Pumpkin. Apple. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Clove. Graham Cracker. These are the flavors of fall. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and one of the well-known favorites of this holiday is pumpkin pie. But even as amazing as pumpkin pie is, sometimes you can crave something a little different. Morristown features a wide variety of fall desserts that can quench your appetite, fulfill your cravings, and help you enjoy the flavors of fall. Here are a few that are must-haves of the season.
First up is the Morristown Diner, where I decided to try the pumpkin cheesecake. The portion is generous, with a slice a little bit larger than the average cake or pie, about six or seven inches long. That’s about the size of a standard pencil. Its presentation was cleanly cut and toasted to an aesthetically pleasing golden-brown.
But the taste of this pumpkin cheesecake really blew me away. Creamy and incredibly fluffy, the texture was perfect. It was not the usual New York style cheesecake though. It still had the signature cheesecake flavor, but it was softer, almost mousse-like, making the creaminess stand out even more. The cakey crust gave the perfect amount of denseness, balancing out the airyness of the filling. In comparison, a pumpkin pie has a crisper crust, and the cheesecake’s classic cakey crust brings a different texture and balance to the table. The pumpkin flavor is perfect strength wise, and very strong, making it the perfect option. The flavor of the pumpkin doesn’t overpower the cheesecake flavor, and the controlled tartness of the cheesecake flavor balances out the sweetness of the pumpkin and sugar. I also love the way that a light hint of sea salt balances out everything. It’s very light and tastes like pumpkin pie, but a much creamier option. It would be great if a little bit more pumpkin spice flavor was added, because then there would be a little more of the pumpkin flavor, and you would get a little more pop and spice. Overall, this is an amazing piece of cheesecake, and definitely a must-try. 4.4 stars!
Next up is Baker’s Bounty bakery. Now, this bakery isn’t actually in Morristown, it’s in Linden NJ. But, Baker’s Bounty sells their breads, pies and desserts and the Morristown Summer Farmer’s Market on Sundays. I tried the apple crumb cake. It was very cleanly cut, and had a very simple yet pleasing appearance. A golden-brown baked bottom supported a spongy yellow cake, topped with apples in a cinnamon apple pie-like sauce, and a butter crumble crowning the bite. The crumble was placed evenly, with just enough texture and height to add volume, but not too much that the butter in the crumble overpowered the rest of the cake, which would make the crumb layer thick and not very flavourful.
The taste of this square piece of cake screams fall. Every aspect of it is full of apples, just as the name suggests. The cake itself has an amazing, strong apple flavor. With a hint of vanilla and sugar, this cake’s flavor is at the top. The texture is nice as well. Moist and very spongy, it’s accompanied well by a smooth layer of fresh apples and a cinnamon syrup on top. Finally, the crumble at the top isn’t too buttery, but it’s rich enough to keep everything balanced. If the cinnamon flavor was a little bit stronger, it would balance the apple flavor just a little bit more. Because of all the layers of apple, the apple flavor can be a little bit overbearing. But, it does balance out because of the crumble, making it still a very, very good apple cake. 4.6 stars!
Some people like all of their desserts icy-cold. If you’re one of those people, go to Guerrero’s, an award-winning ice cream and gelato parlor in town. They have a variety of fall flavors, like Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and more! I tried the Pumpkin Oreo flavor there. I’ve also tasted Guerrero’s other Autumn flavors, and if you’re looking for a rich, classic tasting ice cream, with a graham cracker crust flavor, you should try the Pumpkin Pie flavor. If you’re looking for a lighter flavor with more texture, and bits of cakey cheesecake crust, Pumpkin Cheesecake is the one to get. However the Pumpkin Oreo was a great option too! Its presentation is perfect, with well-rounded scoops piled right on top of one another. But the taste is the best part.
The taste of this ice cream is phenomenal. The strength of the pumpkin is spot-on, and the oreo inside it is just the thing to balance out the potent flavor of the ice cream itself. The Oreos are partly cakey, and party crunch which helps to balance the texture. The ice cream also has a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove which adds an amazing, very pumpkin-pie like flavor. Who knew pumpkin and chocolate would match so well? A hint of sea salt adds to this taste, making the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and a very, very, light edge of bitterness in the pumpkin flavor. Cold, and a little creamy, this ice cream is very, very close to perfect. But, this ice cream is a little more icy than creamy. A little more like a sorbet, this ice cream has more crunch than just the oreo. And the texture in that really helps to balance out everything, but it would be great if the ice cream could have just a little more creaminess. The flavor of this ice cream is a 11 out of 10, and the texture is almost perfect. If you’re looking for fall flavored ice cream, this is the place to go! 4.8 stars!
Pumpkin. Apple. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Clove. All of these are fall spices. But these desserts feature each spice in a unique, or classic, way. So, if you’re in Morristown, and you want a taste of these incredible fall flavors, stop by any of these restaurants, and savor the flavors of the season!
