Macarons from La Patisserie Chouquette | photo courtesy of La Patisserie Chouquette
There’s something about the laziness of summer that makes us crave fresh fruit tarts, flaky pastries, sinfully rich chocolate, warm just-from-the-oven bread and ice cream made from the flavors of the season. St. Louis has almost unlimited options to satisfy your cravings. Whether you’re hosting a barbecue, packing a picnic or celebrating with friends and family, here are our top picks to help you end your meal on a sweet note.
Terrarium Cake from La Patisserie Chouquette | photo courtesy of La Patiserrie Chouquette
1626 Tower Grove Avenue, Botanical Heights
After working as a pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Simone Faure decided she wanted to spread her wings and create the pastries of her dreams. Literally. Often, whatever she dreams of the night before, she creates in her bakery that day – pastries you simply cannot find anywhere else. Faure does offer a few favorites as well, which have captured the tastebuds of her devoted customers, including "The Darkness," a croissant made with dark Dominican chocolate. Some of the finest macarons in St. Louis are found here, in innovative flavors such as cilantro chili lime, Georgia peach, tiramisu, summer sangria, fig and goat cheese and raspberry rose. The namesake chouquettes, which are something like cream puffs, are offered regularly.
Fresh-baked cookies at Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop | photo courtesy of Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop
2201 Cherokee Street, Cherokee District
Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop first began baking solely for Fair Shares CCSA, but owner Kaylen Wissinger quickly learned that there are many local products and produce that translate well into cupcakes. She soon opened a storefront on Cherokee Street and specializes in all-natural, mostly organic, baked-fresh-every-day treats that have a local and nostalgic spin. Homemade pop-tartlets, ice pops, cookies, scones and cupcakes are customer favorites at the shop and at the Tower Grove Farmers' Market.
Pastry Selection at Winslow's Home | Jennifer Silverberg
7213 Delmar Boulevard, University City
Winslow’s Home, open since 2008, offers a neighborhood bakery helmed by Bakery Manager Anna Long that features European-style breads, pastries, tarts and cakes – all made from scratch on-site using time-honored techniques. Available every day are croissants, monkey bread, danish, sweet and savory hand pies, sweet and savory scones, seasonal muffins, breads, doughnuts, cookies, pies, macaroons, cakes, candies and crackers. Food and Wine named its chocolate cookies America’s best. Customer favorite cakes include a chocolate cake with salted caramel filling and espresso meringue and the chocolate mint fudge cake with chocolate sour cream frosting.
Salted Caramel Croissant at Pint Size Bakery | photo courtesy of Pint Size Bakery
3133 Watson Road, Lindenwood Park
In business since 2012, Pint Size Bakery's mission is to make every day a little special with a sweet indulgence. All produce and dairy are sourced local from small family farms and everything is made from scratch in small batches every day. Best sellers are savory scones, oatmeal cream pies and salted caramel croissants. The place is so popular, it moved to a bigger new location earlier this year — and there's still a line out the door.
Fig Tart at Sucrose | photo courtesy of Sucrose
Sucrose
700 South 5th Street, St. Charles
Pastry chefs and co-owners Aaron and Agi Groff opened Sucrose in St. Charles in March as a European-style, from-scratch pastry shop simply because “who doesn’t love the smell of chocolate and caramel every day?” Individual tarts, cakes and cookies abound. The Groffs previously operated a much smaller spot, 4 Seasons Bakery, but a successful Kickstarter launched them on the road to bigger things. Increased square footage isn't their only addition; after discovering three years ago that their daughter had Celiac disease, they began adding gluten-free pastry options. Customer favorites include French macaroons, orange and lavender cake, frangipane tarts and almond heart cakes.
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