5821 Phinney Ave NWhile it’s hard to make a bad pie, it’s not everyday you encounter one as unique as A La Mode‘s Blue Hawaiian. With blueberries, coconut, pineapple and sweet crumble; it’s quite awesome.
The small shop, right near the Zoo, is friendly and also serves lollipop pies and a variety of other flavors that I can’t wait to try.
6855 35th Ave NEUbiquitous and delicious, Top Pot Doughnuts are an iconic Seattle treat. We visited the Wedgwood location with its huge donut sculpture and comfy library dining area (there’s also nice outdoor seating under the shade of a surprising palm tree).
Cute decor is great, but a sweet donut and good latte makes this place a must visit. I indulged in a raspberry glaze and stole bites from a giant apple fritter.
Lucky for us, but maybe not our health, Top Pot is available even closer at the local grocery store and there are several cafes scattered across the city.
from Confessions of a Recipe JunkieHigh off my success at baking sugar cookies, I decided to get more inventive and found a delicious sounding Strawberry Marshmallow recipe that was very intriguing.
As I may have mentioned elsewhere, baking is not my speciality and the usual round of mishaps followed: I only had dark brown sugar instead of light, an extra trip to the store was required to get parchment paper, and when my egg broken open out plopped two yolks (which, I’d like to point out was entirely beyond my control).
Still, an interesting batch of cookies were made. They are cake-ier than I imagined and the marshmallows are sort of lost in the process. Once I got past my expectations, though, these were quite tasty – almost like a strawberry shortcake in cookie form.
PS: You, whoever you are, are presumably a better baker so yours will likely be even better.
from AllrecipesI’m not much of a baker, in fact my initial plan was to use that roll of frozen stuff, but even I could whip out tasty Sugar Cookies with this easy recipe. Of course, the best part is decorating – and Van helped this year.
674 Manhattan AveI’ve mentioned the creamy, slushy summertime delights of Uncle Louie G’s before but am happy to say they’ve made Greenpoint their newest home.
Unexpectedly YummyLittle kids’ ice cream cake isn’t the most high brow pregnancy craving request, but Jim found that Baskin Robbins classes things up a bit when he surprised me with their mini cake.
Vanilla on vanilla ice cream and cake inside is coated in a thin, pleasant shell of white chocolate.
Sno Cones and CandyIt’s worth walking twenty minutes in the stagnant heat, dripping in sweat to get a Handsome Dan’s home made sno-cone just to cool yourself off from said walk.
The place has excited me ever since I saw the sign which included the flavor “Earl Grey Cream”, an ice cream delight introduced to me by Van Leeuwen a few years back. It’s delicious and lighter than regular ice cream.
The space, which I believe was once a boutique beer spot, is a gleaming white mecca for classic candy lovers and I’ll admit, I had no self restraint. I saw jawbreakers and that was it – I was cramming stuff into a mason jar before I even read that it cost, like twelve dollars.
It’s pricey, but jawbreakers and runts are hard to come by and honestly, at this exact moment in my life, where I am denied so, so many things – booze, eggs sunny side up and salami to just name a few, where I’m so sore that even turning in my bed aches, but if I don’t the leg on the bottom will start to hurt – at this point in my life, if I want to shove as much candy as I want into a twelve dollar jar and then my face, then I am going to do that.
Handsome Dan is super nice too, so I’m happy to help him stay in business.
We missed Smorgasburg this week, but the McGolrick Park Farmer’s Market began this morning and I am bringing you some of the best bites. Let’s begin with pie – pie, pie, delicious pie.
The Pie Lady and Son offers several fresh baked varieties and in different sizes – a five incher works perfectly for two very hungry or four regular people.
While chocolate fudge pie sounded intriguing, the summer weather begged for cherry. It is sweet, a touch tart, and the walnut crumble is an excellent companion to vanilla ice cream. So yummy, such summery perfection.
And honestly, the proprietor, who really makes pie with his mother out of Nyack, is such a sweetheart, you’s be inclined to buy anything from him – lucky for us it’s fabulous pie.
31 Greenpoint AveOvenly has been selling their baked goods around town at various locations for some time now but only just opened their own brick and mortar.
I was thrilled to find it open early (at 7) making it a viable option for getting a yummy breakfast treat when Van awakes.
The variety of breads, muffins and scones – some right out of the oven – is impressive and features inteeguing flavors like mustard cheddar (scones), jelly donut (muffins) and espresso cookies.
We tried to two former as well as a chocolate banana muffin and loved them all.
It’s a simple, airy space slightly off the beaten path with only one fault – no iced coffees to wash it all down.
So happy they’ve opened and plan on making then part of a new morning ritual.
Yummy Ice Cream
There is almost an overwhelming amount of fancy, artisinal ice creams out there but Soco is worth a mention.
From a Massachusettes family owned “micro-creamery” which has a brick and mortar shop in the Berkshires.
You can find it locally at Whole Foods and other places where you usually find this kind of stuff as well as Fresh Direct.
We’ve tried the Espresso Cookie but am on the look out for Earl Grey – a flavor I fell in love with at Van Leeuwin.
at SmorgasburgJim and I aren’t the only ones that look forward to our Smorgasburg Saturdays.
When I ask Van if he’s ready to eat a pop tart by the water his eyes light up and he shakes his head yes vigorously.
The pop tarts in question are not those grocery store guilty pleasures though. No, Van loves the homemade ones from Anarchy in a Jar.
They have mixed berry, blueberry and strawberry and all are delicious. I know because I usually manage to get a bite in before he’s wolfed them down.
Creamy lattes and sweet macaroons the size of sand dollars; there’s much to love about the popular Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery.
The environment is all about civility and the baked goods taste fresh and delicious so you don’t even mind walking out thirteen dollars poorer.
We tried the vanilla and passion fruit macaroons- both recommended.
314 Bedford AvenueFresh hot donuts made right in front of your eyes? Welcome to happy morning deliciousness.
These fluffy, sugar dusted treats from Dumont Burger are worth the trip even if you’re not nearby, just be sure to get there before 11am.
At $3 for four and $6 for nine, they’re also a steal for a breakfast so fresh and tasty.
There are several sugar flavor options. We tried lemon which was lovely and subtle.
112 8th AveHomemade Sno Ball? Yes please!
Empire, formerly called Lulu Cakes offers these sweet bombs that are miles away from the strange though familiar childhood pucks.
I was happy to find the cake to be moist and thick and the inner frosting to be sweet and thick (you can share these if your sweet tooth his not up to par).
The Chelsea bakery also makes yelpers go wild with their snack cakes – which are like homemade Twinkies.
From SweetheartIs it just me, or do Conversation Hearts taste better? Once uniformly mute and chalky, now they have distinct and punchy flavors. I am happy with the change even though I was fine with them before too.
The wording, though seems stranger than I remember:
“Reach for It”? “1 on 1″? “Race Me”?
What happened to I Love You and Hug Me?
Oh, and forget all my praise if you have a total reasonable aversion to artificial flavoring.
Happy Valentines Evening!
228 Bleecker StIf you know me, you know I love birthday cake. And as it’s my birthday week, Jim brought home a birthday cake cupcake from Molly’s Cupcakes.
I know the city’s over run with cupcakes, but Molly’s French buttercream – that balances sugary and buttery to perfection and amazingly moist cake is note worthy.
It’s a welcome change to the oft copied Magnolia staple of overly sugary frosting or any cupcake you shell out four bucks for only to find a stale cake under the frosting.
I dare say, this Cake Batter cupcake could be the best cupcake in Manhattan. It takes what is so good about boxed cakes – the moistness, the familiar buttery taste but elevates it with the freshness that only comes with goodies made from scratch.
Jim had a pumpkin spice that was equally moist and yummy, just not as suited to my taste.
Interestingly, Molly is not the chef, but the chef’s beloved third grade teacher. A portion of all their profits go to local schools and if it means anything to you, they won a Cupcake War too.
from AllrecipesA combination of seeing a Good Eats about frosting and cake and it being my birthday soon had me pining for birthday cake.
And what I really wanted was this marshmallowy fluffy frosting in a box I remembered from my childhood. “But wait,” I thought, I’m an adult. Instead of moping over my craving I can just make it!
I opted for a box of white vanilla cake that I had in the cabinet (I love box cake and white is so much better than yellow) and found this simple recipe for Fluffy White Frosting.
I was in a self-made heaven. And like an adult I only made half a batch (no one decent can have a dozen cupcakes in their home without a party planned.) This is great frosting and my new go-to anytime frosting is needed. And I didn’t even need a box.