Bacon Ice Cream for Brunch? You Betcha!

Dessert restaurants were a thing in the 90’s. They were places you went after going to the theatre or movies or for a romantic date. The selection was general variations on chocolate mousse and cheesecake. They had a certain appeal but over time this appeal waned as it dawned on people that there is only so much chocolate fondue you can eat in a sitting and restaurateurs realised that as delicious as it is, lemon meringue pie is a hard sell for lunch. It seems though, that desserts are on the ascendancy. The other week I wrote about a Dessert Degustation and hot on the heels of this I was invited* to a Champagne Brunch at Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar in South Brisbane.

Clever lighting…

We were dining on the last day of Winter which really felt like the first day of Summer. Cowch’s open plan restaurant was bright and breezy and suddenly, ice cream for breakfast seemed like a grand idea. As well as a large selection of desserts and treats Cowch now has a lazy weekend brunch offering. $25 gives you a choice of Churros w Berries, Ricotta and Honey or a Canadienne Waffle Bowl w a double scoop of Bacon Maple Ice Cream as well as a coffee of your choice and a glass of bubbles. Perhaps you want a hair of the dog and would like your bubbles first or maybe, you’d like to start with a coffee and finish the meal with a sparkling flourish. You decide what you want, when you want, by cashing in your drink tokens when it suits.

The real star of the morning though was the Bacon Maple ice cream. Some at the table were a little nervous about the idea of bacon ice cream but we were able to talk them around. Did they like the sweet/salty combo of peanut butter? Salted caramel? Lindt fleur de sel? Yes? Then they would like Bacon Maple ice cream. When our waffle bowls arrived, we tucked in and were not disappointed. The ice cream was so luscious with little flecks of candied bacon swirled throughout for extra crunch. My goodness! Made for Cowch by local Brisbane ice-creamery, Lick!, they really know their stuff. The crisp little strip of prosciutto sitting atop the ice cream scoop was an amusing take on a wafer.

If you really can’t come at Bacon Maple ice cream though, there’s always Churros. These were baked rather than fried so there wasn’t a hint of oiliness. They were light and fresh with those delicious little chewy, crispy edges that everyone enjoys. A very spicy Bloody Mary made with blood orange sorbet was a tangy foil for the sweet desserts, cutting through the rich flavours and refreshing the palate.

Though I didn’t partake in one, I also wanted to mention the Naked Pops.

I spent most of the morning looking admiringly at the art installation hanging behind one of the counters until it slowly dawned on me that the sculpture was in fact row upon row of pastel ice cream hanging in perfect symmetrical order. They were Naked Pops. After no doubt taking an inordinately long time trying to decide which Lick! flavour to choose, you then have to decide what coating to want to cover your Naked Pop in. Coconut? Chocolate rice puffs? The choices to customise your treat are endless. A very clever concept.

Is Bacon Maple ice cream something you’d want to order each time you head to brunch? You Betcha! Yep, dessert is definitely ‘A Thing’ again.

*TIFFIN got to enjoy the guilty pleasures of ice cream for breakfast as a media guest of Cowch and Liquidity Marketing

Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar
2/179 Grey St
South Brisbane  Qld  4101
www.cowch.com.au