Bakers from all over the world now call Ireland home, enriching the nation with international flavours and inventive bakes. Macarons are so last season, say Patrick Hanlon and Russell Alford, aka The Gastro Gays …
Featured Image; Camerino Bakery.
Have chocolate truffles and macarons had their day, going the way of whoopie pies and cupcakes? There’s a new bite-sized sweet treat in town, Argentinian alfajores (or “alfies”) have delectably landed in Dublin via Buenos Aires thanks to Grace Reddin and her brand GORDITAS. Alfies are short, round cookie-like biscuits lavishly sandwiched with dulce de leche and covered in rich Belgian chocolate. Word to the wise: look out for the addictive dulce de leche filling coming soon in standalone jars! www.gorditasbakes.com.
French pastry chef Julien Toudic and his partner, South African chef Ashika Kuar, marry their respective cuisines and food heritage in their Thomastown bakery, LEKKER FOOD COLLECTION. Alongside fine French delicacies you’ll find savoury Durban Samoosa, boerewors rolls topped with chakalaka (a spicy bean stew), bunnychow (a type of curry in a hollowed bread bun) and melktart (milk tart). Lekker’s award-winning milk tart is a family-size custard tart (more milkier than egg-enriched, like Portugal’s pastéis de nata or Macau egg tarts) with a sweet, short pastry base, dusted liberally with cinnamon and served in pale, creamy slices. Check out their sausage roll garland, too, wherein the meat is flavoured with boerewors spices. www.lekkerfoodco.ie.
Pushing the boundaries of a traditional French bakery, LE FOURNIL in Sligo is a contemporary triptych of patissier-boulanger-chocolatier run by French-born Clotilde Rambaud and her Polish partner Tomasz Giderewicz. Traditional meets inventive in eye-catching options like Apple Bear Claws and S’more Danishes and seasonal specials like Creme Egg cruffins at Easter, heart-shaped Chocolate Fondant Cakes for Valentine’s Day and pumpkin-shaped brioche and Monster Meringues for Halloween. Of course, proper sourdough baguettes with pointy ends are also a mainstay, while Clo’s Chocolates are a musttry, too. www.lefournilsligo.com.
Clo’s Chocolates at Le Fournil, Sligo.
Canadian born Caryna Camerino has produced rich, fluffy braided challah since day one of her CAMERINO BAKERY on Capel Street, where all the sandwiches are served daily between slices of challah and customers can pop in for whole loaves and buns – challah French toast is set to be your new favourite winter brunch dish! The Camerino Cake Club (€50), is a monthly subscription of sweet treats delivered to your door, with seasonal treats including Jewish holiday favourites Rosh Hashanah honey cake, babka knots and Muhn (poppyseed) cookies. www.camerino.ie.
Camerino Bakery
