Pumpkin goods (and me!) at Billy's Bakery!

Readers, I am proud to announce that I have returned home-- that is, to Billy's Bakery. After a year or so hiatus, I'm back in action at the beloved bakery, making things happen (or, hoping to) behind the scenes.

What does that mean for you all? More Billy's baked goods, of course! And why not start now? The other night, in my first official post-employment Billy's bite, I chowed down on a duo of pumpkin treats.

First, there was a pumpkin cupcake. Incredibly light and fluffy spice cake crowned with a swirl of creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting-- it's not strongly pumpkiny, only autumnal and delightful. This puppy goes down like water.

Isn't she a beauty?

Then, there was the pumpkin whoopie pie. It's a baseball-sized confection, definitely designed for sharing. Two halves of pumpkin cake-- a bit more substantial and cookie-like than the pumpkin cupcake's version-- are anchored together with a smear of sugary-sweet icing. It's a gut-bomb, for sure, and especially so after a whole cupcake, so I only managed a few bites. But since this is only a rare guest star in the cupcake case, it's definitely worth getting if they're on sale when you visit.

Whooooopie!

And that's that. What else is there to say? Pure fall happiness, courtesy of Billy's. It's great to be back.

Billy's Bakery
75 Franklin Street, between Broadway and Church Streets
212-647-9958

Sweets in Brooklyn: One Girl Cookies

Before our jaunt to Palo Cortado for some Spanish wine and tapas, KS and I stopped at One Girl Cookies to pick up some dessert. Since I don't make it over to Brooklyn very often, it was my first exposure to One Girl-- and boy, was that exposure delicious.

The place itself is adorable, a bright space that's very cleanly maintained. The display case is filled with tiny cookies, meticulously crafted and sporting offbeat flavors. But I went straight for the good stuff-- whoopie pies, of course. Yes, there were some cupcakes, and even a cake by the slice, but their whoopie pies are supposedly something special, so I indulged.

Cookies like little jewels

Cupcakes with spikes

Saucers ready for takeoff

With whoopie pies in my purse (and a selection of cookies for KS and CC), we jaunted off to dinner and then back to KS and CC's apartment. Out came a plate and a fork, and onto the plate went my two whoopie pies: one in chocolate, one in pumpkin. I dug in.

Pies a-waitin'

These were scrumptious. Truly. They're unassuming, and pretty small-- just about two and a half inches across, if that. But the cake is moist and fork-tender, and the frosting/filling is incredible. Instead of the usual fluffy creme centers, One Girl fills its pies with cream cheese frosting (um, YES). It's sweet, it's tangy, it's thick, and it combines with the cake in a rich marriage of soft sweetness. I expected to like the chocolate version better, but surprisingly the pumpkin was the winner; its cake was more moist than the chocolate cake, and its flavor was of Thanksgiving spices like nutmeg and cinnamon-- no assertive squashiness here. The little pies are rich, and after a few bites I figured I wouldn't be able to finish them both. But when I looked down a few moments later, they were both gone. A good whoopie pie'll do that.

A superlative whoopie pie is rare in this city, and One Girl fills that gap (and your stomach) admirably. Kudos.

One Girl Cookies
68 Dean Street, Brooklyn
212-675-4996