Dessert Ideas Blog

27Jan
0

Things You Can Dunk In Chocolate

Recently I made a trip to Max Brenner’s in New York City. It’s a really crowded place right below Union Square that smells exactly like the chocolate river in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory must have. You walk in and you are almost knocked off your feet by the smell of glorious, untouched, amazing chocolate.

If you’ve never been here, I ask, WHY NOT!? It’s an amazing centralized holy ground for chocoholics in the tri-state area. If you can dream it, the chocolate man can do it. Max Brenner is so proud of his chocolate he actually puts a drawing of himself on the napkins. You’d have to be really confident and really love your product to have it wiped on you from other people’s faces. But he is rightly proud. This is some of the best chocolate I’ve ever had.

Just typing this makes me want to go there and see the chocolate flowing through the pipes (yes, I said pipes) from one end of the store to the other and order the most amazing fondue.

They bring it to you in huge vats of either milk, white, or dark (or all three if you’re feeling up to it!) with a plethora of things to dunk in it, shove in your mouth, and wipe on those Max Brenner napkins.

Posted by kristing in chocolate and tagged with , , , ,
25Jan
0

Anti-Valentine’s Candy & Bittersweet Junk You Can Eat Or Gift

Okay, so Valentine’s Day is on its way. While there are plenty of people out there that love the holiday and relish in romance, love, and kissy-kissy-ness there are also plenty of people out there that would rather rage against the commercialism and artificial sweetness of it.

There is plenty of candy out there that feels just as neglected as you, and is probably just as sour. Sometimes what you need is a good old moment to soak in your feelings. Let that misery subside and enjoy some junk food. It’ll make you feel better than that box of chocolates he sent before the tacky break-up text message.

You know what’s just as good as the hearts that say “I love you?” The hearts that say, “Call a 900#.” Yep, they exist. They’re called Bittersweets. Pretty much any aggression you need to let out can now be said with a tart candy heart.  They’re an easy way to express how disappointed you are without having to waste air.

Another fun way to celebrate anti-Valentine’s is to give your ex some trick candy. It’s an opportunity to seek revenge for breaking your heart. try candy that changes the color of their tongue or has a sour flavor. It’s harmless fun (for you, anyway). Who could blame you?

Enjoy this anti-Vaentine’s Day!

Posted by MattC in candy, chocolate, Creative Ideas, Holidays and tagged with , ,
19Jan
0

Valentine’s Day Candy

There is an art to choosing the write Valentine’s Day candy,  whether you are getting it for yourself or someone else.  If you are doing the former, obviously, you need to treat yourself to the candy that you like best, but if you are doing the latter, you need to first assess the recipient’s personal preferences. candy

For example, I recently discovered that some people find boxes of assorted chocolates to a stressful, aggravating gift; they apparently do not appreciate the element of surprise associated with these samplers and they find studying the accompanying chocolate chart to be a tedious activity.

So, your purchase needs to complement the recipient’s personality traits. If he normally does not like surprises, he is probably not going to enjoy a chocolate sampler.  Instead, such a person will appreciate receiving his favorite candy. Giving him this item shows that you pay attention to what he likes and means that he will actually enjoy the sweet treat that you get him for Valentine’s Day.

Frequently, choosing a simple, beloved candy to give as a Valentine’s Day gift will generally be an appreciated delight on Valentine’s Day. However, for a more adventurous individual, giving a sampler box of chocolate will offer its own special pleasure.

Posted by tarae in candy, chocolate and tagged with ,
19Jan
0

A Stormtrooper for Dessert

dessert

Stormtrooper Cake Copyright of Oakleaf Cakes

I often watch shows like Amazing Wedding Cakes and Food Network’s Challenge where bakers are put to the test to create ridiculous cakes. But they have all been put to shame by Oakleaf Cakes in Massachusetts who created a 6-foot Stormtrooper cake. As you can see from the picture, it’s pretty intense. The cake consisted of 300 pounds of frosting, cake, and Rice Krispy slabs. I guess one could say Oakleaf Cakes really took the cake! *insert knee slap here*

The cake was created for over 600 sci-fi geeks at the Arisa Sci-Fi Convention in Boston. It took nine people, two weeks of planning and execution, and a little bit of engineering skills to complete the epicness that is this dessert. Every time I see these incredible cakes I always wonder if anyone dares to eat it. It’s just too beautiful and too awesome to cut into. Rest assured that not a piece of cake was wasted. I cannot speak for the other intense desserts though.

Want the recipe? Good luck. It’s a bit past my skills. To create incredible cakes you need a little architecture and engineering knowledge so the cakes do not collapse in on themselves. I recommend an internship with the Cake Boss.

Posted by KristenM in Cakes, Dessert News and tagged with , ,
12Jan
0

Cupcakes and…Beer?

A friend of mine recently sent out the ole general facebook message/birthday party invitation which seems to be the new way to do things. (Call me old fashioned but I still enjoy looking at the Garfield party invites in stores.) It said that the party would be held at this “new and cool place” called Sweet Revenge. This is a place that focuses on cupcakes and alcohol. Sure they have a brunch menu and so on but really, the reason to go is for the menu entirely comprised of beer and cupcake pairings.

No, I’m not kidding. It’s like an adult Willy Wonka Factory. They also have a menu section that pairs wine with their signature and artisan cupcakes. You know, for the more discerning palate. Me? Give me a great Mayan chocolate cupcake and bottle of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout and I’m a happy camper. This whole idea, this whole dessert and alcohol idea should be taking off far more than it is, to be honest. I mean who doesn’t love a good brew and a bunch of frosting? But it seems that if you want the best of these few and far between dessert bars and bars, you need to head to Sweet Revenge.

Posted by kristing in chocolate, Cocktails, Cupcakes and tagged with , , , ,
06Jan
0

Who Doesn’t Love Crumbs Cupcakes?

As of late there seems to be some obsession with cupcakes. I’ve been watching the Food Network for years and there has never been many shows about desserts to begin with. Now, there are nearly a dozen shows focusing on the fatty treats, and most of them are about cupcakes. Even Top Chef did a season about desserts and cupcakes always seemed a great way to go. I guess it’s understandable since they taste just as good as cakes with 1/3 the effort.

If you’re on the hunt for some good cupcakes, that will probably take you 2-3 days to finish, hit up a Crumbs. Although it’s a chain, you can’t argue the taste factor. They make a damn good cupcake. Along with seasonal treats, you have your standards like Apple Cobbler, Cookies and Cream, Grasshopper (my personal favorite), and S’Mores. Could you probably find some little mom n’ pop shop in the middle of nowhere making better cupcakes? Of course. But you won’t be disappointed by this establishment. And while $4 might seem pricey for a cupcake, they’re nearly 3x normal cupcake size. Trust me. You’re not getting ripped off.

When you’re craving a cupcake the size of a baby’s head, hit up Crumbs, but beware of immediate diabetes induction.

Posted by KristenM in Cupcakes and tagged with , , , ,
05Jan
0

Viniero’s Bakery

I have always loved history and dessert foods, so it makes sense that my all-time favorite bakery has existed since 1894 and has the widest variety of tasty desserts of any bakery I visited (and I make it a point to visit many). bakery

Viniero’s is located at 342 East 11th Street and 1st Avenue and has existed within the same building since it was established by Antionio Veniero. The bakery maintains many of its original features, including hand-stamped metal ceilings, specially designed etched glass doors, highly polished wood mirrors. The lavish marble floors have only been restored once in the past 117 years.

As you enter Viniero’s, your eyes are immediately drawn to the huge display case that contains every Italian confectionary of which can conceive, and then some. If you are getting an order to go, you grab a number from the dispenser and wait on the line. No matter what hour of day or night, I have never seen a line that did not reach the door (do not let this intimidate you; the line moves quickly and the pastries are well worth any wait).

If you walk past the display case, you come to the cafe area where you may sit and peruse the dessert menu, which is several pages long. Regardless of the actual sweetness of your sweet tooth, you will be able to find something positively scrumptious to eat (and drink!) at Viniero’s Bakery.

Posted by tarae in Cakes, chocolate, Cocktails, Cold Desserts, cookies, Healthy Desserts, Italian, Recipes and tagged with , , ,
23Dec
1

More Eggnog Ideas!

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of the booze in your holiday eggnog. This holiday cocktail is high on the list of things to get at the last minute before guests arrive on Christmas day.

But there are other ways to enjoy this festive treat. One of my favorite dessertettes BraveTart has put something extra special on her dessert menu for the holiday weekend. It’s an eggnog ice cream! Stella also weighed in on the alcohol debate yesterday and said her alcohol of choice was frangelico and bourbon. I completely concur (though my local liquor store does not sell frangelico. Again…what!?)

But ice cream isn’t the only delicious way to get your nogg-y dessert on. Try some eggnog panna cotta or, my personal favorite for the season, eggnog flavored marshmallows! You can have your hot chocolate and your eggnog at the same time!

And who says you can’t put some of that bourbon in your hot chocolate? This is the only time of the year you get to liquor into dairy without getting weird looks so go ahead and do it! Starting in February you’ll have to revert back to hot toddys.

Enjoy your holidays and remember to drink responsibly (and deliciously!)

Posted by kristing in Cocktails, Cold Desserts, Holidays and tagged with , ,
22Dec
0

The Great Eggnog Debate

I casually asked my office mates what they put in their eggnog and got some very interesting responses. A few said they didn’t even like eggnog. (…what!?) But those that did have an opinion had a very vehement opinion.

“RUM! Rum is the only choice!” Others said brandy, and a quick search of Wikipedia came up with whiskey, Kahlua, vodka, and bourbon as all viable options for your holiday alcoholic eggnog. So what is correct? What is the traditional way to present eggnog after dessert at your yuletide gatherings?

Let’s take it from the master Alton Brown. He has never led me astray before in any culinary undertaking and I’m sure he won’t disappoint now. On his television show “Good Eats” he did an entire episode devoted specifically to eggnog. These episodes were jam packed with the history of the drink and (most importantly) how to make the world’s most delicious homemade eggnog.

In the episode he also tackles the age old argument that sparked debate in my office today. His historical sleuthing proved that bourbon was in fact the traditional alcohol of choice for the very first eggnoggers.

So, despite my boss’ assertions that absinthe eggnog would be tasty (kids, don’t try this at home) I think I will be picking up some bourbon and some good ole fashioned nog of egg on my way home tonight.

Tis the season, right?

Posted by kristing in Cocktails, Holidays and tagged with , , ,
21Dec
0

Nostalgic Holiday Goodies

Is there one dessert that really just makes it the holidays for you? You can’t decorate the tree without a mug of eggnog? Maybe butter cookies are a must for your Hanukkah celebrations. For me, these desserts are maybe the most important part of the holidays. I never really had anything food related to look forward to during the holidays until I was introduced to some very old school recipes.

Last year was the first year I made a real fruitcake. Not the kind with the gummies in it but with real fruit. It was loved and basted with brandy for months before it was consumed in about 2.4 seconds.

A few years ago, my boyfriend received a package from his mother before the holidays. He didn’t even look at the brightly wrapped gifts, he went straight for a little lump of tinfoil buried deep in the box. This was date nut bread. His mother’s date nut bread. It was the most important holiday tradition for him. He ate one while we decorated the tree and the other while we opened presents Christmas morning. His mother still sends these every year.

These tasty little desserts might not be the sleek, cool, and modern confections of the restaurants today, but to me they’re more important. They’re rustic, nostalgic, retro even, but incredibly meaningful and (regardless of the name or their visual appearance) are incredibly tasty!

Posted by kristing in Dessert Ideas, Holidays and tagged with ,
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