To start, I should explain that I’ve been wanting to blog about this place for absolutely aaaaaages now, but every time i’d visited over the summer it was either ridonkulously busy, or i’d found myself to be without my camera. Yup, always prepared.
Yesterday, however, I made sure my camera was definitely in my bag before heading out to Camden (with my cousin Jono) to FINALLY blog about it!!
Yes, summer is over.
No, it doesn’t matter.
ICE CREAM EVERYDAY PEOPLE!
Chin Chin Labs is not your ordinary ice cream parlour. Oh no! It’s safe to say it’s definitely more ‘lab’ than it is ‘parlour’. Why, you ask?
Recently my Wednesday evenings have consisted of me sitting down with a cup of tea, watching the Great British Bake Off and trying my best not to lick the TV screen. Yeah, I lead a wild lifestyle.
Anywhooo, during the semifinal last Wednesday, the baker’s were asked to make a ‘Schichttorte’ for their technical bake challenge – a German grilled layer cake. I’d never seen or heard of one before, but after watching the baker’s proceed to grill layers of cake batter then melted butter, cake batter then melted butter… I started to see a resemblance to Bebinca – a Goan grilled layer cake.
And then I got inspired…
Bebinca (or bibinca/bibic) is a dessert made from coconut milk, egg yolks, nutmeg, cardamom, plain flour and sugar syrup. The dessert is made by grilling layers of the batter and ghee (clarified butter) – so not too dissimilar to the Schichttorte!
Bebinca is traditionally served at pretty much ALL Goan celebrations, and characteristically has interchanging dark brown and light brown layers. This is usually done by bubbling the sugar syrup for longer till you get a darker, thicker caramelly syrup, or by using treacle. You can also add food colouring to the batter to make different coloured layers, but I decided on sticking with the traditional.
The end result is a sweet, kinda gelatinous, spiced cake/pudding/dessert… thing…
BASICALLY, it’s delicious and you need to make it.
So far September’s been preeeeeetty eventful to say the least…here’s a bunch of awkward videos and photos of things we did. 🙂
We went to a book launch. (Fancy, right?)
This was to celebrate the release of the brand spankingly new cook book from Izy Hossack of Top With Cinnamon. The book is absolutely gorgeous (stunning photography, delicious sweet and savoury recipes) and we’d HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on a copy! Like, now.
Seriously.
The main girl herself, Izy aka Top With Cinnamon.
Style icon.
Then we went to the Street Feast Food Festival in Dalston Yard.
Ok, how had we not heard about this?! The food festival had apparently been going on every weekend since May this year, and we only just managed to catch it for the last weekend?! Major bummer! Though, the food was amazing! Many burgers were had, and washed down with cider, Prosecco and lobster. Yum!
The El Diablo – tequila, lime, ginger, cassis and soda.
Mai Tai? Sure.
‘Have some of my Goat Burger.’
Bathroom banter.
£14 lobster roll. Worth it.
Spontaneous Prosecco! (Angela Glass-Hands.)
Classy.
Then we went to Manchester!!
For the first time since graduating (5 years!), our little group of Uni friends (‘The Bridge Roaders’) were in the same place at the same time and it was just beautifully nostalgic, even if it was just for one night. Cocktails and dodgy dancing. Just like old times.
And if one wasn’t enough, we then went to another food festival. As you do.
In an adorable little bar called Kosmonaut.
Gotta try the local beers, right?
And the Aperol Spritz, right?
And the not-so-local beers, right?
Pizza Selfie.
Obligatory Dirty Crumpet breakfast.
All good weekends should finish with a chicken schnitzel with smoky mayo, bacon, cheddar, avocado and a side of breaded halloumi bites.
To start, I should explain that I’ve been wanting to blog about this place for absolutely aaaaaages now, but every time i’d visited over the summer it was either ridonkulously busy, or i’d found myself to be without my camera. Yup, always prepared.
Chin Chin Labs is not your ordinary ice cream parlour. Oh no! It’s safe to say it’s definitely more ‘lab’ than it is ‘parlour’. Why, you ask?
‘Have some of my Goat Burger.’
Classy.
In an adorable little bar called Kosmonaut.
And the Aperol Spritz, right?
acornsandcustard.com 