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Halloween is upon us, and you know what that means: Treating yourself all week is totally and completely justified, especially if these treats are holiday themed. For this purpose, we suggest you unearth a dirt dessert. Definitely spooky, these chocolately, "dirt" covered pies, cakes and ice creams are a fun/gruesome way to get your ghoul on. Here are some of our favorites—and don't freak out, but two of them are only available for the rest of this week.
The Chocolate Graveyard (Photo courtesy of Salt & Straw)
Salt & Straw
The Larchmont Village ice cream shop is scooping up a terrifying concoction: The Chocolate Graveyard. Chocolate ice cream is dirtied up with chocolate cake "soil" and chocolate flecks. Housemade skeleton candies pop up in every spoonful. We suggest pairing it with Salt & Straw's equally diabolical seasonal flavors, like the Dracula's Blood Pudding or the Witches Brew Potion. Scaredy cats might prefer the Candy Corn ice cream.
Available until Friday.Salt & Straw is located at 240 N. Larchmont Boulevard; (323) 466-0485
(Photo by Ryan Tanaka. Courtesy of Playa Provisions)
Playa Provisions
Grimy ice cream is also being dished up at Playa Provisions this week in the frightful form of the Trick or Treat Sundae. Gummy worms slither through chocolate "dirt" cookie crumbles, hot fudge and whipped cream. The base is vanilla ice cream, made in house and loaded with Jack-o-Lantern bucket favorites, like Kit Kats, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and M&Ms. Pure evil, we are sure.
Available at the Dockside Restaurant during dinner hours from Tuesday-Friday. Playa Provisions in located at 119 Culver Boulevard; (310) 683-5019
(Photo courtesy of Barton G)
Barton G
Not merely a Halloween dessert, but frightfully perfect for the season, are the potted plant desserts at Barton G. The Pot Pie Garden, best shared with a group, comes with five pies—pecan, rosemary apple, Mississippi mud, cherries jubilee, and keylime—which are baked into gardening pots and muddied up with loads of chocolate dirt. The set also comes with a pair of gardening shears in case you need to defend yourself against creepy crawlers.
Barton G is located at 861 N La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, (310) 388-1888
(Photo courtesy of Vanilla Bake Shop)
Vanilla Bake Shop
The delectably filthy Dirt Cake is a year-round best seller at Santa Monica's Vanilla Bake Shop. However, it seems so much scarier as Hallows' Eve looms. If the first bite sends chills up your spine, it's probably because the mason jar dessert is an icebox cake. The "dirt" is made with rich dark chocolate cookie crumbles, which are layered with dark chocolate mousse and vanilla bean whipped cream. There's a single shot glass serving available, but go ahead and dig into the jar meant for two, you little devil.
Vanilla Bake Shop is located at 512 Wilshire Boulevard; (310) 458-6644
Valentina Silva is a freelance writer who edits her own blog Eastside Food Bites. Watch her eat her way through L.A. on her Instagram.
