Pastries :: Dessert Darling

Archive for Pastries – Page 2

Bakluvit Makes Baklava Amazing and Wins the GOLDEN CHERRY

By Dessert Darling · Comments (6)

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT BAKLUVIT!

When Bakluvit reached out to me on Twitter to sample his Baklava, I might have actually winced. Bakluva? Really? I mean, if it’s there at an event, I’ll eat it, sure, but if I had my choice of desserts, it certainly wasn’t Baklava… Until now. WOW- I mean, Bakluvit practically revolutionized the treat for me. Traditionally, I find Baklava to be too sweet and earthy with it’s sacarrine, sticky honey and impenetrable hordes of messy flakes. By contrast, Bakluvit’s corn syrup and honey-free Baklava has a soothingly sweet and gentle flavor that melts in your mouth with buttery layers and a brownie-like cushioning.

Indeed, these bars were a huge hit with my agent’s office as we all swooned together trying them. What a unique and delicious office gift! With three simple but amazing flavors like Chocolate (holla), Butterscotch (I die), and Original (perfection), you can’t go wrong with these unique and special bars.

Thank you Bakluvit for opening my eyes and delighting my tastebuds!!! You deserve this Golden Cherry all the way.~

For more information on Bakluvit Baklava, click here.

XOXO

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Best Meyer Lemon Dessert Ever: Merry’s Miracle Tart, Vegan & Raw

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Ok, I just took this dessert dooown. I mean, it didn’t have a Chance. I even went so far as to lick the paper cup that it came in! Woa, woa, ok, let’s rewind. Remember this review that I wrote for the Chocolate Merry’s Miracle Tart (click here)? Really, I thought that was as good as it gets. I’d always seen the lemon one next to the chocolate one in the raw dessert section at Whole Foods, but it just looked so Boring and….I’m not really a lemon girl.

But then I got a comment that I had to try the lemon one too. I’m so glad that I got that comment! Otherwise, I’d still pass over this unassuming treat. Wow- It was Perfection. The tart was totally flavorful while not being too zingy and lemony. Even the crust rocked my world!

And Wow! I just discovered a new, miracle sweetener! I saw “Palm Sugar” in the ingredients and was like– What?! That’s not RAW! Or is it?? So I looked up Palm Sugar, and check it out (here), it’s low on the glycemic index and even has nutritional benefits like potassium, zinc, iron, and B-vitamins. WapbabalooBop- How’s THAT for a Thinny Thursday delight!? Please keep the comments coming! They make me smile so

XOXO

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Napoleon Pastry at Urth Cafe

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Despite the annoying lines, hordes of people, impossible parking and mediocre dessert reviews, I like Urth Cafe. I mean, I have nothing against it. I want to give them a glowing review for some knock-your-socks-off dessert. I just haven’t had one there yet. Take this Napoleon pastry, for example. It was fine, mild, lovely, Average. I didn’t swoon in a puddle of buttery flakes, salty flecks and dusted sugar. No, I noshed on this bland but pleasant mound with friends while bopping my from side to side. It was fine, there, edible.. but worth it? Probably not.

For more information on Urth Cafe (often featured on the show Entourage), click here.

XOXO

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Yummy Pastries from Champagne French Bakery Cafe

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Right when I’d had enough goodies for the day, my mom came to visit with pastries in hand. What was a DD to do!? Eat them, of course.

Mmmm- that Almond diddy on top was positively delicious. It had a layer of sweet, crispy, shaved almonds, an airy pocket of flaky layers, and a thin pocket of creamy custard.

The blueberry pastry was also delicious, but the Chocolate Chip Cookie (not pictured) was a total pass.~

For more information on a Champagne Bakery near you, click here.

XOXO

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Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Hazelnut Tart, & Raspberry Bread Pudding at Tartine

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Well well well, looks like Huckleberry in Santa Monica has a rival up in San Francisco. Just having had the To-Die for Bread Pudding at Huckleberry Cafe, I didn’t think anything could compare. Thus, when I saw this Raspberry Bread Pudding at the Tartine Bakery and Cafe in San Francisco, I was pretty skeptical.

Upon first bite, the Bread Pudding surprised me with its lightly salted seasoning and sweet-and-sour raspberries. That said, it boasted the same eggy, fluffy, rich, syrupy, flavorful components that Huckleberry’s Bread Pudding had. Mmmmm! Not quite Golden Cherry, but 5-cherries indeed. I loved it~

And of course, I had to try the Chocolate Pudding too. The whipped cream tempered the slightly salty chocolate pudding, thus creating a dynamic, swoon-worthy combination. I gobbled this up!

This 3-cherry Chocolate Hazelnut Tart that my companion ordered didn’t excite me nearly as much as the two puddings. But um, can’t you tell by looking at it?

Tartine Bakery and Cafe in the Mission district is a shining jem in this shadier part of town. The desserts that I tried were truly exquisite.

For more information on Tartine Bakery and Cafe, click here.

XOXO

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Salted Caramel and Peach Fruit Pastry from Huckleberry Cafe & Bakery

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Last week I wrote about one of the best desserts I’ve ever had, the glorious Caramel Chocolate Brioche Pudding at Huckleberry in Santa Monica (review here). Well, that wasn’t the only thing that I tried that day. You think I can see a dessert display like Huckleberry’s and only buy one treat? Ha! Here’s the lovely trio of desserts that I tried. The Bread Pudding, the Salted Caramel Square, and the Fruit Pastry.

Now, fellow food blogger DianaTakesaBite claims that the Salted Caramel Bar is her favorite treat at Huckleberry. While I would agree that the buttery, caramel square is a high note, it is not quite the symphony that the Caramel Chocolate Bread Pudding is. Still, this intensely flavorful bar is a legitimate 5-cherry winner.

That said, I actually preferred this Fruit Pastry with it’s sweet, fresh peaches, and yep, you guessed it, Buttery pastry bed. Clearly, Butter is a favorite ingredient over at Huckleberry Cafe. Hey, no complaints here.. except um, for the fact that I’m still trying to shed those last 5 lbs from wedding festivities. Eeg. I just couldn’t pass on these desserts though!

Good thing I don’t live on the west side anymore. I shall reserve Huckleberry Cafe and Bakery for special occasions!

For more information on Huckleberry Cafe and Bakery, click here.

XOXO

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Bread Pudding Muffin from the Larchmont Bungalow

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Friday, May 13th, 2011

You might recall my gluttonous journey at the Larchmont Bungalow from this post here. Despite the amazing cream cheese frosting, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the desserts then. Clearly I tried the wrong desserts, because my next trip back I got this unassuming Bread Pudding Muffin and MMmmmm, it was super delish. My girlfriends and I all rolled our eyes back with delight as we gnawed on our comfort-food treat!

For more information on the Larchmont Bungalow, click here.

XOXO

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Lemon Bars from Trader Joes

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

We all know my soft spot for Trader Joes, so I was excited to try these Lemon Bars that I had in my freezer. Well, that pretty much gives away the punch line. Freezer. I mean, you just can’t compare a frozen dessert to a fresh baked good with a soft buttery crust (like the lemon bars from the Corner Cafe Bakery here). Even when I was patient enough to let them dethaw, the crust crumbled apart like broken chalk and the powdered sugar on top just completely fluffed off. The flavors were ok, but these lemon bars fall way short of fabulous.

XOXO

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Marzipan Treats and Pastries at Berolina Bakery

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Today my friend and I stumbled upon Berolina Bakery in Glendale, where I had the most delicious marzipan treat. It was called a "Vacuum" and was basically a small log of mild rum soaked chocolate cake, enveloped by a layer of marzipan, with the sides dipped in a delicate shell of chocolate. The mild rum and almond flavors ruled the show as the chocolate took a quiet seat back-stage. The consistency was thick, pasty, and delicious! 5 Cherries for the Vacuum!

The pastry, on the other hand, bored me with it's thick dried out sides. However, it did have delicious fruit on top! Over all, the Berolina Bakery earns 4.5 cherries for the exquisite Vacuum, which almost makes me forgive and forget the very ordinary pastry.

For more info on Berolina Bakery, click here.

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Glazed Croissant and Carrot Cake at Let Them Eat Cake in Chicago

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

On my way home from Chicago, I stopped into the enticing airport bakery Let Them Eat Cake to grab a few goodies for my flight.

Glazed Croisssant with Almond Shavings: Ok, this thing was nearly as large as my face and I intended on sharing it with my travel companions. Furthermore, I had just scarfed down two large Jimmy John's subs and thought for sure I could only manage a few bites of dessert. While a bit sweet, the croissant was so darn delicious it simply dissolved in my mouth, one bite after the next. The massive treat was gone before my friends even knew I bought it! Oops~

Carrot Cake: While there isn't such thing as a bad carrot cake in my book, you can have some that just don't sing hallelujah. The icing on this dessert was very sweet while at the same time leaving a bit of a bitter aftertaste, a sign of artificial ingredients at work here. Bleh.