Sweet Infinity, The Strand

I have fallen into my own trap, I call it the lazy trap. As you can see the last blog I posted was more than a month ago when my family was here visiting. So this week with much hesitation I forced myself out of my laziness and start blogging again.

Last week when I was looking for a camera strap at The Strand, I stumbled upon Sweet Infinity. I have been wanting to go to Sweet Infinity at Woolloomooloo for quite some time now, but I can't see to find the time to do it. I was quite disappointed to find a limited selection of cakes, nevertheless I still managed to leave the shop with a box of goodies.

Sweet Infinity is famous for its brownies, they make around 400 a week. As a chocolate lover, this is one treat not to be miss! Unfortunately I was not entirely satisfied with the brownie, to be honest I've tasted better ones. The outer layer was almost too crispy and crumbly for my liking, however the texture inside was soft. Mostly it just tasted of sugar, which overpowers the chocolate flavour.

My two(2) favourites would be the custard berry tart and lemon meringue tart. They come in two(2) sizes, small and regular. Since I wanted to try both flavours, I opted for the more reasonably (less greedy) small size. The custard berry tart, which was topped with fresh blueberries has a milder flavour compared to the lemon meringue. However if you are a HUGE fan of lemon meringue like myself, then you will love the burst of citrus flavour as you bite through it.

When it comes to tarts, I love the pastry to be just crumbly enough to bite and not overly sweet custard filling. I have to admit that both tarts delivered the same excellent consistency in the pastry and filling.

The chocolate wafer mousse was such a delicious treat. Its small bite size made it so innocent for me to have more than just one. Crunchy chocolate wafer filled with soft dark chocolate mousse that was sweet enough and topped with a blueberry for a touch of freshness.

Head over to Sweet Infinity at The Strand or Woolloomooloo for an afternoon tea indulgence. You can also grab a quick lunch - delicious selection of pies and sandwiches to choose from.

Sweet Infinity
53 Riley Street
Woolloomooloo
NSW 2011

tel 02 9331 2448

Opening hours
Mon - Fri: 7am - 4pm
Sat: 7am - 1pm

La Renaissance Journey Continues

For the past few weeks I have been planning for my Europe trip next year, deciding on which countries and cities to visit. Choosing the countries/cities is probably one of the hardest task of my planning process as there are so many beautiful places all around Europe. Paris is definitely on my travel list! How can one resist the temptation of French butter, wine, baguette, cakes and macarons?

Unable to contain my excitement further, I visited the local French pâtisserie La Renaissance. I went during office lunch break and there was a long queue. While I queued impatiently, I kept hoping and wishing that they still have a good selection of cakes and macarons. To my surprise and excitement, there were quite a number of cakes for me to choose from.

I happily chose the Goya and Fleur De Lys, both have the same round shape and shiny, smooth surface.

Goya $8

The Goya was filled with light creamy mixed berry and passionfruit mousse. Topped with a slice of passionfruit, blueberry, raspberry, and 2 half of macaron shell on each side. The taste was not overly sweet due to the slightly sour and refreshing passionfruit flavour.

Fleur de Lys $8

If you are on the hunt for a really sinful, thick and dark chocolate cake then you definitely have to try the Fleur De Lys. Filled with Valrhona "Guanaja" 70% chocolate mousse with a creamy "Guanaja" centre, crunchy praline and chocolate biscuit base.

 Coffee & Honey and Dark Chocolate Macarons $2.50 each

My last treat of the night was the Coffee & Honey and Dark Chocolate macarons, the only available flavours at the store as they have sold out. Both macarons have the same shell consistency; crispy, soft and chewy on the inside. Surprisingly I enjoyed the Coffee & Honey more than the Dark Chocolate due to its intense coffee flavour. The Dark Chocolate macaron was still too sweet for my liking.

 

Lost in the World of Bacco Pasticceria

Ever since my blogger buddy (My Date With Food) posted her mouth-watering blog of Bacco Pasticceria, I have this urge to have my own Bacco experience.

Finally the day has arrived! Like a child lost in a candy world I was ecstatic, giggling all the way to Chifley Square at the prospect of indulging myself in a tempting selection of pastries. As soon as I was in front of the window display I knew straightaway that I was in trouble. Which one should I try? After what seems like an eternity, I made up my mind on the Rose Macaroon and Caramelised Pear Butterscotch Mousse.

Too excited to notice/check the receipt that one of the order was wrong, I happily walk away with my Bacco box. Only after I arrived home and open the box (to salivate over the cakes) had I realised that the lady behind the counter has mistaken/misheard the Caramelised Pear for the Panna Cotta. However, this sweet mishap does not bother me at all as I will be coming back for more.

Panna Cotta $6

 I am not a big fan of panna cotta as it is usually very sweet and firm in texture. However, Bacco's panna cotta was softer more like a custard texture. I love the fact that they used vanilla beans in the panna cotta, strong aroma and not overly sweet. The berries were great contrast to the vanilla panna cotta, bursting with sour flavour, leaving me feeling contented.

Rose Macaroon $6

The rose macaroon was my first pick, its beautiful tower of macaroon and the delicate rose petal perched so elegantly on top won my heart instantly. The almond meringue macaroon was very light and chewy, with sprinkle of crunchy crushed almond nuts on top. It's filled with fresh strawberries, fruit jam in the middle and subtle rose flavour infused ganache.

Bacco Pasticceria
Chifley Plaza
2 Chifley Square, Sydney
Tel: (02) 9223 9552

Mini Cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a 'sweet' short walk during my lunch break. What is so dangerously appetizing about working in the city is that I am surrounded by different variety of cake shops. So that afternoon I set my heart on the mini cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt. 

 

Cupcakes are one of the most popular sweet treats in the world. They taste pretty ordinary, mostly made either from vanilla or chocolate sponge cake. However, it's the beautiful icing decoration on top that makes people go 'woww'. I am one of them! One who so easily fall for the pretty little cupcakes even though I know how ordinary they taste like. 

My favourites are the passionfruit and lemon meringue flavours. Both are vanilla base which is quite light and not overly sweet. I can taste a hint of passionfruit when I first bite into the passionfruit cupcake. Unfortunately the taste slowly disappears with every single bite.

From left to right: Passionfruit Cupcake, Lemon Meringue Cupcake

I love how the lemon meringue sits nicely on top of the base and melts softly when I put it in my mouth. Not as sour as I was hoping it to be, but overall I still thoroughly enjoy the lemon meringue cupcake. 

Blueberries are always great for making desserts and I had that expectation when I chose the blueberry cupcake. Regrettably, it does not taste like blueberry at all. The only thing that I can taste in the blueberry base and icing is sugar, lots of sugar.

From left to right: Blueberry Cupcake, Passionfruit Cupcake

Lucky last is the cherry ripe cupcake. Rich chocolate base, slightly heavier than the vanilla base, topped with sweet pink icing. Another one of the ordinary taste but pretty looking cupcake that uses cherry ripe chocolate as the finishing touch.

From bottom left to bottom right: Cherry Ripe Cupcake, Blueberry Cupcake, Lemon Meringue Cupcake, Passionfruit Cupcake

These mini cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt are great for parties, office hour tea time or whenever you fancy a sugar hit. They cost $2.50 each and are always delicately packed in a secure box. 

Check out their website for flavours, store location and opening hours.

Strawberry Shortcake

Winter has finally kick in and it's this time of the year when I always have the constant craving for dessert. The hardest challenge for me is to resist this temptation after dinner as I always feel the need to complete my meal with something sweet. Tonight, I am torturing myself by (1)not having any dessert, (2)watching & salivating over the MasterChef Australia Celebrity Chef Challenge - Egg and Soldiers by Martin Blunos, and (3)writing this long-overdue dessert entry. Why am I doing this to myself? I am so hungry (greedy to be exact) that I can easily have half of the strawberry shortcake to myself!

Enough with the complains, I have only myself to blame for. This strawberry shortcake recipe is from the Delicious Sweet Magazine that I bought a couple of months ago. So far I have only tried and tested this and the Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes, plenty more for me to indulge in!

This dessert is fairly easy to make, the biggest hurdle for me is getting the right texture/consistency of the sponge. The texture is still too hard for a sponge cake, but I absolutely love the aroma of lemon zest in it.

Serves 8

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup (100g) self-raising flour, sifted

2 tbs fine polenta

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup (60ml) milk

Filling

400g strawberries

200ml thickened cream

1-2 tbs icing sugar, plus extra to dust

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of two 20cm sandwich pans. 

Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then gently fold in remaining ingredients. Divide between pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool before turning out of pans.

For filling, hull and quarter berries, reserving 2 to decorate. Whip cream and icing sugar to firm peaks, then gently fold in berries. Spread over 1 cake, then top with remaining cake. Dust with icing sugar. Top with halved reserved berries.

Treat yourself to an afternoon tea (or anytime of the day) with this light and refreshing cake!

Black Star Pastry, Newtown

Newtown, a funky & lively suburb filled with a lot of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Black Star Pastry is definitely on that list. The owner, Christopher Thé is a former pastry chef at Woollahra's award winning restaurant Claude's. This tiny pâtisserie is bustling with the locals enjoying their Saturday morning coffee and breakfast, sitting on one of the stools scattered outside on the footpath. As I enter the cafe there is a short queue, however within less than three(3) minutes I am immediately served by one of the friendly staff.

While waiting for my cakes to be carefully packed in a box, I take the opportunity to snap some pictures of the cafe. To my surprise, this friendly barista suddenly turn towards me and put on his best smile for my camera.

The hardest part after buying cakes is always the journey home. I will carefully put the box of cakes on my lap, open the lid every once in while and salivate over them! To torture myself even further, I seem to take the longest time ever to photograph each of the individual cake. I guess I'm just building up the momentum for my sweet indulgence. 

Lemon Meringue with Basil Jelly

The lemon meringue with basil jelly is my cake of the day. A beautiful pentagonal pyramid shaped like cake with a solid and crunchy pastry base. It is topped with a smooth, creamy and citrusy lemon meringue. Once you get to the middle of the cake, you'll find the partially transparent basil jelly. Like any jelly, its texture is soft with a resilient consistency and full of basil flavour.

Strawberry, Rose & Watermelon Cake

An interesting layered sponge cake with a slice of fresh and juicy watermelon, strawberries and cream. Unlike the typical vanilla sponge cake with strawberries, this cake is layered with almond dacquoise sponge. The nutty almond dacquoise sponge is light and the crunchiness compliments the juicy watermelon. A refreshing cake that is neither too sweet nor heavy, perfect for your lazy afternoon tea-time indulgence. 

Hazelnut & Chocolate Cake

Nothing can ever go wrong with a hazelnut and chocolate cake. To me, these two ingredients combined together is like a match made in heaven. This cake is layered with rich chocolate sponge and hazelnut-crunch mix, and topped with a thick layer of chocolate plaque and gold leaf. 

Chocolate Gingerbread Ninja

My last treat of the day is the chocolate gingerbread ninja. A cute and almost crazy-like gingerbread looking ninja coated in rich chocolate. It is gingery and just the right consistency of crumbliness as you bite through it. 

Black Star Pastry

277 Australia Street, Newtown
Tel: (02) 9557 8656
0700 - 1700 Tues-Sun

Bills, Darlinghurst

After a long, tiring and endless week at work, all I want is a simple and hearty breakfast to start my weekend.

My husband & I finally decided to try Bills after years of living & calling Sydney 'our home'. Bills is located on a quite, trendy suburb Darlinghurst. It is a bright, open-space and stylish dining place; a place that feels like home to me.

We start by ordering the regular size Sunrise drink of orange juice, banana, yoghurt and berries to share. A refreshing drink that is rich in banana & berries flavour and just a hint of the orange juice.

We decided on the two(2) of Bills Classics breakfast: Scrambled organic eggs with sourdough toast $13.50 and Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter $17.50.

The scrambled eggs look so ordinary yet the taste is extraordinary. I have never taste scrambled eggs so smooth, light and creamy until this morning. You only need a simple sourdough toast to go with this exceptional eggs.

Another one of Bills reputed breakfast, the ricotta hotcakes that is amazingly delicious. Soft & fluffy in texture and it comes with a generous serving of honeycomb butter & fresh banana. The hotcakes will not be complete without pouring some of the maple syrup that comes on the side.

Do try and get there early to secure yourself a table as it starts to get busy by 9am!

Bills

433 Liverpool Street

Darlinghurst NSW

2000 Australia 

T: (02) 9360 9631

0730 - 1500 Mon-Sat

0830 - 1500 Sun

Mixed Berries with Honey Crème Fraîche Martini

What do you do when you are down with the flu and still craving for something sweet?

A lot of people said that honey is good for your health and some even recommend that you take it daily. I am one of those people who does not like honey. I find the taste very peculiar, but to be honest since I rarely have it I can barely remember how it taste like.

So here I am trying to make my dessert (or should I say 'myself') feeling less guilty by adding a touch of honey to it. To make this heavenly dessert you need a good French Crème Fraîche.

I love berries and you can easily get the mixed frozen berries from your local shops. The sourness of the berries covers that peculiar honey taste which I am still not accustomed to. Add a sprinkle of crushed almonds for a crunchy finishing touch.

Makes 2

3 tbs Crème Fraîche
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 tbs crushed almonds

In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with honey and whip it lightly until combined.
Place the crème mix on your preferred choice of glass or bowl.
Add the mixed berries and sprinkle some crushed almonds.
Ready to serve!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes

I recently purchased the Delicious Magazine, Sweet edition 'The Ultimate Collection'. This is definitely the ultimate collection of recipes for me to indulge and devour in.

Being a clumsy and lazy cook, I picked one of the easiest recipe which is the Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes. It is really easy to follow and you only need a few ingredients. However, ensure that your muffin pan is bigger than the paper base or else the cheesecakes will end up like mine (see photo below).
The cheesecake is light with a sour raspberry twist and the oreo base (quoting my friend's comment) "is a delightful surprise".

Here's the recipe, enjoy!

Makes 12

10 Oreo biscuits (with filling)

40g unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

2 tbs icing sugar, sifted

375 cream cheese

1 cup (220g) caster sugar - I replaced it with brown sugar, hence my cheesecakes look more brown

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases. 

Finely crush the Oreo biscuits in a food processor, then add the melted butter and stir to combine. Press into the bases of paper cases.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.

Mash the raspberries to a pulp with the back of a fork. Strain through a sieve into  a bowl, pressing down well, then discard seeds. Stir in the icing sugar.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth.

Add the caster sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. Pour the cheese mixture over the biscuit bases.

Place about 1/2 teaspoon berry puree on top of cakes and use a wooden skewer to swirl through cheese mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes until just set, then leave in the switched-off oven to cool completely.

Azuma Pâtisserie

Lately I have been craving for the light and delectable Japanese cakes, and found my solace in Azuma Pâtisserie. Not quite the first-rate level as compared to the desserts in Japan, nevertheless I gladly settled with Azuma Pâtisserie. Azuma Pâtisserie offers a delightful array of Japanese desserts and sweets. It also offers Japanese teas, coffees and their house specialty Iced Green Tea Cappuccino and Green Tea Frozen Yogurt. The Green Tea Frozen Yogurt is the perfect treat for a light afternoon snack. It is light and not too milky, but as a green tea lover I prefer it to have a more intense green tea flavour.

Azuma Pâtisserie is owned by Kimitaka Azuma, who owns the famous award winning Chefs Hat restaurant Azuma at Chifley Plaza. He also owns Azuma Kushiyaki and Ton Ton which are located on the same premise as Azuma Pâtisserie at Regent Place, George St.

Green Tea Rolled Cake

'Green tea flavoured layer sponge cake with chestnut compote'

Take away $5.90

Eat in $6.90

Occasionally, when I am served with a cake full of cream I will remove the cream to the side and only eat the cake. But it's a different story altogether with the cream on top of the Green Tea Rolled Cake! The cream is full of green tea flavour, light and definitely not one to be discard. The fluffy sponge has a mild green tea taste and the chestnut adds a textural contrast. 

Strawberry Layer

'Layers of light vanilla sponge, fresh cream and fresh strawberries'

Take away $5.90

Eat in $6.90

The Strawberry Layer was a far cry to the ones I had in Japan. The sponge is not as feather-light and overall it is lacking the strawberry flavour. Nonetheless, I enjoy the thin layer of cream and only wish that they put more fresh strawberries.  

Midweek Indulgence at La Renaissance

Heard of the famous book by Mireilla Guiliano, 'French Women Don't Get Fat'? It is one of the books that has been highly recommended by my Sister-in-law, but I have not gotten around to read it yet.

Well apparently, "French women don't get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals." - Janet Maslin, New York Times
I'm not French, but I can so relate myself to that statement (from the 'but' onwards)!

La Renaissance has always been my favorite Pâtisserie in Sydney. Located at 47 Argyle Street The Rocks, it is less than ten(10) minutes leisurely walk from my office. Tell me, how can I not be tempted to take an afternoon break from work and indulge myself?

As soon as I entered the shop I was lost in sweet la la land, which one should I get? They all look so delicate, beautiful and most importantly mouth-watering!

Being a passionfruit and berries lover, I bought the Passion De Pierre and Larme De Gaugin which you can either eat in for $7 or take away for $6.

Passion De Pierre

The passionfruit mousse is so light and creamy, and the added layer of raspberry jelly in the middle compliments the sourness of the passionfruit. It is encased in joconde, which is a mixture of eggs, ground almonds, icing sugar and a little flour, made into sponge like sheets.

Larme De Gaugin

Similar to the Passion De Pierre, it is also encased in joconde. Light and creamy, you just can't get enough of the mixed berry mousse.

I will definitely go back to La Renaissance, maybe this time I'll dine in (enjoy the outdoor cafe) and order myself a baguette. 

My First Love of Pancakes at Brasserie Bread

I have finally found the best pancakes in Sydney! At Brasserie Bread, 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow 2019, you will find pancakes with a twist. It is one of the signature dishes, along with the Croque Monsieur, Mushroom & Ricotta, Bruschetta, and Garlic Bread.

Sourdough Pancakes

'Stack of Sourdough pancakes served with honeycomb cream and seasonal berries'

The pancakes were light and the sourdough taste was subtle. The honeycomb cream and berries added a finishing touch to the pancakes, without taking the distraction away from the pancakes itself.

Unfortunately the picture does not do justice at all as it was taken with my phone.

My husband had the Croque Monsieur. "A Croque Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese (typically gruyere) grilled sandwich. It originated in France in the early 1900's as a fast-food snack served in cafes and bars. More elaborate versions are coated in sauce such as Morney or Bechamel. The name is based on the verb croquer ("to crunch" or "to bite hungrily") and the word monsieur ("mister")."

"The Brasserie Bread Croque Monsieur uses crème fresh and Dijon mustard mixed into the melted gruyere cheese. The "crunch" is provided by Brasserie Bread's award winning organic Country Sourdough bread."

A light snack, but full of flavour. Complex in texture, with the crusty sourdough bread and soft filling inside. The subtle chewy melted cheese, thin layer of ham, bitter rocket, and crème & mustard mix all combined to perfection.

And how can I resist the temptation of the cake selection? 

Pineapple & Lime Eclair

'A delicious combination of tangy lime and sweet pineapple'

The pineapple filling was a winner, not overly sweet just the way I love my dessert to be.

Vanilla & Rhubarb Tart

'A delicious tart filled with sweet vanilla and baked rhubarb'

Now this is a very interesting tart. I have never come across tart so crunchy both the filling inside and the base outside. So refreshing!

Bring your kids along every Saturday for a free baking class. Two(2) classes every Saturday at 10am and 12pm, reservations are essential however its FREE. Call Brasserie Bread on 1300 966 845 or fill out the enquiry form.