Morning craving

I woke up this morning craving something sweet.

I know eating pastries at ten in the morning is not the proper thing to do and might be considered gross by some but then again aren't chocolate croissants, hot buns, danish pastries, all really glorified morning desserts?

So began my search for a quick sweet breakfast dessert in La Jolla. I've been searching for one in the area since I got here, and though it has an abundance of fantastic restaurants, the desserts have been rather disappointing. I made the mistake of walking into a nearby cupcake shop after dinner one night, the atmosphere was cheesy with an aspiring DJ churning out country music-ish sounding songs. The cupcakes lacked flavor and I left most of the frosting. I NEVER leave the frosting.

I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Michele Coulon Dessertier. It is a small quaint shop tucked away in a corner of La Jolla. Michele Coulon's father was Belgian and she spent her high school years in Paris learning the skills of pastry making from her mother.

I walked into the store and my eyes rested on a platter full of mini pastries. They were exactly what I was looking for. Enough variety to satisfy my sweet craving and small enough to ensure that I wouldn't have to put in extra time at the gym. I chose a berry tart, a German chocolate layered cake, and a pecan pie tart.

The berry tart had a light flaky crust filled with a white chocolate custard, topped with a lemony layer, and covered with a blackcurrant, blueberry, and raspberry. The sweetness of the chocolate custard was cut perfectly by the tanginess of the lemon layering and the juicy berries on top provided the perfect finish.

The German chocolate cake had layers of belgian chocolate, toasted coconut, and pecans. The flavors blended well together and the pecan provided a nice crunchiness to the pastry. It had a mille-feuille structure to it and was my favorite of the three.

The pecan tart was also delicious. I have a special place in my heart for pecan pie. I have been known to devour entire pies by myself. This pecan and caramel concoction was cruchiness all the way through from the caramel coated pecans to the surrounding deliciously crunchy exterior.

If you are in the area I would recommend stopping by this wonderful little store and trying out their mini pastries with a hot cup of cappuccino or cafe latte. It made my morning....