Buttery Cupcakes

Butter Lane cupcakes.

Butter Lane is not to be missed. I admit I had my doubts when I arrived at the cupcake shop around 7 p.m. and found out that the price for one of these sweet morsels was $3. I mean, Magnolia charges 3 bucks and - contrary to popular opinion - I don't think their red velvets are all that. But Butter Lane's long lines hinted at the potential of this cupcake hot spot.

Raspberry.

Unfortunately, the banana with cream cheese frosting and vanilla with French frosting were sold out (my 1st and 2nd choices, respectively), but I took my friend's suggestion and gave the peanut butter frosting over chocolate cake a try. I'm glad I did. It was buttery, not too sweet and whipped to perfection. The moist cake and fluffy frosting rival Sugar Sweet Sunshine in quality. A true cupcake lover's delight.

He had the chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting. It even came with a real raspberry on top!

Flowery.

Fin!

I don't feel it's fair to give this bakery a rating yet since I haven't had their other distinctive flavors. But I do like what I taste so far. All the more reason to come in the future...

Location:
Butter Lane
123 East 7th St
New York, NY 10009
212.677.2880
www.butterlane.com

Financier's Fancy Macarons

After my last trip to Madeleine Patisserie, I had to continue my macaron hunt. That chewy, buttery bite - how to recreate the experience?

Well, Wall Street's Financier Patisserie, with its smart green-and-white striped logo, seemed worth a look. Inside, my eye was lured in by displays showcasing all manner of French cakes, pastries and paninis. But my resolve was firm. As much as the robust brewed illy coffee teased my nostrils, I was going for the macaron!

But which one?



It was a toss-up between classic Chocolate and Caramel Banana ($2.25 each). I went for the latter, just because the name seemed more creative. Financier's macarons are not as small as Madeleine's, with a decidedly more hefty circumference. Not as buttery-rich, either. Sweet, healthy-tasting bananas infused every inch. Soft and not as chewy or dense as Madeleine's. Ironically, that's what I enjoyed about Madeleine macarons: the borderline cakey denseness. So these weren't my ideal texture, but the flavor was inviting.



A thin sliver of caramel in the middle. Chocolate powder on the exterior completed the look. Caramel Banana was a tad crusty/crumbly on the outside and a bit too sweet for my palate. At times, the banana seemed overwhelming. Overall, this macaron was fluffy, light and sweet. I'd try the Chocolate next time and run another comparison.

I eavesdropped on the coffee line and heard requests for these drinks: Chai Latte ("three shots"). Red Eye. Cafe au Lait.

Rating: I'd have to do a more thorough test-run of Financier's other offerings before giving out a rating. Peep their mouthwatering breakfast and lunch options.

Location:
Financier Patisserie
62 Stone St
New York, NY 10004
212.344-5600
www.financierpastries.com

My Sweet Madeleine

Macarons.

A trip to Madeleine Patisserie means sweet business. Macarons galore! But which ones to try? Clueless, my friends and I asked the counterperson for her picks - she recommended the "unique, different" flavors that Madeleine's is known for: Rose, Caramel Fleur de Sel, Passion Fruit. We each picked one, and I must say that my Passion Fruit burst with the fruit, coupled with the decadent, buttery filling. Perfect chew to it - slightly crunchy on the outside with a jam-like texture inside.

Gorgeous.

Not much talking while we scarfed these babies down. At $2.50 each, these macarons aren't exactly a frugal foodie's find, but they're memorable. And that's what matters.

Rating: 4 stars. Only because I have nothing to compare them too. I don't indulge in macarons often, though I'd be up for them again. I've got my eye on the Chocolate and Champagne...care to join?

Location:
Madeleine Patisserie
132 W. 32nd St
New York, NY 10011
212.243.2757
www.madeleinepatisserie.com

Mackin' on Macaroons

Photo by La tartine gourmande.

I want these. Anyone know where to find some quality macaroons in New York City?

Baked.

Clockwise, from left: Pumpkin Bread; Corn Bread; Ham, Cheese & Onion Bun.

Bakery de Paris is one of my favorite bakeries in Flushing. The pastries are always fresh and I have yet to be disappointed in a single offering. Best of all, inventive options abound, and it always seems like there's something new to try.

Pumpkin Bread.

Raisins and walnuts fleck this hearty, thick pumpkin bread. I bought it for my grandparents. They liked the Sweet Potato bread I got them from here before, but since the bakery was out of it this time around, I went for the seasonal pumpkin instead.

Ham, Cheese & Onion Bun.

At $2.25, this may seem like a hefty price to pay for a "meal" bun. However, the refined ingredients and crispy-on-the-outside, silky-smooth-on-the-inside texture make for the tastiest Ham, Cheese & Onion bun I've ever had. The ham was so high quality I was almost tricked into believing it was a slab of bacon! And the nutty, creamy gruyere cheese added the right amount of zing to the entire treat. It tastes like decadence (as decadent as you can be without delving into truffles territory). For all my gripes against onions, this is one instance in which I would gladly chomp on a mouthful.

Corn Bread.

I'm not sure why this is called corn bread, as it looks and tastes nothing like actual corn bread. However, the simple ingredients made my mom happy, as did the ooey gooey moistness of the bread, which had a crusty edge to it. I stole seconds!

Bakery De Paris
38-19B Union St
Flushing, NY 11354
718.460.0004

Wedded to Cupcakes

Sugar Sweet Sunshine.

Last time, some of my friends went to Sugar Sweet Sunshine without me. But I heard such tantalizing tales of the tiny morsels that I was hooked - cupcakes are definitely going back on my agenda.

Sexy Red Velvet Cupcake.

I chose the Sexy Red Velvet Cupcake, red velvet cake with "The Moose," as it's called here. Rather than cream cheese icing, Sugar Sweet Sunshine uses a rich, smooth vanilla buttercream. Right after I took a bite, I wanted seconds (the guy smushed my mousse a bit in the bag, but no biggie). Cake so soft without being sugar rush sweet. But it's the buttery whipped cream that deserves top honors. The mousse was the moistest I have ever tasted. Whipped to a fluffy, light texture. For just $1.75, you can get a half a dozen to sample.

Other delectable choices include: pumpkin (pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing), sunshine (yellow cake with vanilla buttercream), ooey gooey (chocolate cake with chocolate almond buttercream) and black and white (chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream). I am so coming back!

It's a ring thing.

Saturday, I went to my friends' wedding in the West Village. It was a beautiful ceremony, small but intimate. We all snapped the obligatory family pics and 'paparazzi' shots. I remembered to take one of the rings. Since it also happened to be Halloween, random people on the street kept asking us what we were dressed up as:

"I love your costume! It's so elegant. But - what are you supposed to be?"

"Uh....we just got married?"

Yerp. We would be the wedding party. Or more aptly described as The Mafia, what with our black dresses and vintage heels, waistcoats and fitted suits.

Vegan cupcakes.

We bypassed the Halloween parade (and the 100-strong police force in uniform) for some refreshments back at the newlyweds' apartment.

I don't know about you, but when I imagine vegan cupcakes, I didn't expect them to taste this, well...good. I was pleasantly surprised by this batch, made with coconut oil instead of butter. My favorite (and Calla's mom agrees) were the brownie cupcakes, which tasted rich and smacked of chocolate gobs. As I recall, these were some expensive cupcakes. But oh so tasty.

Let's toast!

Bomboloni

Photo by LUNCH.

The ladies at Lunch tore into a raspberry-filled bomboloni today.

My bemused reaction after reading it was culled from my former place of employment: Priceless.

(By the way, if you're wondering what a bomboloni is - I didn't know either - it's an Italian pastry resembling a fritter, with granulated sugar sprinkled on the outside. Jacques Torres over at Food Network has a mouth-watering recipe.)


Location:
Dean & Deluca
560 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
212.226.6800
www.deandeluca.com

Fulfilled.

Fuji Sunrise.

Pleasure Palate posted an excellent write-up on the new Beverly Hills opening of Fulfilled, a bakery that sells Imagawa-yaki, or Japanese pastries. A traditional "ima" has a pancake-like exterior and is filled with sweet Azuki red bean (Azuki is also perfect in pat bing soo, or Korean shaved ice with fruit). I've never tried one, but they certainly look delicious.

Best of all, they come in all kinds of flavors, both sweet and savory. In that way, they're similar to crepes. Some of the savory options include Green Ninja (spinach, feta cheese, sun dried tomato), Sumo Italiano (prosciutto di Parma, smoked ham, aged Parmesan, fresh basil) and Spicy Samurai (chicken apple sausage, pepper jack cheese, diced chili, fresh cilantro).

Are you drooling already? I know I am!

On the sweet side, there's the Fuji Sunrise (custard creme filling), Harajuku Monkey (banana and nutella) and Karaoke Kitty (strawberry, cream cheese Ghirardelli white chocolate). You'd probably enjoy the Fuji Sunrise if you like cream puffs a la Beard Papa's. Those are just a few of the Imagawa-yakis available. For the most diverse experience, I'd gather a bunch of friends and try them all!

Harajuku Girl - ergh, Monkey.

Location:
Fulfilled
9405 S. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.860.0776
www.fulfilledpastries.com

All photos by Pleasure Palate.

Puff'd up Perfection

This entry originally took place on April 7.

Craving cream puffs, we stopped by Marzullo Bakery for a dozen. There were actually three different types here, but unfortunately I don't know the names of them.




Cream puff 1: (Front, first from left.) These were the biggest. Whipped white inside with chocolate chips laced through the cream. Not too heavy. Not my usual idea of a cream puff, but a treat nonetheless.

Cream puff 2: (Back, second from left.) Also whipped white but with a slightly heavier, more cheese-like taste. It's not ricotta, but tastes pretty close to it.

Cream puff 3: (2nd row, first from right.) Whereas the first two were more Italian-style, Cream Puff 3 took after the French vanilla cream puff with its yellow, gooey, custard center.

Favorite: A tie between No. 2 and No. 3. I prefer the texture of No. 3 and the airy, cheese-like flavor of No. 2. All of them were delicious, though!

Marzullo's Pastry Shoppe & Cafe

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Could be more refined (ain't nothin' like Maria's), but worth a few bucks.


Location:
Marzullo Bakery
1586 Hillside Ave
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
516.352.2859

Day 3: North End -- GaGa for Gelato

Napoli Pastry Shop.

Come get your gelati! The glossy picture menu featuring 40-odd varieties of decadent desserts drew me into Napoli Pastry Shop.

Buds.

Rachel and I got our double scoops on.

Rachel had the green apple and mint straciatella (left). I ordered the cafe (coffee) and fruity forest. Fruity forest tasted like Stride forest fruit gum -- the one with the yellow wrapping that they hand out for free on Comm Av at B.U. But the flavor would be more aptly described as "funky forest," much like the Japanese film of the same title. I imagined Ryo Kase with a bowl cut dancing the robot and spazzing into interpretive dance on the beach while holding red streamers.

Yeah. So it was like that, in my mouth. Explosion in the mouth! Watch the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about. Actually, just watch the trailer. Sitting through all 150 minutes of it might give you permanent brain damage. My sister wonders why I subject myself to these types of "weird" films. "Funky Forest" is a comical commentary on the mind-numbing reality of everyday life.

Luckily, the rich, strong flavor of the cafe gelato helped to cancel out whatever residual funkiness I encountered in the forest. The creamy, full-bodied cafe conjured hot cups of kona coffee. I'm still trying to decide whether I liked funky forest. The texture was a cross between playdough and those Chinese strawberry sucker candies with a slight stickiness at the end.

A four-tiered wooden shelf in the pastry shop displayed Italian cookies, coffee and nutella for sale. To quench your thirst, you could take your pick of the Italian sodas and fruit juices in the back. Surprisingly, Napoli didn't offer hazelnut gelato this time around.

Look -- it's the Joe and Rachel Show!

I'm not even sure what they're holding, but their wide eyes hypnotize you into wanting to try it. Whatever "it" is...

We moved on to Chinatown. I was craving boba, so Missy suggested Dong Khanh, but they're closed until April for renovation. Bummer. Instead, we settled on Bao Bao Bakery down the block, where we found "Cute Cake" (a spongy cupcake with whipped cream snowmen on top, $1.95 each) and green tea and sesame thins ($3.25). I bought a lychee boba made with actual lychee fruit ($3.50).

Puffed up much?

Blowfish. The edible version.

This has been a very mind-numbing day. My taste buds are confuzzled.

After today, I realized that some of us were meant for stand-up comedy (Joe). Others should stick to our industry of choice. Joe had Rachel and I doubled over in a giggly spell. We commented on how Missy was "the only adult" of the four of us, which is sad but rather true.


Ratings:
Napoli Pastry Shop: 4 out of 5 stars. It might've been different had I tried one of the "safer" flavors, but then I wouldn't have a fun story to tell, would I?

Bao Bao Bakery: 4 out of 5 stars. No complaints on the boba. I would stick to the drinks. The pastries might be more questionable.


Locations:
Napoli Pastry Shop
120 Salem St
Boston, MA 02113
617.742.0809

Dong Khanh
81 Harrison Ave
Boston, MA 02111
617.426.9410

Bao Bao Bakery
77 Harrison Ave
Boston, MA 02111
617.988.8191

Korean Food, Sarangheyo!!!

Among my friends, it's widely known that I have a hearty appetite when it comes to Korean food. Kalbi, bulgolgi, bibimbap, sundubu chigae, duk bok gi, haemul pajun, kimchi bokum bap, pat bing soo, kochujang...I love it all!

On my last visit to the Korean grocery store H mart, I thought I'd try a Cream Biscuit. The pastry and dessert section seems to have more variety on Saturdays. A flood of customers brushed elbows with me trying to get their packets of curry, marinated meat and nori. Maybe they sensed the snow blizzard was coming and decided to stock up on supplies while they could. (Snow later blanketed the town 13" deep. I shoveled for one hour, but that's another story.)

Cream Biscuit ingredients: All Trumps (Gold Medal flour), Yeast, Sugar, Butter, Biscuit, Eggs, Custard Cream. I'm not sure why, but I somehow expected the biscuit to taste more like a cream puff. Boy was I wrong -- one bite of the custard cream and I thought I was eating don tat, Chinese egg custard. Good stuff nonetheless. The biscuit was soft and fluffy, and the custard was light, non-oily, with a touch of sweetness.



Flushing, that bustling hearth of Chinese and Korean tasties, is also the purveyor of Koryodang Bakery. You can often find older Korean ahjushiis and ahjumas mixed in with groups of high school students hanging out at Koryodang, all of them chowing down on pastries and coffee or tea. Across the street from Koryodang is its competition, Bakery de Paris, a Korean-owned bakery with a French touch. You've got to try their sweet potato bread, raisin twists and butter cream buns. My grandfather will have seconds of the sweet potato bread, even though he's a diabetic. While Bakery de Paris may be a bit pricier than other bakeries, the quality is well worth it.

One bite of the Cream Biscuit and I'm in egg custard heaven.

Bite-sized morsel of kim bap.

Kim bap is one of my favorite finger-food appetizers. Similar to Japanese tori maki, kim bap is made with sticky rice, crab, nori (seaweed), carrot, daikon (pickled radish), spinach, eggs, rice and sesame seeds.

Don't shrimp on freshness.

The shrimp isn't Korean per se, but it was purchased from H mart. Just pan-fry for a few minutes on both sides, then dip in your preferred cocktail sauce. The outside is crispy and salty, the inside moist and flavorful. The most important thing about picking shrimp is to make sure it's fresh. That's what defines so-so shrimp from spectacular shrimp!

Day 5: Round Round Get Around

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a popular coffee chain on the west coast, similar to Starbucks in New York. I had to see what all the brouhaha is about, so I ordered a small blended mocha drink, which is the equivalent of a Starbucks mocha frappuccino. My mocha was heavy on the sugar and milk and tasted more like a chocolate milkshake than actual coffee. I'm a strong coffee drinker, so I'd choose Starbucks over the Coffee Bean any day, but Boston's Espresso Royale trumps them all.



Lunchtime: Pho Hut, in Glendale.



Social networking with two writers who have an acute sense of humor. Pho Hut is a hole-in-the-wall joint (literally). V and N come here so often that the waiters know their orders right away, down to the free coke refill. N likes to order the meaty pho bowl with extra noodles. Pass that hot sauce!



Porto's is a family-owned Cuban bakery that has served the Glendale community for 30-odd years. The bakery is known for its cheese rolls. I had them for the first time and was astounded that something so small and unassuming could pack such a punch.

A close-up of the cheese rolls. See those sugar crystals?