Sweet Tooth

Lately, I've had an influx of cravings for sweet treats. Weeks at a time go by where these cravings are apparently in hibernation mode (don't think I'm busting out a pastry box every night for dessert.) But other days, make that weeks; particularly long days in the cubicle, excel sheets on end, meetings galore, it's all I can manage to walk home without Modern Pastry pulling me off Hanover Street with promises of classic Italian specialties, or LuLu's on Salem Street beckoning me over to her pastel pink sanctuary of sweets. The craving is not for just any type of desserts, but lavish, fancy, good looking dessert.

{Modern Pastry favorites}

Delicately placed atop creamy vanilla custard, sitting in a milk chocolate shell are vibrant red raspberries, tart blackberries and perfectly round blueberries, not a dusting of powdered sugar out of place. The crisp chocolate shell vessel ties it all together, holding the luxuriously thick and smooth custard as it cradles sugary bites of tart and sweet berries.

Chocolate Ganache

Soaked with rum and Strega liquor are light chocolate sponges, layered in threes alternating with whipped airy chocolate mousse and then topped with rich dark chocolate ganache finished with zig-zags of white chocolate ganache. A pretty unbelievable combination as the lightness of the mouse and rum sponges hold up nicely to the thick ganache draping over their layers. Delicate hints of sweet rum and qualities of the strega liquer including very faint notions of mint, fennel and saffron elevate this fancy chocolate treat.Lulu's Bake Shoppe serves plenty of sweets such as bagged candies and giant lollipops, and pretty amazing signature cupcakes.
My favorite (and I've tried many) is the Salted Caramel ($2.50).
Dense chocolate cake, layered with glistening chocolate frosting and circular swirls of deep golden caramel, this is as decadent as a cupcake gets. Oh and those crystals of salt pack a drastic punch of flavor in brilliant contrast with all that chocolate.

Runner up is the Chocolate Peanut Butter ($2.50).

PB + Chocolate always makes a stellar combination. Enough said.

What was the last really good dessert you ate?