Following the tremendous success of the original line of Core ice creams, the Flavor Gurus at Ben & Jerry’s have taken the concept to the next level by piping cookie butter through the center of each pint. Yep, you read that right!
The ice cream gods must’ve been smiling down on me, because some time during the wee hours of Tuesday, a package containing this latest and greatest innovation landed on my doorstep. You bet your boots I ate Cookie Cores for breakfast!
I have never been particularly stoked about Pasadena’s dining scene in the seven years that I’ve called it home. Don’t get me wrong, Pie ‘n Burger and Lucky Boy will always have a very special place in my heart-slash-stomach, but one cannot live on cheeseburgers and breakfast burritos alone.
Recently, however, the city has experienced a surge of exciting openings that have my sentiments shifting. New additions to the culinary landscape like Union (pasta!), Lincoln (pastries!), 85 Degrees (taro buns!), Little Sheep (hot pot!), Blockheads (shaved snow!), 800 Degrees (pizza!), and Copenhagen Pastry have made Pasadena tastier than ever before. Score!
Following the success of the original Copenhagen Pastry in Culver City, owner Karen Hansen opened a second outlet in East Pasadena this past December. The specialty here are Danish pastries like the ones she grew up eating in Denmark.
Nearly all of the pastries here are made from laminated dough—yeast-leavened dough that’s folded 27 times over with layers of butter. The pastries are filled with various ratios of almond paste and custard, along with cinnamon, almond flakes, and fruit.
On my first visit to the bakery, I selected half a dozen pastries to share with The Astronomer. The most visually arresting was the Morning Poppy ($1.60)—the “carpet of poppy seeds” added textural interest and a touch of nuttiness to the almond paste and flaky pastry.
There were a lot of loaves to love in 2014. While some were complimentary, most were not. What they did have in common; water, flour, yeast, magic!
Chef David’s Mom’s Cape Cod Squash Rolls from Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan Beach, California
Clark Street Bread Baguette from Petit Trois in Los Angeles, California
Bread Basket from L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, Nevada