I waited all week for monkey bread

Last Saturday, I overindulged in sweets. So I told myself I’d do a sweets-free week. I wasn’t as religious as I normally am—I didn’t shy away from a couple bites of a shared dessert (dulce de leche cake—why would I shy away from that?) or mini chocolates when they presented themselves (was I really supposed to say no when faced with dishes of mini peanut butter cups?). But I knew Bennie and I had Breakfast Club, a Peels redux, at the end of the week so I was saving myself. For monkey bread.

As good as the other treats by pastry chef Shuna Lydon looked, I had my heart set on the monkey bread.



Cinnamon brioche with mascarpone frosting. Sort of a no-brainer.

It was a dense slab of cake. Perfected by the mascarpone frosting.

Sullivan sweet bakery

With the threat of sticking to New Year's resolutions safely behind me, I can once again indulge in pastries for breakfast. This thought was inspired by a trip to Sullivan St Bakery.

This place used to be a favorite standby for lunch (hel-lo, potato slice). So how is it that I don't remember their amazing selection of sweets? They caused me a good seven minutes of private but fierce deliberation: Should I get an apple turnover? Persimmon cake? A naughty bombolini?? Should I change it up with a rice pudding tartlet? Or how about - sigh - a long slice of banana bread pudding cake? (I still don't know how I passed that up.)

I finally settled on the sweet brioche.

In the center of this square pastry is a crater that's chockablock with cherries, raisins, walnuts and, just to make sure it's especially delicious, one of my all-time favorites: mascarpone.

It's a beautiful melding of flavors and textures: mostly doughy and chewy, but a little crunchy from the walnuts. And sweet, sweet, sweet, but a titch hearty, too, from the syrupy medley of fruit and nuts. Just the way I like it.

533 West 47th Street between Tenth & Eleventh
212.265.5580

The Mixing Bowl: Jerome Chang

Most Sweet Freaks know the Dessert Truck makes a mercilessly rich and deliciously spongy chocolate bread pudding. But here, Jerome Chang tips us off to a new mobile must-eat—figs with lavender syrup and marscarpone (omg!)—and shares his tools for making the magic happen.

Growing up, my favorite sweet was:
Trix cereal. They were round when I was growing up, and they bummed me out when they switched to the fruit shapes. But I think they’re round again.

My favorite sweet now is:
The figs from our chef Bill’s yard in New Jersey, with lavender syrup and mascarpone.

My personal Dessert Truck favorite:
See above

What I love about being mobile is:
Driving the truck on the wide, open highway with everything rumbling around inside… just like a video game.

Truffles or pralines:
Truffles for long conversations. Pralines for quick snacking.

White, milk or dark:
I won’t choose. Milk and dark chocolate can work amazingly in concert. White chocolate can be awesome with certain fruit flavors.

Caramel, ganache or cream:
Cream can be essential to both.

I'd love to create a flavor for:
My girlfriend

Kitchen essentials:
Immersion blender, Vitamix blender, scales.

Style essentials:
Shower daily.

Pastry chefs I admire:
Any whose egos don’t get in the way of putting good flavors on the plate.

I'm most inspired when:
Autumn rolls around.

How much is too much?
When you start getting an ulcer.

Favorite movie snack:
Junior Mints

Guilty pleasure:
Eating a boatload of soup dumplings.

Other favorites:
I love Philly & most of Spain.