I can’t tell you how many times I’ve drooled over Instagram photos of the chocolate babka from Oneg Bakery (now called Williamsburg Heimishe Bakery by Oneg) in Brooklyn. The babka looked absolutely to die for- like rich, gooey, chocolate heaven. It honestly felt like a tease being so far away in LA, so on a recent trip to New York, I knew I had to stop in. This unassuming classic Jewish bakery in South Williamsburg has gained quite the reputation for its decadent chocolate babka. Sold by the weighted slab, you can buy as much or as little as you want, and indulge that sweet tooth to your heart’s desire.
I walked over one afternoon with my son, and could hardly contain my excitement. There are a few other tasty looking Jewish delicacies available as well- think challah, rugelach and hamantaschen- but I was on a mission for babka! One extra thick slice of ultra chocolatey babka, please! We took it to go, and I am mediately dug into it upon getting back to the apartment. Wow, just wow! I hardly have words. This babka is not for the faint of heart, and only for the truest of chocolate lovers out there. Doughy layers overflowing with gooey chocolate, with a nice crisp crust. What could be better?
To no one’s surprise, my son was a huge fan as well. I loved watching him dive right in, becoming a total chocolatey mess in the process. He kept saying “more”, I finally had to cut him off for fear of a sugar crash. PS, Oneg’s babka freezes well too, so don’t be shy about getting an extra large piece so you can enjoy delicious babka for days on end. Yum!
sweets by chloe
I obviously love a baked good, vegan or not. But when a bakery can whip up delicious treats without using butter or eggs, it's pretty impressive. I'd been wanting to try Sweets by Chloe for some time now, and finally stopped by during fashion week on a quick break between shows with a friend. The daily menu consists of several types of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and breads, all of which are baked from scratch daily. Although the banana cream pie, carrot cake, and cinnamon espresso chocolate chip cookie all looked tempting, we decided on the peanut butter everything cookie and a slice of the matcha chocolate babka. The cookie was super peanut buttery with a nice texture from all the various mix-ins (oats, nuts, raisins), however it could've been baked just a bit less for my taste. The babka, however, was amazing! The subtle hint of matcha paired perfectly with the melted chocolate. I loved pulling it apart layer by layer to reveal more ooey gooey pockets! Doughy and delicious! I can't wait to go back and try the Chill by Chloe ice creams too. How good does coffee ice cream with homemade cinnamon rolls sound, or what about a push pop of salted caramel ice cream with homemade banana bread? Yum!!!
