SWEET TOOTH
With the daily conquer of the hustle and bustle on the city streets, hectic schedules to fulfill and squeezing in quick coffee pick-ups; city-dwellers have an official relationship with the word “busy.” Every trendy urbanite deserves a sweet haven to retreat to on weekend afternoons, no schedules or agendas allowed.
Filled with absolute luxurious serenity, New York’s finest tea rooms provide just this—a sweet city escape. For those of you who are unacquainted with the afternoon tea culture, prepare to be amazed and delighted. This tranquil seduction must incorporate a few critical facets: tea sandwiches—both dainty and scrumptious, soft scones accompanied with the tastiest fruit jams, a pleasing variety of teas, an endless amount of sugary cakes and tarts, and of course, pretty tea cups topped to the brim. The delicate tea sandwiches and tiny delights are typically served on an elegant three tier tray, showcasing different levels of sugary enjoyment. Now...a spot of afternoon tea, anyone?
In a world full of healthy alternatives it is refreshing to know that you can still indulge in a creamy, sweet summer treat, such as decadent Italian gelato, without the guilt associated with binge eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. For the health-conscious, gelato contains 60 percent less fat and fewer calories than traditional American-style ice cream giving gelato some Italian sex-appeal! What’s even better is gelato prepared by a master with over twenty years of experience in gelato mixology who creates authentic Italian flavors using imported Italian ingredients as well as farm fresh, local organic ingredients.
It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, we were living in the bleakness of a world without cronuts. Since then, Dominique Ansel’s croissant-donut hybrid has rocketed to fame, leaving a trail of newspaper articles, questionable imitations, and Craigslist deals in its flaky wake. There is no question—the cronut is America’s Most Wanted.
But Ansel, the French pastry chef behind The Only Legitimate Reason To Be Up Before 6AM & Be Happy About It, is also debuting another line of desserts. Each of the six new sweets in the Pastry Chef Series is the product of a collaboration between Ansel and another French or American chef. The desserts are intricate and stunningly pretty. And if the reputation of their makers is anything to go by, they’re probably very, very good.
A contagious hysteria has taken over the hustle and bustle of the city streets. This epidemic cannot be stopped, or controlled. News of this frenzy is now international. Side effects may include deep infatuation and daily cravings. The mania is diagnosed as one name, and one name only: the cronut.
Handle with care, because addiction will occur within the first bite of a cronut. After that bite, you will be forever hooked. Half doughnut, half croissant, this multi-personality sweet invasion is the new fad, and has certainly captured everyone’s attention. The beautifully crafted pastry allures its prey with its sweet seduction: an invention unlike any other. And where has this frenzy originated? At a heavenly place in trendy SoHo, Dominique Ansel Bakery.
This is for you if you were the kid who ate cupcakes by licking the frosting off first. Or if you still do, in which case more power (and napkins) to you.
If you think the bottom-most section of the cupcake destroys the cake-to-frosting ratio, which is obviously meant to be equal.
If you find the sugary, artificially-colored "frosting" on grocery store cupcakes personally insulting.
Frosting devotees, sweep all your other commitments aside and prioritize. Priority one: head to Butter Lane and order a frosting shot.
With descriptions more often found on the back of a wine bottle than a bar of chocolate, Mast Brothers gourmet chocolate is no average candy bar. Available in 19 flavors and split into two categories, Single Estates Origins and Blends & Pairings, expect to taste the unexpected. From Vanilla and Smoke to Black Truffle and Moho River, no bar comes in with under 70% of organic cocao harvested from small farm cooperatives dotted around South America, and no, none of the bars come with a milk or white chocolate option as, to the gourmet chocolatier, either would be cocao sacrilege.
Easter candy may be the best time of year if you’re as much of a chocoholic, candy-feign as we are. Just think about it; there’s peeps dipped in chocolate, pectin jelly beans in every flavor imaginable, there’s chocolate eggs, mello-creams, Cadbury cream eggs, and chocolate bunnies, lambs, cows, ducks, etc. Not to mention specialty cookies and cakes that are holiday specific. So, are you drooling yet?
We’ve compiled a list of delicious and decadent holiday gifts to help you narrow down what to put in your basket or someone else’s if you’re feeling generous enough. Don’t live in NYC? Don’t worry some of our Easter favs ship nationwide.
We've always been a fan of chocolatier and pastry chef, Francois Payard, and let's face it--it's hard not to be. But when the chocolatiest holiday of the year comes around, you know you are in for something special. Francois Payard shops are stocking up on delicious goodies for this decadent holiday and we couldn't be more thrilled. Francois has created great new desserts and flavors just for the occassion, so if you still need to pick up something sweet for your sweetie, now you know where to go.
The 2nd Annual Chocolate Week will be taking place next week, from February 4th through 13th. Presented by MPB Agency, in partnership with Cacao Noel, the event celebrates the versatility of chocolate and chocolate-lovers. This year, the week will be embracing a new concept with the promotion of Cafe Gourmand, Tea Gourmand, or Bubbly Gourmand. Participating shops will offer a cup of coffee, tea or sparkling wine with a chocolate inspired mignardises (aka sweet treats) for $10 ($15 with sparkling wine). The goal of the event is for "people to have a chocolate treat at the end of their meal, the ideal sweet ending" states Chocolate Week founder, Severine Picquet.
Calling all chocolate lovers! It's always a treat to receive some sort of delicious chocolate no matter what the occasion is. As the holiday season sets you in a gift buying frenzy--go the easy way with giving out some delicious sweets! After attending The Chicago Fine Chocolate Show last month, and eating more than my fair share of chocolate over the last several months, I can confidently recommend the following as the best of the bunch for chocoholics on your Christmas list:
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