Lyssa Goldberg

Frozen Yogurt: a sweet treat to beat the heat.

We're officially halfway through National Frozen Yogurt Month and well into the 90-degree-temperature season (even though summer doesn't begin until Friday). So as a tribute to the only thing that can cool us down both physically and mentally, Short Order came up with a list of the five reasons frozen yogurt is the answer to all of your problems.

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Laine Doss

Chef Peter Vauthy and the Kronut Kruller.

When pastry chef Dominique Ansel introduced the "cronut" at his New York City bakery just a month ago, was he aware of the feeding frenzy he would create?

The love child of a doughnut and a croissant, the pastry became a viral hit, with daily demand far exceeding supply. The little bakery has posted instructions for snagging a cronut, which suggests waiting in line two hours before the bakery opens at 8 a.m. weekdays. (Though it does admit that if you get in line prior to 7:15 a.m., you have a good chance of scoring.) You can order up to a half-dozen two weeks in advance (though the list is currently full). You can also pay "cronut scalpers" who, for about $40, will get you one (delivery in Manhattan is thrown into the "deal").

Or you can drive to Red the Steakhouse and get a fresh batch made personally by executive chef Peter Vauthy.

Read also:
- NYC Introduces the Cronut, Will Miami Follow?
- Best of Miami 2013: Best Steakhouse

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Photos by Alex Rodriguez

Cookies 'n' Cream

Michael and Angela Moed had no idea what they were getting themselves into before starting the process of opening their own cupcake shop. In fact, it took them almost three years of planning. All for cupcakes. Sounds silly, right?

But when you step into Sweet Times Cupcakes & Coffee, a tiny shop located just off Kendall Drive, the time and effort the husband-and-wife team put into the place becomes apparent.

Not bad for a professional poker player (Michael) and a recent graduate of pastry school (Angela) with zero restaurant or commercial baking experience.

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Courtesy of Pinkberry

Yesterday we had a bit of an email brawl over the news that Pinkberry was opening a third location in Miami.

The storefront is set to open May 10 at 1144 Ocean Dr., and some people around here were saying, "Get over it -- the froyo fad is dead."

First of all, frozen yogurt will never die. Second, who wouldn't want a cold, delicious, low-calorie treat with fresh fruit on a sweltering summer day at the beach?

Yeah. We thought so.

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thebakinggirl.com

We're not ones to scour the city looking for the world's greatest cupcakes.

We don't even like them.

But on a whim, we recently took a different route home from the office and found ourselves at NE 69th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. Most locals know the intersection for the restaurant Uva 69. However, tucked behind it is a tiny cake shop called the Baking Girl.

It's been there more than a year, but we'd never noticed it. It wasn't until we walked in to scope it out that we discovered the Baking Girl carries the best damn vegan cupcakes, like, ever.

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Courtesy of @sweetnessbakes Instagram

Everyone loves a good cupcake. But when maple-bacon donuts, homemade Oreos, ginger-glazed chicken melts and craft beer are also on the menu - even better. That's Sweetness Bakeshop & Cafe in a nutshell, a South Miami favorite since its inception in 2010.

Now, thanks to their increasing popularity, Sweetness is getting ready to open its second location. This time, in Hialeah. They're looking to throw open their doors sometime this summer - maybe even sooner, says co-owner Stephanie Diaz.

See also:
Sweetness Bakeshop Selling Beer-Infused, Team-Themed Super Bowl Cupcakes

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Paul Joachim via Facebook

Paul Joachim sculpting a bust of Anne Burrell out of cake.

How would you measure your chocolate obsession?

Celebrity chef and Food Network Challenge winner Paul Joachim has measured his chocolate love, and it's about nine feet tall.

At least that's the height of the life-sized creation he will sculpt live at the Miami Fine Chocolate & Food Show at Pinecrest Gardens March 9 and 10.

Joachim, a sports fanatic when he's not in the kitchen, will create a six-foot-eight basketball player on a two-foot base while telling stories to the crowd at the show. The edible masterpiece is meant as a tribute to "Miami basketball," but Joachim wouldn't tell Short Order if he had a particular player in mind.

Read also:
- Founder of Miami Fine Chocolate and Food Show: "Culinary Scene Beyond South Beach Deserves Recognition"
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Nowadays, cakes are an art form, so any pastry chef worth her or his salt (or sugar) better be able to craft masterpieces. Local bakers Carolina Montoya and Fernando Puga, owners of Unique Designer's Cake, have proven their cake-crafting skills for the likes of Food Network, Art Basel, and the annual National Gingerbread Competition.

And now, the husband-and-wife duo have brought their talents to a brick-and-mortar showroom in Miami. Next Friday, March 15, you can join them in christening their sugary-sweet baby.

See also:
- Bunnie Cakes Opens in Wynwood Tomorrow: Free Cupcakes While Supplies Last
- Julia Child's Chocolate Almond Cake Available at Soyka (Recipe)

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Via facebook.com/SweetSaloonMiami

Sugar and booze are an intoxicating combo (some studies say it gets you drunkety drunker). If so, then Sweet Saloon should leave us all kinds of buzzed.

The newest addition to the mezzanine level of Moonchine Asian Bistro, this spot serves sweet treats, cocktails, and jazzy beats Wednesday and Saturday nights. Just the kind of after-dinner entertainment we're into.

See also:
- Dylan's Candy Bar Opens in South Beach
- Dylan's Candy Bar: Ten Reasons Grownups Will Love It (Photos)

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Photo by Ben Fink

Hedy Goldsmith

For more on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, check out New Times' Taste guide, hitting newsstands Thursday, February 21.

Credit three ladies for making this year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival just a little bit, um, cooler: Hedy Goldsmith, James Beard award-nominated executive pastry chef for the Genuine Hospitality Group in Miami; Jeni Britton-Bauer, owner of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and award-winning cookbook author from Columbus, Ohio; and Paulina Naranjo, a self-proclaimed "paleta princess" and Miami's source for traditional and modern Mexican popsicles. These women have one thing in common. For them, ice cream is about more than just good, brain-freeze-inducing eats. The dessert also evokes memories of nostalgic childhood treats.

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