Date of publication 06/08/2017
Food trends The most unusual desserts in the United States
You'll want to try them and post them on Instagram!
Edible art desserts
These aren’t just desserts—they are edible works of art that delight both the palate and Instagram feeds. The craze for this mix of psychedelia and flavor has taken hold in New York and Miami, becoming yet another travel incentive and a sweet excuse to save room for dessert. And, of course, for the photo.
CRONUT, FROM DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY
Born in France but based in New York, in his Soho, Manhattan shop, pastry chef Dominique Ansel decided to merge his two worlds into one dessert, giving birth to the Cronut. As its name suggests (and its appearance confirms), it is half croissant, half donut, topped with various frosting flavors (from classic chocolate to champagne). When it launched in May 2013, people lined up from 5 a.m. to try the limited daily batches. Today, it can be enjoyed more easily, though it remains a bestseller and can still sell out.
FREAKSHAKES, FROM BLACK TAP CRAFT BURGERS & BEER
Moderation and restraint are not concepts that fit well with the American mindset. And the same goes for food. Known for their XXL-sized sodas and coffees, why shouldn’t milkshakes be of exaggerated proportions too? That’s what the restaurant Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer in Manhattan asked itself when they created their Freakshakes: freak, monstrous milkshakes, with room for anything you can imagine, always keeping color and flavor harmony. The strawberry one, for example, comes with all pink toppings they can think of, from donuts to cotton candy. And the chocolate one is topped with cookie, brownie, and cream.
WAFFLES, FROM EGGLOO
Eggloo is another New York bakery where it’s common to find a long line of people waiting, almost any time of day. Why? Because they were the first to combine Hong Kong-style waffles (Gai Dan Jai in its original name and bubble waffles in English) with ice creams in modern flavors like matcha or black sesame, and colorful, dense toppings like mochi or Fruity Pebbles cereal. The combination? An instant Instagram hit that created those lines at the shop that you can still visit. People also come for their ice cream cookie sandwiches with unique flavors such as deep purple ube or water yam.
ICE CREAM IN CHURRO, FROM CHIKALICIOUS
Its technical name is Churro Ice Cream Cone. Literal translation: ice cream in a churro cone. After the cronut craze and all the croissant fusion variations, pastry chefs and ice cream makers in New York, Los Angeles, or Miami began experimenting with another sweet that, thanks to Latin influence in these cities, is becoming increasingly popular: the churro. Judging by Instagram results, the most successful creation was this invention from Chikalicious, where they replaced the classic ice cream cone with one made from churro dough that is warm and creates a delicious combination of temperatures.
UNICORN PARADE, FROM NEW TERRITORIES
“Things don’t always make sense” is the motto of this bakery founded a year ago in the trendy Lower East Side of New York, where they’ve borrowed the best of every sweet trend, the most original and viral desserts from around the world, and added an extra twist of madness. Thus, our eyes are drawn to their Unicorn Parade, or batucorn, as we like to rename it: a vanilla ice cream shake with marshmallows, chocolate sticks, whipped cream, caramel sprinkles, and Fruity Pebbles cereal dust that combines two trends in one: overcrowded shakes, the freakshakes we saw, and the unicorn world.
THE RAINBOW BAGEL, FROM THE BAGEL STORE
Scott Rossillo doesn’t like to be called a pastry chef; he defines himself as “a bagel artist.” This type of savory roll, with a hole in the middle like a donut and of Polish origin yet a New York pride, is “a blank canvas” for the owner of The Bagel Store in Brooklyn. One day he decided to add colors to the dough, resulting in this rainbow bagel, which tastes like any traditional bagel but is far more photogenic. So much so that when he started posting them on social media, he had to ramp up production.
FLAVORED RICE PUDDING, FROM RICE TO RICHES
Coconut, Oreo, rum and raisin, mascarpone and berries, chocolate, walnut pie… All flavors are possible at this long-established Nolita shop, the neighborhood next to Little Italy in Manhattan. Flavors that would shock Asturian grandmothers but pleasantly surprise once you find your favorite. Plus, the creaminess of the rice pudding with any topping you like is exactly what you want from this dessert that feels uniquely yours. And then there’s the signage and design. Just for collecting their bowls and color palettes, you’ll want to return again and again.
MACARONS
If Parisians were to look up… they wouldn’t recognize the macarons of their love. This small, colorful, bite-sized French treat is multiplied in size and use in the U.S. The pastry chef —French-born, by the way— François Payard punched a hole in the macaron, enlarged it, and called it a macaron donut. It seems simple, but it’s an exclusive creation as he only makes two per day, and, of course, madness ensued. At Milk Bar, on the other hand, they turned it into an ice cream sandwich cookie with the filling coated in colorful cereals to heighten the fantasy. There are several stores around the city to enjoy these incredible and delicious desserts.
JARS BY DANI
Think of your favorite desserts, your preferred cakes, and now put them in a divine little glass jar. Another seemingly simple idea that Dani Beckerman had first—and by chance—while preparing dessert for a dinner with friends. Now his jars of red velvet, strawberry, lemon, or white chocolate cakes are sold in specialty stores across the U.S. and can also be ordered online. Like many, his success came via Instagram: he posted a photo of the first jars he made for his party, and the next thing he knew, he had a successful business.
