Avocados – the trendiest food item we ever did see! From toasts, to salads, to guac and chips, this versatile Genus Persea has taken the world by storm – and we’re loving it! You may have noticed the category we’ve stated for Avocados; that’s right, they are NOT a vegetable. They belong to the Genus Persea in the Lauraceae family. Persea is a genus of about 150 species of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The best-known member of the genus is of course, our very favourite fruit – the avocado.

Not only do we love avocado for its yummy taste, but for all of its nutritional value too! Check out the stats of all the goodness that comes out of a single 3.5-ounce avocado:

• Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value
• Folate: 20% of the daily value
• Vitamin C: 17% of the daily value
• Potassium: 14% of the daily value
• Vitamin B5: 14% of the daily value
• Vitamin B6: 13% of the daily value
• Vitamin E: 10% of the daily value
• It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).

This is coming with 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbs, 7 of those are fiber, so there are only 2 “net” carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food. Last but certainly not least, Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat.

TALK ABOUT AN AMAZING LITTLE FRUIT!

Here at Dessert Lady Café & Bakery, we use Avocados in many different ways, below are a list of menu items where Avocados take both the lead & back up roles:

• Our ever-famous Avocado Grilled Cheese
• Avocado Toast – build your own, your way!
• The newly added Spring Feature: Avocado & Shrimp Salad
• Tuna Tartare with Smashed Avocado

Since Avocados are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian and cholesterol-free – they’re perfect for almost every diet. Visit us at our location on 1 Sultan St. to try out one of our delicious Avocado creations today!

Xx

The Dessert Lady

One of our favourite things about baked goods, is getting to be super creative when the holidays roll around (or truly, at any time!). Easter is one of our favourites; the pastel colours, cute little bunnies, and chocolate overload – who wouldn’t love it?!

If you’ve seen our social media (and if you haven’t, take a look @dessertlady_to) you would have noticed all of the fun things we have in-store this year to help us indulge in all things sweet this Easter. From Bunny Cakes, to mini eggs & Chickee cupcakes to classic carrot cake – we have something that will satisfy every sweet tooth.

All of these special WOW cakes and sweet treats are NOW available for pre-order! Here is a list of a few things we’re offering:

Easter Bunny Cake

Easter Bunny BumBum Cake

Classic Carrot Cake

Deluxe Easter Cupcakes

Bunny & Chick Macarons

You can check all of these fun Easter treats out online – OR catch us LIVE on Breakfast Television on Wednesday, April 17!

Not feeling the theme? You can always order any one of our cakes, desserts or treats to satisfy your sweet desires. Check out our website www.dessertlady.cato place your order today!

Xx

The Dessert Lady

It’s officially been Spring for two weeks now, and we cannot contain our excitement.

Warmer weather, longer days, flowers blooming – and new menu items!! Don’t get us wrong, we LOVED our Winter features (so much so that we’ve made a couple of them permanent fixtures on our menu, like the Beef Dip Sandwich), but with the change in seasons comes changes in flavours and changes in new & fresh ingredients that become available.

We’ve put some serious thought into our new Spring features, developing recipes and flavours that we just know you’re going to love all season long! Here’s a sneak peek at the new Spring Features:

1) Steak Chimichurri Salad with fresh corn, onion and tomato

2) Pea, Asparagus & Mushroom Risotto

3) Avocado & Shrimp Salad (served in an avocado – totally photo worthy!)

4) Falafel Pita loaded with veggies

5) Salmon & Rice bowl with Hoisin sauce

These new menu items can be found at our Dessert Lady Café & Bakery located at 1 Sultan street beginning on Monday, April 15. In addition, we will officially be opening our alcohol licensed patio on Saturday, April 27! Keep your eyes peeled for our patio opening event. In the meantime, we hope to see you around for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, or even just to say Hello 🙂

Xx

The Dessert Lady

In our opinion, any day that celebrates cake is worth talking about. Today, we celebrate a delicious classic cake that is native to Germany – the Black Forest Cake, Happy #NationalBlackForestCakeDay !

As mentioned, the Black Forest Cake is native to Germany, and is probably one of Germany’s most famous contributions to the world of cake. The original Black Forest Cake (or Gateau as it was named) consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with cherry and kirsch filling, with lashings of whipped cream between each layer. The cake is then decorated with piped, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.

Our version of Black Forest Cake here at Dessert Lady is a bit different. It consists of 3 layers of chocolate sponge cake, 2 layers of cherry filling, fresh whipped cream & kirsch liqueur. The major difference between the original and ours? Like many of our other recipes, we only use real and fresh cherries for both the filling and topping!

Not only a treat for the taste buds, but the Black Forest Cake is a treat for the eyes as well, with the perfectly plump cherries dotting the edges of the cake, resting on fluffy clouds of kirsch liqueur whipped cream – it’s a wonder why it’s been given such a dark name.

There’s a common misconception regarding the origin of the name “Black Forest Cake”. Many people believe the name came from the region of its origin: The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in south-western Germany. However, the Black Forest Cake actually got its name from the kirsch liqueur made from Black Forest sour cherries, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch.

There’s a bit of a debate as to when the cake was officially invented, however, a famous confectioner named Josef Keller claimed to have created this yummy favourite in 1915 at Café Agner. Though it was never verified that Keller was the inventor of the Black Forest Cake, the cake began to pop up in recipes in the 1930s, and by the 1940s it was a well-established dessert!

Whoever invented the Black Forest Cake – we thank you! It’s one of our favourites at Dessert Lady, and we plan on celebrating  ALL. DAY. LONG!

Come in and celebrate with us or place an order online (or by phone) today.

Xx

The Dessert Lady

Last Thursday was #NationalPeanutLoversDay and now we can’t get all things Peanut off the brain! Therefore, this week on the blog, we bring you one of our original Dessert Lady menu items – the Peanut Satay Chicken Bun! Made with our homemade, secret recipe peanut sauce, coconut marinated chicken & arugula, all served on a toasty brioche bun – this Dessert Lady classic is oh so drool worthy.

This tasty dish is well known in most cities around the world and have an interesting history.  Satay pulls influences from a few different places; Indonesia, Malaysia & Thailand, however it’s been agreed upon that the true origin of satay is from the island of Java in Indonesia. This flavourful favourite quickly travelled around the world, showing up in dishes in places like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei and east Timor; where it adapted to each location’s local cooking style.

Keeping with our strong beliefs of having all of our menu items tasting and feeling like home, the made from scratch peanut sauce that smothers our Peanut Chicken Satay Buns have an influence derived straight from Thailand! In fact, in order for them to be as authentic as possible, our founder Mandy Kan travelled all the way to Thailand herself in order to train with Thai chefs to help develop the rich, authentic flavours.

Craving all things peanut as much as we are? Visit us at our Café location on 1 Sultan St. to give these delicious Peanut Satay Chicken Buns a try!

Xx

The Dessert Lady

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13, is #NATIONALCHICKENNOODLESOUPDAY ! In honour of National Chicken Noodle Soup day, we’re dedicating this blog post to everybody’s go to feel-good, pick-me-up, heal-me- soup – Chicken Noodle.

There are lots of reasons why we love Chicken Noodle Soup – but did you know, it ACTUALLY has proven health benefits for when you’re feeling sick? A rich homemade chicken broth or soup (like the one made here at Dessert Lady Café & Bakery) is FULL of nutrients. It’s packed with protein, calcium & gelatin (that comes from the boiled bones) and vitamins & minerals that come from carrots and other vegetables. Chicken broth/soup is also a great source of electrolytes, which are especially valuable when the body is dehydrated from being sick (or from an eventful weekend with your friends 😉 ).

The healing reputation of chicken soup dates back thousands of years and is present in just about every part of the world. The earliest reference to chicken soup and its healing properties is from the 12^thcentury book On The Cause of Symptoms by Maimonides. In this book, chicken broth is described as a treatment for things such as asthma, malnutrition, and leprosy.

According to Dr. Stephen Rennard and his findings (reported in 1993), chicken soup has tons of beneficial ingredients that help to alleviate symptoms of the common cold and flu and can even help to fight infection.

Now, where did the “Noodle” come in? Noodles have been paired with broth-based soups for again – thousands of years. Records show noodle soups dating back to as far as the early 1200s in Asia, and in the 1700s in Italy, noodle soup began being used as the go to comfort food for treating any ailment. By the 1900s in the US, noodle soups had become a staple in every household.

In 1934 Campbell’s launched its “Noodle with Chicken Soup”, thanks to creator Ernest Lacoutiere, a chef at the Campbell’s company. The soup did VERY well, and even better once the name had been changed five years later – which had been derived accidentally! After the introduction of “Noddle with Chicken Soup”, a radio host accidentally referred to it as “Chicken Noodle Soup”. People LOVED the new name and the new take on this household classic.

Although Campbell’s brought popularity to this favourite, we still prefer the homemade version – made with always fresh ingredients and lots of love! Whether you’re craving a bowl to keep warm, for nostalgic feels, or to help cure what ails you, Chicken Noodle Soup is here to stay, and we couldn’t be happier! Our homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is available every day for lunch at Dessert Lady Café & Bakery (located at 1 Sultan St.) – Stop by and enjoy a bowl today!

Xx

The Dessert Lady

They’re great with a tall glass of milk, or on their own. The aroma of them baking fills the air, existing in all shapes and sizes – this classic truly comes in first when it comes to ooey gooey, chocolatey treats – if you haven’t already guessed what we’re referring to, it’s the Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Growing up, most of us have fond memories of these little round treats – sneaking a bite of the raw cookie dough, the smell of freshly baked cookies lingering in the air, the food coma you’d enter after eating 1…2….3 too many. This nostalgic feeling of comfort and home is what Dessert Lady is all about and is part of the reason why we always have fresh cookies on hand at both of our locations. Fun fact – did you know that the smell of chocolate chip cookies resonates with us so much, that real estate agents will sometimes bake a fresh batch of cookies before a showing to make a house feel more like a potential home to buyers?

Not only are Chocolate Chip Cookies nostalgic and delicious, but they have such an amazing history too! They were invented in Whitman, Massachusetts in 1937 when Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn added cut-up chunks of semi-sweet Nestlé chocolate to a cookie recipe. The chocolate chips that we know today weren’t invented until later on in 1939, specifically for their role in Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What makes our Chocolate Chip Cookies stand out from all the rest is that our cookies are made with butter, and not oil. Making them super soft and moist! Also, our chocolate chips are imported from Belgium – and they’re just the right amount of sweetness.

One of the things we love so much about this simple little treat, is that they’re so easy to make. We’re sharing our recipe with you today so you can reminisce and bring back those childhood feels. Remember, our famous chocolate chip cookies are always available at both Dessert Lady locations (12 Cumberland St. & 1 Sultan st.) so if you want to leave the baking to us, we’ve got you covered.

Xx

The Dessert Lady

Ingredients

• 8oz Butter
• 8oz Brown Sugar
• 4oz White Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 12oz All Purpose Flour
• ½ TSP Baking Soda
• ½ TSP Salt
• ½ TSP Vanilla Extract
• 8oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350°
• In a large bowl, whip together Butter, Brown Sugar & White Sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add Eggs (one at a time) and continue to whip.
• Add Vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Mix well.
• Slowly begin adding the dry ingredients to the mixture and continue to whip together until fully combined.
• Slowly add chocolate chips.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and begin to scoop out heaping TBSP portions of the cookie dough onto the baking sheet.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes (or until golden brown).
• Serve & enjoy!

*This recipe makes approximately 25 3” round cookies.

Happy #NationalBananaBreadDay ! This past Saturday (February 23) was National Banana Bread Day (or loaf as we refer to it), and what a better way to celebrate than to share with you our Banana Loaf recipe! Easy to make from scratch, this loaf is the definition of comfort food. You can enjoy it at any time; for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea, as an afternoon snack, or as a yummy dessert.

The key to a great banana loaf is using over ripe bananas – bring on the speckled banana peels, this is what makes banana loaf extra tasty. We often get asked why our banana loaves taste so good. The simple answer is, we use real bananas! Here at Dessert Lady, we always believe that using simple, real ingredients is the key to great food. Using real bananas is not only affordable, but they have such an incredible natural flavour and sweetness, using real bananas completely transforms the banana loaf. Thus, making it superior in comparison to loaves made with banana extract or oil. Bananas are also a great source of potassium, B6, and Vitamin C.  They have a very low glycemic index which gives a great energy boost (another reason why a slice of banana loaf is a good choice for an on-the-go breakfast).

Check out our recipe below to make your very own Banana Loaf that your friends will rave about! For this recipe, you can use either brown sugar or white fine sugar. Brown sugar is granulated white sugar with molasses added to it. You will typically find two varieties of brown sugar: dark and light. The dark variety contains about 6.5% molasses by weight, while the light contains roughly 3.5%. The molasses in the brown sugar will cut down a bit of the sweetness of the sugar and will give a richer flavour. Give it a try, comment below if you have any questions.  Remember, you can always stop by one of our Dessert Lady locations (12 Cumberland St., Toronto &1 Sultan St., Toronto) to pick up a loaf today. They’re always freshly made with loads of love <3

Xx

The Dessert Lady

Ingredients

• 250g of Butter
• 400g of White Sugar
• 750g of Over-ripe Bananas
• 4 Eggs
• 16oz All Purpose Flour
• 2tsps Baking Soda
• 1tsp Salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Whip Butter & Sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add in Eggs one at a time & continue to whip mixture until fully combined.
• Purée bananas and set aside.
• Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together.
• Slowly add bananas & dry mix, alternating the two. Continue to whip ingredients together between mixing.
• Pour into loaf pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
• TIP:Insert knife or toothpick into center of banana loaf, if it comes out clean & dry, your banana loaf is ready!

One of the most important things we stand for at Dessert Lady is a passion for fresh, healthy, homemade food that contains only the best ingredients – topped off with most importantly – LOVE. Our gourmet quinoa salad is the perfect example of all of these things. With a mix of always fresh veggies like Kale, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Avocado & Red Onion, topped with a sweet & savoury lemon vinaigrette – this gourmet salad can’t be beat and is far from your ordinary quinoa!

If you’re a lover of a hearty lunch with loads of flavour – this quinoa salad is a must, topped with your choice of protein or as is, it’s always a great choice. Not to mention, have you heard about all of the amazing health benefits of this lovely little grain??? Check them out below:

• Very Nutritious – The nutrient content for quinoa is truly off the charts. Super high in things like protein, fiber, iron & all your B Vitamins!
• Contains the Plant Compounds Quercetin and Kaempferol – these plant compounds hav been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral & anti-depressant effects. Who knew?!
• Very High in Fibre, Much Higher Than Most Grains – quinoa is such an AMAZING source! Just about 17-27 grams per cup (depending on the variety of quinoa) which is super high, more than TWICE as high as your average grain!
• Gluten-Free and Perfect for People With Gluten Intolerance – Sometimes it’s challenging to find really delicious Gluten Free options, Quinoa is ALWAYS here to save the day. Quinoa is naturally gluten free and can add great substance to any meal.
• Very High in Protein, With All the Essential Amino Acids – Did you know that Quinoa has both MORE and BETTER protein than most other grains?? Containing ALL nine amino acids and with 8 grams of quality protein per cup, quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based protein for all our Veggies & Vegans out there!
•  Has Beneficial Effects on Metabolic Health– given its high beneficial nutrient content, quinoa can help to improve metabolic health. Using quinoa instead of typical gluten-free breads & pastas can significantly reduce blood sugar, insulin and triglyceride levels!
• Very High in Antioxidants – This helps to neutralize free radicals and can help fight aging and multiple diseases.

Can you tell we’re quinoa obsessed?? Bottom line, quinoa is rich in fibre, minerals, antioxidants and contains all nine essential amino acids, making quinoa one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet!!

But, what’s the best part about quinoa? Its naturally gluten-free, delicious, versatile and incredibly easy to prepare! Check out our *secret* recipe below and tell us what you think. You can also find this gourmet quinoa on our menu 7-days a week at our Café located at 1 Sultan St. Toronto, ON.

Ingredients:

• Quinoa
• Red Onion
• Cucumber
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Corn
• Lemon Herd Spice Mix
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tabasco
• Lemon Juice
• Sweet Chilli Sauce

Instructions:

• Finely chop all veggies & add to cooked quinoa
• Add corn
• Mix lemon herb spice mix, olive oil, salt, pepper & Tabasco
• Mix all together
• Top with Sweet Chili Sauce for extra flavour!

xx

The Dessert Lady

Here at Dessert Lady Café & Bakery, we began our legacy with what else but fresh, homemade, baked right from scratch – DESSERTS! One Dessert in particular has been our specialty and top seller since day one of opening our first location at 12 Cumberland St. thirteen years ago, and that’s our Strawberry Shortcake!

Throughout history, Strawberry Shortcake has evolved from a pie crust base that was served with hot butter and sweetened cream to a biscuit or sponge-cake (génoise) with whipped cream and Vanilla.

This cake is actually fairly simple, which ties perfectly into our vision and what we stand for; simple ingredients transformed into delicious goodies. The key to our Strawberry Shortcake is the sponge. It has only 5 ingredients – but how do you make it the perfect balance of fluffy and spongey?  Mandy, The Dessert Lady, self-taught herself sponge cake when she was only 11yrs old, and even The Dessert Lady failed multiple times before she got it right.

There are many ways a sponge can go wrong: it can sometimes be too dense, sometimes fluffy on top and dense on the bottom, but once you find the perfect balance the final product is just like heaven, the fluffiness, the aroma, the eggy taste, it’s very satisfying. You can actually taste the difference between a homemade sponge cake and a commercial sponge cake made with cake mix or emulsifier.

Sponge Cake does not contain any leavening agents such as Baking Soda or Baking Powder therefore, the only thing that helps the cake to rise during the baking process is when you “whip air into the eggs”. Here’s a little tip: keeping the eggs at room temperature for two hours prior to baking helps with breaking down the molecules within the eggs. Next, be careful not to rush the process, here at Dessert Lady, we always like to whip the eggs at a medium-high speed so that they become stiffer. Now to fold in the flour! When doing this step, it helps to do so slowly to prevent losing the air that has been whipped into the eggs. Fold the flour in gradually without stirring. After the flour is fully combined, fold in the milk, then the melted butter.

Practice, Practice, Practice is the only way to master the skills needed for a quality sponge cake, there is no shortcut. This is something we train each of our employees on when joining our bakery team. In fact, whoever applies for a baker or cake decorator position at Dessert Lady, is tested on how to make the perfect sponge!

With the perfect homemade sponge cake fresh out of the oven, it’s now time to assemble the rest of the cake. Our cakes are assembled with freshly chopped strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. This combination of fresh ingredients has made our Strawberry Shortcake incredibly unique. If you are in the Toronto area and don’t have time to try this recipe out, visit us at 12 Cumberland St. or 1 Sultan St. and give it a try! We make our Strawberry Shortcakes fresh every day, save it for yourself or share with friends, the flavour of our cakes tastes just like home, so much so that people will think you made it yourself (shhhh it’ll be our secret).

P.S. keep in mind that you can use this sponge cake to make many other desserts, not just strawberry shortcake. Have fun Baking!

Xx

The Dessert Lady

• Sponge Cake (Génoise)
  • 8 Eggs (room temp)
  • 160 Grams of sugar
  • 160 Grams of all-purpose flour (Sifted)
  • 30 Grams of melted butter
  • 75 ML of Milk (3%)
• Step1: Whip the Eggs and Sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy
• Step 2: Fold in the All-Purpose Flour
• Step 3: Fold in the Milk
• Step 4: Fold in the melted Butter

Preheat the oven at 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, pour the batter onto the baking sheet & bake for 18 minutes. Let chill.

Whipped Cream

• • 500 Grams of Whipping Cream
  • 25 Grams of Sugar
• Step: combine the whipping cream and the sugar together, mix until stiff.
• 1 Pint of Fresh Strawberries

Assembly:

• Cut out 3, 6″ circles from the sponge cake.
• Dice up 3 quarters of the strawberries, save 3 full strawberries to decorate on top, slice some strawberries for the decoration on the side.

Step 1: Place one 6″ sponge cake on top of a flat surface. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top of the sponge and then sprinkle diced strawberries on top. Place the 2nd 6″ sponge on top, repeat the same procedure. Place the last 6″ circle and cover the cake with whipped cream.  Pipe chocolate drizzle on top and add fresh strawberries on top for decoration.