Dominique Ansel Bakery Gingerbread Pinecone: I still haven't tried a cronut, but I have tried some of Dominique Ansel's desserts in the past, mostly through special events held at his New York West Village Kitchen location. While some were exceptional, namely a pea and carrot dessert modeled after a baby's first word, others have actually been quite bad (like the pie night a few years ago). There is a relatively short line at his first bakery and restaurant in Los Angeles at The Grove, so I opted for a seasonal treat: the gingerbread... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional desserts cake ganache ginger spiced speculoos chocolate losangeles la dominiqueansel dominiqueanselbakery gingerbread pinecone 4.5
Dominique Ansel Bakery Frozen S’more: Brûléed to order, this sizable toasted marshmallow resembles a baked Alaska, with a vanilla ice cream interior mixed with chocolate crunchies. The texture of the marshmallow is excellent - light but having a satisfying chew - and it has a crisp honey-flavored sugary shell. Before you reach the ice cream filling, it’s overly sweet due to the layer of caramelized sugar, but the chocolate crunchies add a touch of bitterness that ultimately balances it out. An elevated and playful reworking of a... (read more) 4.0/5.0
dessert recommended la marshmallow icecream chocolate dominiqueanselbakery frozen s’more 4.0
Dominique Ansel Bakery Chocolate Hazelnut Hedgehog: I like cute things, and snacks are no exception. This very precious chocolate hedgehog was one of the desserts normally exclusively available in Japan that was offered at Dominique Ansel Bakery this weekend as part of their 7-year anniversary. The hedgehog consisted of a mix of hazelnut, milk chocolate, and coffee-flavored mousse covered in a chocolate shell and chocolate shards. Overall, I found the chocolate dessert to be pretty good and not overly rich, but it isn't one of the better c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
sweets dessert nyc dominiqueanselbakery chocolate hazelnut hedgehog 3.0
Droste mint pastilles: Dutch half-dome-shaped chocolates with crystals of mint-flavored sugar sprinkled throughout. Chocolate has a good snap. Flavor is not bad but not especially special. 3.0/5.0
chocolate droste dutch mint pastilles 3.0
Echo Farm miracle's chocolate pudding: I had a craving for pudding, and the only reasonably priced option at Whole Foods was chocolate. Not my first choice (I prefer rice or tapioca), but I thought I would give this brand a shot. This pudding is made from whole milk, Ghiardelli cocoa, vanilla extract, corn starch, and vanilla extract. These simple and straightforward ingredients make for a homely and satisfying treat. I have no experience purchasing pudding in anything but single-serving containers, but it seemed like there was s... (read more) 3.5/5.0
echofarm pudding chocolate wholefoods dessert 3.5 recommended ghiardelli miracle's
FK Frozen Custard Black Sesame and Matcha White Chocolate Ice Cream: The last time I had ice cream from FK Frozen Custard, the brand was still named "Frozen Kuhsterd," and they were a food-truck-only business. Now they have a brick and mortar in the Lower Haight in SF, still offering a mix of classic flavors and asian-inspired options like black sesame, milk tea, and ube. I ordered one scoop with two flavors, which was generously sized and easily sharable – though I had the entire scoop for myself. (: My previous experience with Frozen Kuhsterd involved an ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream sf blacksesame matcha fkfrozencustard black sesame white chocolate ice cream 3.0 sanfrancisco