12 Round Shaped Sweet Treats for Good Luck: A New Year’s Tradition

Every New Year’s Eve, it has been my mom’s tradition to gather 12 round fruits to bring us good luck in the coming year.  It has to be twelve, she says, one for each month of the new year.  And it has to be round-shaped for prosperity, abundance and wealth.  So she buys grapes, oranges, melons and even watermelons to ring in the new year.

This year, I’m starting my own tradition. I’m gathering 12 round shaped sweet treats to welcome the New Year!  These are my San Francisco favorites culled from past blogs plus teasers for future posts.  It’s definitely not a comprehensive list since I can only cram twelve.  And I guess, that’s what the New Year is for, a whole new year to try new tasty treats!  Send me a note and let me know what’s on your list.

And by the way, I define round shaped very loosely here.  It can be spherical or circular in shape or served in a spherical or circular container.

Fried Dough.

1. Dynamo Donut’s maple glazed bacon apple doughnut. “The saltiness of the little chunks of crispy bacon complements the sweetness of the maple glaze very well, which makes the maple glazed bacon apple an instant favorite.”

2. I Preferiti di Boriana’s bomboloni. Italian doughnuts filled with chocolate ganash and tossed in sugar. Pure bomboloni bliss.

Street Sweets

3. Creme Brulee Cart’s Cap’n Crunch Creme Brulee. “But as he sprinkled colorful Cap’n Crunch pieces on my cup, for some reason, I got so excited. I knew I was in for a sweet treat!”

4. Wholesome Bakery’s Sweet Potato Pie. Healthy baby sweet potato pies that actually taste great.  No need for sugar since the sweetness of the sweet potato shines.

I Scream for Ice Cream

5. Bi-Rite Salted Caramel Ice Cream. “One of the best things in life is real good ice cream. And Bi-Rite Creamery’s artisanal ice cream is beyond good.”

6. Humphry Slocombe’s Ice Cream. Yes, you read it right: salt-n-peppa ice cream. Crazy, one-of-a-kind and out-of-this-world, yummy flavors are what makes Humphry Slocombe truly special.

Cupcake Heaven

7. Kara’s Cupcakes. “A pink box full of Kara’s pumpkin spice cupcake, moist carrot cupcake, and banana cupcake with caramel filling, all topped with Kara’s silky smooth cream cheese frosting, makes me extremely crazy, stupid happy.”

8. Baked’s Red Velvet Cupcake. This small bakeshop in Potrero Hill is a real neighborhood find with baked treats like cookies, peanut brittle, and delightful red velvet cupcakes.

Filipino Finds

9. House of Silvanas Bakeshop’s Ube Silvanas. “They are best enjoyed frozen. The crunchy wafers and the yummy buttercream just delightfully melt in your mouth.”

10. Hilda’s Hopia. Hilda’s Filipino favorite bean filled pastry is flaky, buttery and sweet.

Breakfast Bites

11. Dottie’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes. “The neighborhood may be dicey and the wait may be long but breakfast at Dottie’s is always a treat. The food is simply scrumptious.”

12. Tartine’s Bread Pudding with Apples. There are so many tasty treats to try at Tartine (and a lot of alliterations, too); from delicious croissants and tarts to amazing bread pudding.

Holiday Ice Skating in the City

Because of this rare cold spell in the city, holiday ice skating is now even more fun.

With the lights of the Bay Bridge and the Ferry Building as the dramatic backdrop, skating at the Holiday Ice Rink at the Embarcadero Center has been a San Francisco tradition for over twenty years now.  The outdoor ice rink is open through January 3rd.

Embarcadero Holiday Lights: Let the Holidays Begin

The lights have been turned on and the holiday season in the city has officially begun.  With more than 17,000 lights illuminating the Embarcadero Center, the San Francisco skyline is more stunning than ever.

Now it’s time for some turkey and pumpkin pie.

Fresh Farmers’ Fare

Heirlooms are here!!

From green and red zebras to brandywines, sliced heirlooms drizzled with olive oil and dusted with salt and pepper are one of my favorite things!

But there’s more. Golden yellow squash. Sweet corn. Snap peas. Peaches, plums and nectarines.

Summer is a great time to enjoy fresh farmers’ fare and my favorite place in the city to get them is at the Farmers’ Market at the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero.  Open year-round and twice a week, the Farmers’ Market showcases fresh, organic and in-season produce from local organic farms throughout the Bay Area.  It is a great place in the city to shop for sustainable food and to support local farms and small businesses.

I love going to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings.  I think it is one of the absolutely coolest things to do in the city.  After a caffeine boost at Peet’s or a quick breakfast bite at one of the specialty street food stalls, I snake my way through the crowds to sample and pick the freshest produce on my shopping list.  Aside from fruits and vegetables, the Farmers’ Market also features fresh flowers, artisan breads, pastries, cheese and yogurt as well as organic eggs and meats from local poultry farms and ranchers.

A trip to the market would not be complete without a treat.   Last weekend, Dennis and I enjoyed an amazing cherry chocolate rugelach from the Noe Valley Bakery & Bread Company.  It was so good that it was gone before I can take a quick photo of it.

For a list of farmers’ markets throughout the Bay Area follow this link.  And for more photos of the freshest farmers’ fare check out my Flickr photostream.