Behind-The-Scenes @ S.P.T: A New Baby Is Born!

The text read “…had given birth to the baby on Wednesday, it’s a girl!...”.

This first time mother is a dear university friend of mine. Our friendship commenced when we both entered tertiary study, when she noticed that I was sitting alone in the library & had approached to say “Hello”.

It’s a friendship that has spanned for more than ten years. It's one of those friendships which we may only see or speak with each other once or twice a year, yet we never fail to remember to include one another in celebration of important milestones throughout the different stages of our individual lives.

So what sweet treats do I have in mind for this dear friend?

Well, for me the colour pink is a must for a new baby girl & I can’t go pass chocolate (yummmm...) for this very special occasion.

Something pink...how about Strawberry & Cream macarons!

Strawberry & Cream Macarons

Strawberry & Cream Macarons:
Strawberry Flavoured Macaron Shells filled with Strawberry Buttercream



Strawberry Flavoured Macaron Shells filled with Strawberry Buttercream
(A double dose of strawberry!)



For lovers of strawberry

…And accompanying these Strawberry & Cream macarons, how about some mini cupcakes!

Mud cake, also referred to as Mississippi mud cake or mud pie, is believed to have originated in the 1970s & 1980s in American South, & some say it is baked to resemble the mud along the banks of the Mississippi River. It is a type of chocolate cake made in virtually endless variations with no standard recipe, but typically of having a very moist, fairly dense & crumbly texture.

I like my cupcakes light & fluffy so with the addition of water & the replacement of plain flour with self-raising flour, I was able to create a light & fluffy chocolate mud cupcake.

The first time I baked this cake as a cupcake my feelings were mixed. Sure it was enjoyably light & fluffy, but already pre-programmed with what we're familiar with as a mud cake, could we then re-program ourselves to accept a mud cake which is nor typically fairly dense or crumbly?

I’ll let you be the judge (a different flavour of this light mud cupcake will be featured at our Strathfield Spring Fair 2010 stall!). 

I iced this light dark chocolate mud cupcake with strawberry buttercream frosting, topped with pink sprinkles, a white sugar paste flower & silver sugar pearls.

Pink Princess Mini Cupcakes:
Light Dark Chocolate Mud Cupcake topped with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

If only you can smell this photo!
 (whiffs of intense dark chocolate & sweet strawberry combined)  

…And accompanying these macarons & cupcakes was (of course) one of my baby clothing bouquets!

A baby clothing bouquet for girls

The photo says it all - "Too Cute!"



Dear Readers - meet little Naomi

Spring Fair 2010 Will Now Also Feature The Inaugural Strathfield Taste International Food Festival!!!

As the weather warms up in the next few weeks Sweet.Petite.Treats is buzzing with excitement as Strathfield Spring Fair 2010 is fast approaching.

In addition to the annual festivities of Spring Fair, it was recently announced the Fair will now also feature the inaugural Strathfield Taste International Food Festival! The municipality is one of Sydney's most cosmopolitan cuisine centres, featuring the best from Korea, China & India, & chefs from all countries will come together to create a feast of global taste in the glorious surrounds of Strathfield Park.

So informed with this latest news Sweet.Petite.Treats is working around the clock to create more delicious sweet treats to possibly feature at our Spring Fair stall.

Meet our newest macaron flavour: Raspberry Cloud.

New Macaron Flavour: Raspberry Cloud

This macaron for some maybe abit controversial.

Traditionally french macarons are filled with variants of cream or chocolate ganache so to fill this new macaron with marshmallow, is it then still considered a macaron?

Nevertheless, what I love about our new macaron is not only the fun & vibrant raspberry colour of the almond shells but also the soft & gooey pink marshmallow centre which takes you back to memories of childhood where the world underneath the clouds was your playground & moonlight dreams were as sweet as candy.



S.P.T macaron flavours (from left to right & top to bottom):
Raspberry Cloud, Orangette, Hazelnut macarons filled with Irish Baileys cream, Vanilla Chai, Zesty Lemon & Velvet Caramel

If there are macaron flavours you would like us to create & feature at our Spring Fair stall just write on our Sweet.Petite.Treats facebook wall & let us know!


S.P.T's Macaron Flavours (listed flavours are available for ordering; listed flavours may or may not all feature at our Spring Fair stall):

* Raspberry Cloud: raspberry macaron shells filled with pink marshmallow

* Orangette: orange zest infused macaron shells filled with orange milk chocolate ganache

* Hazelnut macarons filled with Irish Baileys cream (gourmet range): hazelnut macaron shells filled with Irish Baileys Cream white chocolate ganache

* Vanilla Chai: marsala chai flavoured macaron shells filled with vanilla buttercream

* Zesty Lemon: lemon zest infused macaron shells filled with a smooth, sweet & tart lemon cream

* Velvet Caramel: cocoa flavoured macaron shells filled with salted caramel

Strathfield Spring Fair 2010: Free Macaron Giftbox Giveaway!


See you at the Fair!

PETITE (LIKE ME!)

A little more about me.

I was born in Hong Kong & immigrated to Australia with my parents in their quest for a better life for their three children at the age of seven. Though not born in Australia I definitely consider myself an Australian & unfortunately with time a tourist during my visits to Hong Kong as the surroundings, the language, the culture is no longer familiar.

White Jasmine Macarons:
Almond Macaron shells filled with Jasmine infused White Chocolate Ganache

Did you know:

Bamboo is a Chinese symbol for Longevity because of its durability, strength, flexibility & resilience surviving in the harshest of conditions

...And Jade is a symbol of beauty, nobility & perfection

I’m a diligent student & despite my parents’ lack of strict discipline throughout my years of studies, understandably preoccupied with making a living to financially support their family, we were often reminded of the importance of education & good grades as it will provide a gateway to many career opportunities, which one day will lead to great financial rewards.

So equipped with this knowledge I entered into two professions in Healthcare. Thus, with my Healthcare background I genuinely believe that sweets are treats and should be only petite!

Red Lychee Macaron:
Red Almond macaron shells filled with Lychee infused White Chocolate Ganache



Red Lychee Macarons - Lychee is a Chinese fruit having a red thin brittle shell enclosing a white translucent sweet jellylike pulp & a single seed (one of my favourite summer fruits!)


“Petite(Like Me!)” is absolutely true!

Despite being the eldest, I’m also the smallest in size. My rationale to this injustice (LOL) is my deprivation of the Australian air, food & sun to the age of seven in comparison to my siblings (but bring this up with my mother & she will debate otherwise & say it was my lack of interest in swimming as a child. I know...I know...not interested in swimming...so Un-Australian). And being petite my threshold for fullness is quite low, so when I too witnessed the trend & increasing popularity of miniature desserts I was applauding with both hands (& feet) in the air!

Starting at this corner of my world with macarons & cupcakes I hope to one day include in my sweet petite range mini cakes, verrines, mini tarts & mini’s much, much more.


Share with you a festival which will take place next week.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important celebrations in the Chinese calendar. A national holiday, the festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, falling this year on the 22nd of September. The date parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar & on this day, the night is believed to be the longest & the moon the most luminous & fullest. The full moon on this night is a symbol for reunion where families gather to celebrate & give thanks to their blessings of unity.

White Jasmine Macarons, Red Lychee Macarons & Mooncake
in celebration of the festival

Mooncake is a sweet Chinese pastry eaten on this festive occasion
(doesn't the macaron shell on top of the mooncake create an image of a little Emperor wearing a red regal crown?) 

Traditionally mooncakes are round or rectangular in shape measuring about 10cm in diameter & 4-5cm thick. The filling is usually made from lotus seed paste cased by a thin crust pastry with a salted duck yolk placed in the middle of the cake. Don't be alarmed by this paste/yolk combination as the flavours of sweet & salty are well harmonised resulting in an overall sweet taste. And because of its sweet nature the cake is usually eaten in small wedges accompanied with sips of Chinese tea (my favourite jasmine tea!).

 Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival
(a cross section of the cake shows the round yolk representing the full moon on the night)


Tell me Dear Readers a little more about YOU. 













A MASCULINE CUPCAKE

What would you consider as a masculine cupcake? Does such a cupcake exist?

So when I was given the task of bringing along something sweet to a gathering in celebration of Father’s Day, for some unknown reason the immediate flavour that came to mind was the Carrot Cupcake.

The Carrot Cupcake is a sweet & moist spice cupcake which consists of pureed or grated carrots topped with cream cheese frosting. The spice of choice commonly used is cinnamon but other additional spices of nutmeg, mixed spice, ginger may also be added. The carrot in the cupcake softens in the cooking process & enhances the moisture, flavour, texture & appearance of the cake. Many recipes also have optional ingredients of nuts, pineapple, coconut & raisins.

I’m a fan of light & fluffy cupcakes so from my own experience the more optional ingredients added to the batter the more solid and dense the cupcake can become so it’s a matter of choosing those ingredients that you love and adding just enough to allow for taste but not too much to end up with carrot “The Rock” cupcake (I wished for masculine not necessarily muscular!).

The Carrot Cupcake - A Masculine Cupcake

Why do I find this cupcake masculine?

Maybe it’s the chocolate brown baking cup in which it's presented, exudes an air of man-ly sophistication. Or maybe it’s the assortment of spices with each bite that gives it a charismatic charm. Maybe it’s the addition of walnuts, pineapple & coconut that provides the feeling of substance. Or maybe it’s the creamy smooth frosting that serves as a reminder that even strong men can also have a soft side. Whatever it is I just wanted the fathers of the day to be celebrated as they hold a cupcake with one hand & another bottle of beer (or a cup of tea) with the other.

Carrot Cupcakes with the addition of walnuts, pineapple and coconut topped with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting & crushed Walnuts

Share with you something I witnessed on the day.

A neighbour of the host who is a father of 2 had joined the gathering, & energized with food, booze & good male company his eyes came across an adult male playing lovingly with a little boy who was full of joyous screams & laughter. He had gestured to the adult male to join the group “Come on..it’s Father’s Day!” he called out, to which the adult male replied “No..No..I’m not a father.” On hearing this, the neighbour then apologized profusely & the adult male repeatedly reassured him that the misunderstanding was O.K.

It got me thinking. What about all those wonderful men who for whatever reason (physiological, emotional, financial, circumstantial) are not fathers but are wonderful uncles to their nephews and nieces. Do they not also deserve a day of recognition?

To these wonderful men, here… have a cupcake.

To all those men who are wonderful uncles on Father's Day

Happy Father’s (and Non-Father’s) Day!

Tell me Dear Readers what comes to your mind as the masculine cupcake?

15 Macaron Giftboxes To Giveaway!

To celebrate this new season Sweet.Petite.Treats is giving away a FREE MACARON GIFTBOX valued at $32.00 consisting of 16 macarons (assorted flavours) to each of the first 15 people who writes on our Facebook wall their most joyous & memorable new beginning.

Macarons included in each Giftbox - Orangette & Velvet Caramel

Celebrate Spring!

Collection will be at our Strathfield Spring Fair 2010 stall between 10am to 11am.

See you all there!

Celebrate Spring with Sweet.Petite.Treats!!!

Exciting news!

To celebrate the new season we will be holding a stall at Strathfield Spring Fair 2010.  

The Strathfield Spring Fair is the highlight of the Spring Festival and it's the Council's largest free outdoor event attracting over 20,000 residents and visitors each year.

Velvet Caramel Macarons: cocoa flavoured macaron shells with caramel buttercream
Orangette Macarons: orange zest infused macaron shells filled with orange milk chocolate ganache

The 2010 Fair is going to be packed with even more entertainment and activities, including community stalls, market stalls, food stalls, free entertainment and the popular Kids Fun Fair' with rides, face painting and workshops.

Roving performers will be moving through the crowd all day long, and a free return shuttle bus service will run between Strathfield, Homebush and Flemington Stations and Strathfield Park.

Vanilla Sky Tiny Tot Cupcakes:
a light & moist vanilla cupcake topped with vanilla bean buttercream frosting

Come and say "Hello!" and sample our range of macarons and cupcakes.

We will be there until all our sweet treats are sold out. So don't miss out and see you there!



View Larger Map

Event: Strathfield Spring Fair 2010
Date: Sunday the 24th of October 2010
Time: 10:00am till 4:00pm
Location: Strathfield Park, Homebush Road, Strathfield
Cost: FREE

Behind-the-Scenes @ S.P.T – A Birthday Cake for a Special Mum

I love chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate. So when I had the pleasure of creating a birthday cake for a loving, dedicated mother of two my first thought was she needed to be spoilt and what better way to spoil someone special than with chocolate.

One of my favourite cakes to bake (and eat) is the Red Velvet. For those who are not familiar with this cake the Red Velvet is a rich, moist buttermilk sweet cake that is dark red, bright red or red-brown in color, usually prepared as a layer cake somewhere between chocolate and vanilla in flavour topped with a creamy white icing (often cream cheese frosting being the icing of choice).

The different hues of red are attributed to the ratio of red colouring to cocoa added into the batter. I have to confess my Red Velvets most of the time is red-brown in colour as I often find myself quietly chanting in my head “just a little more cocoa…just a tiny bit more” in aiming to bring out that yummy chocolatey taste.

Cocoa Powder & Red Food Colouring

 For me the contrasting red and white layers of the Red Velvet not only sets a mood of sophistication, anticipation and romance but can also showcase (or not) the bakers skills of leveling and icing. In terms of taste every mouthful of this buttermilk cake needs to be accompanied with an adequate mouthful of frosting.

The first time I baked this cake as a regular size cupcake I found myself eating the cupcake with no frosting when I had reached the bottom half of the cake. So with each bite-size cake then torn from the rest of the cupcake I “dipped” each piece into the extra cream cheese frosting I had left and once again I was on my way to Red Velvet heaven.

Strawberry Velvet Mini Cupcakes:
Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting lightly sprinkled with desiccated coconut topped with Milk Chocolate coated strawberry

 For this special mum I had chosen a 2 tier Red Velvet cake. The top tier was a 6” mini layered cutting cake accompanied with a bottom tier of mini cupcakes. Cream cheese frosting for some can be a bit too sweet and heavy so to cut through the possible sweetness and heaviness I like to add fine desiccated coconut. The coconut not only provides an exotic, tropical aroma but can also add a crunchy texture to the smooth cake. In line with the red theme I topped the mini cake and cupcakes with milk chocolate coated strawberries.

6" Mini Strawberry Velvet Cutting Cake

 Well...I did mention I wanted to spoil this mum.