Max Brenner, Parramatta ($)

Address: 159-175 Church St Parramatta NSW

Tel: (02) 9635 7566

Website: http://www.maxbrenner.com.au/m/locations/parramatta.html

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We all know I’m a big fan of chocolate.

And it is no surprise that MaxB is my favourite chocolate shop of them all.

So of course, after watching the Roosters play the Eels in Parramatta, I suggested that we head over to MB for some good ol’ chocoloving!

MC and I at the game

On a Friday night, Parramatta is always pretty busy. As the main town area in the West, it is full of western Sydney siders keen for a drink, a meal or a movie (at Parra Westfields).

Some of us went for the Eels others the Roosters!

After the game, we walked over to MaxB and we were all keen for something warm and sweet to heat us up after the chilly walk.

 

MDS was excited to meet Roosters player Jared Warea- Hargreaves

I decided to go with the banana crepes which were up to the usual MaxB standard (which is: awesomeness).

MDS ordered the chocolate lick, Dino (my cuz) ordered the hot chocolate with crunchy waffle balls, and The Incredible Hulk (:p) ordered the chocolate souffle.

Unfortunately the hot chocolate MC ordered was below par. It was too thick and dense and not like the hot chocolates I am used to at MaxB. I think it was made of cream rather than thick chocolate and a little milk. Very disappointing.

Nonetheless we all enjoyed the chocolate hit and a warm place to chat in before making our way home!

Gelato Messina, The Star Sydney CBD ($)

Address; Shop 1/241 Victoria St  Darlinghurst NSW

Tel: (02) 8354 1223

Website: http://www.gelatomessina.com/

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After dinner at Criniti’s with my colleagues, we headed over to Gelato Messina in Pyrmont for dessert.

We were all really full from lunch but wanted to check out the flavours and see what was on offer.

 

The quantities and amazing flavours on show made all of us drool and it wasn’t long before the three girls were umming and ahhing over them, eventually choosing two scoops each.  The one boy in the group went for a limoncello sorbet in a cone.

I chose dulce de leche which was delicious and caramelly, creamy and slightly bitter, and The Guido which was a rich chocolate flavour with amaretto.

Both were fabulous but after eating about 1.5 scoops, I couldn’t have any more! They were very rich and a bit too much for one person to have after a huge lunch.

That said, they were really nice and although I normally go for fruity ice creams and sorbets, I did not regret the rich chocolatey flavours that I chose this time around!

Chocolate Fondants (makes 12-14 small sized)

This decadent chocolate dessert is sure to be a hit with all your friends.

We decided to try out our slight adaptation of Gordon Ramsey’s recipe after watching Jake & Elle make fondants on My Kitchen Rules. Unfortunately I forgot to get a photo of the inside (was too excited to eat it!) but it was very gooey and fondanty! Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 Tbsp butter 
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 100grams chocolate (I used belgian)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup of raw sugar
• 2/3 cup of plain flour
• Extra butter for greasing

Method:

1.  Heat oven to 160C. Grease ramekins with butter and dust with cocoa powder.

2. Melt chocolate in the microwave by heating it on high in a glass microwave safe bowl in 10 second bursts (about 40 seconds all up). Stir the chocolate every 10 seconds.

2. Add butter (room temperature) to the chocolate and stir until combined. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Use an electric beater/whisk to whisk the eggs, egg yolks and raw sugar together until thick.

4. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.

5. Add flour and gently fold in.

6. Pour batter into the ramekins and bake for 15-17 minutes.

7. Serve immediately with ice cream, cream or strawberries.

Chocolate Rocky Road Slice

Ingredients:

• 500g milk chocolate buttons
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 8 milk coffee biscuits
• 1/2 cup of walnut halves
• 50g glace cherries
• 1/4 cup dessicated coconut

Method:

1.Line a baking pan with greaseproof paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1-1.5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Cut glace cherries in half and add to a large mixing bowl.

4. Break up biscuits into small pieces (about the size of a 5c coin) and add to mixing bowl.

5. Add walnuts, marshmallows and coconut into the bowl.

6. Pour melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and stir until all ingredients are well coated.

7. Pour the mixture into the lined pan and press into the corners. Smooth the top down.

8. Refrigerate until set then remove the slice with baking paper from the pan and cut into squares. Enjoy!

 

 

Choc Reindeer Antlers!

A delicious and creative Christmas snack!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark chocolate, melted
• 1 small bag pretzels

Method:

1. Line oven trays with baking paper.

2. Dip pretzels into chocolate and lay on baking paper.

3. Put chocolate-dipped pretzels in the fridge until the chocolate has set.

4. Remove pretzels from baking paper and enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Squares (makes 18-24)

This recipe is adapted from one I found in Maureen McKeon’s book, Crave.

Ingredients: 

• 175g chopped chocolate
• 175g butter
• 1 Tbsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs, separated
• 185g caster sugar
• 100g ground almond (I used almond meal)
• 60g plain flour
• 1/4 Tsp cream of tartar
• Icing sugar to dust

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C and butter and line a 20 x 30cm cake tin.

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Stir to mix together and allow to cool.

3. Use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks, vanilla extract and 115g of the sugar for 2 minutes, until thickened.

Stir this into the melted chocolate mixture.

4. Add almond meal and flour and stir. Set aside.

5. Use clean dry beaters to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Continue to beat and gradually add in the remaining sugar, beating until it has dissolved into the mixture.

6. Fold the egg white mixture into the melted chocolate mixture in two batches.

7. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes.

8. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack then turn out and cut into squares.

9. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Double Choc Cupcakes with Nutella Icing

Mmmm even the name of these sweet little devils makes me drool.

These are perfect cupcakes for all chocolate lovers. Pretty easy to make and very easy on the eye.

The cupcake recipe has been adapted from the Coles Australia Christmas catalogue, adding extra chocolate for the “Double” Choc, a little cinnamon, and using drinking chocolate instead of cocoa powder and skim milk instead of full cream, I made my own Nutella icing.

Try them out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes:

• 125g softened butter
• 3/4 cup of caster sugar Tsp
• 1 1/2 Tsp vanilla essence
• 1 Tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g chopped milk chocolate
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup drinking chocolate
• 3/4 cup milk (I used skim milk)

Icing:

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• 1 1/2 Tbs softened butter
• A few tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan-forced.

2. Line 12 muffin pans with cases.

3. Using an electric mixer beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for about 30-40 seconds between the addition of each egg.

5. Fold in the flour, drinking chocolate, cinnamon and milk until well combined.

6. Spoon the mixture into the patty pans.

7. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Leave in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

9. Mix Nutella and butter in a bowl until well combined.

10. Add butter and 2-3 tbsp of milk as required to ensure the mixture is smooth (but not too much or it will be runny and won’t sit on top of the cakes!).

11. Spread the icing on top of the cakes and enjoy!

 

Pancakes on the Rocks, The Rocks Sydney ($$)

Address: 4 Hickson Road, The Rocks

Tel: (02) 9247 6371

Website: http://www.pancakesontherocks.com.au/

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On Friday night I organised for some of my school and exchange friends to go out. We began with happy hour (5-7pm) drinks at the Establishment and were originally going to have dinner there as well. However, as it was overcrowded and we couldn’t find a table we decided to head to Pancakes on the Rocks.

This proved to be a good choice as the 8 of us were quickly seated.

We ordered the following:

• Chicken & Bacon Pizza, $17.95

MDS and I shared this pizza along with the Strawberry Patch pancakes. I really enjoyed it as there was plenty of chicken and bacon and the base was the perfect thickness. It was a decent sized pizza and everyone knows pizza is the perfect food for sharing!

• 3 x Devil’s Delight Pancakes, $13.95

Three people ordered the Devil’s Delight (chocolate overload) pancakes. While it looks delicious and sounds like a chocolate lover’s heaven, they commented that it was a little dry.

I have had this item before and also tried some of MC’s Devil’s Delight. I agree that they were dry and I also noticed that they were much drier than the Strawberry Patch pancakes that MDS and I ordered, possibly due to the addition of chocolate powder or cocoa to the batter?

• Tabriz Savoury Crepe, $14.95

One friend ordered the savoury crepe which was a ground beef and mushrooms in a red wine and tomato -based sauce. I am not usually a fan of savoury crepes and didn’t try this so I can’t comment, but here is a picture of what it looked like:

• Brandied Apricots Pancakes, $10.95

After the Tabriz crepes he was still hungry and ordered this pancake dish. It looked very very sweet but apricots are an interesting topping for pancakes and I’m sure the ice cream and apricot combination was great!

• Fisherman’s Catch, $21.95

Always a winner the Fisherman’s Catch was crispy and golden!

• Aussie Sunrise Breakfast, $12.95

The Swiss and Czech girls who shared this dish said they really enjoyed it and the caramelised banana was supposed to be delicious. A very reasonably priced dish for so much food!

• Strawberry Patch Pancakes, $12.95

MDS and I also shared these pancakes. They were moist and tasty and we ate it all! Definitely recommend this!

Cost:

Cheap meals with good portion sizes, a variety of food options, a nice atmosphere and a convenient location.

Rating:

Overall I would rate my dining experience (out of 10):

• Service- 5
• Food- 7
• Ambience- 7
• Value – 8

Aperitivo, Leichardt ($$$)

Address: 163 Norton Street Leichardt

Tel: (02) 9564 0003

Website:  http://www.aperitivo.com.au/

* * *

I hadn’t been to Leichardt for a few years but a friend recommended this restaurant and I thought it would be good to try it out.

Atmosphere

The decor is cute and cosy and the dim lighting makes for an interesting space. The restaurant doubles as a wine bar with small high tables and stools at the front and dining tables on the sides and towards the back.

I really loved the Italian flag made out of coloured bottles near the bar as it was something I’d never seen before.

We arrived at about 7.30pm on a Friday night (without a reservation). We had to wait about 45 minutes for a table but we had a few drinks in the meantime which made the wait less painful.

The restaurant gets pretty busy and I always think this is a plus as it means the atmosphere is more lively, and the food is probably going to be good as so many people want to try it out, are returning for more, or like me, have come on a recommendation.

Service

Service was pretty good and we had some nice waiters.

Food

Aperitivo is Italian for “appetiser” and the food certainly was appetising.

The menu has a variety of dishes (especially pizzas), and we decided to get 4 entrees to share between the four of us.

We ordered:

• Prawns kataifi with spicy tomato coulis ($16.00)

This dish was delicious. I love prawns, they are one of my favourite foods and the kataifi was delicious and crunchy. However, I wish the portion size was bigger as 4 prawns for $16.00 just doesn’t cut it.

• Pan seared scallops, crispy pork belly and asparagus sauce ($16.00)

Well-cooked scallops with a creamy sauce and delicious soft pork which was moist on the bottom and had a delicious crunchy crackling. Great dish. Nice presentation too.

• Slow cooked baby octopus in a fresh tomato sauce with crostini ($15.00)

Not a big fan of octopus and I normally don’t order it or eat it but I tried a tiny non-tentacle/sucker piece and thought it was ok. It is similar to calamari but a little more flavoursome. I just can’t get over those suckers though.

• Kingfish tartare with pistachio and beetroot puree ($18.00)

A lovely dish with cured kingfish and crunchy bread. A deliciously sweet puree was great with the sour fish.

We then moved on to mains.

I ordered the crumbed lamb backstrap with cauliflower and pistachio puree served on baby spinach ($28.00).

At first I thought the portion was quite small, but after I started eating I began to get full, although it was probably from the entrees. This is a small dish so I wouldn’t recommend you order it if you are not getting entrees.

The lamb was soft and tender. It was more on the well done side although I asked for it to be medium-well. The crumb on top was slightly salty and went well with the puree. I love baby spinach so that went down well. I really enjoyed this dish and liked the presentation as well.

Two friends ordered the 250g beef fillet with baby spinach vincotto salad and crispy prosciutto ($29.00). While the salad and prosciutto were fine, they both commented that the meat was dry and needed a sauce or some sort of gravy.

One ordered hers medium rare and the other ordered his medium well. The medium well one was, like mine, more on the well side. The medium rare however, was medium well and she barely ate half of the beef.

Our other dining companion ordered the homemade spaghetti alla chitarra served with veal osso bucco ragu and aged pecorino cheese ($23.00). Pretty much a fancy way of saying pasta with veal.

There was an OK serving of pasta on the plate, and all of it was eaten. I’m not a fan of veal but my fellow diner commented that he enjoyed it.

For dessert MC and I shared a three way brulee stack ($15.00) which included tiramisu, saffron with persian fairy floss, and pistachio with nougat crumbs.

I really loved this dish and we demolished it. The persian fairy floss is lovely and so light and went so well with the saffron flavoured brulee.

The texture of the brulee itself was like a sort of creamy, cheesy and floury slice, but it was somehow nice and moreish. Presentation was fantastic and it looked like something which came from of a top restaurant.

Our friend ordered an amadei chocolate ganache served with orange ice cream, praline crumbs and kahlua sauce ($15.00). He said it was too rich however, and was unable to finish it.

Our other dining companion ordered the nutella tart with caramelised banana and white chocolate flakes served with vanilla ice cream ($15.00). The presentation on this dish was lovely and of course everyone knows that nutella and banana is a match made in heaven.

A few of us ordered tea and coffee.

Cost:

The bill came to $285 for 4 people. Quite an expensive meal at about $70 each, but we did have entrees, mains, dessert and quite a few drinks!

Rating:

Overall I would rate my dining experience (out of 10):

• Service- 6
• Food- 6
• Ambience- 7
• Value – 5.75

I gave points for presentation but took some away due to the over cooked meat.

Choc-Oat MnM Cookies

Two of my friends  agreed to write up a guest blog post for me. They will be reviewing the new McDonald’s Serious Angus and Mighty Angus burgers (post coming soon!).

As this will be the first guest blog post for The Casual Food Blogger, I thought I would show my appreciation through a little baking! I made some choc-oat mnm cookies which will be delivered to them today!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of raw sugar (or brown)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tsp vanilla essence/extract
• 1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
• 1 1/4 cups oats
• 2 Tbs drinking chocolate or cocoa powder
• 125g softened or melted butter
• 1/2 cup mnms
• Spray oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (or 160C fan forced).

2. Spray two baking trays with oil.

3. Beat butter and sugar until combined and sugar has almost melted.

4. Add egg, vanilla and chocolate powder and beat until fluffy.

5. Stir in flour and oats until combined.

6. Roll mixture into tablespoon sized balls. Place on trays and flatten with the palm of your hand.

7. Push mnms into the top of the cookie.

8. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating trays half way through.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until fully cooled.