Cafe Review: Penny University, Kingston Canberra

So today I let someone else do the cooking for me and ventured out to where everyone in Canberra seems to be talking about.. Penny University - a new coffee roast house, brunch spot in Canberra's inner south.  With an in-house coffee roaster, a terrific range of succulent sweets and a modern breakfast and lunch menu Penny University has something for everyone!

We timed our arrival for the cross over between the breakfast and lunch menu so as to satisfy the brunch and more traditional lunch lovers of the group.  But our timing seemed to be the same as half of Canberra.  The 25 minute wait was expected though and we walked around the growing Kingston precinct sticking our noses into the old favourites and the booming hip new places (that seem to be popping up all over Canberra).

After receiving the phone call that the table was ready, we took a seat and began perusing the menu.  For a coffee lover, like myself, it's always a simple drinks order.. not at Penny University.  With salted caramel milkshakes, homemade cordial, house-roasted coffee and a large variety of smoothies and juices the choice was a little harder.  And that was only the beginning!  The menu was a totally different mission!

Avo Dish - yum!

With so many great options on the menu we spent about 15 minutes looking at the menu, asking the waitress three times to give us "two more minutes" to finalise our order.  In the end, none of us were disappointed.  I chose the Avo Dish; avocado on toasted rye, charred corn and quinoa tabouleh , chevre, chilli oil and poached egg.  Others chose the McPenny; a breakfast burger of fluffy cheddar scrambles, streaky "Pialligo" smoked bacon, spinach and Pennys tomato salsa, the Low GI Breakfast Pudding with black sticky rice, char-grilled mango and coconut and the Steak Sanga on gluten-free bread featuring a grain-fed sirloin steak, egg and all the trimmings you could imagine!

Mc Penny

Then to top today's brunch/lunch feast we tried some of Elliane's dessert cabinet.  And these bad boys were off the CHAIN!  There were homemade croissants, tarts, muffins, cronuts, friands.. there were options for the gluten-free, dairy-free.  Really, the options seemed pretty endless and they all looked amazing!

So to give each of these reviews a little context I thought I would make specific comments on a few aspects of each of the places, rating them on decor, service, menu, desserts, coffee and price.  So lets start with:
Decor: With mismatched chairs, tables, re-loved cabinetry and brick and timber finishings Penny University ticks all the boxes at nailing that hipster eclectic look.  My favourite aspect are the quirky artworks stickered on the walls.

Wall Decor

Service: Other than the wait (which on a Sunday in Canberra is now something to expect), the service was great.  Our orders were taken promptly (or as quickly as we could decide) and our food was the same.

Menu: Penny University really does offer something for everyone.  They were flexible to cater to the intolerances and requests made at our table and had something for the savoury and sweet tooth diners.

Desserts (this is my favourite category): The desserts offered at 
Penny's were great!  We only tried two, but the two we did try were mouth-wateringly good.

 

Blueberry and Orange Frangipani

Coffee: Now as mentioned in previous posts.. I like my coffee strong and I take it with soy - which is usually pretty hard to pull off and a baristas worst nightmare (as the soy milk tends to get lumpy when the coffee is stronger).  With this in mind, Penny's didn't do a bad job at all!  I think that if it was a little bit less busy it would have been off the charts (as the coffee had a wonderful flavour) but they were really busy and the barista was busy pouring out endless coffees from when we got there to when we left.  Today they were pouring from either a Guatemalan or Papua New Guinean blend.  Which ever it was that I had, was rich and nutty!

Price:  Their prices are on the slightly higher side of your standard coffee shop - where depending on your order you might be close to hitting the $5 mark for a cup of coffee.  But with that in mind their quality is higher than that of a standard coffee shop and so you are paying for what you get.

Overall guys -- you need to check this place out!!! It's an adorable, delicious gem in the inner South of Canberra, I know it won't disappoint!

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes - Gluten and Dairy free!!

So as some of you know.. my Man is baked-food-intolerant.  And by that I mean he has intolerances to both gluten and dairy making almost every traditional baked good off-limits (not that he doesn't enjoy eating them).  So every now and then I try something new with those restrictions so he can join in with dessert or other tea-events.  Now working with substitutes can be a little hit and miss, particularly when you are new to the science that is working with intolerances and food allergies, but this recipe nailed it! The almond meal gives these sunken little chocolate cakes a beautifully moist texture and the warm melting centre makes it perfect when teamed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a handful of fresh berries!

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (check for milk solids)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Grease a 12 hole muffin pan using nutellex or cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl sift together the almond meal, cocoa, baking soda and salt until combined.  In a separate bowl whisk together the agave nectar, eggs and vanilla using an electric beater on a low speed.  Once combined gradually add the wet ingredients to the almond mixture on a medium speed until just combined.  Finally, add the dark chocolate chips, stirring by hand.

Pour approximately 1/4 of a cup of mixture into each prepared muffin tin mould.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out just clean.  If you want a gooey-er cupcake bake for less time as the longer you bake it, the drier it becomes.  Cool for 5 minutes in the tray before serving.  Best served warm.  Will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The benefits of... Coconuts!

So currently my oven is not running hot.  In fact my proximity to an oven that can get hot is pretty limited.  

I am currently interstate and staying with family who are in the process of renovating and don't have a kitchen - let alone a functioning oven.  So my blog posts are going to be a little more informative and a little less oven-orientated for a few days until I get myself organised.  So today I am taking the opportunity to tell you about one of my favourite foods.  The coconut.  The coconut is one of my favourite foods to cook and bake with.  What is great about the coconut is that it is very versatile: there is coconut milk, coconut water, coconut flour and my favourite coconut oil (not to mention the fleshy part too that can be eaten fresh or dried)!

Coconuts have been wrongly labelled as unhealthy due to their high saturated fat content for a long time.  However, coconuts are highly nutritious and full of great health benefits, including being particularly rich in fibre, loaded with vitamins and minerals and have lots of traditional as well as modern medicinal benefits.

So let's start by looking at coconut milk and coconut cream.  Coconut milk (a thinner liquid) can be found in many Asian recipes particularly in curries and soups and coconut cream (a much thicker liquid) is primarily used for sauces and desserts.  The creamy taste and texture counterbalances the chilli and spice used in the dish or adds a lovely sweet and nutty flavour to desserts.  Coconut milk is lactose free so it makes a great dairy-free alternative for cooking and baking.  It is made when the coconut flesh (the white part) is grated and soaked in hot water.  The coconut cream is then skimmed off the top and the remaining liquid is squeezed through a cheesecloth to get the coconut milk.  Coconut milk and coconut cream have a bit of a bad wrap, and without getting too technical, here's why...  They do contain a higher saturated fat content, however, they provide fat that is mostly in a form called 'medium chain saturated fatty acids (MFCAs) and are high in a particular one called lauric acid.  The body converts lauric acid into a highly beneficial product that helps destroy a wide variety of diseases, viruses and infections.  MFCAs are easily turned into energy by the liver and are used up quicker by the body and less likely to be stored as fat.  With all these great things in mind - it is still a fat and high consumption can still lead to heart disease.  So use coconut milk and cream in moderation!

Coconut water contains fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is great for rehydration (rebalancing your isotonic electrolyte levels).  It has been called "Mother Natures Sports Drink" and, as you can see in our supermarkets, is really in fashion at the moment.  Coconut water is a clear liquid that is very refreshing has a subtle sweet and nutty flavour.  It has also has low carbohydrates that are easily digested.  Coconut water should not be confused with the higher-fat content of the coconut milk or cream, or coconut oil.

Coconut flour is great for baking cakes, cupcakes and muffins.  It is a great substitute for gluten-free cooking and makes the baked goods soft and fluffy.  It has low carbohydrates, high fibre content and imparts a slightly sweet flavour.  Many people think that using coconut flour will result in a much sweeter and very coconut tasting baked good, however, this has not been my experience.  Coconut flour is very dry, meaning that it will suck up a lot of moisture and will require a tremendous amount of liquid to be added.  When baking, only use up to about 50% coconut flour as using too much results in a dense and very dry mixture.  To help alleviate this problem, the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is very high and adding extra eggs will help to make it lighter.

Lastly, for my favourite.. Coconut oil.  I use coconut oil very frequently when I bake as I love the subtle coconut flavour it imparts as well as the health benefits that it contributes.  The list of nutritional benefits coconut oil has is huge and keeps expanding with plenty of new studies being published every year.  Studies have shown that it can help prevent our bodies from catching viruses and infections, help balance our hormones and our blood sugar levels, aid digestion, lower cholesterol, improve our memory as well as give us healthier looking skin, hair and nails.  Now that's a long list as it is!  So how can we incorporate coconut oil into our diets?  By replacing butter, milk and other oils with it when baking, a teaspoon drizzled over your morning muesli, or even eating it straight off the spoon.  The best thing about coconut oil is that it does not leave you with an oily mouth and it has a sweet taste!  Now for the last few years I have been buying my coconut oil from health food and nutrition stores - but just last week I was doing my regular grocery shop and noticed that Coles are now stocking it in the health food aisle!  It is important to be sure to use virgin unrefined coconut oil (as it has the most health benefits) - so be sure to read the label and to store it at room temperature and to melt it over a low heat.

So what did I eat today?  A cranberry muesli bar, a piece of coffee cake, an apple, a carrot and a big vegetarian laksa. 

Vegetable Laksa, extra spicy filled with.. COCONUT MILK!

Marshmallows are Sticky Business!

So like many foodies, I see a cookbook or a magazine and before I know it it has made it's way into my carry bag and having coffee spilt on it while I indulge in every recipe from the ingredients list through to it's storing instructions.  I saw this recipe in the "Gourmet Traveller; Annual Cookbook 2013 Collectors Edition" I picked up earlier in the week while grocery shopping.  My ritual for new books and magazines is to wait until I have enough time to be able to read large chunks of glorious pages at a time.  Last Wednesday I had the day off -- perfect! I packed it in my handbag and walked down to my local coffee shop and I slowly made my way through all 250 pages of delicious sounding recipes and mouth-watering photographs.  I write down all the recipes I want to try and ideas I get while I turn all the pages in a little notebook - safe to say this book is already overflowing with ideas and things I want to try.

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

Before Wednesday I had never made marshmallows before.  As of Wednesday I now know that I might not be making them terribly frequently.  Though the recipe is delicious and not particularly hard to whip together - the mixture is SO incredibly sticky.  I am still finding sticky sections on the kitchen benches 3 days later!!  The recipe for the marshmallows actually comes from a larger recipe for "Dolce de Leche Marshmallow Biscuits", a 'love child of the Spanish alfajore and the good old Wagon Wheel'.

So what I have for you is a wonderful recipe that I recommend you to try.  I am certainly and going to try and make them again as they were delicious - I'm just going to factor in that they take three times longer to clean up as they do to make! I have taken the recipe out of the magazine and added a few little tips that I found useful while whipping them up (my tips will be in red) - Enjoy!!

Marshmallows - Gourmet Traveller, 2013 Annual Cookbook

2 tsp liquid glucose
375g castor sugar
3 egg whites
9 titanium-strength gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes
Seeds from one vanilla bean
Icing sugar for dusting
200g dark chocolate - optional

To start with, I recommend getting all the ingredients ready and measured before even starting heating anything up.  Depending on your cooktop you could find yourself with a very hot sugar syrup and egg whites still snuggled up with the yolks in the fridge!

• Stir the liquid glucose, 250g of sugar and 100ml of water in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil and cook until sugar syrup readers 118°C on a sugar thermometer (if you don't have a sugar thermometer then wait until the sugar syrup starts to boil with very thick bubbles - it then has another 5 or so minutes before it reaches 127°C). 
• When syrup reaches 118°C, whisk egg white and a pinch of salt with an electric beater until soft peaks form, then gradually add remaining sugar and whisk until glossy (to test whether it has been whisked enough, rub a small amount of mixture between two fingers it should be smooth and not grainy).  Continue cooking syrup until it reaches 127°C.
• Squeeze excess water from gelatine, stir into syrup, then gradually add syrup to egg white mixture, whisking continuously on medium speed.  Add vanilla seeds and whisk at high speed until mixture is cool and thick (10 minutes) (This is the super sticky part.  Gelatine is kind of like a cooking glue, as you are mixing it it sticks to itself as the beaters go around and around gradually picking up more and more mixture - if you don't keep an eye on it before you know it the marshmallow mixture is up onto the top of your hand mixer and slowing taking over your arm.  Beat on an angle and move the mixer up and down to stop this from happening). 
• Spoon into a 20cm x 30cm cake tin lined with baking paper, smooth top with a wet rubber spatula and stand at room temperature until set (approximately 2 hours). Turn out of tin and cut into desired shape with a biscuit cutter dipped in icing sugar (I used a small love heart).  Coat marshmallows in icing sugar.  If desired melt chocolate and allow to cool before dipping or coating the marshmallows.

They will keep for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.