When I first moved to NYC 6 years ago, I remember stopping in at Little Pie Company to get a warm slice of three berry pie. Now, every Summer, I like to stop by for a slice of their cherry pie. So amazingly delicious! Little Pie Company has debuted a new pie flavour this May: Salted Caramel Apple Pie. Golden Delicious apples are tossed in cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar, encased in a rich butter crust. Crunchy steel cut oats make the perfect topping, along with a drizzle of fresh caramel sauce.
dessert
Copenhagen Mermaid Milkshake from C Tea
Brand new to the NYC tea scene is C Tea in NoLita. They are having their soft opening this week with 10% off all drinks. The menu includes milkshakes, fruit tea, cheese cream tea, and lattes. I chose one of their signature shakes, the Copenhagen Mermaid, a vanilla milkshake with butterfly pea tea, whipped cream and a fondant mermaid tail. So pretty and whimsical! And let me tell you, if you’re not a fan of fondant, don’t let that put you off. I generally don’t like fondant either, but this mermaid tail was unlike fondant I’d had before, and actually tasted great. It also made a great scoop for the whipped cream. At C Tea you can choose your sugar level, which I really like. It was suggested to me to go with 50% sugar for this particular drink, so I did. It tasted very delicious, the perfect level of sweet, and the vanilla flavour tasted real, not artificial. I really loved the interior of the shop, spacious and inviting, with cute stools to sit on and personal touches like the macaron decorations, citrus plates and tropical cushions.
Raw Vegan Treats from Wise Cicada
Hidden away downstairs from the hustle and bustle of Broadway, Newmarket, you’ll find the cafe and whole foods super-store, Wise Cicada. The food is all organic and vegan, including a salad bar, juice bar and desserts. After a day of walking around the shops with my Mum, we needed a pick-me-up and Wise Cicada was the perfect spot.
We chose the Protein Bar, the Crème Caramel & Tiramisu. The protein bar looks pretty with raspberry on top, and is a powerhouse of nutrients including almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, buckwheat, protein powder & flaxseed. This one really keeps you satisfied.
Dulce De Leche Brownies
In the brownie world there are two distinct types: the fudge kind and the cake kind. If you are like me, and fudge brownies are your thing, then you are going to need to make this recipe! Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of brownie recipes, and had issues such as the brownies being too flat, too dry, or not chocolatey enough. This recipe has none of these issues, and the addition of gooey dulche de leche really takes these brownies over the top, into new territory.
A traditional dessert that originated in South America, dulce de leche directly translates to ‘sweet of milk’ in English. It can be used as a filling, a topping or enjoyed straight from the jar. Because who doesn’t enjoy sneaking spoonfuls of caramel while nobody is looking?!
Crepes with Almond Butter & Raspberries
Crepes are one of the easiest and most versatile things you can whip up in the kitchen. You can make them sweet or savoury, and top them with just about anything you fancy. Since Valentine’s Day is upon us, I wanted to make something with raspberries & chocolate, and these crepes were born. Perfect for either breakfast, brunch or dessert, these crepes get a protein boost and will keep you fuller for longer thanks to the almond butter.
I used the almond butter from Forty Thieves and I absolutely love it. The almonds are dry roasted in small batches and have no added sugar, salt or preservatives. So it’s as natural as it gets! Made here in New Zealand, the Forty Thieves brand also includes salted macadamia butter, cacao hazelnut with toasted coconut and cashew butter.
Rockabilly Bakes Cupcakes
Next time you’re at Clevedon Village Famers Market, make sure you grab a cupcake (or several) from Rockabilly Bakes. Owner Alyssa Sanders created Rockabilly Bakes when she moved to Auckland from Canada, and the company recently celebrated its first birthday. The cupcakes all have pin-up girl names, in keeping with the rockabilly theme. We chose 3…
Peach Pecan Crumble
Every summer my Mum says the same thing: “This year is going to be the last year the peach tree has peaches!” And so far, thankfully, she’s been wrong. Our one & only peach tree has been in the backyard ever since my Mum bought the house in the early nineties. And its been pumping out the juiciest, most succulent peaches ever since. Every year, without fail. (Touch wood!!) I better not be jinxing myself here. They really are the best peaches I’ve ever had, and I love coming home in Summer & getting to eat scores of peaches.
Growing up, my Mum used to make apple crumble and we would always eat it with a healthy dose of freshly whipped cream. It was the best! Since we’re in peach season here, I figured I’d make peaches the star of the crumble this time around. It’s even quicker to prepare than apple crumble, as unlike the apples, you don’t need to remove the skins of the peaches. I mean, it’s a personal preference, but I really don’t find it’s necessary. And since the yellow peaches I use are already sweet on their own, this recipe doesn’t need a lot of sugar.
Italian Almond Cake
Ahh Italian Almond Cake! If you’ve had the pleasure of eating it, then you will know just how aromatic it smells. I once made it for my boss who served it at his dinner party. The next day he told me that before being eaten, the cake was passed around the table for everybody to inhale the intoxicating almond scent. It’s like almond heaven! I didn’t have too much trouble buying almond paste when I was in New York. But here in Auckland, it was a different story. I called every specialty store close to home and nobody had it. I tried looking online but the shipping made it far too expensive. In the end, the easiest (and also cheapest) way was to make it myself with a food processor. I have attached a link with the recipe I used. Keep in mind that almond paste is not marzipan. Marzipan has twice as much sugar as almond paste and is not as delicate. So to get the best bang for your buck, I definitely recommend making your own. Almond paste gets better after sitting in the fridge, so I suggest making it at least a day or two before you want to make the cake. Then let it come to room temperature before using it. Another thing to note is the sliced almonds that go on top of the cake: the first time I made this, most of the almonds sunk inside the cake while baking and very few were left on top. I rectified this by only placing half of the almonds on before putting it in the oven, then sprinkling the rest of them on in the last 10 minutes of baking. Best enjoyed with a hot cuppa. Enjoy!
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Can you believe we’re almost at the end of November?! I am glad it will soon be Summer here in New Zealand though. I miss NYC but I really don’t miss the bitter winters they have there! Last weekend I took a trip to a strawberry farm in Clevedon. Even though it’s not Summer yet, the strawberries were sweet and delicious. I got my mum one of the frozen yogurt cones blended with strawberries, which she really enjoyed. I will definitely be making more trips back there before the season is over. Check out my Instagram feed for photos.
Chocolate Ganache Filled Cupcakes With Meringue Ghosts
It’s almost Halloween! I’ve always enjoyed dressing up in costume and going to a party or event to celebrate. I think my favorite costume was when I dressed up as a lolita doll (Japanese style). I went all out, including buying those special contact lenses which make your iris look extra large & round. I chose purple ones and I had such a hard time putting them in my eyes! I’d never worn contacts before, and it took me 20 minutes just to put one of them in! It certainly took some getting used to, but I loved the effect it gave my eyes. This year I’m not dressing up (boo!) but I had to make something Halloween-themed to eat. I decided on chocolate cupcakes, filled with chocolate ganache, and finished with whipped ganache and a meringue ghost. Talk about chocolate overload! This is seriously one of the best cupcake recipes I’ve made, the cupcakes are so rich but not overly sweet, thanks to the ganache. And the meringue ghost makes a cute addition. You can either ‘paint’ the eyes on the ghosts with melted chocolate or by using an edible gel pen. The pen would be the easiest way, but I went with the melted chocolate & a toothpick as it’s what I had on hand. I hope you all have a scarily good Halloween! 🙂