Max Brenner

One of my best friends tried Max Brenner back in December and loved it, so we organized a pre-Valentine’s Day party to celebrate our true loves… chocolate!  As you walk in the restaurant, red and pink lights sparkle, and the perfume of chocolate wafts up to greet you.  It was really busy when we went at 9PM on Friday and you can make reservations if you have a big group.

We went for dessert, although they also serve dinner.  The menu was full with crepes, ice cream, cake, and drinks.  I ordered The Euphoria Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Sundae.

The name caught my eye right off of the bat.  The sundae had chocolate and dulce de leche ice cream, bananas, peanuts, hazelnuts, chocolate chunks, whipped cream, peanut butter sauce, and milk chocolate ganache.  It cost $14 not including the tip.  The dessert was beautifully presented and huge!  The flavors all sort of melded into each other and I think Max Brenner is more about the experience than the quality of its desserts.  Nevertheless, it was such a fun night, and everyone oohed and ahhed over the beauty of the plates.  Max Brenner is a great place to get dressed up and go with your girlfriends.  However, I know there are a ton of places in Boston where you would spend less and get just as good, or even better tasting desserts!  You are paying mostly for their decor, presentation, and experience.

Emack & Bolio’s

I need to add some adventure to my life.  I tend to form mundane habits, and this is especially relevant to my eating styles.  Once I try something, I stick with it because I know what I am going to get.  This takes form in many ways.  Like my daily scrambled egg breakfast.  And in this case, ordering a sprinkled waffle cone with more sprinkles on top of my ice cream… I know… third time is the charm.

Hopefully the next time I present you with ice cream it will be in a bowl with hot fudge or anything other than sprinkles.  GASP.  But, back to what we have at hand.  A couple of weekends ago, I went to see American Sniper, which was AMAZING.  And before I went, I stopped by Emack & Bolio’s at their Fenway location.  Situated right across the street from the movie theater it has a prime location, but it is too small to mingle inside.  I ordered a medium waffle cone with Twisted Dee-Light, which is a chocolate based ice cream with brownies and fudge chunks scattered throughout.  It was really creamy and had a strong cocoa flavor and the add-ins were delicious.  However, Emack & Bolio’s is pricier than your standard creamery and the portions may be smaller as well.  They are known for providing good quality and funky flavors and cool waffle cones, which can’t be found elsewhere.  The vibe inside the shop is similar to Ben & Jerry’s with its quirky decor and whimsical flavor names.  On the walls were all of the awards they have won since the store debuted in Brookline/ Boston in the late 70s.  If you go to Emack & Bolio’s try one of their unique waffle cones topped with oreos or rice krispies and a cool flavor because that is what they are known for.  If you just want a simple cone, go elsewhere, so you don’t bust your wallet.

7 Layer Bars

This is one of my favorite desserts because of its addictive sweetness and whenever I bake them I eat way more than I should.  Similar to these bars, you can substitute the ingredients easily as long as you keep the general proportions.  I followed Eagle Brand’s recipe but made a few adjustments.  These will be a crowd favorite every time and can be made in less than an hour! 7 Layer Bars 1/2 cups salted butter melted 2 packages graham crackers crushed into crumbs 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 2 cups butterscotch chips 2 cups white chocolate chips 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut Butter a brownie pan and set your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the graham crackers and butter together and press on the bottom of the pan.  Scatter the chips and coconut over the top.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk over to cover.  Bake until golden brown, around 30 minutes.  Let it cool if you have the patience because it makes it easier to cut.  However, they taste just as good warm and gooey!