Before it was filled with the scent of freshly baked pastries, Ard’s Stanmore home was a battery shop. Today, it’s where Christiana Daaboul spends her days turning Lebanese-inspired flavours into some of Sydney’s most sought-after plant-based bakes. The founder and baker has built a devoted following through market stalls, pop-ups and social media, winning fans with everything from pistachio-filled pastries to reimagined nostalgic family recipes. The result is an ever-changing lineup of pastries, cakes and sweets that makes choosing just one thing from the counter nearly impossible.
10 ingredients you always have in your fridge…
I probably have five – soy sauce, vegan chicken schnitzel, pumpkin, and an energy drink.
What is your most memorable dining experience?
An Italian meal in the South of France, alone, or dinner with my cousins in Byblos, Lebanon.
What influenced your love of food?
My family and culture and I love to eat.
Who is the best cook you know?
My Mum!
Who is on your dream dinner party table?
Hmm... silverware? In the company of other bakers and cooks from around the world that I’ve only met virtually. Also, Angelina Jolie, Emily Dickinson, Sylvester Stallone, and Frida Kahlo.
Share the menu of your last supper…
Japanese whisky with coke zero, roast veg with pan seared scallops and a freshly baked bread – possibly sourdough or shio pan.
What is your favourite vegetable?
Pumpkin.
Top five favourite places to dine?
In Sydney at the moment: Belly Bao, The Rover, Shinmachi, Jane – I can't think of a fifth.
Christiana Daaboul's recipe for Earl Grey Chocolate Cookies
A humble dessert combined with an elegant tea. It’s giving a cookie that can do it all. Soft and chewy, with slightly crisp edges. When I first got my hands on this Earl Grey tea chocolate by Dolfin, I just knew I had to bake a cookie with it. Here we are. I particularly loved how the bergamot lingered after every bite and how it played with the cinnamon.
Ingredients
Makes six cookies
- 60g vegan butter
- 25g white sugar
- 75g brown sugar
- 30ml warm Earl Grey tea (not hot, just warm enough to dissolve the sugar)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 110g all-purpose flour, sifted
- ⅜ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 112g Dolfin dark chocolate chips with Earl Grey tea
Method
- Start by preheating your oven to 180°C and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Warm the Earl Grey tea until it's just warm to the touch (not hot) and gradually add it to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky – exactly what you want for a tender cookie.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, portion out six cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about two inches apart.
- Flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon to ensure they bake evenly and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centres are just set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes. After that, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
