Gone are the days when a bowl filled with jelly and ice cream would suffice for pudding, the world we live in today demands a dessert that is bigger, better and sicklier than anything that's come before – i.e. A monster dessert.
Monster desserts, also known as freak desserts, are exactly what you'll find if you're a regular user of social media platforms such as Instagram. Photos of the sugary delights are clogging up timelines and newsfeeds, making users drool all over their smart device and leaving them wishing they had the ability to reach into the screen and pluck out the tasty treat.
A few specific monster food trends have stood out from the crowd over the last few months. Here's a look at some of the most over-the-top dessert trends currently taking the internet by storm and where you can go to try them:
• Unicorn Hot Chocolate
A dessert parlour in California kick-started this sugary sweet trend which sees a mug of hot chocolate transformed into a magical potion. The drink is comprised of white hot chocolate, which is dyed pink and topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallows and edible glitter. As well as hot chocolate, a range of other unicorn-inspired treats are cropping up on social media, including cakes, milkshakes and cheesecake. If you're hoping to get your hands on one of the colourful creations, you're in luck as a number of cafes and coffee shops in the region have begun to experiment with the unicorn theme. The Coffee House in Kenninghall is selling mugs of the dreamy looking drink as well as an adaption of it that they are calling The Cookie Monster; a blue hot chocolate topped with cream and crushed cookie pieces. And Eat It, a stall located at 51/64 on Row C of Norwich Market is also going to be offering the tasty treat, as well as unicorn chocolate bars (white chocolate slabs topped with different rainbow coloured candy) which cost £1.50.
• Freak shakes
The days of the humble milkshake are over, replaced by the 'cake shake' or 'freak shake' as it is also known, a sinfully indulgent treat that combines a drink with a dessert. To make the picture perfect concoction, milkshake is poured into a mason jar style glass then topped with everything from doughnuts, brownies, cookies and slices of cake to cheesecake, pretzels and muffins. Whipped cream, sauce and sprinkles can also be added. To try one of these towering drinks, head to Bellyboos, in Gorleston-on-Sea, where you'll find tempting drinks like The Peanut Butter Stack, a chocolate and peanut butter milkshake topped with peanut butter cake and The Retro Mix Up, a showstopping shake that combines all the sweets you loved as a child. The decadent drinks have also previously been sold at The White Horse pub in Crostwick and Kirsty's Cakery in Great Yarmouth.
• Marvellous macarons
We've had cronuts and cagels, but the latest hybrid dessert trend to hit the web is the macaronut, a combination of a macaron and doughnut that was created by Chef Francois Payard, the genius behind your new favourite holiday - Macaron Day. As well as macaronuts, the internet has also recently been blessed with unicorn macarons and macaron ice cream sandwiches. Residents of Norwich will know only too well the magic of the meringue-based treat, thanks to Dr Tim Kinnaird's Macarons & More shop located in the Royal Arcade, which has been experimenting with unique flavours and designs since it opened its doors in 2013.
• Over-the-top waffles
It's no secret that people love waffles, but as times change, so do the toppings and it seems they are getting crazier and more chocolatey by the second. Plates of waffles smothered in cream and ice cream and topped with chocolate bars, fruit, biscuits, brownies and anything else people fancy throwing on there are filling up feeds faster than you can say sugar rush. If you're desperate to tuck in to a sinful stack, head to Kaspa's Desserts on Upper Brook Street in Ipswich, where you'll find not only all the waffles you could ever wish for, but a whole host of oversized monster desserts, including crepes, ice cream sundaes, pies and cake.
• Rainbow Bagels
Originating in New York, these colourful creations were created by Scott Rossilo, the world's self-professed 'premier bagel artist' and are made by swirling several different dyed doughs together. They taste no different from an ordinary bagel and thankfully contain no extra calories, but look absolutely brilliant as the snap-happy generation has quickly discovered. For those willing to make the trip, rainbow bagels are sold in London's famous Beigel Shop on Brick Lane and in Selfridge's Department Store, but are easy enough to make at home if you've got the time and a lot of food colouring. Fill with confetti cream cheese (cream cheese mixed with rainbow coloured sprinkles) or Nutella for a sickly sweet treat.
• Have you tried making any crazy desserts at home? Send your photos to courtney.pochin@archant.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here