A Friends of Sweet City Gift Guide

I asked a few of my favorite pastry people what they wanted this holiday season.

It’s a funny thing to ask a working pastry chef what desserts they love to eat or would buy this holiday season. The most obvious answer, I imagine, would be to point to whatever latest r&d is happening on their own dessert menus. Or maybe they’re skipping dessert altogether as a form of rest and reset. The third possibility is that they just don’t know because they’ve been holed up in the kitchen and barely have time to come up for air, let alone survey the city’s latest cool baked thing.

But pastry chefs, like all chefs, are obsessed with their craft. Their knowledge is unsurpassed, as is their curiosity. Their taste is truly outstanding, fueled by an appetite for all things new and delicious. Of course they have a list!

So, I emailed 17 pastry chefs and bakers who have been featured in Sweet City this year and asked them to share one item from their list. I received notes for preferred brands of baking chocolate, the best panettone out there (I’ve tried this one and 100% agree), vintage shops for dinnerware, loads of holiday cookie recommendations, and much more. In return for their generosity, I wish I could gift each one what they’re probably craving the most right now — sleep.