EAT & DRINK SPECIAL SECTION : DESSERTS | BURGERS | WINE | BARBECUE |
enticed to try . The offerings vary daily , but can include items such as napoleons , mixed fruit tarts , chocolate mouse treats and carrot cake .
LET THEM EAT CAKE Urth Caffé is known for its heirloom , organic coffees and hand-selected fine teas , but once you lay your eyes on this eatery ’ s dessert case , you ’ ll be tempted to dive into a sweet treat . The cafe focuses on maintaining direct relationships with family farms and utilizing sustainable ingredients — opting for organic whenever possible .
Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Berries & Cream Cake by Urth Caffé chef and Master Baker Davide Giova . The light , moist and creamy dessert is made with vanilla sponge cake layered with Chantilly cream and fresh berries . It is topped with whipped cream and more berries . For plating , the cake is garnished with a wedge of orange and a sprig of fresh mint . Can ’ t get enough ? You can buy just a slice — or a whole cake . This delightful dessert is offered year-round .
“ I get inspired from a cake that we prepare in Italy for celebrations like birthdays , anniversaries , weddings , etc ., that everyone loves ,” Giova says . “ The flavors that are incorporated are vanilla and lemon zest . The combinations of the soft , moist , vanilla sponge [ cake ] and the creamy vanilla Chantilly cream with lots of fresh berries works very well together .”
Another fan favorite is the matcha tiramisu , which is made with ladyfinger cookies that are soaked in matcha green tea and then combined with matcha-flavored mascarpone cheese and white chocolate chunks .
If you ’ re in the mood for a caramel dessert , you have to taste Selanne ’ s Monkey Bread by Selanne Steak Tavern Pastry Chef
The Berries & Cream Cake at Urth Caffé , with sponge cake , Chantilly cream and berries
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Selanne ’ s Monkey Bread
Theresa Ebilane . Made with pineapple jam , Luxardo maraschino cherries , rum caramel and candied coconut , it ’ s served warm with vanilla ice cream and a pineapple chip .
“ For texture and crunch , we added a macadamia-and-coconut component ,” Ebilane says . “ All items are made in-house … the brioche , pineapple jam , vanilla ice cream , rum caramel and pineapple chip .”
To assemble , the brioche , sugar and pineapple jam are layered and baked together . It ’ s plated and warmed to order , then garnished with the finishing touches of cherries , coconut crunch and vanilla ice cream .
CHEESE , PLEASE It may seem odd , at first , to order cheese for dessert . However , some sweet treats incorporate the ingredient in surprising ways .
At Sapphire , Cellar-Craft-Cook , the Dark Chocolate Chunk and Fromage Blanc Cookies are made — as the name says — with “ fromage ” ( cheese ), then turned into a sandwich filled with peanut butter gelato and topped with Spanish peanut crumble for a cold , creamy dessert that ’ s worth a calorie splurge .
Another dish , at Broadway by Amar Santana , incorporates goat cheese mousse . That element might give diners pause when considering whether to order the Oh Beehive dessert , but those who try it will soon realize that it tastes as delightful as it looks . To create this artistic vision , there are many steps .
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The chef whips up a honey pastry cream and molds it into small half domes , which are then frozen before pairing two halves to form a ball that is next stuffed inside a larger dome mold of goat cheese mousse , which also gets frozen into half domes . To plate the dessert , a pate sucree cookie is used as the base , then the goat cheese dome filled with honey pastry cream is placed in the center . Swiss meringue is piped around the outside and torched to resemble a beehive . A scoop of honey ice cream is served on the side and the dish is decorated with a few cubes of elderflower gel and honeycomb garnish as well as micro marigold flowers and a honey tuile cookie . Talk about a sweet treat . This is the ideal finale to any meal — just take a photo first because you ’ ll want to remember this pretty presentation . g
Dark Chocolate Chunk and Fromage Blanc Cookies at Sapphire , Cellar-Craft-Cook
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CLOCKWISE , FROM TOP : COURTESY OF SELANNE STEAK TAVERN ; COREY CANO ; VICTOR BOGHOSSIAN |