sweet

Seasonal Chocolate Pop-Up Shop in Harvard Square

Published on December 18, 2016December 18, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Allison Kao ’20

I found heaven tucked between a Starbucks and pizza parlor.

Its name? Somerville on the Charles – a charming chocolate pop-up shop that is making its winter home on Harvard Square’s Church Street, keeping the space normally occupied by Lizzy’s Ice Cream cozy during the colder months.

The shop, which is open 11am to 11pm, seven days a week from December to February, is a collab between Gâté Comme des Filles and Somerville Chocolates, each run separately by chocolatiers Alexandra Whisnant and Eric Parkes.

While the storefront only spans the width of a door and window display, its quaint, unassuming appearance by no means embodies the bold flavors of its chocolates.

There are two main types of treats – French-style bon bons (provided by Gâté Comme des Filles) and chocolate bars (provided by Somerville Chocolates). Bon bons are creamy ganaches hand-dipped in a thin chocolate coating. With only two ingredients, cacao and sugar, the bean-to-bar chocolate brings sweetness down to its core raw goodness. The shop’s most popular items are the Hawaiian chocolate bar and honey-walnut and vanilla bean bon bons.

Everything is made in small batches, so flavors rotate daily. In addition, ingredients are chosen with great care – in fact, the honey, peppermint, and thyme are all sourced from right here in Cambridge.

Somerville on the Charles also offers to-die-for brownies and a rich, decadent mousse that’s scooped into cones like ice cream (what more could you ask for?!).

And if you’re looking for a holiday gift, check out the 4-piece giftbox or a combination of the Nicaraguan and Hawaiian chocolate bars.

At least for the next three months, I know where I’ll be going to satisfy my sugar fix.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oreo Icebox Cake

Published on March 28, 2016March 28, 2016 by danielleleavittLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt

I’m getting my sweet tooth back after a winter of warm soups and comfort food. I’m craving something frozen, with whipped cream, cookies, and peanuts….like a hot fudge sundae! This Peanut Butter Oreo Icebox Cake takes the traditional hot fudge sundae to the next level. It is easy, NO BAKE, all gluten-free, and I promise you will enjoy it. Have fun with this one! You can use many different toppings like peanuts, strawberries, M&M’s, chocolate chips, and caramel or hot fudge sauces.

Ingredients:

1 16oz container Cool Whip or other nondairy whipped topping

1 ½ cups peanut butter, crunchy or creamy (it is easiest to use a creamier based peanut butter for mixing and spreading purposes)

¾ cup fudge sauce

¼-1/3 cup crushed peanuts

2 boxes gluten free Oreo cookies (I use Glutino brand)

8 x 8 aluminum baking pan lined with non-stick tin foil

Preparation:

Create four rows of Oreos along the bottom of the aluminum pan

In a separate bowl, mix the Cool Whip and peanut butter until totally combined

Spread ½ of the peanut butter mixture over the Oreo’s, then top with another layer of Oreo’s

Drizzle ½ cup of the fudge sauce over top

Spread on the remaining peanut butter mixture and drizzle on top the remaining fudge sauce

Crumble all the remaining Oreo’s and sprinkle them, along with the peanuts or other toppings, over the top

7. Place in refrigerator 4-8 hours, or preferably in freezer for 3-4 hours

8. Slice and enjoy!

Spring has sprung, and it’s great to enjoy a gluten-free frozen treat that is so easy to make and tastes great!!!!!

“Fall” In Love: With Pumpkin Pie (Or Something Like It)

Published on November 16, 2015January 25, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

This week, I had a desperate desire to have a fall classic: the pumpkin pie. I like to think of pumpkin pie as the taste of fall. Its sweet taste packed in a squishy orange gloop of heavenliness evokes the sensation of autumn. As I walked through the changing trees and piles of fallen leaves in Harvard Yard, my cravings for some pumpkin pie only grew. And so, I got out my phone, and – like a true foodie – immediately searched “best pumpkin pie” on my trusty Yelp app.

The first pastry shop, Petsi Pies, listed on Yelp looked very promising. It had 4/5 stars out of 234 reviews, and the ones specifically on the pumpkin pie were positive. Best of all, it was only an eight-minute walk away. Unfortunately, Petsi Pies closes at 6:00PM, and my schedule for this week didn’t allow me to leave Lamont (AKA the Pit of Despair) until much later.

Lamont pumpkin pie. Not the best, but enough to satisfy cravings for a night.

And so, despondent, I went out for a brief walk around Harvard Square and – lo and behold! – I saw that Pinkberry had new seasonal flavors out that included pumpkin pie. I’d never had a pumpkin pie-flavored froyo before, but I was desperate so I entered the store and had the pumpkin pie frozen yogurt for the first time.

I was pleasantly surprised. I’d feared the worst – that it would taste like a pale, cold imitation of my favorite fall dessert – but it actually wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was a nice blend of the best things about froyo and pumpkin pie.

Pinkberry’s pumpkin pie froyo with toasted almonds and milk chocolate crunch toppings.

My cravings were sufficiently satisfied that night, and I learned to not be afraid to try new things. But next week, I’m looking forward to having a huge slice of some delicious, resplendent, and simply amazing gloop of heavenly wonder.

Killer Carrot Cake

Published on November 9, 2015January 25, 2016 by The Crimson Crave1 Comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

I’ll be the first to admit it: I usually hate carrot cake. When one is eating on cake, why in the world would they pick the one with the vegetable in it? That defeats the purpose of eating cake, right?!

Well, this recipe for carrot cake proved me wrong. Call me converted! Every time I’ve made this recipe, not only do I, the self-proclaimed-carrot-cake hater, have at least two helpings, but so does everyone else. And as I stuff my face with as much carrot cake as I possibly can, I justify that it’s healthy because it has vegetables in it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded carrot

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

18 0z. can of pineapple

For Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

For the cake, combine ingredients in the order given. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

For the frosting, combine ingredients in the order given. Make as much as you feel is necessary (read: make a lot because its delicious).

Usually, I let the cake cool completely, and then frost the cake, because the cake ends up looking prettier. But in terms of taste, it is much better to let the cake cool for 20 minutes, frost it, and dig in ASAP.

A Trick or Treat Tasting

Published on October 30, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Landy Erlick ’19

If you noticed some bright orange signs and balloons on the sidewalk recently, you may have been lucky enough to stumble upon Harvard Scare in Harvard Square, the October 29^th festive start to an event-filled weekend hosted by the Harvard Square Business Association. In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, the food sampling was both spicy and sweet.

The set up boasted tables from great restaurants and shops in the Bow and Arrow district, including Boston Burger Company, Follow the Honey, Salt and Olive, Grafton Street, Hong Kong Restaurant, and Zinneken’s. To add to the ambiance, a talented jazz band called Scubaphone played through the whole event, clad in Halloween costumes no less!

What the event lacked in grandiosity, it made up for in flavor. Grafton Street offered a beautiful spoonful of tuna tartar, and Follow the Honey – whose staff was decked out in fancy beekeeping gear – had a great selection from which you could taste. Zinneken’s waffle bites were a delicious treat to end the night. Since they’re made from a dough and not a batter, they have a great, thicker texture that makes them all the more satisfying.

The sampling might be over, but these restaurants are here to stay. ‘Till next year!

“Fall” In Love: With Everything Pumpkin

Published on October 19, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

When I was four, pumpkin was my least favorite vegetable. It has since become one of the best; a seasonal flavor I can’t pass up. Pumpkin chai latte, pumpkin spice, and the classic pumpkin pie – I can eat those all day long. So this weekend, I made it my mission to go to three different eateries and try out their pumpkin-themed desserts.

Every day is J.P. Licks Day. Above is a waffle cone with pumpkin custard and white coffee chunk.

My first stop was, of course, at J.P. Licks. Its location right across from the Yard is both a blessing and a curse; whenever I want ice cream, I don’t have to walk far to get some, but its closeness always tempts me every day.

I had a small in a waffle cone of two of J.P. Licks’ Flavors of the Month: pumpkin custard and white coffee chunk. The white coffee chunk was a delicious blend of coffee and chocolate – two things that I can never resist. The pumpkin custard was good, but I felt like the pumpkin flavor wasn’t strong enough.

Then, I walked over to Tealuxe to have some fall-themed tea and tea cake. I had the chaider, a blend of hot apple cider and cinnamon chai. It definitely warmed me up from the cold weather outside. But, I saved my Pumpkin Tea Cake to eat at my next stop:

Also located at 0 Brattle St., Sweet has simply amazing cupcakes that everyone should try.

Sweet, a cozy bakery filled with some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had, ended my day on a high note. They had a nice variety of fall-themed desserts, and at least three different kinds of pumpkin flavored cupcakes. I ordered the pumpkin pie cupcake, and relished every bite of it.

Tealuxe’s Chaider and Pumpkin Tea Cake & Sweet’s Pumpkin Pie cupcake.

The pumpkin is one of fall’s greatest classic flavors, and my mission to find delicious pumpkin-flavored desserts clearly demonstrates why it remains popular season after season.

“Fall” In Love: A New Series About Uniquely Fall Food and Drinks

Published on October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

The breeze is blowing, the leaves are taking on lovely red and gold hues – and the delicious scent of cinnamon and pumpkin are wafting in the air. Autumn has finally arrived, and with it are new, seasonal food and drinks.

Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cider, and Caramel Apple are only a few of the numerous flavors that are available only during the fall. And I’m going on a mission to try as many seasonal pastries, drinks, ice cream, cakes, pies, anything and everything that I can – and fall in love with each and every one of them.

Autumn is definitely my favorite season. The weather is in the perfect balance of hot and cold, and fall fashion is indisputably the best fashion. Coats, booties, tights, scarves – the possibilities and outfits are endless.

But most of all, the fall-specific menus many restaurants and cafes have makes autumn the real winner. The only detraction is that these foods are available only during a few months of the year. But, this exclusivity might be what makes Pumpkin Spice – and all the other fall flavors – impossible not to love.