We recently wrapped up our March Furniture Issue, and every time an issue closes we have one thing on our minds: Finding some kind of celebratory treat.
As if on cue, Denver pastry chef Courtney Dougherty came knocking on our office door the day of our deadline, three boxes full of cakes and cheesecakes from her latest dessert enterprise, Bananappeal, in hand. We’d recently stumbled across Dougherty’s company online, and, instantly smitten, jumped to connect with the charming confectioner and announce her company’s recent debut in the pages of the issue. And she generously responded by arranging for a delivery of samples.
Featuring bananas as the headlining ingredient, Dougherty’s desserts prove that the best ideas are the simplest. The pastry chef had been working in San Francisco with Food Network favorite Tyler Florence, but she was itching to streamline her work—to focus on one thing, and doing it really well. Why bananas? Well, she thought the fruit just wasn’t showcased enough in a gourmet setting. So she moved back to Denver (her family’s turf) and began concocting Bananappeal, which officially launched in December after a year and a half in the making.
Dougherty uses banana cakes and cheesecakes as the comforting foundation for pairings with luscious frostings and flavors: toasted coconut, salted caramel, peanut butter, gingersnap, strawberry. She even has a banana tiramisu cheesecake (and some great gluten-free cheesecakes that don’t skimp on flavor). But the appeal of her desserts isn’t just in the gotta-try-’em flavor pairings; her presentation has us design lovers in deep admiration. Each dessert comes ready to eat in a mason jar, tied up with a red-and-white string and dressed in snappy labeling.
But back to sweet business. Our eyes on the treats, we sent the issue out the door with one final, exuberant kick—and reached for our spoons. After lining all eight of Bananappeal‘s cakes and cheesecakes out on the table and popping the tin lids, we got to savoring. The verdict? Well worth the pains of producing an entire issue of the magazine, which after all, does have its sweet rewards.
Get your own at bananappeal.com. (While the business is currently without a storefront—they’re working on it—Denverites can arrange for pick-up at headquarters or delivery.)
