Satisfy your sweet tooth

See review of Zuppa's bag of zeppole

Summer's over and you don't have to worry (so much) about how you look in short-shorts. So why not indulge your sweet tooth? Food editor Liz Johnson and the staff at InTown Westchester, Rockland and Putnam magazines tell you where.

Carousel Cakes in Nanuet
If it's good enough for Oprah Winfrey, surely it's good enough for you. The Red Velvet cake, which snagged a page in O, The Oprah Magazine, is dense, sweet, and, of course, red - as red as the devil. And you'll feel devilish when savoring it, especially knowing that you're in on a local secret: Carousel Cakes has hundreds of clients, from Zabar's and Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan to the Rye Ridge Deli in Rye Brook to Bagel Boys of Suffern.
If you're not feeling so naughty, consider the Pink Velvet cake. Sure, maybe it's not so deep in color, but consider this: $3 from the sale of each cakes will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
There are other cakes there, too, and locals line up on Fridays - the "Slightly Damaged" days - when imperfect $48.90 cakes, if available, go for $8. (Considering that $11.95 of the $48.90 is shipping, they're getting a cake for two-thirds the cost of second-day FedEx.)
Plaza Sweets in Mamaroneck
Yes, it's on a nondescript street filled with old buildings and warehouses, and yes, the entrance is a tad daunting (a steel door; next to a loading dock); but this place makes the best desserts-we promise.
In fact, Plaza Sweets is the supplier to many Westchester and NYC restaurants, including Frankie and Johnnie's in Rye, A'Mangaire in White Plains, and La Fenici in Manhattan. And yes, they make their creations right here in this neck of the woods. Our favorite? The cognac pumpkin cheesecake, which, incidentally, was featured in last year's Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. So what if the ordinary looking brown box holds a frozen cake? Just buy one a day in advance and it will thaw on your counter and be as gorgeous as any dessert tray you've ever seen. Special orders (for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, Sweet 16s) are also taken. They're only open weekdays.

Excuse to skip right to the dessert: Bag of zeppole from Zuppa in Yonkers
Mario Batali would be proud. His former Babbo prodigy, David DiBari, has not only helped spark the Yonkers restaurant renaissance, but he's also applied that same modernization to his desserts. Witness hybrid dishes like the crespella brûlée and tiramisu bread pudding. But the most satisfying and addictive of all is also the most old-school sounding: the paper bag of warm zeppole. Piping-hot and improbably airy, the zeppole come with chocolate, raspberry and caramel dipping sauces. While the dough balls might look like something straight out of Little Italy, the taste is simply out of this world.

Favorite place to get a brain freeze: Main Street Sweets in Tarrytown
There used to be a Baskin-Robbins in town, but everyone - including us - still wanted to go to Main Street Sweets. Family-owned for eight years by Kathy Buonanno and her two daughters, the shop makes almost 40 flavors of ice cream on the premises and is constantly inventing more, like Holy Soot, which was inspired by a fire in their building.

Hot cocoa: Katzenberg Kafé in Scarsdale
Summer fades fast, but here's one reason to anticipate winter: Katzy's Fun Cocoas. You'll need a spoon to get through the inch-thick marshmallow atop the Killer Kupcake, which only gets richer as the marshmallow dissolves. The Chocolate-Covered Strawberry cocoa is lighter, topped with strawberry whipped cream, and comes with a surprise: juicy, cocoa-soaked strawberries on the bottom. And waist-watchers can enjoy a Vanilla Bean. Steamed milk, sugar-free vanilla, and whipped cream will warm even the chilliest sweet tooth on those cold winter days.

Guilt-free dessert: Esy's Frozen Yogurt in Mamaroneck
A two-scoop hot-fudge sundae from Baskin-Robbins: 530 calories. Frozen yogurt from Esy's Kafe in Mamaroneck: eight calories. That's a heavenly comparison for ice-cream lovers who are watching their waistlines. And, don't worry, Esy's "Only 8" yogurt is as delicious as it is healthy, especially when the vanilla treat is mixed with the array of toppings they offer-everything from honey to granola to fresh fruit. Creamy and light, the soft-serve yogurt tastes just like the real thing. But the best part? Having seconds is almost mandatory.

Cake that will make you stop caring about your diet: Blackout Cake from Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley
This treasure of a bakery is known for its wild-and often colorful-creations (The Beach Pail Cake, for example), but our favorite happens to be its most simple. The out-of-this-world blackout cake has fudge that is creamy without being overly rich and batter that is moist and subtle. In other words, it's neither too sweet nor annoyingly tart. Trust us, you'll never look at chocolate cake the same again.