Eat your heart out Mom, we no longer need your mixing spoon.

Yes, that is caramel filling. And yes, it is smiling at you.

Batch (Website)

Dragon Devil’s Food Cake ($2.95)

NYC Food Guy’s Favorite at Batch

Devil’s Food Buttermilk Cake, Caramel Filling, Valhrona Chocolate Frosting,Valhrona Chocolate Pearls

Pure decadence, in regard to flavor and texture, is what set this cupcake apart from the other two I tried.  Rich dark chocolate frosting and airy cake are contrasted by the sweetness of slightly smokey caramel oozing from the cupcake’s center.  The lack of reliance on sugar as the main flavor is a testament to the high quality ingredients used in all of Pichet Ong’s desserts.  Attempt to exhibit self control by letting the cupcakes rest after being removed from the refrigerator.

The Velvet ($2.95) & Black & White ($2.95)

Both of these cupcakes sounded too delicious to pass on.  Unfortunately, neither truly wowed.

“The Velvet’s” slightly bitter chocolate filling was the only redeeming flavor amidst an out of place cream cheese frosting that was spread a bit too thick and a coarse cake lacking any beet or strawberry flavor.

The lemon flavored vanilla filling of the “Black and White” ruined what I hoped would be an experience reminiscent of a vanilla cream filled chocolate Hostess cupcake.  I’m not a fan of butter cream frosting in general and Batch’s version didn’t change that.

Ovaltine Pudding ($4.95)

You can never go wrong combining banana with Rice Krispies (as proven by The Volstead’s chocolate fondue) but in the case of this pudding, the deliciousness ended there.  The chalky and slightly sweet chocolate pudding gives way to ripe banana and the awkward nutmeg-tinged chocolate soil.

The caramelized Rice Krispies redeemed this dish, providing serious crunch and the lingering flavor of smoky caramel.  I would order these to snack on by themselves.

Jack’s Stir Brew (Website)

Aunt Rosie’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies ($1.00)

Aunt Rosie definitely knows a thing or two about chocolate chip cookies but I hope she isn’t banking on her baking ability to take her to the top.  As you bite into the crisp edges of this thin cookie, a chewy and buttery center greets you with a healthy amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a great homemade flavor.

I won’t be running back to Jack’s for their chocolate chip cookie the way I would for Levain’s, but if I happened to be in the neighborhood and wanted a cozy place to grab some organic shade-grown coffee, Aunt Rosie’s cookie would be a welcome accompaniment.

Roasting Plant (Website)

Cookie Dough Shots  – $1.08

The handful of times my Mom baked cookies, licking the delicious raw dough off the mixing spoon was a major no-no.  One dip in the batter was all that was allowed.  When I was old enough to purchase raw cookie dough on my own, my friend and I rushed to the supermarket and devoured the roll of Toll House dough like paranoid junkies, looking over our shoulders to make sure no one would interfere with our gluttonous moment.  Maybe things weren’t quite as extreme for you, but on the odd chance they were, Roasting Plant has changed everything with this genius idea.

The eggs are pasteurized so there’s no chance of salmonella poisoning (Mom really does know best), and the cookie dough is delicious.  Homemade chewy dough filled with a surprisingly large amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips possesses that deliciously grainy quality that only undissolved sugar and butter mixed together could create.  It’s heaven in a tiny plastic container and it’s just over $1.  Thanks to Serious Eats for the discovery.

Chocolate Croissant

This unassuming bubble of buttery, airy goodness is one of the better croissants I’ve had and it has nothing to do with the sparse strip of fudgey chocolate hidden inside.

A light, slightly salty skin encompasses an airy hole structure that provides a refreshing lightness greasier croissants can only dream about possessing.  I didn’t even mind the lack of chocolate in one half of the pastry because the croissant itself is that tasty.