry cake with blueberry buttercream. Chocolate toffee crunch. These are just a few of the reasons I was enticed to visit this little cupcake shop. Online, I read some mixed reviews about this place, but I found the cupcakes pleasant, if not life-changing. 

Source: babycakesva.com via Cake on Pinterest

I walked by a coffee shop that had watermelon-shaped cookies in celebration of the upcoming Watermelon Festival.

Apparently this is a big deal there, but I was gone by the time it happened! Here's a promo:

Next up was Jean Jacques Bakery, a sort of Frenchie spot. I felt enticed from the very moment I saw this on the outside window:

.

A nice lunch-and-morning pastry type of place, with French leanings (but American standards on offer, too). I got a croissant, figuring it was a good litmus test of a bakery: it was flaky and buttery and good. Interestingly, though, I learned in retrospect that they are known for their cinnamon rolls: per their website, "People who never liked danish love this danish! The cheese danish filing is made with cream cheese, eggs and sugar - just like the best cheesecakes. And our cinnamon buns are a huge craze in Carytown. Freshly baked and warm smelling everyday." Dommage! Next time I shall try you, Cinnamon Roll!

Next door was a chocolate place, but I didn't go in. I can only do so much, people!

Well. It started raining, and I took shelter under a supermarket awning, and then lo and behold, there was another bakery! Since I hadn't gone in the chocolate place, I went in here. It was called Williams Bakery. It was cute, and felt like it had been there for a while. Turns out it's one of a few locations they have in the Richmond area.

I got a doughnut. It was less than a dollar, it was old-fashioned, delightfully but overly oily, and pretty perfect.

On the way out of town, we hit Lucille's Bakery, not quite in Carytown, but close. You can read more about that bakery visit here. 

Across from Lucille's, you'll see this place--for if you've ever wondered where extracts are made!

Driving away toward the highway, you'll see this as you exit town: a fantastic parting view! A commercial bakery which once made Girl Scout Cookies!

Places Mentioned: 

Babycakes, 3324 W Cary Street, Richmond

Bev's Homemade Ice Cream, 2911 W Cary St Richmond, VA 23221. 

Carytown Cupcakes, 3111 W Cary Street, Richmond

CF Sauer Extracts, online here

Chocolates by Kelly, find retail locations on the site.

Dixie Donuts, 2901 W Cary Street, Richmond

Ipanema Vegetarian Cafe, 917 Grace Street, Richmond

Jean Jacques Bakery, 3138 W Cary Street, Richmond

Lucille's Bakery, 719 N Meadow Street, Richmond

TaZa Coffee

The Village, 1001 Grace Street, Richmond

Williams Bakery, 3544 W Cary Street, Richmond

August 18: National Soft Ice Cream Day

Gosh, do I love me some soft-serve. Growing up by the Jersey Shore, it  was a summertime staple at the boardwalk. Not vanilla, not chocolate, but the SWIRL. Some places would do an orange-vanilla swirl, too--because life is all about choices. And sometimes you choose to have a soft-serve equivalent of a creamsicle.

Well, today (August 18) is National Soft Ice Cream Day, and in celebration, I'd like to share 13 points of interest regarding this sweet manna.

1. Carvel claims to have invented soft serve. Suffering a flat tire in the early 1934, Tom Carvel pulled into a parking lot and began selling his melting ice cream to vacationers driving by. He sold it rapidly, and had an ephiphany: a fixed location and soft (as opposed to hard) frozen desserts were the way to go. In 1936, Carvel opened his first store on the original broken down truck site and developed a secret soft serve ice cream formula as well as patented super low temperature ice cream machines.

2. Dairy Queen also claims to have invented soft serve. In 1938 in Illinois, J.F. McCullough and his son, Alex, also claim to have developed a soft serve formula. They sold 1,600 servings in two hours, and were officially ice cream men from that day on. 

3. What's in soft serve? Mostly air, but depending on where you get it, it could also include a treasure trove of not so desirable ingredients, such as stabilizers, corn syrup, and even magnesium hydroxide. Read more here. 

4. DIY: at Scoop de Ville in Philadelphia, you can choose an ice cream flavor, choose mix-ins, and they will use a machine to render the ice cream into soft-serve. Since theirs has no stabilizers or additives, they make each cup or cone to order. It's very good!

5. Fun place to visit: Stew Leonard, the "Dairy Superstore", with locations in NY and CT, makes their own soft-serve daily--while the most popular flavor is vanilla, they also have a fantastic strawberry variety.

Source: anothermag.com via Cake on Pinterest

6. Lost in Translation: in Israel, they call soft-serve "American Ice Cream". In Japan, it's called "softcream". In parts of Europe, it's referred to as "soft ice".

7. Sweet fusion: This nostalgic treat has inspired some fusion foods: in Brooklyn, you can get soft-serve kefir.

8. Go Bananas: If you're vegan, or want to pretend you are, banana soft serve will serve up some vitamins and minerals as well as soft serve tastiness. 

Source: 27.media.tumblr.com via Cake on Pinterest

9. Soft-serve is lower in fat than ice cream (it's made with 3-6 percent milkfat, as opposed to hard ice cream's 15-ish percent), but don't think that means it's health food. Refer to #3.

Source: disneyfoodblog.com via Cake on Pinterest

10. Fascinating phenomenon: Dole makes a series of "enhanced fruit" soft-serves, most famously the Dole Whip sold at Disney.

Source: stuff.icanhascheezburger.com via Cake on Pinterest

11. Who prefers soft-serve over hard ice cream? You can read an essay on this important subject here.

12. Guilty pleasure: You can make a chocolate soft-serve at home that tastes like a hybrid between a frosty drink from Wendy's and chocolate soft serve. YUM.

Source: google.com via Hanna on Pinterest

13. Here's another at-home version, this one a fancier version of the Mr. Softee version. You're welcome.

CakeSpy Undercover: Lucille's Bakery, Richmond VA

I want to tell you about a supremely enjoyable bakery experience I had in Richmond, VA, at a place called Lucille's Bakery.

Things started off in a good way when we learned that the employee working the counter when we went was originally from the tri-state area (just like me!). We bonded over NY pizza talk. 

And things got even better when we started talking cake. 

Lucille's is a full service bakery, with pastries and fancy tarts, a selection of homey treats such as cookies, brownies, and bars, and breads. 

We set ourselves to trying a variety of the goods. 

First, the cupcake. This had to be devoured immediately, because I was worried about the frosting getting mashed. That would have broken my heart, so I ate it right away. The cake was good, but the frosting was great. It was rich with chocolate flavor, smooth, and extremely satisfying. 

I also got one of their house-made Granola Bars, which was really more like a Mazurka bar, in a good way. A nice, chewy, cookielike bar. I want another one right now.

 I didn't get any of the tarts because I was traveling and I didn't think they would travel well...but aren't they pretty?

The chocolate covered macaroon was a true fatty of a cookie patty--and I mean that in a complimentary way. While I love the look of chocolate dipped macaroons that are half-covered, half-exposed, tastewise, it's clear which side is more delicious. So I was very happy to see that this cookie had an all-over coating. And the taste was surprisingly sophisticated for this homespun sweet, not overly sweet.

Lucille's is a fantastic sweet shop in Richmond--the staff is friendly, the sweets are very good, and the prices are very reasonable. Go there!

Lucille's Bakery, 719 North Meadow Street, Richmond, VA. Find them online here.

Sweet House: Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches

Did you know that yesterday was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day? That's very good timing, because I am always a little late (hence the day after business), and who wouldn't want to make this day last a little longer? And it just so happens that I was just thinking that I wanted to tell you about my delicious experience with this very treat from Coolhaus, a mobile ice cream truck which operates in a few different cities.

Coolhaus is, well, pretty cool. They combine a love of sweets and architecture. Here's the 411 on them, from their website:

COOLHAUS is a triple entendre – a play on three of our favorites: 

[1] Bauhaus, an influential modernist design movement of the 1920′s and 30′s. 

[2] Rem Koolhaas, the famous Dutch Architect and Theorist who challenged the mantra "Form follows function" 

[3] "Cool house," isn't that what you're eating – an ice cream sandwich deconstructed into a cookie roof and floor slab with ice cream walls?

Natasha and Freya started baking cookies and making ice cream in Freya's mom's kitchen in the Fall of 2008. They named the flavor combinations after architects and architectural movements they were inspired by and started experimenting with recipes and testing them on friends. It seemed like a fun art project with "farchitecture" in mind ie food + architecture. 

One day it occurred to Freya and Natasha that an ice cream truck would be a perfect way to disseminate their ice cream sandwiches (and architecture dialogue) around the city of LA. The truck would be a nod to the past tradition of the Good Humor man selling ice cream novelties around neighborhoods, but with a modern twist – not to mention the long-withstanding popularity of taco trucks around LA and the rapidly growing infatuation with "gourmet" food trucks. The timing seemed perfect, now all Freya and Natasha needed was a truck! 

They found a postal truck on Craigslist and were able to afford it with money they had saved from their other jobs. They prepared the truck and their product for their launch at Coachella Valley Music Festival in April of 2009 where the product was very well received – and when they came back to LA, they had generated a strong buzz and following. 

Today, they have a fleet of 4 trucks in LA, 2 trucks and 1 cart in NY, 2 trucks in Austin, 2 trucks in Miami, a newly launched storefront in Culver City, CA and even have their ice cream sandwiches at Southern California Whole Foods Markets. They hope to continue to expand to other cities nationally, and maybe even globally (doesn't hurt to dream, right?)!

So when SpyMom and I walked by their truck in New York City, you must know that we pretty much HAD to stop for a sweet sandwich.

You build your own sandwich by choosing your cookies and then choosing the ice cream with which to fill it. SpyMom chose the double chocolate cookies with bananas foster ice cream; I got the potato chip skor cookies with bananas foster ice cream.

What can I say other than "Damn, that was a fine ice cream sandwich?". The salty-sweet cookies combined with the mellow-sweet banana ice cream with a caramelly taste finish was pretty much perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I may or may not have licked the napkin clean (they give you an edible wafer for a napkin - so it was totally normal for me to lick it). SpyMom said she thought my cookies tasted better, but she was still extremely pleased with her sweetwich as well.

The sandwiches are kind of spendy - our total for two was over $10 when combined - but for the experience and the novelty of finding this cool business right on the street we were walking down, and for the deliciousness of the sweets we purchased, I'd day that it is certainly worth it for a special treat. You deserve it!

Find out more about Coolhaus, including where you can find them, on their website. 

7 Things You Didn't Know About Sarabeth's Kitchen

If you've ever spent time in New York City and have an interest in food, chances are you've at least heard of Sarabeth's Kitchen. Today, it's a mini-chain of restaurants, but it all started out as a homemade jam-making operation. It's true! And while today they offer brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, and a highly respectable cookie, cake, tart, and overall stellar dessert collection the preserves are still one of their most-requested items. Yep: preserves. Jam.

It's a really fascinating and sweet story behind this company, and while I was collecting information for a guest recipe post from Sarabeth Levine, she was kind enough to also share this fun "fact list" about herself and the company. I'm really just copying and pasting it, because it's interesting enough on its own to read! Here goes--seven things you didn't know about Sarabeth's Kitchen!

1. Yes, There Really Is a Sarabeth

After more than 30 years, acclaimed pastry chef, award-winning jam maker, well-known restaurateur and celebrated cookbook author Sarabeth Levine remains just as passionate and dedicated to her craft as she was on day one. Why? She attributes it all to a simple feeling: “I love it. Not just my job, but the joy it brings to so many people.” And, of course, her early-learned notion that, “You don’t have to have a fancy kitchen to make incredible food.  Sarabeth is the driving force behind the mile-high success and stellar reputation of the hugely successful brand that bears her name – one that has become synonymous with superior tasting food made with high-quality ingredients and a special touch that often seems difficult to put into words. “The touchstone of her success is the personal care and attention Levine puts into her home-cooked foods” (New York Magazine). This self-taught “Goddess of Bakedom” trusts her palate emphatically – if Sarabeth doesn’t like it, well then it’s simply not going to be served. Constantly buzzing around her kitchens to ensure every aspect of the brand and business is just right, Sarabeth often pauses to pay tribute to where it all began and to the dedicated employees many of whom have been with her for over 20 years. 

2. Made From Scratch

A true American success story, Sarabeth was the second of five children raised between New York and Florida. She graduated from C.W. Post with a degree in sociology and soon married and had two children, later divorcing but not before learning copious baking skills from her mother-in-law. Sarabeth held a variety of jobs from a nursery school teacher to a dental assistant and bathing suit designer. In 1981, she met Bill Levine, a contractor working on a new cafe that needed a special touch. Little did he know that Sarabeth had just the trick. She had never forgotten a treasured family recipe for orange-apricot marmalade that was kept secret by ‘Grandmère’, (her Aunt Ruth’s mother-in-law) a French Jewish woman also named Sara. Sarabeth recalls grandmère making clandestine batches in the basement, and the recipe was revealed to her by Aunt Ruth long after her death. That very special recipe is what Sarabeth prepared daily for Bill’s cafe, making it from their apartment kitchen and serving it proudly to rave reviews. That, of course, was only the beginning.

 
3. “Spreading Joy and Marmalade”

This apropos title of a New York Times feature story says it all. Sarabeth’s perfect renditions of classic baking benefit from her never-ending search for perfection and bring satisfaction to all those who indulge. In 1996, Sarabeth was honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for Pastry Chef of the Year – a meaningful recognition of all her hard work and true love of the art. The business had taken off and knew no boundaries, expanding consistently with one achievement after the next. Now, Sarabeth’s Kitchen (www.sarabeth.com) consists of a mail-order business, retail products, nine restaurants, a 15,000-square-foot jam factory, a state-of-the-art bakery, and a best-selling cookbook. To think it all began with a marmalade now described as being “in a class by itself…a wonderful rendition of what we should expect from jam” (Food & Wine) and “the one I reach for first” (Oprah).

 
4. Home, Sweet Home

Sarabeth’s myriad products provide a sweet treat to any home and are perfect whether buying a little something for yourself or a decidedly tasty gift for anyone, anytime. With a reputation as the finest fruit spreads and jams in the gourmet industry, Sarabeth's "Legendary Spreadable Fruit” now comes in 14 unique and flavorful varieties. Less sweet and lower in calories per serving than ordinary preserves, each batch contains hand-cut fruit to avoid bruising and preserve natural flavor and texture. It’s then watched carefully as it slowly simmers in small batches to thicken and reach its peak of flavor.  Sarabeth is also well known for her treasure trove of fresh pies, pastries, cakes, cookies, bread, brownies, tarts, muffins and desserts made daily at the bakery. And, whether it’s her decadent hot chocolate or her creamy tomato soup, the opportunities to enjoy Sarabeth’s creations are endless.  Products are available through the popular mail order business and at more than 5,000 locations worldwide: retail stores including Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table and supermarkets including Kings, Whole Foods, Fairway, Zabars and Food Emporium, and Mandarin Oriental and Trump International hotels.

5. Around the Table With Sarabeth

A venture that began in 1981 when Sarabeth and Bill grew out of their at-home business and opened a tiny bakery-kitchen on New York’s Upper West Side with just a few tables and chairs has spawned into a successful group of popular restaurants that have earned a warm spot in the hearts of native New Yorkers, out of town visitors and tourists from all over the world. In an average year, this “undisputed Breakfast Queen of New York” (New York Magazine) welcomes more than one million customers into her current locations including: four standalone restaurants in New York City: Upper East Side (opened 1983), Upper West Side (opened 1986), Central Park South (opened 2005) and the largest of all and only to house a full cocktail bar in Tribeca (opened 2011); one restaurant in Key West, Fla. (opened 2005); and four additional locations within Lord & Taylor department stores in New York (Manhattan, Scarsdale, Garden City and Manhasset). Lauded by national media and recommended in countless travel guides, these sought-after restaurants serve up breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner seven days a week with Sarabeth’s fresh and wholesome recipes at reasonable prices. Sarabeth also operates a wholesale/retail bakery and café (opened 1998) in New York City’s must-visit food haven, Chelsea Market – the location where all her New York restaurants’ baked goods are carefully crafted as onlookers stare yearningly with eyes wide and stomachs growling.

6. Sarabeth’s Secrets Revealed

In October 2010, Sarabeth came out from behind the baker’s rack to finally reveal the coveted recipes for more than 100 of her signature classics in her first book, Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours (Rizzoli, $39.95). Heralded as one of the “Best Culinary Books of 2010” (The New York Times), this 320-page “must-have tome” (Ladies’ Home Journal) features 11 chapters: Morning Pastries; Muffins & More; Beautiful Breads; Everyday Cake; Party Cakes and Company; Pies & Tarts; Plain and Fancy Cookies; Spoon Desserts; Frozen Desserts; Spreadable Fruits; and Frostings, Fillings & Sweet Sauces. The book also includes step-by-step photographs of classic pastry techniques, Sarabeth’s tips to stocking the perfect pastry pantry, her must-have tools of the trade, and exquisite photography to give the home baker creative serving suggestions.

 
7. The Icing on the Cake

Sarabeth has taught countless classes while also frequently participating in charitable events for organizations such as Share, Share Our Strength, Careers for Culinary Arts, City Harvest and Citymeals-on-Wheels. But, there’s more to Sarabeth then just jams and pies. With her appropriately titled blog, Goddess of Bakedom (www.goddessofbakedom.com), fans gain an inside look into her creative and delicious world. She can often be found carefully rummaging through vintage culinary tools at antique shops and yard sales searching out the perfect items to add to her collection, the largest of which is an ever-growing family of nostalgic cookie jars each with a distinct personality and backstory. Sarabeth strives to maintain what she calls a work-peace balance, off-setting her long days at the bakery with hobbies like gardening, knitting and golf. She and Bill have four children and 12 grandchildren between them, and they enjoy spending time together whether at their Upper West Side apartment or quaint home in Water Mill, N.Y. Sarabeth’s favorite meal of the day? Breakfast, naturally. A center-cut slice of fresh sourdough boule with a generous portion of cream cheese and a huge pile of her marmalade, eaten longingly with eyes closed and memories of a childhood recipe that changed her life.

Want more? Find the guest recipe for Chocolate Chubbies cookies here, and learn more about Sarabeth's Kitchen here.

Pastry Profiles: Scoopcake from The Sweet Spot, New Milford, CT

Not so long ago, I spent some time at a place called The Sweet Spot in New Milford, Connecticut. Now, I'd been to the area before: my college roommate's family lived in nearby Danbury. But until this visit, all I ever wanted to do in the area was visit dairy superstore Stew Leonard, where they boasted several flavors of soft-serve. 

So I had never been to The Sweet Spot before. But I was so glad to have a chance to visit.

I even got something savory: an egg and cheese on their house-made wheat bread. This bread was very good.

But don't worry, I saved my appetite for the main event: the sweet stuff. But where to start? After all, they have cupcakes. Cupcakes that resemble my Cuppie character! See picture at the top of the post. But they also have cookies. And ice cream.

How to decide? So I didn't, because I noticed that they also have something called a Scoopcake. What is that, you ask? They conveniently laid out the anatomy of a scoopcake. Basically, it's a hollowed-out cupcake filled with something sweet, topped with ice cream and sprinkles. YES!

I made use of this construction by choosing a vanilla cupcake, which was then filled with caramel, topped with cookie dough ice cream, and (of course) topped with rainbow sprinkles. Hooray! So I ended up getting cookies, cake, and ice cream...all at once.

It looked from the top like just a regular ice cream scoop, so I wish they would have put it into a clear cup (at least so I could have given you a better indication of what lies beneath), but you're just going to have to trust me on it: this is an amazing cupcake concoction. 

I mean. A moist, buttery cupcake. Silky-sticky-thick caramel filling. Cookie dough ice cream, which is two parts amazing. And rainbow sprinkles. This is like heaven on a plate (or in this case, in a dish). 

There is some very good stuff going on at The Sweet Spot, and if you find yourself in the New Milford environs, I highly suggest it. 

60 Railroad Street, New Milford, CT; online here.

Baked Good of the Day: Chevre Tuffet, Wedge and Fig, Philadelphia

How about a mini cheesecake?

...nah, why not fancy it up? How about a chevre cheese tart with caramel sauce?

That's more like it. Unexpected, interesting, and definitely delicious, the "Chevre Tuffet" is a mini goat cheese cheesecake which is singular in its flavor--wonderfully tangy yet mellow, and certainly a more lively and complex flavor than your typical cheesecake. But it gets even better with a crumbly crust on the bottom and a delicious smothering of caramel sauce on top. Actually, it gets so much better that you might be tempted to lick the plate (if nobody's watching, of course). 

Get yourself some tasty cheese tart action at Wedge + Fig. 160 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia; online here.

Baked Good of the Day: Cannoli Cupcake, Del Ponte's Bakery, Bradley Beach, NJ

Truthfully, it's no visit home to my parents in New Jersey without a visit to Del Ponte's Bakery of Bradley Beach. This old-school Italian bakery has cookies by the pound, gorgeous cookies and cannoli, and all sorts of fancy pies and cakes.

They also offer fusion desserts, such as the Cannoli Cupcake, a cupcake with buttercream AND cannoli filling, topped with mini chocolate chips and crushed cannoli shell as garnish. Be warned: in my experience, the style of the cakes at Del Ponte tend toward slightly more dry (not because they're stale, just because it's more a style of cake meant to be paired with coffee), so definitely pair it with milk, tea, or coffee. Or do as my older sister did and just mainline the frosting and discard the rest (no, don't do that! It was just too sad to watch).

Cannoli cupcake: It's the most beautiful type of fusion dessert I can imagine. 

Del Ponte's Bakery, 600 Main Street, Bradley Beach NJ; online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Gerenser's Exotic Ice Cream, New Hope PA

Is there a more distinct pleasure than ice cream on a hot summer day?

If there is, it has yet to come to my mind. 

But if you happen to be in New Hope, Pennsylvania, your pleasure in ice cream eating is bound to be particularly sweet, because this sweet little town is home to an establishment called Gerenser's Ice Cream.

For over 50 years, this shop has been serving up scoops of delicious and sometimes exotic flavors of ice cream. And it's truly a labor of love--as I learned from this website,

The story of the Exotic Ice Cream really is a love story. Stephen J. Gerenser who was teaching at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. would meet his sweetheart Julia Pelikan who lived and worked in Manhattan. New Hope was the half-way mark. Like many people that come here, the young couple were enchanted by the natural beauty and charm of the little story book town. They were married and made plans to settle in New Hope and raise a family.

One of their favorite places to meet was a little restaurant called the "Village Snack Shop." When they discovered it was for sale they decided to buy it and a new enterprise was born. Through the fabulous family recipes of Mrs. Gerenser the little restaurant thrived. The magic really began when Mr. Gerenser discovered a small ice cream machine sitting in one of the back rooms of their new establishment. Julia and Stephen were not satisfied with the commercial ice creams available, they wanted something better to compliment there wonderful meals. Stephen was raised in a dairy in New Brunswick New Jersey and he knew exactly what to do with that machine! He would make the best ice cream any one ever tasted.

As the story goes on, after a while the ice cream was clearly the most popular item on the menu, a popular snack for theatre-goers attending shows at the nearby Bucks County Playhouse. So after creating some fantastic ice cream concoctions in flavors like pumpkin, peach brandy, rum raisin, and more, they rebranded it as an ice cream shop. 

On my recent visit, I went for the CakeSpy-iest flavor they had: vanilla birthday cake ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. Yup.

The gorgeously creamy vanilla ice cream was studded with respectable but not overwhelmingly-sized cubes of yellow cake, and was pretty much so delicious that I all but licked the cup clean. While not necessary for the enjoyment of the ice cream, I firmly believe that we eat with our eyes first, and therefore the sprinkles were a Very Good Idea.

A friend got a chocolate shake, which had to be re-made because the first time the sweet but slightly confused employee only made a shake which filled about 2/3 of the cup (and when a shake is in the $5-6 range, it had better fill the cup!) and was none too chocolatey. But version two was far superior, and so we both left happy.

The ice cream shop feels fairly old timey but the prices are definitely geared toward today's gourmet - a small ice cream is $4.50, and the prices go up from there. But it is a tourist town, so while I found it expensive, I didn't find it totally unreasonable.

The array of flavors was pretty comprehensive, and they had the usual roster of flavors in addition to some more "exotics" - German Peach Brandy, Cotton Candy, Spanish Rum Raisin, and more.

If you find yourself in New Hope, please, do yourself a favor and go here.

Gerenser's Exotic Ice Cream, 22 S Main Street, New Hope; more info here.

Baked Good of the Day: Boston Cream Cupcake, Molly's Cupcakes, Chicago

Sometimes, you just need a cupcake. 

Yesterday, I found myself in such a situation. I was taking a long walk in Chicago following my introduction to the Verizon Wireless Savvy Gourmets program, in which basically they gave me and a bit over a baker's dozen more foodie writer types a free device (the Android "Xyboard" in this case--since it was gifted to me, they've asked me to say “Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”) to test out with our various writing/blog activities. Having tested out the device, I had already found it to be very nice for updating my website while traveling--not as cumbersome as a laptop, but with more functionality than my phone. This made me happy. 

So I was brainstorming the other ways in which this device might improve my life when I realized, "I am hungry". This happens sometimes. But lo and behold, there was Molly's Cupcakes! I haven't been to Molly's in ages, and thought it would be a great moment to try them out again. After all, a lot has happened since my last personal visit to this cute-as-a-button Chicago cupcakery and since my friend Ryan's visit. They've opened a new location in New York, for one; several of the flavor offerings were new (to me) on my visit, too.

Sashaying past the cookie dough and cake batter varieties, I settled on the Boston Cream Cupcake, a vanilla cupcake filled with custard and topped with a beautifully piped chocolate ganache.

The cupcake weighed in at $4.11, which felt slightly like a slap in the face (somehow that post-tax 11 cents above the four dollar mark just seemed a little excessive), but I really, really wanted this cupcake, so I proceeded. 

As weighty as the cost was, the cupcake was, as well. It was a solid little brick of cream-filled magic, a respectable buttery vanilla cake beautifully complemented by a turn-your-teeth-chocolatey rich ganache (oh please why can't you just hook me up to a vat of it and inject it?) and a vanilla bean-flecked custard that made me want to coo with happiness when I got my first bite with all of the flavors combined.

Sometimes it's nice to revisit bakeries from our past, and this one rewarded me with deliciousness. Though the cupcake was pricey, ultimately I have no regrets. And were I to go back in time, I'd do it all over again.

Molly's Cupcakes, locations in Chicago and New York; online here.

Well Bread: Bantam Bread Company, Connecticut

Not so very long ago, I went to a bakery which goes by the name Bantam Bread Company.

With a name like that, you might figure that they specialize in bread. Well, you'd be right. But they just as ably make and offer a delicious array of sweet stuff. 

Included on the roster? Fruit crostadas. Biscuits. Crumb cake. Shortbread. Cheesecake. Teacakes. And more.

The delicious fruit crostadas look something like this when bitten into:

Oh, that's right. The crumb cake is pretty fantastic, too. It's buttery, brown sugary, and delicious. Only problem? There should be more crumb. Like, this much.

But one of the true standouts, in my opinion, was the Peach Brulee. It was sort of like a creme brulee tart, but with peaches too. Although the peaches might sound like they make a delicious dessert into health food, really, it's not that way at all. It's peaches n creamy and very decadent. A very pleasant dessert, indeed!

And, you know what, since I'm always a sucker for a great story, I found the story of how this bakery came to be rather fascinating. Here it is, from their site:

In the summer of 1995 Niles Golovin and Susie Uruburu attended the Fancy Food Show in New York City. Niles, a chef in NYC for many years was restless to do something on his own. He found bread baking to be fascinating. 

At the show Niles spoke with an old friend from NYC who owned one of the most successful wholesale bakeries in New York about his thoughts of opening an artisan bakery. He said “The time is right if you want to do it, do it now”. 

On the way back to Litchfield, with visions of beautiful golden brown loaves in his head, Niles and Susie stopped at a popular fruit/vegetable stand on Mt. Tom Pond. Niles asked, “If I can find a place to bake at night, could we test market bread at your stand”? The owner happily agreed. 

Next stop was a pizza shop in Litchfield where he baked after hours on Friday and Saturday nights. “Niles’ Bread” was born. 

The next weekend Susie packed the fresh baked loaves in the old Volvo wagon, set up a card table at the farm stand and sold out in two hours. After a busy summer Niles spent a month of Sundays at an organic bakery in the Berkshires honing his craft and learning from a bread “guru”. 

The following summer a location was found in the basement of an old house on Route 202 in Bantam. Stone and brick walls with windows overlooking the Bantam River made the bakery look like a step back in time to a French boulangerie. 

Through word of mouth and a stunning review in the Waterbury Republican (three weeks after opening) The Bantam Bread Company arrived.

How sweet! So. If you're in Bantam, go to this place.

853 Bantam Road, Bantam, CT 06750; Online here.

Sweet Times: Delicious Things from Famous 4th Street Deli

Warning: do not attempt to eat your screen. That photo is not delicious...but it is a photo of something that was delicious, before I made it disappear into my belly.

It was a chocolate chip walnut cookie from The Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen in Philadelphia.

This is a magical establishment, where you can go and celebrate excess in food form. Warm up for dessert with a sandwich the size of The Hulk's head, or a trough of matzoh ball soup.

But DO save room for dessert. Because they make good stuff. Cheesecake! Macaroons!

Source: shannonmcdonald.net via Cake on Pinterest

Checkerboard cake! Eclairs! Banana chocolate cream pie! JUMBO COOKIES! And that's just to name a few.

So. I should tell you, these desserts are huge. Like, seriously huge. But unlike a lot of desserts which are dramatic in size and size only, these ones bring it to the table, flavor-wise. I sampled just a few of the wide array of treats.

Let me start with the rugelach. Unlike rugelach I have experienced in my time, this was more like the size of a jumbo danish than the petite rolled cookies I'm accustomed to. It was flaky and rich, with a nutty filling. It was two servings as a snack, or a decidedly decadent breakfast.

The cookies (regular size) were also of very high quality. The texture was crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and it was an absolute minefield of fillings--nuts and chocolate chips--making each bite a delicious adventure. A good cookie indeed.

What are you waiting for? Go visit. You'll get fed real good.

700 south 4th street, Philadelphia; online here.