Golden Cherry Reviews :: Dessert Darling

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The BEST Cupcakes in LA Thanks to Bacon Cheddar Magic

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Friday, November 5th, 2010

GLORY HALLELUJAH! I had not one, but two mind blowing cupcakes from Frosted Cupcakery today. My mind quite literally checked out the door as I momentarily floated to Heaven, bathed in a daze of delicious wonder.

I’ve always loved Frosted, as you may recall from this 5-cherry posting here. But today’s experience with the Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake filled with Pumpkin Ice-cream and the Bacon Cheddar Corn Cake with Vanilla frosting, has officially escalated Frosted Cupcakery to Golden Cherry status. This is not to take away from the 2009 Winner, Yummy Cupcakes, which is fabulous in its own right. It’s simply to say that this year, Frosted Cupcakery has come through for me time and time again with perfect cupcakes. They’re never dry, dense, bland, or overly sweet. Instead, they’re light, bouncy, flavorful, and delicious. Indeed, Frosted Cupcakery makes the quintessential cupcakes.

and now for today’s insanely delicious and unique cupcake samples…the Vanilla with Pumpkin ice-cream filling…

and the Bacon Cheddar Corncake with Vanilla frosting..

MMmmmmm, I want more….!

the best cupcakes in LA

For more information on Frosted Cupcakery, click here.

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Best Ice-Cream at Baskin-Robbins

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Baskin-Robbins is more than just childhood in my mouth, it's the quintessential ice-cream. Many ice-cream brands have played serious roles in my life: Dreyer's in the home fridge, Buds after school (just down the street), Häagen-Dazs after the dentist (er, also just down the street, sorry doc.), and Ben & Jerry's in college (right by the factory). None of these other brands, however, encapsulate joy quite like walking into a Baskin Robbins, where scoops of ice-cream sport happy clown faces with cone hats and pink spoons and polka-dots abound.

With 31 traditional and idiosyncratic flavors, there's something for everyone and every memory. Dad's Pralines and Cream, Mom's Jamoca Almond Fudge, my brother's Mint Chip, and I was Rainbow Sherbet and Bubble Gum as a kid (when gum was strictly forbidden in my house), Gold Medal Ribbon in middle school, and Light Cappuccino Chip for life.

I don't extol the virtues of Baskin-Robbin's ice-cream simply for nostalgia's sake. In addition to the colorful joy of this all-American brand, the ice-cream is downright delicious. BR ice-cream boasts the perfect consistency (not too packed like Häagen-Dazs, not too fluffy like Breyers), the perfect chunkyness (not intrusive like Ben & Jerry's hunks, not minimal like Dreyer's) and finally, the perfect flavor (not too mild, not too intense).

Honestly, eating this tasty ice-cream and reading their history here, well… it's enough to make me proud to be an American.~

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Apple Pie at Swingers Diner

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

La la la la LaaAAaaaAaa!!!

Golden Cherry desserts always make me want to sing it from the roof-tops! This Apple Pie from Swingers Diner on Beverly Blvd could not have been more succulent if it tried to be. Oooohmygosh- the apples were not sassy, tart and firm, nor were they saccharine sweet and mushy, but rather, they were demure in their simple Perfection.

The crust was the most remarkable aspect of this tasty dessert, and I'm not even a crust girl! The warm, buttery layers literally melted in my mouth and could almost stand alone, earning freshly-baked cookie-status.

And look at that heaping scoop of ice-cream on the side! Yet, this is the first and only Apple Pie I've ever consumed that was so delicious it didn't even need ice-cream or whipped cream. That, my friends, is the true sign of a Golden Cherry worthy Apple Pie. Mmmmmm. I ate the whole thing in T minus two minutes.

For more info on Swingers Diner and their other locations, click here.

To see my thoughts on their great cupcakes, click here.

To see my thoughts on their awesome milkshakes, click here. :-9

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Butterscotch Budino at MOZZA Pizzaria

By Dessert Darling · Comments (8)

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

OhmyGaaawd. Are you kidding me? I’m swooning, buzzing, flushing and all around basking in the glow of my first Budino experience at the famed Italian restaurant, MOZZA, off Highland and Melrose.

What is Budino, you wonder? Great question. Budino is the Italian word for pudding. Alas, it’s not just any pudding! It’s Italian, velvety pudding with fresh cream, dynamic flavors and surely, a dash of aphrodisiac-dust.

Mozza’s budino starts with a feathery smooth butterscotch pudding that’s slightly burnt in flavor for a scarcely bitter touch that gets counteracted by a top layer of sweet, buttery caramel sauce, so fresh you can detect every simple and natural ingredient in it. A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt adds further dimension for a trio of bitter, sweet, and salty tastes. Finally, a dallop of creme fresh helps calm the bold flavors below it, and together the layers perfectly harmonize like Pavarotti and Friends at the Vatican.

But we are not done! No my friends, the genius chef at Mozza accompanies this dessert with delicious rosemary pine nut cookies. I thought these were little random and quixotic afterthoughts, until the waiter instructed me to eat them with a spoonful of pudding. Holy Halelluja! These shortbread cookies escalate the experiences from a 5-Cherry one to a Golden Cherry event.

Wooowee, I’m a little excited here. Add a bottle of wine and a hot date with this budino and you’d be in for one special night!

For more info on Mozza Pizzeria, click here.

Stay tuned to see my upcoming thoughts on Mozza’s Olive Oil gelato!

Comments (8)

Banana Pudding at Magnolia Bakery

By Dessert Darling · Comments (6)

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

As promised here, I’m finally going share the dreaminess that is the Banana Pudding at Magnolia Bakery in Los Angeles. Now, I’ve had the Banana Pudding with Nilla Wafer cookies just down the street at TOAST on 3rd street (see review here), and I can assure you that these two desserts are worlds apart.

Unlike the impenetrably thick pudding at Toast with dry Nilla wafers, The Banana Pudding from Magnolia is smoothly whipped and well blended with soft, soaked cookie crumbles and ripe banana bits. The creamy whipped dreaminess suggests hints of pure vanilla and condensed milk that oddly enough, yield flavors reminiscent of raw cookie dough, my absolute favorite concoction on earth. Mmmm, while Banana Pudding might not normally be my first pic on a dessert menu, this batch makes me think otherwise. A Golden Cherry Honoree all the way!

For more info on Magnolia Bakery, click here.

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Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake at Coral Tree Cafe

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Woo Woo! Golden Cherry alert!

As uncommon as it is, I've actually had a few a triple layer chocolate mousse cakes in my day. None, however, have Tickled-me-Delighted the way this gorgeous creation from Coral Tree Cafe at the Century City Mall did. WoooooWeeee, my friend and I swooned over this light but flavorful cake that tasted unique with its varying textures. A thin, but rich, chocolate coating encased a smooth chocolate mouse, which floated above a light layer of foamy, vanilla cream. Finally, a sturdy foundation of chocolate cake kept everything in line from the bottom.

My friend loved this cake so much she pondered making it her wedding cake! Congratulations to The Coral Tree Cafe! You just earned yourself a Golden Cherry

For more info on The Coral Tree Cafe, click here.

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Caramelitas from Paula LeDuc Fine Catering

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Goldcherrie

I just came home to the most amazing amazingness awaiting me in a Fed-Ex box. I opened the lovely package from Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, one of the companies I interviewed for my wedding, and discovered her home-made "Caramelitas."

Caramelitas, if you were wondering, are described as "oatmeal and brown sugar crust topped with almonds, chocolate chips, and caramel." In short.. Heaven.

Since I inhaled almost every single bar already, I must award these treats the Golden Cherry. Woo, Paula LeDuc Catering.. you are now in the lead! (Anyone else care to challenge? Ha

For more information on Paula LeDuc Fine Catering in N.Cal, click here.

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Yogurtland

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

If you’re anything like me, you went through a MASSIVE frozen yogurt phase (also known known as Fro-yo). In fact, one of my daily highlights in school was discovering what new flavors the cafeteria was serving.. Ha!

I’ve since discarded the soft stuff in exchange for real ice-cream. However, there is one frozen yogurt joint that still makes my eyes sparkle. This magical haven is Yogurtland, a fro-yo chain that not only has the most delicious frozen yogurt EVER, but also features 16 flavors at a time that you get to self-serve, as well as an incredible array of toppings that (wait for it.. ) you get to SELF SERVE! (How much do we love self-serving? We love it.. a lot)

With fat and sugar-free options for yogurt and healthy fruit and nut toppings avail, you can make this stop as “healthy” or as naughty as you like (But! if you’re like me.. you walk out with 8 different flavors packed in a cup, standing at a foot tall. Heh heh, what can I say, I’m the Dessert Darling!).

Yogurtland wins the coveted Golden Cherry for best frozen yogurt stop, hands down!

For more info on Yogurtland and a location near you, click here.

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Gianna’s Sugar Cookies- The Best!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

MMMMMMMmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMmmmmmMMMMMMMMMM~~

Gianna’s makes THE best iced sugar cookies. Handmade with natural, organic ingredients, each bite is a dip into sweet, buttery, and childlike joy.

Don’t let the fact that you can find these delectable treats in a grocery store fool you into thinking that they’re ordinary cookies. They are actually superior to any gifted cookie basket I’ve ever experienced.

For more info on Gianna’s, click here and check out all the other delicious treats that you can order online! Mmmm~

XOXO

Comments (2)

Carrot Cake Cupcake at The Farm

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

I debated long and hard about awarding the Golden Cherry to this carrot cake cupcake. It's such a prestigious honor (heh . I can't just dole it out willy-nilly to any absurdly delicious treat that I consume.

That said, I've tasted my share of carrot cakes and the cupcake from The Farm of Beverly Hills (with now two other locations in LA) has consistently made me melt into a puddle of joy. It's truly a phenomenal cup of carrot cake. With chunky walnut bits, shaved carrots, what looks to be shaved zucchini bits, delicious spices and the perfect cream-cheese frosting, I can't not give this treat the ultimate rating.

Don't let the sad little carrot design on the icing fool you, this is a Golden Cherry treasure!

For more info on The Farm, click .