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| - I am so glad I found this bakery!
Well, I shouldn't lie and say I "found" it myself. I received a yelp recommendation a couple of years ago from the great Simon I, but never visited until just recently. Conveniently, Fragapane is located just about 5 minutes from where I work, so I stopped by during my break to check it out.
The SMELLS. First of all. The SMELLS! You can bottle that and sell it. Think bread bakery mixed with sinfully sweet buttercream. Hell yeah.
I tried to take it all in -- the fresh pizza dough, the homemade pasta, and the deli area, but all I could really do was walk straight over to the bakery area. After much debate (and eye candy -- cream puffs the size of a baby's head!), I decided to get a cannoli, a square of white cake with chocolate buttercream, and a few rainbow cookies -- the latter being the gauge by which I judge all Italian bakeries.
My husband got the cannoli, and he said it was amazing because the marscapone wasn't too intensely flavored. He said there's usually something a little too overpowering thrown into the filling, such as cinnamon, or orange, or whatever. But this filling perfectly complemented the shell, which was flaky, not crispy.
The cake. Ok, I have this thing about cake. I lean more toward the Giant Eagle sugary cake than, say, a chocolate mousse cake or a torte. This cake was the BOMB. It had a wonderfully moist texture, and the icing was the kind I dream about. It was incredibly fresh, and sweet without reaching the "my teeth hurt" level of sugar. It was perfectly balanced, and for me, there was just the right amount of frosting (although others might think there was too much). Amazing.
Now, the rainbow cookies were something to behold. Six layers. SIX! So delicate, and thin. The chocolate on top was more of a frosting than a fudge. I can't explain how awesome these cookies are. I have an Italian aunt who sends me her rainbow cookies each year, and these beat those (sorry, Auntie).
I'll bet their sandwiches, breads, pastas, etc. are all great too. I cannot wait to go back!
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