Watch CBS News

Top Hot Desserts In Philadelphia

Temperatures might be dropping, but these sweet treats will warm you right up. Cookies straight from the oven, balls of dough from the fryer and more; there are so many delicious reasons to indulge. These are Philadelphia's best hot desserts you'll want to get cozy with this winter.
twisted_tail_beignets_10-25.jpg
(credit: Michelle Hein)

The Twisted Tail
509-511 2nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.thetwistedtail.com

The Twisted Tail is a bourbon house and juke joint with live music and a Southern-inspired menu with a focus on charcoal-grilled dishes. Serving weekend brunch, lunch on weekdays and dinner nightly, the Headhouse Square spot offers favorites such as aged country hams, fried chicken, shrimp and polenta and grilled octopus. Whatever time of day you visit, you won't want to leave without ordering the Twisted Tail staple dessert, ricotta beignets. A spin on the New Orleans tradition, these light and fluffy doughnut balls come hot from the fryer, dusted with cinnamon sugar. They're paired with a bourbon caramel dipping sauce that's so good you'll be tempted to eat any leftovers with a spoon. Served as a brown bag of six for $7, it's an easy dessert to share.

Related: Top Chocolate Cake In Philadelphia

Whetstone Tavern
700 S. 5th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 239-0906
www.whetstonetavern.com

Jeremy and Jessica Nolen, along with Doug and Kelly Hager, opened Whetstone Tavern in mid-July as a sister restaurant to their existing Brauhaus and Wursthaus Schmitz. At the new Queen Village spot, however, the Nolens will be deviating from German cooking and offering American food with a loose regional focus. Pastry chef Jessica Nolen's "PA Dutch Apple Dumpling" is a prime example of the type of elevated comfort food with traditional ties that the restaurant serves. The $8 dessert consists of half of a gala apple that's filled with brown sugar-cinnamon butter, wrapped in flaky pie crust and baked. It's served hot from the oven, topped with toffee sauce and condensed milk ice cream.

Twenty Manning Grill
261 S. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 731-0900
www.twentymanninggrill.com

Twenty Manning Grill is a Rittenhouse Square-area spot that successfully combines the casual with the sophisticated. The menu is refined, yet offers plenty of classic comfort food dishes. The half-baked Toll House cookie is a prime example. The huge chocolate chip cookie comes warm from the oven still gooey on the inside. It's served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that perfect balance of hot meets cold. Priced at $7, it's big enough to share after a meal, but no one would blame you if you indulged alone.

Lacroix Restaurant
The Rittenhouse Hotel
210 W. Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 790-2533
www.lacroixrestaurant.com

Beautifully decorated for the holiday season, The Rittenhouse Hotel is always a favorite this time of year. Guests of the hotel can enjoy complimentary hot chocolate in the lobby ($6 for visitors). But for a truly exquisite dessert, you'll want to dine at the hotel's award-winning restaurant, Lacroix. The coffee souffle ($12) is a standout dish that's served hot and garnished with a disk of white chocolate that melts on top from the heat of the rich coffee-infused chocolate souffle. A unique sunchoke ice cream is dropped into the souffle tableside as the dessert is served.

franklin_fountain_hot_desserts.jpg
(credit: Michelle Hein)

The Franklin Fountain
116 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 627-1899
www.franklinfountain.com

Old City's favorite ice cream and soda shop isn't just for summer treats. The old-fashioned spot also offers a winter menu from October through February with housemade baked goods, three kinds of hot chocolate, hot sodas and Franklin Fountain's own creation – the hot milkshake. There are five varieties on the menu, each combining hot ingredients like apple pie, fudge brownies or espresso with ice cream for a unique treat that's just right for the season. Most are priced at $9.50 with the exception of the $10.50 "Toasted Marshmallow Malted" that's made with marshmallow-vanilla ice cream, melted chocolate, malt powder, graham cracker and homemade toasted marshmallows.

Related: Top Hot Chocolate In Philadelphia

Michelle Hein is the social media editor for a women's fashion company in Bucks County by day and a self-proclaimed food and drink fanatic by night and weekend. She enjoys attending wine classes, trying new recipes in the kitchen and going to old favorites and new restaurants alike in the Bucks County and Philadelphia area. If the writing gig doesn't pan out, she constantly dreams of owning her own bakery…perhaps connected to the restaurant/bar that her lawyer husband would love to open.
< a href=http://www.examiner.com/user-michelle-hein

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.