As part of our Dessert Detectives series, El Estoque’s Arts & Entertainment section takes on a new case at a bakery or café to decipher the quality and cost of its most popular items. Continuing the alphabetical trend, we went to La Patisserie Bakery, a French dessert shop in Cupertino that sells an assortment of cookies, pastries and cakes. 

The Hazelnut Bliss: $6.50 

7/10

The Hazelnut Bliss is the perfect treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. Made with a spongy chocolate cake base layered with lightly sweetened vanilla icing and topped with a rich and creamy hazelnut-flavored outer shell, there is a lot of flavor to the dish. Although the hazelnut complements the soft-textured chocolate cake very well, the sweetness in the outer shell feels overpowering at times. Overall, the hazelnut bliss is well-made with a variety of complementary flavors; however, the sweetness makes it difficult to finish the entire dessert at one go. We would personally recommend pairing the dessert with one of the following items to combat the sweetness.

Spinach & Leek Pastry: $4.00

9/10

We were first captivated by the intricate design on the pastry and were ultimately convinced to purchase it when we both realized that we hadn’t tried leek before. Warmed up, the pastry melted in our mouth and the taste of both the parmesan and leek lingered. We found that neither flavor overpowers the other. Instead, the parmesan counters the leek perfectly by adding just the right amount of salt to each bite. We recommend that you get your pastry warmed up to make sure the cheese melts and coats the inside of the pastry. While we noticed that the leek adds almost a sweet aftertaste to an otherwise savory dish, the treat is ideal for when you need a savory item in between sweet desserts.

Mexican Wedding Cookies: $13/lb

6.5/10

The Mexican wedding cookies were recommended by one of the employees. They crumbled in our mouths while the cookies maintained their shape. That said, we found that the cookies don’t make as much of a mess as we expected. We loved that these wedding cookies aren’t overpoweringly sweet and have a mild, buttery taste. After just one bite, we were also pleasantly surprised by the addition of pecans. However, since pecans are on the bitter side and the cookies aren’t that sweet on their own, we were left craving a sweet factor. Even though we both found that we enjoyed the other items we ordered more, we recommend the Mexican wedding cookies for when you’re looking for a dessert that’s not as sweet. Since they’re on the smaller side, keep in mind that it’s easy to eat multiple at a time.

Overall: 

7.5/10

$/$$$

Overall, La Patisserie has an incredibly friendly vibe. The employees are willing to help with dessert choices, making customers feel welcome. It’s located in the heart of Cupertino, on one of the busiest complexes off Stevens Creek Boulevard. The plethora of desserts are all filling and definitely worth the price! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only two customers are allowed in the bakery at the same time, allowing for everyone to maintain safe social distancing. Customers are allowed to sit outdoors at the tables. Overall, La Patisserie is a great place to try if you want to explore new treats while being safe!