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S'mores pie

[As of September 2020, Butter & Scotch has closed its doors. Fortunately, they are still in the baking business and their treats are available at their online shop.]

With over 1200 pastry shops, Paris has no shortage of places to satisfy one’s sweet cravings. That is, unless it’s after 8pm, when all the bakery shelves are wiped clean and they close up for the night. Then you’re kind of stuck. That happens to me a lot. And while the cocktail scene has revved up in Paris and there are plenty of places to have a libation after dark, desserts get the short end of the bâton when it comes to after-hours enjoyment.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter & Scotch is my happy place. Although it’s a few thousand miles away from Paris, Allison Kave and Keavy Blueher opened their mash-up of my two favorite things – cocktails and desserts – in one swell joint, in Brooklyn. Just walking in the door for the first time made me happy. And if they opened one nearby, I’d be happy every evening for the rest of my life.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

I love cocktails, and I love desserts, so it’s nice to find a great place that combines the two. The only issue for me is that it’s 3000 miles, or 4828 kilometers, away. So I have to wait until I’m in Brooklyn to get my fix. Thankfully some of their treats are available to go, like their caramel corn, but I’m done lugging bottles across the Atlantic, no matter how interesting they may be. I swear.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

My first visit was with Liz Gutman of Liddabit Sweets, who suggested we meet up for a drink there. I had heard about Butter & Scotch, and loved the idea of a craft cocktail bar and bakery and was thrilled when she suggested we give it a shot for a late Sunday afternoon rendez-vous.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Allison and Keavy have known each other for years – Allison had a business making pies, and Keavy was baking up cupcakes professionally. Allison also bartended for ten years so she’s an ace not only in the baking department, but behind the bar as well. My dream is to excel at both. And although I pour a respectable Manhattan, I’ve not taken up the task of combining desserts and drinks. Perhaps I should leave my resumé with them on my next visit, in case they have an opening?

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

But it seems natural to me to combine the two. For a flash, there was a period in Paris when young chefs were combining sweet and savory, not always with great results. I will eat anything with marshmallows on it, except for shellfish…and the rabbit stew that was served in Paris with strawberry-flavored Tagada marshmallows on it – but if it’s with a lush chocolate custard smoothed over a buttery, slightly spicy graham crack crust, then brûléed, I will be happy to travel thousands of miles to have a slice. (Although the recipe is in her book, First Prize Pies, which I snagged a copy of during my visit, so maybe I don’t have an excuse.)

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

I know this sounds odd, but the S’mores Pie that I had during my first visit to Butter & Scotch was one of the best desserts that I’d ever had. And no, it wasn’t my Honeychile Rider, with Dorothy Parker gin, passion fruit, spicy honey and Tiki bitters talking. It was really that good.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Liz and I managed to polish off a few stiff ones that Sunday afternoon, along with some of their popped-to-order sesame/red pepper popcorn, along with a wedge of Negroni Pie (Campari, gin and vermouth custard with orange zest whip, served in a buttery crust) and that S’mores Pie, which made me stop mid-fork and almost push poor Liz away so I could hoard the pie for myself.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar-2

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

They also make a few varieties of caramel corn, but my favorite was the one made using roasted Hatch chiles from New Mexico, which they call their green chile-margarita popcorn. Warning: It’s addictive.

Although Liz couldn’t make it back with me for my next trip to Butter & Scotch a few days later (or maybe she was miffed because I bogarted the pie?), I went back on my own and sampled a few more treats.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

All the bar syrups are made in-house and I watched Allison pour up a Menta Make a Julep with Old Overholt Rye, Branca Menta, and molasses. It looked so good, I swiped a little sip but knew better than the down the whole glass. Yes, that darned politeness.

There was a recent discussion about bloggers taking freebies and I am going to confess right off the bat that the first thing they offered me when I walked in the kitchen were brownie ends. And yes, I know I’m supposed to be taking pictures and notes and all that. But for goodness sakes – chewy brownie ends? Count me in…

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

I was trying to be professional and not let on that I was fully prepared to eat the whole container, but when I took a nibble, politely, of one edge, I found most of my politesse went out the window. And if it wasn’t for that remaining bit of politeness (um, thanks mom!), I would have eaten them all.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

In the kitchen, the bakers were busy decorating cakes laden with rainbow sprinkles, something that I’ve been on a bender about because of a deeply disturbing trend that I’ve noticed when you order rainbow sprinkles on ice cream, they take a spoon and sprinkle a few sprinkles over the cup or cone. I want to say, “Hello? When you put rainbow sprinkles on something, you should not see what’s under them.” And that goes for chocolate sprinkles, too. Adding a dozen or so rainbow sprinkles to anything doesn’t cut it with me.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

There are cupcakes, of course, which sometimes suffer from derisive comments. But goodness, folks, what’s not to like about a little cake that you can have all to yourself, that you don’t have to share? Nothing in my book. And if you polled my drinking and dining companions, they would probably say the same thing. (Especially if there was S’mores Pie involved.)

And if you think cupcakes are for kids, try one with a Rock n Roll, made with Mister Katz’s Brooklyn-made rye. It’s infused with rock candy, cherries, orange zest and sour cherries and is ideal for the base of a cocktail with a cup, or slab, of cake. It made me rethink my decision to stop hauling bottles across the Atlantic.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Although I was full on brownie ends, when Allison offered to mix up a Rock & Rye Milkshake, combining my favorite flavors – rye whiskey, ice cream, coffee, and sour cherries – it was hard to say no. Plus it came with a cherry on top. Bingo!

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar-18

If this post is starting to sound a little loopy, you’ll have to forgive me. My notes went one way, and I went the next. And before I knew it, other people were filing into Butter & Scotch, and Allison started mixing drinks and shakes for others, including a neighborhood mom who stopped in for a boozy float.

Called Pretty in Pink, this milkshake starts with Aperol, rosé wine, and a dash of seltzer. A few scoops of strawberry ice cream are added, and you’ve got one more happy mom on the streets.

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Dessert and cocktail pairings are available, and my only wish when I left was, “How can I open a place like this in Paris?” Am not sure boozy milkshakes would go over as well with Parisian mamans as they do with Brooklyn moms, but they’d do just fine for me. A slice of Negroni or S’mores pie, and a hardcore amount of rainbow sprinkles would be part of my recipe for happiness, and perhaps a jell-o shot or two to finish up. Although it’d be fun to put a French twist on things. Hmm….

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter and Scotch Bakery and Bar, Brooklyn

Butter & Scotch 
818 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Tel: 347-350-8899

(You can follow Butter & Scotch on Instagram and Facebook, too.)

Rock & Rye Milkshake

Butter & Scotch uses frozen sour cherry puree for this drink, but one could puree frozen or fresh cherries in a blender, until smooth. Another option would be to soak dried sour cherries in hot water for 30 minutes, squeeze them dry, and puree them.
  • 1.5 oz Mister Katz's Rock & Rye
  • 1 oz sour cherry purée
  • 3 scoops coffee ice cream
  • Whipped cream & a Luxardo cherry for garnish
  • In a blender, combine the rock & rye, cherry purée, and ice cream, and blend until smooth. Pour into a parfait or pint glass, top with whipped cream and a cherry, and serve with a straw and a spoon.
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36 comments

    • Linda

    Ha! First!

    • Linda

    Ummmm……..is it silly to ask for a sprinkles recipe? For some reason all the sprinkles I can find here are these metallic little balls that…..taste like metallic little balls. -_-
    Do chocolate sprinkles really taste like chocolate? For some reason I only seem to remember the taste of the ice cream it was served on…or is it that I’ve only ever had substandard chocolate sprinkles all my life???? (sob)

      • Cassandra Gonzalez

      If you want sprinkles that actually taste like something, these are amazing! :)

        • heather_kaye

        I have to echo the recommendation for DeRuyter – grew up in Holland, and every Friday morning my dad would make me hagelslag instead of cinnamon toast. It’s still one of my favorite taste memories.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      There are some recipes for homemade rainbow sprinkles here and here, if you want to give ’em a try!~

    • Michele H.

    Holy *(@(#…my mouth just feel open, looking at cake entirely covered with sprinkles…that’s just a boatload of happy, isn’t it? Sprinkles and/or glitter just make everything better!!!!

    • Celia Becker @ After Orange County

    I too love cocktails and dessert best but like you, I also live 3K miles away. What a fabulous looking place. I will put it on my bucket list for my next visit to NY.

    • Rosebud

    Butter and Scotch sounds like such a very happy place to visit. What I wouldn’t give to have such a place near me.

    • Sabra

    I would love to have the s’mores pie recipe–s’mores are one of my very favorite things!

    • wildbill

    Nice post….you just gave me an idea. I can’t get bananas very often where I live but got a few the other day. A couple have gone too soft for me…….Overripe bananas, coffee or deep chocolate ice cream a shot or two of a special dark rum into the blender, into the glass, add a straw. I think I’ll chop the wood tomorrow.

      • Danielle

      Excellent idea, wildbill. I have some frozen bananas that should get the same treatment.

    • Debbie

    OMG…..will be on NYC in Nov…..must make a pilgrimage to Brooklyn!

    • CoffeeGrounded

    If I leave right now, and drive straight thru, I think I can be there by Friday.

    (I love that cake!)

    Now my head is just swimming with ideas. These ladies are on the leading edge of making life extremely happy. The food pyramid has once again been revamped!

    Honey-bunches, do they have a workout room in the back? This place could pack on a few extra pounds and inches. Can I wear sweatpants in here?

    • victor | ifoodblogger.com

    David, that S’mores Pie is absolute delight to look at and I am sure it has no competition as far as the taste goes. Since I won’t be visiting Brooklyn any time soon, I want to recreate it in my kitchen. If you have any recipes or pointers that will steer me in the right direction, please share.

    • amy m.

    Your writing always makes me happy, but this post especially so. Anytime someone uses the term “bogart”, it brings me an insurmountable amount of joy.

    • Dale

    Wow great looking everything.
    I always liked the idea of a boozy ice cream parlor, this looks even better and I’m only 300 miles away
    Thanks for the wonderful photos and letting us know about this sweet spot.
    Dale

    • Nikki

    PLEASE! a recipe for the S’mores Pie. I am not, and this may be un-American, overly fond of S’mores and this pie looks great.
    Again a wonderful post thanks.

    • italiangirlcooks

    So impressed…love the dessert and cocktail idea. S’mores Pie and caramel corn could lead to addiction. Perhaps this is the next step in your career, Parisian style!

    • Sharon

    Karma! Several years ago we cut waaay back on sweets – I now bake only whole wheat bread – but at lunch today we were scrounging for ‘something sweet’ and found only the kids’ popsicles. Pathetic. Then I read your blog. We’ve been total fools to trade so much joy for what? Life is to be lived now, right? Yes? I used to bake a great brownie and, for the first time in 5-6 years will buy the good chocolate and bake a pan tonight. You’re our Exilir of Life. (Totally love you.)

    • Danielle

    I just swooned through this entire post (except that marshmallow rabbit stew part). If you don’t open your own version of this, David, your fans here might settle for a lovely cookbook on this theme. I can’t believe they offered up the brownie ends. I would happily buy a bag of those. And that menta make a julep looks to die for. Ahhh.

    • Mary Frances

    Oh my god! I feel like rushing to a bakery right now. This is so tempting!!! I would to make this for my family over the weekend.

    • Ford Cornell

    David,
    You have one of the best blogs I have ever read. No other blog consistently makes me smile, laugh, drool and occasionally say “Oh, my God!”. Your words and photos are so good they allow me to smell and taste the food. this is no small feat.

    You should consider a biography or even a fictional novel. I mean it. I think everyone on this Comments section would love to read a story or two…or three. Please, give it some thought.

    • Barbara

    What was that in the second to last photo, a fruit pate?

      • Vance

      The second to last photo is of their jello shots. They make the in the fruit rind.

    • Lisa Travis

    I, too, would love the s’mores pie recipe!! It that possible? And I agree with Ford’s post — your blogs elicit all that from me!!

    • kamila

    I would have scarfed that entire bucket load of brownie ends. OMG – the EDGES… and THAT PIE. You’re killing me…

    • Midnite Baker

    Yummy Post!! Almost Edible.

    • Gavrielle

    I’m done lugging bottles across the Atlantic, no matter how interesting they may be. I swear.

    Are you absolutely sure? Because I brought back this incredible bottle of Grandma Tommie’s Apple Pie Liqueur from Cutler’s Artisan Spirits in Santa Barbara this year… Tastes EXACTLY like apple pie!

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    victor, nikki,+ lisa: The S’mores pie recipe is in Allison’s book that I mentioned, First Prize Pies. Because it has 3 elements – crust, filling and topping – it’s a challenge to rewrite the whole thing with techniques and explanations for the blog. But you can find the recipe there…or just go to the bar and bakery, like I did : )

    Barbara: Those are jell-o shots in citrus wedges!

    Ford: Thanks! I did write a biographical book, The Sweet Life in Paris, and someday, there might be a follow up…

      • Nikki

      Thanks for the info the pie recipe is in the cookbook. I need another cookbook like you need more stoneware. But I will have to seriously think about adding this one

    • Siri Kay

    David–Your writing style delights me….Last Christmas a friend of mine gave me your book, what has the sometimes impression it is a cookbook (turns out its a wonderful cookbook) and your story telling about the origins of food or your experiences with the recipe had me reading it from cover to cover. I loved it and have been giving it as gifts to my cooking or francophile friends ever since. Your blog is equally delightful. I don’t drink alcohol (I know, a shame) and although i have a sugar addiction, I work really hard to keep it at bay so on the surface one would surmise i’m not the target audience for this post: WRONG. I gobbled up every single word. Your writing is magic that way. Entertaining on all levels. thanks for continuing to share yourself this way.

    • Rose M Griffith

    I’m wondering how quickly I can get out of Pittsburgh and up to Brooklyn…could I make it in time for tonight’s Happy Hour? Hm…worth a thought!

    • Lindsay | Please Pass the Peas

    What a great name for a business that combines baked goods and booze!

    Also, I completely agree with you about sprinkles. So many places are too stingy with them. Loads of sprinkles never fail to make me happy, but sometimes they do taste awfully waxy. Any recommendations for a good brand?

    • Leigh

    Rock and Wry…. David….you are the best.

    • Anna

    beautiful place, beautiful food, beautiful people! thank you for sharing!

    • Andrea

    I loooove it when you blog about NYC places. This merits a field trip to Brooklyn from Astoria.

A

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