During the past year, while we haven’t been able to celebrate in person, my favourite way to connect with family and friends has been with dessert. A surprise cake or box of macarons delivered on a birthday or anniversary has been a treat to send and receive. While we’ve tried a variety of bakeries in York and Peel region, Daan Go Cake Lab is my favourite. Their online ordering system is easy to use and they were one of the first bakeries to offer delivery options. My friends and I have sent dozens of their character macarons between us all.

Daan Go’s new online store offers a variety of their signature cakes, whole and slices, different box sizes of macarons, cookies and even their new bottled drinks! I like being able to pick each macaron flavour in a box or choose assorted. Delivery windows are 3 hour time slots and the shipping cost is calculated by distance. Our house is a bit far from their Scarborough location, so for Alivia’s birthday I ordered macarons to be delivered to my in-law’s house in Markham. In-store pickup is also an option.

So far, in addition to their macarons, we’ve tried the Matcha Crepe Cake, 3:15 Hong Kong Milk Tea Cake and Strawberry Shortcake (an in-store exclusive). Alivia loves the character macarons, in addition to being adorable, they’re airy and all of the flavours are delicious without being overly sweet. With the cute designs though, it is sometimes impossible to guess the flavour without referencing the picture booklet (where seasonal or special flavours aren’t always included). It’s not an issue for me, but challenging when we are trying to avoid certain eczema triggers for Alivia. There’s currently 19 flavours available, from Asian inspired ones like Black Sesame and Hong Kong Milk Tea to classics such as Salted Caramel and Pistachio.

The Matcha Crepe cake was divine. Stacked perfectly with layers of light cream rich in matcha flavour, this cake reminded me of my love for this delicate and labour intensive dessert. Stephen used to bring me back slices of Lady M regularly when he worked in Boston. Until we can travel again, Daan Go’s crepe cake (matcha and Thai milk tea flavour) is a great indulgent treat.

Overall, I loved how the desserts at Daan Go are decadent yet light, aesthetically adorable and well priced. I can’t wait for their new Richmond Hill location to open this summer to try out even more of their signature cakes. Tiramisu, Peach Garden, 24K Mango, I need more birthdays in a year.

Happy 2021! Nearing a year of being in a pandemic is an odd anniversary to approach. It’s a new year, and like previous ones, nothing magically changed when the calendar pages flipped. Stephen and I are still working from home. Alivia is still home with us, with the help of my in-laws, and we’re still searching for some semblance of balance. A year ago, Stephen started baking weekly loaves of bread for us. We didn’t jump on the sourdough starter trend, opting for a no knead recipe instead. This year, we’ve discovered Crust Baking Co., a local bakery that opened near us last year. Their fresh croissants, tarts and sourdough loaves have quickly become a necessity and weekly treat.

Pickup: Crust Baking Co. is located in the lobby of a Condo on Yonge St, south of Major Mackenzie. Commercial parking is available at the back of the condo and there has always been empty spots whenever we go. There is an entrance on Yonge and another through the back of the building, through the condo lobby. Currently, indoor dining is closed in York Region, so only pickup is available. Samples of bread loaves are displayed on shelves and fresh treats are at the counter. We order at the counter and everything is packed in individual paper bags. All regular seating has been stacked and roped off.

Food: In addition to loaves of sourdough bread, a 3 day process to bake, we’ve been enjoying the croissants, pain au chocolat and tarts from Crust Baking Co. So far, we’ve tried their regular croissant, almond croissant, wild blueberry tart, raspberry tart, Boston cream donut and danishes. Every treat has been a delight so far! The croissants flakey and buttery, the fruit tarts decadent without being overly sweet and the bread freshly baked with a perfect crust. Stephen’s grilled cheeses have levelled up considerably. Almond croissants are Stephen’s favourite, not usually my thing, but the ones from Crust have changed my mind. The marzipan filling is plentiful with a great rich, natural flavour!

We usually visit in the morning, but even the croissant I picked up one afternoon had retained its flaky texture. Other menu items I’ve been eyeing are the giant chocolate chip cookies, madeleines and cinnamon sugar donut. Crust also offers fresh espresso beverages, coffee beans for purchase and a selection of sandwiches, salads and quiches. Looking through their social media accounts, I see macarons, but have not encountered them myself yet. Custom cakes are also available to order via email. A photo of fresh sesame bagels was just posted on their Instagram account and I’m eager to get my hands on one.

Overall, I’m very happy to have Crust Baking Co. so close to us and look forward to exploring more of their menu.

For me, Millie Creperie was another Instagram find. I was actually on my way to get a haircut (at Chura salon, my go to since they opened) and realized the bakery was next door. There was no other option but to pop in and grab slices of their namesake cake. It was meant to be.

The menu at Millie Creperie centred around crepes and their selection of gelato. Each crepe was rolled into a cone and filled with combinations of ingredients from sweet to savoury. Customers could choose to go Asian with matcha, red bean and black sesame flavours or classic with nutella and banana. Normally, I would’ve gone with a crepe cone but that day, I was set on the mille crepe cake.

A French dessert, mille crepes are made with layers of paper thin crepes, held together by whipped pastry cream. At Millie Creperie, the cake consisted of 20 9″ crepes. Two flavours were available, vanilla and green tea. I grabbed a slice of each to go. Full cake orders are available but require 3 days notice ($69 for vanilla and $79 for green tea).

The dessert was creamy and a little difficult to eat. As we neared the end of each slice, the layers slipped away from each other with each fork cut. Each bite was delectable. Between the two flavours I prefered the vanilla, which was lightly sweet and rich in vanilla flavour. The top layer of the green tea cake was saturated with matcha powder, making each bite a touch bitter. The layers of crepe were thin and delicate, creating a unique texture and being a perfect vessel for the light pastry cream.

While simple in concept (just crepes and cream right?), creating a mille crepe cake takes patience, time and plenty of TLC. At over $7 per slice, the cost was a touch on the expensive side for dessert, but for the labour intensive delectable treat, totally worth it.

I find myself looking to Instagram more and more to discover new restaurants these days. Pictures do speak the loudest when my stomach is on the prowl. Wooffles and Cream was one of these Instagram discoveries, and based on the continuous stream of new photos, others have uncovered the Hong Kong dessert shop as well.

Atmosphere: Wooffles and Cream was a small shop located in the food court of Peachtree Plaza, a mall in Markham with many Asian restaurants and stores. The store had a large chalkboard displaying the menu and an open kitchen behind the counter. There wasn’t much of a waiting area inside but the food court was just outside with seating.

Service: Orders were prepared fresh after they were placed. This was optimal for the waffles, but did mean a wait was required. Since there were only two waffle irons, the cooking capacity was limited and could mean an extended wait with a long line.

Food: Wooffles and Cream specializes in Hong Kong style egg waffles. The dessert requires a special waffle maker that creates puffs of crispy waffle. This snack is a staple whenever I’m at Pacific Mall. One of the main draws of Wooffles, is their savoury flavours that include Chinese sausage and seaweed. I was feeling less adventurous when I visited and stuck to the sweet flavours.

I tried the Black and White Sesame with Matcha soft serve ice cream and had a Cookie flavour to go. Both waffles were set on a curved wire rack to crisp up, which formed them into the perfect shape to cradle a heaping mountain of ice cream. The waffles were flavoured with real sesame seeds and crushed cookies. What I really loved was the matcha soft serve. The portion in the cup was huge, more than 2 cups, was perfectly smooth, rich with a mild matcha flavour. Vanilla soft serve was also available.

If you’re stopping by Wooffles and Cream, the waffle and soft serve combo is definitely the way to go.

Since opening in Toronto, Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake has been a divisive topic of conversation. People either love it, thus the hour line ups, or hate it, it’s all hype. Personally, I really like the original cheesecake and have now eaten 2 plus 1 matcha, but haven’t lined up for a single one. So perhaps my opinion is biased. I was lucky enough to have a friend visiting, who had time to line up during the morning while most people worked. Also, The Hubby’s been working near Union station lately so he’s also been able to pick up cheesecakes at the Front Street Market, although there does seem to be a slight difference in quality between the stall and freshly baked ones.

The original 6 inch cheesecake was priced at $10 (taxes included), was not that big. Usually The Hubby and I can finish one in a sitting for dessert. These cakes are nothing like traditional, North American cheesecakes in flavour or texture. It’s not a fair comparison to make for either dessert. The Uncle Tetsu cheesecake was more like a chiffon cake in texture, light, airy, moist, almost like a mousse but spongy. I struggled to find the right words to describe it. Each bite was fluffy with a light hint of cream cheese flavour. The cake was also mild in sweetness. I loved the delicate taste and the fluffy texture.

The first one I had was bought freshly baked from the store, the second one was picked up at Front Street Market. Having sat overnight and through the morning in a fridge, the second cheesecake wasn’t as fluffy. While the flavour wasn’t different, I found the second cake had compacted a bit. For those who prefer a denser cake, leaving the cake for a few hours in the fridge may improve their experience.

One of the newest offerings at Uncle Tetsu was the matcha cheesecake with red bean. For the same price, the cheesecake has an additional mild green tea flavour and sparse red bean bottom. I found this version a lot dryer than the original and there wasn’t enough red bean to make a difference. The cheese flavour in this cake was even milder. The texture was more cake like.

Overall, while Uncle Tetsu cheesecake isn’t for everyone, I’m a big fan. I love light, airy, mild desserts and this one hit all the right buttons. I wouldn’t wait 2 hours for one, maybe just 1.

My love for French macarons has been well documented on the site, so when Gwen from Macarons & Mint contacted me to review hers, I could not wait. I had seen photos on Instagram of Gwen’s bright, colourful creations and looked forward to biting into them.

Disclaimer: All macarons were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

I met Gwen in North York where we chatted about her macarons, a side business that she’s hoping will eventually turn into a day job. Macarons & Mint began a year ago and has already grown to the point where Gwen is using a commercial bakery at night to fulfill large orders. She currently offers 11 macaron flavours, 6 permanent and 5 temporary ones. New seasonal flavours, like Maple Bacon and Passionfruit, are announced through her social media channels.

I got to taste 5 of the permanent flavours: pistachio, matcha, raspberry, salted caramel and chocolate. Overall, my first impression with each macaron was how strong and distinct the flavour was. There was no second guessing which was which or any that tasted just like sugar. The dozen macarons I tried had more natural colours, but orders over 50 can be customized.

Of the 5, my favourite was the pistachio and chocolate while The Hubby liked the raspberry. The filling used for the pistachio and salted caramel was creamy and light. Each macaron cookie was consistent in size, moist on the inside and had a smooth, glossy shell.

Order inquiries can be emailed to Gwen at macaronsandmint@gmail.com. Minimum order starts at a dozen and discounted pricing is offered for orders over 100, a great wedding favour idea. Delivery is available in the Toronto area for a $10 charge. At $20 for a dozen (single flavour), Macarons & Mint is a steal for value and quality.

Whenever I’m in Montreal, I pick up a box of macarons. When The Hubby worked in Montreal, he’d occasionally surprise me with boxes from my favourite Montreal macaron shop and earn plenty of brownie points. During our trip in February, we stayed at a hotel in The Old Port and there was a slight blizzard. This meant the trek to the Eaton Centre was unappealing, even via underground. Instead, we decided stop by Maison Christian Faure, which was just down the street and had great reviews.

The bakery itself was elegant, with lots of white decor. A white geometric gazelle statue stood in the entranceway and large glass cases full of treats were on display as you entered. While snow fell outside, all of the tables inside the bakery were filled with people enjoying cakes and tea. We decided it was easier to grab a box of macarons and dig in back at the hotel.

That day, there were 10 flavours of macarons available so we grabbed one of each and doubled up on lemon and pistachio (the best flavours). Overall, I found the macarons very sweet. So for flavours like chocolate, the sweetness was overpowering. I liked the tart flavours more, there was a better balance. The shells of this batch were also hollow. I like my macarons light and airy, but this was disappointing.

Ruelo opened their second location near Yonge and Eglinton over a year ago offering Asian inspired macaron (ie. yuzu, green tea and wasabi) and cake flavours. Since La Bamboche closed their Manor St. location, I’ve been stopping by Ruelo more for my dessert needs. Recently, I ordered a birthday cake from them for the BF’s birthday and while pricey, we enjoyed the sesame, green tea and red bean treat. When I saw a Groupon offer of tea for two for $27, I didn’t hesitate to make the purchase.

I called ahead to book a time for us. Tea seatings were available every hour from 1pm to 6pm.  There are limited seats so it’s necessary to call ahead. Ruelo is also closed on Mondays and they do not have an answering machine. I found the easiest time to get ahold of them was around 11am.

When we arrived, we greeted the girl behind the counter and told her of our reservation. She directed us to pick out a tea from their wall of Kusmi Teas. There was a wide selection of green and black teas with sample tins to smell. I chose the Prince Vladimir, a fruity black tea with hints of vanilla. We sat at a table and the girl brought over our teas and instructions on when to stop the steep. A timer would’ve helped. Also I could see the tea steeping on the counter for awhile before they were brought over the timing would’ve been off.

Overall the service was unenthusiastic. There was only the one girl and it was hard to get her attention to refill hot water. It almost seemed like she avoided eye contact. We were done out first cup of tea before the tray of snacks arrived.

In terms of food, everything was good and there were a few stand outs like the quiche that was flakey and rich. I liked the bottom savoury plate the best, which is usually the case at High Tea. The salmon and shrimp tartines were good. I would’ve loved a bigger serving of clotted cream with the scones, but maybe that’s best for my diet. The scones themselves were buttery and airy. I was a little disappointed by the top layer. The creme brulee was decent and the loaf cake, but the mousse cake didn’t hold up through the meal. By the time we got to the top layer, the mousse had started to soak the macarons. A different cake was served at the table next to us and it looked much more appetizing.

Generally, all the baked goods are Ruelo range from good to great, the service was a bit lacking. If they do continue with High Tea service this would be an area that could use some attention.

I stumbled upon Butter Avenue unplanned on my way to Burger Priest and instantly knew that dessert was needed.  The restaurant inside was clean and crisp with white walls, tables and chairs. The space was softened by the curves of the furniture and all the natural sunlight flooding in from the store front.

I ordered 6 macarons to go and the box packaging is super cute and sturdy. My box is currently being used to store restaurant business cards.

In my six, I had a sea salt and caramel, lemon, white chocolate and strawberry, matcha green tea, lychee raspberry and earl grey tea. They didn’t have any pistachio macarons that day, which was kind of disappointing as I like to think of it as a staple flavour. Of the six, all of the flavours were sweet. I liked the lemon a lot and the earl grey had the most subtle flavour. All of the cream fillings were rich and I liked that the caramel wasn’t too sticky or hardened. The cookie itself was less airy compared to La Bamboche but more so than Nadege or Moroco.

Butter Avenue would be my second go-to for macarons. The location is convenient and the macarons are on the sweeter side. I just wish they had pistachio year round and not just as a “seasonal” flavour.