Husband and wife team, Mark Sopchak and Jenna Park, a pastry chef and art director, respectively, are cranking out amazing desserts at Brooklyn-based confectioner Whimsy & Spice. 

The duo keep their ingredients list simple, using no preservatives, and offer a small but unique medley of flavors. From a sweet and salty Coconut Five Spice White Chocolate cookie to the light and exotic Pink Peppercorn Sandwich Cookies, you can't find these treats anywhere else. It's clear that Sopchak's years working in restaurants like Zoe and Central Park Boathouse and his understanding of spices give him a creative edge for coming up with playful yet elegant flavors.

The shortbread, ungarnished with scalloped edges, may look simple, but one bite will have you longing for more. These crumbly shortbread cookies come in three distinct flavors, each as good as the next. In the Chocolate Orange Cardamom, the chocolate and orange flavors are perfectly balanced with cardamom bringing the two together. Brown Sugar Gingerspice is better than any gingerbread cookie I've had in recent memory, with a sharp but sweet ginger taste. Honey Lavender imbues you with an insouciance that will have you devouring the entire package of twelve with a wicked devil-may-care attitude. These treats transcend the worries of calorie-counting and diets.

Cinnamon Chocolate Malt Biscotti are a delicious crunchy treat, but even better dunked in simple skim milk, bitter coffee or an herbal tea. Sophchak and Park use only the finest ingredients, like freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon, which gives these biscotti a vibrant kick.

My favorite of all though, may be the Pink Peppercorn Sandwich Cookies. Flecks of pink peppercorn dot the shortbread, adding a touch of color and a delicate spicy aftertaste to the rich shortbread. A red currant and chocolate blend holds the two cookies together, and like in the Chocolate Orange Cardamom cookies, Sopchak knows the perfect proportions so as not to overpower the currant with chocolate. Instead, the flavors intertwine in harmonious chocolate fruity nirvana. Peppercorn is a rare ingredient, particularly in desserts, and most would not recognize it. 

Whimsy & Spice is definitely exotic but never intimidating. The treats, from marshmallows and brownies to shortbread cookies, will remind you of baking with you mom, only you've never made anything quite so tasty. They make novel gifts for someone looking to impress a friend or client with something new, or even a great treat for yourself.

To order, visit Whimsy & Spice on-line.