If you do get a copy of The Pastry Atelier’s American Favourites Menu, home in on the Deluxe Carrot Cake.

You'll be hard-pressed to choose between which is more delectable – the cake itself, or the luscious cream cheese frosting. Each bite is a mouthful of deliciousness surrounded by grated carrots, lashings of pineapple, and chopped walnuts, all of which are set off with cinnamon and toasted (shredded) coconut.

I adore the generous layer of cream cheese sandwiched between two layers of soft, moist cake. With each bite I take, I keep thinking, this is the way to live!

Phone three days ahead to order - be sure to tell the chef that this cake comes highly recommended by 99.

Scrumptious and divine. The best I’ve tasted. Truly, deluxe carrot cake gone to heaven.

I have never encountered scones like these before.
I had the privilege of tasting Pastry Atelier’s Lavender Scones (which are not offered on the menu).

In the wrong hands, a scone can become an air hockey mallet (i.e. dense/heavy/rock-cake) – often a result of too much mixing or kneading. I immediately think of the scene from the movie "About A Boy" (starring Hugh Grant and Toni Collette), whereby Marcus accidentally kills a duck in a park pond, when he feeds it with a loaf of (brick) bread his mother made.

The Pastry Atelier’s lavender scones are triangular shaped. Although they are sliced thick, you will be surprised with its light texture. The scone itself is flavoursome, while the taste of lavender is very delicate. It does not crumble easily. It is simply fluffy goodness that melts in your mouth. Absolutely DELICIOUS when eaten straight out of the oven.

Be nice to the Chef, and she might just bake a batch for you!

“As American as apple pie” is a common saying in the United States, meaning “typically American”. One of America’s favourite desserts, apple pie, can now be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. The Pastry Atelier offers a Hudson Valley Apple Pie – inspired by the Apple Pie Bakery Café, from the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

The chef, a graduate from the CIA, runs a home-based business.

Without further ado, I present you with deliciousness (in no particular order):

1) Buttery, flaky pie crust. This is the good stuff!! This is no pre-cut puff pastry. (With the onset of the trans-fat scare, pie dough can be tricky. The Pastry Atelier’s version uses strictly unsalted butter, and no shortening.)
2) The waft of cinnamon and spices (it fills your house with the heavenly smell of ‘just baked apple pie’)
3) The pie itself contains nearly 2 pounds of sliced, peeled and cored apples (see close-up photo of a slice of pie).
4) The top pie crust is finished with a sprinkling of sanding sugar, adds another dimension to texture when you take a bite.
5) Taking a bite of pie, you get a combination of flavours all at once: buttery, sweet, and tart.

Apple pie fans out there, take a bite of the Big Apple today. It’s a great pie to look forward to.