Delectable Desserts

Think of sparkling lights, the smell of evergreens, of fat, wet flakes of snow drifting from the heavens above. Imagine friends and family circled ‘round a crackling fire and gaily wrapped gifts under the tree. And then add the most alluring element of all—the smell of the yuletide feast drifting from the kitchen.

Food has been the centerpiece of holiday revelries for millennia, from pre-Christian societies celebrating the winter solstice to modern-day merriment. Needs and tastes may have changed over the centuries but gala repasts continue to feed the spirit of the season.

The crowning glory of any holiday meal are the sweets and desserts that grace the groaning board. Some cooks still make their own desserts but in today’s hectic world more and more of us prefer to leave the sweet course to experts.

This week we look at a few of the businesses in the area who bring their expertise to bear on the creation of extraordinary desserts to round out our holiday festivities.

Lenox has been home to Chocolate Springs Café for 19 years, producing a steady stream of delectables that range from rich hot chocolate (also available in a mix form that can be taken home) to an array of mouthwatering desserts, decadent European-style chocolate confections and gelato.

Among the perennial favorites for customers, according to owner/chocolatier Joshua Needleman, are his assorted chocolate gift boxes. In addition to truffles, bonbons and other candies, Needleman also offers a variety of scrumptious cakes. Velvety mousse cakes come in various flavors—brandied cherry mousse, raspberry and dark chocolate, passion fruit and dark chocolate and more. He also creates creamy vanilla cheesecakes and rich chocolate tortes. Sounds decadent, doesn’t it? But he swears that eating dark chocolate can actually lead to weight loss by boosting metabolism. So now you can have your cake and eat it, too!

His shop is located at 55 Pittsfield Road in Lenox MA. Chocolate Springs is open 9 AM-7 PM, seven days a week but will close at 5PM Christmas Eve. Email info@chocolatesprings.com.; Phone 413-637-9820.

Also in Lenox with outlets in Great Barrington and Northampton in Massachusetts and Hudson New York, is Patisserie Lenox. Among the offerings presented by Jean-Yves and Julia Bougouin are artisanal desserts and pastries, including delicious mousse cakes, luscious fruit tarts as well as croissants and brioches, baked daily.

Take a step into their patisseries and behold a rich array of French special occasion cakes and the wide assortment of handmade classic French macarons. As with Chocolate Springs, their mousse cakes come in different flavors such as white chocolate and raspberry, black or red currant with white genoise, Grand Marnier with white genoise and fresh strawberries and more.

Want something different? Try their flourless chocolate cake, mille-feuille (layers of flaky puff pastry with light vanilla custard in between) or perhaps St. Honore (pate a choux, custard, whipped cream, chocolate/caramel and strawberries). There are many more choices—mini-fruit tarts, mini-eclairs, mousse cups and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Check out their website at Patisserie Lenox Cakes. They need 24-hour notice and miniature pastries can be custom-ordered with two- to three-day’s notice, minimum orders 10 servings.

The Berkshires have no special claim to fabulous desserts. Those living in Litchfield County have plenty of choices, as well. Litchfield, for instance, offers a number of opportunities, among them one rather new and the other a venerable institution.

The Dutch Epicure at 491 Bantam Road, established in 1967 when Wolfgang and Betsy Joas emigrated from Germany and Holland respectively, is a staple among patrons who like a touch of Old-World charm with their Christmas festivities. The business, now 55 years old and under the management of their daughter Wilma, still provides European-style pastries, breads, cookies and cakes made on the premises as well as chocolates from all over Europe.

Their baked goods are handmade, just as they have been since 1967. A rich and satisfying Black Forest cake is crafted with one layer of white cake and another of chocolate, a sour cherry fill, chocolate buttercream, kirschwasser and whipped cream on top. Or try their fruit tarts made with almond-paste crusts and filled with seasonal fruits or perhaps load a plate with delicious apricot-almond tarts.

The store is regularly open Wednesday through Saturday, 9AM to 3PM, and Sunday, 9 AM to noon, but will have special Christmas Eve hours. For more information go to The Dutch Epicure; 860-567-5586.

Back in Litchfield’s village center in a place once grim and foreboding, Jeremy McKendry and Allison Varion have established The Bakehouse in the renovated Litchfield Jailhouse.

McKendry’s early training at the International Culinary Center was augmented by experience working for some of the finest bakers in New York City and Westchester County before he and Varian decided to open their own bakery in Litchfield in 2017. There they create an array of pies, cookies, cupcakes, specialty cake and pasties. Pre-orders are encouraged with at least three-day’s notice.

Closed Monday and Tuesday, The Bakehouse is open Wednesday, 10 AM-4 PM; Thursday-Saturday, 8 AM-4 PM; and Sunday, 8 AM-2 PM. For information, visit The Bakehouse; 860-361-6423.

Farther north in Salisbury who can resist the siren song of Sweet William’s? There the offerings change seasonally but consistent favorites include layer cakes of chocolate buttermilk, coconut, carrot, German chocolate, vanilla and checkerboard. Want something a little more unusual—try specialty cakes such as Tuscan orange (dairy free) or a vegan date walnut bundt cake. Cupcakes come in flavors of vanilla, chocolate, carrot or coconut.

Pies and tarts are also abundant, all crafted with a rich, buttery crust and filled with seasonal fruits and flavors.

Special orders should be placed 48 hours in advance. Sweet William’s is open Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30AM-5PM, and Sunday, 8AM-3PM. For information or to place an order go to Sweet William’s; 860-435-3005.

Sometimes baked treasures are found in places a little off the beaten track. Consider the Colebrook Store at 559 Colebrook Road located in a sleepy hamlet. Built in 1792, the store building reflects its long history as the town’s general store but is now run by a dynamo new operator, Jonathan Wilcox.

Despite its secluded location, Wilcox draws patrons to the village with his yummy lunch offerings, novel pizzas and baked goods. Particularly popular are his massive eclairs, each weighing about a pound.

“The Colebrook Store has sold large eclairs for decades. I just made them bigger,” he said. “I tell people they have no calories if they close their eyes,” Apparently, his customers are unconcerned at the thought of added avoirdupois as he sells about 150 of the delicacies every week.

The filling for the pate a choux shells comes in many flavors, the favorite among customers being pistachio according to Wilcox.

For those planning a Christmas party and wanting a finger-size sweet treat, Wilcox can make petite versions of his eclairs. He also makes a variety of artfully decorated seasonal pies.

Colebrook Store is open Monday-Saturday, 6AM-5PM and Sunday 7AM-4PM For more information or to order, go to Colebrook Store or call 860-379-5031.