Hamersley's Desserts... Not so sweet

After an amazing dinner at Hamersley's Bistro you may still want a little something sweet.

The high point on the dessert menu is the warm sticky toffee pudding. The warm and almost-but-not-quite-too-sweet pudding is complimented perfectly by divine coffee ice cream. It was the cleanest plate on the table at the end of the course with everyone clamoring for the last bite.

The apple tart had a delicious oat flavor, but the crumb topping seemed dry. The crust resembled a filo dough shell, which might work with a more complex filling but this apple filling seemed lacking in everything- including apple. It felt more like a healthy or low fat dessert- which is fine if that is what it is supposed to be but disapointing if you are looking to induldge.

The pumpkin bread pudding with perfect ginger ice cream was well executed but still lacking in a wow factor. It was enjoyable but not memorable.

In the search for a fourth and final dessert to try, even the waiter struggled to give a believable recommendation between either the creme brulee, lemon custard cake or upside down pear cake. After settling on the pear upside down cake, it was found to be rather dry and uninteresting in texture and deeply lacking in the advertised spice. The cranberry sorbet was the high point on the plate. Just tart and just sweet enough, it was easy to enjoy. Although it is possible that the cake would have benefited more from a richer or fattier accompaniment.

Hamersley's is well worth a visit for dinner, but if you are looking for some dessert after your meal it might be worth walking to one of the other restaurants in the area.

Bear Naked Grain-ola Bar

I got a free sample in the mail yesterday of Bear Naked Grain-ola bar.  I tend not to be much of a granola bar/power bar/energy bar kind of girl.  I may eat dessert after every meal including breakfast, but I think health food should be as un-processed as possible.  Why eat a granola bar loaded with sugar and fillers when you could eat some nuts and some dried fruit- also shelf stable, also capable of curbing your afternoon sugar craving.  That's not to say I don't eat them from time to time, but it's usually when I have done a poor job of planning out my food intake for that day.  I was impressed, as always, by bear naked's packaging.  It has a simple and clean look that is always so appealing to me. 

The ingredients were fairly impressive.  It uses maple syrup as a sweetener- that and honey are always my first choice, especially for convenience foods but also contains tapioca syrup, an ingredient I have only recently begun to find in foods and am a bit unsure of.  The bar does have a clean and healthy flavor.  You can really taste the individual ingredients.  The texture is a little too chewy for my taste- I tend to lean towards crunchy granola bars and this is a clearly chewy granola bar. 

Over all it is a product that I would buy if I was in the market for some granola bars.  With 4 grams of fiber and a reasonable 14 grams of sugar it might be the best and most filling bar I have come across. 

If you are interested in learning more about the product check out their website.  BearNaked.com

Whatever you do don't mistakenly go to BareNaked. com like I did.