7 Providers Of Enticing Sweets And Baked Goods

You've been good all week, and now it's cheat day; don't sell yourself short by eating a cheap candy bar from a gas station. Instead, check out these gourmet options, each of which offers sweets that are absolutely to die for, with decadent flavors and incredible craftsmanship. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

7 Purveyors of Delicious Treats

Name Location Specialty
We The Birds Dallas, TX, with nationwide shipping Macarons, including personalized designs
b. patisserie San Francisco, CA Pastries, tartines, croissants, and other French favorites
BeaverTails Locations in Canada, the US, Mexico, France, UAE, and Japan Signature one-of-a-kind Canadian pastries
B. toffee Newport Beach, CA Handcrafted crunchy toffee
Woops! Shops and kiosks throughout the US Macarons, cookies, alfajores, stroopwafels, tea, and coffee beans
The Cupcake Collection Nashville, TN and New Orleans, LA Cupcakes, pupcakes, and birthday & wedding cakes
Sweet Ritual Ice Cream Austin, TX Ice creams with no dairy, casein, whey, eggs, or animal-derived ingredients

Inside the Woops! Bakeshop in Williamsburg

The History Of Chocolate

Year Event
1800 - 300 BCE Cacao is first domesticated by the Olmec people on the Mexican Gulf Coast
200-900 CE Earliest conclusive evidence of chocolate consumption by the Maya
13th - 16th centuries The Aztec civilization uses cacao seeds as money and uses chocolate in rituals & ceremonies
16th century Spanish colonizers discover chocolate
1657 The first English chocolate house opens
1700 There are over 1,000 chocolate houses in London
1776 M. Doret invents a hydraulic machine for grinding cacao seeds
1847 Fry and Sons Company in England creates the first solid eating chocolate
1868 Richard Cadbury introduces the first box of chocolates
1870s Daniel Peter & Henri Nestlé develop the first milk chocolate bar in Switzerland
1893 Milton Hershey builds a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania
1930 There are nearly 40,000 different kinds of chocolate in the U.S.
1982 Chocolate makes the journey to outer space on the U.S. space shuttle Columbia

Sweet Ritual's Vegan Ice Cream

Fun Facts About Ice Cream

  • Americans consume about 23 gallons of ice cream each year, on average
  • In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July as National Ice Cream Month
  • Milk-based ice cream was invented in the 10th century
  • The first ice cream cone was put together at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis Missouri
  • 10.3% of milk produced in the United States goes to making ice cream
  • It’s estimated that every year, the average American consumes nearly 22 pounds of ice cream

In Depth

Committing to a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean giving up sweets entirely. After-dinner treats are a widely beloved tradition, and the occasional indulgence is good for the soul, even if consumers are vegan or gluten-free. In no particular order, here are several companies that create a range of deliciously tempting desserts.

First up, #1 is We The Birds, a company that specializes in French macarons. Founded by sisters Sarah and Natalie, We The Birds is best known for its visual aesthetic, personalized style, and global perspective. The macarons are naturally gluten-free, made with quality ingredients, curated specifically for each order, and handcrafted in small batches to ensure freshness.

We The Birds offers a plethora of customized designs on each dessert, as well as unique flavors. Consumers who would like a more personal touch can fill out a form to request a consultation, where all of the flavors and fillings are available to choose from. In addition to selling macarons, this company also runs a shop that features apparel, home decor, and accessories.

Consumers who would like a more personal touch can fill out a form to request a consultation, where all of the flavors and fillings are available to choose from.

Coming in at #2 is B. patisserie. Created by Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, the vision of the two chefs was to design a refined, yet modern tea house with an open pastry kitchen, bringing signature French flavors to San Francisco. The menu is composed of modern French style pastries, along with American flavors and local influences.

The selection offered includes individual cakes, croissants, tarts, macarons, and a range of open-face sandwiches. B. patisserie also has special orders available, such as 6, 8, or 9 inch custom cakes and tarts. The flavor options consist of classics with a twist, such as Vanilla Cassis and Chocolate Caramel Mousse.

#3 on this list is BeaverTails, founded in 1978. Though the majority of its locations are in North America, additional stores are open in Japan, France, and the Middle East. The flat, donut-like pastries made by this company are crispy, hand-stretched, and whole-wheat, topped by a number of sweet spreads and candies.

Though the majority of its locations are in North America, additional stores are open in Japan, France, and the Middle East.

While the Classic is only garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, some of the more elaborate flavors include Apple Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Brownie. Certain items on the menu can be made to be vegan-friendly. Additionally, an official BeaverTails food truck is available to hire throughout Canada for festivals and catered events.

Up next, #4 is B. toffee, located in Newport Beach, California. The signature treat of this company is toffee, crafted with a combination of savory butters, domestic sugars, premium Guittard and Callebaut chocolates, and pecan nuts. The toffee can be ordered online, and is available in a number of specialty stores as well.

B. toffee offers a wide variety of packaging options. This allows consumers to create personalized and branded gifts for numerous occasions, from corporate events to weddings. The gift boxes are offered in 4 ounce, 8 ounce, and 1 pound sizes, with fully customizable exterior designs and ribbon colors.

The gift boxes are offered in 4 ounce, 8 ounce, and 1 pound sizes, with fully customizable exterior designs and ribbon colors.

The #5 choice is Woops! Founded during the 2012 holiday season in New York City, this company has since opened over 40 boutique kiosks and bakeshops throughout the United States. The collection of sweets offered includes over 15 macaron flavors and 20 artisanal pastries, as well as sandwiches, coffee, and tea.

Some of the best selling varieties include Classic Surprise, a box of nine to 36 assorted macarons in a mix of flavors. There's also an option available to build your own macaron pyramid, which doubles as both a dessert and a centerpiece. Additionally, Woops! offers baked waffles and cookies that can be ordered for delivery alongside the company's other goods.

Next, #6 is The Cupcake Collection, a family-owned business with locations in Nashville and New Orleans. This company specializes in cupcakes that have a home-cooked taste. Alongside seasonal varieties, the lineup of flavors features classics like Birthday Cake or Sweet Potato, as well as premium flavors like Blackout and Campfire S'mores.

This company specializes in cupcakes that have a home-cooked taste.

The Cupcake Collection also makes birthday and wedding cakes, using any of the signature flavors available in cupcake form. The company boasts that the desserts are always free from lard and shortening, and gluten-free or vegan options are provided upon request. Both locations offer same-day delivery through Postmates or Uber Eats.

Last, but not least, #7 is Sweet Ritual Ice Cream, located in Austin, Texas. This company makes vegan and dairy-free ice cream, partnering with local producers and suppliers to use real fruit, spices, and hand-made vegan goods as ingredients. Instead of milk, flavors are based in coconut milk, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter.

This company wished to create a dessert that was sustainable financially, socially, and ecologically to the benefit of both the community and the planet. Subsequently, everything served at Sweet Ritual scoop shop is compostable: the bowls, straws, cups, and spoons. A variety of milkshakes and ice cream cakes are also available for purchase.