Holy Cannoli: New England Dessert Showcase

Boston choco-philes followed their noses to the sweet smells emanating from the Sheraton in Copley Square on Sept. 17. That’s right – the third annual New England Dessert Showcase was in town.

This year’s fete was better organized than last year’s – the space was much larger, everyone had plenty of samples to share, and mob mentality stayed at bay as all participants nibbled and noshed on the offerings from more than 15 fantastic exhibitors.

Konditor Meister, wedding cakery extraordinaire, had a beautifully set table with towering confections and passed out rich squares of their Chocolate Decadence. Lilly’s Café, a mom-and-pop establishment out of Watertown, had platters of colorful cupcake selections – moist red velvet, mint chocolate, cookies & cream, confetti, and chocolate overload were all on display. In the booth next door was Vision’s Sown, An Ancient Baking Company, touting heirloom grains and medicinal plants in their offerings, including the carob almond butter cookie we tried – pleasantly chewy with a toasty flavor like your grandma’s best molasses treats.

Kueh, a South East Asian bakery out of Quincy, had by far the longest line, so naturally we jumped right in and waited it out. We were greeted by a host of unique desserts with roots in Singapore and Malaysia, such as sweet potato soup, black rice pudding with coconut milk, cashew cookies that were similar to Scottish shortbreads, lapis cake, bingka ubi, and pulut kaya. The Back Bay-based Minnie’s Mandelbrot also served up some unique flavors with an Eastern European version of biscotti that was softer and chewier and not quite as tooth-cracking as the Italian kind can be.

There were some healthy options, too – all natural whole nut and fruit bars by KIND were in the house (we were partial to the Almond Cashew + Omega 3, as well as Budi Bars, a superfood company started in the Back Bay that uses healthy ingredients like chia seeds, green tea amino acid, coconut, and 72% dark chocolate.

It wasn’t all just eating, mind you. When you needed a rest from the sweetness, there were Chef’s Table live demos to keep you entertained and informed, plus the centerpiece of the affair – an attempt at the World’s Largest Cannoli from Golden Cannoli in Somerville (sadly, the 10-foot masterpiece didn’t quite keep it together long enough to become a world record holder, but they’re doing to try it again next year).

For more info about the Showcase and to see who won the event’s honors this year, check out the website, and be sure to make plans to attend in person when the Showcase comes rolling into town next year. (Maybe also plan on working in some extra cardio before then to prepare.)