Pastry and Sweets

APPLE PIE

The most American of American foods is actually Egyptian. Or Greek. Or Roman. Or English. The first “pye” recipe was published by the Romans (goat cheese and honey), and English tradition credits the kitchen of Elizabeth I with the first cherry pie. But as with the hot dog and the hamburger, we made the apple pie ours—probably through a combination of good ol’ American mythology (Johnny Appleseed), industrialization (shortening and crust), and sloganeering (“American as apple pie”). Jack Kerouac basically lived on the stuff in real life, eating it everywhere—from diners in The Big Apple to roadside stands in Nebraska—then wrote his mom about it. We were looking for a flaky, rich crust and a filling that tasted more of apples than sugar and cinnamon.

Lucia’s Bakery
When it comes to apple pie, there are two families of filling: mushy and crisp. Lucia’s introduces a third—just right. And the crust is a flaky, buttery beauty as well. But for some reason, Lucia’s pie is “seasonal,” meaning you’ll have to wait a few weeks until the apples come in. Is freedom “seasonal” too now? 1432 W. 31st St., Mpls., 612-825-9800

Peter’s Grill
This is how we do it in the USA: a tender, slightly tart apple filling within a proudly Crisco crust, slid to you over a Formica countertop. 114 S. 8th St., Mpls., 612-333-1981

Good Day Cafe
Even after burning ours a little, the crust was nice and flaky. The saucy filling is heavy on the cinnamon, in a good way. 5410 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, 763-544-0205

» Honorable Mention: Key’s Cafe

CHEESECAKE

No wonder leggy starlets are dubbed “cheesecake.” The seductively rich, iconic dessert is hailed in Broadway musicals (think Guys and Dolls) and featured at New York–style steak houses, where powerful appetites prevail. Real New York cheesecake (like many a mobster) was born in Brooklyn. Lindy’s and Junior’s delis made it famous, Sardi’s and Delmonico’s gave it class. Made of cream cheese spiked with lemon and vanilla, baked in a pastry or graham cracker crust (sometimes no crust at all), it’s best served straight up. Goopy sauces of berries or chocolate turn the classic beauty into a cloying vamp.

Muddy Paws Cheesecake
Of its 222 flavors, Muddy Paws’ New York version takes the cake. It’s plenty rich and creamy in its crumb crust, scented with vanilla and lemon. You can find it at the new retail location (limited hours) or in grocery stores and several restaurants around town. 7600 W. 27th St., Ste. B2, St. Louis Park, 763-545-7161

Porter & Frye
This is one fresh take on cheesecake. A scoop of tart chèvre is rolled in light, delicate cookie crumbs, sprinkled with lemon zest, and drizzled with lavender honey—an explosion of flavors, savory and sweet, a tasty conceit. Ivy Hotel, 1115 2nd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-353-3500

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
A bite of lemon, a kiss of vanilla, enrobed in a thin graham cracker crust with a swirl of sour cream on top. Perfect for a table of four or six, this is one lovely dessert. 920 2nd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-672-9000

» Honorable Mention: Bloomington ChopHouse, Manny’s Steak House

CUPCAKE

These days, diminutive iterations of popular cakes are all around town—devil’s food, angel food, red velvet, black-and-white—name a cake and there’s a Mini-me version nearby. But the term cupcake once identified a particular cake (quite like a pound cake) made with cup-sized amounts of each ingredient—flour, sugar, and shortening, baked in tea-cup-sized pans. The individual cakes were immensely popular because they were so portable.

French Meadow Bakery
What do you have for dessert after a virtuous tempeh wrap? A lovely cupcake loaded with lemon and lavender icing, of course. 2610 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls, 612-870-7855

Cupcake Café & Bakery
The name says it all. Try the babycakes, tiny versions of the beautiful red velvet, or chai tea, or Mad Cow, or black-bottom cupcakes. There are fifty-five kinds, so take your time and taste them all. 3338 University Ave. SE, Mpls., 612-378-4818

Lucia’s Bakery
It’s love in one bite. Lucia’s delicate minicupcakes are crowned with the deepest darkest chocolate or fragrant vanilla. Tender and light, one is good, but not quite enough. 1432 W. 31st St., Mpls., 612-825-9800

ICE CREAM SUNDAE

Two American towns hotly debate the right to claim the distinction of being the birthplace of the sundae: Ithaca, New York, and Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Each has marvelously well-documented tales involving someone sitting at a counter and ordering a dish of ice cream, over which someone else spontaneously decided to pour syrup (chocolate in Wisconsin, cherry in New York). Whether or not the dae ending was in response to “blue laws” against enjoying yourself on the Sabbath is a whole other story. All we know for sure is that there is nothing quite like a dish of cold ice cream gobbed up with syrupy goodness.

Liberty Frozen Custard
Dense and creamy custard forms the base of Liberty’s sundaes. The Death by Chocolate manages to deliver Oreos, hot fudge, chocolate chips, and cake chunks while remaining ultimately portable; the whole lovely mess is packed into a plastic tumbler that fits in your car’s cup holder. 5401 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-823-8700

Sebastian Joe’s
If you just pop in for your fix of locally crafted cones, you’ll completely miss out on the glorious concoctions made with some of the Cities’ finest ice cream. One might even argue that the Brr-Bar (Oreo ice cream and frozen chocolate sauce) is like a sundae on a stick. Ka-ching! 4321 Upton Ave. S., Mpls., 612-926-7916; 1007 Franklin Ave. W., Mpls., 612-870-0065

Snap! Pizza and Ice Cream
If you order The Gilbertha, be prepared for twelve scoops of ice cream and six toppings, not including whipped cream and a cherry. It’s a heaping platter of excavation and fun, all for $12. 2851 NE Johnson St., Mpls., 612-788-9800

KEY LIME PIE

So what is a Key lime, anyway? The tiny, tough, terribly tart lime grows on the Florida island chain for which it’s named; few actually make it into what we now know as Key lime pie because it’s hard to grow and come by. Today most KLPs are made with limes from Tahiti. The original recipe mixes Key lime juice with sweetened, condensed milk (used back in the 1800s when the Keys lacked cows). Some are supergreen with the gelatiney texture of lime curd, while more modern versions have the texture of a loose cheesecake and are practically white. Whether the crust should be pastry or graham cracker and the lime filling topped with meringue or whipped cream are up for debate. But it must be firm and puckery fresh.

Birchwood Café
So utterly tangy and temptingly rich, Key lime pie is a favorite here and also figures in Izzy’s Ice Cream’s lineup of featured flavors. It’s the sturdy, nicely packed graham cracker crust and ultrasmooth tangy custard filling with a dollop of cream that we adore. 3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., 612-722-4474

Manny’s Steak House, et. al
Returning snowbirds get the credit for bringing Key lime pie north to New York steak houses. At Manny’s, an enormous wedge quivers tartly on its crumbly crust under a fine slather of whipped cream. It’s baked at Parasole’s bakery and also served at Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pittsburgh Blue, and Stella’s Fish Cafe. 612-339-9900; The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 612-333-2277; Pittsburgh Blue, 763-416-2263; Stella’s Fish Cafe, 612-824-8862

The Wedge Co-op
Surprise! In the pastry case among the vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free offerings, The Wedge’s wedge of egg-rich, whipped cream–laden decadence begs to be taken home (that is, if it makes it out of the car). It’s a humble pie, the crumb crust not quite even, the custard slightly loose, but it packs a fresh, tart wallop. 2105 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-871-3993