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Presentation Matters: Your Guide to Dessert Plating.

By blog, Dessert Enhancement Comments Off on Presentation Matters: Your Guide to Dessert Plating.

As we indulge in a delicious plate, our senses are heightened with aroma and visual appeal, before our very first bite. The presentation matters, so make it impressive. Artistic plating, when done right, makes a promise to the consumer: You’re going to enjoy this.

Why it counts:

Food presentation is essential to the success of any dish. The wayPlated Slice of Banana Toffee Bourbon Cake the food appears on the plate is what tempts the eye and makes the guest crave discovering its flavor. It’s a feeling that resonates with us. Plating food is like preparing for a first date, you want to make a good impression. You know that you’re delicious and worthy of seconds, but your date isn’t sure. Visual appeal is just as important in the dining experience as is the taste left on the palate. Texture, form and color are all used to invoke emotions and aid in telling a story. The plating should be designed to introduce you to that story.

Illistration of Celebration Cupcake with statistic, 87% think about eating dessert one or more times per day

 

Now, more than ever, food presentation is crucial. Gen Z makes up one-third of the population and continues to grow in buying power. Social media is where they find information about food trends, where to buy, and determine whether or not it’s worth their time. According to a national study commissioned by Hershey, Gen Z loves dessert and 87% think about eating it at least once a day, if not more. They also want to share their dessert experience with others. “Desserts are the number one food that Gen Z photographs and 46 percent of Gen Zers have a picture of a dessert on their phone right now” – Hershey Insights. The passion this new generation expresses for dessert, is even more reason to pay extra attention to plate presentation.  

 

Tips to perfect presentation:Lemon Blueberry Cookie Plated with berries and berry sauce

  • Make sure all plates are sparkling clean: Dirty plates are a quick way to deter guests
  • Adapt the presentation to the occasion
  • Balance variety and contrast with texture: Plates with a hint of complexity draw the eye.
  • Garnish where appropriate: Bring a pop of color to a cheesecake
  • Match portion size with plate size: If the plates are too big, fill in space with a beautiful design.
  • Manipulate dimensions to further intrigue.

 

Unique ideas for dessert plating:

Sources:

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/importance-of-plating-your-food

http://www.chefseanbone.com/why-is-food-presentation-so-important/

https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/blog/worth-sharing-how-social-media-can-drive-dessert-sales-with-gen-z.html

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Takeout Solutions: Individually Wrapped Loaf Cakes

By blog, Individual Desserts, Manifesto Cookies & Bars, To-Go Desserts Comments Off on Takeout Solutions: Individually Wrapped Loaf Cakes

This past year has proven quite the challenge in adapting to our consumer needs. Our baked goods have always managed to bring richness and delight to menus across the country, but we’ve found there’s a more immediate need for solutions that are safe, easy to execute AND readily available. Our prepackaged desserts and food service to-go packaging resources have provided solutions. We’re here to announce our extension of individually wrapped Pullmans.

Consumers Demand Safety

Marble Chocolate Chip Pullman Product ImageToday’s climate has increased consumer food needs for safe packaging and labor-cutting products. Consumers have been screaming for versatile products that can be enjoyed on the go, without sacrificing wholesome ingredients. Since 2012, the demand for non-GMO snacks has risen 18.2%. At c-stores, 33% of consumers say they plan to purchase healthy items and 44.2% are willing to pay premium prices for those products. Operators need cross-functional products that cover all day-parts and eliminate waste. Enter Individually Wrapped Manifesto Pullmans. Our artisan loaf cakes use fresh and sustainable ingredients preserving the same indulgent taste found in the rest of our Manifesto line, packed up and ready to go wherever you go. They’re the perfect contact-less option that works great for take out or delivery, as grab-and-go options for c-stores, for catering, or as part of a bakery case display.

Banana Yogurt Swirl Manifesto Pullman product image

 

At Sweet Street, we’ve taken our passion to bake cleaner, more wholesome desserts to a new level with our Manifesto® line of cookies, bars and individually wrapped treats. Every batch of these Pullman loaves starts with all-butter, pure-cane-sugar and cage-free-eggs and promises ingredients that are GMO free, additive free and sustainable. In removing additives and GMO ingredients, the flavor of each Pullman has the chance to shine. Wholesome decadence meets grab-n-go goodness.

 

Ingredients that Care

Our individually wrapped artisan loaf cakes are abundant with fresh ingredients in their purest form; hand-pureed ripened bananas, the natural sweetness of sustainably grown chocolates, the sweet spice of Saigon cinnamon or the brightness of lemon. They’re free from GMO’s and all things artificial; additives, colors and flavor. Click here to learn more about our sustainable sourcing and ingredient initiatives.

Lemon Pullman Slice ImageLemon Pullman Manifesto® IW

A light, buttery lemon loaf cake made with pure creamy butter, for rich flavor, cage-free eggs and pure cane sugar.

 

Banana Yogurt Swirl Pullman Slice PictureBanana Yogurt Swirl Pullman Manifesto® IW

A moist, comforting loaf cake blended with freshly pureed ripened banana, pure creamery butter, cafe-free eggs and pure cane sugar. Swirled with the tangy coolness of low-fat yogurt and flecked with aromatic, sweet Saigon Cinnamon then showered with the natural goodness of toasted, rolled oats.

 

Cinnamon Swirl Pullman Slice ImageCinnamon Streusel Pullman Manifesto® IW

Sings of melt-in-your-mouth comfort.  Buttery, vanilla pound cake strewn throughout with sweetly, rich Saigon Cinnamon and chopped walnuts, made with pure creamery butter, cage-free eggs and pure cane sugar.

 

Marble Chocolate Chip Pullman Slice ImageChocolate Marble Pullman Manifesto® IW

A scrumptious vanilla and chocolate pound cake melded with pure-creamery-buttery-goodness, scattered generously throughout with the sweetness of sustainably sourced chocolate chips. Blended with only cage-free eggs and pure cane sugar.

 

With a 10 day ambient shelf-life, you can offer an always fresh, on-the-go breakfast, afternoon pick-me-up or late night, better-for-you indulgence. Ideal for boxed meals, catered events, coffee and snack kiosks, elevating your c-store offering or as a pre-portioned and contact-less, signature menu item. Their thaw and serve function make Pullman IW’s an ideal option in operator’s efforts to eliminate waste.

Assorted Individually Wrapped Pullman Slice ImagesIndividually wrapped treats with the same indulgent taste as our Manifesto bars and cookies ready to go for c-stores and catering. Local healthcare and senior living patients and employees can rejoice when they find new Pullman IW’s bundled with their morning coffee or with their lunch/dinner meals. These tasty cakes are perfect for in-home care delivery. Our local Meals on Wheels has already jumped on the bandwagon. Retailers can place them in kiosks, delis, or supermarkets. Whatever your segment, whatever your day-part needs, Pullman Manifesto IW’s answer the unmet wants and needs of today’s convenience consumers with a clean label of natural ingredients and a consideration for where those ingredients come from.

Pullman IW’s are in national distribution, can be found at DOT and they’re available for direct purchase on our DSD site. Contact us today to order your first shipment, so your customers can sing the delicious song of goodness on the go!

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Let’s hear it for desserts that go crunch.

By blog, Caramel Desserts, Chocolate Desserts Comments Off on Let’s hear it for desserts that go crunch.

The allure of  “sweet” is what ultimately sells a patron on dessert. But don’t underestimate the importance of texture as well when it comes to enticing those post-meal impulse purchases.

Think about the universal appeal of crunchy textures. Now imagine how crunch can add even more cravability to your decadent dessert offerings. The fact is, texture is a key driver for taste perception and is predicted to become even more important to consumers.1

Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch Bande

A sweet-salty Georgia peanut butter crisp, creamy milk chocolate frosting and a gleaming lid of house-made sea salt caramel with brownie cake.

What’s more, the words “crisp” and “crunchy” are associated with a more sensory food experience.2 That gives you the perfect opportunity to elevate the appeal of your dessert offerings beyond the allure of luscious flavor alone.

Sweet Street answers the call for crunchy desserts with several crave-worthy offerings—some with the word “crunch” built right into the name. Our Salted Caramel Crunch Skillet Cookie, for instance, is an irresistible combination of browned butter, white chocolate, pretzel bits, sea salt and HEATH® toffee pieces. And our Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch Bande takes a tried-and-true flavor combination to a whole new place.

There are many other ways to satisfy your patrons’ cravings for crunching, including our “soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside” Crispy Bread Puddin’ Bites, our blissfully bite-sized Toffee Crunch Blondie and our refreshingly unique Peppermint Stack.

Add an irresistible combination of luscious flavor and crunchy goodness to your dessert menu with offerings from Sweet Street.

 

®The HEATH trademark is used under license.

1Innova Market Insights

2Sloan Trends

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As American as Apple Pie and as luscious as Sweet Street.

By blog Comments Off on As American as Apple Pie and as luscious as Sweet Street.

As the trees start to turn colors and the weather cools, Americans can choose between watching the pennant race in baseball or cheering on their fantasy football team each week. These traditions are as “American as apple pie” as the idiom goes.

Pie, now with its own holiday fittingly held on 3/14 each year, is “the most traditional American dessert” as repBig Apple Pieorted by the National Pie Council. And, the apple pie doesn’t fall far from the tree…according to Technomic’s The Desserts Consumer Trends Report, 55% of those surveyed would consider purchasing pie from a restaurant or other foodservice location after dinner.

“Desserts are still huge, but it’s all about the classics,” said Cathy Nash Holley, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Flavor & The Menu. “People are experimenting more with their dinner instead of at the end of the meal”. This trend is making traditional flavors like apple and cherry consumers’ pie and cobbler preferences, but richer pies like chocolate, cream and pumpkin are still very appealing, according to Technomic’s The Desserts Consumer Trends Report.

Sweet Street offers several pie options to satisfy patrons pie hunger—everything from fruit pies such as Caramel Apple Granny® and Big Apple Pie to candy bar pies such as The Big Blitz with SNICKERS® BAR Pie. Key Lime Pie will satisfy fans of tart treats while OREO® Cookie Bash and Chocolate Toffee Mousse are perfect for chocolate loving patrons.

 

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Raising the bar: Sweet Street takes chocolate to decadently different places

By blog Comments Off on Raising the bar: Sweet Street takes chocolate to decadently different places

Have you heard the news? Americans love chocolate. And in other top stories, the sky is blue and the ocean is wet. Yes, forgive us for stating the obvious. But the numbers are truly remarkable when you take a closer look.

According to data from Euromonitor, Americans will consume almost 18% (or around $18.27 billion worth) of the world’s chocolate confectionery by value in 2015. Two of the biggest drivers of this total are Valentine’s Day, with an average of $400 million worth of chocolate purchased by sweethearts in the U.S. and around the world; and Halloween, which sees 90 million pounds of chocolate enjoyed by trick-or-treaters (not to mention sweet-seeking moms and dads).

As you can imagine, the numbers translate favorably to foodservice as well. Chocolate still holds the number-one position in top dessert flavors by a substantial margin in both LSR and FSR operations.1

So what does this continued love affair with chocolate mean for you? A tried-and-true way to build incremental dessert sales. But just like any romance, you need to spice things up every now and then to keep the fire burning with your patrons.Just Chocolate Skillet Cookie

At Sweet Street, we offer many luscious ways to bring new excitement to chocolate. Our Choc’late Lovin’ Spoon Cake® is a giant mouthful of chocolate pudding between two layers of dark, moist chocolate-drenched chocolate cake. And our Molten Chocolate Cake is an individual dessert designed to be served warm, unleashing a rush of molten chocolate to your customers’ wild delight.

Beyond traditional cake offerings, Sweet Street dresses up chocolate in seductive new forms as well. The Just Chocolate Skillet Cookie and Sandy’s Amazing Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie are both as visually appealing as they are decadent. And our Brownie Bites are the perfect blend of bittersweet chocolate chunks, chips and HERSEY’S® KISSES® in fudgy, deep chocolate.

Finally, why not feature the Peruvian Swirl Cacao Bande made with single-origin, sustainably grown Peruvian chocolate. It’s the perfect way to give your patrons another great reason to love chocolate.

1Technomic’s 2013 Center of the Plate Trend Report
The HERSEY’S® and KISSES® trademarks are used under license.

 

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Feast your eyes. Dramatic presentation can drive dessert sales.

By blog Comments Off on Feast your eyes. Dramatic presentation can drive dessert sales.

The classic dessert cart (or tray) is a shining example of the power of visual stimulation. Slowly it makes its way around the dining room floor, tempting onlookers with a colorful and artistic array of decadent possibilities. And the better the desserts look, the bigger the opportunity to add impulse sales.combo plate

The fact is, visual presentation is proven to have an impact on how diners perceive the taste and value of a particular food, according to a study conducted by a team at Oxford University. That’s great news for operators who take full advantage with dramatic dessert presentations.

And the best part? Sweet Street has been dialing up the drama with dessert for over 36 years—appealing to both the eye and palate with luscious temptations. We can help you make the kind of impact that’s sure to thrill your patrons and drive sales.

When planning your menu, it’s always best to strike a balance of the most popular dessert flavors: chocolate, citrus, fruits & nuts and cheesecake. It’s no surprise that each of these makes its own unique visual impression.

For rich and indulgent appeal, chocolate is clearly king. One look at our Choc’Late Lovin’ Spoon Cake®, Molten Chocolate Cake and Just Chocolate Skillet Cookie says, “you are in for a decadent experience unlike any other.”

Meanwhile, brightly colored desserts promise a lighter and often more tart dessert experience. A classic example is our Greek Yogurt Blackberry Bande, which tantalizes with its marble-like burgundy swirl in Greek yogurt mousse.

 

Additional Bandes from Sweet Street feature the colors and textures that patrons crave. From the lemony appeal of our Minted Lemonade Bande, to flakes of toasted coconut on our Caramelized Pineapple Coconut Bande, to candied hazelnuts atop our Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Bande made with Nutella®, these offerings are skillfully crafted for stunning presentation.

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Sweet gets savory—salty, sweet and lusciously good to eat.

By blog, Individual Desserts, Salted Caramel Desserts Comments Off on Sweet gets savory—salty, sweet and lusciously good to eat.

The phenomenon of opposites attracting is never more evident than when salty and sweet get together. The irresistible combination has been interpreted in various dessert offerings for years—most notably in the form of salted caramel, which was developed by a French pastry chef in the early 1980’s.

In recent years, the popularity of salted caramel has skyrocketed. Research from CCD Innovation indicates that the incidence of salted caramel desserts on menus has increased 675% from 2010 to 2014.

We at Sweet Street have done our own luscious explorations of salty and sweet dessert offerings, many of which begin with salted caramel. Our Salted Caramel Individual Cheese is a classic dessert favorite that appeals to patrons. Plus, its convenient serving format makes it a great choice for picnics, pool parties and other summer gatherings.

For our caramel, we cook sugar until dark amber, then we stir in fresh whipping cream and butter. It's blended into the graham crumb crust, folded into a layer of the cheesecake batter and then salted and dolloped on top. Bruleed for a golden caramelized edge.

For our caramel, we cook sugar until dark amber, then we stir in fresh whipping cream and butter. It’s blended into the graham crumb crust, folded into a layer of the cheesecake batter and then salted and dolloped on top. Bruleed for a golden caramelized edge.

Another savory treat that’s perfect both for restaurant patrons and on-the-go customers is our Salted Caramel Crunch Skillet Cookie. It’s hand-mixed with browned butter, white chocolate pretzel bites, sea salt and HEATH® toffee pieces for a taste that’s simply out of this world.

Of course, the possibilities go beyond salted caramel as well. Our Sweet & Salty Blondie Bites are stuffed with butterscotch and chocolate chips, walnut pieces and shredded coconut. They get their savory kick from an unexpected source: kettle-fried potato chips. And for the full-on savory experience, explore our line of handcrafted pretzels.

The appeal of salty sweet desserts is certainly far reaching. But it’s still a good idea to offer a variety of flavor profiles to satisfy every patron taste. With summer in full swing, why not try our Summerberry Stack®? It features bright berries strewn across citrus-flecked cake for a cool, tart treat.

 The HEATH trademark is used under license.

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La Dolce Vita

By blog, Stay Amazed~ Sandy Solmon Comments Off on La Dolce Vita

Luc CookieI like to imagine early man’s first discovery of sweetness. Perhaps he saw honey dripping from a comb, or maybe his arrow pierced a tree and out dripped a sticky, delectable sap. He tasted the stuff and – eureka! What a transcendentally delightful experience that must have been.

HazdaLike primates the world over, we humans are attracted to the flavor of sweet things and find them delightful, sometimes even…necessary. Dessert is a pleasurable and deeply satisfying treat beloved by every culture on the planet.

Maple Sap2We come by our desire for sweets honestly, for a sweet taste means sugar and sugar means energy and energy — back in our hunter-gatherer days — meant the difference between life and death. Our earliest ancestors didn’t know where the next meal was coming from, so it made sense to chow down on energy-dense foods when one could.Bananas2

Sweetness is a joy and a biological imperative – a “deep, deep ancient craving,” according to Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman, (think mother’s milk). It’s no accident we prefer ripe to unripe fruits, because ripe fruits are sweeter and easier to digest. And their seeds are mature enough to survive the trip through our alimentary canal and back on out to the good earth where the cycle can begin again.

It’s also no accident we prefer sweet to bitter tastes, because our taste buds are designed to help us distinguish between sweet ripe food and bitter, sometimes harmful, even poisonous alkaloids. Way back when, it would have been a smart strategy to avoid bitter plants, just in case.

After all these years in the business of creating wonderfully decadent desserts, it never ceases to amaze me how often I am asked “how can you stay so thin, when you make such irresistible treats?” I often respond by pairing a profoundly simple line from In Defense of Food with my own homemade wisdom:

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants…” – Michael Pollan

“Followed guiltlessly by a luscious dessert, lovingly crafted from pure ingredients, like ours.” – Sandy Solmon

These two seemingly opposing points of view are perfectly compatible with my outlook on life; together, they are the underpinning of my personal approach to food and diet. When we eat well, but what we want and take our time of it — savoring each bite — it satisfies our deep, deep cravings and makes us happy. The irony of course is that when we choose to indulge, we tend not to overindulge. Ah, the mind’s conundrum!

Big Apple PieIf you find yourself at Expo Milano 2015 – or at any one of the thousand locations where Sweet Street desserts are sold – have yourself a piece of Our Big Apple Pie. It’s mostly plants (wink, wink), with mounds of tart fresh crisp apples, cinnamon’d apple cider, and crunchy granola’d crumbs. Savor it guiltlessly, with gusto and perhaps a caffè. It’s La Dolce Vita!

Stay amazed,

signature

 

 

Judi Harvest

Artist Judi Harvest has a passion for all things honey and I am passionate about the beauty and philosophic perspective of her work. This piece is part of my personal art collection, and reminds me each day of how precious the natural balance of our world is. The sculptor-painter-environmentalist has been creating artworks inspired by honeybees since 2006 when she learned about Colony Collapse Disorder and the massive, worldwide loss of honeybees. She decided to link her honey bee-inspired artworks to another group facing extinction, the glassmakers of Murano, Venice. “DENATURED: Honeybees + Murano” – a 2013 exhibition on the Grand Canal, at Scola dei Battioro e Tiraoro, Campo San Stae – began with Ms. Harvest creating a permanent honeybee garden on the grounds of the Linea Ariana glass factory, planting it with trees and flowers and establishing colonies of imported bees. She collected their honey, and packaged and displayed it at the gallery along with honeycomb textured glass sculptures she made in Murano.

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The flavors of summer are calling.

What flavor comes to mind when you think of summer? Maybe it’s the refreshing tartness of a glass of lemonade. Or perhaps it’s the bursting freshness of ripe fruits and berries. Now imagine these flavors dialed up in indulgently luscious desserts, and you’ve got even more reason to look forward to warmer weather.

Sweet Street helps you celebrate the season with treats that go hand-in-hand with rising mercury. Our Summerberry Stack is a natural place to start. It features bright berries strewn across citrus-flecked cake aswirl with cool, tart key lime pie and creamy white chocolate mousse. And what would go better poolside than a piece of Piña Colada Cake?

Greek Yogurt Blackberry Bande

Greek Yogurt Blackberry Bande

Sweet Street Bandes are also ideal for carefree summer days. Our Minted Lemonade Bande features an exotic Meyer lemon curd with a sprightly lemon mousseline. Our Greek Yogurt Blackberry Bande tempts with an intoxicating compote of sweet vine-ripened blackberries mellowed with California cabernet. And our Strawberry Vanilla Bean Basil Bande delights with crème brulée mousse, bright strawberry compote and a savory touch of our basil glaze.

Speaking of savory, don’t forget that summertime can also be a great time for heartier fare—particularly with Father’s Day coming in June. Our Black Angus Hot Dog Handcrafted Pretzel pays homage to a staple of the ballpark. And our pre-proofed Classic Butter Croissant or Multigrain Croissant is the perfect way to begin a full-flavored sandwich.

Top it all off with the pièce de résistance of decadent desserts, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with REESE’S® Peanut Butter Cups, and the living is decidedly delicious in the summertime.

 

The REESE’S trademark is used under license.

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American Desserts, American Women

By blog, Stay Amazed~ Sandy Solmon Comments Off on American Desserts, American Women

Back in 1979 when I started Sweet Street, women were streaming into the workforce and out of the kitchen. America began eating out, and with a sudden shortage of chefs, the country needed prepared foods. Talk about “being in the right place at the right time.” In reincarnating myself from photojournalist to baker I found surprising acceptance in this male-dominated industry of food. It was somehow more okay for an entrepreneurial woman like me to bake my way to success (like Mom!) than try my hand at savory foods. It still makes me chuckle to think that 35 years later I’ve achieved international leadership in an industry I entered through the back door.

It’s been an amazing journey, and there have been times I felt as if I were navigating an uncharted course, unwittingly begun with my dog-eared copy of Irma Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking. I launched this blog in part to ground me in my own history, but the process is opening up much bigger stories about the web of relationships that make what I do possible. As I looked into the history of American desserts, I discovered a beautiful story of women who channeled their prodigious energy and talents into making sweet, welcoming treats for people to enjoy. I’m proud to be part of their tradition.  xo~Sandy


American desserts bear the stamp of influences unique to this nation – a mostly rural lifestyle, where people ate what they grew on the vast and fertile land, and where literate women in the kitchen by necessity made simple meals.

With no pasticceria down the block, Mom made apple pie, and this homey tradition continues to set American desserts apart from their fine and fancy European counterparts.Amelia Simmons1

As the 19th century came to a close, American ingenuity was about to change this terrain. Cross country rail and industrialization made convenience products like flour, sugar and baking powder, readily available to the home cook – think automated flour milling from inventor Oliver Evans, and affordable refined sugar, thanks to monopolist Henry Havermayer. Creativity bloomed in an increasingly urbanized culture enriched by the tastes and techniques of immigrants from every corner of the earth – including the Ghirardelli family, whose San Francisco factory, launched 160 years ago, makes them America’s oldest continuously operating chocolate makers.

Milan Product Group Shot (2)

At Food Truck Nation, Sweet Street Desserts will offer Expo visitors a delectable, true-blue sampling of desserts with a quintessentially American blending of tradition and innovation– plus a certain something of my own. Let’s take a look at four iconic examples.

The Brownie

Legend has it that, on the eve of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Bertha Palmer – wife of Palmer hotel owner Potter Palmer and president of the Ladies Board for Managers for the Fair – was tasked with creating a dessert appropriate for the boxed lunches served at the Women’s Pavilion. The brownie-like result, though not called a “brownie,” stands alongside other Columbian Exposition firsts including Cracker Jack, Shredded Wheat, Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Ferris Wheel.

The first printed chocolate brownie recipe appeared in the 1906 edition of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book, by Fannie Merritt Farmer. According to Michael Krondl in Sweet Invention, the powerhouse known as “the mother of level measurement” recognized that “the scientific approach is best suited to dessert making, for it is in baking that the domestic scientist most closely resembles the chemist.”

Ms. Farmer might recognize Sweet Street’s Peruvian Chocolate Brownie as a distant heir to her original creation, but I’m sure she would be astonished by its chewy, fudgy sophistication, and the faintly bitter edge to its deep, dark, intensely fruity taste. Chemistry and innovation never tasted so good.

New York Cheesecake

The 1st century Roman historian Cato wrote about a honeyed ricotta cake made to honor household spirits, but 21st century New Yorkers know that only New York Cheesecake – made with pure cream cheese, cream, eggs, and sugar – is the genuine article. The first requirement is not ricotta, Neufchatel or cottage cheese, but cream cheese, which was invented in 1872 by New York dairyman William Lawrence. “Philadelphia” became its brand name, after the city considered at that time to be the center of top quality food.

It was Arnold Reuben who history credits with inventing the first cheesecake made with Philadelphia cream cheese, not to mention the Reuben sandwich. (I can’t help but wonder about Mrs. Reuben’s influence.) In 1929, Reuben served the cheesecake at his legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City, and the rest is delicious.

In my kitchen, we don’t argue with history. We innovate.

We mix cream cheese, eggs and cream; slow-bake it to perfection in a graham crust; and then (here’s the magic) we hand-fire the top, creating a thin, dazzling crust, like on a crème brulee, whose unique flavor depth comes not from the showy sugar topping but from scorching the cream. Voila! Sweet Street’s Big Cheese Brulee.

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

America’s most popular cookie was invented in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield, a dietician and home economics teacher who, with her husband, Kenneth, ran the Toll House Restaurant south of Boston. Some accounts describe the cookie as an accident, bits of chocolate having fallen into the mixer by mistake – or that she ran out of baking chocolate and substituted semi-sweet, thinking it would disburse. But Ruth was a meticulous chef, famed for her desserts and well-schooled in the ways of chocolate, and such carelessness is unlikely. History couldn’t possibly have minimized the contributions of a woman, could it?Toll House4

In any event, Ms. Wakefield broke up a candy bar of Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate (chips wouldn’t be invented until 1941) and called her creation “Toll House Crunch Cookies” – the crunchy bits were walnuts. As the popularity of the cookie soared, so did sales of Nestlé’s chocolate. She and Andrew Nestle agreed: Nestle would print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its package, and Wakefield got a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate.

Invention didn’t stop at the Toll House, or with chocolate chips. We Americans mix all kinds of things in our cookie dough! Sandy’s Amazing Chocolate Chunk is bursting with chocolate morsels and topped with coarse pretzel salt, jaunty chocolate coins, and chunks of bitter-sweet, semi-sweet and creamy milk chocolate. And my Salted Caramel Cookie combines sweet and salty in an all-butter caramelized cookie mixed milky white chocolate, crisp pretzel bites, and crunchy Heath® toffee pieces.

Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treat

In 1939, two more lady food scientists – Mildred Day and Malitta Jensen – invented the Rice Krispie Treat in the Kellogg test kitchen by adding melted marshmallows and butter to the company’s brand new breakfast cereal. A request by the Camp Fire Girls for ideas for a fundraiser prompted a market test, and Americans have been enjoying the crunchy, gooey treat ever since. My Gluten-Free Marshmallow Bar with brown butter and sea salt is, shall we say, a more sophisticated version, and every bit as fun.

Here’s to ladies in the kitchen!

Stay Amazed,

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