I don’t have a really sweet tooth … often preferring cheese or another savoury course to dessert. All too often I find ‘pudding’ to be the disappointment in an otherwise delicious meal … so a dessert has to be very special for me to find it memorable. Lately however I’ve come across some outstanding treats, well worth their calorie count, that have taken excellent meals all the way to delightfully sweet conclusions. here’s the best desserts in Sydney that I’ve found.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich One Penny Red (Summer Hill)
www.onepennyred.com.au
A slab of peanut butter ice cream, sandwiched between strawberry-jam-smeared shortbread cookies and rolled in salted almond praline – the highlight of a recent delicious meal at this great venue in Summer Hill’s old post office building.
Lemon & Passionfruit Tart Saint Peter (Paddington)
www.saintpeter.com.au
What Josh Niland doesn’t know about seafood may not be worth knowing … but the same could be said for his pastry skills if this delicate just-set lemon tart topped with tangy passionfruit is anything to go by. It echoes Josh’s light, fresh, perfectly balanced savoury menu.
Coconut Turnover Momofuku Seiobo (Pyrmont) – CLOSED
The bar menu at Momofuku warns that this dessert takes 20 minutes – what they don’t tell you is that it’s huge and best shared. Warm from the oven, flaky, soft, sweet and rich with grated coconut, topped with a thick finger-licking layer of cream cheese frosting.
Bombe Alaska Firedoor (Surry Hills)
www.firedoor.com.au
I love a little theatre with my food – which is why I love a seat at the Firedoor counter watching all the kitchen action … especially when the Italian meringue coating on the smoked white chocolate, pecan and blood orange bombe is being flamed with house-made orange liqueur!
Churros with Salted Caramel Kepos Street Kitchen (Redfern)
www.keposstreetkitchen.com.au
So simple … so irresistible! Crisp, deep-fried dough, fluffy and piping-hot inside, dusted with cinnamon sugar, wrapped in plain brown paper with a generous blob of salty, bitter-sweet caramel alongside for balance. A perfect ending to Michael Rantissi’s delicious Middle Eastern fare.
