This was a recommendation in Yelp, and I figured I'd check it out, especially so since they have their own unique product, the crannoli. Though I'm not necessarily a cannoli guy, I'm up for trying anything if it's innovative - and even moreso if it's good! At any rate, here is the rather inconsistent tale of the tape:
Boston Cream Doughnut
Intriguingly square in shape, it has a decent chocolate topping, but where it really shines is in the filling. A very good, satisfyingly flavorful vanilla custard with the right texture. What holds this doughnut back from true greatness is the doughnut itself. It has a slightly firm texture that doesn't quite fit with the good chocolate topping and the excellent filling.
Brownie
Topped with a thin layer of fudge and mini chocolate chips, the brownie itself is simply not that chocolaty. You take a bite and the fudge topping dissipates, and with it most of the chocolate flavor. Bewildered, you take another (this time tentative) bite, which simply affirms your initial impression. As good as it looks, where oh where is the chocolate? They do offer another version, which contains walnuts.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Doughnut
A standard chocolate cake doughnut with peanut butter frosting and a real Reese's peanut butter cup quartered and appetizingly stuck into the frosting. Well, the doughnut is not chocolatey enough, and the peanut butter frosting is more sweet than peanut buttery. Disappointed!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Essentially the same brownie as above, but containing mini peanut butter chips, topped with a layer of peanut butter, then ganache. There is a smattering of those same peanut butter mini chips atop the ganache, with the circumference of the whole 7" diameter pie ringed with a chocolate buttercream. The buttercream is decently chocolatey. The peanut butter layer is not sweet, a decision I support, and I would like to know which brand they use - as it's rather good for that straight up (slightly salty) peanut butter flavor. Unfortunately, as aforementioned the brownie is the same as their regular one - and though the fudgy texture is there, the expected/commensurate chocolate flavor is not. Eaten together, the flavors blend nicely, and perhaps it's here that the lack of chocolate flavor from the brownie stands out.
Crannoli
Sweet Sensation's signature creation has a great look, and is rather large. To me it set out what it meant to do, and as such to me it was just ok. I'm not a fan of cannoli in general, but if you are you may well like this innovative confective culinary creation. I was a little disappointed in the selection, in that there is no longer a choice in the selection of crannoli flavor. They used to have 11 different flavors, and I was set on checking out at least two or three of them (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Nutella, and Cappuccino). However, the woman working the counter told me that they only had the regular one available. Sigh.
Éclair Mini
Similar to my impression of the Boston Cream, the éclair has a excellent custard, but the shell is just there, and the chocolate on top is somewhat lacking. I'd say that the custard alone carries the éclair through . . .
Key Lime Tart
A rather tasteless tart shell with a lemon colored lime custard, topped with a green lime flavored mousse, topped with a very tart lime wedge. The mousse had a light but decently tart flavor, which was outpaced only by the tartness factor of the custard below. Nothing, however, was more tart than the actual lime wedge on top! Still, while not being overtly tart, it was enough as such to enjoy this citrusy confection.
Marble Muffin
I had this both heated, and not. I was struck by and appreciated its freshness on the half I ate at room temp . . . ! Still, there wasn't much marbling (see my picture), but I guess that was the (bad) luck of the draw.
While I was disappointed that Sweet Surrender didn't have the other 10 varieties of crannoli, I applaud them for their innovation nonetheless. I asked what they use in the way of shortening, and the answer was both butter and oil, depending on the the baked good. I didn't probe further, but may do so on a subsequent visit. Generally I'd say that this bakery would rise to the level of greatness if they took their chocolate game to the level it should be . . . . In combination with the other elements of their baked goods, such would make them a dangerously tasty entry in the bake shop game. read more