After a particularly filling Sunday brunch, we found room in our dessert stomach and proceeded to stroll along Downtown Brea's Birch Street toward Merely Sweets for our usual. Ever since we interviewed baker Diane Yoon in October, our snack of choice has been her signature walflours. Yet on this visit, we were encouraged to try another delight.
Unassuming in a plain white carton, we remove the lid to find an equally stark top layer of whipped cream. Our curiosity got the best of us, and we dug in with a fork. Bite after creamy bite, we realize just how smitten we are with Merely's banana pudding.
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With batches made fresh every day, Diane thoughtfully makes sure each sits for just the right amount of time so the vanilla wafers are neither crunchy nor too soggy from all the cream and 'nanas. And like some of our favorite things as of late, the cup o' pudding wasn't overly sweet. Its cooling sensation refreshed us on the warm afternoon. We passed it around for our friends to sample, secretly wishing we could finish it off by ourselves. If the bakery were any closer, we would have to rehire our personal trainer.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.