Cinnamon-y treats

There is something about cinnamon that just screams fall. Right or wrong, I will almost immediately catalogue any dessert with a hint of cinnamon as a fall dessert. Maybe it's the close connection it has with pumpkin pie or apple pie, maybe it has to do with the cinnamon spiced ciders only available after October at most coffee shops. Either way, I think cinnamon, I think fall. I also think about cinnamon coffee cake. And cinnamon rolls. And Jean Marc Chatellier's cinnamon croissants.

In the meantime, I've mentally gained 5 pounds as I salivate over these Cinnamon Sugar Lovin Sweets.

We'll start with cinnamon coffee cake, or crumb cake as you may know it. This is the cake you'll recognize by the delicious cinnamon-brown sugar streusel topping, usually covered in powdered sugar. To a New Yorker, a crumb cake is a yeast raised cake with a crumb topping. This particular kind is native to the German-Jewish bakeries in particular. Outside of New York City, most bakeries are making a yellow or white cake of some kind and finishing it with a streusel topping. This method for making crumb cake is far less time-consuming than a yeast raised cake and has a more mainstream flavor. Yeast in cake just isn't something we are used to these days.

One of the better places for crumb cake (other than my Grandma's kitchen, of course)? Starbucks. It seems lame, but they have a very good coffee/crumb cake. Just ignore the calories in it and you'll be fine.  Coffee shops in general have a very good crumb cakes- they kind of need to since it goes oh so well with a hot cup of java.

In Pittsburgh, your best bet for amazing coffee cake is at Aldo Coffee in Mt. Lebanon. They also have really great lattes and coffee with amazingly knowledgeable baristas. Just beware, if you aren't a regular, you might not enjoy the kindest of service.

If you are feeling brave, here's a great coffee cake recipe from a blog I follow regularly, Smitten Kitchen. I would eliminate the rhubarb and fruit altogether myself, but to each their own!

Other cinnamon Sugar Lovin fall treats to try? The oh-so-obvious cinnamon rolls. Now, with cinnamon rolls, your best bet is just to find a really good bakery and let them do the hard work for you. A real cinnamon roll is a lot of time and effort and it's truly hard to take a shortcut and get the same result. In Pittsburgh, we have no shortage of great cinnamon rolls. The Pie Place makes a delectable cinnamon rolls, with the classic confectioner sugar glaze. Others who are looking for a cream cheese iced cinnamon roll might want to try Prantl's.

If you really wanted to make one at home, try this recipe. It's faster than the traditional cinnamon roll, and manages to make a tasty cinnamon sugar treat.

The last cinnamon goodie you must try is a cinnamon croissant from Jean Marc Chatellier's in Millvale. You've probably all had a chocolate croissant or an almond croissant, but a cinnamon croissant is unique and delicious, especially when it comes from Jean Marc's little French bakery.

Cinnamon sweets are back again to grace the fall season. Make sure to try at least one and honor that Cinnamon Sugar Lovin fall craving!

Jean Marc Chatellier's Cinnamon Croissant on the Sugar Love Scale
Taste ♥♥♥♥♥
Texture ♥♥♥♥
Appearance ♥♥♥
Overall ♥♥♥♥

Pittsburgh bakery gossip

Apologies for the lack of a pastry to talk about yesterday. I've been on the hunt to confirm or dispel bakery rumors I'd been hearing all last week and now have enough credible information to share with you the stories of some hometown classic bakeries that closed, might close or might be selling.


First, Coco's Cupcake Cafe in Shadyside. I'm a little late to this story, but Coco's was one of the first bakeries that was willing to hire me and teach me the ways of cupcakes and incidentally, it was the first bakery I went to in Pittsburgh, so it holds a special place for me.


Coco's closed on June 27, 2010. They'd been in business for 3.5 years and were building a strong following for their freshly made cupcakes. We've already discussed that Vanilla Pastry is doing some of the best cupcakes you'll find in town, but Coco's certainly had a niche. Their cupcakes were baked fresh every morning and they also made sure that each day, they had 2 vegan flavors for the vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free community.


With interesting flavors and special attention to beautiful details, Coco's was a unique little cupcake store with a lot to offer. So when they closed suddenly at the end of June, it was a shock to many. Of all the reasons a bakery might close- lack of business, poor cash flow management, low quality product- Coco's suffered none of these. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, their lease was not up for renewal for another year and they had no plans in place to move, so it was just time to close the doors.


Another bakery going through some big changes is Sugar B's in Venetia, PA. If you visit their website, you'll see that Sugar B's has closed. A husband and wife owned operation, Sugar B's was all about scratch baking and family friendly atmosphere. When the husband passed away, the wife decided her heart wasn't in it any more. For the time being, Sugar B's is closed, but they will be reopening sometime in the future, as she was able to sell her business. We'll see how Sugar B's does with it's new owners.


Finally, and this was the biggest rumor I'd heard last week, Prantl's Bakery. The Prantl's family sold their bakery about 3 years ago to the current owners, but the rumor was that Prantl's was either closing or selling again. According to counter employees, neither is happening. But then again, these plans aren't always shared from owners to employees so we'll just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for the true story.

Old Post 2: Prantl's Bakery and the famous Burnt Almond Torte

At a traditional German-style bakery like Prantl's in Shadyside (or downtown), there are many choices to satisfy that sugar-love craving you might have. You can try classic cookies such as chocolate chip or peanut butter, morning pastries like a doughnut or cinnamon roll, or grab a loaf of zesty lemon pound cake.

Whatever your chosen sugary sweet is for the day, Prantl's is sure to have something to satisfy you. They have been in business for over 40 years and are a standard in Pittsburgh.

It wasn't until the 1970's though, that Prantl's began to serve its most famous item- the Burnt Almond Torte. In the midst of an unusual surplus of almonds, the Almond Board asked bakers to use more almonds in more creative ways. Henry Prantl, an original owner, traveled to California to learn and came back with an idea for a cake which he refined into the ever-delicious Burnt Almond Torte (curious about the difference between a cake and a torte? Try this link).

The recipe is hard to replicate. Other local bakeries have their own version of the Burnt Almond Torte, which are all quite delicious, but none are the same as Prantl's. It begins with a moist, soft, light layer of white cake. Nestled in the middle is creamy and flavorful custard. The custard is topped with another layer of white cake and covered in a delicious whipped cream. The final touch is the sugar-toasted almonds, with flecks of rock sugar sprinkled on top.

On the Sugar Love scale, the Prantl's Burnt Almond Torte scores a 5 overall. If the scale could write an ode to the torte, it might.

Today, you can venture to Shadyside, Downtown Pittsburgh, or just your home computer to get a Burnt Almond Torte. That's right- Prantl's ships the tortes nationwide. For just $25, Sugar Lover's of the Burnt Almond Torte can have one in just 2 days. Beware: the custard filling is a little different than the original so that it can be shipped without refrigeration, but don't worry too much-it tastes very much like the original.

Prantl's Burnt Almond Torte on the Sugar Love Scale:

Taste ♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 Hearts

Texture ♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 Hearts

Appearance ♥♥♥♥ 4/5 Hearts

Overall ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts!