Archive for Top Rated

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Valentine’s Day

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)
Friday, February 10th, 2012

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I have ALL your bases covered with this ULTIMATE Gift-Giving Guide! Have a sweet one :) xoxo

1. For Him:

Though it’s traditional for the lady to receive chocolates, our men need a little recognition too. John Kelly Chocolates makes the most delicious truffle fudge bites that quite literally melt in your mouth and send you to Heaven. John Kelly’s packaging is masculine and sleek, making it the perfect present to gift your guy.

2. For Her:

Gentleman, if you want to score some serious points with your lady this Valentine’s Day, invest in a gorgeous box of chocolates by K Chocolatier. Intoxicate her with the delicious vodka balls, or her delight her with the dark chocolate truffles that were once hand-made for Jackie O. When the chocolate’s all gone, the box with paper mache roses can be used for keepsakes for years to come.

3. For the Kids:

Teuscher Chocolates from Switzerland not only makes some of the most delectable chocolates, but also they boast the most whimsical and playful packaging. Treat your daughter to a small ladybug box, or your son to a lion box. But don’t forget to treat yourself to their famous, signature champagne truffles first! Totally divine.

4. For the Health Nut:

Not everyone is excited to sink their teeth into butter and sugar. Fear not, now health nuts can receive sweet love this Valentine’s day too with a box of Benchic Chocolates. These homemade, raw, organic, and vegan treats are made with only six simple ingredients that are all actually good for you! And the craziest part? The even taste extraordinary.

5.For Mom:

No one deserves a little TLC more than Mom. Honor her with these delicious and gorgeous gems of chocolates by Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates.

6. For Dad:

Let Dad know he’ll always be your first Prince Charming with some exquisite chocolates from La Maison du Chocolate. These fine treats are shipped in daily from France and come in these sweet and masculine book boxes.

 

7. For Your Girlfriends:

Whether your friends are in relationships or not, show that they are loved with darling, cellophane-wrapped baggies of these delicious mini-cookies by Baking Betty’s. Each treat is baked from scratch and made to order. Their signature cookies sport soft and sweet marshmallows that make them effortlessly light and totally enjoyable!


8. For Your Guy Friends:

Yes, even your platonic guy friend or brother can partake in this holiday thanks to your thoughtfulness. Be their hero with a box of Cookies By Joey. These massive cookies are legendary for their extreme deliciousness. Indeed, they may be the best cookies he’ll ever have. Make sure he shares though or his friend status will be seriously jeopardized.

9. For the Office:

There’s something for everyone in a box for Fairtytale Brownies. These individually wrapped gourmet, Belgium brownies are soft, rich, and divine. With flavors like peanut butter, mint, walnut, toffee, and more, you’re sure to have a happy ending.

Comments (3)

The BEST Cupcakes at 2012′s CUPCAKE CHALLENGE by Drink:Eat:Play

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

So you’ve been waiting and the results are here! With 36 cupcakes, we have a ties in both in 1rst and 2nd place, so bare with me.

1rst place:

One of my Faaaavorite cupcakes at the challenge were these Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes by [Desi]gn Cakes and Cupcakes. Yep, you read that right: Buffalo Chicken. These cupcakes escalate the sweet & salty fad to whole new level with a sauce that is traditionally sweet, salty, and spicy. That added dimension of spice was well tempered though by thick, creamy, vanilla frosting. Overall, this was an exciting and delicious cupcake that was well executed on every level. Bravo [Desi]gn Cupcakes in Riverside!

1rst Place:

The other bakery in our tie is My Delight Cupcakery from Ontario, who made these scrumdilliumptious Red Velvet Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. I normally don’t like fruit anywhere near my desserts, but this raspberry was so sweet and fresh, and blended in so harmoniously with this gorgeous cupcake, that it won me over. While the Buffalo Chicken cupcake might have beat this one by a hair, I’m escalating My Delight Cupcakery to 1rst place for two reasons. One: they use wholesome, organic ingredients, which is a BIG deal to me now that I know the truth about our food (see here). Two: My Delight was my favorite bakery last year, so they are consistently excellent.


2nd Place:

2nd  Place goes to Butter Sweet Minis on Larchmont for their Mint Chip Cupcake that had wonderful texture, consistency, and the perfect balance of flavors.

2nd Place:

Also in second place is Debiteful Cake Pop Shop from Chino for these sassy little Pastelitos Caliente, which is Spanish for “Awesome.” These cornbread based cupcakes had bacon, a hint of spicy (there’s that spice again!), and frosting that even featured cilantro. This sweet and savory combination could have been a total disaster, but Debiteful pulled it off brilliantly. Note: these were some of the last cupcakes that I had, so it’s possible that this savory option was just a very refreshing change of pace after 34 super sweet selections. That said, I loved them.


3rd Place: 

Even though I had this Buddafinga by Double “D” Cupcakes at a point where I could barely breath from so many samples, I still swooned over the wonderful combination of fresh ingredients and playful textures. The chocolate based cake featured homemade Caramel and had a Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Buttercream. Got that? No need, just know it was delish.

4th Place:

Finally, 4th place goes to these playful Girl Scouts Somoa cupcakes by Cake Mama’s in Glendora. I loved everything about these fun and flavorful cupcakes except the slippery icing. If you’re an avid DD reader (and I hope that you are!), you know that I don’t like overly whipped, high sheen, oily frosting. Indeed, it disturbs me. A less glossy icing would have made these cupcakes a home run.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!!! To stand out amongst 36 cupcake options is an incredible achievement. Your bakeries all rocked it!

Thank you Lynn Chen for taking such awesome photos for me!

Comments (0)

The BEST Caramels EVER by Le Bon Garcon

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Le Bon Garcon makes The BEST caramels that I have Ever had, hands down. Truly, I am swooning here. And I didn’t even think that I liked caramels that much (blame Kraft)! Alas, Le Bon Garcon uses all natural ingredients that are slowly hand stirred, resulting in a silky smooth treat that quite literally melts in your mouth. Unlike traditional caramels, like Kraft squares or Milk Duds, there is no awkward, sticky, chewiness to these dainty delights. My charming little box came with four flavors: a citrus Valentine’s addition called Caramour,  Mango-Passion Fruit and my two dreamy favorites, Salted, and Macadamia Nut. I meant to have “a” bite and I ate nearly all of them. Yikes! If you want to treat a special someone to something other than chocolate this Valentine’s day, do check out Le Bon Garcon’s Golden Cherry Caramels!

For more info on on Le Bon Garcon, click here.

Comments (2)

Famous Ice Cream Sandwiches at Diddy Riese – Major YUM

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Thursday, January 26th, 2012

After indulging in the Pizookie at BJ’s in Westwood (post here) I sauntered across the street to try a famous Diddy Riese ice cream sandwich. Diddy Riese notoriously has a long line of UCLA students waiting for their buck fifty ice cream sandwich. As if that weren’t cheap enough for two delicious cookies encasing premium ice cream, a lone cookie itself is only 35 cents. Amazing.

I ordered an m&m cookie top with a White Chocolate cookie bottom and filled it with Butter Pecan ice cream. This sweet and buttery combination was Heaven. Mmmmmmmm- SO good! Ice cream sandwiches can be tricky to pull off: sometimes the ice cream freezes the cookie, thus neutralizing it of its flavor. Other times, all the  ice cream squirts out to the sides when you eat it, making it a messy and tricky ordeal. Somehow, Diddy Reise’s treats avoid these pitfalls, making them the quintisential ice cream sandwich. With superior ingredients, this cookie- ice cream delight clearly triumphs over the Pizookie across the street. While I grant Diddy Reise 5 cherries now, they will surely win the Golden Cherry by the end of the year! Delish!

My friend snapped this photo of me shooting the outside of Diddy Riese- there, you can see me in action. ;)

For more information on Diddy Riese, click here.

Comments (1)

Organic Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth, DD Approved!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Thursday, January 19th, 2012

You may have seen my recent posts about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food and my deep sadness over how sick they are making our nation (for more, click here). When I was a kid I ate my share of sugary cereals and Candy Candy Candy everyday! Yes, everyday I would go to am-pm after school to buy a treat!! And then go home and eat Lucky Charms! And while it wasn’t “good” for me then, it wasn’t the same grade of poison that today’s candy is with its High Fructose Corn Syrup made from corn seeds that were cross-bread with insecticides by Monsanto’s scientists. Bleh! I wonder how I’ll feel someday, letting my future kids go trick-or-treating when I know how detrimental today’s candy is to their health. It really bums me out as Halloween is a holiday that is near and dear to a DD’s heart! In this vein I’ve kept my eyes peeled for candy that children can have now that won’t alarm their systems with a barrage of chemicals, artificial colors, unpronounceable substances, and GMOs. I came across these Organic, Gluten Free Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth at Whole Foods and they are totally delicious! They even have that perfect, tough consistency that a Haribo Gold-Bear has (my childhood favorite). Sure they don’t come in the same technicolor rainbow as other candies, but they also don’t have those toxic colors that contribute to ADHD (see here). I’m really glad that I found Yummy Earth. They carry other organic candies that I hear are phenominal… particularliy the lolipops. Yummy Earth is DD Approved with 5 Shiny Cherries!

Ps:  I like to freeze my Gummy Bears. It takes longer to eat them and I enjoy how my mouth has to melt each one. :)

Pps:  Click here to ask the FDA to label foods with GMOs so that you don’t have to shop in the dark.

Comments (2)

Kozy Shack Pudding

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012


Compared to bold and popular ice cream, pudding is an overlooked and unassuming treat. That said, it can be equally soothing and delightful when done right. For store bought varieties, Kozy Shack does pudding best. With all natural ingredients, they dominate in every arena, covering rice, tapioca, flan, chocolate, and even soy and sugar-free options. I especially enjoy getting the single serving sizes to help with portion control.

Mmmm, 5 Cherries to Kozy Shack for all around excellence!

 

Kozy_pudding

For more info on Kozy Shack, click here.

XOXO

Comments (2)

Chocolate Cake at Oliver Cafe in Beverly Hills

By Dessert Darling · Comments (9)
Monday, January 9th, 2012


The other day my girlfriends and I met at Oliver Cafe, the lounge adjacent to the $25-million former Sports Club LA, now Equinox. You know, the one where Posh Spice works out in full make-up (and high heels, did I hear someone say?!?).

While the indoor/outdoor space isn’t that large, the bright and airy venue boasts a comprehensive menu with delicious options, including a spa section that’s guaranteed to satisfy the most health conscientious Beverly Hills housewife. With such attention paid to veggie-steaming and calorie-counting, I doubted that they’d have a satisfactory dessert menu.

This is where I was wrong, aside from some awful sounding low-fat Tiramisu that’s made with Splenda (bleh), they had delectable options including red velvet, carrot, and chocolate cakes. Mmm, chocolate cake it was!

This selection completely captivated all three of us with it’s perfect consistency, cool fudgy icing, and strip of chocolate sauce on top for good measure. Unlike the dry and terrible chocolate cakes that I’ve had lately, this slice of heaven had a rich and full bodied flavor, enhanced by a kick of amaretto liquor. Mmm, an easy 5-cherries!

For more information on Oliver Cafe, click here.

XOXO

Comments (9)

Fairytale Brownies Assure a Happy Ending

By Dessert Darling · Comments (5)
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

For my first review of 2012 I thought I’d start with a 5-cherry Bang! My brother recently sent me a box of gourmet, Belgium, Fairytale Brownies.  The wrapping on each brownie made me skeptical since it gave the illusion of being an artificial, store-bought item. However, these brownies enchanted me upon first bite with their gooey consistency inside a thin, crispy layer of cooked, brownie perfection.  Heaven! The Belgium chocolate gives these brownies a lovely depth, while the array of flavors endows them with charm and variety.  Fairytale Brownies are the perfect gift to send a brownie lover for his/her birthday, Valentine’s day, or just to say “thinking of you.”  And look! There’s even a post-holiday sale right now. :)

Brownies
For more information on Fairytale Brownies, click here.

Comments (5)

The 2011 GOLDEN CHERRY AWARDS!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (5)
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Another great year of sumptuous desserts has come to a conclusion. While these new-comers stood out as clear and worthy winners, some honorees from years past had no competition to knock them off their Golden Cherry standing (old winners not shown). Without further ado and a little drumroll please……….

BEST CAKE BALL:  95th Street Bakery

With high quality dark chocolate shells, creative flavors, and rich centers, 95th Street Bakery wins this year’s Golden Cherry for best cake ball! Unfortunately, these treats are only available in the S. California region and don’t have a Golden Cherry shelf-life (they drop to 4 cherries after refrigeration) so get them fresh!

BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE :  Baking Betty’s.

These dainty chocolate chip cookies with sweet mini marshmallows just beat out the much heartier Cookies By Joey for the Golden Cherry. When nearly every wedding guest raved about these cookies that we stuffed into our Welcome Bags, I knew they were a sure a crowd-pleaser and this year’s winner.

BEST MACARON:  ‘Lette Macarons 

Formally known as Paulette Macarons, these colorful confections just beat out Mad Mac NY Macarons for two reasons: 1) greater variety with prettier design and 2) the Mad Mac pastry chef is a total snoot on Cupcake Wars. Lette’s haut couture macarons boast unique flavors like violet cassis and caramel, melt in your mouth, and got my husbands enthusiastic thumbs up (he never likes sweets). These naturally low-fat cookies make the perfect gift or personal indulgence for any time of year.


BEST BROWNIE SUNDAE:  The Farm of Beverly Hills  

With a freshly baked and piping hot brownie under a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream, this decadent dessert is a party on a plate. I recommend celebrating this masterpiece with a friend!

BEST BREAD PUDDING:  Huckleberry 

The heavenly Caramel Chocolate Bread Pudding at Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica is an ooey gooey bowl of buttery sin that I want to swim laps in. For those who prefer more dry and traditional bread puddings though, this custardy option isn’t for you (try the muffin version at the Larchmont Bungalow instead).

BEST BAKLAVA: Bakluvit 

While I’m not normally a Baklava fan, Bakluvit makes sweet and flakey bars that revolutionized the treat for me. With original, chocolate, butterscotch, and seasonal flavors, these perfectly balanced Baklava squares make a surprisingly wonderful alternative to more traditional party treats.

BEST CHOCOLATE:  Christopher Elbow Chocolates

These gorgeous, chocolate gems melt in your mouth with outstanding textures, intriguing flavors, and the finest ingredients, making the steep price-tag of $2 a piece worth the indulgence.

BEST CAKE:  Cake and Art

While these cakes might not be as polished for weddings (like NancyKay’s Confections or Hansen’s) they are incredibly tasty, affordable, and can be made into any creation that you could possibly imagine. From a life-sized car made of cake to Rob Pattinson’s head, Cake and Art has done it all! Including my birthday cake last year. :)
Mmmmmm! I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for me! Thank you so much for an incredible year!!!!
XOXO
Comments (5)

Design Your Own Cookies with The Mason Jar Cookie Company

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

I love this concept! The Mason Jar Cookie Company allows you to custom design your own cookie mix which they then ship to you in a darling mason jar. These jars not only make super cute gifts, but also, they make it incredibly easy for you to whip up your own batch of sumptuous cookies.


I designed a batch called DD’s Winter White which consisted of traditional cookie base with white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and marshmallows. I love how you get to even give it your own title!

The cookies were a cinch to make and the dough was some of the most utterly, delicious substance I have ever consumed (Yes, I eat raw cookie dough- Lots of it. I can’t help myself!) Check Charlie out.. how jealous is he!?

And finally, the cookies turned out to be a huge success. I brought them to my girlfriends who insisted that they were the Best (I was a bit too cookie-doughed out myself to really know left from right by that point.)!

These darling mason jars would make the perfect hostess gift or personal indulgence.

I just got word that they are closed for shop during the holidays, but in the new year, you get 10% OFF by being my reader and using the code: TENOFF  Woo! The code expires Jan 31.

To build your own custom mix in 2012, visit The Mason Jar Cookie Company (or click here now just for fun ;) ).

XOXO

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Comments (1)
Next Page »

Connect…


Categories

Grab My Button!




Dessert Darling
Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved
iThemes Builder by iThemes
Powered by WordPress