Pancakes on the Rocks- Northmead

                                                                                                                         by Konstant Kraver

Saturday night and a craving for pancakes has hit. In my world Pancakes can make all the worlds problems temporarily disappear. So off to Pancakes on the Rocks in Northmead, Sydney we went. It always amazes how much of queue there is when you get there, but to there credit the line moves pretty quickly and before your you know it your sitting at your table all set to order.The anticipation building

Mexican Potato

My initial plan was to go for some nice light crepes and go heavy on dessert, but all common sense flew out the window when I saw the Mexican Potato option...yum... They were thick onion and potato pancakes served with guacamole , sour cream and chilli concarne, oh and a little  bit of salsa .I suppose I should mention the salad on the side , but lets face it salad is not exactly comfort food, but I did grudgingly eat it. It is good for you after all.

It was great to say the least I could feel my blues just melting away that and being in company of great friends. I was impressed with how quickly the food came out considering how busy they were , and presentation  and taste wasn't sacrificed unlike in some places when it tends to happen when things get a little too busy.

My greed at my main course meant my dessert had to be scarified somewhat , to avoid my companions having to carry me out of there. So I yes I did something I usually never do when it comes to dessert..I *deep breath* shared!!!

Buttermilk pancakes with  maple syrup

And I went for the simple option of buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream. Sometimes the simple things in life are the best , and it did not disappoint. So if you need a pancake fix to brighten your day head over to Pancakes on the Rocks, because trust me nothing says smile quite like a stack of pancakes covered in maple syrup and lashings of butter.

Sweet City ,Bankstown Review

                                                                                                         by the Konstant Kraver

Baklava sweet baklava!! I have this lovely Egyptian lady at work who spoils us by bringing in these big beautiful trays of all things sweet and delicious ranging from baklava to petite fours and all sorts of exotic sweets which I can't even pronounce mainly because I'm too focused on stuffing my face with as many as I  can sample.

I love the warmth and the instant comfort you get from these Arabic sweets: the spices marry perfectly with the sugar, nuts, dates, etc. to make you feel like you’re being wrapped up in a  blanket of all things yummy. There was one that I only wish I remembered the name of as that stood out for me. It was this beautiful crumbly melt-in-your mouth cookie and when you bite into it, it had what looked and tasted like, for lack of a better description, a date jam…fabulous!! Sweet City Bankstown here I come !!!!!

SAINT GERMAINE'S PATISSERIE - REDFERN

                                                                                                 by the Konstant Kraver

I did a review earlier on one of their cakes which was so  beautiful that I felt that St. Germaine's Patisserie needed a follow up visit.

Their macaroons are so bright and colourful you instantly feel more cheerful just standing there looking a them .Out of the gorgeous three you see in the photo. I went straight for the green pistachio one which was so light that it just crumbled in your mouth the pistachio flavouring was very subtle.It could have been stronger now that I think about it , but at the time I was lost in my pistachio macaroon heaven.

Next I moved onto the pastry which they call the "Conversation Cake" which depending on the day you go in they put different kinds of filling in it  some days it is peaches, some raspberries etc. Today it was chocolate:it was as if a layer of chocolate was delicately wrapped in layers of a sweet almost nutty-type pastry. As my sister best described it the taste and flavours that came out of it were surprising , you would not have thought that something that looked so robust and sturdy could have such a lovely delicate flavour of nuts, pastry and chocolate all in one little bundle.It definitely was not dry in the center as my first thoughts were as sometimes with these pastry things they tend to get over done, but no not this.Aah the "Conversation  Cake " I do know if anyone tried to start up a conversation while I was devouring this sumptuous treat they would be quite easily ignored but it is definitely worth striking a conversation about!

Macroons and Conversation Cake

St Germaine's Patisserie  gets two thumbs up and in fact more follow up visits are needed, I mean there were quite a few things there I still haven't tried and I do hate to leave a job half done. St Germaine 's is worth a visit, and it is not too far from the the Redfern train station so really you have no excuse not to get there .

Saint Germaine's Patisserie

88 Rosehill Street
Redfern NSW 2016

Pattison’s Patisserie -St Ives NSW, Sydney

                                                                                                                               by the Konstant Kraver

When you walk into Pattisson's Patisserie in St Ives,NSW Australia it is very hard not to be impressed: the layout is large and spacious and has a french feel to it, with its nice shiny black and white floors and hustle and bustle of people coming in while its friendly staff are trying to stay on top of it all.They have the longest display counter,showcasing  all their fabulous delights which seems to go on forever and leaves you standing there salivating and wandering how you will ever decide on just one thing. So I didn't I chose the Mixed Nutty Tart and a Date scone.... I mean life is about giving your self options after all.

Mixed Nutty Tart

The nutty tart had a shortbread base filled with a layer of almond cake and topped with a roasted mixture of nuts in a caramel sauce, disappointing the almond cake was a little dry the mixed nuts in the caramel was the highlight of the tart but by the end ,it became sickly sweet and I felt like I was in desert in desperate need of an oasis.

Mixed Nutty Tart

The date scone was also somewhat unimpressive and did not have enough dates in my opinion. I did regret not getting the jam with it. If cream had been an option , it is certainly one I would  have jumped at.

Date scone

Perhaps it was my selection but I found it slightly disappointing overall not to mention a tad bit pricey. Presentation wise I would happily give them five gold stars,but when something has had that much time and effort put into the presentation you kinda of have great expectations of it, which sadly fell short in my opinion.Like I mentioned earlier they have such a massive selection I guess the only thing to do is go back and try again.I have been told they have a Creme Brulee tart that must be tried ...so stay tuned.

Krispy Kremes Part I

Original/Apple Custard Pie/Rocky Road

Today I walked past a little Krispy Kreme Doughnut stand in BlackTown NSW Australia. I told my self I would be good. I circled the stand like a a predator closing in on its prey and ended up in front of it. I mean - if I was good all the time this blog wouldn't exist!

After taking in my many options I decided I would break it down and try three flavours at a time. Before you ask - yes I caved when I was told that for just 89 cents more I could get a box of six! I randomly picked the following flavours:

1. The Original Glazed Doughnut

2. Chocolate Rocky Road

3. Apple Custard Pie Doughnut.

The Original was always  my favorite in the past being so light and airy and not overly sweet and when you warm it up for about 10 seconds (in the microwave) it just melts in your mouth. It is always a good starting point when faced with so many options.

Chocolate Rocky Road

On to the Rocky Road! It looked intriguing enough seeing as I have a soft spot for marshmallows, but really there was nothing exciting there to report. It was just your basic doughnut dunked in chocolate with some marshmallows stuck on top.The real surprise and the definite winner out of the three was the Apple Custard Pie Doughnut.

It was sensational, a party started happening in my mouth as soon as I bit into it. The golden doughnut puff  with  a thin layer of white royal icing on the top to which the lovely buttery and slightly nutty crumble topping was adhered to. As you bite into it an amazing apple custard with a slight hint of cinnamon oozes out and at that moment all I was thinking was  "Please don't let this end!" Sadly end it did: but 20 minutes later I am still in a happy sugary doughnut day dream phase. The crumble topping complimented it beautifully.

Apple Custard Pie Doughnut

If you get the chance you have to try it! Next time and trust me there will be a next time I think I will warm it up for about 10 seconds, too…nothing like warm  apple custard pie...mmmm.

 

Churros anyone ?

SAN CHURRO.....GLEBE.....

It was lovely sunny afternoon in Glebe, I had some time to kill and a craving for churros that was just pointless trying to fight. Since the last time I had visited San Churro was a couple of years ago I decided to treat my self to the churro's with dark chocolate....yum (the healthier option I tell myself).

I didn't have to wait long before my order arrived and I tried not to look overly excited and approached them with as much elegance and decorum as I could muster.

The churro's were cooked to perfection: they had this beautiful golden colour on the outside and were lightly dusted with icing sugar. The churros themselves were crunchy whilst still being fabulous on the inside and not overdone at all. The little pot of dark chocolate was the right temperature - thank goodness, as there is nothing worse then burning your tongue on hot chocolate and then not being able to taste anything for a week! 

I do think I had built it up to be a little more fantastic in my mind - perhaps I would have enjoyed the white chocolate more, but it was a satisfactory fix for a Friday afternoon chocolate craving. 

The staff were warm and friendly which is sometimes something that is hard to find. I will no doubt have to go back there to try out a few of the other things on the menu ...ahhh so  much chocolate so little time, who am I kidding I will find the time!

 

Cake...Glorious. Birthday Cake!

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Cake...Glorious cake.....there really isn't anything better

July in my household is offically "The Month of Cake "due to the numerous birthdays. I am sure if that reason did not exist we would find some other excuse to gorge ourselves on fantastic delights. By the end of July the word "cake" is usually spoken in hushed tones as if one is afraid merely mentioning it will magically cause a hundred cakes to be lined up outside our front door! Having said that… what better topic to do a review on than cakkkkess? I have to say out of all the cakes sampled this month thus far, only three stand out. The first of which one is a Chocolate Raspberry Cake, the second, more a tart than a cake, was Almond and Orange ...lovely… and finally, and by no means least, a dark,white and milk chocolate layered mousse cake….called the Grand Finale , from Cakes Online Australia

I do think it is slightly unfair to pit the Orange and Almond tart against these two chocolate dynamos but it was fantastic  and perfect when you want something not-too-sweet. The winner for me has to be the Chocolate Raspberry Cake from Saint Germaines Patisserie in Redfern.

Almond and Orange Tart

Sure it doesn't look as pretty as the Grand Finale from Cakes Online  Australia but there was just something about it. It really was hard to pick one as all three was soooo good, but the Chocolate Raspberry Cake  just had a certain element of freshness, two moist chocolate cakes sandwiched together with what I think (can’t be 100 % certain ) is a chocolate ganache icing and the freshest, plumpest raspberries. The Grand Finale Cake was fantastic but in my humble opinion  had too many fancy swirls so the first time I ate it,  I felt sick before even getting to the cake, it was only afterward when I sampled the cake on its own that I truly appreciated it, which I guess is my own fault since I was distracted by all those pretty chocolate swirls and curls.

Grand Finale

There always has to be a favourite and the favourite is the Chocolate Raspberry from  Saint Germaines Patisserie.Perhaps part of the reason being the care it took to balance the thing on a crowded train and still managing to get it home relatively unscathed. That takes skill! A bond was formed!

This little piggy went all the way to Dubbo......

It all begins out in country NSW in a town called Dubbo. Nestled in the corner of the street is a charming bakery called "Village Bakery Cafe"who are apparently famous for having the best meat pies in Australia.

How accurate and well deserved that title is I could not tell you, as my eyes were immediately drawn to their sweet selections. What I can tell you, is that I would give them an award for the most creative use of a few egg whites and sugar to produce the most delightful little meringues ranging from clown faces to little piggys.

They are so undeniably cute one almost does not want to destroy it by munching on it. Almost being the key word! Whilst I found that they lacked that certain “melt in your mouth” quality that I think a truly great meringue should have, they lack nothing in personality and character and are well worth the $2 something, that I paid for them.So if you are ever in Dubbo NSW, Australia - check them out!