Scottsdale: How Sweet It Is!

If you’re like us, you enjoy a little dessert decadence every now and then. After all, part of life’s simple little pleasures is the thrill of indulging in a palate-pleasing, grin-creating special treat. So, with the spirit of sugary-sweet perfection in mind, we’ve searched the city for some must-have sweet delights.

The Unicorn Show Stopper Shake at ZuZu.

Show Stopper Shake at the Hotel Valley Ho’s ZuZu restaurant – There. Are. Simply. No. Words. Seriously? For one, this incredible combination of milkshake, innovative toppings and house-made desserts piled up high is way too pretty to eat, wouldn’t you say? This photo-worthy dessert is the bomb and bound to blow up your Instagram. So, get your perfect pics posted and then dig in! Each month the creative brains in ZuZu’s kitchens come up with a brand-new shake to feature. Pastry Chef Lisa Graf finds her monthly inspiration from seasonal events or flavors. Past flavors have included Campfire S’mores, Strawberry Shortcake and Blood Orange Creamsicle. October’s flavor is inspired by the State Fair. “We incorporated fried funnel cake, fried cheesecake, and then fun extras like cotton candy and a chocolate-covered Twinkie to make it feel like you are right in the middle of the State Fair with all the traditional goodies that bring such nostalgia,” she says.

Signature Warm Butter Cake at Mastro’s Steakhouse – The cake is rather simple

Signature Warm Butter Cake at Mastro’s Steakhouse.

really. It’s a yellow cake sans frosting served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So, what’s all the fuss about? It’s hard to describe how amazing this cake is. It’s warm, perfectly gooey on the inside yet crispy on the outside. It’s richer and denser than a traditional yellow cake – no doubt due to the considerable quantities of melted butter and egg yolks. The chefs at Mastro’s mix the batter by hand, keeping air out of the batter and contributing to the dense texture. The batter is then topped with a cream cheese mixture before baking. Just before serving, the cake is sprinkled with sugar and heated with a kitchen blow torch which caramelizes the sugar and adds to the crispy, gooey consistency. Truly, it’s heaven.

Custom Ice Cream Sandwich at The Baked Bear.

Custom Ice Cream Sandwich at The Baked Bear – When you combine from-scratch, freshly baked cookies with craft ice cream made with all-natural and high-quality ingredients, you know you’ll have an above-par ice cream sandwich in your hands. Yet this ice creamery takes it to another level. Choose your sandwich ends from a selection of over a dozen cookies, brownies, even doughnuts! Next, customize with your favorite ice cream flavor such as Chocolate Espresso Bean or Birthday Cake. Finally, choose a topping such as Fruity Pebbles, Oreo crumbs or Heath Bar bits to coat the sides of your sandwich. Yum and yum! Oh, and one hot tip (pun intended) – be sure to choose the “warm it up” option!