Robicelli's

Christmas is 11 days away!!! ACK!!!! And New Year is, um, little more than that? I’m writing this at 1am- I am way too tired for math right now.

With the end of the year quickly approaching, it’s now time for every publication and their mother to be putting out their “Best and Worst of 2012” lists. And we’ve made a big one!

We’ve won the distinction of Worst Case of Wretched Excess for our Salty Pimp cupcake, an exclusive of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, courtesy of Esquire Magazine!

Ok, technically we’re on “The Worst” list, but hey, we made Esquire, right? Let’s see what they wrote about us:

“New York’s Big Gay Ice Cream and Robicelli’s Cupcakes are now 
selling the Salty Pimp, made of vanilla cake around dulce
 de leche pudding, topping it with dulce de leche 
buttercream frosting in fudge.” - Esquire

Oh. My. GOD. Looking back on this with fresh eyes- seriously guys, I am so sorry. I see where we went overboard with this. When you guys are eating dessert, you don’t want wretched excess- you want sensibility! Cupcakes should:

a) not get you too excited over anything. Know what happens if we get people all riled up at 2 or 3 o’clock in the afternoon?  People start flipping their desks and walking off the job, and the economy collapses. That’s what.

b) fill your daily fiber requirements. Maybe we could add some raisins for extra vitamins.

c) put 300+ calories into your body that you instantly forget, so you can keep mindlessly stuffing your face all day. Don’t enjoy your cupcakes- tolerate them!

Maybe we can talk the Big Gay Ice Cream guys into letting us do a nice bran cake with a schmear of cream cheese instead? Or what about a sensible coffee cake? Who doesn’t like coffee cake?

Until we figure all this out, we’re going to have to keep peddling in wretched excess. In fact, if you use the code “WretchedExcess” in our online store, you’ll get 10% off for the rest of the holiday shopping season! (which ends Tuesday at noon for us)

And if you’re the type of heathen who things that, well, wretched excess is really what dessert is supposed to be all about, the go visit the Big Gay Ice Cream Shops, which are the ONLY place to get the Salty Pimp Cupcake. And now, they’ve got two locations for you to choose from! Now open in the West Village at 61 Grove Street, in addition to their East Village location (125 E.7th).

We’ve also got holiday flavors going around to lots of other, non-Big Gay stores, including the FINAL appearance of the Blatt until next Hanukkah. You’re going to be really sad if you’re one of the poor people who doesn’t get one this year- the Blatt is magic. Honest. And today is the FIRST annual appearance of our ultra-popular “Creme Brulee”, which is also incredibly popular and tremendously rare, like unicorns. (See how I tied all that together? Nice, right?)

Clockwise from front: The Hansel, The Blatt, Creme Brulee, Eggnog

The Blatt (limited editon for Hanukkah! Last appearance til next November!): Vanilla cake, raspberry jam, cheesecake buttercream, fried cookie dough

Creme Brulee: Vanilla cake, vanilla custard buttercream, caramelized sugar

The Hansel: Gingerbread cake, white chocolate pudding, speculoos buttercream, white chocolate dipped gingerbread cookie

Eggnog: Eggnog cake & buttercream, freshly grated nutmeg

For a few weeks post-Sandy, it looked like we weren’t going to be able to get our hands on any Biscoff spread as our suppliers were damaged. Many of you don’t know what Biscoff spread even is, and I won’t tell you because it will simultaneously both destroy your life, and enhance it in ways you never even thought were possible without illegal substances.  All you need to know is that it’s a key ingredient in several of our most awesome cupcakes, which we’ve had to sneakily pull out of rotation the last few weeks.

We weren’t worried too much about it- there will be plenty of time in 2013 for us to make our famous S’mores cupcakes for the masses. Besides, we have like 4,000 other flavors to pick from, or something ridiculous like that. 

But then, the holidays rolled around and our lack of Biscoff spread became a Level 4 Cupcake Emergency. For reference, a Level 3 Cupcake Emergency involves someone losing a limb in one of the industrial mixers. A Level 5 Cupcake Emergency……..sweet Jesus I don’t even want to think about a Level 5 Cupcake Emergency. May God have mercy on each and every one of our souls if that ever happens.

We’ve all been through enough this year.

The holidays may feel as if they last an eternity, but I assure you they don’t. We only have a few short weeks to get all our immensely popular limited editions holiday flavors out. With us not doing holiday markets this year or having a retail storefront, we’re slaves to the rotation and have to make those moments count. 

And this brings us……to the Hansel.

You may remember the Hansel as the holiday cupcake we introduced last year and couldn’t make fast enough. Moist gingerbread cake hiding a liquid core of silky white chocolate pudding, topped with velvety Biscoff buttercream, and then topped with the pièce de résistance- a teeny handmade gingerbread cookie dipped in white chocolate, acting as a proverbial nacho to scoop and savor that luscious buttercream while teasing yourself with the remainder like the dirty boy it is.  People could come buy one, then turn around and buy 6 to take home. In the four short weeks it was in release, the Hansel truly lived up to it’s name: it was so hot right now.

We put it on the rotation immediately after Thanksgiving, but alas, no Biscoff. We had emails requesting them but still, none. We didn’t even offer them as a Christmas option because of the uncertainty. The year 2012 may very well have been a Christmas without Hansel. You now understand our Level 4 declaration, and why things have been so tense over here. Matt’s barely slept for weeks.

But lo, an angel heard my cries for Biscoff! Actually, they follow me on Twitter. Angels are really tech saavy, you guys.

Soon enough we were in touch with Biscoff headquarters who arranged it so we have LOTS of their delicious, sinful spread, meaning that yes Virginia, there IS a Hansel! AND HE IS STILL SO HOT RIGHT NOW!

Now go eat the crap out of him before it’s too late…..like it soon will be with The Blatt! Only a few more days of Hanukkah, then it’s gone, leaving you only with the memories of the good times you’ve shared together.

The Blatt (limited editon for Hanukkah!): Vanilla cake, raspberry jam, cheesecake buttercream, fried cookie dough

The Hansel: Gingerbread cake, white chocolate pudding, speculoos buttercream, white chocolate dipped gingerbread cookie

Hot Butter Rum: Rum butterscotch soaked cake, hot buttered rum buttercream and drizzle

The Siobhan: Chocolate cake, bourbon butterscotch buttercream, chocolate chips, bourbon butterscotch drizzle

You may have noticed that for the second week in a row, I didn’t do a Wednesday post. Or maybe just my mom notices these things and points them out. Moms are always good for that.

Anyway, til the end of the year I’m taking Wednesday off from writing the blog and will just be posting videos, links or silly non-original content on that day instead. We’re crazy busy with Sandy relief, our Fab sale, filling tons of private orders for corporate gifts, shipping Christmas gifts all over from our online store, and last but not least, I’m finishing up the first draft of the book (coming out in less then 12 months!). If I think of any good jokes this month I’m throwing them into that. You guys are going to be getting a lot of the B-list material for a few weeks, like how I’m feeling about holiday movies on ABC Family, or things I’ve seen on infomercials that I really want. Remember how a while ago we were like “we’re going to try to take it easy this holiday to spend more time with the kids”?  Well in the 6 minutes of free time I have each week, I’m spending it nearly comatose in front of the tv watching crap like this:

Not only am I wondering why I watched this the other night, I’m still trying to figure out how it was made in the first place.  Also, if the Brady Bunch could get back together for this thing 14 years after they went off the air, how the hell is no one getting the cast of Full House back together for a Christmas special?!?!? They never had a proper series finale, they’re all still good friends, Stephanie is off the meth, and John Stamos is actually getting hotter as he ages. If I wasn’t so busy, I’d totally start a petition, or make a video where I dress my cats up like Bob Saget & Dave Coulier and sing Christmas songs with them.

As amazing as my ideas are, I’m pretty sure that no matter how many signatures we’d get, the Olsen twins would screw everything up. Though let’s be honest- would anyone have a big problem if Michelle was killed off? Because I wouldn’t- that show really jumped the shark once they started focusing on her. Get the whole cast back together for one last Christmas in San Francisco, then just slip in that she was eaten by wild pumas on a Honeybee camping trip. Honestly, I think most fans will actually prefer this.

(It’s times like this I’m really glad I don’t know how to use Photoshop, because I’d then I’d stay up all night fabricating a picture of pumas eating one of the Olsen twins instead of sleeping. Though if one of you would like to make this picture happen, please send it to me and I’ll totally post it and link back to your site.)  

Moving on to actual business:

Our sale on Fab.com is still on til Sunday! We’re sold out of a few items, but there’s still plenty more deliciousness on sale to be had.  

If you for some reason forget to order from Fab this weekend, you can still send our brownies and other stuff to your friends and family across the US through our online store, or can send someone (or yourself) cupcakes for Christmas Eve provided you’re in Brooklyn or Manhattan. And as I mentioned before, we are doing corporate gifting, though you need to email me directly at allison@robicellis.com for that as we do this on a custom basis.

Now let’s close with talking about this weekend, namely….. HANUKKAH!!! Our once a year Hanukkah cupcake, “The Blatt”, is making it’s triumphant return- it’s as if a cupcake had a baby with a jelly doughnut, then THAT baby grew up and when it reached the proper age of consent made sweet love to a cheesecake, and the result of that sweet love was the Blatt. It’s so good, and you have 8 crazy nights to put it in your tummy. We’re also full on into holiday mode now, so start enjoying all these flavors for the brief window they’re available!

Clockwise from front: Eggnog, The Blatt, Cranberry Gingerbread, Chocolate Candy Cane

The Blatt (limited editon for Hanukkah!): Vanilla cake, raspberry jam, cheesecake buttercream, fried cookie dough

Eggnog: Eggnog cake & buttercream, freshly grated nutmeg

Cranberry Gingerbread: Gingerbread cake, vanilla buttercream, homemade cranberry compote

Chocolate Candy Cane: Mint chocolate chip cake, peppermint buttercream, crushed candy canes

Who’s done with their holiday shopping? NOT ME! I spent so much time concentrating on what to get my kids that I totally forgot there are other people in my life I need to shop for.  I’m sure there’s lots of you in the same boat, so I put together a little gift guide for you. 

1: Robicelli’s Brownie/Whoopie Pie Gift Boxes: This is what I give most of my family members every year.  Seriously, what the hell does my 56 year old aunt with 3 grown kids need from me? A vase? Wind chimes? Does anyone really need freaking wind chimes from a relative they see once a year?

Here’s what’s awesome about food gifts:

-You don’t need to dust them. You eat them, they’re gone, you have room for a new gift next year. Everyone already has enough crap in their houses- they don’t need more.

-They work for the whole family.  My aunt’s got 3 kids from 13 to 24.  Now I COULD buy separate gifts for the 3 boys, my aunt, and her husband.  OR I can give them a giant box with 3 dozen brownies that they can stick in their freezer and all go to town on for the next few months.  

-They’re a good gift for everyone.  Whether it’s a close relative, a relative you barely know, a neighbor, a doorman, a coworker, or your first cousin’s weirdo boyfriend you’ve never met who’s coming to Christmas for the first time- food’s a great blanket gift that makes anyone happy.

-Nobody has to “pretend” to like brownies.  You know when someone you barely know gets you another basket of assorted shower gels and you have to do that whole awkward “Oh thank you! I really needed this- I’m never, you know, smelling good, and I was really hoping someone would give me some apple shower gel to fix it- you’re so thoughtful!” moment.  No one wants to be told they’re smelly on Christmas.  Sweets? You don’t have to fake liking that. 

2. Robicelli’s Hot Cocoa Mix: Same as all that stuff I talked about above, but in liquid form.  And hot.

3. The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton: 

Mr. Wheaton is a fan of ours, and I’ve been promising myself that I would read his book for over a year now.  Finally last week, I was in need of a new book and remembered to buy it. And I feel so incredibly stupid it took me this long because it was without question one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read in my entire life.  Better than “The Babysitter’s Club”. 

If you saw me this morning at Union Square with my nose in a book, blowing off work and simultaneously laughing and crying, it’s all Mr. Wheaton’s fault.  I did not want to put it down, and I didn’t want to let the story go, but I had to finish it.  And it was so good that when I got on the train tonight, I turned back to page one and started reading it again.  

Plus, there’s recipes for gumbo and etouffee in the back, and who doesn’t like those? So if you know anyone who likes reading, who likes laughing, loves travel or food or just likes to smile, you should buy them this book.  Then buy a copy for yourself, read it, and then find me so we can talk about how great it was.  Maybe we can meet up for gumbo too- that stuff is delicious.

And if any of you have written a book I should read, let me know! I’m always looking for a good one.

4.  A Lion:

Who wouldn’t want a lion? Who doesn’t respect a dude riding a lion? 

5: Tauntaun Sleeping Bag:

If you don’t know what this is or agree that this is the coolest thing ever, I don’t know if we can be friends.

6. Cupcakes

What did you think I would say? Macarons?

Clockwise from front: Milk & Cookies, The Blatt, Port Poached Pear, The Hansel

The Blatt: Raspberry jam filled vanilla cake, cheesecake buttercream, raspberry jam, fried cookie dough

Milk & Cookies: Brown sugar chocolate chip cake, mascarpone buttercream, crushed chocolate chip cookies

Port Poached Pear: Pear cake, vanilla buttercream, port poached pear, port wine reduction

The Hansel: Gingerbread cake, white chocolate pudding, speculoos buttercream, white chocolate dipped gingerbread cookie

Available at:

Robicelli’s at the Union Square Holiday Market: Booth Number C34

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn

Hom: 88th & 3rd, Bay Ridge

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery: 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Joe Columbia University: West 120th Street btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Red Hook Lobster Pound (whoopie pies only) 

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Before we begin today’s Tumblr, I issue an important reminder that I am not Jewish, but I love latkes.  And since I’m Italian-Catholic, this means I have to live with an agonizing lack of latkes in my world.  Therefore, I will gladly take all charitable donations of latkes, so if you have any lying around feel free to bring them to me in Union Square. Booth C34 people.  You know how to find us.

I have a well documented love affair with Jewish food: from my childhood noshing on corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, to the years I spent working in kosher kitchens, to our family’s annual Jewish deli crawl for Matt’s birthday (Three delis! Four hours! Five days of recovery!).  What I love more than the meats, more than the schmaltz, is the stories.  Nearly EVERYTHING on the Jewish table is filled with rich tradition and passionate storytelling.  Why this is not seen as one of the worlds most exciting cuisines, I’ll never understand.

The food of Hannukah has two major elements: oil, and dairy.  Oil is obvious- we all know the story of the Macabees and the miracle of the oil in the lamp lasting eight nights.  This is why fried foods like latkes are so popular, and on the dessert end sufganiyot- jelly donuts.  

Dairy dishes, such as blintzes and cheesecake, are eaten to celebrate the story of Judith.  As the legend goes, thousands of years ago the Babylonian army was destroying her village, and as a woman of legendary beauty, she was able to seduce her way into their camp and into the tent of their leader, bringing with her baskets of salty cheese to eat and wine to quench his thirst.  And when he finally consumed so much wine that he passed out, Judith picked up his sword and chopped his freaking head off.

Eff YEAH Cheesecake!!!!

We’ve got two special Hanukkah inspired sweets to celebrate the Festival of Lights.  First is a cupcake filled with jelly, topped with cheesecake buttercream and more jelly, then sprinkled with fried cookie dough bits.  Then at Union Square and DeKalb, we’ve got our first ever Hannukah whoopie pie, filled with blueberry cheesecake buttercream.  Because in my opinion, blueberries are the most superior of all the blintz fruits, and it’s damn tasty sandwiched between two chocolate ca-ookies.

And don’t forget- we’ve got lovely blue and silver boxes at Union Square and DeKalb that fit three festive whoopies for only ten bucks, so if you’re looking for a nice gift, there you go!

Now let’s all enjoy this lovely photo taken by our good friend Eric Isaac of the Snap Food blog- we’re today’s features photo essay!

Nice, right?

Clockwise from front: Port Poached Pear, The Hansel, Eggnog, The Blatt

The Blatt: Vanilla cake filled with raspberry jam, cheesecake buttercream, jam topping, fried cookie bits, powdered sugar

Port Poached Pear: Pear cake, vanilla buttercream, port poached pear, port reduction

The Hansel: Gingerbread cake, white chocolate pudding, speculoos buttercream, white chocolate dipped gingerbread cookie

Eggnog: Eggnog cake and buttercream, freshly grated nutmeg

Available at:

Robicelli’s at Union Square Holiday Market: Booth C34

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: Flatbush Ave Ext and Willoughby, Downtown Brooklyn

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery:  94th off 3rd, Bay Ridge

Aloha Grinds: 77th and 3rd, Bay Ridge

Bagel Schmagel: 76th and 3rd, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Tazza Cafes: Clark off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Cake Shop: Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, LES

Joe Columbia University: W 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Jem: Broadway off Franklin, Tribeca

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Red Hook Lobster Pound Classic Whoopie Pies Only