5 dessert spots for a late night (spontaneous?) cruise in Sydney

The mates you really need are the ones that will message you after 8 pm to pick you up for a cruise, dessert and chills. I mean, how else will you fuel your deep conversations till the early am? Real talk: they’ll also let you man the AUX cable!!

Source: Justdessertsau

Desserts are meant to be enjoyed in the ungodly hours encroaching midnight in my opinion. When having “sweet things at night [are supposed to] give you nightmares” said mum and dad in the youngin’ days when you totally allowed them to dress you in white Velcro runners.

Source: DreamsandSparkles

These places will not (I hope) let you down and if you’re anything like me I don’t usually settle for the ordinary. They’re also totally ‘parkable’ places so you don’t need to be a stunt driver squeezing into nooks and crannies.
 If you’re only here to get chocolate ice cream, by all means do but you’ll be dead to me (well that escalated fast).

Enjoy!1. Pagoto Gelato & Waffle House.
Note to self: always trust a place that actually calls itself a Waffle House. Pagoto has endless Greek inspired flavours complete with weird and wonderful names. You have your pastry and sweets infused in the ice cream and it’s amazing! Cue in friend so you can share flavours and get a wider taste! Don’t ask me what’s in it but I totally recommend: Mastiha and Cinnamon, Visino and Karidopita.

301 Victoria Rd, Marrickville

Source: Kindlyyours

Source: Local News P

2. Pie Tin (Thurs, Fri, Sat – close 10pm)
If you’re feeling really adventurous(and haven’t had dinner) have savoury pie  and a dessert pie to finish. Not many places can satisfy the “sweet pie craving” which is a nice change from the usual ice cream.  There are pies to satisfy you caramel, chocolate, nutty, lemony cravings (not necessarily all in the one pie of course!). Recommendation:  “Noelines” Triple Choc

1a Brown St, Newtown

Source: Goodfood

Source:Broadsheet

3. Cheeky Chocolate.
This definitely won’t let you down in the decadent dessert cakes department! You can totally order from the menu or come and pick your poison at the cakes counter! They also have this dimly lit, older century, clandestine interior going on so you can sit on velvet chairs! Recommendation: Newbie (you get the best of three worlds – salted caramel, dark & white choc mousse) and The Raspberry Choc Meringue Tart!

11 George Street, North Strathfield

Source: the girls who ate the world

Source: Not quite Nigella

4. Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe.
Just get any menu item with their “crunchy balls”- I assure you that’s all you need!! Their waffles are also the bomb digitty. Crispy on the outside as it should be!
Recommendation: Crunchy Balls Hot Choc, Banana Split with crunchy balls (see a trend here :P)

Source: The Food Diary Syd

Source: Foodporn

5. Bay Vista Desserts
This one you definitely need a mate to help out because portions are very filling! You don’t want to cripple yourself with a dessert coma! Pop this one on the list if you’re down for an ocean drive and/or can’t decide what kind of dessert. Cakes, pancakes/waffles, scrolls, ice cream bowls and drinks dilemma sorted! Recommendation: “The Original” Mortal Sin (this title has never felt so real!)

183 The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands

Source: Bay Vista

Source: Bay Vista

Go for your life
MVPD xox

I’m in love with the Coco .... whip!

Ice cream, gelato, frozen yoghurt move over cause I’m feeling like some soft serve!
I never knew Sandhana’s Kitchen in Enmore served this until a friend was literally fangirling to me about it. The only words I caught were “refined sugar free”, “gluten free” and “topped with superfood caramel slice”. Pretty much all the words I needed to hear before we popped in for our no-refined-sugar hit!  

 

I don’t know about you but the phrase “flavour bomb” pretty much wins me over (whatever it is) and it was so hard to choose which topping to grace our cocowhip! How do you choose between toppings which are organic, raw, vegan and refined sugar free! We got ours twisted with SK cacao and coconut and in typical soft serve fashion began melting before our eyes (and camera lens). Sorry Tim Tams because we opted for the Salted Caramel and Wagon Wheels Sundaes.
You can't go wrong with any choice really! The topping in all its healthy goodness can taste a little strange to begin with but goes so well with the cocowhip (wow the raspberry jam on the wagon wheels sundae)!

Sandhana's sure knows how to make you feel good after eating dessert!
This is dessert done guilt free so what are you waiting for?

MVPD xx






 

Magnums at Westfield

We already have the problem of choosing which magnum to get from the ice cream vault at the beach or supermarket but making your own magnum is a new level CRISIS.

If you feel like ice cream on the paddle pop unlike your Gelatissimo, Copenhagen or Baskin and Robbins or if you're just a chocoholic like everyone else, than a visit to the Pop Up Magnum is just what you need. CRISIS almost averted.

Don't worry - Not all for me
Maybe your magnum reflects your personality?
Tray included because a mess is inevitable!

My friends said mine was more photogenic but hey lets not discriminate Magnums!
I had a dark choc shell topped with some rose petals, pistachios, hazelnuts and dried
strawberries! ($8)

We went to the one in Sydney Westfield which is sadly gone now (as of October last year) but its still worth a mention to get you excited next time its in town!

You choose the "base", chocolate shell and toppings and watch it all come together before you - it looks like an art form! It was so hard to choose which 3-4 toppings to bedazzle your magnum, this was the real CRISIS.

How do you say no? Or more like "How do I take the first bite?" But needless to say,  I was feeling pretty sick and very full one magnum later  and probably couldn't even look at one for another 6 months. That's probably just me but I still thoroughly enjoyed the first few bites!

Definitely keep an eye and ear out for whispers on the winds of the next pop up store!


MVPD

A crack at the Macaron

Macarons – The French Way (or that’s what the recipe claims!)

So where did these delectable treats come from if not fallen from the heavens? Some sources cite two Carmelite nuns running from the French Revolution or maybe even Pierre Desfontaines of patisserie Ladurée in the early 20^th century – who really knows!
To me, attempting (or even considering) to make macarons have always entailed visions of irregular piped shapes, smoking ovens, hideous tar-looking deposits smeared across the tray and dense, gooey insides . And then they’ll be me too disappointed and disgusted to even look my Frankenstein creations!

Turns out what I really needed was a mentor – a gal pal who bakes them regularly enough to know a full proof recipe and who also watches The Great British Bake Off!

So I hope you too will find this recipe French enough and Bullet Proof enough! Take a deep breath and channel the little French nun in yourself (haha)!

PLEASE MIND THE MESSY KITCHEN – THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS RECIPE WORKS... RIGHT?! :P

Chocolate Macaron Recipe:

125 g almond meal
125 g icing sugar
30 g cocoa powder (“i’m in love with the coco”)
100 g caster sugar
100 g egg whites
Pinch of egg white powder (to stabilise the meringue)
Method:

1. In the food processor, grind the almond meal, cocoa and icing sugar until very ground!

2. In an electric mixer, whip them egg whites and egg white powder until soft peaks.
Start off slowly then crank up the speed!
3. Slowly add the caster sugar to the electric mixer (while it’s still whipping) in a steady stream.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks that don’t ‘plop’ off the spoon when you take a scoop!

5. Fold the ground mixture into the egg white mix in three additions until fully combined.
 The folding action you want is around and through! You’ll get a nice uneven light brown colour. 

6. Pipe onto lined baking trays from the centre, aiming for 50 cent piece (go Aus!)
7. Rest the macarons in a safe place for about 30 mins so shells can dry! Test by lightly pressing the top. If it doesn’t stick to your finger you good to go!

8. Bake in a pre heated fan-forced oven at 150°C for 15 mins!
9. They’re ready when you see little ‘feet’ at the bases and give them a light pat with a finger to check they are crisp J10. With a spatula, transfer the little disks onto a cooling rack, then begin ordering them from largest to smallest size.

Chocolate Ganache time!

150 g dark chocolate, even chopped (chocolate melts work best i think)
150 g cream

Method:

1. Bring cream and chocolate to boil in a clear mixing bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.

2. When all chocolate has melted and cream is mixed in to become a uniform colour, refrigerate until it thickens!

3. With two teaspoons, you want to deposit a ‘thumb pad’ sized dollop of ganache into the centre of the disk (using the second spoon to ease it off).

4. Press the other disk on top to evenly spread out the ganache so it oozes over the edges a little. Viola!

To seal the sense of accomplishment (this step is optional) its photoshoot time and then of course, tasting time!

Since I've survived to write this post, I would say these macarons have been successful (phew!)

Until our next baking meeting!

MVPD