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“Stunt food,” according to one of my friends, occurs when a gimmick in ingredient choice or preparation method overshadows the importance of other culinary values. By this standard the desserts offered at Trani in the North End—baked goods injected with soft serve ice cream—are certainly stunt food. Among the ice cream-injected offerings are Bust-Outs (cupcakes with melted chocolate topping), FudgIts (brownies), and IClairs (éclairs). The brownies may not be exquisitely fudgy, and the pastry may pale in comparison to the treats around the corner at Mike’s, but there is a simple, visceral pleasure in this unconventional combination of frozen and baked confections. As a member of our party said, when asked how he enjoyed his cupcakes: “It’s, like, a cupcake. Filled with, you know, ice cream.” Enough said.
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