Just Desserts

Written while doing research for an art history paper...who knew French art could be so interesting?

Anybody who knows me well can attest to the fact that I have a slight major obsession with food, particularly desserts, and that I am always willing to go out of my way to get them.  At school I am the one known for suggesting a spontaneous ice cream run with my roomie (Whip'N'Dip Forever), randomly baking cookies during a late night study session in my apartment, or even driving all the way to Fort Lauderdale for sundaes larger than anyone should legally consume.  Prior to coming abroad I was forewarned that the desserts would be unlike anything I had ever consumed before...in the words of a dear friend "my record is six [French] pastries in one day."  And she was right.  After all, the first picture I instagrammed abroad was the dessert I had at lunch during orientation in Paris:

So, during my time abroad I decided to take a little personal expedition: find the best desserts in each city.  After all, I am studying abroad in more cities than just one!  It was a rather fun scavenger hunt, and after taking note of my personal observations I have reached a consensus on my favorite desserts in my three home cities:

PARIS: Macarons

I'd had Laduree in South Beach one weekend this fall with my mom, but nothing compares to eating a real French macaron in Paris.  Something about the way the cookie is so light yet sandwiched with the perfect amount of creme in the middle.  There are several different name brand shops in Paris, but Laduree on the Champs-Elysses is by far my favorite; probably because it is the first brand of macaron that I have ever had, let alone the first that I had when we got to Paris.  I love the way you walk in and see the shop girls in cute matching uniforms, and there is a huge display in front of you of all the different options.  They not only have little macarons which you can get for 2 euro each, but also large ones and different types of pastries.  While not the most beautiful, my favorite flavors have to be chocolate or caramel toffee, but strawberry candy is up there as well.  I highly recommend getting macarons whenever you get the chance; they taste great in America but there's just something about Paris that makes them even sweeter.

ROME: Gelato

This probably goes as no surprise, considering that I got gelato every day that we were in Rome.  Okay, maybe not every day (but the one day I didn't, I made up for it the next day by getting two!).  Gelato is like a gift from the heavens; it's 500 times better than ice cream and evokes some kind of emotion the second you taste it the first time until the last bite.  During my two weeks in Rome, I had the opportunity to explore several different gelato shops but I have to say that Giolitti's near the Pantheon and Frigidarium off the Piazza Navona are my personal favorites; they're so amazing in fact they're ranked as 2 of the top gelato places in all of Rome!  Both had the perfect consistency in their chocolate fondente (Italian dark chocolate), which just happened to complement the flavor(s) I got in addition.  Of all of the flavors that I had in Rome, the dark chocolate was definitely a favorite as was tiramisu, biscotti, and the special frigidarium flavor above: chocolate covered caramel cookie crunch.  The best gelato places won't overcharge be tourist traps and serve you at a fair price: the best small cone (2 scoops, 2 flavors) I had was around 3 euro and the beauty above (3 scoops, 3 flavors) was around the same.

MADRID: Churros con Chocolate

I have always liked churros, but that love grew exponentially when I got to Madrid.  The last time I was here, I went with my class to a chain place called Nebraska.  But, both my mom and grandmother recommended Chocolateria San Gines to me when I got here.  And OH MY GOD is it amazing.  Something about the fact that the place has been operating since 1894 and only serves churros con chocolate clearly shows that they're doing something right.  The right churros are light and fluffy and taste somewhat bland until you use a heavy hand with the powdered sugar.  In order to get the full effect, dip them in the heavenly rich chocolate.  Seriously, amazing.  Personally I prefer to share them with someone as a dessert or eat them alone as a meal, but however you eat them is up to you.  Churros con chocolate are an amazing dessert, and definitely the best dessert that I have had since I got to this country.  Oh, and did I mention that these delicious fried-dough pastries can also be served as breakfast too?  Just another reason why these are one of the many reasons I love Madrid.

So there you have it.  I have an obsession with dessert, and now you have places to go when you come to Europe!  And just because these are my favorites doesn't mean I can ignore French pastries, or Italian tiramisu or treats from the bakery at the outdoor market...it's all good I tell you!

Hasta luego!