Gelato Messina

Upping the anti to gelato cakes this #icecreamthurs! Gelato Messina’s gelato cakes are famous around Australia – that was more than enough motivation to give them a try! The cakes are only available at their Darlinghurst store, so off we went, excited by the creative options. Because one’s eyes are often bigger than one’s tummy, Gelato Messina offers mini gelato cakes as well as the full party size – I couldn’t go past the ‘Dr Evil’s Magic Mushroom’ (who could, with a name like that?). It was a shame to get stuck in because it was so beautifully crafted, but the first mouthful cured me of any further guilt. The top of the mushroom is made from dark chocolate gelato, peanut cookies and silky smooth dulce de leche, the bitter dark chocolate flavour matching the sweet dulce de leche and the cookies adding some crunch. The same flavours continue into the white stem, but the real surprise was in the ‘grass’ – popping candy! The crispiness of the base finishes the dessert off perfectly. Gelato Messina is famous for a reason – give their icecream cakes a try for flavoursome and creative desserts.

Gelato Messina, 1/241 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW                 http://www.gelatomessina.com

Via Dolce

Dolce and Salato has rebranded to become Via Dolce, so of course when Mum and I walked past on a wander through the city, I had to check it out and see if the gelato was as good as I remember it. The range of flavours seems to have remained the same, with several sorbets on offer, much to my delight. We decided to try the mango and got a small cup to share. The sorbet texture wasn’t quite as smooth as I remember, being a little bit icy, but the mango flavour was strong and genuine and didn’t fade the more we ate; a very important criteria for assessing quality gelato/sorbet. We did have an odd moment towards the end of the cup where the flavour changed – it took us a while to realise that it was actually a passionfruit flavour, which must have been on the scoop from before our order, but it was a bit strange expecting mango and suddenly finding passionfruit! Despite the name change and the flavour mix-up, this remains my go-to sorbet place in the city, even now that the weather has cooled down.

Via Dolce, 108 Bunda Street, Civic ACT                                                                viadolce.com.au

Sweet Bones

I’d heard a lot of good things about the cupcakes at Sweet Bones, and being something of a sweet tooth, I popped in for a snack one afternoon. There were two main flavours on offer – chocolate and strawberry, and chocolate and raspberry. I picked the raspberry, took a seat and waited for my first ever vegan cupcake. Sweet Bones has a great selection of baked goods, including brownies, cupcakes, muffins and cakes, which are also available at other cafes around Canberra (Local Press, LSR, and Mocan & Green Grout, to name a few). My cupcake was served on an embossed Sweet Bones plate – underneath was the the impression of a skull (inkeeping with their theme), and a cute painted heart with the initials ‘SB’ in it. I threw out my cupcake expectations, knowing that the food here is vegan, and was rewarded with a rich, sweet cupcake that isn’t quite like anything I’ve had before. It was all about the chocolate, with a single raspberry hiding at the very bottom, underneath the sugary flower and light but flavoursome chocolate cake above. It was indulgent without being too much – a happy balance.

Sweet Bones Bakery Cafe, 8/18 Lonsdale Street Braddon, ACT       http://sweetbonescompany.com/

 

Passionflower

Passionflower is responsible for a running joke I have with a friend of mine. They had a pineapple cake icecream last year which sounded like pretty much the best thing ever – we play the ‘PCIC’ (pineapple cake icecream card) when discovering something amazing. I even have an actual laminated card. Anyway, I was pretty disappointed that the flavour to end all flavours wasn’t on offer when I went back to Passionflower, but another unusual flavour caught my eye – wild lime sorbet. Not quite as catchy, but when I tried a sample I was sold. The sorbet has a sour flavour that is incredibly refreshing and tasted very Australian in the way that lemon myrtle does – there was something native about the flavour that was obvious from the first mouthful (I have since learned that there are native Australian wild limes). The flavour remained strong throughout and whilst not particularly sweet, it was a really lovely dessert. In fact, the sorbet had tiny segments of juice-filled pulp inside, which added texture and intense flavour. This is without a doubt one of the best sorbet flavours I’ve ever tried, – worthy of playing a PCIC, even.

Passionflower, Shop 2, 168 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC                                http://www.passionflower.com.au/Home

Nitrogenie

There is definitely a trend of using liquid nitrogen to make icecream/sorbet, probably because it has such a cool visual effect! I’m not even going to pretend to understand the science behind it, but suffice to say, it’s pretty awesome to watch. Having tried it for the first time in Sydney, I was pretty excited to find Nitrogenie making liquid nitrogen icecream in Brisbane. We went in on a warm evening and I was delighted to see that they had a fruity flavour – mango. Perfect for a tropical night. I ordered a small cup, which when it was ready was disappointingly small, but which turned out to be just the right amount after dinner. The mango flavour was incredibly intense – it really did taste like eating a mango (but colder)! There were even little stringy bits in it, just like a mango. My friend had the salted caramel and from the small mouthful I tried it was superb, although more on the salty side. We took our icecreams down to the river to soak up the night lights and warmth – quite an excellent Brisbane experience.

Nitrogenie, Cnr Ernest St & Stanley St South Bank, QLD      http://nitrogenie.com/

Braidwood Bakery

On the way back from the South Coast of NSW, my friends and I decide to stop in at the Braidwood Bakery for a snack to keep us going as we drove back to Canberra. There really is nothing like a good country bakery, and the one in Braidwood carries on this fine tradition of offering reliable, classic bakery food. We stopped in mid-afternoon, so decided to treat ourselves to something sweet. I ordered the small apple pie, which wasn’t actually that small! The pastry was incredible – thick, well baked and sweetened by the dusting of icing sugar on the top, biting into the crumbly pastry was a real treat. There was a good amount of apple inside, and there was plenty of sweet syrup coating it. I always like more fruit, so this pie was a little bit too heavy on the pastry side for my ideal pie, but the flavours were classic and didn’t disappoint. We ate leisurely, taking advantage of the nice weather and the outdoor seating – for a local bakery, it’s actually quite a large store with plenty of seating inside, and outside at the back. Worth a stop for tasty, reliable classics.

Braidwood Bakery, 99 Wallace Street, Braidwood NSW http://trappersbakery.com.au/?post_type=restaurant&p=3630

Baskin Robbins

I was first introduced to Baskin Robbins in Adelaide, but I don’t think they have many stores there now. My favourite flavour is a seasonal one called Love Potion #31, which is generally available in summer, but sometimes also pops up at random times during the year. What’s in this magic love potion, I hear you ask? Well, it starts out with white chocolate and raspberry ice creams, swirled with a raspberry ribbon and loaded with raspberry-filled dark chocolate hearts and chocolate chips. Seriously. I was delighted to see it was on offer at the Circular Quay store as I made my way back from a show at the Opera House, and grabbed a small cupful to savour. My favourite part is the dark chocolate hearts with raspberry liquid centres – the bitterness of the dark chocolate and the tartness of the raspberry balances out the sweetness of the icecream perfectly. The raspberry ripple throughout also mixes up the texture, making it one of Baskin Robbin’s more sophisticated offerings. I can’t vouch for its effectiveness as a love potion, but it sure is excellent icecream.

Baskin Robbins Circular Quay, Lot 2, Quay Grand 61-63, Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW http://www.baskinrobbins.com.au