Favorite Aussie treats

One of the most delightful things about spending time in a new country is learning and trying their unique dishes. In (northern) Thailand it was khao soi; in (northern) Vietnam it was pho; and in Australia it is…

Fairy bread!

Fairy bread is a quintessential Aussie treat for…children. Heh. It is sliced white bread spread with butter and topped with hundreds and thousands (also known as nonpareils, tiny round rainbow sprinkles, to the rest of the world). Fairy bread typically cut into triangles, with the bread sliced diagnonaly. While the term “fairy bread” was first used for this dessert(? breakfast?) in a 1929 Tasmanian newspaper article reporting children at a tuberculosis hospital celebrating their birthdays with this treat (odd), apparently Australians have been buttering their toast and covering it with sprinkles long before them.

And let me tell you, it is absolutely delicious.

Well, the gelato version is.

Gelato Messina is an Australian gelato chain that, in my opinion, has the best gelato in Sydney. They are artists in their craft and have creative control over the entire gelato making process, from the dairy (they own their own dairy farm!) to the chunks (they have a team of pastry chefs making brownies, cookies, and the works!). Their stores sell 40 flavors at one time with five of them as specials that rotate out after a week in stores.

One of this week’s specials was fairy bread, and since I had not yet bought myself a loaf of white bread and hundreds and thousands, I knew I couldn’t pass up on this opportunity. Messina’s version is toast and butter gelato with hundreds and thousands crunch - it is phenomenal. So much so that I think I might order a fairy bread gelato cake from them for my birthday. Take note, friends!

Oh and my next at home baking project? Buying a light, airy brioche loaf; rich, salted grass-fed butter; and colorful, delicate hundreds and thousands to make the most exquisite gourmet fairy bread ever. Delicious.