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Try these delicious desserts for the mind, body and soul.
By ALEX SPRINGER
comments@cityweekly.net
At this point in the year, most of us are licking the crumbs of our diet-related resolutions off of our sugar-glazed fingers. It's always a challenge to keep on a diet's good side—especially during tax season—but there are some local bakers, chocolatiers and pastry chefs who are whipping up some indulgent sweets that are surprisingly not bad for you. Even for a staunch non-vegan like myself, these desserts are everything you need to keep that sweet tooth satisfied.
Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
@Passion Flour Patisserie
(165 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 385-242-7040, PassionFlourSLC.com)
Nothing quite screams "breakfast of champions" like a warm spiral of dough dripping with thick caramel—it's the type of food that provides a life-affirming comfort on those days when you just don't want to get out of bed. The offerings at Salt Lake's Passion Flour Patisserie achieve all of the gooey indulgence necessary to a sticky bun ($3.50)—it's generously portioned, swimming in caramel and crowned with crushed pecans. Both the dough and the caramel taste rich and buttery, which might cause that pesky diet guilt to flare up a bit—until you remember that you're in a 100-percent vegan-friendly patisserie. All of that sticky goodness comes thanks to Jessica Davies, a classically trained pastry chef with a miraculous ability to capture the flavor of butter, eggs and cream without actually using them.
Truffles @The Chocolate Conspiracy
(774 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City, 385-212-4474,
EatChocolateConspiracy.com)
Truffles have often been touted as the most indulgent members of the chocolate community. As they're not known for being easy on the waistline, it's hard to justify their place in one's diet. It's something that the folks at The Chocolate Conspiracy have addressed head on, because chocolate doesn't always have to be bad for you. The truffles at The Chocolate Conspiracy are made with raw cacao that is certified organic, fair trade and kosher. After getting hit with a little organic maple syrup for sweetness, they are dusted with raw cacao powder, cinnamon and coconut palm sugar or crushed pistachios. To call their cinnamon sugar truffle a piece of candy would be like calling Hamlet airplane reading. With one bite, this little morsel takes your mouth on a historical tour of the cacao bean that leaves you somewhere in the Aztec era.
Banana Split Sundae @Vertical Diner
(2280 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-484-8378, Vertical Diner.com)
VD is quickly becoming my go-to restaurant when I'm craving something that's bad for me. Its vegan- and gluten-free take on classic diner food has yet to disappoint. Vertical Diner is not one to skimp on portion sizes, and its banana split ($7.50) is no exception. Big enough to share, its cruelty-free soy ice cream and housemade strawberry sauce provide more than enough of an excuse to keep it to yourself. I've tried a lot of dairy-alternative ice creams, and nearly all of them struggle texturally, landing somewhere on the spectrum between "frozen chalk powder" and "cold soup." The ice cream at Vertical Diner is just right, melting into the chocolate and strawberry sauce only when you want it to. Caramel Chocolate Pie
@Omar's Rawtopia
(2148 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, 801-486-0332, OmarsRawtopia.com)
No one does raw food quite like Omar. Boasting a huge menu of seriously satisfying raw food options is impressive enough—but how are the desserts? Omar's Rawtopia is famous for its caramel chocolate pie ($8), a silky smooth slice of bliss on a crisp coconut-almond crust. It has all of the draw of a well-made chocolate cream pie, but the caramel swirled on top and the crust's toasty coconut flavor add a bit of sophistication to this lavish dessert.
