Boulangerie Cho Pain - Review 2

Restaurant: Boulangerie Cho Pain - Review 2

Cuisine: Bakery/Desserts/Breads/French
Last visited: January 6, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown/West end)
1165 Davie Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 3

Ambiance: 2

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Authentic Parisian bakery - operated by French people with cute accents!
• French baker/pastry chefs
• Offers 125+ classic European breads and rolls
• Some breads and pastries prepared daily, but not all
• Small selection of savoury snacks available: quiche/homemade sandwiches
• Espresso/lattes available – supplier: 49^th Parallel
• Few tables and chairs for sit down
• Casual/self-serve atmosphere
• Pastries to go
• Daily specials
• Closed Monday

**Recommendation: Gateau Basque, Paris Brest Hazelnut Choux, Almond Croissant, Hazelnut & Cream Slice

So I’ve been to Boulangerie Cho Pain on a few occasions and I try something new every time. I want a better idea of what they’re serving so I can keep my reviews as updated as possible. I mean a restaurant can go uphill or downhill so I want to give a fair review because a lot can happen in a few months…or even days.

I still really like Boulangerie Cho Pain, but not as much as when I first tried them. Everything is still good, but the more I try the more I find it is “very good” instead of “excellent”…hence why I gave the food 4.5 instead of 5 like I did on my last review for it.

I came in the late afternoon and stayed for a couple hours. Within that time I couldn’t smell any baked goods, but I could see some being made. Everything in the display case is quite professional, but their daily features like: cookies, truffles, and banana bread are quite home style and simple. It’s important to remember it’s not a gourmet bakery, but it’s still very French in the sense that it has authentic French recipes and effortless style and charm.

My 1^st review for Boulangerie Cho Pain

On the table:

Hazelnut & Cream Slice 5/6

• I don’t have the exact description but it’s layers of hazelnut cake, hazelnut cream topped with chocolate hazelnut chocolate ganache $3.95
• I really enjoyed this cake. It is a dessert of course, but I could enjoy it as a tea cake or snack because it was so light and not that sweet. It was a perfect tea time cake.
• There’s a lot of hazelnut flavourings in it and it’s very distinct. They really used it in every layer of the cake so it was well incorporated into every bite.
• The edges have these caramelized hazelnut praline crumbs, but they’re very soft and not hard at all. I wish they had used them for the top too.
• The chocolate ganache topping had a nice marbleized design, but I wasn’t a fan of it. Since it was in the display case and chilled it was a bit hard for my liking. It wasn’t brittle, but it wasn’t delicate enough for me. The layer was just a bit thick and I was chewing it because it didn’t melt well. It tasted like a milk chocolate ganache and I would have preferred a dark bittersweet chocolate to match the hazelnut.
• The cream was almost like a hazelnut mousse. It was very light and not too sweet at all. I’m pretty sure it’s the same mousse they use in their Paris Brest Hazelnut Choux.
• The cake part was delicious and had finely ground hazelnuts incorporated into the batter. It was more like a tea cake than it was a cupcake batter. It had a very crumbly texture because of the hazelnut crumbs too.
• Like the Paris Brest Hazelnut Choux it reminded me of a Ferraro Rocher, however this cake was much lighter and not as rich as the Paris Brest…although neither are that sweet. This cake you could enjoy as a afternoon snack, whereas the Paris Brest Hazelnut Choux is a real dessert.
• If you want to attempt something like this at home, I did make Almond Hazelnut Cupcakes that tasted very similar to this.
  
• 

Tiramisu 2.5/6

• I don’t have their description, but I’ll assume we all know what it is and have tried it at one point or another $3.95
• I wasn’t a big fan of their tiramisu because it was a bit too sweet.
• Similar to the Tiramisu from Sweet Obsessions Boulagerie Cho Pain used a cake layer instead of lady fingers for the bottom layer of the Tiramisu. However they did use actually lady fingers for the middle layer.
• The Rum and espresso was very apparent because the entire bottom layer of cake was completely soaked with this syrup. The lady fingers were also dipped almost completely in the syrup as well. It was it a bit too sweet so I think they put a lot of sugar in this Rum/espresso. When I poked my fork into the cake some of the liquid syrup would come out because the bottom cake layer was holding too much of it. Literally like a sponge with too much water.
• The wetness of the tiramisu made the whole thing very soft. It was quite creamy however they didn’t used enough mascarpone for me. The layers of mascarpone cream were mixed with some espresso too I think. It had a pale brownish colour rather than a pale yellow or cream colour.
• The topping was whipped cream and chocolate shavings instead of mascarpone cream and cocoa. There is a little cocoa powder but mainly chocolate shavings. I didn’t mind that part, but I did mind the whipped cream. I don’t like whipped cream on tiramisu because I think it “cheapens” it…it definitely saves cost though. The whipped cream is made in house and it’s not very sweetened. They used too much on this tiramisu too so I really think the mascarpone flavour was lost.

Kreation Artisan Cake

Restaurant: Kreation Artisan Cake

Cuisine: Desserts/Cakes/Bakery
Last visited: December 28, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (South Cambie)
3357 Cambie Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 3

Ambiance: 3

Overall: 4.5

Additional comments:

• Owner/Pastry chef Kaeko Kanno
• True family operation – husband, kids, friends assisted
• Tiny/hidden bakery, easily missed
• Very unique desserts and creative cakes
• French meets West Coast fusion style cakes
• Made in small batches
• Gourmet/high end cakes
• Limited selection of in store single serving cakes available daily
• Limited selection of 6’ and 8’ cakes available daily
• Most cakes available with 3 days notice
• Wedding cakes/special occasion cakes
• Can be made without wheat based flour
• Can customize orders according to allergies/preferences
• Small baked goods gifts available
• Take-out only
• Accepts Debit/Visa/MC
• Parking available at the back or meter parking

**Recommendation: Blue Ricotta Mousse, Earl Gray Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Passion fruit (tried previously), and I’ve heard that the Tiramisu is good, but I haven’t tried it

Kreation Artisan Cake is a bakery that offers and arrangement of cakes, cheesecakes, mousse, cupcakes and tarts. Pastry chef Kaeko Kanno’s style reminds me of Thomas Haas’s approach to chocolate. After some research it’s no wonder I was able to draw the parallel. It turns out Kaeko Kanno worked under Thomas Haas when he owned Senses Bakery, however the bakery closed a couple years back. Since then Haas has opened Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates and Patisserie and Kaeko Kanno opened Kreation Artisan Cake.

The two have very similar styles in terms of flavours and ingredients, however their focus is different. It’s obvious by the names of the each store that the focus is different; however the clientele is more or less the same.

I came across Kreation Artisan Cake in June 2009 and I distinctly remember the time frame because it was near my birthday. I wasn’t looking for dessert at the time, but me and my best friend were doing out usual after dinner crusade scouting out restaurants we’ve never noticed. This is definitely one we would have never noticed if we weren’t walking right by it. It’s easily missed although it’s located on the strip. It’s just so small and truly one of those neighborhood gems.

There’s plenty to “oooh” and “ahhh” over once you walk in. The display case offers a selection of individual cakes that are available to-go. There’s nowhere to sit so it’s definitely more of a cake order/gift shop bakery. Most of the cakes have a simple clean finish, but undeniably gourmet look to them. The ingredients are so unique and creative so if you’re tired of chocolate cake and vanilla butter cream then Kreation Artisan Cake is for you. It's French meets West Coast and the results are handcrafted homemade classic cakes made with exotic ingredients like passion fruit, teas and even herbs like tarragon!

My friend ordered 6 individual serving cakes for our Christmas dinner and I obviously had to try every single one. We all did. I’m big on the sharing if you didn’t notice already =). I really wish I had the descriptions beside me while I was trying them. I only had the names of them so I didn’t know what to expect. I also wish I had bigger pieces of a few of them…sometimes bite size pieces don’t do the cakes justice, so I’ll keep that in mind throughout my review. I’ve also tried 2 other cakes from here before this occasion, but I won’t focus on those.

On the table:

Caramel Nuts 3.5/6

• Milk chocolate ganache & caramel butter cream with caramelized crushed pecan between layers of frangelico soaked hazelnut sponge $5.50
• If you’re not too adventurous and like your simple cakes and flavours then go for this one. This is the cake that will appeal to the masses. It sounds more gourmet than it tastes, but it still tastes good.
• I had to use my taste buds to pick out the flavour because I had no description. Sometimes this can be a good thing, but sometimes you want to know what to expect so you’re not disappointed.
• This reminded me of Thomas Haas’s Caramel Pecan chocolate. I enjoyed that more though; it was so different and original.
• It’s not that sweet at first bite, but as you continue to eat it then it gets sweeter.
• It’s really creamy, crunchy, nutty and sweet. It stood up really well and the ratio of all the layers was perfect, however I could have done with a little less caramel in that caramelized crushed pecan. It just got a bit too sweet because the layer was quite thick. I did like the texture it brought though.
• The crushed pecans around the edges of the cake were actually crushed pralines, so this added another layer of sweetness and a different type of crunch.
• I couldn’t taste the Frangelico (hazelnut liquor), but overall the cake had a distinctly nutty flavour.
• If you like caramel and nuts, then you’ll love “Caramel Nuts”. It tastes like caramel + nuts, but those gourmet touches didn’t shine through, which is kind of a bummer.

**Blueberry Ricotta Mousse6/6

• Glazed ricotta mousse, blueberry cream, vanilla sponge $5.25
• This was delicious and my winner out of the 6. It was light, airy, slightly tangy and not that sweet.
• I’m not a fan of cheesecake, but I like Tiramisu. This one had ricotta which is a light tasting cheese so I didn’t mind it because it reminded me of the light tasting mascarpone cheese in Tiramisu. The cheese taste is so light and it made for a very fluffy and moist mousse. The Ricotta mousse was all around the cake.
• I loved the vanilla sponge cake because it gave it some texture otherwise I would have gotten sick of it faster. It was very moist and soft, neutral tasting, and held the flavour of the blueberries and ricotta well. It would be nice to see some actual vanilla bean specs in the cake, because I couldn’t actually taste vanilla. They could have said “white cake” and I would have believed that. It’s still 6/6.
• The blueberry centre is a real blueberry puree or compote. It’s quite thick, but not too sweet. You can tell by the colour it wasn’t really creamy, so I don’t know why they call it “blueberry cream”.
• It had some white chocolate shavings, glazed mandarin zest and a little lemon zest on top for décor, which was perfect. Lemon zest, ricotta and blueberries are a threesome made in heaven…add some white chocolate and OMG! It reminds me of the Lemon Ricotta Pa ncakes I had in Kelowna that I put on my Top 10 Favourite Foods list of 2009.

Green Tea Chestnut 2.5/6

• Green tea dacqouise, caramelized meringue, chestnut cream between layers of green tea cake $5.50
• Ahhh so it’s a dacqouise cake! If I had the description I might have enjoyed it more because I would be expecting a dacqouise cake – a French cake made of layers of meringue and cream. Since I didn’t know I didn’t really enjoy it that much because I was expecting a “Green Tea Chestnut” cake.
• This is a really unique cake and it stood out to be first. She put an Asian twist to a traditional dacqouise cake by making the meringue a Matcha meringue and changing the traditional butter cream to a chestnut cream. Too bad it sounds better on paper.
• The caramelized meringue top layer was much too sweet and it had this granulated sugar texture that was very gritty. I hated the texture of it. It was crispy and a bit creamy and reminded me of the Matcha Macaroons from Say See Bon, but those are actually good. It might not be fair to compare meringue to macaroons because they are different, but they do share similar characteristics.
• The second overly sweet part was the white part that’s disguised as a white cake layer. It wasn’t! It was almost like a pure icing sugar layer mixed with granulated crystallized sugar. It was crusty and almost powdery, and not hard, but gritty. None of us liked that part and put it off to the side.
• The Matcha cake part is good and made with Matcha powder and it really comes through.
• The chestnut cream was good and not too sweet, but I prefer the ones from Asian bakeries more. I prefer a thicker chestnut layer too, would have tones down the sweetness.
• This cake was the sweetest of all, overly sweet, almost to the po int of ‘hurts your teeth’ sweet. Parts of it were like pure icing sugar.

**Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse 4.5/6

• Manjari Tea mousse, tea brulée, tea almond sponge cake, topped with meringue & almond slices $5.50
• This is another one that called my name. I’ve wanted to try this one for a very log time. It reminds me of Thomas Haas’s Earl Grey Tea chocolate. But I enjoyed this cake more; it had a stronger Earl Grey flavour I wanted.
• It was very aromatic and nutty in flavour and because I had no description I had to rely on my taste buds again. I thought it was a hazelnut sponge cake. I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I had a bigger piece of it, I could get a better idea of what was going on.
• It smells like Earl Grey Tea and tastes like it too. There’s tea in the cake batter and the leaves are really infused in the mousse. The chocolate mousse is light and not too sweet which is good because I wouldn’t want to over power the tea flavour. I think the chocolate could be a darker chocolate because it would have given it a slightly bitter flavour which may have enhanced the Earl Gray flavour.
• I could have used a much thicker tea almond sponge cake layer. There was a bit too much chocolate Tea mousse and it was too thick around the edges.
• I don’t remember the tea brulee standing out too much, which is really sad because if I had the description I would have paid more attention to it.

Raspberry Ganache 2.5/6

• Chocolate ganache (dark, milk or white) w/ raspberries between layers of chocolate sponge $5.50
• We had the dark chocolate ganache, but I think a white chocolate ganache would have been more suitable…even though I love dark chocolate way more than white.
• This one is the most bitter of all the cakes, so the chocolate used is probably a 68% cocoa or even higher.
• I’m not a huge fan of fruit and chocolate, and it has to be done really well for me to enjoy it. It must be fresh fruit, because artificial fruit flavours and chocolate is almost a guaranteed ‘no’ on my list.
• The texture was very inconsistent. Parts of it were very crumbly, which means too dry, and other parts were very moist to the point of being wet. I’m not sure how many days in advance these cakes are made, but this one had the texture of at least 2 days in a fridge.
• It had a thin raspberry layer made with fresh raspberries, but it wasn’t overpowering although it stood out. It was quite tart and went well with the chocolate.
• The chocolate ganache was really soft and flexible, almost like fondant.
• I really didn’t like the candy snowman decal on it…I think it “cheapens” the look. I’m not holding it against them because it was for the holidays…but just saying.

**Egg Nog (Holiday Special) 5/6

• Egg nog mousse cake with a gingerbread crust and pomegranate compote $5.50 (I don’t have the exact description, but it’s how I can best describe it)
• Too bad this is holiday cake. I liked it! It was my second favourite cake.
• It was the second lightest cake next to the Blueberry Ricotta Mousse cake.
• It looked like a cheesecake, but it wasn’t. I really like the texture of their mousse. It nice and light, not too sweet and very airy and fluffy. It had a distinct egg nog flavour, but it wasn’t overly creamy either, it was spongier.
• The gingerbread crust was obvious because it had a cinnamon and clove flavour. It was very soft and moist, but almost to the point of pasty and wet. I think it was because it was pre-made and in the fridge though. I usually like a thin bottom crust but in this case I wouldn’t have minded if it was a bit thicker. It was a good idea, and different so I wanted more of it. It was a great touch to a holiday cake.
• I loved the pomegranate seeds, although some may think it’s distracting. I liked the texture and colour it brought and it reassured me that the compote was made with real pomegranates. It was sweet, but also a bit tart so there was a great balance.
• The “pomegranate compote” is what I’m calling it; I don’t actually know what it was supposed to be. It was more like a pomegranate gelatin, but it melted nicely in your mouth.
• The gingerbread and eggnog are obvious matches and the pomegranate gave it a slight tang and made it a bit refreshing. It was almost like a fruit pie with custard. A ve ry unique cake and well executed and thought out.

From another occassion...

**Raspberry Passionfruit

• Raspberry & passionfruit cream between layers of light coconut sponge cake soaked w/ passion fruit liqueur
• To be honest, I don't rememeber what it tastes like, but all I know was that everyone liked it.
  

• 

Boulangerie Cho Pain

Restaurant: Boulangerie Cho Pain

Cuisine: Bakery/Desserts/Breads/French
Last visited: Sept. 25, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown/West end)
1165 Davie Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 2

Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Authentic Parisian bakery - operated by French people with cute accents!
• French baker/pastry chefs
• Offers 125+ classic European breads and rolls
• Fresh breads and pastries prepared daily
• Small selection of savoury snacks available: quiche/sandwiches
• Espresso/lattes available
• Few tables and chairs for sit down
• Casual atmosphere
• Closed Monday
  

** Recommendation: Gateau Basque, Paris Brest Hazelnut Choux, Almond Croissant

This is perhaps my favorite bakery in Vancouver - well it's my favourite FRENCH bakery - but I haven't tried enough in Vancouver to compare. These are your traditional French pastries, so don't expect anything like "Matcha whatever" or "Coconut whatever" or "Tropical blah blah blah". The selections are very authentic and very French. As soon as I walk in I feel like I'm in Paris again, especially since all the staff have these cute French accents. I feel like ordering in French too - but I can't so I just do it in English. Je veux un croissant aux almondes sil vous plait? Not bad huh?

The pastries here are amazing! You can't help but to ohhh and ahhh at them while exploring their display cases. Quality ingredients and French techniques. It's comparable to many French bakeries in France - it's not comparable to the BEST French bakeries in France though. They have some really good ones there. I would know because I researched the heck out of them and made it a priority to visit them all! =) This is in between a good one and a gourmet one. Vancouver is lucky to have one of this standard.

They serve all the typical pastries and breads, and some fancier ones, but the ones that take longer to make aren't there. The only thing is walking by I should be able to smell the aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries - but I don't. They claim to be "made fresh daily" and I believe that most their stuff is because I can see the bakers in the kitchen, but they don't have the volume to make it fresh DAILY so I doubt everything is. The popular items probably are though, like their croissants and baguettes. I haven't experienced a stale pastry yet and it's hard to determine which ones were from yesterday especially if you don't walk by it everyday.

On the table:

• **Almond Croissant 6/6
• I may be biased because these are my favourite! I LOVE these and had one every single morning for breakfast...along side with my 5 other pastries...and omelette or croque monsieur/madame. Need to start my morning with a healthy start right?

• Seriously these are delicious and these are comparable to the ones I had in Paris. They're sweet and nutty and flaky and just all around delicious! There's a sweet almond paste in the middle that makes it all so much more decadent! The top is covered with almonds which is so important. They could have held back on the icing sugar though - slightly too much for my liking because the almond paste in the middle is already sweet enough.

• These are not really your light and airy croissants, they are denser and flakier. A must try! They aren't especially good here or anything, but you can't find more authentic almond croissants in Vancouver...at least I can't find them....if you can please send me a message!
• **Gateux Basque 6/6
• Oh my....this is another must try. Again I may be biased because I LOVE almond flavoured desserts. I will bring someone here just to try this dessert. I like to think of it as a bread of cake more than a dessert so there's no need to feel guilty for eating it. It's not that sweet, which means not as many calories!!! ;)

• There are many versions of this tart/cake. They make it more like a cake here. It's a very fragrant cake that originates from the Basque region of France.
• This is a dense but also a soft kind of cake. This one in particular is not too sweet, but still satisfies a sweet tooth. Almost like the almond croissant would. It tastes like there's some alcohol, I think Rum, but I asked and apparently there isn't...? I question that though because it just kind of lingers a little Rum/licorice aftertaste, a really subtle one...it could be the almond extract?
• It has this almond/nutty flavour that makes it very aromatic. I think they used almond oil in it which is why the flavour is so rich and prominent. The flour could be almond flour or some flour with ground up almonds. It's more than just almond extract. It's a beautiful flavour.
• It's moist with a soft middle and harder edges because of the baking. Some bakers will fill the middle with fruit preserves or pastry cream, but not this one. The dough/batter is great just as is. It's not indulgent but you want to indulge in many slices...if that makes any sense? It kind of has a crumbly texture...it's amazing. You NEED to try this. It's only $2.75 too.
• **Paris - Brest Hazelnut Choux 4.5/6
• Isn't it pretty?! This is hazelnut mousse sandwiched between a freshly baked puff pastry. Underneath the hazelnut mousse is a layer of fresh raspberries. The top of the puff pastry is dipped in chocolate!

• Ok so you think it's super decadent, and it is but it's not as sweet as it looks. Yes it's rich, but it's also made well with fresh quality ingredients, so you don't feel like you're eating fake sweeteners or fillers. It's also not soggy and hold really well.
• It would be a bit much for me to eat alone, because it is quite big, but it is very enjoyable. The mousse tastes like a Ferraro Rocher in mousse form. Smooth and creamy texture. No cheap waxy taste. The raspberries are really fresh and a great compliment. It's sweet and tangy and chocolaty and nutty!
• It is hard to eat though because the mousse squishes out the sides when you try to eat it altogether. The puff pastry is a traditional Parisian puff pastry recipe - not the dry type they serve at Beard Papa's or the buttery American type.
• Napolean Josephine 3.5/6
• Layers of really flaky and crisp puff pastry and creamy custard with some fresh strawberries and raspberries topped with a dusting of icing sugar.
• The puff pastry is really crisp and sturdy, there's a ton of layers. It's not really buttery tasting either.
• The custard is really creamy and not eggy. However I wish the flavoured it with vanilla beans - I think they just used vanilla extract. They should add some almond extract in there as well to give it an extra dimension of flavour.
• It's not too sweet, definitely fresh, and very light in flavour - not necessarily in texture. It's hard to eat again because the puff pastry is hard and the custard is soft, so you can't bite into it or break away at it with your fork. The custard just squishes out the sides.
• I suggest letting this Napoleon comes to room temperature before eating it...the custard flavour comes out so much more. It's served from a chilled display case so it's much better when you take the chill off.
• They will really recommend this, I think it kind of tastes better than it looks...but I would order it again - just not my Frost choice. It could be a little richer in flavour - not in sweeteners, but just in flavour t o balance out the tart strawberries and raspberries. They cheap out on the fruit though, the fruit gets added last minute after the layers have been built. So there's only visible fruit around the edge, but there's barely any within the custard. They also use more strawberries and like 2 raspberries. It's really obvious that they add those in last and blend it in with some custard to make it look like there's fruit throughout.
  

  

• Raspberry Fruit Tart 3/6
  
• Loaded with fresh raspberries, when in season...otherwise they do a mix of strawberries and raspberries. It is a very good fruit tart. The tart is made in house and it's made with some slivered almonds, which is a gourmet touch. It's almost a cookie tart rather. It has a great tasting custard cream filling that goes perfectly with the fruit. Nothing too sweet, but just really fresh ingredients.
• Banana Bread 4/6
• It's dense, rich in banana flavour and made fresh.
• It's your "really good banana bread recipe" - so if you've had one of these recipes this is what it tastes like. Nice and moist. Just a good and solid banana bread. I've had better and can make a better though.
• Latte 4/6
• Very frothy foam, strong but smooth. The actually use the blend from 49th Parallel.
  

Almond Hazelnut Cupcakes

Item: A twist on Martha Stewart's Candied-Hazelnut Cupcakes - review

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Find recipe here: Matha Stewart's Almond Hazelnut Cupcakes

• Almond Hazelnut Cupcakes - with hazelnut filling and chocolate ganache 5/6
  

• My friend and I baked these on the weekend - along with our Pistachio and Raspberry cupcakes filled with raspberry custard (will be my next blog entry). Anyways, before I get off topic - back to the almond hazelnut cupcakes.

• If you like those Ferrero Rocher chocolates, you will love these! These are Ferrero Rochers in the form of cupcakes. Everyone enjoyed these. They are decadent though and quite filling because of the nature of the ingredients - hazelnuts and chocolate. They do come off as a bit dry because of the hazelnuts, so it really requires something rich like a chocolate ganache.

• These are more nutty than they are sweet. Actually for me it's almost like a hazelnut muffin. The chocolate ganache we made turned it into a cupcake, but alone it could be a muffin. The texture can come off as a tad dry because of all the nuts - but it's not dry, it just gives the illusion of being dry cause of the ground nuts.

• You know it's a good cupcake when the batter is good! We did try the batter and it was so aromatic. Toasting the nuts is one of the most important steps to this recipe. There's no need for any artificial nut flavouring or nut extracts - these are the real deal! An adult cupcake! Without the chocolate, you could easily serve this for breakfast. I would make this again.

• Tasty Twist Idea: Since the cupcake is so dense it really requires a rich frosting. Especially since it's not a really sugary cupcake - less than 1 cup of sugar for a batch of cupcakes is not a lot at all. For this reason, we decided to make a hazelnut ganache to fill the insides of these cupcakes. Without the richness of the ganache and chocolate it doesn't really taste like a dessert...and when I'm eating a cupcake I want to feel like I'm eating a dessert. We topped these off with a lot of chocolate ganache (a nice thick layer, as you can tell by the picture) - and the ratio was actually perfect this way.