Cheetos ... from Poland

Cheetos are not exactly novel nor unique.  And I don't even like them in the US, even when they are made into one of my favorite things: popcorn.  So why, when I was traveling in Europe, and the stores were full of so many new-to-me items, did I snatch up a bag of Cheetos?

Because you see, in Poland, they had a flavor of Cheetos that called out immediately to me: peanut.  I'm fairly obsessed with peanut puff snacks from any country (Trader Joe's bamba, Osem bamba from Israel, etc), and Poland was full of new brands for me to try, like Lorenz and Przysnacki that I previously reviewed.  And, it seems, Cheetos.

Peanut.

"Get ready to embark on a flavor-packed journey that combines the bold crunch of classic Cheetos with the mouthwatering essence of peanuts, creating a harmonious blend that's both satisfying and exciting.

Our Cheetos Peanut takes snacking to a whole new level by infusing the iconic Cheetos texture with the rich, nutty taste of peanuts. Every bite offers an explosion of flavors that dance on your taste buds – the savory goodness of cheese, the signature crunch you love, and the delightful hint of roasted peanuts. It's a one-of-a-kind fusion that strikes the perfect balance between familiar comfort and delightful innovation."

The bag is orange. They feature Chester.  They *look* like Cheetos puffs, just, less orange.

I don't know if it is all those factors that messed with my brain, because, yes, even though I did taste some peanut butter, I swear I tasted an underlying cheesiness, although these don't actually contain any cheese powder.  Besides that slightly uncanny taste, they did taste much like other peanut puffs, although the flavor was a lot more muted than other brands.  I had to eat, literally, half the bag in a single sitting to get any real peanut flavor that lingered.

The form factor also set these apart from similar products, as they really were exactly like other Cheetos puffs, that is, very light and airy.  I realized I really like how much crunchier other brands of peanut puffs are.

So, overall, fun to try a non-cheesy Cheetos product, and I still gleefully devoured the bag since I love peanut puffs, but the muted peanut flavor and less crunchy nature of these make them not a repeat buy for me.  3/5.

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Sunday Morning, NYC

Oh New York.  The city with amazing culinary options for whatever you seek out, including places devoted to mastering just one single thing.  Enter Sunday Morning, a bakery that makes cinnamon rolls.  Only cinnamon rolls (although, with many flavors).  In a city known to have plenty of great cinnamon rolls, this is a bit risky, but, most certainly seems to be working out for them.

It opened in January, and the media buzz has been fairly constant since.  The place is notorious for the lines (often 1-2 hours on weekends!) and for being all over Instagram and TikTok.  Even in a city with tons of cinnamon rolls, the hype is very, very real here.  They are open daily, but not until 10am on weekends (9am during the week), which really does seem sensible, as these aren't really breakfast items.

HUGE rolls!

"​​Our cinnamon rolls are made in the classic American style. A soft, pillowy, save-the-center-for-last kind of roll."

The menu has about 10 flavors rolls every day, starting with the basic classic cinnamon rolls with either sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting, or cinnabon like with caramel pecans, but quickly gets more fun from there.  On the fruity side, there is a blueberry lemon curd version with classic cream cheese frosting, a strawberry earl grey version, or even pineapple upside down with chantilly cream.  Pistachio lovers can go for the pistachio mascarpone, and for even more decadence, there is a brooklyn blackout with chocolate pudding (!) and a bananas foster with rum caramel and caramelized banana (not that the others are not decadent ...).  They sometimes have incredible sounding specials like Coconut Kaya Pandan, Ube, or Raspberry Honey Labneh.  Flavors are incorporated either into the icing, as garnish on top, or into the roll dough itself.  Rolls are $7 - $8.50 each and are all massive, so really quite reasonable prices.

When you visit the bakery in person, the buns are right there on the baking pans, hot and fresh from the oven, often warm as they bake them continuously throughout the day.  They don't bother put them into display cases, just, huge trays of very inviting rolls that make decision making impossible.  Or so I see from photos, I didn't visit myself, but rather, was treated to them by a friend who knows my love of baked goods.

My friend visited in person and ordered 4: the classic, the blueberry lemon curd, and these two (pistachio, earl gray). He devoured the first two on site so I didn't even see them, but brought me the others.  They aren't necessarily the flavors I would have picked, but I was more than happy to indulge and take them off his hands.

Strawberry Earl Grey / bergamot tea.

I started with the strawberry earl grey, as it has the bergamot tea in it, and thus a bit of caffeine, and I generally avoid caffeine after about 1pm.  

I didn't actually really taste the earl grey - I think it is incorporated into the frosting only?  It must have been very subtle, and masked by the other strong flavors (but I could see the flecks in the frosting).  What I did taste was quite enjoyable regardless - the cream cheese icing was generously applied, sweet, cream cheese-y, classic and just yup, done well.  The stewed strawberry topping was definitely sweet but in a natural and not cloying way, and went well with the frosting.  There was a lot of topping, definitely such that this was a dessert and not a breakfast sort of item, which was fine, as I was consuming it as after lunch dessert anyway.

The base cinnamon roll was exactly what I look for in a cinnamon roll.  It was lofty, soft, slightly almost underbaked in the middle but not really, and the edges weren't dried out or hard.  Rolled with classic cinnamon sugar filling, good amount of classic cinnamon flavor.  There was also bits of strawberry incorporated into the cinnamon roll dough itself.

Overall, at room temp, there is no question that this was a very good cinnamon roll, but I didn't find it actually life changing (and not something I'd personally wait in a loooong line for).  I enjoyed it even more when I warmed a hunk up and added a scoop of vanilla gelato.

Low 4/5 - I can't really fault anything (although perhaps not tasting the earl grey if I had cared about that), but not life changing, which may just be that I've had a lot of cinnamon rolls in my life, and they aren't as exciting to me these days as other desserts that I didn't grow up with my mom making from scratch? (Yes, I was spoiled by having a mother who baked regularly). 

Pistachio Mascarpone / pistachio butter.

Next up was the pistachio mascarpone.  I appreciated that it was not Dubai chocolate adjacent, as every other pistachio item in the city seems to be trending.

I liked this one even more.  Again the base cinnamon rolls was pretty much textbook well executed - moist, soft, lofty, fresh, etc.  It was smothered in pistachio mascarpone frosting, which was SOOOOOOO good.  Such strong real pistachio flavor, and I loved the crunch from all the bits of nut.  I didn't actually taste mascarpone in this, but it did have a creaminess to it that was more than just pistachio butter.

This is definitely a roll for pistachio lovers, and I thought it was excellent (and again, even better warm with ice cream/gelato)! 4/5, maybe 4.5/5.

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Metro Hong Kong Dessert

You would probably suspect that Metro Hong Kong Dessert, is, well, a dessert cafe, likely an asian one.  Which is ... sorta accurate.  They *do* have desserts.  But they actually have a full savory menu, including standard Chinese stir fry dishes, noodles, fried rice, steamed rice rolls, baked, fried, and steamed dim sum, porridge, bbq, plus, um sandwiches (literally, an American club sandwich?) and french fries, and more.  The sweet side of things is equally extensive, with milk or fruit tea and boba drinks, smoothies, mochi, egg waffles, and sooo many puddings, stews, taro ball/glutinous rice/glass jelly based desserts, and more.

Given my love for desserts, puddings, and taro, of course I was drawn in.  The restaurant is in San Francisco's chinatown and had very little curb appeal.  It didn't even seem particularly, um, clean.

Encounter #1, February 2021

For Chinese New Year, the downtown association was trying to help revitalize Chinatown given the aftermath of the pandemic, and they arranged a crawl to several different restaurants and shops.  You got a passport that you then redeemed for tastings at the different stops.  One of my stops was Metro Hong Kong Dessert, and I was so excited for, well, fun dessert.

Chicken Wing.

The first item in my goodie bag though?  A bbq chicken wing.  Doh.  I hate chicken!

I still tried it, and the bbq flavor was actually really quite good.  But it was still a wing, and still very much not my thing.

Normally part of the BBQ chicken wings and thigh 7 piece combo for $15.95.

Mango Sago Soup (Sample-ish).

Next up though I did have a dessert item, the mango sago soup.  Served in a small portion, not their normal serving.

It was very good, but very sweet.  Basically, well, mango puree, soft pliable small sago, a few small pieces of mango.  Sweet and a tiny bit tart.

I liked it.  3.5/5.

Encounter #2, September 2025

Several years later, I encountered Metro Hong Kong Dessert again.

Assorted Goodies.

I attended a small gathering where we had baked goods from Eastern Bakery, and desserts and boba drinks from Metro Hong Kong Dessert.  I tried several items, skipping the boba drinks, and instead focusing on the "real" desserts.  Here you can see the full portion sizes.

I didn't get to try the mango pudding (front cups), but tried both of the sago soups (bigger round bowls), one was coconut juice sago, the other mango coconut juice sago.  Both were good - definitely sweet but not cloying, lots of coconut flavor, soft, not stuck together, little sago.  Not much sago, mostly just soup, and not quite what I was looking for, as I wanted more goodies, or at least, more sago to make them more like a pudding (but, to be fair, these were on the menu as soups, and they had other pudding options).  Both were very large portions, hence why myself and others split them, and the $6.95 each price seemed fine, although there wasn't much to them really.  I still did quite enjoy.  3.5/5.

Grass Jelly Taro Balls. $7.95.

For my main event, I went with an item from the Taiwanese dessert section of the menu, the glass jelly taro balls.  It had far more than just glass jelly and taro balls, as you can see here.

The base was the grass jelly.  Big hunks, pretty standard grass jelly, dark black.  You can't see it here, but there was a significant amount of it at the base.  It was good, refreshing, and not something I have often so I liked it.  Then there were black large size tapioca balls that frankly weren't very good - they were stuck together, not particularly soft.  I assume the same as used in their drinks, and I'm glad I opted to skip the drinks.  The red bean was fairly standard too, mostly whole little beans, not mashed, quite savory.

And then we get to the fun stuff.  Hunks of taro, soft but not total mush.  Taro balls and sweet potato balls that were both fairly soft and pliable, both savory too. Again, all fairly standard for this style of dessert, not particularly remarkable, but not things I have all that often.

The base broth was very plain.  I expected it to be sweetened, but it didn't seem to be, besides from the brown sugar syrup like boba pearls come in, but mostly, it was just a dark low flavor soup.  The net result is that this actually ate really quite savory, very little sweetness.  I liked the different textures, and the adventure of eating it, but didn't find the actual taste all that compelling.  I added some of the (very!) sweet mango and coconut sago soups to it, and enjoyed it considerably more that way.  Is that just my American palate so used to very sweet desserts?

Anyway, fun, and loaded with mix-ins, but not something I'd get again.  3/5.

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Magnolia Bakery, Boston & New York

Update Review, New York, 2024 & 2025 Visits

Magnolia Bakery.  Over-hyped?  Perhaps.  And I haven't ever loved most items at Magnolia (and in particular, find the cupcakes that made them famous on Sex in the City to be fairly meh), but that banana pudding?  It's pretty flawless.

Classic Banana Pudding. 
Small. $5.98.

"This world-famous, 4 ounce cup of Banana Pudding is layered with vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding."

I've had this pudding before, several times, so you'd think I'd know just how good it is, but it still caught me off guard when I took the first bite.  After all, it didn't *look* all that special.  And how good can banana pudding really be?  Answer: yeah, it can be mind boggling good.

I'm not sure what it is about it, but, the banana flavor is strong, the vanilla pudding is really quite rich and thick, the wafers are pleasantly soft, and yay for fresh banana slices.  It is simple, but it is just done so very right.  Banana pudding doesn't get better than this.

4.5/5.

Blueberry Crisp (July Special). 
Sample.

"Our classic vanilla pudding with a lemon-y twist, layered with blueberry filling, vanilla wafers and baked crumb topping."

Every month the bakeries in NY have a seasonal flavor.  In July 2024, it was blueberry crisp.

I asked to sample this first as I was a bit wary of the lemon base given my general slight aversion to lemon or lime desserts (really, I asked how lemon-y it was, and was immediately offered a sample, plucked from a fresh container that was in the fridge for purchase.  Gotta love their sample eagerness!).

It was fine, but reminded me of just a decent trifle.  The pudding was only slightly lemon, otherwise just good thick rich vanilla pudding.  Swirls of fruity sweet blueberry, some texture from soft wafers and crumb topping.  It was good, but the banana pudding is better, so I got that instead.  3.5/5.

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Pumpkin Spice (September Special).

When I visited a few months later, the special had turned to pumpkin spice (already!).  I tried a sample of the pumpkin spice, and liked it considerably more than the previous year.  I think I was more in the pumpkin spice mood.  Basically, think pumpkin pie filling, but both richer and fluffier, and with soft wafers instead of crust.  4/5.

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Chocolate Banana Pudding (August Special).

"Layers of creamy chocolate pudding, OREO wafers, fresh bananas, and mini chocolate chips."

A year later, I was in New York for July and August, and opted to try the August special, chocolate banana pudding.

This was pretty good.  It wasn't a super intense, rich, chocolate mousse style of chocolate pudding, rather, it is vanilla pudding with chocolate fudge swirls, and then all the other mix-ins: bananas just like the signature pudding, Oreos that were basically just soft chocolate cake since they had been mixed in and sat like that in the pudding mixture like the Nilla wafers do in the classic pudding, plus lots of mini chocolate chips that added great crunch and chocolateliness.  Although I don't like Oreos much, they were barely recognizable as such in this, and it really was just a pretty good banana pudding with chocolate flair.  4/5.

Update Review, New York, 2023 Visits

I know I visited one of the original Magnolia locations when I visited New York ages ago, but, I don't remember being particularly impressed, and think we just got cupcakes.  But once I had that banana pudding from their short lived Boston location ... I knew I had to get it again when I was in New York this summer.

Spoiler: that banana pudding remains completely worth the visit.

Pumpkin Spice (Fall, Seasonal):
"Creamy pumpkin pudding layered with vanilla wafers and decadent cookie butter."

On September 1, like clockwork, Magnolia Bakery launched their pumpkin spice version of pudding.  This is NOT a banana pudding, which seems like a wise choice, as I don't think pumpkin spices and banana would combine all that well.

Since pumpkin spice can be fairly polarizing, sometimes way too heavy in, say, the nutmeg, I asked the staff member at the shop how aggressively spiced it was.  She said it wasn't too spiced at all, and that it just tasted like pumpkin pie.  As she was saying this, she was immediately fetching a container of it, and asked if I wanted to sample it.  Who am I to say no to a sample?

Her description was very accurate.  It tasted, indeed, like pumpkin pie.  Creamy, lightly spiced, pumpkin pie, that just happened to have some soft wafers in it too.  It was quite enjoyable, but, you had to be in the mood for pumpkin pie, which, it turned out, I really wasn't at the time. 3.5/5.

Banana Pudding (Medium). $7.95.

"This world-famous, 12 ounce cup of Banana Pudding is layered with vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding."

The last time I had Magnolia Bakery pudding, it was in their Boston location, in 2018, before it closed.  I really enjoyed it then.  But I wasn't sure if my tastes had evolved in the past 5 years.

Turns out, this pudding really is still quite good. The vanilla wafers are soft in a good way, almost cake-like.  The pudding is thick and rich, very creamy, and lightly banana flavored.  The ratio of pudding to wafers was spot on too - easy to get a bite of just pudding, but most contained a bit of both.  I was surprised though that there didn't seem to be much in the way of the fresh banana slices.  I didn't mind, as it was so rich, creamy, and delicious as it was, but if you are looking for a banana forward pudding, this isn't it.  I added fresh strawberries and blueberries to mine, and that was perfect.

4/5 though, really, excellent pudding.

Original Review, Boston, 2018 Visits

Magnolia Bakery.  The bakery credited with (or blamed for, depending on your take), the cupcake craze of the 1990s.  Thrust into the spotlight after appearing on Sex and the City.

Originally just a single little bakery in New York, but now a global empire, with locations in most of the big US cities, and internationally in places as far ranging as Dubai, Kuwait City, Bangalore, and Seoul.  Known for the cupcakes, obviously, but also for good classic American desserts.  Clearly, I needed to check the place out.

I never visited the New York locations, but when they opened in Boston, I was thrilled, as I always fly into Boston when I go to visit my family.  And as a lover of all baked goods, how could I pass this up?

But spoiler: it wasn't really the baked goods I was after.  Sure, I wanted to try those, but, itt was something else that led me to go out of my way to check out Magnolia Bakery.  Their other signature item.  The banana pudding.  Yes, just banana pudding, but, uh, it has a serious following.

I quickly found out why.

Visit #1: Icebox Bars & Puddings. July 2018.

My first visit was aimed at trying the signature banana pudding, obviously, in as many flavors as I possibly could.  I also selected a couple icebox bars, as I was unfamiliar with the concept, and wanted to try them out.

The puddings were the runaway hits, no question.

Visit #2: Ice Box Bars, Cupcakes, Cake. December 2018.

On my second visit, I tried more icebox cakes, and this time, added on some cupcakes and a slice of cake.  Of course I got more banana pudding too.

I've still yet to try the cheesecake, classic icebox cake, cookies, brownies, or bars.

Setting

The Boston location of Magnolia is located in tourist central: Faneuil Hall.  Right at the entrance.  It isn't exactly the most peaceful of locations, but it is very accessible and easy to find.

Pudding / Cupcake Finishing Station.

The space begins with a glimpse inside the bakery, which does help the feel of the place be not quite so cookie-cutter, there was prep going on there, unlike many other stalls.

Since this is an active bakery, you can actually see staff finishing cupcakes and scooping out containers of pudding right there.

That is, when they have a moment between the steady stream of guests ...

So. Many. Treats.

The remainder of the shop front is display cases filled with all the treats.  

Magnolia is a full bakery, with an extensive product line, ranging from cookies, to brownies and bars, to cheesecakes, to cakes, and of course, the cupcakes and pudding.

It is from the cases that you order with someone on the other side, then stand in line to check out.

Counter of Treats.

This section was mostly cheesecakes, all mini sized, $7.95,  offered in traditional flavors, or fun ones like German Chocolate or Red Velvet.  I didn't even know Magnolia made cheesecake until I saw these, and I'd love to try them sometime.

The layout suffers quite a bit, as it was hard to browse the items, since people needed to stand in front of the cases to place orders, and the line to check out extended back in front of the cases at most times.  People also seemed generally confused, where to order, how to pay, etc.  But staff did their best at keeping things moving.

Drink Menu.

To go with your treats, you can also order coffee and espresso drinks (hot or iced), cold summer beverages like lemonade and ice tea, or, during the winter, nice warm hot cocoa.

I hear the caramel latte is quite good, made with their house made caramel.

Party Supplies.

The one non-food section had a funny assortment of items, some party supplies like candles and balloons, but also ... tattoos?  And the Magnolia cookbook for sale.

Register.

Eventually you make your way to the register to pay and retrieve your goodies.

Here you see the place in a moment of calm, which I waited around for so I could actually get some photos.

Seating.

Magnolia does actually have a few seats, unlike almost everywhere else in Faneuil Hall.  Just a few stools and counters in a narrow hallway that leads to an exterior door, but, still very welcome.

I managed to luck out and a big gaggle of teenage girls vacated the entire area as I walked up.  I thank them for this, as it was nice to get out of the center flow of tourists so I could enjoy my treats. 

Packaging

Items are all very clearly marked with the magnolia brand.

Magnolia Bags / Bowls / Boxes.

If you are getting your treats for later, items come packaged in Magnolia boxes, taped shut so they don't fly open, and placed into handled Magnolia bags.  This packaging is less elaborate than what you'd find in a fancy bakery in Paris, but, still takes time (for them to do, and you to un-do!).  

The counters are filled with signs encouraging you to just get a plate, not a box, if you are going to eat your treats right away.  I'm sure it is frustrating to slowly pack up a cupcake, just to watch someone pull it out and eat it 2 feet away, throwing out the box immediately!

Cupcake Boxes.

If you do get those cupcakes to go though, they come in a custom box that holds them in place perfectly.  No ruined cupcakes here!

Banana Pudding

Magnolia may be most well known for the cupcakes due to the show, but, if you ask people what to get at Magnolia Bakery, there is something else entirely that *everyone* will tell you to get.  The banana pudding.  Any variety.

 

As a pudding lover, this makes me a very happy girl, because I always feel it is such an under-loved dessert, when it can be so very good if given proper attention.

And, spoiler, Magnolia does this justice.  The rave reviews are well deserved.  They have discovered two not-so-secrets: use sweetened condensed milk instead of milk in your pudding, and fold in plentiful whipped cream to make it lofty.  That is the magic.  Nothing fancy.  Just delicious.

Voting for the next banana pudding flavor!

The counter had ballots to vote for the next banana pudding flavor.  Some sound amazing (cookie dough! Butterscotch!) and really there is something for everyone in the list.

Banana Pudding Cones.

For National Banana Pudding Day (yes, it is a thing), Magnolia offered up a limited time creation: banana pudding cones.

Yes, "scoops" of banana pudding, in a cone, with sprinkles.  For 4 days only, $5.25 each.  Kinda cute, really.

I almost got one, but since I wasn't planning to consume it right then, this didn't seem very practical.

Small Puddings. $4.25 each.

Magnolia always carries the signature classic banana pudding, a monthly special that generally sounds amazing (I just missed salted caramel!), and, exclusive to Boston only, one additional flavor: Boston Cream Pie.  They also normally carry a chocolate pudding with chocolate pudding and Oreo wafers instead of vanilla wafers, but they didn't have it at the Boston location, perhaps it was just sold out, perhaps they just don't offer it since they have the Boston special. 

Pudding is available in this small size for $4.25, medium for $6, large for $7.50, or many other larger party sizes for groups.  I ordered a small of each of the puddings.  You know, for "research".  I needed to compare them all!

Boston Cream Pie Banana Pudding (Boston only special),
Banana Pudding, S'mores Banana Pudding (August Special). 

The small size seems reasonable for having a dessert that leaves you fairly satisfied, but not feeling awful, but I don't think the medium is really too much for a pudding lover to easily polish off in one sitting.  I'd recommend getting bigger and taking some home for later, or just getting several.  They won't keep for long due to the fresh bananas, and obviously require refrigeration, but, believe me, you'll want as much of this as you can get.

It is seriously good banana pudding.

Classic Banana Pudding.

"Layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding."

I started with the classic, since it is the most simple.

You will laugh if you look at the ingredient list for this classic banana pudding.  It is, literally, just instant pudding mix made with sweetened condensed milk (!), whipped cream (e.g. heavy cream), Nilla wafers (yes, the regular brand name), and sliced fresh bananas.  They aren't trying to be fancy.  No house made wafers, but also not even "real" pudding.  But clearly, Magnolia discovered the secret (hello, sweetened condensed milk!)  I can't wait to try making pudding myself this way ...

Anyway, this is, well, really ridiculously good banana pudding.  Creamy.  Sweet.  Rich.  The Nilla wafers soft, almost like cake inside a parfait, from soaking in the pudding.  The fresh banana soft and just plentiful enough to give banana in nearly every bite, but not overwhelming.

It is a classic thing for sure, but, um, wow.  Certainly the best banana pudding I've ever had.  And yet, of the trio, this was my second favorite.  Because they got better than this.

4.5/5.

Boston Cream Pie. Small. $4.25.

"Layers of vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, bananas and a decadent chocolate fudge. Available exclusively at our Boston location daily while supplies last."

Next, I tried the exclusive Boston version: Boston Cream Pie.  It is just the classic pudding, but with chocolate fudge added.  Chocolate and bananas are a classic combo after all.

I did like this, but, honestly, I think it was more "banana split" than "Boston cream pie".  For me at least, Boston cream pie/cake/donuts are all about the custard layer, and this had the same pudding layer as the regular banana pudding.

Once I started thinking of it as "banana split", all I could think about was how much more fun it would be with some maraschino cherries (and sprinkles?) added in too.  How good does that sound?  Who knows, maybe they have done that for the flavor of the month before?

Still, it was my favorite, the chocolate fudge just amped the basic banana pudding up a notch I wasn't expecting.

4.5/5.

S'mores Banana Pudding (August). Small. $4.25.

"Layers of chocolate pudding, graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, marshmallows, bananas and chocolate shavings - the taste of summer in every bite."

And finally, the August special: S'mores.  I'm not usually excited about s'mores, but this was fairly good.

S'mores Banana Pudding: Close Up.

It had graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers, and chocolate pudding instead of vanilla, so even just the base was quite different.  And then, mini marshmallows, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate chips added in.

The chocolate pudding was just as good as the vanilla, but I do like vanilla pudding more in general, so it got the edge.  The graham cracker soaked up even more moisture than the wafers, resulting in a softer cake-like texture, but one that tasted like graham, which I preferred less.  And then, um, yes to marshmallow fluff, sweet and sticky, and always something I adore.  Chocolate chips were awesome for texture and crunch.  Eh to the mini marshmallows, but, a yes to everything else about this one.

My least favorite, but still good, particularly if you like chocolate desserts. 3.5/5.

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Chocolate Pudding. (December 2018)

"Layers of OREO® wafers*, fresh bananas, creamy chocolate pudding, and chocolate shavings."

The chocolate version is offered daily in New York, but since Boston has the Boston Cream version, this showed up only as a monthly special, in December when I visited.

It was my least favorite, just chocolate pudding, some Oreo, bananas. Eh.  Just get the Boston Cream.

Icebox Desserts

Magnolia makes a large variety of icebox pies and bars, sold as individual bars for $6, mini pies for $10, or full size 9" pies for $28.

All are variations with kind of crust (vanilla or chocolate wafers, graham crackers, Oreo cookies), with some kind of whipped cream filling (classic, peanut butter, ricotta, lime custard), and a topping (Snicker's, blueberries, etc).  They also make their chocolate and banana puddings as pies as well, same ingredients, just, different assembly.

On my first visit, I was there on a mission to try the latest Boston exclusive item, a Cannoli Ice Box dessert, but I knew I wanted to try one other too.

I was about to order the peanut butter or Snicker's versions, because both sounded pretty amazing, the former made with a vanilla wafer crust, caramel, peanut butter whipped cream/cream cheese filling, and Reese's PB Cups, the later with a chocolate wafer crust, peanut butter, cream cheese/whipped cream filling, and Snickers, but then I saw the August special peach "jamboree" bar, and got quite excited.  And then it sold out in front of me.  Doh.  I fell back on the blueberry jamboree bar, as I loved the sound of the crust (pecan shortbread!).

I'll admit that I was hit with buyer's remorse on this one.  I really did want either of the peanut butter based desserts, and it was only my disappointment in the peach disappearing in front of my eyes that lead me to the blueberry.  I considered turning back when I was about 10 minutes away, not because I didn't like what I had, but because I still really wanted peanut butter!

So when I returned in December, it was clear I had to order both of them.

Blueberry Jamboree Bar. $6.

"Pecan shortbread crust layered with whipped cream and cream cheese filling with a fresh blueberry topping."

My consolation prize, when they didn't have the one I wanted the first time: the blueberry jamboree bar.  I think the "jamboree" is a Magnolia creation, as it is not a term I was familiar with before, and a quick Google search doesn't reveal much (besides recipes for the Magnolia one).

This was the best of the two icebox bars I tried.

I really liked the crust, made from compressed pecan shortbread, full of texture from chopped pecans, and very pleasantly sweet.  It went great with the cream filling, which was rich and creamy.  The cream cheese mixed with the whipped cream gave it more body and flavor than a simple whipped cream filling.

I wasn't crazy about the blueberry topping though, little wild blueberries, in a compote of sorts.  I prefer bigger, juicier berries, and maybe even more of a classic "goo" around the fruit.  You can also get this topping on the cheesecake.  My companion who I split it with however loved the blueberry layer, so this was clearly just preference.  He couldn't decide if he liked this, or the banana pudding, more.

I was happy enough with just the crust and cream layers to be honest, but I can't help but wonder how amazing the peach version is!

3.5/5.

Cannoli Icebox Bar. $6.

"Inspired by the traditional Cannoli, this exclusive Icebox Dessert has a Nilla Wafer Crust, Sweet Whipped Ricotta filling with a hint of Lemon and a layer of Mini Chocolate Chips." 

The last item we tried on our first visit was the new Boston exclusive Cannoli Icebox Bar.  It was our least favorite, no question.  Neither of us cared for it much at all.

The crust was compressed (and sweetened?) Nilla wafers, thick, and kinda boring.  Why didn't they use crushed cannoli shells instead?  Using Nilla wafers here in a cannoli inspired dessert seemed a bit wrong.

The filling layer was sweetened ricotta, per a traditional cannoli, with much more than a "hint of lemon" to it.  We both felt it was far too strong on the lemon, much more of a lemon bar dessert than we were expecting, and, as neither of us care for lemon desserts, far too much lemon.

The mini chocolate chips were fine, I liked the texture, and they obviously added to the "cannoli" aspect of it.

So, overall, this just wasn't a success for me.  Boring crust, filling I didn't like due to aggressive lemon, meh.  2/5.

Peanut Butter Icebox Bar. $6.

"Vanilla wafer crust layered with caramel and a peanut butter whipped cream and cream cheese filling, topped with Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups."

My second visit yielded success at getting a slice of the incredible sounding peanut butter icebox bar.

I love peanut butter cups, so this sounded pretty awesome.  I did think it was strange that the peanut butter icebox bar had caramel and the Snickers one did not however, as I expected it to match the Peanut Butter Cups on top a bit better.  Same with the vanilla rather than chocolate crust.  Maybe they found that chocolate crust and just peanut butter whipped cream and cream cheese filling was too much sameness?

Anyway.

I liked this more than the previous bars, but I think that icebox style bars just aren't really my thing.  The crusts are kinda odd to me, crumbly and they break apart, and I always want the fillings to be either richer and thicker like cheesecake, or more like a pudding.  Nothing wrong with the execution of this bar, I really think it just isn't the form for me.

The peanut butter flavor in the filling is strong, and you can tell this is a peanut butter dessert.  I didn't really taste much, if any, caramel though.  Nor cream cheese really.  Just sweetened peanut butter cream really.  Which is tasty, but not really a complete dessert to me.  Having layers of distinct peanut butter whipped cream and peanut butter cream cheese might work better?

Of course I liked the chunks of pb cup on top, along with a few bits of crushed peanut.

I think I'd like this more with a thicker, firmer crust (with some pb cups in it perhaps?), a layer of just whipped cream, and a rich thick chocolate ganache in there somewhere ... yeah, I think I don't like icebox bars!  3/5.

Snickers. $6.

"Chocolate wafer crust layered with peanut butter, cream cheese, and whipped cream filling, topped with Snickers® Bar pieces."

I also managed to get a slice of the equally decadent sounding Snickers icebox pie.

The Snickers version was very similar, although this cream was only peanut butter, not caramel I guess, a lighter color, and slightly more mild flavor.  It actually did taste a bit like caramel, but, it says just peanut butter ...

The texture of the crust was similar, just chocolate this time.  Chunks of Snickers were less exciting to me than peanut butter cups.

I liked the peanut butter version more since it featured the cups, but I still can't help but think it would make more sense to have the caramel filling here, and the vanilla crust ... 2.5/5.

Cakes & Cupcakes

And finally, yes, the cupcakes.  Or full size cakes if you prefer.

Whole Cakes.

Magnolia offers classic cakes daily, usually vanilla or chocolate bases with vanilla or chocolate buttercream in a variety of flavors, available by the slice or full cake in assorted sizes.  They also make a number of specialty cakes, ranging from German Chocolate with coconut caramel pecan filling to Hummingbird with banana, pineapple, and pecans in the cake.

The cakes are all available to pre-order and can be decorated as well.

Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Slice. $5.

"Rich, buttery, old-fashioned cake with a light crumb. Our most popular cake!" 

I decided to get a slice of cake because I knew it was layer cake, and I often find that layer cake has better frosting to cake ratio (as in, more frosting!) than a cupcake, and the cake is generally more moist.  (Sorry cupcakes, but full cakes often have the leg up!)

The cake was decent.  Moist, buttery vanilla cake.  Not particularly notable, but a nice cake.  Fairly textbook.

The buttercream, light blue but just vanilla buttercream, was quite sweet, but, that is what I was after.  Good texture.  Nice amount on top and in-between the layers.

Overall, a very solid, very basic, classic vanilla cake.  Well made, but it mostly made me wish it was a cake from Empire Cakes in New York ... I was obsessed with their cake when I was there recently (review soon)!

3.5/5.

Cupcakes.

But the main attraction at Magnolia is still the cupcakes.  Multiple display cases are filled with cupcakes, all versions of chocolate and vanilla (e.g. chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream, chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream, etc), plus a daily cupcake flavor, plus a weekly special.

On my visit in December, there were also holiday decorated cupcakes.  The seasonal cupcake was chocolate with peppermint buttercream, the daily was red velvet.  Specialty cupcakes are also available to pre-order, including a fun confetti cake and a pb & j version with jelly inside a peanut butter cake, with peanut butter buttercream.

Vanilla (Holiday) Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream. $3.95.

"Rich, buttery, old-fashioned cake with a light crumb. Our most popular cake!" 

I'll admit, I got this one for my mother because she loves snowmen, and because it was so darn cute, not because I wanted a plain vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream, when I had also gotten the slice.  But seriously, how do you pass him up?

It was ... a decent cupcake.  Vanilla base, moist but not as moist as the regular cake, decently buttery, good texture, good sweetness level.  The buttercream was exactly the same as the cake, just, white.  I did like the extra large sugar crystals on top, which truly did give it a snowy shimmer.

This was a fine cupcake, but again, not as good as Empire Cakes, although it wins a lot for style points.  3/5.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Whipped Vanilla Icing. $3.95.

"Light chocolate cake with whipped vanilla icing."

I also got a red velvet cupcake, because the lofty icing was just too much to pass up.  Seriously, look at that mound of frosting!!!

The cake was the best of the three I tried, a lot more flavor in the classic red velvet base, a touch of cocoa in it, and I believe buttermilk.  Good moisture level, good crumb.  A nice cake, but again, just good, textbook, but not exemplary.

The frosting was actually much lighter than it looked.  Truly it was whipped.  It was sweet and fluffy, kinda fun.  I think I liked it more than the classic thicker buttercream. 

They also make the red velvet cupcake (or cake) with a more traditional cream cheese icing.

3.5/5.

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Pastries from Panera

Update Review, 2025 Visits

Another year, another birthday freebie treat to redeem at Panera, so I tried a new item fairly randomly, and then returned a few days later for another new item when they gave me another random free credit.  Both were average, but fun to try new things.

Cranberry Orange Slice. $4.59.

"A flavorful slice of cake with whole cranberries and sweet orange flavor, sour cream, and sprinkled with coarse sugar."

I often talk about how I don't like lemon/lime/citrus forward desserts.  And about how I dislike raisins and dried cranberries.  And how there is little place in my life for a loaf cake, a non-frosted cake.  And yet ... this year, for my birthday freebie, I chose to get just that: a citrus forward, non-frosted, loaf cake slice with dried fruit.  I was really strangely craving it, having had some really good lemon blueberry muffins a week prior, and a strangely good marble loaf cake a few days prior.  This just really called out.

And it did meet my mood.  It was moist.  The pearl sugar on top gave a nice extra burst of sweetness.  It tasted processed, and not like my mom had just made it, but not overly so.  The orange flavor was definitely the first thing I tasted, but it was a pleasant flavor, and what I was in the mood for.  The cranberries were nicely tart, and added a bit of sweetness.  All together, it was exactly what I wanted it to be, which was basically like a breakfast muffin, just in loaf shape rather than baked in a muffin tin.  Definitely not a cake nor proper dessert, but a nice morning item.  3.5/5.

Brownie Bite. $1.99.

"A mini chocolate fudge brownie topped with chocolate chips and brownie crumbles."

The brownie bite really is just that, a bite (ok, 2-3 bite) small treat.  It is covered in the brownie crumbles that are a slightly crunchy/firm style, not like a soft gooey brownie, but this makes sense for a coating, and adds good texture.  The description said it would be topped with chocolate chips too, but I didn't find those, perhaps mixed with the brownie rubble?

Since these are so small, they are also available in a 3-pack for $5.

Brownie Bite: Inside.

What is most interesting about this is what is under that crumble coating.

Yes, there is a brownie-like layer, but also ... a filling?  The description doesn't mention a filling.  And if you look at the ingredients for this, they say, as ingredient #1, "brownie cheesecake bite", yet the name of this is just "brownie bite" on the menu, and the description just calls it a brownie, no mention of cheesecake anywhere.  Yet there is most definitely cream cheese in this, and it is a very cheesecake forward item, as the entire center is a mild chocolate cheesecake.  So if you get this expecting what they describe, a fudge brownie, you'll be sad.  But if you want a bite of chocolate cheesecake with a little extra brownie alongside, this is for you.

I found it enjoyable with some whipped cream and raspberries, and would get it again if I had a free sweet treat on my account or something, but wouldn't seek it out otherwise.  3.5/5.

Update Review, 2024 Visit

Panera added a few new menu items in summer 2024, and most were a bit over the top.  Clearly trying to get attention.  Like the CinnaTops product line, that is full cinnamon rolls, topped with standard icing, and then either cookies (chocolate chip or candy chip, your choice) and more icing.  I'm all for mashups, but this didn't really seem like one that made sense.  They don't get particularly great reviews, but I still wanted to try.

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop. $4.99.

"A deliciously crafted cinnamon roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent icing, brownie chunks and finished with an icing drizzle."

Reviewers all say the brownie is the best of the bunch, and, since I never liked Panera's chocolate chip nor candy cookie as standalone treats anyway, that seemed like the best choice for me given the 3 options.

It was even more ridiculous when I saw it in person.  Yes, the base was an extremely large cinnamon roll, and it had 8 large hunks of brownie on top.

This was my first time trying a Panera brownie.  I believe this is the regular brownie, just chopped up.  Mine had 8 well arranged hunks on top.   The brownie was fairly moist, and pretty generic.  Rich and fudgey, and probably what I'd like better warm and a la mode, but I'm not generally one for brownies (I prefer blondies, or if I'm going for warm chocolate carb dessert a la mode, I prefer a nice chocolate cake as my base).  But nothing wrong with it.  Low ***.

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop: Side View.

The amount of icing was ... um, over the top.  Er, over the sides?

Marketing Images.

For context, the marketing images show the icing on top, but not fully extending over the edges, still revealing a bit of cinnamon roll, which mine did not.  I think someone was over-zealous with the icing application on mine.

Now, getting to the base roll itself, which I was assuming was just the regular cinnamon roll I've had before a few times, however the moment I saw it I realized something had changed.  

Cinnamon Rolls: Old (left), New (right).

Yes, the base looked totally different from what I expected, and it turns out, about 5 months prior, in March 2024, Panera reformulated the cinnamon rolls, to be far less lofty and doughy.  The old ones (above, left) required proofing overnight, were baked in a pan and cut out, and were far more work for the bakers.  Now, they just bake from frozen (right).  My sources (e.g. Panera staff members on Reddit) say the icing is unchanged, which made me hopeful, as I liked the icing before.  I definitely prefer the more lofty style, but I was always let down by that element previously, so, hey, maybe this is a better change?

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop: Cross Section.

I dug in first at room temperature, as served, but fully intended to warm it up too.

The pastry part was pretty lackluster, more of a danish/croissant dough than the puffy dough I prefer in a cinnamon roll.  It did not taste particularly fresh, even though I picked this up at 10am.   It did have plenty of cinnamon between the folds.  But, a pretty mediocre pastry really.  ** base.

The icing was the best part, it was sweet but not crazy cloying, and seemed to have light lemon notes to it?  I actually quite enjoyed the icing, comical quantity and all.  It was however quite hard.  *** icing.

So, what do you get when you put together a mediocre danish-style cinnamon roll, decent icing, and a generic brownie?  Yeah, this.  I wasn't particularly compelled to finish it, nor to get another.  **+ overall.

The regular cinnamon roll is 520 calories, and the brownie 470, so I guess it isn't a full size brownie, as this is "only" 790 calories, so I guess ~60% of a brownie?

Update Review, 2021 Visit

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll. $3.89.

"A freshly baked roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent vanilla icing."

For my birthday freebie this year, I was in the mood for sweet, and was thrilled to see Panera still had cinnamon rolls when I visited in late afternoon (I got the last one!).  But uh ... I didn't like it very much.

I took a bite at room temp, and felt fairly "meh" about it, just like before - the dough was just boring, and yes it had plenty of cinnamon sugar filling between the folds, but it was just ... eh.  And the very very plentiful icing was just too sweet.

Still, I remembered liking it better heated, so I heated it up.  It looked great, the icing slightly melty.  But ... it still was just ... ok.  Not bad, but not very good, and not something worth nearly $4, or 650 calories ... (that said, now that I read my past review, I think I felt pretty similar, I just "saved" it that time by adding ice cream.

I probably wouldn't get this again. **+.

Update Review, Early 2020

Yup, yup, yet another update review of the pastries from Panera, as I continue to work my way through their reformulated offerings.  See below for all my prior reviews.

Chocolate Croissant. $3.29. (Sept 2019)

"A freshly baked, perfectly flaky butter croissant stuffed with chocolate flavored cream cheese and topped with a chocolate flavored drizzle and powdered sugar."

When Panera re-vamped the bakery goods last year, they *radically* changed the chocolate croissant.  In very non-traditional ways.

Just looking at it, and reading the description, you can tell this is not a standard chocolate croissant.  Most chocolate croissants, or pain au chocolat, are rectangular, and filled with 1-2 bars of chocolate.  This was more  shaped like a traditional croissant, except covered in chocolate "flavored" drizzle and powdered sugar, and, um, filled with "chocolate flavored cream cheese".

The pastry itself is indeed improved from the past.  It was not oily, spongy, or stale.  The outside was slightly golden brown, and had a slightly crisp exterior.  Inside was moist, and faintly buttery.

I wanted more flaky layers, more significant butter flavor, but it was certainly better than what I've had anywhere like Starbucks, or hotel breakfast buffets.

The powdered sugar on top I don't think added much (besides messy fingers), but I did like the chocolate "flavored" drizzle, as I was really in the mood for chocolate when I got this.

So, I rate the croissant itself above average, but not the same calibre as a real bakery. *** so far.

 Chocolate Croissant Inside.

The filling however is the part I was most interested in.  As I said, I was really in the mood for chocolate, and I was curious what this would deliver.

What is "chocolate flavored cream cheese" anyway?

The answer seemed to be ... soft chocolate paste.  I liked the chocolate flavor, and the consistency was good, kinda like dipping bread into soft chocolate, but I didn't taste anything vaguely cream cheese like.  That was fine with me, but if you wanted to taste cream cheese, this wouldn't do that for you.

I liked the filling, but you need to know this is not standard chocolate croissant filling, and, despite the description, isn't really cream cheese-y.

I'm glad I tried this item, I enjoyed it enough given the chocolate-y mood I was in, but I wouldn't order another. ***+.

Update Review, January 2019

Hot on the heels of my amazement last month that Panera introduced basically kouign aman to their lineup, I tried another new pastry item, the cinnamon roll, and was even more impressed.

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll. $3.

"A freshly baked roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent vanilla icing."

I've been eying these cinnamon rolls since Panera introduced them late last year.  They seem to be crowd pleasers though, or perhaps hard for Panera to make in quantity, as literally any time I have arrived post 11am they are completely sold out.  I only ever see them earlier in the morning, and they usually have them still in the baking pan, with only 1-1 left.

So I finally ordered one in advance, through the app.  It was ready and waiting in the rapid pick up area.  I knew that that the cinnamon rolls are large, because I had seen them before.  I still gulped when I picked up my box to see that it was literally full from the single cinnamon roll.  I laughed remembering that this was listed under the "pastries for one" section, as they also sell these as a four-pack.  You might ... wanna split it with a friend, or at least save half for after lunch?

It also had a rather generous amount of icing on top.  I hoped the icing would be good, and, it was.  Super sweet, actually vanilla flavored, and, as you can see, plenty of it.  I really enjoyed the icing, the best element at room temperature, as Panera serves it.

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll: Side Profile.

I was impressed when I cut into the roll to see that it truly was stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling.  There was a generous amount of filling between the rolls.  It was well rolled.  Really, a nicely constructed pastry.

I was not particularly impressed with the dough itself, it wasn't fluffy or moist as I hoped.  At room temperature, I basically thought it was better than most chain cinnamon rolls, and applauded the construction and icing, but I figured I'd hand it off to my partner later.  ***.

But first, I had to try warming it up.

It was *much* better warm.  While the dough didn't improve in a dramatic way, it was certainly better warmer, and the icing melted into more of a sticky caramel, which I enjoyed.  Totally different from the already tasty icing, but, it worked well with the cinnamon, making it more like a sticky bun.  And then I added my favorite vanilla ice cream.

Warm cinnamon roll turned sticky bun with melty ice cream?  That was a winner. ***+.

So my protip: don't bother with it at room temperature.  If you want to consume it at Panera, consider a quick trip in the microwave (every Panera has one!) perhaps, although I didn't try that.  My partner does swear by microwaving (very briefly!) cinnamon rolls and glazed donuts.

I'd get it again, but only with intentions to eat it warm and a la mode, not for breakfast.

Update Review, December 2018

Thank you Panera.  That is what I have to say.  They finally re-vamped the pastry section of the menu, eliminating or changing so many of the items I never liked.  The lackluster Pecan Braid is reformulated.  The sad Cobblestone is gone.  So is the Pecan Roll I never liked.  Also removed are the old cheese and cherry and cheese pastries, which opened up space for new additions.

They ... added kouign aman?!  (As you know, I consider this, when done well, one of the best pastries ever!)  Really?  Really Panera?  Of course I was skeptical, because, um, they haven't ever impressed me with the pastries after all, and they don't actually call it a kouign aman (because, mass market, like people would ever learn to pronounce that!), and dub it a "Brittany" instead ... 

"We improved the dough quality of our previous Cherry and Cheese Pastries, then enhanced the product even more!"

They do seem to realize though that the dough left something to be desired before.  So that is something.  The Brittany comes in two varieties, cheese, or cherry cheese, the later of which I tried.

Cherry Cheese Brittany (December 2018). $2.99.

"A freshly baked, flaky butter pastry filled with cream cheese filling and topped with cherry filling."

Well, it didn't look half bad.  It didn't look soft and spongy, and really did look like a real kouign amann.  The powdered sugar on top was appealing, as were the cherries.

It was ... ok.  Probably most would even consider it good.

The problem for me was that it wasn't really a kouign amann.  It was, however, a much better pastry than they ever offered before.  The exterior was crisp, the dough came in nice layers, it was flaky.  But it wasn't nearly as buttery nor caramelized and decadent as I expect from a kouign amann.

The cream cheese filling was a good element, a decent portion, slightly sweetened, good texture.  Nothing wrong there.  And the tart cherries were juicy and flavorful, sticky in a good way.

Really, if you just wanted a better cherry cheese danish or croissant, Panera did a good job improving this item.  But if you want a real decadent deeply caramelized kouign amann ... look elsewhere.

***+.

Update Review, October 2015

If you didn't read my original Panera baked goods review, I suggest you start there, and then return to this update, since I'm skipping the background this time around.   See "Original Review, October 2014" below.

Assorted Baked Goods!

I recently attended a brunch where someone brought a platter full of Panera baked goods, nicely cut up into reasonable size chunks.  I used it as an opportunity to check in to see if the disappointing cobblestone sweet roll was still as lackluster as before, and to check in to see that the scones were still the best baked goods from Panera.  Answer: yes on both counts.

I also tried the pecan roll, which you can see peeking out of the front right and back left corners of the platter. Described as "Freshly baked sweet dough with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with caramel and pecans."

Sadly, it went exactly the same way as the cobblestone. It looked good. It *should* be good, given the lineup of ingredients. But, just like the cobblestone, it was really dry. You could see cinnamon, but it had no cinnamon flavor. There were plentiful pecans, but they were bitter tasting. And yes, plenty of caramel, but even that wasn't very good.

Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake. $2.49.

"An old-fashioned butter coffee cake, swirled with cinnamon and finished with a butter crumb topping."

Ok, so this is weird.  I don't know what happened to me.  I headed to Panera, intending to get a blueberry scone, since I recently had one at brunch and I enjoyed it.

And then I got to Panera and didn't want a scone.

For some reason, the muffins called out to me.  And of all things, the cranberry orange muffin looked good.  I don't like orange flavor!  And I've never liked a single muffin I've tried from Panera.

I was paralyzed.  Logically, I knew I'd hate the muffin.  But I really, really wasn't feeling the scone.  And I had a birthday free pastry to use.  In my moments of total indecision, I saw the coffee cake.

It didn't actually look good.  And honestly, I don't generally like coffee cake.  Heck, I don't even really like cake. But somehow it seemed like I'd get the muffin satisfaction, and have a chance of trying something totally different?  I don't know what I was thinking.  I think I remembered the really great streusel topping I had on top of coffee cake recently, and it inspired me.  I just wanted streusel, really.

My decision was made when I asked the friendly worker what he thought of the coffee cake.  He told me, honestly, that all he does is eat the topping.  He said the topping was awesome, but the cake was, well, just frozen thawed cake, and not interesting.  But he loved the topping.  Done.

So I got it.  Even though I don't like cake.  Even though it didn't look good.  Even though the streusel layer looked piddly.

It ... wasn't awful at least.  Better than I expected, honestly.  But, really not great.

The cake itself was not dry.  Nor was it moist.  It was very homogenous, non-offensive.  There was slightly different flavors in the two colors, but I wouldn't be able to identify either as anything in particular.  It was just plain cake.  I didn't really taste any cinnamon.

The topping was decent.  It was sweet, slightly buttery.  Again, no cinnamon.  It was crumbly.  But there wasn't nearly enough, which I could tell just from looking at it.  The powdered sugar on top did help too.

So, overall, not horrible, but not particularly exciting.  Not that I expected it to be.  I wouldn't get it again.

The slice for $2.49 was in line with their other baked goods.  It is also available as a whole cake.

Original Review, October 2014

Last Monday, I reviewed a bunch of scones from Panera.  The week before, I covered some drinks.  A while ago, I reviewed their bagels and mufins.  I've also covered the cookies. I'm not one for sandwiches, soups, or salads, so, what else remains?

Of course, more baked goods.  I'm skipping a real intro here, because you can read all about Panera in my previous posts.

Pecan Braid.  $2.49.

"Our pastry dough, twisted and braided with butter and freshly ground pecans coated with light sugar syrup for sweetness."

I've had a thing for donuts, cinnamon rolls, and similar treats lately.  I'm really not sure what it is, but somehow sweet bready things are just really appealing to me, particularly when paired up with a coffee.  So when I entered Panera, although I was intending to get a bagel, I didn't make it past the pastry displays.  Whoops.

I was in the mood for a cinnamon roll, and Panera makes a cinnamon roll, but it hasn't ever looked good.  It always looks kinda dry, and clearly doesn't have enough icing.  They also make a pecan roll, which looks a little too far in the other direction, coated in sticky sweet caramel.  I kinda think I'd love it as a dessert, but it was morning, so I was trying to pick a "reasonable" breakfast pastry.  I went for the pecan braid, it looked like a compromise, as it had an icing so it would meet my sweet need, and it looked sorta like a twisted donut.

I know the description didn't say anything about cinnamon, but I somehow thought that the filling was going to have a cinnamon flavor, and be a cinnamon-sugar mix with the ground pecans.  It wasn't.  It was really just ground pecans, so it totally didn't meet my cinnamon roll craving.  Whoops.  It also wasn't donut-style dough, more like a croissant dough, although not really light and flaky and buttery.  So it didn't meet that craving either.  Double whoops.

As I said, the dough wasn't flaky, it wasn't buttery, it was a bit dried out even.  It made me very glad I haven't bothered try any of their croissants, as those always look dry, and I'm pretty convinced now that they must be.  I don't understand though how it was so stale seeming, as I got it at 10am, and they said their baked goods are all baked fresh at each location every morning?  How could it be stale already?

Anyway.  The form factor for this pastry was a success, I did like how much pecan filling there was, and the way it was twisted made every bite nicely distributed.  But the filling didn't really have much going on, I wanted more spicing of some sort.  The whole thing was coated with a sweet glaze that seemed to have a bit of an orange essence to it, although I'm not certain, and a single pecan half perched on top.

Like many of the other pastries I've had at Panera, I really wanted it to be warm.  It was just so unremarkable and dry at room temperature.  I saved a chunk to bring home and stick in the toaster oven, because I was curious if it would be better.  Indeed it was, it even seemed to get more moist this way.  But it still wasn't that great, and I wouldn't get another.

Unlike most pastries at Panera, I was not surprised by the nutrition stats, as they seemed fairly resonable: 470 calories, 26g fat, 24g sugar.  Since the filling wasn't sweetened, the only sugar was the light glaze on top, so it made sense that the sugar wasn't off the charts like most of their goods.  And the plentiful amount of ground pecan explains the fat content.  An actual reasonable choice, compared to the rest of the sweet rolls, muffins, and scones.

It turns out that I'd had this once before, as I discovered some tasting notes once I went to write this up.  They read: "Icing on top not particularly good.  Kinda soggy and not flaky dough.  Didn’t pick up on much pecan.  Meh."  Whoops.  While my notes weren't identical in context, I would have known better if I'd read them.

The $2.49 price was fine for a baked good of its size.

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