The Pretend Bakers: All Butter Cranberry Scones

I guess everyone knows by now that I had my tooth taken out and was give a week off work, had a swollen face and was in a lot of pain. Since I was stuck at home, I took to my favourite past time – making a mess in the kitchen. I think by the end of my 3rd day on MC, mum was already wishing I was out of the house sooner.

The first day after the surgery, I decided to take things easy. With minimal kneading, minimal mixing and minimal washing, I made a batch of cranberry scones. It turned out a nice shade of golden brown, with a rich buttery taste and slightly crumbly texture that slowly melted away in one’s mouth. The cranberry added a nice burst of fruitiness to it. Yes, I’m praising my own baking because I liked it pretty damn much!

The boyfriend came over and together with my parents, we sat down with a cup of tea, eating scones with creamed cheese and jam (give me a tub of clotted cream and i’ll give you a million hugs and kisses). A seemingly perfect afternoon, except that my mouth could hardly open and chewing on one side of my mouth was exhausting, so I had mugs and mugs of tea while the family devoured the rest of the batch.

When I said that I was taking it easy, I meant it through and through. Here’s the recipe for the batch of scones (adapted from BBC goodfood) I made. All it took was 30-45 minutes (can’t remember exactly) and those golden babies will be sitting in front of you, warm and ready to be eaten!

Ingredients:

• 350g self-raising flour , plus more for dusting
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g butter , cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp caster sugar, 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 175ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla paste
• squeeze lemon juice (about a quarter lemon)
• a handful of cranberries
• beaten egg to glaze

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Pour the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder and mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs and then stir in the sugar and cranberries.
2. Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. The lemon juice adds acidity to the mixture and gives the scone a lighter texture.
3. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
4. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
5. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
6. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
7. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.

Maison Ikkoku

I had my wisdom tooth taken out last Wednesday. It was pretty cool to get a week off work, but the pain endured after the local anesthetic wore off and the swelling that continued in the next few days were no fun at all. I knew I was going to be out of it for a few days so just before going to the dentist, I popped by Maison Ikkoku to enjoy a little sweet something and a nice cuppa, just in case the next few days were going to be filled with endless bowls of porridge and mushy stuff. It’s gonna be a short post, as I was only there for a short while and didn’t get to try much of their foods (spent half the time there bracing myself for my looming trip to the dentist), but I thought it was still worth sharing this pretty cool place with everyone.

Located at 2o Kandahar Street, amidst the pretty exotic arabian stalls, this quaint little cafe has an indie thing going on. Looking a little aged with dark wooden furnitures with plush black cushioned stools to match, it didn’t look like much at first but exuded a mild charm that slowly warmed its way to my heart.  The 3 levels belonging to Maison Ikkoku comprise of a male fashion boutique on the 2nd story and a cocktail bar on the rooftop. The rooftop bar was unfortunately closed when I was there in the afternoon, although I can imagine it to be quite a pretty little place for drinks, overlooking the large golden dome of the mosque in the middle of Kampong Glam. I slowly made my way back down to the cafe on the ground floor and headed straight for the cakes. Sigh, natural inclinations.

view from the rooftop bar

They had quite a selection of cakes and I was torn between their tall and handsome looking carrot cake and their pumpkin cheesecake. I guess I was in the mood for something heavier so I eventually went for the pumpkin cheesecake. I had my flat white to go along as usual. I heard that they do pretty decent lunch and dinner foods too, although it tends to be slightly pricey for the portion served. I haven’t had a go at their lunch/dinner menu yet so I can’t say for sure.

I took a couple of magazines hanging by the wall to occupy my mind with anything other than my imminent tooth extraction as I waited for my cake and coffee. They had a pretty good selection of magazines, and they were all pretty up to date. Nothing sucks more than picking up a magazine dated Aug 2010

The cake and coffee arrived pretty promptly and I quickly dug in. I savoured the cheesecake like it was my last meal (well, it sort of was, last proper dessert for a few days anyway). It was smooth and creamy and the pumpkin really rose through the cheeses’ flavour to tickle my taste buds. The crust was crisp enough with a nutty touch of pecan. Washed it down with a gulp of coffee…aaah perfect! A smooth blend of coffee, albeit a little acidic, really does a lot to warm the soul.

I dug away happily at my cheesecake until it started to get a little heavy towards the end. Well, I finished it anyway. It was too good to resist, but I walked to my dental appointment feeling like I could do without cakes for the next few days.

Well, that’s not exactly a bad thing in the light of things.

Address:

20 Kandahar Street

+65 6294 0078

Opening Hours:

Mon–Thu: 9am – 9pm
Fri–Sat: 9am – 11pm
Sun: 9am – 7pm

Drips Bakery Cafe

Most people know by now how Tiong Bahru has gone from a sleepy residential estate to one that’s bustling with cafe hopping yuppies. I haven’t been to Tiong Bahru for a long time, not in the past year anyway, but have seen it featured in numerous write-ups in the last few weeks. Feeling like I’ve been missing out on something good all these while, I dragged the boyfriend along with me to explore one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore one public holiday, with the hopes of dropping by 40 hands cafe for a (good) cup of coffee.

The streets of Tiong Bahru were a lot quieter than I expected and walking through the block of flats with low-hanging ceilings and dated exterior, I started to doubt what I have heard and read. It looked as sleepy to me as I knew it to be. Then, we realized that 40 Hands was closed, and so was PoTeaTo (a new cafe/eatery opened a few doors down from 40 hands), which explained the deserted nature of Yong Siak Street that day. I was pretty disappointed, and perhaps a little sulky, having walked a (seemingly) long way from Tiong Bahru MRT station and not being able to have my afternoon fix of coffee. Yes, pretty bratty. I know. Anyway, to cut the long story short, we walked a little farther and found Drips bakery cafe.

I have heard quite a bit about Drips, particularly with respect to their very popular fruit tarts, so I was pretty stoked about checking the place out. Walking in, we were greeted with a spacious and pretty simple setting. A couple of simple tables and colourful stools decked out the major sitting area, and a counter where the baristas do up the coffees and another counter where pastries/cakes/sandwiches are ordered occupied the space. They do all day breakfast, some quiches and pastries as well as pretty good sandwiches, alongside a selection of cakes and tarts.

Further in the back of the café is a pretty chilled out sitting area with a slit of natural sky light, lined with couches decked out in colourful rugs and adorned with boldly patterned cushions that seem to send out a rather hippie vibe. Pretty neat ^^.

I plopped myself down on a couch right in the back of the cafe, and if I hadn’t wanted a taste of their tarts that badly, I would have never gotten up again.

But the tarts beckoned, and I duly went along. They were out of their special fruit tart (damn these public holidays, all those people stealing my food), so I got their Blackberry Almond Tart and their Cherry Brandy Tart instead. We also got an iced latte and a flat white to go along.

Plunging into their Blackberry Almond Tart was an absolute delight. Whole tangy blackberries embedded into a well-balanced custard, laid out on a slightly crisp, yet buttery and crumbly pastry – no wonder people rave about their tarts.

Blackberry almond tart 🙂

The Cherry Brandy tart was nice and had the same wonderful pastry. I didn’t like it as much as the cherries were a little too sweet and that drowned out the natural flavour of the fruit that I like very much. I immediately thought of my favourite sour cherry tarts from Windowsill Pies…and that sparked a new crave. Uh oh

Anyway, their coffees were decent. Not downright impressive, but then again, their tarts are supposed to be the star of the show, and indeed they were. Having had a brilliant blackberry almond tart, the bar is set for their Special Fruit Tart. Now, a second visit is necessary isn’t it?

The Pretend Bakers: Lemon Drizzle Cake

I miss summer. Yes, I’m in Singapore and one can argue that it is always summer here. But this isn’t the summer I’m talking about. I miss summer, where people go out into empty open fields, shoulders (and a lot more) bared, lazing around, soaking in the warm comforting rays. A picnic always seems like a good idea, an afternoon tea in the garden makes the day perfect. I miss the carefree laughter of children that gets mixed up with a light gasping of breath as they run around without a care in the world playing tag. I miss the clinking of ice in sweating jars of sangria and lemonade. I miss the trees adorned with lemons, and their scent…refreshing, delightful and absolutely cheery. I needed to bring a little of that kind of summer back here, and what better way is there than to make myself a loaf of Lemon Drizzle Cake that embodies my perfect summer. If you can’t have a proper summer, I guess having a taste of one is probably the next best option.

 

I have made this a few times in the UK for the housemates or whoever was over to visit, even though it was never really summer while I was there. It is one of the simplest cake recipes around and it never fails to turn out great. Moist and zesty, it awakens my taste buds with its well-balanced sweet tang each time. A cup of tea to wash it down and life is all well and peachy.

Recipe (adapted from Tana Ramsay’s Lemon Drizzle Cake)

Batter:

225g unsalted butter , softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

Finely grated zest 1 1/2lemons

225g self-raising flour

 

Drizzle Topping:

Juice of 1 1⁄2 lemons

90g caster sugar

A teaspoon of icing sugar (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4
2. Beat together softened unsalted butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy
3. Add 4 eggs one at a time to the mixture, slowly mixing through
4. Sift in self-raising flour then add finely grated zest of 1 ½ lemon and mix until well combined
5. Line a load tin (8 x21 cm) with greaseproof paper and spoon in the mixture.
6. Bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool in its tin. Meanwhile, mix the juice of 1 ½ lemons and 90g caster sugar to make the drizzle
8. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer/fork, then pour the drizzle over. The drizzle will form a lovely slightly crisp topping once the cake has cooled.
9. Sprinkle with a touch of icing sugar.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware

To those who are scrunching up their brows, wondering why I have suddenly taken to writing about metal-works and such, rest assured, I have not. Chye Seng Huat Hardware is one of those strange little places that enjoy pretending to be something it is not, and people love them for it. Disguise is an extraordinary strategy and the guys behind Chye Seng Huat Hardware (CSHH) have used it perfectly to their advantage. CSHH is actually one of the newest coffee bars in Singapore, set up by the founders of Papa Palheta.

very convincing

Housed in a traditional looking stand alone shop-house on Tyrwhitt Road with big, bold Chinese characters adorning its cream coloured walls, complete with metal shutters and grills, CSHH blends in perfectly with the actual hardware shops and warehouses that line the street. There is something exclusive about its pretense, and getting to know CSHH is just like being let in on a secret. Of course, nobody really bothers keeping a secret like that as countless of customers and passerbys alike went trigger happy, sharing the information on their immediate social network.

Entering the large metal gates by the side, we were faced with The Roastery and The Workshop, while CSHH coffee bar was to our right. The Roastery and The Workshop are spaces set aside for coffee roasting every Monday in the near future and CSHH coffee bar was where we (and everyone else) were heading for our coffee fix.

The CSHH coffee bar was a creative mix of old and new, but essentially gave off a modern and pretty classy vibe, painting a rather different picture from its exterior. The coffee bar is laid out in the middle of the room, allowing customers to watch the barista as he produces his craft.

The place was pretty packed when we were there on a Saturday afternoon and we were lucky to get a sit in a corner by the window. We got in line, staring at the menu the entire time we were in the queue. Amongst the different types of coffee served, they also offer coffee beer, a specialty mixture of Jungle Beer and Papa Palheta’s signature blend, Terra Firma. In the end, we gave up trying to choose and I asked the barista to recommend something cold for the boyfriend as we walked a good 10 minutes from Farrer Park MRT station to CSHH in the scorching afternoon heat. He recommended the cold brew ($7) and I ordered my usual flat white ($6), 2 slices of Pistachio Cranberry Teacake (2 for $4) and Raspberry fingers (5 for $5.50) to go along. They also have a full breakfast and lunch menu for those who are looking for something heavier/heartier.

The cakes and pastries offered are nothing fancy or luxurious but they are enough for a comforting afternoon tea. I really liked the pistachio cranberry teacake, as the nuttiness of the pistachio paired off nicely with the cranberries in it. The crumble on top just made it better. The raspberry fingers were quite a delight too, albeit being a little too sweet. I love that it had real raspberries in them, giving the fingers a nice burst of freshness.

The cold brew was served up interestingly in what I thought looked like a vintage medicine bottle, with a small jug of syrup and creamer alongside. Pouring the cold brew over ice and having my first taste of it was an experience to remember. I’m not sure what I was expecting but my taste buds were left reeling from the vibrant flavours that exploded on it as the first sip went down. Slightly acidic with a fruity undertone, it was a little unusual and very sensual.

The flat white was decent, with a nice sweetness of the milk balancing the slight acidity of the brew. However, it was a little thin and lacked that velvety texture I like in my flat white. I was waiting to ask the barista about it and was thinking of getting another cup after the crowd abated but the queue maintained its average length of 5 the whole time we were there. Ah well, maybe another time.

It was nice sitting there sipping our coffee, occasionally turning towards the bar to watch the barista craft out cup after cup of coffee. I also took some time to browse through their retail shelf of coffee beans.

Before we left CSHH, we made it a point to check out The Annex, a small, sun-lit room with a table beautifully laid out, tucked in the back of CSHH coffee bar. We approached one of the staff to enquire about it and were told that it is an exclusive tasting boutique where one can sit in the company of an expert in the field and have him personally walk you through 3 courses comprising special artisan coffees and pastries. It is an educational session and an adventure for the taste buds, suitable for experts and novices alike. They run sessions from Tuesdays to Sundays at 4pm with additional seating at 8pm from Fridays to Sundays. Each session is limited to a maximum of 5 people and pre-booking is necessary ($21 per pax). The menu is experimental and constantly evolving and is sounding too damn exciting to me!!!

Address:

150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563 

Tel: 6396 0609

E-mail: hello@cshhcoffee.com

 

 

 

L’etoile Cafe

I’ve found my corner in the world. A corner to watch the world go by, like scenes from a film, as I sip my cup of coffee and nibble at a piece of cake. Okay, maybe I should stop the pretense. I don’t sip my coffee and I don’t nibble at cakes, but L’etoile is still that perfect hideaway from the world, tucked in a quiet corner of Owen Road, offering respite from the unforgiving crowd that seems to be everywhere. I’m pretty territorial and was pretty keen on keeping this as my sacred little corner but I was convinced that good things are meant to be shared, so I’m reluctantly typing this post, putting my peaceful little oasis out there for you to enjoy it too.

L’etoile is a cafe and lifestyle store, decorated tastefully with Japanese and French influences, spanning 2 stories. The ground level has a classy, modern vibe that is kept vibrant with the cute little trinkets they have laid around. The 2nd story exudes a different vibe altogether with its mis-matched furnitures, creating a clash of old and new. Whimsical, a little odd and simply perfect for an afternoon of escapism.

The boyfriend and I settled on a couch in a corner on the ground floor that faced a stretch of full-length glass windows, perfect for people watching and day-dreaming (in my case). It was a comfortable little corner, with a fully stocked book shelf  for leisure browsing. We looked through the menu, which offered a wide variety of pastas, fusion foods, sandwiches, and all-day breakfast foods. We were there for tea and so we had a flat white, an iced latte (approx $5 each), a salted caramel chocolate cupcake ($4.80) and a slice of Matcha Azuki Chiffon ($5.40) to share between ourselves.

oh you beautiful thing

The Matcha Azuki Chiffon comprised of a beautifully light matcha chiffon coated with azuki beans and buttercream. The perfectly combined flavours of the matcha and the azuki beans were a delight. The matcha was ever-present in each mouthful and was not over powering while the beans gave it a nice bite and a well-placed burst of flavour. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t nibble on cakes. I devour them. Well, I certainly devoured this one.

Space out. A small, light conversation. Laughter. People walking by. Stare. Space out… “cupcake?”

I know it was meant to be a lazy afternoon, and that the cakes were meant to be eaten slowly, over easy conversations, a dainty bite here and there. But the salted caramel chocolate cupcake left staring at me from the table was just too much to take. A dark chocolate cupcake with toffee buttercream topped with a pool of salted caramel. Do you really think I would sit there and just……stare at it? No prizes for guessing.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake 😀

I dug my fork in, watched as the molten golden-brown travelled down the crack I made and oozed its way through, bathing the chocolate sponge in its glory. What a sight to behold!!! I got really excited and quickly took a mouthful. I guess the excitement ended there, rather abruptly. While the chocolate sponge was soft and moist, and the buttercream was smooth with a nice consistency, the salted caramel was pretty disappointing. The saltiness of the caramel was almost entirely lost in its overwhelming sweetness. Unfortunately for me, the salted caramel was what I was so pumped up about, hence my impression of the cake took a dive. Well, the boyfriend pointed out that it was still a pretty good cupcake if we omitted the caramel.

oozing caramel ^^

The coffee we had to accompany us through the afternoon were pretty decent. I enjoyed the smooth blend of the flat white, although I would have preferred a little more foam. The iced-latte was a nice refreshing drink for that particularly scorching afternoon. Life was looking pretty awesome as I slouched comfortably in the couch, sipping on the glass of milky iced latte.

Getting a little restless an hour into our time at L’etoile, I took to browsing the shelves and displays of cute little bits and bobs that were on sale. From earrings, to post cards to random display items, each item exuded a certain charm that runs in line with the shop’s whimsical identity.

cute little postcards

 I returned to our cosy little corner after my short window shopping excursion and we lazed the rest of the afternoon away, browsing through a few books and magazines, talking, laughing, imagining, observing and eventually believing that life’s not always a mad rat race. I guess a time-out like that is pretty necessary sometimes, to take a step back and out of one’s usual routine, to take a deep breath, to watch the world go by, to pretend you haven’t got a care in the world. For those few moments, L’etoile was a nice safe haven where no one (except the boyfriend, because of his mere presence a few inches away) could get to me.

Address:

160 Owen Road

Singapore 218953

62982872

Spruce

Lunch with the sister is no ordinary event. It is a rarity and a pretty extraordinary feat to catch her with enough time  to sit down for a proper lunch. So this time, when she agreed to a lunch date with me, I was pretty psyched.  I looked up restaurants, trying to find somewhere accessible, yet pretty special, with a menu that would appeal to her taste buds. I came across Spruce, a pretty place at the top of Pheonix Park, surrounded by lush greenery. Okay, so it was not exactly easily accessible, but a short bus ride (132) from outside far east plaza would take you there pretty quickly.

The restaurant was very packed when we got there and we were at least half an hour late for our lunch reservation, but the service staff were excellent. Half expecting to be turned away due to our tardiness (and the crazily busy restaurant), it was especially nice to hear the service staff say “We’ll get you a good seat very soon, just hold on for a sec.” True enough, we were given a table in 5 minutes.

We were seated outside, surrounded by lush greenery. The restaurant has a nice mix of modern and rustic elements that seems to combine classy and homely in one setting. It was a little darker than what I would have liked and the orange lights hung above were sort of useless in the day but I can imagine the place glowing a warm orange as the day sets, creating a comfortable and romantic ambience.

We were there mainly for the brunch menu and I ordered the Crab Cake Benny while the little sister got The Spruce British Brekkie. The boyfriend got the Spruce Specialty burger and being the usual glutton, I went on to steal their food as I devoured mine.

Crab Cake Benny – My Perfect Breakfast

I’m not exactly sure why I ordered Crab Cake Benny ($25++), considering I’m not actually a fan of crab cakes. Perhaps it was the waiter’s suggestion when I asked him to recommend me a dish or just the desire to have something different from my usual. Whatever it is, I’m glad I ordered it. The crab cake, served with 2 poached eggs wobbling precariously on separate pieces of focaccia and a few strips of perfect, crisp back bacon, was in a class of its own. Packed full of the real thing, the crab meat was fresh and flavourful. It was fried crisp on the outside, but seemed to disintegrate and melt away in my mouth, releasing powerful bursts of the crab’s natural flavour. I may not be a fan of crab cakes in general but I’m a fan of Spruce’s rendition for sure. The poached eggs, with its hollandaise sauce spiced with paprika, were a delight, and the focaccia was a fine touch. All in all, it was as close to perfection as a dish can be.

one big british brekkie

The little sister’s Spruce British Brekkie ($18++) was a hearty serving of eggs, bacon, baked beans, cumberland sausage, roasted tomato, mushrooms and toasted focaccia. You can choose to have your eggs scrambled, poached or sunny-side up and the girl had hers scrambled. I felt that the scrambled eggs were a little overdone but the little sis liked it the way it was. The bacon was done perfectly, crispy with a slight degree of juiciness that emphasizes its flavour. Eggs, bacon, sausages, toast. Pretty much all that is necessary for one satisfying breakfast. The only complain was that the focaccia was not toasted enough and got a little plain and heavy after a while.  

I heard lots about Spruce’s burger before our lunch date and convinced the boyfriend to order their Spruce Specialty Burger ($19++) so I could try it. We could choose the doneness of the meat and that got me pretty excited (the last time we were given a choice on the doneness of the meat, we had a brilliant burger). I was not sure what I was expecting but their specialty burger was not spectacular. Perhaps my high expectations backfired but the boyfriend and I had issues with the beef patty which was not charred enough and lacked flavour. Essentially, the patty was a little too lean and blend for our liking. I liked their hand cut chips for their distinct potato flavour and its slightly spicy seasoning. The boyfriend would have liked it a little more crisp though, as the chips were leaning slightly towards soggy.

We had a nice, iced-latte to end the meal, but I was terribly disappointed that my tummy could not find space for dessert then. Their salted caramel double chocolate cake on the display at the entrance had been calling out to me the whole time, but I had to walk away without giving it the attention it deserved. It was heart-breaking, but I will be back to make up for it.

Address:

320 Tanglin Road

Singapore 247980

Tel: 6836 5528 (reservations are recommended for weekends and public holidays)

NeLi’s Ice-cream

Today was a great day for my tummy, but suicidal for my diet. Ice-cream is a dangerous word. It subtly tempts, starting of as a small thought of the cold and creamy, working its way to a whisper of want and eventually escalating to a gnawing need. I caught a glimpse of the waffle + ice-cream national day promotion at NeLi’s Ice-cream on facebook. I tried to ignore it, but somehow my fingers always found a way to manipulate my trackpad such that the promotion page was right there, flashing at me. I couldn’t make myself miserable like this so I dragged the boyfriend up from the couch, caused a ruckus to wake my mum from her afternoon nap so that they could accompany me to NeLi’s.

Located along Upper Thomson Road, or what I would now call an ice-cream strip, this newly established ice-cream stall is up against great competition from the likes of Udders, Salted Caramel and Scoopz. Differentiating itself from its competition, NeLi’s Ice-cream has taken on a pretty fun, bubbly and possibly exciting theme – travel. From its menu board hanging overheard designed to imitate the departure boards you see at the airport, to the casual sketch of the statue of liberty on the wall and tiny country erasers lining another, I almost entered a state of wanderlust. Almost, because the buttery aroma of their belgian waffles being made brought me back to reality too quickly.

We had a taste of almost all the flavors they had. Butterscotch nuts was the first one we went for, as it was their best seller, but found that it was a little too icy for our liking and tasted pretty much the same as their rum and raisin. Their horlick flavoured ice-cream was too sweet for my tastebuds, although the flavour was thick and undeniable. If you are a horlick fan and you’re got a sugar-craving sweet tooth, than this might just be perfect. Their earl grey was a little too grainy although the flavour was good. I then tried the Brandied Cherry Chocolate, which was rich and chocolaty with a good dose of brandy but I wanted a bit more of the cherry. Unfortunately it wasn’t there. Mum went for dark chocolate and found it slightly bitter, but I loved the bitterness at the end of it. To me, chocolate isn’t authentic unless it has that hint of bitterness. The boyfriend and I agreed that the Stout Chocolate was quite a stunner. Packing an initial punch of the Stout as the richness of the chocolate slowly emerges, it’s flavour was well-balanced and it was churned well, resulting in a smooth, almost velvety texture. Mum was also in the mood for chocolate and went for Chocolate-Banana, a good ol’ favourite of my childhood. The banana-chocolate combination was perfect, with both seemingly strong flavours complimenting each other, ending with a tinge of nuttiness .

The ice-cream came with a belgian waffle of sizable portion (THANK GOD FOR THE NATIONAL DAY PROMOTION) and cost only $4.70 each. The belgian waffle smelt like heaven. That aroma of butter, coupled with a slight hint of caramel and vanilla is not a force to beckon with. It has its way of unleashing one’s inner-glutton, well, speaking from experience. Anyway, back to the waffles: It had a rich and buttery flavour and was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Well, one of the waffles was a little too dry but it was almost unnoticeable when eaten with the ice-cream.

Stout Chocolate – Belgian waffle – Caramel Sauce

A mouthful of warm waffle, accompanied with that creamy, rich blub of chocolaty goodness got me swooning happily. Why I even tried resisting is beyond me.

I’m glad I got my ass out of the house to give this store a shot. Of course, I’ll be going back a lot more if they had their waffle + ice-cream combo at $4.70 everyday (it is only a 1 day national day promotion), but their ice-creams are still rather reasonably priced even without the promotion. I like the spacious and simple feel of the store, a tad bit girly with the colour scheme (I totally love it) but nonetheless an appealing place to be. I hope they are here to stay. I can always do with more ice-cream.

Pretend Pastry Chefs: Tarte Au Citron

We were pretending. In my wildest dreams, I’m dressed in that white chef’s jacket with a ridiculous chef’s hat perched on my head. My finger tips would be cold and trained to handle the dough of a shortcrust pastry. My clock would tick in sync to the needs of my pastry – how long it needed to be chilled for, beat for, baked for. My mind would be set to calculate just how much sugar would create the perfect balance between sour and sweet, just how hot the oven should be set and just how much time the pastry should be baked for. Well, we could only pretend so much. In reality, we had time constraints. We needed to get everything done in 2 and a half hours so that the boyfriend could watch the Olympics. My fingers were far from cold in the sweltering afternoon heat and they were definitely not trained to rub in the butter quick enough. My mind had absolutely no idea what to expect from the flavour. Oh, I suppose I haven’t mentioned, the boyfriend and I were attempting a Tarte Au Citron. Dropping the posh facade, a lemon tart.

We wanted to cheat by using a pre-made frozen shortcrust pastry but Cold Storage had other plans. They did not have it and so we had to make it from scratch. We followed Jamie Oliver’s sweet shortcrust pastry recipe, which I believe is pretty legit:

• 500g organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting
•  100g icing sugar, sifted
• 250g good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten
•  a splash of milk

It was a challenge to rub in the butter into the flour + icing sugar as the weather was humid and it was difficult to keep the butter from melting in my finger tips. I tried by repeatedly dipping my hands into ice water but I could not work fast enough still. While I managed to rub the butter in to get a crumbly mixture, it would have been a lot better had the butter stayed cold. Perhaps I should switch the air-conditioning on the next time.

The zest, eggs and milk were then added to the crumbly mixture and rolled into a dough. We then rolled it out and refrigerated it for half an hour. It might have been better had we left the dough in the fridge for longer but we were rushing (to watch the olympics). Pressing the dough into the pastry tin, we baked it blind for 10 minutes, which eventually proved to be too short a time frame so our shortcrust pastry at the bottom of the tart was a tad bit undercooked.

Our lemon custard was made with:

• 200ml lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 150g caster sugar
• 8 tablespoons of creme fraiche
• 7 eggs

All squeezed out.

The ingredients were combined together and whipped, after which they were added to the half-baked pastry in the tin. We left it in the oven for slightly less than 40 minutes, which may have been slightly longer than necessary. While the texture of the custard was not affected, coming out silky smooth and slightly wobbly, a small crack began to emerge in the custard.

The flavour of the custard was tangy. SUPER TANGY. We could have done with more sugar I guess, but I didn’t really mind it because I have got a knack for sour stuff. Mum was adamant that a lemon tart should be sweeter though, so I guess some (if not a lot) of modifications are required to perfect our lemon tart.

It wasn’t a brilliant tart but it was a first for us. Tarts and pies were never the usual stuff I did in the kitchen, but I guess my recent blossoming relationship with pies has inspired me to try to make my own. We got to try this out again (because I love lemon tarts/pies) and maybe one day we’ll get it just right (day-dreaming mode on)! ^^

nom nom nom. 

Nylon Coffee Roasters

Someone recently asked me what my favourite coffee place in Singapore was. I had no answer for him and could only say that I haven’t had a cup of coffee that knocked my socks off just yet. Well, life was different before I discovered Nylon Coffee Roasters.

Tucked in a corner of Everton Park housing estate, Nylon Coffee Roasters is a little gem for coffee lovers to behold. A humble little stall, framed with beckoning teal shutters, has created waves of success that has already gained the stall a loyal following since its opening in May 2012. Created by two baristas previously from Papa Palheta and Loysel’s Toy, Nylon Coffee Roasters is testament to the pair’s passion and love for the perfect brew. They roast and retail coffee beans in-house and take immense pride in serving up a perfect cup of coffee. They speak about their coffee the way one speaks about his first love, with a glint in their eyes, spontaneously and excitedly offering detailed descriptions about their roasts and brews. Their love for coffee is infectious and by the time they serve up your cuppa, you’ll be seeing your coffee in a different light. It becomes a piece of art. A piece to behold, with a scent to inhale and understand. A sip is all it takes for one to fall in love, all over again.  

Their menu is simple. Black or white in 3/5/7 oz. They also have a few iced coffee options. For the white, the size just determines the amount of milk in the drink. When we were there, only the El Primero blend, which is their house specialty, was available. The boyfriend and I like our drink milky, so we went for the 7oz. The milk was frothy and thick, and its creaminess balanced out the acidity of the coffee nicely without overpowering the complex flavours of the coffee. Like I was saying earlier, the cup of coffee was a piece of art to behold and a masterpiece to savour. It hit me with a bold punch of toffee that was eventually dulled out by the milk, followed by a milder note of fruitiness that lingered on at the end. Absolutely divine. Like all brilliant masterpieces, words to describe them do them no justice. You need your very own experience with these brilliant baristas to fully understand my absolute obsession with them.

My perfect cup

As the shop space is pretty small, there isn’t much sitting area except for a few chairs here and there. The shop was already pretty crowded when we got there so we had our coffee outside the shop, sat atop one of their decorative boxes. I didn’t mind it. Well, with coffee that good, I pretty much wouldn’t mind anything. But the boyfriend felt that it would have made the experience a lot better than it already is if we could sit comfortably to enjoy the brew.

We kinda just sat on that 🙂

Needless to say, this is a haven for coffee lovers. Never mind the small-sized stall, the lack of seats or the lack of cakes to go along with the coffee (I normally like my coffee with cake and vice versa). The warmth and sincerity that embraced me as I walked in for my daily cuppa cannot be found in most larger and more established coffee joints. At Nylon Coffee Roasters, it is an intimate affair with coffee and only coffee, in a precious little space in Everton Park, with people who share the same love.

Address:

4 Everton Park  Singapore 080004

6220 2330