First-person report: Ghost chili cupcakes from NYC bakery Panisi

from the blog Delikatessen comes a report of eating perhaps one of the spiciest cupcakes EVER.

Pinisi Bakery makes chocolate cupcakes infused with ghost chili, the hottest pepper in the world. I had tried a cupcake in March, and it was a revelatory experience. I’d tasted chocolate and chili together before, but never in a way that swerved along the pleasure/pain border with such abandon.

Adeet called Pinisi to make sure they had the cupcakes available. It was a hot and humid evening, and we didn’t want to expend energy only to end up empty-handed. “Come by in 30 minutes,” a woman told him. We headed to the subway and made our way to the East Village bakery...

My first bite into the cake was spicy, but not dauntingly so. However, each taste built in heat and culminated in the sinus-clearing chili jelly that filled the center of the cupcake. I ignored the cream-cheese frosting, wanting to prolong the not unpleasant burn. Andy pointed out that the cupcakes were now “jumbo” sized, and they were considerably larger than the first one I’d had. I don’t normally mind more of a good thing, but I think a smaller version might have a greater impact. A mini chili cupcake would pack an almost guilt-free punch, and could pair nicely with a single, bracing shot of espresso.




for more information:

Pinisi Bakery
128 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-614-9079

Comments

Anonymous said…
I eat here all the time -- it's right up the block from me. Almost everything they make is delicious. It's a small storefront, no room to sit, but they have a bench out front to enjoy your yummy treats. My suggestion: As the guy in the back (the co-owner) what;s fresh and good and go with that. He's never steered me wrong. I take my bounty home with me for after-dinner pigouts. One word to the wise: Avoid the cannolis.

Pinisi means sailboat in their native language, and for some reason that charms me.

-- Stacie Joy