"sweets" news and stories

Most photos of cupcakes make us smile for the same reason photos of puppies and Joseph Gordon Levitt do: They're just so revoltingly cute.

This carrot cupcake makes us smile for an additional reason, however. It's got dulce de leche buttercream slathered on top. How often do you come across a member of the carrot cake family that isn't topped with cream cheese (or, unforgivably, vanilla) frosting? Though Joy the Baker, the mastermind behind this inspired combo, gives her blessings to those who tilt towards cream cheese classicism, we think the jar of dulce de leche called for here is a vision that struck from another, more otherworldly realm.

We also can't decide what's better -- the idea of a batch of these cupcakes or the idea of sitting on a counter, jar in one hand and spoon in the other, waiting for the cupcakes to come out of the oven.

[Via Joy the Baker]

Studies reveal that certain sweets, like chocolate activate the libido. Just last week, The Times of India had an article reporting on the aphrodisiac effects of chocolate particularly on men. Food scientists tracked down a specific ingredient responsible for these effects - Eurycoma Longifolia Jack.

Chocolates have long been associated with romance. As far back as the eighteenth century, food enthusiasts, like Brillat Savarin, raved about chocolate's corporal effects. So, when thinking about sweets for Valentine's Day, I often think of various chocolate confections and cakes.

Below are 8 chocolates I highly recommend this Valentine's Day:

1. Durand Chocolates from Brittany, France
2. Dozen Box of Roni's Roses - These chocolates are flavored with rose petal jam, powdered rose petals and exotic rose liqueur. If you're in NY, I highly suggest that you check out Roni-Sue's in the Essex Street Market in the Lower East Side.
3. Poco Dolce Burt Caramel Tiles - Everything made by Poco Dolce is phenomenal. They have truly mastered the delicious combination of salt and sweet.
4. Assortment from La Maison du Chocolate
5. Valentine's Selection from Jacques Torres
6. Pralus Chocolate Bars from France
7. Truffle Collection from Vosges Chocolate
8. Knipschildt Chocolate Box

When I think of pistachios, I automatically think sweet. Perhaps, this is due to the Egyptian and Syrian side of my family. From an early age, I associated pistachios with sweet syrupy nutty baklava and pistachio ice cream. We would alternate between pistachio baklava and the traditional one made with walnuts and almonds.

As I got older, I started to explore other pistachio flavored desserts. On a recent culinary adventure to Café Sabarsky in Manhattan I discovered the Austrian cake Mozart Torte. This one was made with pistachios, chocolate, and nougat cream. I haven't had any luck yet finding the recipe.

Below are 8 delicious pistachio recipes that are sure to fulfill your craving for something sweet and nutty:

1. Rice Pudding with Cardamom and Pistachios
2. Honeyed Goat Cheese Tart with Pistachio Crust
3. Pistachio Gelato
4. Meringue "Eggs" with Pistachio Custard and Chocolate Drizzle
5. Pistachio Almond Nougat Torroncini
6. Coconut Pistachio Meringues
7. Middle Eastern Nut Filled Multi-layered Pastry
8. Pistachio Baklava

What are some of your favorite pistachio desserts?

You and your mate might be Equals, but you don't call each other "Splenda." You call each other "Honey." (You might call each other something else, but you need couples therapy for that, not Valentine's Day.)

Honey as an aphrodisiac comes less from science and biology and more from history and folklore. In Medieval times, men and women seduced partners with mead, a drink made from fermented honey. It was likely that sexual vulnerability in the seducees came from the fermentation part (like drunk targets in a bar today?), and not from the honey. Ancient Persians also drank mead, though they drank it immediately following a marriage to "sweeten" the marriage. That's where we get the term "honeymoon."

However, honey isn't all just folklore. Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence, which worked because honey is rich in vitamin B, necessary for testosterone production. Honey also contains boron, which helps the body metabolize and use estrogen.

If nothing else, the sight of gorgeous golden honey dripping and oozing that can get the imagination working.

Forget the two-layer birthday cakes and the double-chocolate cookies. We're talking wild, sumptuous, no-holds-barred desserts that throw caution - and your diet - to the wind. From deep-fried Mars bars to peanut butter fudge ripple cheesecake, we've gathered five of the most devilishly delicious sweets we could find. Paula Deen makes an appearance, as does The Cheesecake Factory.

Take a minute to gaze over these swoon-worthy desserts, and then let us know: what's the most decadently outrageous dessert you've ever eaten? What made it so incredible? If it's wild enough, it just might make it into a future Outrageous Desserts post.