Friday, March 25, 2011

Modern Pastry + Lulu's Bake Shoppe

Some days it is 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 to her pastel pink sanctuary of sweets. The craving is not for just any type of desserts, but for 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 is 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 three layers of light chocolate sponges sandwiching whipped airy chocolate mousse. The cake gets 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 cake layers hold up nicely to the thick ganache draping over them. Delicate hints of sweet rum and qualities of the Strega liquor 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, giant lollipops, and phenomenal signature cupcakes.My favorite (and I've tried many) is the Salted Caramel.
Moist chocolate cake is layered with glistening chocolate frosting and circular swirls of deep golden caramel. This is as decadent as a cupcake gets. Crystals of flaky sea salt sprinkled on top are in brilliant harmony with the caramel and chocolate.
Runner up is the Chocolate Peanut Butter.
PB + Chocolate always makes a stellar combination. Enough said.
What was the last really good dessert you ate?

22 comments:

  1. I was in Chicago this weekend and my favorite sweet treat was either the enormous cinnamon buns at Ann Sather's or fresh Zeppole's dipped in chocolate. Now it's time to get on the elliptical!

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  2. I want that salted caramel cupcake! I was just at Modern over the weekend to get a cannoli fix myself ;)

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  3. Last really good dessert? I got Shaw Farm ice cream from the winter market and choc chip cookies and made ice cream sandwiches. Love.

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  4. Lulu's and Modern Pastry were my favorite when I lived in the North End too. I also love Lyndell's - they have a great turtle cheesecake! Last great dessert I had was a chocolate cream pie at a diner in NYC this weekend - yum!

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  5. All of these desserts look AWESOME! I'm also a fan of Bova's!

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  6. I'm not much of a dessert girl. I would eat the f*ck out of that PB cupcake though!

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  7. oh that salted caramel treat is calling out to me! ;)

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  8. Megan gave me cake - so that's pretty much been top of the heap. In fact, I need to go have a slice before Rafe comes home to devour it!

    I wish you were my roommate or neighbor....then I would help you eat those gorgeous desserts!!

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  9. Those chocolate sponges look amazing! I think my grapefruit cake that I made last week was pretty spectacular.

    And speaking of desserts, I have a rather complicated one I am dying to make... and I will need guinea pigs!!

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  10. I really wish I could reach into my computer screen right about now...they all look awesome! I LOVE Modern, and its been far too long since I've been! I've actually never been to Lu Lu's but have heard great things about it!

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  11. the salt/caramel thing looks delish!

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  12. Amazing sweet treats here! The berry tart especially looks amazing!

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  13. wow, please drive me there pronto! what great treats

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  14. I am not much of a dessert person, but Megan's cupcakes last week were pretty great!

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  15. Mmmm Modern...I love Modern! Those cupcakes look divine! I've been baking more lately (ugh) and so have been loving some of my homemade creations

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  16. i'll just take one of everything please and make it snappy :)

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  17. Next time I'm visiting, we are definitely going to get me one of those chocolate caramel cupcakes with the salt on top!

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  18. Fried mantou from our last trip to Chinatown for dim sum. Yep, fried bread dipped in condensed milk is just pure greatness.

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  19. I'm obsessed with Birthday Cake Truffles from Momofuku Milk Bar. When in NYC, they are a must!!

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  20. This is torture. I'd kill for one of those desserts right now!

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  21. we should have stopped here last night!!!!! i'm craving that last choc pb cupcake so bad right now!

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