Photo: Dessert Lady
There’s a little do-almost-anything bakery on the quiet side of Cumberland in Yorkville. A lot of people don’t travel along Cumberland east of Bay Street, but there are a few unique shops to be found here, the Dessert Lady among them. Considered a one-stop sweet shop, this small Yorkville bakery pumps out homemade ice cream, sorbet, chocolate truffles, cookies, biscotti, cupcakes, pies, wedding cakes and more (for real, there’s more). Executive pastry chef and co-owner Mandy Kan opened the bakery in 2005, and in recent years has seen a rise in popularity for “3D WOW cakes, large custom orders and shapes for corporate functions or weddings. One of her most popular display cakes looks like a selection of sushi on a wooden board.
Bags of large biscotti are a steal at $8, with flavours like chocolate almond, double chocolate espresso cranberry and the more unusual white pepper. Cookies are conveniently packed four or five to a bag for speedy purchases. Wanting to sample two flavours, I grab two bags, each with four cookies ($3.75) but Mandy tells me to grab the bags with five cookies ($4.25) because it’s cheaper. Oh yes, you can mix and match because 10 cookies only cost $7. You mean I get more but I pay less? These are Yorkville treats but not at Yorkville prices. Popular cookie flavours like banana walnut and white chocolate pumpkin will keep your Thanksgiving guests happy.
There are a lot of flavours at the Dessert Lady. Inspired by a recent and long overdue vacation to Hawaii, Mandy returned home and created a new ice cream flavour: coconut avocado lime with macadamia nuts. Considering that everything in this relatively small shop is made in-house, the selection and variety is quite impressive. Even chocolate truffles ($1.40) would cost considerably more a few steps up the street. Earl grey, lime cognac, passion fruit, hazelnut crunch…these are just some of your chocolate options.
With Thanksgiving only a few days away, everything pumpkin is flying out of the store. If you’re in the area, you don’t want to miss out on the sweetest little deal in Yorkville.
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