Martha's Post-Hurricane Delights

After my little trip to BareBurger Bayside, I also stopped off at Martha's Bakery, which is also located on Bell Blvd, about 3 blocks down from BareBurger.  I was in the mood for one of their legendary cupcakes, so I popped in - and to my delight found them fully stocked, with some new items I hadn't noticed before, including new cupcake flavors.  I grabbed a hazelnut cupcake, and then went back for a peanut butter one and also a brownie fudge pie.  Everything was amaazing!

Cupcakes - Both cupcakes were fabulous, with a really moist chocolate dough and a creamy frosting topper.  The hazelnut was my favorite, sporting a ring of crunchy hazelnuts around the perimeter, and a lightly flavored frosting.  While the hazelnut flavor was really subtle, it was deliciously sophisticated and something I'd love to have again, perhaps with a flute of champagne.

While I also enjoyed the peanut butter cupcake, the frosting was on the heavier side, and it would've been nice to have perhaps some peanut butter chocolate chips on the side to make the flavors more pronounced.

Brownie Fudge Pie - I couldn't resist two helpings of the brownie fudge pie, and it looked enticing, reminding me of a s'mores dessert.  It was really fantastic and oh so chocolatey, with large brownie chunks sticking out the sides.  They were slightly crunchy, which made the dessert really interesting from a texture standpoint, and the melty chocolate middle was a surprising juxtaposition.  Caveat - for serious chocolate lovers only.

Service and Cost:
No complaints about the service at all, as I was helped right away and the staff was really nice.  I've had some issues with this in the past in this location, but it's nice to see that things have improved.

Costs are expensive but totally worth every penny - $2.50/cupcake and $7.95 for a small chocolate pie or $18 for a large one.

3 Mmmms

Martha's Country Bakery - 41-06 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
718.225.5200
LIRR to Bayside
www.marthascountrybakery.com  

Sage American Kitchen - Elegant and Scrumptious Sweets

Last week I attended a fundraiser event for the LIC Community Boathouse. Held at the Foundry, a trendy space near the East River, it was a nice--albeit crowded--community event that brought many LIC and Astoria residents together.

I was disappointed to see that much of the food from Tuk Tuk and Manducatis Rustica was fast gone. However, I made sure to get my share of yummy desserts, courtesy of a wonderful catering company called Sage American Kitchen. Sampling their brownies, I especially loved the Germanchocolatecake variety, topped with gooey coconut-pecan frosting. The brownie itself was super rich with a prevailing dark chocolate flavor that was fantastic. In addition to the brownies, Dan and I tried their oatmeal raisin cookies, which were out-of-this-world soft and surprisingly light. Although I didn't get a hold of one, Dan praised the coconut mini-cake and so did Meg.

Sage is located on Jackson Avenue in LIC as a take-out shop as well as a catering company. They're especially popular for weddings, and have even fed the cast and crew of HBO's Sopranos and Sex and the City. Impressive...and they're right here in our neck of the woods.

Sage American Kitchen - 26-21 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City 11101

718.361.0707

R/V/G Train to Queens Plaza

www.sageamericankitchen.com

Skillet Brownies - A Fudgy, Scoopable Delight

It's no secret that I love dessert--and mostly chocolate. While brownies are a dear favorite of mine, I despise the generic cake mixes that give it an artificial, flavorless taste. That's why I got excited when I stumbled upon a from-scratch brownie recipe, making use of an unconventional baking tool, the skillet.

Besides the fact that the recipe was super easy and was made from ingredients I already had at home, it was fun to serve and simple to store. All I had to do was scoop it out with an ice cream scoop. The messy yet fun presentation was a nice surprise to my friends who I served it to. I think they appreciated the simplicity and loved the fudgy, homemade taste. I recommend this brownie to novices and experienced cooks alike.

To get the recipe, click here. Note: you can substitute the heavy cream for low-fat milk--I did and it turned out great.