Marie Callender's Strawberry Pie
Every year I look forward to strawberry season, because that means it's strawberry pie season. Instead of birthday cake, I usually request one of these things. If I'm in SoCal at the time, I'll get one. When I couldn't be in SoCal for my birthday, my family sent me parts of the pie so I could piece it together in my kitchen. Why do I love this simple dessert so much? On the outside, it may not look like much, but the fresh sun-ripened strawberries combined with the sweet, sugary sauce and buttery, flaky crust is complete heaven to me. Just give me a pie, a fork and good chick flick, and I'm a happy girl.
Tonnie's Minis Cupcakes
It should be no surprise that my favorite cupcake from this NYC bakery is the Strawberry Twist cupcake. The official description: a swirl of strawberry and golden sponge cake completed with strawberry and buttercream icing. Of all the cupcake places in the city, this one is hands down the best. I've even hauled them across the country a dozen at a time, and they survived and still tasted just as good as if I'd eaten them when I bought them. They're moist and wonderfully delicious. Every person I've introduced these cupcakes to has taken a bite and instantly fallen in love with them. Every person has their favorite. Some love the Chocolate Kiss (chocolate cake inside yellow), others the Golden Heart (red velvet inside yellow), and some the Taste of Coconut. There's a flavor for everyone. If you're ever in NYC, this definitely is a must-visit place if you want a good cupcake. They aren't the prettiest ones on the block, but as we all know, it's what's on the inside that counts.
Milk & Cookies Bakery Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich
I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, and I love ice cream. Put them together, and you've got the best ice cream cookie sandwich ever! And it happens to be at this place. Now, I have to admit, part of the reason why it tastes so good to me is partly because of the bakery itself. It's cute and cozy, as you can see by the photo above, and the minute you walk in it smells like you're in Grandma's kitchen--well, that's if you had a Grandma who baked. Even though it does get a little messy, it's so worth it. Yum!
Cheryl's Cookies
The first time I had these delightfully delicious cookies was when I was working retail at Restoration Hardware. For Christmas, corporate would send a package of these assorted cookies and brownies. OMG! Needless to say, they made a lasting impression the minute I bit into them. For mail-order cookies, these are pretty damn good. When I stepped foot into an actual store in Columbus, Ohio, I found that the the fresh ones were just as good. In fact, they tasted pretty identical to the ones in the box. Normally you can't talk me out of a chocolate chip cookie, but there's just something about Cheryl's frosted sugar cookies.
Heidi's Heavenly Cookies
One day my coworker received a package at work from some company that wanted us to consider them for a partnership. What was in the package? Some of the most decadent cookies I have ever consumed. They were small but packed a huge sugar punch. The Toffee Chocolate Chip Bites were so good, but strong enough to put you into sugar shock. The others were a little more tame, but certainly just as yummy. Again, for mail-order cookies, these rank pretty high.
Petits Fours
These perfect mini cakes are one of my favorite things ever. Sadly, I'm not really sure where my favorite ones come from. Many years ago, my sorority's house mom would order these delightful little things for us. Sadly, she passed away a few years after I graduated and I never got the chance to ask her about these bite-sized delights. So, I've basically been on the search for the best petits fours--or at least come close to the ones at the sorority house. Dragonfly Cakes makes some pretty awesome petits fours. After finding them online one year, my mom and sister sent me an assortment for my birthday. I was pleasantly surprised by these mail-order cakes. But, the petits four that had me moaning and thanking the gods that I'd found it was at Tate's Bake Shop in Southampton. O.M.G. Words could not describe how I felt the first time I experienced this awesome goodness. Sadly, I haven't been to Southampton since that visit and have not had a chance to partake of this mini cake wonder in years. One day, though, one day I will return.
Baskin Robbins Mint Chip Ice Cream
Ask me what my favorite ice cream flavor is and every time I'll tell you that it's mint chip, especially the Baskin Robbins kind. The flakes of chocolate mixed in the green mint ice cream--complete perfection. I'll tolerate the other kinds, but in my eyes this is the ultimate in mint chip goodness. Just give me a spoon and a quart of this stuff then sit me in front of a good scary movie, and again, you have one happy girl. When I'm feeling low, this is usually the first thing I grab to make me feel better.
Buck's Tiger Stripe Ice Cream
Like the Tate's petits four above, this ice cream is a little difficult for me to enjoy since it can only be found in Columbia, Missouri. Yes, my alma mater has it's own ice cream. What else would you expect from a farming school in the Midwest? For more information than you ever wanted to know about this ice cream, click here. It's basically just golden vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate fudge swirled in, but for some reason, it tastes so much better than just plain vanilla drenched in Hershey's chocolate sauce. Every time I go to Columbia, I have to stop at Flat Branch and order a Southwestern Chicken Salad followed by a few scoops of Tiger Stripe Ice Cream. Mmmmmm.
See? I told you I had a sweet tooth.
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