These two- or three-bite croissant sandwiches make the perfect snack: buttery, crisp, and slightly sweet, a croissant fix without that "I just ate half a stick of butter" feeling. More

Ceci-Cela offers a variety of fruit danishes, including pear, plum, and apricot, but the one I keep returning for is their Cherry Danish ($3). More

There are strawberry shortcakes by the Japanese—remember the ones from Panya, ChikaLicious, and Cafe Zaiya?—and then there are strawberry shortcakes by the French. More

Yesterday, we checked out our the best bakeries in New York City for cakes, cookies, and more; this morning, it's all about the pastries. While you'll find croissants in just about any bakery, good croissants, tender and flaky and buttery, are much harder to find, as are almond croissants and pain au chocolat. But you'll find some excellent ones in these New York bakeries, along with tarts and caneles and palmiers and much more. More

A good croissant is hard to find. To turn a butter-based dough into a pastry that's simultaneously soft and flaky, shatter-crisp and mouth-meltingly tender, is a difficult thing indeed. Where is the best in New York City? We found out. More

[Photo: Kathy YL Chan] If you're lucky enough to score Ceci-Cela's Plum Tart ($5.25) still warm, you've struck gold. A whole plum is quartered and nestled deep into a puff pastry shell, with the slightest layer of custard in... More

[Photo: Kathy Chan] One of the better pear tarts ($4.50) in Manhattan, with tender pear slices tucked in a dense frangipane filling. The crust is well-browned and consistently buttery; the filling, dense and tender, with coarsely ground almonds blended... More

[Photo: Kathy Chan] Holiday cheer for one. I am smitten with Ceci-Cela's single serving Bûche de Noël ($6), in a trio of flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry and Grand Marnier. Bûche de Noëls are also sold in full-sized logs, but why... More

Today is January 6, the Christian feast day of the Epiphany, which happens to be a special day for competitive dessert eaters. Not only are you encouraged to eat the traditional Kings' Cake, but hope for the lottery slice... More

In the mornings, I often want just a little something tasty with my coffee, not a muffin the size of my head or a cinnamon roll that’ll leave me feeling weighed down all day. So I’ve always been a fan of the mini-pastry: ideally adding a bit of sweetness to my morning and less than a dollar to my bill. More