Unique Sweets

When it comes to sweets, chocolate is king. And it inspires chefs to reach new heights with amazingly chocolatey dishes. At Petsi Pies in Somerville, Massachusetts, the indulgences begin with pie crusts made from ground chocolate cookies. It only gets better from there: the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie has slices of fresh banana layered with sweetened peanut butter and luscious chocolate cream. And the incomparable Mississippi Mud Pie has a bourbon chocolate filling that's topped with a mountain of chocolate ganache-covered brownie chunks, which is then topped with even more deep, dark chocolate ganache. Bean-to-bar chocolatiers French Broad Chocolates in Ashville, North Carolina create the addictive Chocolate Mocha Stout cake with dark chocolate, coffee and local stout beer... Then ups the ante with the thick and creamy Maple & Smoked Sea Salt Liquid Truffle - the drink hot chocolate wishes it could be. And Roni-Sue's Chocolate's on New York City's Lower East Side started a movement with its Pig Candy: crispy slices of fried bacon dipped in chocolate.