Bewitched By Wicked!

Sweet, indulgent confections, from all-time classic desserts to new sugary creations. And a few naughty and sinful treats for good measure. Wicked, Cravings' newest concept bakeshop, has all these and more.  

Wicked's Rich & Velvety Flourless Chocolate Tart, Seasonal Fruit Tart with Roasted Almond Flakes and Salted Caramel Pecan Tart filled to the brim with sweet caramel filling topped with salted pecans and best served with vanilla ice cream.

Chef Christine Paredes, chocolatier, patissier, and chef instructor, heads the cast at Wicked, weaving their magical spell with their wickedly good dessert creations. "Wicked is a place where you can have your sweets with a shot of your favorite alcohol. It is exciting as we have divided our menu into Wickedly Sinful, Wickedly Sexy and Wickedly Intoxicating. Here at Wicked, we make all your dessert fantasies come true!" said Chef Christine. A round of Kahlua Jelly Shots and Tequila Eclairs? Sounds good to me.

Located at the 5th Level of the new East Wing at Shangri-La Mall, Wicked offers both classics as well as innovative and playful new desserts. The newest brand from the Cravings Group, Wicked by Cravings isn't your usual dessert place. It's both fun yet naughty, non-conventional yet one can find comfortingly familiar classics. And the name alone says it all, Wicked's definitely got some attitude. And this is reflected in the impressive selection of desserts at Wicked. Here's a sampling of some of Wicked's wicked desserts...

Seasonal Fruit Tarts with Roasted Almond Flakes, creamy pastry cream topped with fresh strawberries and almonds with a sugary crust. Pure eye candy, and tastes even better.

If you love Twix, Wicked offers its very own Twix Cheesecake, a rich and creamy cheesecake with chunks of Twix and walnuts, topped with your favorite candy bar. Nice.

Brownies with a bite. Wicked's Chili Almond Avocado Brownies, blending a layer of creamy avocado flavor with rich chocolate, bumped up with chili. Sweet with a little heat, something you'd expect only at Wicked.

The Wicked Stepmother Apple Pie, not your mom's apple pie, and maybe even better. Mini apple pie topped with crunchy streusel baked with a wooden spoon. Covered in a layer of sugary crumble, with sweet, warm apple filling, what's not to like?

White Russian Fondue, moist cake pops rolled in roast almonds served with a flavorful chocolate fondue, almost like Bailey's Irish Cream. Seriously good.

What do you get when you combine a moist brownie and a crispy cookie? You get Wicked's Brookies, paired with a refreshing shot of milk. One bite reveals the layers of cookies and brownies stacked neatly and covered in rich and indulgent dark chocolate. Served on a stick, no need to worry about sticky fingers...

Spiced Pumpkin Lollies, a neat pie on a stick with sweet, buttery and cinnamon spiced pumpkin filling. A crisp outer layer with a comforting filling of warm pumpkin, another winner.

Creative, playful and fun desserts, there's something for everyone at Wicked.  "Wicked evokes images of fairy tales and childhood joys, intimate moments with friends and family, and indulging in dreamy food that only this new concept in dining and cafe' can offer. Now, those dreams sprinkled with sugar can happen because Wicked makes sure it's an experience that is best put into words as 'happily ever after.' It's a place for kids and kids at heart. A place to get your sugar trance," added Chef Christine Paredes. And I was definitely in a happy place after a few servings of Wicked's cool desserts. Wicked also serves savory dishes, like Salmon & Dill Quiche, Four Cheese Quiche, Ham and Cheese Quiche plus a variety of sandwiches.

Wicked also offers a full line of cupcakes, with a wide selection of flavors and colors. At the opening, guests were invited to dress up some cupcakes with a variety of icings, toppings and sprinkles. Not to be outdone, I carefully crafted my own little masterpiece...

...not too shabby if I may say so. Just need to work on my icing and sprinkling technique, but this one tasted pretty good. And that's the cool thing about Wicked, where you can enjoy a good dessert without worrying about any rules. In a sense, having your dessert at Wicked can be a truly liberating experience. And with Chef Christine at the helm, you can be sure that more of Wicked's fun and unique desserts are in the pipeline. Feeling a bit naughty? Go ahead and indulge yourself, it's always a good time at Wicked.

Wicked by Cravings is located at the 5th Level, East Wing, Shangri-La Mall, Mandaluyong City. You can also visit their Facebook Page, facebook.com/wickedbycravings, for more information.

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