Long before my husband and I ever stepped foot in Australia for our recent vacation, I started to research places to eat. Food is such a big part of our lives, and eating at new exciting places is one of the best parts of vacation in my humble opinion! Messina Gelato came up on several lists I'd read as a must-visit place for ice cream! Their made-from-scratch, unique flavors created with high-quality, natural ingredients yield some seriously creamy and delicious gelato. Messina has 35 signature flavors, plus 5 specials per week, so there's always something new and unique to try! Many of their flavors contain lots of tasty mix-ins, which are the key to my heart when it comes to ice cream. It was super difficult to narrow it down, but after much deliberation (and several taste tests!), I finally decided on pandan & coconut (which was dairy-free) and monoffee pie, one of the daily specials- caramel gelato with banana jam, whipped cream & pie crust! My husband went his usual chocolate route, but they had so many tempting chocolate offerings, his cup was anything but boring. Think milk chocolate gelato with chocolate peanut fudge, peanut butter gelato with chocolate brownies & dulce de leche jam, and chocolate hazelnut tiramisu gelato with mocha soaked biscuits! I could go on and on about all the over-the-top flavors, but just trust me and definitely stop by if you're ever in Sydney or Melbourne. I only wish we had more time to try them all!
sweets by chloe
I obviously love a baked good, vegan or not. But when a bakery can whip up delicious treats without using butter or eggs, it's pretty impressive. I'd been wanting to try Sweets by Chloe for some time now, and finally stopped by during fashion week on a quick break between shows with a friend. The daily menu consists of several types of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and breads, all of which are baked from scratch daily. Although the banana cream pie, carrot cake, and cinnamon espresso chocolate chip cookie all looked tempting, we decided on the peanut butter everything cookie and a slice of the matcha chocolate babka. The cookie was super peanut buttery with a nice texture from all the various mix-ins (oats, nuts, raisins), however it could've been baked just a bit less for my taste. The babka, however, was amazing! The subtle hint of matcha paired perfectly with the melted chocolate. I loved pulling it apart layer by layer to reveal more ooey gooey pockets! Doughy and delicious! I can't wait to go back and try the Chill by Chloe ice creams too. How good does coffee ice cream with homemade cinnamon rolls sound, or what about a push pop of salted caramel ice cream with homemade banana bread? Yum!!!
sticky toffee pudding
I've had a love affair with sticky toffee pudding for quite a while now. This British dessert made from dates and toffee sauce is less a pudding (by American standards), but rather a rich and gooey cake. Since I was in London last week, I took the opportunity to seek out and indulge in a few versions of this local dessert- all in the name of research, of course- so that I could recreate a worthy version at home just in time for Easter brunch. Sticky toffee pudding is seriously decadent, super unique, and utterly delicious, making it the perfect Easter dessert in my book. It's best served warm out of the oven, so if you need to bake the cake ahead of time, just wait to poke holes and pour the sauce over it until just before serving. Cover and reheat at 300ºF for about 20 minutes. While this cake is super delicious as-is, a little ice cream or whipped cream never hurt anybody, right? Throw on some toasted nuts and the rest of the warm toffee sauce, and you'll be adding this to your dessert rotation in no time!
Sticky Toffee Pudding:
Date Cake:
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted & chopped
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toffee Sauce:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch salt
Toppings:
whipped cream or ice cream
pecans, toasted & chopped
extra toffee sauce
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter an 8 1/2 or 9 inch square (or round) baking dish. Place chopped dates in a heat-proof bowl, and cover with the boiling water. Mix in baking soda, then set aside to let soften.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla until fully combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour and date mixtures to the stand mixer, alternating 1/2 of each at a time. Careful not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs still attached. Remove from the oven, and let cool a few minutes. While the cake bakes, make the toffee sauce. Bring the butter, cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to a boil in a saucepan, then lower to simmer. Whisk or stir constantly for about 10 minutes until sauce thickens and coats spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
While cake is still warm, poke several holes over the entire surface with a chopstick. Pour toffee sauce over top of the cake, spreading it around evenly and allowing it to be absorbed into the cake. Repeat another time, leaving about 1/4 of the sauce for serving. If desired, turn oven to broil and return the cake to the oven for just one minute for extra caramelization! Careful not to let it burn.
To serve, you may cut squares, use a ring-mold, or simply spoon portions of the cake into serving bowls. Top with additional warm toffee sauce, whipped cream (or ice cream), and toasted pecans.
*Adapted from Date Cake with Toffee Sauce by Smitten Kitchen and Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding by David Lebovitz.
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inday
There's a ton of fast-casual, grab & go places in NYC these days, many of which offer fresh, healthy, and seasonal American cuisine. There are far less options, however, when it comes to fresh, healthy, and seasonal Indian fare (other than Babu Ji... RIP). I love Indian food, but I most commonly eat when ordering from my local spot off Seamless, and while it's always delicious, sometimes it can feel a bit heavy. Inday is born from the belief that food should provide nourishment for your body as well as balance for your life. Their food is both delicious and exciting, as well as mindful and nutritious, which is practically everything I want in a meal! The menu offers nutrient-dense, balanced dishes with both meat and vegetarian options, that just happen to be completely gluten-free! Inday follows the bowl-concept, so pick from one of their many unique and flavorful options, or create your own! I got a rainbow veggie mezze bowl with super greens, turmeric slaw, red cucumbers, chana masala, blackened eggplant, chickpea ranch, fermented carrots, and a lentil crisp! Talk about a mouthful- but I loved each and every component! I'm looking forward to trying some of their new seasonal offerings, as well as the delicious sounding beverages and sweets. The chaga charcoal chai, golden mylk chai, and the avo cocoa dessert are most certainly calling my name- a return trip is in order very soon!
