Monthly Archives: March 2012

Eat: BTS Cafe

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Round 2 of the Cupcake Showdown. Although, it’s not really a showdown is it? It’s just an excuse to eat lots of cupcakes. This time I was meeting up with my friend Rhi and we were trialling the tasty tasty goods from BTS.

BTS made me fall in love with cupcakes. I used to make cupcakes, I liked them, but it wasn’t until stepping inside BTS that I fell in love with them. They took hold of the cupcake craze with full gusto, and their delightfully pink store is the result. Their cupcakes have personality, the store has charm, and the staff are always lovely.

For our cupcake tasting I decided on a box of 12 babycakes. BTS have a regular rotation of flavours, usually with about 6 flavours every day, so the 12 pack (at $19.95) gave us all a chance to try them all.

Although, I did get to BTS and was utterly dismayed to find out that their Babycakes (while still looking incredibly adorable) didn’t come with the same BTS style of frosting that I loved. So… I just had to buy a full sized Snookie as well.

The flavours were:

Drama Queen      Sticky Date Cake & Caramel Frosting
Sookie                      Raspberry & White Chocolate Chip Cake with Creamy Raspberry Frosting
Darling Diva       Pure Strawberry Vanilla Cake with Creamy Strawberry Frosting
The OC                    Orange Belgian Chocolate Cake & Orange, Vanilla Frosting
Elvis                        Choc Chip Banana Cake & Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
Carrie                     Lemon, Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Curd Centre & Meringue Top

I think our favourites were the Drama Queen & the Elvis, but all were yummy. BTS are great at interesting flavour combinations that WORK. I do prefer the non butter cream frostings (that the Drama Queen & the Elvis have), but when it comes to butter cream BTS have an incredibly smooth and light version. Despite the fact that they pile it high, you can still get the flavour of the cake. It’s not too overpowering.

Every cake was fresh and light, although by the time we got to our 6th babycake we were feeling pretty full. They’re not as visually perfect at the larger cakes, but they’re still adorable in their own way.

I think one of the achievements of BTS is there branding. Sure the decorations can at times kind of resemble Sprinkles Cupcakes in the US, but in Adelaide their cupcakes are instantly recognisable. There’s that smooth mound of frosting (see the first pic), the simple but effective decorations, and of course the pink packaging. The names are brilliant too, they succeed in making you emotionally connect with a cupcake, which is a pretty good feat.

I’m still a cream cheese icing girl, but if anyone ever suggests a trip to BTS I’m never going to say no. Their cupcakes aren’t the cheapest, even the babycakes are around $2, but once you start buying by the box you can save a lot.

You can see their full flavour list on their Facebook page. The flavours change daily.

A Very Cold ‘Summer’ Fridays In the East End

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Summer Fridays is coming to an end, it makes sense really considering Summer finished up last month and we’re starting to shiver the night away. Last night was a cold one, but it was the first week mum was back with her sock monkeys since her operation.

The lovely Lana ordered a bunch of cupcakes to pick up at the markets. So I finally had a chance to use one of my big white boxes. Everything looks so pretty lined up inside. It was loads of fun putting them together, so I hope they’re enjoyed!

The flavours for the night were:
Chocolate Guinness
Raspberry
Carrot
Fig
Banana Caramel
& Peanut Butter

It is also Miss M’s birthday today, so we had some fun at the markets for that. She was getting little presents from all of the different stall holders. They absolutely love her. She picked up a cupcake from Betty over at the Goodie Basket. A Vanilla cupcake with strawberry icing. I still need to get around to making a vanilla cupcake because the kids don’t generally like much else so I’ve never got anything for them. Saying that Miss M does love the cake pops, but she’d already brought 30 along with her to school in the morning so I think she was taking a break.

The guy doing the music at the markets also sang happy birthday to her over the microphone. She was incredibly chuffed.

I also made sure I got my own little treats at the market.

Some macarons from Maple Jane Macarons & of course a burger from Burger Theory. The macarons were: cherry ripe, lemon, nutella, boysenberry, salted caramel, and redskin. My two favourites were the salted caramel & the redskin. I had a number 1 burger from Burger Theory & some fries with truck sauce. Then a little later I came back and got a number 2. It was just what I needed to get me through the night. I’m still smiling over the thought of the second burger. It really was cooked to perfection, lovely and pink and juicy. YUM.

We were tired, we were cold, but as always had a great time. Sadly next week is the last week until October. But I want to make it a big one, so make sure you come down and check it out.

Eat: Eggless March Menu

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It’s been a while since I’ve visited Eggless twice in one month, but March was a great month to do so. Eggless got into the Mad March spirit with their ‘Unearthly Delights’ Menu.

The first trip was with K & Miss C. I’d taken Miss C to a pretty fab Fringe show, but had to get baking the next morning, so K was giving me a lift al the way back home. As I treat to them both I shouted Eggless for the night. Miss C had the strawberry & hazelnut cheesecake and I chose the onde onde. I can tell you it was hard to resist the Unearthly Delight, but I already knew I’d be visiting again with Sam next week and I was saving it for then.

It was Miss C’s first Eggless visit, I can safely say I have another convert. I loved the onde onde, it reminded me a bit of mochi which I’m also a big fan of. The flavours change throughout the month, and they were calling for fans of their Facebook page to add in any suggestions.

The second time I was out with Sam. We knew we were after the Unearthly Delight and the Flourless Banana Slice with Lime, Elderflower & Black Pepper Sorbet weeks before we actually got the chance to visit. Now usually I’m not a huge chocolate fan, but how could I refuse this?

A wicked & delicious chocolate tard layered with raspberry jam, black cherries, chocolate ganache, pistachio cream, & pistachio fairy floss.

Oh my it was lovely. The black cherries popped in your mouth, adding a sweet & sour element, and I can never refuse a dish topped with fairy floss. I was also a little bit in love with the sorbet. Thankfully Sam let me tuck into most of that.

While the food was fantastic, and the ambience was great, as always the selling point for me comes down to the owners & the staff. Another win for Eggless.

Eat: Gilles Street Market

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I hate to admit it, but I’ve actually only been to the Gilles Street Markets twice. Once was back in March of last year. Mum & my aunt had a stall, I’d been told I was redundant a few days earlier, and I was feeling sick on what was supposed to be my last day working. The second visit was today.

Gilles Street Market is primarily a fashion market, but there was one reason I was heading there today: food. With two of the girls in tow I was scouting for cupcakes & also Syrup Cordial Bar.

I want to do taste testing of cupcakes around Adelaide, see how they compare (to my liking), and see what others are doing. I have  a pretty clear idea of what I want my cupcakes and my business to be, but I think it is also very important to know what others are doing.

The cupcakes looked lovely. Believe me they weren’t this messy when we picked them up, this is just after being carried around in the box for a while. The toppers suited the flavours, and they weren’t too over the top crazy. They were $3 each, but we got this pre-packed box of 6 for just $10. It was a pretty good deal.

I had Miss E & Miss M with me. The strawberry cupcake was quickly chosen by Miss E. She didn’t like the icing, but she rarely does. Miss M had a plain vanilla cupcake, and I started with the orange and poppyseed. I actually preferred the strawberry icing, the others were far too sweet and buttery. It was a bit like taking a spoonful of margarine.

The cakes though were light and fluffy. I liked the flavour of the orange and poppyseed. They were quite small, and I think the major letdown was the icing to cupcake ratio. I love my frosting, but it was just too much.

The cupcakes were from Sweet ‘n’ Petite, but I can’t seem to find them online at all. I was actually surprised that they were the only cupcakes at the market, I kind of expected there to be more.

As I said, our other stop was Syrup Cordial Bar. These guys make all of their own cordial, and it was great because I knew there would be flavours the girls would like. Unfortunately they were sold out of most options. Miss E & I enjoyed a lemonade while Miss M had an apple & raspberry. I still prefer homemade lemonade (especially when it’s coming from the Little Van that Could or the Famous Lemonade Stand), but Syrup are great for something different. They’re also always so lovely and friendly, so how can you go wrong?

For lunch I grabbed a hot dog from Wunderbar Hot Dog, & the girls had some chips. It didn’t feel exactly healthy, but it was a yummy dog.

I’d love to have a stall at the markets, there is a great (but hectic) vibe, and it’s the type of place I’d feel well suited. Getting over the cost is a bit of a hurdle, and I still don’t know if they’d want me. I’m excited to have started my cupcake trialling. Perhaps to get a good sample of BTS next?

Also next on the cupcake list is to make some time to get some good photographs of my current products. I just haven’t found the time. I need to set aside a cupcake of each flavour so I can photograph once market craziness is over!

 

Eat: Bliss Organic Garden Cafe

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It was time for a brunch catch up with R, an old work friend. The location? Bliss Organic Garden Cafe. This was my first time at Bliss, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. R had raved about their brownies for a while, but the night before another friend had told me a few bad stories about her experiences. I was still going in with an open mind.

We sat outside, in a beautiful garden area. There was a wooden gazebo, and plenty of plants surrounding the table. There was definitely a very hippy vibe to the place, it felt like it was all about relaxing and unwinding. It actually reminded me of a few backpacker hostel type places in SE Asia, in places like Chiang Mai & Sapa.

I ordered banana pancakes with native syrup, a breakfast I used to get all the time when we were living in Vietnam, and a hot spiced apple drink that reminded me of something we had our last time in Sapa. Okay, yes I was trying to push the Asia nostalgia a little far. R ordered a BLT, but being vegan of course it was fake bacon.

My pancakes were light and the combo of banana and the syrup was very yummy, and the spiced apple drink was warming and delicious. R’s BLT was huge, and she couldn’t finish the whole thing. I made sure I tried a bit of her ‘bacon’, it had a strong smokey flavour, but definitely wasn’t much like bacon. R also raved about the vegan iced chocolate on the menu.

I loved the atmosphere here, even if it’s not my usual scene.

Bliss Organic Cafe on Urbanspoon

Eat: Chocolate Tree

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It was time for a dessert date, and the toss up was between Devour and Chocolate Tree. As keen as I was to try Devour’s new menu I’ve never been to Chocolate Tree before so I thought I should give it ago. It seems silly when heading to a chocolate cafe, but I really wasn’t in the mood for chocolate. Instead I chose an apple and pistachio cake, topped with a little macaron. The other girls both went for waffles, one plain, and one nutty.

We decided to sit outside, it was a nice little area with a few small tables and fairy lights. It wasn’t too cold so it was nice to sit outside, that was until everyone around us started lighting up. I guess that’s apparently what you get for sitting outside, but it’s a pity because it’s a nice area and would be nice if people sat outside for the atmosphere not so they could have a cigarette. It definitely puts a dampen on dessert when someone else’s smoke is in your face.

The food was good, there wasn’t anything spectacular on the menu, but what they did have was good. I was surprised with my choice that the little macaron on top was actually an apple macaron, I assumed it would be pistacchio.

I think next time we’ll probably be choosing to sit inside.

Buy & Try: Crazy Dragon Frozen Dumplings

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After rifling through the freezer tonight (I’m with flu and no one else is home to cook me tea) I came across some frozen dumplings. Not the type you buy in huge bags from Asian grocers, but this ‘Crazy Dragon’ brand that I’ve never heard of before. I can’t say hopes were too high, but considering I quite often have dumpling cravings I was willing to give them a try.

 

Unfortunately they definitely weren’t a winner (can’t say I’m too surprised). The filling was rubbery, and pretty bland. I probably wouldn’t bother trying them again.