Two Little Red Hens: Orgasm in a Cupcake

Two Little Red Hens. This place is bakery heaven on earth. Just walking in, the smells of butter, cream, and spice fill the air. Mmm....I was already drooling.

Inside this box.....is a baked orgasm heaven 

Red Velvet Cupcake

Huge, incredibly moist with a light cocoa finish. The cream cheese frosting was smooth, tart and utterly thick and velvety. I was floating a cupcake cloud...the best red velvet I have ever had.

Price: $3.75

Pumpkin Mini Cupcake

Intense aroma of pumpkin, spices and cinnamon. Pumpkin pie in cupcake form!

Price: $1.50

The Brooklyn Blackout

Dense, intense chocolate and in the center? More intense dark chocolate pudding. Topped with? Even more intense dark chocolate! Moist, delicious, and not overly sweet. For chocolate lovers. All you vanilla people can go to hell.

Price: $4.00

Ginger Spice Cookie

Wow, was this incredibly gingery. Fresh and almost pungent. Also a nice punch of nutmeg and cinnamon. It was slightly chewy and with a nice crunch on top. Not my favorite cookie, but I'm also not a ginger lover.

Price: $1.60

Snickerdoodle Cookie

Chewy, buttery, and only a slight punch of peanut butter. A solid snickerdoodle.

Price: $1.30

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thick, dense, and after 4 bites, you probably gained 5 pounds. The ultimate break-up comfort treat.

Price: $4.50

Verdict: How do those two little red hens do it?? The best bakery I have come across yet in New York. Thank goodness I moved from the UES, or else I would stop by every single day and weight about 500 pounds.

Two Little Red Hens

1652 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10028-311

http://www.twolittleredhens.com

Philly Cupcake: Finally Cupcakes Where Their Flavor Actually Rivals Their Good Looks

After the lunch we had, Bruce and I decided to take a walk around in search of dessert and stumbled upon Philly Cupcakes. I have been very jaded in the past with cupcake places (especially since their are about 50 zillion "specialty" cupcake stores in New York) most of them ended up being a huge disappointment (Ahem.. CRUMBS..cough, cough). So of course I had my doubts

 Eye catching entrance, I first I thought this was a toy store... I guess that woman had to take a double look too!

Holy crap.. this was screaming utter cute overload, adorable heaven! The colors, the furniture, everything I dreamed of when I was a little girl came to life!

Display of dog treats (!!! Again, adorable furniture!)

The cupcakes are shown off in China display cabinets. They looked so pretty, but are they tasty?..we shall see! Oh and see my reflection? I got all my hair chopped off!

I bought only 3 and took them home for a taste test with Buddy...

Sweet Potato Cupcake

This was made with pecans and pecan cream cheese frosting. First bite: the cake didn't crumble, it was moist, bouncy, and most of all... FLAVORFUL. Like eating a slice of sweet potato pie and pecan pie all at once.  The pecan glaze added a touch of stickiness, and the pecans added a good textural crunch.  Buddy is usually a fan of only chocolate things, and this turned out to be his favorite .

Price: $4.00

The Coma

This is a gluten free, flourless cupcake with chocolate butter cream and ganache. I didn't get this because it was gluten free, I got this because it was the most chocolatey thing on the menu! I took a bite of the cake; never had I tasted such an intense flavor of cocoa in a cupcake until now. Almost bitter chocolate with the rich ganache adding the right touch of sweetness to it. I was never a fan of chocolate cupcakes (or chocolate cakes for the matter) because the flavor of cocoa was always missing. This little delight won me over, insanely moist and satisfying. Again, I was very impressed.

Price: $4.00

The Red Velvet

Okay, here is the true test to see if this Cupcake place will be on my list of must -go places in Philly: The red velvet. First bite: the milk chocolate-nutty flavor I love about red velvets truly came through. The cream cheese frosting was sweet, but had just enough tartness to balance it out. The frosting was light and airy and melted into the moist, dense cake.  Still not as amazing as Two Little Red Hens in New York, but the best red velvet in Philadelphia that I have ever had.

Price: $3.50

Verdict: Finally, cupcakes where their flavor actually rivals their good looks! Next time I am in Philadelphia, I will definitely be making a stop here to try more flavors. Especially since I looked at their online menu and spotted lavender cupcakes with peach schnapps frosting (!!)  I also chatted with one of the owners for a little bit, he was super friendly and nice (but who wouldn't be if they worked at such a cute place?) and told me they will be expanding their shop. They will be adding windows so people passing by can watch the bakers decorate the cupcakes. Such a great idea!

Philly Cupcake

1132 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

www.phillycupcake.com

Quick Bite: Turks Head Festival

Yet again, Buddy's band (The National Rifle) led me to another interesting venue, West Chester PAs annual Turks Head Festival. They were headlining the show, but we still had to get there pretty early which means plenty of time to explore.  I had no idea what to expect, but when we got there I got an intense whiff of incense, saw a moon bounce and a crap load of hippies. Well... this should be.... different?

Being a fat pig, I headed straight to the food section to see what they had to offer. It was essentially what you would find in one of New Yorks street fairs. Except...less awesome ( not like the street fairs are that awesome to begin with). They didn't have crepes, or bubble tea; but I was in PA after all.

Cupcakes Gourmet Stand

I had gotten cupcakes from them before, and was not impressed. They freeze their cupcakes and when you bite into them, they crumble into little pieces. I didn't feel like spending $3.50 on crumbs, so I passed on these sweets.  

Price: $3.50 per cupcake

Nearing the end of my food grazing, I stumbled upon this. Giant turkey leg anyone? I was tempted to steal it, but the thought of burning my hands on a hot piece of meat stopped me. (Thats what she said)

D'Ascenzo Gelato Stand

It was so hot and muggy out that this stand, and the smoothie stand had the most people in line. Being a lover of gelato, and since I was dripping in sweat,  I hopped in the line. Joining the other people who were desperately trying to relieve themselves of the heat.

Kiwi Sorbet and Chocolate Gelato

Both were inconsistent in texture, ranging from icy to lumpy. The flavors were also artificial tasting. The kiwi was too sweet, and the chocolate was bland. The only good part that came out of eating this was that it lowered my body temperature.

Price: $4.00 for a small

 I really wanted to ask him how much he would pay me not to trip him....

The only stand not in the food section, but right smack dab in the middle of the stage field where the bands play. And of course its a funnel cake stand. After having to be there for 6 hours, myself control left me for air conditioning as I found myself walking towards it.

Funnel Cake with Bavarian Creme

This hit the spot, I mean how much can you really mess up fried dough buried in powered sugar anyway? The bavarian creme however, was like a big unwanted pile of diarrhea invading the plate. This was 3rd time ever eating a funnel cake, (I was hesitant ever since purchasing my first one and being attacked by a flock of sea gulls that pecked my face in get to get my funnel cake... I have been scarred emotionally ever since) This time however, I was in the safe confines of a tent.

Price: $4.00

On another non food related note... this place was hippy central!!! Tye-dye, hemp, psychics, holistic oils... I felt like I should have dreaded my hair and put on a pair of birkenstocks. I'm not hating, it just surprised me since so much of the food was meat based.. you would think they would have "alternative" food stands as well.

Verdict: This is the 28th annual event, though it was fun, I'm not sure if its worth driving down for. Maybe if you have nothing else to do on a Sunday.

Turks Head Festival

Everhart Park

West Chester , PA 19382

http://www.turksheadfestival.com/

Sweet Tooth: Crumbs..or Crumby?

Normally I don't like to post food from chain restaurants, but this is different. This chain is about CUPCAKES. Oh cupcakes.. the hybrid between a cake and a muffin. What could be better? At work we celebrated one more time for Kristina's birthday and Steph's leaving with these sugary treats.

Red Velvet

I have said this once, and I will say it again...red velvet cupcakes are my favorite cupcakes. "If I could, I would drape myself in velvet." (George Costanza). I would drape myself in red velvet...(is that possible?) 

Anyway I judge a cupcake by the cake and frosting separately, then together. The cake had no flavor what so ever. I mean AT ALL. I had no idea if I was eating cake or a sponge. The frosting was ridiculously sweet and to top it off it had sprinkles. Sprinkles are not a good thing, dried up chalky pellets anyone? No thanks.

Price: $3.75

Devils Food

I had higher hopes for this one, but cutting this revealed a marshmallowy center. This was ...confusing. Since when was there marshmallows in Devils Food? The cake? Again, dry and tasteless. The frosting was still way too sweet, but texturally a little better since chocolate crumbs and chocolate drizzle replaced the sprinkles. 

Price: $3.75

Rainbow Vanilla

Ugh, again with the sprinkles... I didn't even bother trying the frosting at this point and went straight to trying the cake. It was surprisingly a lot more moist than the other two I had tried, though it tasted like someone had mistakenly put 1 ladel full of vanilla extract than 1 teaspoon in the recipe. The better cupcake out of the bunch.

Price: $3.75

Cookies n' Cream

Just like the fate of the other cakes, this too, was dry and tasteless. I will let you guess how the frosting tasted...

Price: $3.75

Verdict: Crumbs could possibly be the most over-rated dessert place out there. Suitable for tourists, but for New Yorkers? I'd rather trek up to Little Red Hens in the UES instead and get some cupcakes made with love.

Crumbs

Various Locations

http://www.crumbs.com/locations/

Sweet Tooth: Cupcake Stop

 

Walking around Soho, I came across the Cupcake Stop, a food truck completely dedicated to yummy cupcakes! I had remembered that the day before, they were giving away free cupcakes and sadly, I missed the opportunity. Nevertheless, I was willing to pay and try one for their sweet treats.

Approaching the truck, this is how the dialogue went:

Me: "Do you guys have any baby red velvets?"

Nice Guy: "No, they are all sold out"

Me: "Weren't you guys giving out free cupcakes yesterday?"

Nice Guy:" Yeah, not today though"

Me: "Oh..okay then, well what do you suggest I pick?"

Nice Guy:" The Nutella Crunch is my favorite, we don't have any mini's of any flavor left though"

Me:  <----with this face "ohh...."

Nice Guy: "Okay, I'll let you try one regular for free" and smiles

Me:  "Wow, thank you so much!"

Nutella Crunch

This was surprisingly satisfying. The cake tasted like chocolate (though I am guessing they threw in some nutella in the mix, but I couldn't taste it). It was moist, dense, and able to withstand the force of my bites without crumbling. The frosting had a strong hazelnut flavor, and was thick, yet fluffy at the same time. To top it off, they threw in a piece of hazelnut as decoration!

Price: FREE! (for me) $2.25 regularly 

Verdict: I enjoyed my cupcake very much from here. After looking over their menu (which by the way, has over 50 different types of cupcakes), I am eager to come back and try more! Next time you are shopping in Soho and spot the truck, don't hesitate to give them a try. You can also order by the dozen at their online store!

The Cupcake Stop

Various Locations (follow them on twitter: http://twitter.com/CupcakeStop")

www.cupcakestop.com

Quick Bite: The Hester Street Fair

Usually I would post my yummy and money signs at the top, but since I was at the Hester Street fair, there were a number of different vendors to review, so I will post them before each one. 
I love going to street fairs, you never know what you are going to find (or eat!) Usually I go to these things to dig for unique and interesting jewelry and clothing, but sometimes my tummy finds more things than I do.

Entrance at Hester street.

Sweet Jewel Cake Balls

This was the first thing I saw entering in the fair, and as soon as I saw "red velvet cake ball"" I had to get one since I am such a sucker for red velvet. I went with Buddy, and he insisted we try both flavors, I wasn't going to complain. :)

Both flavors were coated with chocolate and coconut shavings and were a hybrid between a cake and truffle( which was also how big they were)

Vietnamese Coffee Cake Ball

This one was the more successful out of the two. There was a definite strong coffee flavor (though I'm not sure how "Vietnamese" it was). The coconut and chocolate coating cut through the sharp flavor of the coffee nicely and the cake itself was dense and very moist.

Red Velvet Cake Ball

I was kind of disappointed in this one, it seemed to lack the flavor I was looking for in a red velvet. I wished the center had a cream cheese filling of some sort and the coconut flavor kind of threw me off. Buddy really enjoyed this one because it seemed more moist than the vietnamese.

These were cute and fun to eat, but next time I'm looking for a cakey treat, I might just settle for a mini cupcake.

Price: 1 for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00

Sweet Jewels Cake Balls

www.sweetjewelsnyc.com

www.etsy.com/shop/sweetjewelsnyc 

Kumquat Cupcakery

Coincidentally after walking past some vintage jewelry vendors I found a stand whos bakery is devoted purely to miniature gourmet cupcakes. They had flavors ranging from chocolate lavender, to peanut butter and jelly. Considering I just ate two cake balls, I decided to go with just one. My staple red velvet.

It was about the size of large gum ball and surprisingly packed a flavorful punch in such a small bite! Extremely moist with the perfect hint of cocoa, the cream cheese frosting was silky and not overly sweet. I wished I had gotten more for later to pop in my mouth! 

Hopefully they will be at the fair again next weekend, but if not then you can always order them online.

Price: $1.00

www.kumquatcupcakery.com

La Newyorkina

Since the weather had been getting nicer, a lot of  specialty popsicle shops have been "popping" up, from Popbar to Peoples Pops. La Newyorkina seemed to be a new name in the biz, and their menu looked interesting, making me weak to resist their modern Mexican twist on popsicles.

Guayaba (guava)

This was a little bigger than the size of a business card and boldly tart, this was Buddy's favorite out if the two. It tasted like papaya with lemon juice, and was very refreshing. The texture was smoothly blended and equally juicy.

Price: $1.00 for a mini

Horchata Cinnamon Rice Milk

I loved the flavors in this, but it seems that they still need a little more time perfecting the technical aspects of making it. The texture and flavors were very inconsistent. Some bites I got a dense almost powdery texture that tasted sour, and other bites I got very sweet icy bits. The overall underlying flavor that was kept consistent was the milk and cinnamon.

Perhaps I got a faulty popsicle, but thats not going to stop be from wanting to try their avocado flavor next time which looked creamy and delicious.

Price: $4.00

www.lanewyorkina.com

Sigmund Pretzel Shop

Okay so after eating 2 cake balls, 2 popsicles and a mini cupcake, you would think I would have enough self control say "no" to this pretzel stand right? Umm... have you looked at this display? What human being could say no to melted cheese on a pretzel??

Bleu Cheese and Walnut with a side of Beet Relish and Honey Mustard

I was first drawn to this because of the bleu cheese, it looked bubbly and plentiful and was about 5x4 in size.They toast the pretzels in a portable oven, but only toast them for the length of time it takes to squirt you your mustard ( which was literally 10 seconds). 

I have to say, this was disappointing. It looked SO good, but the pretzel tasted day old. The bleu cheese flavor was barely there and was dry and crumbly. The walnuts were untoasted chopped bits mixed in the dough,added nothing to this pretzel.  There was not much textural diversification and was dense, tough, and like of bland. The winner was the honey mustard; spicy, tangy, gooey and sticky. The beet relish tasted like blended beets with horseradish mixed in. Not worth the money.

Price: $4.00

Gruyère and Paprika with Mustard Seed Dip

The cheese flavor was more prominent in this one, however I couldn't taste the paprika (though I saw specks powered on top). Again, its good looks deceived me and tasted day old. The mustard seed dip was fantastic however, bold and spicy.

Price: $4.00

I really wanted to love these pretzels but they failed to impress. I might try their store to see if I have a change of heart (they also have more flavors)

Sigmund Pretzel Shop

29 Avenue B
New York, NY 10009

www.sigmundnyc.com

This fair was a lot smaller than I had expected, maybe only 10-15 vendors but its fun to walk around on a nice sunny weekend day. 

Hester Street Fair

Hester & Essex Street

New York NY 10002

April- December Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

www.hesterstreetfair.com