Pavé Chocolates

Pavé Chocolates

Four friends with a common dream, to share their experience from all over the world and here it is, they put it into a cafe.


Baby blue walls and pink counters; these four owners emphasize strongly on every single detail of the shop. While the local carpenters aren't good with curves, the owners make it a point to import some of the cafe's furnishings.


Was told by the cafe chocolatier, Chef Nick Lam (who studied chocolate-making in Spain) to pop by after 3pm on weekends for Pave's freshly baked goods (e.g. Caneles Bordelais, Croissants, Pain au Chocolat and Scones (made with Le Gall Butter)). Note that these are only available on weekends.


And we were pleasantly surprised for this cafe uses premium ingredients. For instance, the crossiants ($3.50 each) and Pain au Chocolat are made with a 3 day fermentation using Echiré Butter. Though it may sound extremely expensive to some, this is one of our favourites and is highly recommended for its light, fluffy pastry. Caneles Bordelais, on the other hand has a crisp caramelized crust with a soft and tender custard center. We tried the ones from Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie the next day and though the overall taste is pretty much similar, the crust of the latter is soft, not sure is it due to the humidity in Singapore. Anyway, for fresh Caneles Bordelais, drop by Pave, after 3pm on weekends and you can be assured to enjoy these French cakes straight off the oven.


Hot Chocolate is highly recommended by Nick ($6.90 per cup, $12.90, $17.90 and $22.90 for a jug that can serve 2, 3 and 4 respectively) and we were amused by the Molinillo, a chocolate frothing stick imported from Mexico for whipping air into hot chocolate, giving it a rich and frothy texture. Moreover, this drink is made with 72% Venezuela Chocolate and is set for 5 to 6 hours before serving.


Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Yen Kok presents her array of creations with the cafe's bestseller and signature, For Alice ($8.50). A cake made specially for the cafe's strawberry mentor. Consists of Dark Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Creme Brulee and Willamette Raspberries.


I subconsciously finished two-thirds of the cake while Yuan was busy with his photos. In short, love it for its smooth (52%) chocolate mousse with a slight tang from the raspberries. Yuan described this to be somewhat similar to eating a Black Forest cake: Fine chocolate shavings, raspberries and chocolate mousse, giving a nice blend of bittersweet and sour aftertaste.


Nutty Putty, a combination of Coconut Caramel, Peanut Praline and 'Dark' Milk Chocolate is another bestseller of the cafe but we have decided to give it a miss for the cafe's seasonal addition, Strawberry Shortcake (named as Wow! Ichigo 100%), made with a mixture of Korean strawberries and wild strawberries. This delightful treat is only going to be enough for one. Not only is the cream lightly whipped with 2 layers of cake sponge, the strawberries are so fresh and sweet. Splendid.


Pave has very interesting flavours for their chocolates and the selection ranges from chocolate bars to chocolate pralines. Everything about this shop is so creative and one will definitely be amused by the names the owners have coined.


One of the owners, Joshua Choo generously served us a platter of chocolates for sampling and some of the ones that left an impression were the
- Cognac, a house blend of single plantation chocolates paired with 20 years aged Fins Bois cognac
- Brambles on Fire, which is to describe the presence of smokey raspberry
- Chocolate-coated Coffee Beans
- Chocolate-coated Blueberries
- Oooze for Sea-Salted Caramel lovers (mixed with Cocoa Crunch, encased in Dark Chocolate, drizzled with Cocoa Nibs)
- Mr Gobino, a classic favourite where Dark Chocolate is incoporated with in-house freshly roasted hazelnuts and sea salt
- Yen for those who have an adventurous tastebuds as this is a white truffle bonbon with earthy dark chocolate
- Heather Haggis which contains anti-oxidant honey from Scotland

From the description, one can expect surprises from each and personally we would described these to be unique and different from the regular chocolate bonbons. As a purist, we do have mixed feelings and naturally our favourite among the entire sampling platter would be Mr Gobino and Heather Haggis for a more neutral combination.

The cafe has a nice cosy level 2, allowing the diners to unwind and relax. Saturdays have never been so great to be able to talk to the owners and what makes it more perfect are the desserts and bakes Pave has put up.


From our understanding from Nick and Joshua, the ingredients are imported all by the owners and they are always looking for a tastier species of fruit, different plantation's chocolate or a terroir where the alcohol comes from.

Many thanks to Chef Nick for the invitation to drop by Pave. Also, not forgetting the warm hospitality of the owners, Chef Yen, Joshua and Sandora have showered us during our stay at Pave.

Pavé Chocolates
93 East Coast Road
Singapore 428792
Tel: 6342 0677

Operating hours:
12:30pm to 10:30pm (Tues to Sat)
Closed on Mondays

Website
Facebook Page

P.S. Apologize for the incomplete listing of the pricing as Yuan has misplaced his receipt.

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Cafe Ma Maison

Cafe Ma Maison

Described by the cafe to be made from top quality Thailand mango with a Creme Brulee Base, this tart shares a common characteristic with Mangoesity. That is, the mango is really sweet and offers generous chunks of mango. The pastry base is closer to that of a puff with a chewy interior. Sad to say, the initial bite was heavenly but you will find it oily on the second bite.


As for the Mont Blanc tart, this uses a thin crust with a domanda cream as its base, and is topped with creme de marrons, fresh chestnuts and gold flakes. Similarly to the Mango Brulee Tart, the Mango Brulee Tart is too sweet and has a similar puff-like tart shell. No doubt the chestnut cream is smooth but sad to say the sweetness is just not for me.

Interesting combinations but only recommended for people with high sugar tolerance.

Cafe Ma Maison
Parco Millenia Marina Bay
9 Raffles Boulevard
#P1-27
Singapore 039596
Tel: 6336-8260

Operating hours:
11am to 9:30pm
Website
Facebook Page

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Macarons from ET Artisan Sweets

Macarons from ET Artisan Sweets

Henry's Park Apartments is a good place for chocolate fudge cake fix and macarons given how near Vicky's is to ET Artisan Sweets.

Apart from macarons and cupcakes, they used to have a list of cakes posted on their website and I recalled emailing to them to ask them about it. Should you see this list of cakes once more, the shop requires pre-ordering for whole cake orders and do not have sliced cakes for sale due to their small production kitchen.

The other niche that ET Artisan Sweets has is the lovely customized cakes which you can view on their facebook page. Be warned, you will be blown away by their beautiful collections.

Anyway, back to the macaron talk, personally, I thought that the colour was way too vibrant. Available in a good range of flavours such as rose, mocha chip, summerberry, lemon raspberry, vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut, mint, raspberry, etc, these macarons are sold in boxes of 5 ($11), 9 ($19), 15 ($30), 18 ($36).

Made from 100% Californian almonds with either 70% chocolate ganache or whipped cream, the general texture of the shells is coarse and just slight chewy. Resembles closer to a cookie with an extremely dense shells and when compared to the others, this is definitely an above average macaron.


Blackforest, a liquor macaron with generous servings of cherries was highly recommended by 8 days some time back (pitted against Jewels, Canele, Carousel, TWG and other big names), is outstanding for its good contrast of sweet, chocolate and liquor. However, for liquor macarons, Cream Cheese macarons remains our top favourite.

Vanilla Bean is lovely in its way for the crunchy bits of chocolate balls in its filling and it being the least sweet.

Finally, rose was ok in our opinion as we recalled the good old Canele (texture of macaron is very close to Canele's violette but the flavour of flavour is more outstanding, thereby leaving a deeper impression) and the recent Blush, Hilton Singapore's Valentine special leaving a deeper impression.

In summary, it still voices down to individual's preference and I would prefer a softer, chewier macaron with powering flavours.

ET Artisan Sweets
32 Holland Grove Road
Singapore 278807
Tel: 6468 6700

Website
Facebook Page

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Mangoesity

Mangoesity

Mango lovers will certainly be delighted to be overwhelmed by so many variants of mango desserts. In addition, this mango-themed bakery actually guarantees its mango to be sweet and will do a 1-for-1 exchange if their mangoes are sour.

They have quite a fair bit of selection with 12 of them being featured on their poster.

As I was there before noon, there was 7 mango items and I gladly take-away one of each to share with my family members. In general, the desserts are priced between $2.80 to $4.80. At the point of purchase, there was a 20% discount. So, $24.30 for a total of 8 mango desserts.


Mango Millefeuille ($4.80), my parents' favourite for the generous slice of mango. The sweet juicy fruit fits pretty well with the crisp pastry.


Mango Gelée Cake ($3.80) said to be Mangoesity's best seller, comprises of mango gelée, chantilly cream, sponge cake and fresh mangoes. The overall combination is refreshing with emphasis placed on the sugary sponge cake. Sliced mango and mango gelée finish the taste with a nice juicy punch.

At the point of my visit, there is a 15% discount for pre-ordering of whole cakes and the pricing is attractive.
400gm - $15.80 $13.40
600gm - $23.80 $20.20
1kg - $39.80 $33.80
2kg - $79.80 $67.80


Mango Pavlova ($3.80) turns out to be Yuan's favourite. This meringue-based dessert is not overly sweet and the idea of using a crispy meringue as a tart shell to house a generous serving of fresh mangoes makes this the most creative treat among the 7.


Mango Tango Cheesecake ($3.80) is slightly disappointing when compared to the rest. It has an oreo-base tart shell paired with cream cheese (flavoured with orange juice) and fresh mango. Don't be misled by the lonely mango ball placed on top of the creation as there is a generous slice of mango sandwiched within the cheese cake.


A slight variant to the Mango Tango Cheesecake ($3.80) but instead has a thicker bitterish chocolate shell.


I didn't get to try the last two desserts but my sister described the Mango Panna Cotta ($2.80) to be light and not cloying.


As for the Mango Yogurt Cheesecake ($3.80), my sister summarized it with a nod in her head.

Pretty impressed by the variety this shop has put up and the effort the shop has placed to ensure the mangoes to be fresh and sweet. Definitely recommended in our humble opinion, particularly when a good mango creation is so hard to come by. Apart from the mangoes being fresh and juicy, my family members pointed out that the mangoes aren't fibrous.

Mangoesity (closed)
Lot 1 Shoppers' Mall, #B1-K1
21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
Singapore 689812

Operating hours:
11:30am to 9pm daily

Website
Facebook page
Email address: enquiry@mangoesity.com

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Vicky's Chocolate Fudge Cake

Vicky's Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake is one type of cake that I started to enjoy only after the birth of this blog and prior to that, I simply cannot understand how these one product shops (or rather close to) can survive on just selling chocolate fudge cakes.

Searching through the internet, forums will mention big names such as Lana Cake Shop, Jane's Cake Station, Choc.a.Bloc, Awfully Chocolate when asked for recommendations for chocolate fudge cake.

I can't remember the details of each cake but for sure, I am one that fancy soft and moist chocolate sponge so Lana Cake Shop is the least favoured among the four but that is also one cake shop whom many has grown up with and has stirred a fair bit of rebuttal in the internet community.

Whenever, Lana Cake Shop is mentioned, Vicky's Chocolate Fudge Cake will definitely be seen somewhere in the same post and it is also through the comments on my Lana Cake Shop that makes me purchased a cake from them.


Now I know why, apart from Lana Cake Shop adopting a rectangular shape for their Chocolate Fudge Cake, this is the other that is in the same shape.


As described by most, this is extremely soft and moist with a smooth chocolate fudge. Comparing this with Awfully Chocolate's All Chocolate which Yuan had on the same day, he felt that Vicky's sponge is slightly salty and chewy while he described Awfully Chocolate's to be a sweeter and more moist variant.

To me, my preference inclined more towards Vicky's and this is definitely a good alternative to my favourite Choc.a.bloc for both convenience and pricing. While Choc.a.bloc priced its 800gm cake at $32 and Awfully Chocolate selling their 1kg All Chocolate at $51.60, Vicky's 1kg Chocolate Fudge Cake cost merely $35. In addition, with Vicky's pleasant service as what most has highlighted, this definitely worth a trip and many thanks to my readers for recommending their Chocolate Fudge Cake to us.

Vicky's
28 Holland Grove Road
Singapore 278805
Tel: 6466 4000
Website

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Sour Sally

Sour Sally

Before Sour Sally, my knowledge of frozen yogurt is only limited to Yami Yogurt and Frolick. It was only after this media invite from Sixth Sense Communications then I realized that frozen yogurt has been the latest trend. While others may have think that Sour Sally is joining in the frozen yogurt fever, this yogurt brand has a very strong foothold in Indonesia with 27 outlets from cities naming from Bandung, Surabaya, Bali and Medan.


Sour Sally adopts a different concept from the other new frozen yogurt outlets for Sour Sally is a name of an adorable quirky girl and the concept of this yogurt chain is to allow their yogurt fans to associate themselves with the character, Sour Sally whose persona showcases a fun-filled panache for life. In addition, Jocelyn and Donny, the owners of Sour Sally aims to bring in Sour Sally merchandise ranging from dolls, T-shirts, shawls and stockings, EZ-link card stickers, notebooks, Tote bags and more.


Apart from Sour Sally merchandise, here comes the main highlight. Complementing the four different flavours of U.S. Premium Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt, Sour Sally offers 24 exciting toppings, with hot favourites such as Mochi Mix and Sally's bubbles.


A tasty attraction at Sour Sally's is the Shaved Iced Escapade which is made of smooth layers of shaved ice (with condensed milk) crowned with a choice of yogurt and three toppings. Priced between $8.80 for a Shaved Ice Escapade in original yogurt flavour to $9.80 for a Candy Mix Yogurt flavour, the idea is inspired from the local Ice Kachang.

Another interesting item of Sour Sally is the thirst-quencher, Sour Sally's smoothies ($5.90). This is made with Sour Sally's yogurt, blended with fresh fruit such as Mango, Strawberry, Longan or even a blend of two. We tried the Longan and when consumed back to back with their yogurt, this is slightly more milky and watery. However, for Singapore's hot weather, it is a healthier alternative to soft drinks.


Candy Mix - Pinklicious and Melon Mint (with Nata De Coco and Granola)
Yuan fancy this more than me for its texture is creamier and the flavour is more intense.


Twist - Original and Green Tea Yogurt (with Sally's bubbles and Mochi Mix)
Comparing with the regular Green Tea Soft-Serve, one can expect this to be weaker in this flavour. Comparing this with Yigloo's Green Tea Yogurt, I prefer Sour Sally more but for ice-cream lovers like Yuan, his choice would be the latter.

As for the original, this is alot lighter and tangy than both Yigloo's and Sogurt's, preference depends greatly on whether you are a yogurt or soft-serve fan.

But I have to emphasize the the mochi mix offered by Sour Sally is alot more addictive than Sogurt for a chewier texture. Sally's bubbles is even more interesting as each "bubble" contains mango syrup, literally pairing its yogurt with a bursting effect.

Last but not least, many thanks to Shauna for inviting us to try Sour Sally's media event.

Sour Sally
Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road
#B1-47
Singapore 238877

Operating hours: 11:30am to 9:30pm
Website

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Valentine's Day Special - Hilton Singapore

Valentine's Day Special - Hilton Singapore

Saint Valentine's Day is just a week away and I still remember the good old days in school where the boys appeared in schools with chocolates and flowers while among the girls, there were exchanges of handmade gifts and gerberas.

In addition, as I grow older, I came to realize that February 14th is not the only Valentine Day. To the Chinese, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is also known to be the Chinese Valentine's Day (i.e. 七夕节 or Magpie Festival).

Whichever the case, pastry lovers will be delighted that this is the time to go dessert hunting as cakes, chocolates and macarons start appearing in the form of pink hearts.

Valentine comes early for us as Hilton Singapore has generously delivered Executive Chef Christophe Grilo's Valentine's sweet pastry creations to us.


Our favourite among the three, Two's A Company, a duo of heart-shaped passion fruit, banana and caramel cake. As we have always highlight in our previous entries, Chef Christophe has never disappoint with his use of ingredients and it is an understatement to say that this is beautifully executed.


Light banana sponge cake is glazed with tangy homemade banana-passionfruit jam, and filled with white chocolate mousse and passion fruit-banana caramel. The fruity caramel is a delicious marriage of caramel cream, banana puree and passionfruit puree. A layer of blush-hued white chocolate dust on the outside mirrors the warm and fuzzy feeling of love.


The plus point, it comes as a pair and that this cake is sturdy enough to withstand our humid weather for more than 4 hours but yet the cake remains meltingly smooth and soft. The minus point, since white chocolate mousse is used, it might be alittle sweet to some.


Forever Yours, a chocolate creation consists of a heart-shaped chocolate shell encasing raspberry and coconut truffles. The use of homemade ruby-red raspberry dust made from real raspberries, provides a nice tang to neutralize the sweetness of the white chocolate and coconut milk ganache.


I have previously raved about Hilton's cream cheese macarons and this Valentine, Chef Christophe introduce Blush, a rose and raspberry macaroon. Instead of cream cheese filling or buttercream, white chocolate cream infused with rose water from Lebanon and tart raspberry marmalade is used as the filling to complement the light pink shells to resemble the glow of couples in love.

For those who are looking for set meals on this special day, Hilton Singapore is offering two types of dinner menu at il Cielo Italian Restaurant and Checkers Brasserie respectively.

Located by the poolside on top of the 24-storey hotel, il Cielo Italian Restaurant is an ideal choice to dine under the stars. With the menu designed by Hilton Singapore Executive Chef Sandro Flabo and Italian Chef Stefano Arrigoni, this $238++ five-course dinner includes,

An Antipasto Platter of Love -
Oysters, Caviar, Foie Gras and Crystal Bay Prawns.
***
Homemade Heart-Shaped Pasta filled with Alaskan Crab in aromatic Saffron Caviar Sauce
***
A Choice Of Mains -
Vanilla-flavoured Lobster and Rose Petal Potatoes and Seabass on Barley Risotto
or
Pan-fried Veal Tenderloin with Parma Ham, Porcini and Truffles
***
A Raspberry Vanilla and Rose Cake for two
__________
Alternatively, Checkers Brasserie offers a four-course Valentine's Day dinner for two ($188++ per couple). This menu features

Starter - Scallops and Salmon Carpaccio with Caviar
***
Mains -
Baked French Seabass
or Braised Lamb Ribs
***
Dessert - Bouquet of Roses made from a Raspberry, Vanilla and Rose Mille Feuille
Last but not least, we would like to express a big thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. June Wong for the kind generousity for the Valentine pastries. Do note that 2 of the photos that are uploaded on this post is obtained from Hilton Singapore's press release and it is obvious which are the two. =)

Dining Under the Stars
il Cielo Italian restaurant
Five-course dinner at $238++ per couple
7pm - 10:30pm
For reservations, call 6730 3395

Valentine's Day Dinner
Checkers Brasserie
Four-course dinner at $188++ per couple
7pm - 10pm
For reservations, call 67303390

Valentine-inspired sweet pastry creations are available at Checkers Deli from 8 February.
Checkers Deli
11am - 9pm, daily
For orders and enquiries, call 6730 3392

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Mao Shan Wang Nian Gao

Mao Shan Wang Nian Gao

I guess I am probably late in posting this as today is already the 7th day of the lunar new year and the Mao Shan Wang Nian Gao from Peony Jade is probably sold out. Nonetheless, I thought I should still blog about it as it is worth considering for next year's CNY.

Durian lovers will love this as apart from thin layers of nian gao (年糕), you are essentially eating durian pulp. While the durian lovers rejoice, the nian gao lovers will probably be disappointed to find that it tasted more like jiu ceng gao (九层糕) rather than nian gao.

Peony Jade Restaurant @ Clarke Quay
Blk 3A Clarke Quay
#02-02
Singapore
Tel: 6338 0305 / 6338 0138

Peony Jade @ Keppel Club
Bukit Chermin Road, Keppel Club
Singapore 109918
Tel: 6276 9138

Website for Peony Jade Resturant

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Pineapple Tarts from Crust n Flour

Pineapple Tarts from Crust n Flour

No special reason to purchase our last tub of pineapple tubs from Crust and Flour Bakery Cafe but it happens to be a gift from some events.

Our last pineapple tart entry for the year is from Crust and Flour Bakery Cafe and this is a typical type of tart you will find in most households during Chinese New Year visiting.

The most outstanding part about this is the huge ball of pineapple jam and after eating truckloads worth of pineapple tarts, it gives us the impression that factory-made or pre-packed pineapple jam are usually sticky and chewy, thereby making the pineapple filling of Freshly Baked the most outstanding.


Before we end off, we realize most would have define a good crust to be a buttery one but not knowing how to define a buttery taste, we baked a batch of cookies that uses only flour, egg yolk, icing sugar and butter.

The pineapple tarts that resemhles closest to what we have in our oven is Mirana (Note: not 100%) and it seems that most has replaced butter with shortening (of varying degree), thereby lacking the fragrance that butter often provides. The other thing we observed is that butter is not the component that makes the crust attain a melt-in-your mouth effect but rather a texture that is closer to a shortbread. In other words, most of the available pineapple tarts in the market are not made 100% butter and that oil or shortening has been introduced.

Crust n Flour Bakery Cafe
164 Bukit Merah Central #01-3625
S150164
Tel: 6272 0105

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Pineapple Tarts from Hans

Pineapple Tarts from Hans

Hans made it into our list of pineapple tarts this year as we have eaten these tarts year round (i.e. These tarts are available throughout the year, sold at $4.20 for 10 pieces).

Apart from selling 30 pieces in a container at $13.80, these tarts are also available at $6.80 in a bag with 15 pieces or the standard take-away pack of 10 pieces at $4.20.

Note that the take-away pack of 10 pieces is smaller in size and our vague impression is that those tasted better than the ones sold in 30s.

In terms of appearance this one probably trumps all the ones we have eaten. Each tart has a nice golden glaze over the top.

Before our pineapple tarts spree, this has always been an alternative to desserts when we lunch at Hans and personally, we can finish all 10 in a go.

However, we were pretty surprised that comparing these back to back with the rest, we were a little disappointed. First impression does make it slightly similar to Mirana but the subsequent few rounds of comparison will make one notice the thicker crust and the chewier filling. In fact, the tart crust tasted closer to a butter cake and is slightly oily.

Though Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux, Mirana Cake House and Crystal Jade seems to be more outstanding, Hans definitely taste better than BreadTalk and Bengawan Solo (not blogging it as we had them in office). For its convenience and pricing, this would be above average in our humble opinion.


Han's Cafe and Cake House
Various outlets around Singapore
http://www.hans.com.sg/hans.html
For Enquires call 6438 2488

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Mirana Pineapple Tarts

Mirana Pineapple Tarts

I noticed through our pineapple spree, our parents actually prefer the open filling for its appearance being closer to a tart. In addition, the ancient version (which I haven't even seen before) is supposed to be in the form of a tartlet.

Between open or closed, it depends on whether one's preference inclined closer to the crust or the filling and for those who love buttery crust. Mirana Cake House ($14.00 for a 500gm tub) is one that is highly recommended on the internet.

Among the pineapple tarts we have tried this year, the crust will melt in your mouth. The fact that the tart left little traces of oil on the fingers, I guessed that is the niche. Butter as the main ingredient.

However, the filling falls short on expectation for its chewy pineapple filling. Personally, we prefer our pineapple tart to be more fibrous and less chewy.

Mirana Cake House
1 Raffles Place
#B1-05/06 One Raffles Place (Former OUB Centre)
Tel: 6533 8302

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Pineapple Tarts from Crystal Jade

Pineapple Tarts from Crystal Jade

4 days more to Chinese New Year Eve and surprisingly, my pineapple carvings have led my tummy to munch more pineapple tarts from 5 different places.

After finishing the tub purchased from Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux, I am pretty curious to find out that has a good crust and while passing by Crystal Jade, My Bread, the poster of their Chinese New Year goodies caught my attention.


With the "Best Seller" screaming right into my eyes, the packs of 8s caught my attention and these aren't cheap as a pack of 8 cost $8.50. What makes is interesting from most is the top of the tart as it is the same "cap" that a 菠萝包 (i.e Pineapple Bun) will have.

For those who are not familiar with these buns, the top is made to resemble like a pineapple and shares a similar dough as sugar cookies.


The entire taste is very close to a cookie as the top is crunchy and sweet. Although the filling is hand-grated like Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux, the filling is miminal to leave an impression.

Something different from a conventional tart but may disappoint alittle if you are looking for good pineapple filling. As for fans for pineapple fans, this might be something interesting to serve during Chinese New Year.


Crystal Jade offers a mooncake-like packaging where the tarts are packed in 8s. Probably to emphasize on fortune and wealth since 8 sounds like 发财 (rich) while pineapple in Hokkien (i.e. Ong Lai) is similar to 旺来 (welcoming wealth).

Anyway, these packs are sold as individual, 2s (Double Happiness Pack) or 4s (Happiness Quartlet Pack).

Crystal Jade, My Bread has several branches, listed on their website.

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Cream Cheese Macarons

Cream Cheese Macarons

Okok, I know I have been blogging on Hilton Singapore lately but trust me, I have bought these macarons on 3 occasions after trying them at the Christmas Media Event.


Slightly on the moist side, these macarons are intensely flavoured with Clavados Calvados and the texture is simply fabulous. Not the conventional buttercream and the shells are meaty with a nice crisp crust.


A box of 9 is priced at $24.21 (i.e. $2.69 each). Durian lovers will not want to miss out Hilton's macarons. According to a friend of mine, those are highly recommended too.

Checkers Deli
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3392

Operating hours - 11:00am - 9:00pm (daily)

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Cornflake Cookies

Cornflake Cookies

As mentioned, the wedding preparation has left our kitchen idling for too long and since Chinese New Year is coming in less than 2 weeks time, this makes it a good excuse to mess up the kitchen before spring cleaning.

After attempting Rasa Malaysia's Sweet and Sour Pork, I have been visiting her website for some easy recipes and Cornflakes Cookies caught my attention for the short preparation time and minimal ingredients required.


Recipe (For approximately 80 bite-sized cookies)
200 gm butter
150 gm sugar
2 eggs
300 gm all-purpose flour
120 gm cornflakes
1 tsp vanilla essense
30 gm corn flour

Steps
1. Beat butter and sugar till pale and creamy
2. Add vanilla essence
3. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs
4. Fold in the flour mixture including corn flour
5. Scoop out about 1 teaspoon of the cookie dough and roll it into the crushed cornflakes
6. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper
7. Bake for 23 minutes at 180°C or till golden brown


A very simple recipe to follow and the fun comes with crushing the cornflakes and rolling them into cute little balls. Taste-wise, sweetness is just right with nice crisp cornflakes as the coating though we felt that the dough is a little bland and dry. Not sure would it be a better bet to use rub-in method and throw in some almond powder for better texture.

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Baked and Eaten II

Baked and Eaten II

A change in the packaging with the familiar logo which Charmaine has designed. Charmaine has put her passion to the next level, optimizing her brownie recipes. The changes are definitely positive and we would say we love her brownies more.


The same flavours as the previous round (i.e. Walnut Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Cranberry and Swirled Cheese Cocoa) but this time round, it is the texture that outshines. The texture is closer to a soft chocolate bar and is easy on the tummy, making us finishing 3 brownies in a row. Sweetness is right and chocolate truffle lovers will like its smooth and rich texture. A brownie that taste good without even the need to be warmed up or served with ice-cream.

Baked and Eaten operates from a licenced kitchen studio "Whisk and Fold" at
778A North Bridge Road
Singapore 198786
Tel: 9781 4169
Website

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Orchard @ Hilton

Orchard @ Hilton

Pardon for the absence of entries lately as we realized that our 过大礼 was earlier than expected so for the past few weeks, it had been window shopping for bedsheets and the required items, settling our wedding invitations and of course, gown fitting.

Among the backlogs we have, one of the items we have ordered in the earlier part of January is a log cake we have blogged about it earlier on.


Chef Christophe from Hilton Singapore is kind enough to make a Orchard log cake for me to share with my family and friends and this cake deserved an entry on its own.

A 1kg Orchard is priced at $60+ and note that this is not available off the shelf but a special request I have made to Chef Christophe and if you managed to get him to make this for you. You simply will not regret.


A good non-chocolate cake is often hard to find and this is going to capture your attention if you fancy the combination of apple and cinnamon. Luscious baked apples with a hint of orangey zing are the star of this soft vanilla log.

The apples were baked in low heat for 10 hours to caramelize, hence providing a very nice sugary fragrance but yet not overly sweet. Fresh Granny Smiths and caramel are later throw in for the added crunch and tanginess; a perfect marriage with the vanilla calvados mousse with a fantastic base. The base which the cake sit on is actually made of caramel fudge, finishing the taste with a medley of texture and flavours.

I know there are a couple of new patisseries which I have not blogged on but I simply cannot resist the temptation Chef Christophe has put up.

Checkers Deli
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883

For reservations, orders and enquiries, contact
Tel: 6730 3392
Fax: 6732 2917
Email: Checkers.Singapore@hilton.com

Operating hours - 11:00am - 9:00pm (daily)

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CNY favourites: Pineapple Tarts & Kueh Lapis

CNY favourites: Pineapple Tarts & Kueh Lapis

Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux has been recommended by some of my readers but our visit has been shelved aside due to our busy schedule. Within walking distance from Somerset MRT, this place was bustling with lots of people on a Saturday afternoon and it seems that their breads are very popular among the Caucasians.


No sign of their recommended macarons but their pineapple tarts and kueh lapis caught my attention. Priced at $20.80 per tub, the fibrous tangy pineapple filling is definitely different from the usually sweet ones I have tried. Normally I would have paid more attention to buttery base rather than the filling, this time it was the pineapple filling that stands out as it is hand-grated.

Haven't eaten enough pineapple tarts to justify a strong recommendation but this is definitely the better ones I have come across. Well, Le Cafe is sold out for the New Year and I am not sure should I risk a few more inches for Mirana pineapple tarts since the recommendation is made by a reliable source.


I have always fancy the oily type of kueh lapis and hence Smiling Orchid has always been my favourite. Freshly Baked's Kueh Lapis on the contrary is not oily but yet the taste of it is not compromised. In fact, Yuan gave it a thumbs up over Smiling Orchid and like the pineapple tarts, I have not tried popular names like Fullerton Hotel (said to be the hotel's signature) and Layer_S (recommended by the 50 yummiest cakes) to jump into conclusion.

Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux
57 Killiney Road
Singapore 239520
Tel: 6735 3298

Operating hours:
8am to 8pm (Mon to Fri)
8am to 6pm (Sat)
8am to 2:30pm (Sun)
Website

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Metrocakes CNY Collection 2011

Metrocakes CNY Collection 2011

While most Chinese New Year goodies or gifts are shaped in the form of a koi, MetroCakes surprised us with a gigantic fire cracker. This Fortune Cracker ($98.80) may sound pricey to most but do keep in mind that delivery of the cake has been taken care of and that most 3D cakes are relatively expensive for the amount of icing sugar used and workmanship.

Some time back, we purchased angry birds cake toppers and these sugary characters are priced at $45+.

So as a Chinese New Year gift, this does sound attractive as apart from the lovely appearance of this cake, beneath the fondant is a moist, dense and rich chocolate swiss roll. A remake of their log cake.


The characteristics of MetroCakes' creations often inclined towards rich flavours with a dense yet moist sponge so one can expect that this chocolate mousse with a slight orange flavour to be acceptable by chocolate fans.


The Treasure Cove ($68.80) consists 2 dozens of orange flavor cupcakes customized to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. Like all cupcakes, the top layer of icing sugar is more for decorative purpose rather than for eating. The niche of this creation is the convenience of cupcakes. No hassle to cut and divide. Moreover, with designs ranging from the Fire Cracker, Rabbit, Red Packet, Mandarin Oranges and Yellow Clover, this serves as a perfect cooperate gift or an item for potluck. Taste-wise, the slight orange taste complements nicely with the not-so-sweet and not oily cake, making it a good twist to the conventional Chinese New Year goodies.

Special thanks to Cerissa for the complementary cakes.

Metrocakes
774 North Bridge Road
Singapore 198742
Tel: 6294 9929
Website

Operating Hours:
10:30am to 7pm (Mon to Fri)
10:30am to 3pm (Sat)
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

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