Chocolate Cake at The Chocolate Room

Please excuse my photo quality. Photo quality isn't relevant to the delicious morsel I'm going to blog about here, anyway. It is so exceptional that I would leave my Manhattan home, following my severe chocoholism, to venture into the largely unfamiliar territory that is Brooklyn. The Chocolate Cake at The Chocolate Room in Park Slope is three layers of moist, dark chocolate cake that is smooth in texture and consistently satisfying. It is not overly dense, nor is it too light. It's that tender happy medium that is sometimes hard to find in a cake this rich. The frosting is creamy and ganache-esque, which takes the dessert over the top. The best part about the frosting is that it is layered into the cake as well. The more the merrier.

The Chocolate Room. 86 5th Avenue, New York, NY 11217.

http://www.thechocolateroombrooklyn.com/

Zen Butter Ice Cream at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

I'm one of what appears to be a rare breed of people (over the age of 12) who find themselves able to eat ice cream all year round. Through sub-freezing temperatures and snow storms, ice cream still sounds like a fine idea. The other night I stopped at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and shivered through a scoop of Zen Butter with toasted sesame seeds. The smooth buttery flavor must have kept me warm. 

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. 65 Bayard Street, New York, NY 10013.

http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/

Free Cake at Jacques Torres

Mr. Chocolate is giving away free slices of cake at his Hudson Street location today in honor of their 10 year anniversary. Since it's Jacques Torres, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the flavor of cake will be chocolate. 

Jacques Torres. Hudson Street at King Street, NYC.

http://www.mrchocolate.com/hudson.php

Hot Chocolate Car Bomb at The Redhead

The Redhead has an unexpectedly interesting cocktail list and menu, and the hot cocktail options made me smile (through chattering teeth) on a freezing December night. Their Hot Chocolate Car Bomb took the edge off the cold night upon first sip, living up to its description on the menu; "the ultimate winter warmer". Guiness and Jameson were both swirled into hot chocolate and the finished product was topped with a little whipped cream and Bailey's marshmallows. I'm already looking forward to going back for more.

The Redhead. 349 E. 13th Street, New York, NY. 

http://www.theredheadnyc.com/

Bissau Cookie at Rubyzaar Baked

The Bissau Cookie by Rubyzaar Baked incorporates roasted peanut butter, sun-dried bananas and dark chocolate chunks. Rubyzaar claims that this specific cookie is a "taste of West Africa" but I can't speak to that. I can say, however, that my personal dream of peanut butter, banana and chocolate baked into a cookie materialized in front of my eyes at a Rubyzaar Baked stand. Unfortunately, none of the flavors really sang and they sort of disappeared into each other and a ton of butter, the greasy feel of which really filled my mouth in a regrettable manner. The texture was also sort of dull.

Rubyzaar seems to offer their cookies during the holiday season only, so note that your time to ingest this cookie has a limit. I got mine at the 16th Annual Union Square Holiday Market.

http://shop.rubyzaar.com/

Kissable Cupcakes at Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Mint and chocolate is a tried and true combination. But in a cupcake?

The Kissable Cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine is a chocolate peppermint cupcake with cream cheese frosting, topped with red and green sprinkles to commemorate the upcoming holiday season. It had an alluring minty, chocolately fragrance. The cake was the perfect consistency and the peppermint shone through despite a truly chocolate flavor.  Like the Spicy Pumpkin Cupcake, the frosting to cake ratio was done right. It was incredibly delicious. And the best part was that, after I had inhaled the whole dessert, the refreshing minty finish left me fully prepared to pucker up!

Sugar Sweet Sunshine. 126 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002.

http://www.sugarsweetsunshine.com/

Cranberry Doughnuts at Doughnut Plant

By now you can tell that I like to frequent Doughnut Plant in the LES for their artisanal doughnut creations. With the holidays coming up, they are now churning out Cranberry Doughnuts. I tried the cranberry cake doughnut and found it to be a bit heavier than the usual cake doughnuts. There were tangy bits of fresh cranberries in the dough as well as in the icing. However, this was really just a glazed cake doughnut with the incorporation of cranberry chunks into the cake and icing. But I have to give it points for the lovely rosy color. 

Doughnut Plant. 279 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002.

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Spicy Pumpkin Cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Despite the fact that the passing of the Thanksgiving holiday marks the end of pumpkin season for me, I still love the stuff so I had to test out the Spicy Pumpkin Cupcake that caught my eye in the display case in the LES bakery Sugar Sweet Sunshine. The spiced pumpkin cake had hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and it was extremely moist and not too dense. The cream cheese frosting was not overwhelmingly heavy and the ratio of frosting to cake was acceptable, whereas many NYC cupcakes are infamously smothered in excessive amounts of frosting (more is not always better). All in all, it was a pretty good cupcake and a fine end to my pumpkin season. 

Sugar Sweet Sunshine. 126 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002.

http://www.sugarsweetsunshine.com/

Buy 1, Get 1 Free Holiday Drinks at Starbucks

This weekend (November 18-21, 2pm-5pm) Starbucks is offering a Buy One Get One special on their Holiday drinks, including:

Caramel Brulée Latte

Peppermint Mocha

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Gingerbread Latte

Eggnog Latte

Caramel Brulée Frappucino 

Peppermint Mocha Frappucino 

'Tis the season for sweet coffee drinks. The following link contains the details of the deal as well as a "Find a Store" locator link for you. 

http://www.starbucks.com/share#/redcups

Ichabod's Courage at Flatiron Lounge

Ichabod's Courage tastes like a liquefied pumpkin pie spiked with rye whiskey. A lot of rye whiskey, but I always appreciate a mixology den with a heavy pour. This concoction, a mixture of pumpkin, ginger, bitters, rye whiskey and egg whites has a frothiness about it that could almost be reminiscent of whipped cream topping a slice of pumpkin pie. There was also a dusting of cinnamon atop the froth. It will definitely warm you up.

Flatiron Lounge. 37 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011.

http://www.flatironlounge.com/index_main.html

Stuffed Artisan Cannolis

I love cannolis. Not the kind carelessly fried with whipped cream inside, but the kind made with love and real ricotta filling. Maybe it's because half of my mother's family descended of Southern Italy or maybe it's just because they taste good, but I can't walk through Little Italy without lusting after a cannoli.

I heard about Stuffed Artisan Cannolis and thought that the multitude of flavors sounded fun. I tried the Pistachio, Peanut Butter and Birthday Cake varieties. They were indeed novel and I appreciated that, but unfortunately I am unable to say that I loved any of them. The Pistachio wasn't very pistachio-y and the Peanut Butter failed to impress as well. The Birthday Cake was probably my favorite of the three and it came with cute little sprinkles peppered over the filling. 

But they were adorable and attractive, and that counts for something. Side note: their online flavor list includes tantalizing options like Limoncello, Lemongrass, Curry Chocolate and Thai Iced Tea. I did not try them therefore I am unable to vouch for them, but they sure sound innovative. They also have an Eggnog and a Pannetone for the upcoming Holidays. 'Tis the Season!

Stuffed Artisan Cannolis. 176 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002.

http://www.stuffedcannoli.com/

Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts at Doughnut Plant

Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts at Doughnut Plant are also delicious. The cake Apple Cinnamon doughnut had a really nice subtle apple flavor with bits of apples baked into the dough. The glaze also contained bits of two kinds of apples.

Doughnut Plant. 279 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Beignets at Resto

Having dined on a somewhat extensive selection of Resto's Belgian fare, I hardly had room for dessert. But the perfection coaxed from all things fried throughout our dinner courses rendered me unable to deny the beignets that I saw listed on the dessert menu. 

When the beignets arrived, I was not disappointed. They came lightly fried in a charming little paper bag, dusted with sugar as opposed to confectioner's sugar. Presentation aside, they were hot and airy inside with a toothsome crust. The sugar dusting added a little sweetness. The dipping sauces were, clockwise from the left, a berry compote (blueberry), a caramel sauce and a chocolate sauce. Surprisingly the blueberry compote might have been my least favorite. The creamy caramel sauce and the rich chocolate sauce were all but finished when I was done with the beignets.

If you aren't sure about Belgian food, though you need not have any worries because Resto delivers, there is a bar where you can sit and enjoy a drink with an order of these delicious beignets. Try the seasonal Apple & Cinnamon made with Hudson Valley Apple Vodka and cinnamon infused simple syrup.

Resto. 111 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016

http://www.restonyc.com/

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts at Doughnut Plant

I am the kind of girl who spends every Autumn in a frenzied attempt to consume all that is seasonal. I'm a sucker for almost every kind of pumpkin or apple flavored treat I can get my hands on and, luckily for me, they are very easy to find this year in NYC. Just imagine my delight upon seeing that a beloved doughnut purveyor had incorporated a flavor that was ever so Fall.

As with most Doughnut Plant creations, you can choose between the denser cake doughnut or the airier yeast doughnut. I generally tend to prefer the cake doughnut varieties but I could not resist how big and fluffy and, frankly, attractive the Spiced Pumpkin yeast doughnut looked sitting there on display in front of me. 

The lighter and chewier yeast doughnut maintained a nice pumpkin flavor that was complimented by the spiced glaze (I love cinnamon). A sprinkling of crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds gave it a little texture. I left happily swimming in Fall feel-good sentiments about my favorite season of the year.

Doughnut Plant. 279 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Gelato at Eataly

Brave waiting in the line for the gelato at Eataly because it is nearly perfect. I tried the nocciola (hazelnut) and the pistachio and found that the flavors were spot on and the texture was just right. It was the best gelato I have tasted since I was in Italy in early 2008. 

The only issue to note is that they only make a certain amount of each flavor daily and the crowds ensure that the most desirable flavors are often gone by the afternoon.

Eataly, 200 Fifth ave New York, NY 10010

Toasted Marshmallow Shake

At Stand, they make their shakes out of gelato instead of ice cream. This substitution gives the shakes a uniquely creamy and rich texture, making them more satisfying than your average milk shake. 

Stand acquires their gelato from Il Laboratorio del Gelato, an acclaimed gelato maker in the Lower East Side, which is probably a better choice than any misguided attempt to make a house variety. As a side note: despite certain press, their burgers are over-seasoned and regrettably textured in a very unpleasing manner. 

The Toasted Marshmallow Gelato Shake, however, was incredibly delightful. It was rich and smooth and dizzyingly sweet, though somehow not overpoweringly so. A generous swirl of whipped cream on top adds little to the dessert/beverage, but the toasted marshmallow sitting atop the whipped cream is a cute and novel topping that made me a little nostalgic for my childhood days when I would toast marshmallows with my siblings over a campfire in the summer.

Stand4, 24 East 12th Street, NY, NY 10003

Ben & Jerry's NYC Summer 2010 Truck Tour

I serendipitously found the summer 2010 Ben & Jerry's truck after brunch when I went shopping. I was pleasantly surprised to find a full-sized tractor trailer truck as opposed to a dinkier traditional-sized ice cream truck. Despite being full from brunch, I still managed to swallow a single serving cup of their new Berry Voluntary ice cream. Berry Voluntary is Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with White Chocolate Chunks & Raspberry Swirls. It was summery and fresh, but far from light. The cheesecake ice cream was very rich and the white chocolate just made it richer. Still, it was an imaginative flavor that I was happy to try.

Last Sunday, I found the truck on 58th Street and 5th Avenue.

Locanda Verde's (Perfect?) Brunch

I've done it before, but I can't imagine ever getting enough of Locanda Verde's brunch menu so long as they keep Andrew Carmellini and Karen DeMasco. Especially since there are so many stellar options for sweet tooths like myself!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with blueberries and meyer lemon curd. The pancakes were fluffy and light. The lemon curd, made from the sweeter meyer lemons, was such a remarkable topping that I almost forsook the syrup.

Toothsome Blueberry Doughnut - the cake doughnut kissed with just the right amount of fruity blueberry glaze and a slight crunch to the outer layer was as close to a perfect doughnut as I have ever tasted. It was somehow light but still a bit chewy. The glaze added depth and the doughnut was not too sweet. Seasonal and inspired, I'm already craving another one.

 The Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut was good. There was an excess of sugar; it seemed the doughnut was too heavily rolled in the stuff. But the texture was right; it was still a little crunchy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside. Unfortunately, the mounds of sugar (and probably cinnamon, though I mostly just tasted granulated sugar) overpowered how good the dough seemed to be.

Was I ashamed to have brunched my way through a Sheep's Milk Ricotta and burnt orange toast, an entire order of Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with blueberries only to follow it up with multiple doughnuts? Not really.

377 Greenwich St., NY (212) 925-3797

Fraise Sauvage at Employees Only

The Fraise Sauvage was Plymouth Gin shaken with wild strawberries and Tahitian Vanilla topped with Zardetto Prosecco di Congeliano Brut. The perfect kind of sweet that goes down just right.

Employees Only

510 Hudson St. (212) 242-3021

little cupcake lover

A random cupcake cart on Broadway in Soho. Predictably, the cupcakes were nothing special. I got a strawberry mini. The cake was a little dry, almost stale. The frosting was extremely strawberry-eqsue. The only endorsement I can give these cupcakes is that they were of a ridiculously adorable size.

Jacques Torres 2

Today I received a box of Jacques Torres chocolates in the mail from my wonderful boyfriend. I have Golden Espresso, Fresh Coconut, Caramel Nut Noir, Earl Grey, Ménage a Trois and more of the Love Potion #9 that I loved so much last weekend. The Caramel Nut Noir had not-too-chewy caramel with a crisp hazelnut crunch inside dark chocolate. Stay tuned as I eat the Love Potion #9s and try to guess at the secret ingredients!

66 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. (212)414-2462

Jacques Torres

From left to right: Chai Tea, LoveBug, Love Potion #9

The Chai Tea had milk chocolate ganache with Indian spiced tea. It had a strange sweetness to it and I was hoping for more cinnamon or allspice or cloves flavor. I didn't care for this one. LoveBug had key lime ganache with white chocolate. I'm not sure that key lime would have worked with dark or milk chocolate. The white chocolate made a lot of sense, even to a girl who is a white-chocolate-non-believer. Love Potion #9 was Jacques Torres' secret recipe of pure dark chocolate ganache. Intriguing...

I want to mention the Hot Chocolate, too. Real hot chocolate has chocolate melted into it, not cocoa powder. Nothing else should be allowed to carry the title. To me, this Hot Chocolate was perfect; rich and creamy and exceptionally thick. Next time, I plan to try the Wicked Hot Chocolate with spices and hot peppers.

285 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY. (212) 787-3256‎

Brunch at Locanda Verde

The Sheep's Milk Ricotta with Truffled Honey and Burnt Orange Toast was a revelation. Creamy and rich, the ricotta flavor was offset perfectly by the honey. The citrus notes on the toast added another layer of deliciousness, but I would have dipped my fingers into the cheese if I thought that I could get away with it unnoticed.

Hazelnut-Crusted French Toast with Sicilian Citrus Salad was just as remarkable as the ricotta. If you think you've had french toast, you are wrong. You don't know how delightful french toast can be until you try it at Locanda Verde. There wasn't actually a crust, but a little bit of a crispiness on the outside. French toast can sometimes be dense and soggy, but not so at Locanda Verde. It was moist and delicate, and the citrus salad only made the dish feel lighter. Still, it was unbelievably satisfying and I would call this a perfect breakfast.

377 Greenwich Street, NYC 10013. (212)925-3797.

The Meatball Shop

Though I do love meatballs, I'm in the business of indulging my sweet tooth here. The homemade cookie ice cream sandwiches at The Meatball Shop are as much a reason to frequent this unassuming little restaurant as its spherical namesakes are.

House-made chocolate ice cream on freshly baked brownie cookies. This is unrelentingly chocolate, not a choice I would recommend for non-chocoholics. One tip I've uncovered that could be game-changing for you; you are allowed to mix and match the cookies on your ice cream sandwich!

84 Stanton Sreet, NYC 10002. (212)982-8895.

Seon's Chocolate Cupcakes

These are the fluffiest chocolate cupcakes ever. Toothsome, too! I've never shared my secret recipe with anyone, so this is an exclusive!

Seon's Chocolate Cupcakes:

Yields: About 18 cupcakes

Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose unbleached flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

12 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 c nonalkalized cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 c water

1/4 c milk

1 c sour cream

1/2 c vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Paper-line 18 muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth; about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating until light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute more. (Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if needed.) With the mixer running at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Add sour cream, veg oil, vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring just to just below a boil-- small bubbles. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Carefully pour the warm liquid into the batter. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth.

Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pans and leave them on the rack to cool completely.

Make your favorite icing to frost these babies. I like buttercream on them, but I've also made regular white icing and a lemon icing just for fun. Chocolate icing would also work well. Decorate as desired!