The year is coming to a close VERY quickly, however, it’s been one which has awarded me with abundance. There was plenty of travel, fun, friends and the incredible amount of love showered upon me in 2015 has been unrivaled!

It is no secret that I’m no fan of desserts, so the fact that I’m featuring five favorite desserts is an oxymoron in itself. However, there definitely have been some standouts this year which, given the opportunity, I’d love to sink my teeth into again!

Last year, my five best dessert post comprised of five panna cottas. This year, you can see I’ve expanded my dessert repertoire somewhat, and there is no panna cotta in sight, even though I’m still a huge fan, and I did enjoy some lovely ones throughout my travels.

Here are my five favorite desserts of 2015, in no particular order.

There is no real need to give too much explanation to the Creole Bread Pudding Souffle at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. This dessert has been around for a long time and deservedly so! The bread pudding is extremely light, in the perfect consistency of how a souffle should be. The whiskey sauce is served table-side. I was utterly hooked after a bite and devoured the whole thing.

The Pine Nut Ice Cream from Panxa Cocina blew my mind! It is a deliciously rich and creamy scoop of with a punch of toasted pine nuts which wafts throughout my mouth and olfactory senses. I definitely need to find some time to go back and have this again!

One of the most interesting cheesecakes I have ever eaten comes from The Hake Kitchen & Bar in La Jolla. Artisan Cheesecake  is like eating a cheese platter, but in a dessert. Most restaurants are deconstructing desserts, but here, they’ve gone the opposite direction. Goat cheese, gorgonzola, honey, pecans, rosemary, and pear come together in a to-die-for experience.

Hong Kong’s iconic The Peninsula Hotel surprised me with its Cheesecake Bar accompanied by fresh raspberries and topped with flecks of gold. The cheesecake portion is fluffy and silky in my mouth while the fruit adds a brightness to the palate.

ÉPURE‘s Hazelnut Cake took my breath away in Hong Kong. I took one bite, then another, until there was none. The crunchy dacquoise base is topped with layers of textures from crispy to soft, and a quenelle of hazelnut ice cream adds a creamy component to the mix. It is an exquisite work of art, one I will remember for a long time to come.

Looking forward to more creative and delicious desserts in 2016! Hopefully, next year will see some incredible offerings in Orange County!