3 Decadent Desserts To Try in NYC

1.      Lemon Curd Tart from Three Tarts 

Three Tarts in Chelsea screams cute from the moment you enter the door. The boutique and bakery sells delightful petit tarts that lets you indulge your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty. You can sample three tarts for $4.50USD. I shared the lemon curd, pine nut and cinnamon 'apple-crumble' tart. Each featured a crust both crisp and light. The lemon curd tart was a standout with smooth lemon filling with a hint of zest and a dolloped meringue top.

2.       Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

Famed for its cupcakes that were edible extras in an episode of Sex and the City, Magnolia Bakery now has an organized but chaotic location near Rockefeller Centre. The standard varieties are $2.75 with a generous lashing of pastel buttercream icing. Seasonal cupcakes include the Rockette Red Velvet and a one off 2011 New Year cupcake with gold flakes. Rather than eating on the street at the takeaway bakery, my friends and I took a moment to appreciate the sugary wonders by sitting down by Rockefeller Centre. This caused more than one tourist to ask, “Where can I get one of those cupcakes?”

3.       The Best Chocolate Cake in the World

This Spring Street café makes a big statement in its name – but can it deliver? I’ve tasted lots of chocolate cake, homemade and store-bought, and this cake does rate highly. It has a rich mousse top layer and a lighter, meringue bottom layer and is topped off by chocolate glaze. It’s sweet without being overpowering and is best accompanied by a cup of coffee. Is it the best in the world? As I have yet to travel the entire world, I’d safely say it’s the best chocolate cake I've tried so far in NYC.  

Wanderlust Wednesday - Central Park After the Blizzard

Snow will always be surreal to me. It’s not something I’ve grown up with or will ever be used to. So when spending Christmas in NYC and hearing that a blizzard was forecast for Boxing Day it was like something out a movie.

Then it started snowing hard and fast when I was enjoying the sales at Bloomingdales. Despite the snow, a lot of extreme shopping was happening in Macy's where it was incredibly crowded!

The next morning when I woke up the city was pure white. It was very quiet outside except for the sound of snow shovels hitting the pavement. 

To make the most of the snow day we headed to Central Park. The biting wind swept more snowflakes into our faces when we entered the west side of the park.

Snow had swallowed parked cards, decorated tree branches, covered up benches and had frozen the top layer of the lake.

Everyone who had braved the cold was making the most of it. Parents were pulling kids along in sleds and toboggans. Kids were making snow angels and screaming in delight when sledding downhill.

I've got my snood and my new snow boots to keep me warm!

NYC dogs were delighted by the snow, running around in their jumpers or snow boots. This 11 year old pooch was having a rest in the snow as his paws were starting to get sore from the freezing conditions. His owner promised him some bacon bits to warm up!

The Most Beautiful Christmas Trees in New York City

New York City has Christmas trees in every building, shop, park and sometimes even on street corners! It's a heartwarming sight to behold, particularly at night when the lights of the trees glow majestically. It may be very cold and chilly outside but every Christmas tree you see gets you into the holiday spirit.

Union Square Park

Wall Street

Trees near Ground Zero

A Christmas tree made out of broken CDs in Chelsea Market

The most famous tree of all with the Swarovski star at Rockefeller Centre

Wanderlust Wednesday - The Christmas Tree at Somerset House

On the search for the most beautiful Christmas tree in London I discovered the Tiffany themed tree at Somerset House. It sparkles day or night with its signature blue baubles and silver decorations. Ice skaters glide around the rink in its stylish shadow. 

The Beautiful Bath Christmas Markets

The city of Bath is full of old world charm. When you walk the streets, you feel like you should be hoisting up your parasol, wearing a bonnet and curtseying when you greet your neighbours. You may even feel like you’re a character in Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

The UNESCO World Heritage city is full of historical sandstone buildings and is framed in a small valley. On a crisp winter’s day, we were blessed with blue skies despite a 3 hour bus journey from London through foggy roads.

Once we escaped London we were pleasantly greeted by the relaxed pace in Bath on a sunny Sunday. In Bath people seem happier, they are in no rush and the main streets are full of families, couples and, surprisingly, lots of young people.

The Christmas markets in Bath stand in the shadow of Bath Abbey. In the Abbey churchyard there are over 100 stalls selling arts and crafts, foodstuffs, wines and liquers. We indulged in the free samples, savouring cheese and chocolate and the incredibly decadent toffee pudding for only £4 from Devon. I purchased Lick the Spoon chocolates, two packs of a set of three cinnamon infused, chocolate covered spoons and a chocolate star ornament for £10 – for a sweet Secret Santa.

Christmas carols echoed through the churchyard sung by the harmonious local choir. As dusk began, the lights framing the streets glowed and the Christmas tree in the centre of the square sparkled.

 

It may have been cold outside, but Bath certainly warmed us with the Christmas spirit and also with a glass of mulled wine. 

Oh Bath Christmas tree, we love thee!

In Search of Jane - Pieces of Jane Austen in London

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen fan must visit Bath when living in England. Jane lived in Bath from 1801-1806 and it was the setting for her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. I’m heading to Bath tomorrow and am very excited.

In the past few months since living here, I’ve come across pieces of Austen in museums around London.

In the National Portrait Gallery one of the only real paintings of Austen is on display. The pencil and watercolour by her sister Cassandra is very small and you have to peer into the glass case to get a good look.

At the British Library, you can see handwritten notes from Austen’s notebook and the place of her creative expression - her wooden writing desk in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the
British Library: Literary manuscripts and printed books permanent exhibition.

When in London Jane Austen stayed in Covent Garden with her brother at No. 10 Henrietta Street. Today this address is an outdoor clothing store.

Of course it’s terribly cold to be searching for Austen at the moment. Without leaving the warmth of your home, you can see her own account of the 'History of England' penned when she was only 15 in the online collection of the British Library. 

How would Jane Austen cope with this cold London weather?

A Winter Wonderland Photolog - Hyde Park, London

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is a Christmas sensory overload. The smell of cinnamon wafts through the chilly air - from the Belgian waffles, crepes, mulled wine and other sweets. Santa is everywhere. 

The highlights include: 

• a singing Moose, 
• rides for all ages, 
• an ice-skating rink, 
• a Bavarian village - with currywurst, bretzen and bier, 
• lots of Christmas market stalls including one that sells wooden ties and 
• a VIP white bar with oysters, champagne and a Ferrari

It's completely free to enter and the Christmas cheer will be on everyday until Jan 4th 2011. 

It's also simply too hard to resist having Nutella crepes when you're in Wonderland...