I'm sure to those who read my posts on a regular basis, it's obvious I've been in a baking slump for a while now. To be honest, there's a lot of reasons for it but I'm not going to bore you with them.
The point is, I'm trying to get out of it. In my attempt to do so, I've been taking time alone to go dessert bar hopping around Houston in search of inspiration and ideas! (Not a bad deal, taste-testing through cupcakes, cakes, macarons, etc. but I might need to run several miles for all those calories! Ha!) It's helped me a little bit, and I'd like to share a few photos with you all.
My best friend loves their cupcakes and I actually do as well! I'm typically not a big fan of cupcakes but theirs is never dry, always so flavorful and the frosting is the perfect amount in proportion to cake. I tried the Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Marshmallow (which had marshmallow fluff inside!) Yummy.
Do you know how much self-control it takes to not indulge in these cupcakes and get good pictures? The same day, I stopped by William's Sonoma right next to Sprinkles to browse through their cookware and baking tools. They always have the coolest stuff but mostly out of my budget! One day though, I will treat myself to a shopping spree in that store. I did settle for candy though.
Next, I went to Central Market's Pastry Department. I bought a Mango Mousse Cake for Ben's family, and the lady was even nice enough to let me sample a small slice before buying it. I don't have a picture, but I liked it because it had that mango sweetness as opposed to sugary sweetness. It was smooth, moist and simple. I wish I took a picture, the cake was small but looked very elegant. Here are a few of their displays though:
Cupcakes, macarons! I sampled a Neopolitan selection of Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate. My mom liked them too, and she's not much of a dessert person.
Their Easter display and fruit tarts.
All their beautiful cakes! I wanted to buy every.single. one.
One day I'll try to recreate these.
Last stop: Dolce Delights
It's a fairly new pastry shop, not even a few months old. I stopped by the third day they opened and had a Tiramisu Cake Truffle. It was okay to be honest, but nothing special. I wanted to stop by again though and try the other pastries.
This time I had a White Chocolate Passion Fruit Mousse Cake and a box of Macarons.
I enjoyed the cake a lot. When I spoke to Candace (the owner) the first time I went, she mentioned how her goal was to make pastries using natural fruit flavors to keep the sweetness from overpowering the taste. I could definitely taste what she meant. The white chocolate mousse was the perfect base to go with the tartness of the fruit. The tiny tapioca looking things popped and bursted juice, which I wasn't expecting since I thought it would be chewy. I asked what they were called but I can't remember what the name was. It definitely wasn't tapioca though.
As far as the Macarons, I can't say it was better than the ones I had from Central Market. They were a bit hard, and crumbled when you took a bite (which I heard shouldn't happen to good Macarons) but either way, I liked them! I know it can be a difficult process to make, so I'm not judging too harshly. The flavors were supposed to be Lavender, Strawberry, Orange and I think Almond and Pistachio. I think it could've used a bit more flavor as well since they were so subtle I wouldn't have been able to tell what flavors they were if I hadn't been told ahead of time.
Don't they look so pretty though?
I was able to take a few pictures of the place as well and I like how clean and contemporary it is. The fresh flowers on each table was also a nice touch! It was pretty but not girly and a good spot for dessert after a dinner date. They also serve coffee and teas as well. It wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe sell wines either to pair with the desserts. I'd love to go visit a shop that does this. If you know of any in Houston or Katy, let me know!
Overall, it's definitely a place I would visit again and take friends to. If you live in Houston or if you ever happen to visit, take the time to stop by! I'm sure you'd all enjoy it as much as I did.
Sprinkles
4014 Westheimer Road Houston, TX 77027
Central Market
3815 Westheimer Road Houston, TX 77027
Dolce Delights
3201 Louisiana St. Houston, TX 77006
Next time, I want to do a post on my favorite coffee shop in Midtown and a few others I've been meaning to visit. So stay posted if you're interested!
P.S. I did NOT consume all of this in one day in case you were wondering! Haha.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post! Which ones were your favorite? Where do you like to go for desserts in your town? Please share! Who knows, maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to travel and discover other great places outside of Texas. I'm always happy to read your comments!
