December: Treats & Eats

It's almost December and that means.... it's time for cake! Forget pumpkin pie, visions of sugarplums are dancing in our heads already. Here are our holiday faves and where you can find them in NYC:

Babka: Breads, one of our favorite bakeries in the city, has the undisputed BEST babka in the city. Niko Triantafillou of Serious Eats comments "The Breads babka..has carved out a niche as one of New York's signature destination treats. And for good reason. Imagine a pain au chocolat overstuffed to the point of bursting with chocolate hazelnut spread, then twisted inside out and baked..Yet despite the richness, the layers of dough and chocolate are surprisingly well balanced, and the buttery flakes of the lamination shine through to form wonderful crunchy edges. Best of all, Breads bakes several times a day, so your chances of getting a fresh babka after work shoot way up."

Buche de Noel: Our favorite baker, Dominique Ansel, is upping the ante this year by offering THREE versions of this holiday treat. Eater mentions "This year at DAK, Ansel is offering three different kinds of bûches de Noël: gluten-free chocolate, chestnut, and cherry almond gingerbread. Each serves between six and eight people and costs $42. Pre-orders are required" so you better order soon!

Eggnog: One of our fave ice cream makers, Adirondack Creamery, makes an absolutely sublime Eggnog Ice Cream each winter. We like to pair it with Spoonable's butterscotch topping and eat it while wearing our silk pajamas to make it feel extra decadent (see photo)!

Peppermint: Our favorite milkshake maker has a one-of-a-kind holiday cake. Christina Tosi is baking up a Grasshopper Cake for their specialty treat this year: "alternating chocolate chip cake and chocolate malt cake, layered with mint cheesecake, rich chocolate crumbs and finished with a cookies & cream frosting! on the menu through December, it’s the perfect holiday match for those frosty winter days!"

image from Milk Bar (yum).