If you’re wondering why I haven’t been posting much lately… this is why. I’ve been in Killeen, Texas, for work.

It’s hot here, and there isn’t a lot to do. Of course, I’m waking up at 5 a.m. and working really long days, so I don’t have a ton of time for super fun activities. But it just so happened that there was a food event on one of my first nights here. Winning!

I got there pretty late, so some of the vendors were out of food. But there were lots of desserts left, and I was able to sample quite a few.

One of the first cupcakes I tasted was the peaches and cream cupcake from The Sweet Factory. Not only was it one of the most gorgeous cupcakes I’ve ever seen (it was even sparkly!), but it was delicious. Moist, buttery cake topped with perfectly peach frosting — definitely my favorite of the night.

C&H Hawaiian Grill had teriyaki chicken and butter mochi. Mochi is a sort of gelatinous rice concoction made from rice. I know that probably sounds really weird, but it is very good, and this version was superb: dense in the best way possible, with the perfect texture and a delicious butter flavor. Mmm.

Dulce Vida had a bunch of different desserts, but I was starting to get sugar fatigue by the time I got to their booth, so I just tasted the mini gingerbread empanadas with pumpkin filling. The gingerbread pastry was a tiny bit dry, but I think that may have been because I was so late to get there. The flavor was really nice, though, and the filling was perfectly spiced. Plus, they were so cute!

When I finally got to the L.A.’s Cupcakery booth, they were almost out of cupcakes. But I did manage to snag a blackberry-honey cupcake, and it was divine. The cake itself had notes of blackberry and honey, and it was topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream.  It was a great (and unique) combination of flavors in a fluffy mini cupcake.

I did manage to try a few savory items, including a tiny bit of beef brisket. And I also tasted a delicious but healthy smoothie from the Metroplex Health System booth — I feel like that helped balance out all the frosting, right? Plus, they gave me the recipe so I can make my own at home (and share it with you).

So, while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend visiting this particular part of Texas, I would wholeheartedly support visiting several bakeries if you happen to be in town. Just make sure you wear some sunscreen! The weather is a little harsh around here.