Celebrity Desserts (multiple locations)

The popular mile-high cakes and cutout cookies make their way to birthday parties and celebrations throughout the city.

Central Market (multiple locations)

Central Market is excellent in all areas. Their outstanding desserts are a magnet for both takeout and special occasions. It is difficult to pass the dessert area without purchasing.

Crème de la Cookie

Superior ingredients and chic style make the cupcakes, cookies and brownies welcome additions to the Snider Plaza and Preston Royal dessert scenes. Their "divine gourmet desserts," as they say, are addictive.

Dallas Affaires Cake Company

These are cakes with a WOW factor. Owner Sibby Barrett has found her niche as one of the city's most creative cake makers. Her flavors and designs are endless. Dallas Affairs is consistently named "Best Slice of Cake," "Best Birthday Cake" and "Best Cake in Dallas" by "Dallas Observer." If you have an idea in mind, Dallas Affairs can make it into a cake.

Dessert Dreams

Owned by Shari Carlson, the mostly wholesale Desserts Dreams will fill special orders and please her host, hostess, honorees and guests.

eatZi's Market & Bakery

While eatZi's may be best known for takeout, the bakery is superb and a destination in itself. The breads may easily be the best in town, as are their croissants and breakfast pastries. For dessert, try the Chocolate Oblivion Cake or one of the fruit tarts. Custom cakes are also available.

Empire Baking Company

The first to introduce Dallas to artisanal breads modeled after New York's Eats bakery, Empire also has wonderful scones, muffins and pastries. Their breads accompany many of the top-rated restaurant meals in Dallas.

Fancy Cakes by Lauren

One of the premier cake artists in the area, Lauren Kitchens is a regular competitor on Food Network Challenge.

Frosted Art Desserts

What bride doesn't want a towering confection from Frosted Arts for her wedding? Chef Bronwen Weber, celebrated on the Food Network as one of the nation's best pastry chefs, can also whip up impressive celebration cakes and petits fours. Frosted Arts is in the Design District.

La Duni Latin Café (multiple locations)

La Duni's popularity is interwoven with the fabulous bakery products from the kitchen of Dunia Borga, wife of co-owner Espargo Borga and pastry chef extraordinaire. Superlatives apply to the Latin-inspired cakes such as the cuatro leches. Our obsession is the lemon cake, topped with lightly toasted meringue.

Le Gateau Cakery

Many brides head to Le Gateau for their wedding cakes. Don't overlook the many designs and petits fours for birthdays, anniversaries and baby showers. Counter service for pastries and breads is now available.

Jackie Spratt Cakes

The long time owner of Le Gateau Cakery, Jackie Spratt is back in business in a near SMU location. A fabulous destination for event desserts.

David's Cookies

The leading provider of fresh baked cookies on the internet created by top chef David Liederman. Lots of gift ideas.

François Payard Bakery

Payard's New York bistro and pastry shop's closing was a great loss to foodies, but his new bakery and e-boutique satisfies the craving for his chocolates and pasteries. François Payard's career led him from Parisian three-star pastry kitchens to New York's Le Bernadin and Restaurant Daniel where he was named a James Beard "pastry chef of the year." He has restaurants elsewhere and cookbooks to enjoy.

MadMac

Chef Florian Bellinger was the revered Fauchon's executive pastry chef in the U.S. before its closing, a pastry chef at Le Bernardin and named one of the 2004 "10 Best Pastry Chefs in America." He has transferred his expertise to the web and, yes, he is making macarons. His macarons can be found locally at Central Market.

Central Market (multiple locations)

Central Market carries a number of top chocolate products, such as Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Dolfin from Belgium. Callebaut and Valrhona cooking chocolate, the preferred cooking chocolate of serious gourmets, is a lure for serious home cooks.

CocoAndre Cocolatier, the Art of Chocolate

Andrea Pedraza, whose passion for chocolate, led her to a 25 year employ with Morgen Chocolate, has opened a "no-frills" Oak Cliff chocolate shop. Like Morgen's artisanal chocolate, she makes truffles and molded chocolates with premium Callebaut chocolate.

Chocolate Secrets

Chocolate Secrets has an irresistible selection of hand-made chocolates, such as Fauchon and Madame de Sévigné. Add wines to pair with chocolate and French pastries, and visits can be habit-forming.

Dallas Chocolates

Zel Nealy, a CIA certified chocolatier, has some of the best chocolates available. What's more, Zel donates a percentage of sales to your choice of 14 Dallas charities.

Dude, Sweet Chocolates

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, chocolatier Katherine Clapper has impressive international credentials to her credit and, most recently, had a top pastry spot with Stephen Pyles. Homegrown ingredients find their way into Dude's amazing chocolates, which are often flavored with raspberries, figs or rose petals. Watch for future classes at her new Oak Cliff storefront.

Chocolat Moderne

Inspired by a trip to Brussels, Joan Coukos studied with some of the great European chocolatiers. Now, she creates collections of sumptuous chocolates and has been recognized by "Food and Wine Magazine" as one of America's best chocolatiers. Her distinctive packaging makes Chocolat Moderne's gift all the more important.

Chocoshere

Chocoshere features the chocolates from 49 chocolates makers from around the world. The selection is impressive and appeals to those who are looking for European chocolates.

Christopher Norman Chocolates

Distinctively boxed chocolates and hand painted truffles are a reflection of the owner who has a distinguished background in painting and the arts. Latest on sale are healthy dark chocolates from single source geographical regions, also offered in sipping chocolates.

Fiori Chocolatiers

Chocolatier Lee Johnson studied at the Cordon Bleu in Parugia, Italy, home of an annual chocolate festival, and found his passion in Italian-inspired chocolates.

Jacques Torres Chocolate

Master Pastry Chef, countless awards, celebrity of Food Network specials and pastry chef alum of some of the world's best kitchens, French-born Jacques Torres has set himself apart in the crowded field of luxury chocolates. His cookbooks and mixes add to the product diversity.

La Maison du Chocolat

The classic French chocolatier makes divine chocolates. Fresh chocolates are delivered to New York daily.

MarieBelle

MarieBelle represents the haut couture of chocolate with beautiful packaging that makes a unique gift of chocolates. Some of the MarieBelle line can be found at Neiman Marcus.