Santa's Cottage (S$55.00, approx. 1.4kg)

This 3D Santa’s Cottage cake is truly spectacular, and looks even more stunning than in photos. When I brought out the cake, everyone was going, “Wah……so beautiful!”

Hello, Santa!

The details are so life-like, especially the two cottages and the snow. Love the colorful little ornaments too!

Edible roof!

The “roof” is made of sponge fingers, so it’s totally edible!

The backyard!

This is the back view of the cake.

Chocolatey chocolate cake!

It’s such a beautiful cake I couldn’t bear to cut it up! But eventually, I did.

The two “cottages” as well as the “tree trunk” base are chocolate sponge cakes laced with dark truffle cream. The cake is moist and fluffy, while the truffle cream is very rich and bittersweet. There was a little too much cream for our liking, but we loved the intense chocolatey taste of the entire cake.

It’s definitely a very decadent creation, and a feast for both the eyes and palate!

This is a substantially large cake, sufficient to feed around 12 to 16 pax. For other PrimaDéli festive goodies, click here to download the PDF flyer.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Many thanks to Prima Food Pte Ltd and Foreword Communications.

Durian puree with pomelo sago, S$6.00

This is what entices me to return to Ji De Chi time and time again.

Of all the durian pomelo sago desserts I’ve tried, Ji De Chi’s version is the most memorable by far. Rich, creamy bittersweet durian mousse topped with a scoop of pure durian pulp, Ji De Chi’s durian pomelo sago is the thickest version I’ve come across. It’s almost like eating the real fruit!

The sago pearls and pomelo sacs are there for extra texture, but frankly, I’m just as happy without them. I’ve tried a few of the other signature desserts at Ji De Chi, but this is the only one that I can’t get out of my head.

Ji De Chi
8 Liang Seah Street
#01-03 Liang Seah Court
Singapore 189029
Tel: +65 6339 9928

Refer to their website for listing of other outlets: www.jidechi.com.sg

Sun to Thur: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat : 11am – 11.30pm

Garrett Popcorn @ Resorts World Sentosa

There are now about 10 Garrett Popcorn outlets in Singapore, but this outlet at Resorts World Sentosa will always hold a special place in my heart. Why? Because this is where I became a popcorn convert!

Popcorn galore!

Once you step in, you’ll immediately be seduced by the intoxicating scent of buttery caramel popcorn!

Available sizes

Here are the different sizes available. I wonder if anyone has bought the 6.5 gallon tin. It can cost up to S$320 for the most pricey CaramelCrisp with almond, macadamia, or cashew! Would you pay S$320 for popcorn?

Flavors and prices

Prices start from S$4.00 for plain or buttery popcorn. The bestselling flavors are their signature CaramelCrisp and The Chicago Mix, which is a mixture of CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn.

The Chicago Mix (starts from S$8.00 for small bag)

The first time I ate Garrett’s popcorn, I was amazed by how big and round the popped kernels were. The texture seemed lighter and fluffier too. They also seemed to have less of a noticeable hull, which made them not as rough or tough to chew.

Later, I discovered the secret to this amazing deliciousness, thanks to David Lebovitz’s article. Garrett Popcorn uses two kinds of popcorn kernels — mushroom and butterfly. The “mushroom” popcorn kernel has a rounded head like a ball, and has a compact texture. The “butterfly” kernel splits into wings, and its crevices allow the caramel to settle in and crisp up.

Another reason why Garrett Popcorn tastes especially good is because they don’t stint on flavor! I especially like CaramelCrisp. With hints of burnt smokiness, it’s intensely sweet, buttery, and lightly salty.

Garrett Popcorn FTW!

After trying different flavors, our favorite remains the signature Chicago Mix. The CaramelCrisp is too sweet on its own, but here, it balances out nicely with the sharp cheddar saltiness of CheeseCorn. Be warned, this is dangerously addictive stuff!

Garrett Popcorn
(adjacent to Hershey’s, next to Universal Studios entrance)
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
Tel: +65 6884 6728

Mon – Thu: 11am to 10pm
Fri – Sun: 10am to 10pm

Click here for full listing of Garrett Popcorn outlets in Singapore.

Welcome!

Step into the store and it’s a blaze of Reese’s iconic orange hue everywhere!

Yummy Reese's products on display!

The original Peanut Butter Cups, as well as all-time favorites like Miniatures and Reese’s Pieces can be found here.

Of course, the selection of Reese’s products at this Singapore outpost is just a fraction of the full range in the U.S. of A. Nevertheless, this is the place to go to if you’re looking for the most variations of Reese’s products in Singapore.

Reese's souvenirs

Besides edibles, there are all sorts of Reese’s souvenirs for the hardcore fan. Look at these plush toys and cushions! Now you can eat your Reese’s and hug it too!

Such a colorful bag! Loves!

Being the mountain tortoises that we are, hubby and I had never tried Reese’s before. Don’t ask me why, but we’re just not big on chocolate and peanut butter together. But after browsing through the store, we just couldn’t resist and bought a couple of items!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (S$2.00) and Reese's Sticks (S$2.00)

We got Reese’s classic Peanut Butter Cups — smooth peanut butter encased in milk chocolate — as well as Reese’s Sticks — wafers filled with peanut butter and wrapped in milk chocolate.

Taste test!

The Peanut Butter Cups were a bit of an anti-climax. The chocolate and peanut butter are smooth, sweet and fragrant, but texturally boring.

We much prefer Reese’s Sticks. It’s much more fun munching on the crispy wafers. Also it isn’t as cloying as the Peanut Butter Cups. I’d buy this again!

Hershey’s Singapore (Resorts World Sentosa)
Sentosa Gateway #01-075/076/077
Singapore 098138
Tel: +65 6884 6733

Open daily: 10am to 11pm

Check out Hershey’s Singapore’s FaceBook page for updates and full outlet listing.

The images in this post were shot with Sony NEX-C3 with SEL1855 lens (on loan from Sony Singapore).

Chill out with frozen yogurt!

On one such day, I was especially craving for something icy, refreshing, and not too sweet. And I happened to pass by Sogurt in Bukit Timah (situated in a row of shophouses between Coronation Plaza and Hwa Chong Junior College).

If you like creamy style fro-yo, then Sogurt is probably not your preferred choice. Their yogurt leans toward the icy side. Me? I embrace both kinds!

What I like about Sogurt’s fro-yo is their light and sufficiently smooth texture. The fruit-based flavors have a pleasant sweet-tangy balance that don’t taste overly artificial nor leave a sticky after-taste.

Out of Sogurt’s Original Tart and a few fruit flavors like Melon, Grape, and Peach-Mango, my favorite is Lychee. It has that unmistakable scent and taste of lychee, and is immensely refreshing!

Self-serve machine

The Bukit Timah branch is spacious with plenty of tables and seats. There are four self-serve machines, which means a total of eight yogurt flavors at any one time.

Fresh & dried fruit and chocolate toppings

Toppings are also self-serve. They’ve got the usual array of fruit — both fresh and dried — as well as chocolate and nut sprinkles.

Colorful candy toppings

There’s also colorful candy and cereal.

Menu

After DIY-ing the yogurt and toppings, the staff will then weigh your cup. The total price is based on weight at S$3.00 per 100 grams.

Be warned, for it can add up to quite a hefty sum. I filled only half a medium-sized cup, added 4 cubes of kiwi and strawberry and half a teaspoon of mini rainbow balls. The total? S$5.30.

The shop front

By the way, this outlet has free wi-fi as well as crispy waffles on the menu. They have three other branches:

1. 87 Marine Parade Central, #01-503
2. #04-17 nex Serangoon
3. #B1-61 United Square

Check out their website for more details: www.sogurt.com.sg

Sogurt (Bukit Timah)
617 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269718
Tel: +65 6468 8940

Mon to Thu: 11am – 10.30pm
Fri to Sun: 11am – 11.30pm

A luscious scoop of Clusterfluff!

Introducing Clusterfluff — Ben & Jerry’s brand new flavor for 2011! If you’re a peanut butter and caramel lover, this latest creation — a groovy combo of peanut butter ice cream, caramel cluster pieces, marshmallow swirls, and peanut butter swirls — will rock your world! Singapore is the first country outside of the USA where Clusterfluff is available.

For me, the best part of Clusterfluff is the creamy peanut butter ice cream base and caramel clusters. The ice cream has an intense nutty and buttery flavor that I love. Small nuggets of crunchy caramel and bits of peanut also complement the smoothness and subtle saltiness of the ice cream very nicely!

I couldn’t detect much of the marshmallow swirls, but I think the flavor balance is just right like this. Too much marshmallow would make the entire combo too sweet and cloying.

At a recent preview party for Ben & Jerry Moolets, we also got to sample Clusterfluff in three different styles:

Clusterfluff on brownie

Have it on a warm, fudgy brownie, or…

Clusterfluff in waffle bowl

…in a freshly baked waffle bowl. And the most decadent of all…

Clusterfluff in Legendairy Ice Cream Shake

Ben & Jerry’s Legendairy Ice Cream Shake! This is so sinful it shouldn’t even be legal!!

The brownie, waffle bowl, and ice cream shake are available at all Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops.

Image credit: Ben & Jerry's Singapore

By 13 April 2011, Clusterfluff will be available island-wide in all major supermarkets and Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops in Singapore.

Image credit: Ben & Jerry's Singapore

Another wonderful piece of news: Tomorrow (Tuesday, 12 April 2011) is Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day!

Ben & Jerry’s Singapore’s Free Cone Day 2011 is in support of Dyslexia Association of Singapore. Simply head down to participating Scoop Shops, grab a free cone, and donate some change to help dyslexic kids. All proceeds will go to the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping dyslexic kids overcome their learning difficulty and achieve more in life.

Participating Scoop Shops:

12pm — 7pm

1. VivoCity
2. Raffles City
3. Dempsey
4. The Heeren
5. Great World City
6. The Cathay
7. United Square

12pm — 5pm:

1. Sentosa
2. Zoo @ entrance
3. Jurong Bird Park @ Hawk Cafe

These are the 5 flavors available on Free Cone Day 2011:

1. Clusterfluff
2. A Cookie Affair
3. Phish Food
4. Vanilla
5. Strawberry Cheesecake

By participating in Free Cone Day, you can kill 3 birds with one stone: Get a free ice cream cone, sample Ben & Jerry’s newly launched Clusterfluff, and do your part to help dyslexic children. Awesomeness!

Collector's item

I also have some goodies to give away! The grand prize is a Ben & Jerry’s limited edition iPhone 4 case (design: Ice Cream). In addition, there are two sets of Ben & Jerry’s notebook and a pair of pencils.

Simply name 4 main components in Clusterfluff (hint: go to first paragraph of this post, answers highlighted in bold).

Leave your answer in the comment box below, together with a valid email address (so that I can contact you). Three AromaCookery readers will be picked via random number generator. The first winner will win the limited edition iPhone 4 case, and the other two will get a notebook and two pencils.

Contest is open only to those residing in Singapore, and closes Sunday, 17 April 2011 (23:59hrs). Good luck!

Update (Mon, 18 April 2011):

The contest has ended and 3 lucky winners (first three random numbers are: 16, 6, 28) have been picked. Congratulations to Keane, Man Jing, and Disa! Keane wins the iPhone 4 case, and Man Jing and Disa will each get a notebook and two pencils.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway! Please don’t be too disappointed if you didn’t get picked this time. Watch this blog for future giveaways!

Tau sar piah or 豆沙饼 is a traditional Chinese pastry that never seems to go out of style! Here are some recommendations for the best tau sar piah in Singapore, tried and tested.

Refreshing tart, creamy, and virtually fat-free, it’s no wonder fro-yo is getting increasingly popular as an icy dessert treat. Check out these new players in Singapore’s frozen yogurt scene. How do they stack up against one another?

Onde onde are so fun to eat. My favorite part is when it pops in the mouth and releases that sweet burst of liquid gula melaka! This issue of Tried & Tested hunts down some of the best onde onde around. Click here to read the full article.

A delicate confection of fluffy sponge cake, airy whipped cream, and luscious strawberries — it’s so easy to fall in love with Japanese strawberry shortcake! Read this article to find out where you can get the best strawberry shortcakes in Singapore.