Easter TreatI am shocked, even disgusted that I’ve failed to praise my favorite holiday candy on this blog before! Peeps are possibly the best thing about Spring and I’ve been craving them like crazy the past few weeks. I’ve eaten all the ones that were in the house, so I borrowed the photo from the Brooklyn Public Library blog. Be sure to take a peek at this week’s Peep themed laugh.
123 Lexington AveMike often shares goodies he picks up from Kalustyan‘s including raisins even a raisin hater could love and more recently, this flaky, honey soaked baklava. Delicious!
from MontanaPomegranate, sea salt and chipotle oh my! Not necessarily the flavors you associated with caramel but the award winning artisan caramel maker Robin Bequet from Montana thinks inventively when it comes to her soft sweet candies that friend Jessica was gracious enough to give me a box of for my birthday. They are spectacular.
Olde Timey YummyI was excited to find Cup O Gold at Galco’s (read more about it in the drinks section). My mom would often reminisce about the chocolate/coconut/marshmallow cup of deliciousness as the one thing she craved while pregnant. It’s hard to find but more popular in California than anyplace else. It’s super yummy and I wish the candy, which has been around since the 1950’s, was more available.
from Roni-Sue, Essex St MarketWant to make a room of dudes freak out? Put a plate of dark chocolate covered bacon in front of them. Needless to say this treat, which is exactly what it sounds like, was a hit for Dungeons and Dragons snacking.
Of course, I’ve combined Bacon and dessert before (with the amazing Mo’s Bar and that glorious treat that is candy bacon) but Roni-Sue, whose shop I visited at the Essex Market, takes the simplest and most intense approach. “Roni” a lovely lady named Rhonda Kave who calls it Pig Candy.
from Momofuku Milk Bar, 207 2nd AvenueAs you can see, the infamous Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk is like crack not only humans but apparently cats as well. I had a hard time getting a shot of the gooey, indescribably yummy dessert without Tiptoe interfering with a sniff (she likes to just smell, not eat human food).
Of course, if she had eaten it, she would have known the glories of what can be done with butter, sugar, and eggs assembled in the most ingenious of ways.
Click here for the rest of Crack Pie
Chili Pepper Dark ChocolateBespoke Chocolates is hidden down the aptly named Extra Place right off of Bleecker. Blink and you’ll miss it – but you won’t want to. While the occasion for which I bought their Chili Pepper Dark Truffles (to share with my fellow Dungeon and Dragons players on the first night of our adventure) may not have been the most romantic, the spicy heat and rich darkness is an ideal gift for Valentine’s Day.
Other equally enticing flavors are available and made fresh daily. The chocolatier, who I believe served me, is as nice as can be and speaks with a lovely British accent… she’s like Tammy Littlenut’s hot older sister from across the pond that makes incredible sweets.
Click here for the rest of Bespoke Chocolates
by Grace Stanton, BakerMy dear friend Miss Grace Stanton can do just about anything. Trim hair? Check. Tell you how to make a compost pile? Check. Make you feel good about a bad situation? Check. Correctly use (and adorably pronounce) phrases like “Holy Bananas”? Check.
In addition to all of the above, she’s currently training to become a pastry chef, so I jumped at the chance to secure her creativity and skill for my sister’s baby shower (a mere few weeks till I’m an aunt!!) – but I had no idea what I was in store for.
Jim most accurately described Grace’s blue and white labor of love as “expressive” and it was the absolute hit of the party. Some day (perhaps quite soonish) Grace will be a full blown pastry chef/bakery owner/queen of the fondant; in the meantime (if you’re really nice) I can see if she can hook you up with an incredible edible creation.
Click here for the rest of Stanton Cakes
Chocolate, crema, and cakeSpain offered what I was hoping for: Iberian hams, anchovies, fried little peppers, etc but it totally surprised me with the best cake I’ve ever moaned the phrase “YUM…” to. It came from Rita (more info about the restaurant in this week’s restaurant entry) and it was like Duncan Hines boxed cake but gourmet – deliriously delicious.
Of course, we had other delectable sweets and I don’t mean for the cake to cast too long shadow over the cinnamony crema catalana – a spiced but mild crème brulee, or the incredible chocolates we sampled at the Mercet Bouqueria, which were as tasty as they were beautiful and sometimes humorous to look at.
Click here for the rest of Barcelona Round Up
My brother-in-law was unable to find my sister’s favorite cake for her birthday (black forest), so he did the next best thing: he bought his own favorite cake. Fortunately, my family all agreed that he’s got pretty good taste: this fluffy coconut vanilla from Magnolia is pretty amazing. The frosting has that wondrous meringue, marshmallowy consistency and looks like a sugar cloud dream. It’s even worth braving the Sex and the City tours to pick one up.
Click here for the rest of Magnolia Coconut Cake