New York offers a wide variety of traditional as well as atypical confections for enjoyment. Through experimenting and many afternoons of taste-testing, I have found a few to be fail-safe when a hankering for something sweet comes along.
Mellow Days,
Cafe Angelique
Cookies: Levain Bakery is at the top of my list. A small storefront identified by the bright blue awning (and the possible gathering or line out front) on 74th St on the Upper West Side houses delectable cookies. With four flavors to choose from, you can’t go wrong though my personal favorites are the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and the Dark Chocolate Chocolate chip. Warm and gooey, you will quickly have your hands covered in chocolate and your belly will be full of warm cookie. These are large and rich, so I would suggest sharing unless you are willing to suffer the consequences of overindulgence.
Cupcakes: Cafe Angelique. This West Village cafe has some of the best, most balanced cupcakes I’ve tasted in New York. The Mellow Days has a well-balanced, moist and springy vanilla cake topped with a mellow vanilla icing (hence the name) and a few mini marshmallows. The peppermint cupcake was refreshing and had a snap to it similar to that of a candy cane.
Ice Cream Sundae: Farmacy. This Brooklyn Heights tribute to the soda fountains of old will take you back to another time. Homemade whoopie pies and shakes are available alongside a lengthy list of decadent sundaes. From favorites like a Warm Brownie Sundae to more daring combinations such as The Elvis (chocolate chip ice cream, peanut butter, candied bacon and a pickle slice), Farmacy has something to please anyone. My personal favorite is The Cookie Monster, an ode to the Sesame Street character, complete with a hearty sprinkling of blue sugar.
The Cookie Monster,
Farmacy
Pudding: Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Though Magnolia Bakery and Buttercup Bakeshop have delicious banana puddings, the chocolate chip pudding at Sugar Sweet Sunshine is a cut above the rest. Layers of whipped cream, broken bits of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and butterscotch pudding combine to be absolutely outstanding.
This is not an exhaustive list, by any means, as there are many other forms of dessert that have been left off this list. Perhaps for a post in the future…
Until next time,
SugarSource
SugarSource 