Photographs by William Abranowiczhttp://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/02/best-coffee-shop-desserts.html
The country's best coffee bars--with their exacting baristas and state-of-the-art equipment--have revolutionized the way we start our day. Now they've turned their discerning sights on sweets. Look beyond the latte art and you'll find that the desserts being served at top-tier coffee bars are worthy of their own acclaim. Here are a few of our favorites.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fun Cake
by Nathaniel Meads formerly of Fritz Pastry, for Metropolis Coffee Company in Chicago, IL
This vegan batter is generously versatile: The pastry ched uses it for wedding cakes and cupcakes, too. Funnily enough, its recipe is similar to one from the 1930s for something called a Depression cake. Coffee Pairing: Enjoy it with an espresso. Sweet pastries go well with stronger brews.
Black Sesame-Pear Tea Cake
by Elizabeth Quijada from Abraco in New York, NY
Since tea cakes are so moist and delicate, they make a good match for coffee--especially this one with its unexpected black sesame kick. Coffee Pairing: Try a full-bodied drip coffee, like Counter Culture Coffee's Baroida, to match the cake's earthy sweetness.
Bacon, Oatmeal, and Raisin Cookies
by Autumn Martin of Hot Cakes for Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Seattle, WA
"It's like breakfast," Autumn Martin says of her bacon-infused oatmeal-raisin cookie recipe. "It contains a bit more sugar than we might normally consume on our oatmeal, but all the components are there. And coffee paired with oatmeal for breakfast? Well, yeah." Coffee Pairing: A strong cup of Stumptown's Hair Bender brewed pour-over style or in a French press. "It provides an earthy sip with great chocolate and caramel notes."
Parmesan Shortbread with Fennel and Sea Salt
by Caitlin Williams Freeman from Blue Bottle in San Francisco
Blue Bottle's pastry chef gives this shortbread a savory edge. Salt is known to temper bitterness, so, she deduces, eating something salty while drinking coffee makes sense.
Coffee Pairing: In the a.m.? A cappuccino. In the p.m., try a medium-bodied, "soft-spoken" coffee like Blue Bottle's Oaxaca Adopta un Cafetal.
Cherry-Ginger Scones
by Kim Boyce of Bakeshop for Ristretto Roasters in Portland, OR
For her traditional scone, Kim Boyce, author of Good to the Grain, uses rye flour for its mild, maltlike overtones, which lend greater depth without overpowering the cream. Coffee Pairing: A fruity pour-over brew, like Ristretto's Cowboy Blend: Its notes of orange and caramel play off the scone's tart cherries.
Blackberry, Lemon, and Thyme Muffins
by Elizabeth Belkind of Cake Monkey for Intelligentsia Coffee in Los Angeles, CA
The buttery crumble topping of this lemony berry muffin is balanced by a surprise vegetal element: thyme. Coffee Pairing: A single-origin coffee, like Intelligentsia's La Perla de Oaxaca from Mexico. "It leaves hints of ripe blackberry and citrus acidity and a toasty, honeyed finish." --Charlotte Druckman
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