Will you be my bridesmaid?

Georgetown Cupcake 
111 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012 
www.georgetowncupcake.com

What’s a better way to ask your girls to be your bridesmaids and maids of honor, then to ask them with a pretty cupcake? I’m a huge cupcake lover, so this is probably not my most creative way to ask the girls, but definitely the most expected from me. :P

Strawberry and vanilla cupcakes

Georgetown Cupcake is a cute cupcake chain located in Soho, that recently opened early this year. These good-looking cupcakes are dressed to impress with their decorative fondant hearts, that comes inside GC's iconic pink boxes. It’s like getting a Tiffany box with a much sweeter surprise in it. The girl helping me at the shop was really sweet and nice, making my experience at the shop very pleasant. She even threw in a free cupcake congratulating me, after I bought six boxes of cupcakes. That totally made my day. These decadent cupcakes are the perfect combination of cute, girly, sweet and of course yummy! I'm so glad all my girls said yes. :)

Mickey’s rating: 8/10 
Price range: $$

Wooly's Ice is nice

Wooly's Ice 
79 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10013

Wooly’s Ice is a yummy collaboration between three cousins, established the summer of 2011. I’ve only managed to catch them twice since they opened. So when I finally bumped into Wooly’s Ice stand again at South Street Seaport, it was an unexpected yet delightful surprise because I’ve been craving Wooly's for months.

Meet one of Wooly's Co-Founder/Co-Owner, David Sat

This Hawaiian and Taiwanese inspired shaved ice is a healthier alternative to Pinkberry and Red Mango treats. The flavored ice comes in different flavors, such as mango, strawberry, green tea, or my favorite - condensed milk! The big block of flavored ice is shaved paper thin with a frozen cotton candy texture that’s fluffy and delicious. It’s like eating fresh powdered snow soaked up in sweet delectable flavors, laced with condensed milk, and topped with amazingly fresh fruits. 

Berry delicious shaved ice is so refreshingly good

Mango madness with fresh mango and blueberry

Original condensed milk flavored shaved ice topped with fresh strawberry, kiwi, and a drizzle of condensed milk. So heavenly good!

Wooly’s is a great way to cool off during the summer heat, and to satiate your sweet tooth. They even won The Vendy Award for best dessert, so you know this place is legit. So capture this wonderful blizzard in your mouth and follow them here!

Mickey's rating: 9.5/10 
Price range: $$

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts

Dessert Club, ChikaLicious 
204 E 10th Street
New York, NY 10003 
www.dessertclubchikalicious.com

If you’re a sugarholic like me, your sweet tooth is going to totally appreciate this heavenly place called Chikalicious. I’ve been here several times, and I’m always amazed at how this tiny and cute dessert bar can have an endless amount of desserts to choose from… from cupcakes, to ice cream, cookies, pudding, and macarons. 

Vanilla bean cupcake

Triple chocolate cupcake

Delicious!

S'mores cupcake

Mini banana Boston creme cupcake

Warm chocolate chip cookie

"Lin" spectacular sundae (Jeremy Lin inspired sundae) - maple pecan over banana bread pudding

Apple crisp a la mode

Éclair ice cream cone

The delectable cupcakes here aren't overwhelmingly sweet, and the frosting is light and airy, which I love. Most of the sweets that I’ve tried are unique and yummy, but part of the magic comes from warming it up in the microwave for a few seconds. I certainly recommend this place for a quick casual and delicious after-dinner treat. Enjoy the sugar rush!

Mickey's rating: 8/10
Price range: $$

It's mango season!

 
So I was watching this show called Neighborhood Gourmet a few weeks ago, about 2 people who travels all over Hong Kong to taste all kinds of different cuisines. When they did a segment on Hong Kong desserts, I couldn’t help but drool over the delicious varieties that they have. Mango sago was featured on the show, and it just brought back all the sweet memories I had at Hui Lau Shan and Honeymoon Dessert in Hong Kong. I love the creamy pudding-like texture filled with sago pearl goodness, and I love mangoes! Since it’s mango season right now, I decided to make some mango sago. Enjoy!

Mango Sago Pomelo

Makes about 3-4 servings 
PRINT RECIPE 

Ingredients: 
1 big ripe mango 
¼ cup sago (small) 
½ cup condensed milk 
½ cup milk 
2-3 tsp sugar if needed (in case your mango isn’t ripe)
1 slice of pomelo (Chinese grapefruit) - optional

Directions: 
Soak sago for an hour. Rinse it to remove excess starch before and after soaking process. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add sago and simmer until it’s soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful to not overcook the sago or it will become a glob. Then drain water through a fine sieve, and rinse it under running water to wash out the excess starch so that the sago is not sticky. 

Peel and chop mangoes. Reserve finely chopped mango pieces (1/4 of a mango) for garnish. Blend rest of the mango pieces with condensed milk, whole milk, and sugar if desired, to a smooth paste. Add more milk if you want to change the consistency. Transfer to a bowl and add cooked sago. Mix well. 

Garnish with pomelo (peeled and sacs separated) and reserved mangoes. Serve chilled.
 
Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? :)

Chinese Egg Tarts (Dan Tat)

My sister and I had some quality bonding time this past weekend making dan tats for the first time. It’s one of my favorite dessert. When I was young, I would only eat the egg part and leave the tart shell for my grandma. I just loved nibbling into that silky smooth, lightly sweeten eggy custard. It's such a treat. I grew up eating dan tats in Chinese bakeries and dim sum restaurants, thinking that these tarts would be impossible to make. But this recipe is simple, requires few ingredients and a crowd pleaser. They are extra yummy when served warm. Enjoy! :)

Adapted from All Recipes
Makes a little over a dozen
PRINT RECIPE 

Ingredients: 
Crust 
1 cup confectioner’s sugar 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup butter 
1 egg, beaten
1 dash vanilla extract 

Egg Custard 
2/3 cup white sugar 
1 ½ cups water 
9 eggs, beaten 
1 dash vanilla extract 
1 cup evaporated milk 

Directions: 
In a medium bowl, mix the confectioner’s sugar and flour together. Mix in butter with a fork until it is in small crumbs. Stir in the egg and vanilla until the mixture forms a dough. The texture should be slightly moist. Shape dough into 1 ½ inch balls, and press balls into tart molds so that it covers the bottom, and goes up higher than the sides. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine white sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to boil. Cook until the sugar dissolved, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Strain the eggs through a sieve, and whisk into the sugar mixture. Stir in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Strain the filling through a sieve, and fill the tart shells. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, until golden brown and until the filling becomes solid.