10 delicious desserts to try at Time Out Market Chicago

As soon as you approach the pastry case at Lost Larson, something will catch your eye: a green, dome-shaped round called Princess Cake. A slice will reveal pristine layers of vanilla sponge cake, pastry cream and raspberry preserves, all enrobed in a blanket of mint-green marzipan. When you sink your fork into this stacked dessert, be sure to get a piece of every layer for the ultimate bite.

Take your taste buds on vacation to Portugal with help from Abe Conlon's dreamy egg custard tarts, available in limited quantities daily. These sunshine-colored treats are wrapped in flaky puff pastry and filled with sweet, creamy, eggy custard that practically melts in your mouth. It's the perfect sugary companion for Conlon's hearty, Portuguese-influenced menu. If you're dining with a group, be sure to get enough for everyone to have their own or you'll have to make a separate trip back.

So, you're not a chocolate person and you don't jump for ice cream. Meringues are the dessert you didn't know you needed—until now. Crafted with whipped egg whites and sugar, these addictive bites are available in double chocolate, strawberry swirl, vanilla bean and passionfruit-coconut. Try 'em all when you upgrade to a six pack, plated with an ice cream cone for more snacking.

Jennifer Jones Enyart is the mad scientist behind one of the best pieces of chocolate cake in all of Chicago. The double-layer confection is packed with rich cocoa flavor, resulting in dense, fudgy cake that's absolutely unforgettable. Each square is loaded with chocolate frosting for an extra kick of sweetness. We dare you not to lick the plate clean.

There's something about ice cream covered in rainbow-colored sprinkles that will always make us smile—no matter how old we are. Hiding beneath the white chocolate shell is birthday cake ice cream that tastes like the real thing. You needn't be celebrating anything special to treat yourself to this whimsical frozen treat.

The perfect chocolate chip cookie is an artform, and the badass ladies of FARE have nailed the recipe. These chocolate-studded morsels are chewy, nutty and full of flavor. But here's the real kicker: They're gluten-free, vegan and void of refined sugar. They must also be chock-full of magic, because these cookies aren't missing a thing.

Croissants are great. Croissants stuffed with butterscotch cream or miso-honey butter transcend breakfast. Chef Brian Fisher calls in backup with a sweet assist from Entente pastry chef Jared Bacheller, who whips up a roster of imaginative croissants that are available daily at this West Loop kitchen. We're fans of the chocolate-praline crunch, which is packed with chocolate-hazelnut cream and topped with a cluster of chocolatey puffed grains.

This isn't your grandmother's carrot cake recipe. At Lost Larson, pastry chef Bobby Schaffer executes the beloved dessert with expert precision and serious class. Layers of moist carrot cake are balanced with fluffy, cloud-like cream cheese mousse and tangy apricot gelée, and each slice is cut and plated like fine patisserie.

Sugar Cube owners Jason Chan and Christine McCabe channel sweet childhood memories at Bakers Square with this divine French silk pie, which is available by the slice inside Time Out Market Chicago. The creamy chocolate filling is accessorized with a perfectly crimped crust, a mountain of fluffy whipped cream and massive shards of chocolate, making it an ideal fix for chocolate fiends.

Meet the popsicle that started it all for Pretty Cool owner Dana Salls Cree. The Creamsicle Fancy Pop features slightly tart cream cheese ice cream wrapped in a zesty orange shell that's showered in beautiful sprinkles. Each bite is an explosion of crunch, cream and citrusy goodness—the ideal throwback treat that has us reminiscing about the neighborhood ice cream truck.