Sweet Week 2016
Sweet Week has come and gone again, and Melody and I were able to visit several places, many which were new to us. Each place we visited seemed to be doing brisk sales of their specials, and a couple had even run out by the time we got there.
This year we tried to concentrate on either places we hadn't been to before or ones which were serving things that we hadn't tasted. We made it to ten locations, the same as last year. However, since we doubled up at a couple places, we actually ended up getting more desserts.
Gelatiamo
Settembre, an individual cheesecake-inspired semifreddo: graham cracker-style crust made with almond-hazelnut biscotti, with a cool, creamy almond-flavored cream cheese semifreddo, and a core of smooth gianduja gelée.
We didn't wait long enough before starting to eat the semifreddo, so pieces started flying around as we dug in with our sppons. We did manage, though, and enjoyed its contrast between the almond and ganache.
Trophy Cupcakes
A Trio of Floral Macarons: lavender latte, elderflower, and rose.
We ended up with elderflower macarons. Subtle flavors, but definitely floral. Nicely done, but then again, we're pretty spoiled with several Seattle bakeries which sell very good macarons.
Dahlia Bakery
Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle; Apple Brandy Upside-Down Cakelets.
Both of these were quite good. The parfait wasn't overpowering with either the chocolate or the peanut butter, and the cakelet had a good balance of flavors.
Trove
Honey Moon Pie Parfait: graham cracker cookie, marshmallow filling, burnt honey frozen custard, chocolate magic shell.
This parfait was very popular; several people got it while we were there. The marshmallows were nice and fresh, and the custard was really good.
Amandine
Pistachio, Huckleberry, and Almond Friand; Sour Cherry, Coconut, and Dark Chocolate Macaron Glacé.
The friand was very well done, with the flavors blending really well. The macaron was pretty good, but I tasted the coconut much more than the cherry.
Theo Chocolate
Flight of Fall Confections: pear balsamic ganache, apple cider caramel, and fig fennel ganache.
We knew these would be the same as what we've had before, but it's hard to pass up Theo. In previous years, the apple cider was a jelly-type confection.
Hot Cakes
Chocolate & Stout Sundae: house made Pike XXXXX Stout caramel dark chocolate brownie, barley crumble, Pike XXXXX Stout, Bluebird chocolate ice cream (for those under 21, the dessert will be made without the stout).
Not very boozy at all (Hot Cakes has some very boozy desserts) and the barley crumble had a great flavor and texture.
D'Ambrosio Gelato
Nocciola & Cioccolato (hazelnut & chocolate) Semifreddo topped with Hot Cakes’ Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and Smoked Maldon.
We saw several of these being sold while we were in the store. The caramel went really well with everything else, and the presentation was great.
Krista's Baking Co.
Baking Mix Sampler: salted espresso chocolate chip cookie, snickerdoodle cookie, oatmeal cookie, dark chocolate brownie, rosemary shortbread, confetti cookie.
Krista's doesn't have a retail storefront, but they opened their warehouse for Sweet Week. The brownie and chocolate chip were especially good, and the shortbread had really good flavor with the rosemary.
Hello Robin
Open face Ice Cream Sandwich with vanilla ice cream, Hello Robin chocolate chip cookie, homemade fudge sauce, vanilla whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles.
The cookie was really great, and we enjoyed the rest of the sundae, too. We sat at the large work table where the workers were cleaning up after having mixed up a batch of batter.
Missed opportunities
We tried to pick up a High 5 Pie at Cone and Steiner, but they had run out by the time we got there. High 5 used to be at the University Bookstore, which was very convenient. After they stopped being in that café, we sometimes went to their retail store. Alas, that closed, so the most convenient place to get High 5 products is at Fuel in Wallingford.
I tried going to A La Mode to get the peanut butter banana pie, but they were out. Had to settle for a slice of cherry.
Fresh Flours was closing as I walked by, so there was another dessert I missed out on.
Even though we didn't get all the desserts we tried for, we still got to a lot of places and had some great treats!
