Taste the Sweet Side of Tobago | Local features

The soft side of the sister island.

This is what pastry chef Antonette Alfred shares with every visitor to her famous island Annie’s Dessert Parlor, on Milford Road in Scarborough, Tobago.

Alfred, 28, is often the first interface with visitors coming from Scarborough Harbor, located directly across from his confectionery.

The young entrepreneur says her comfort food is not only the sleeping island’s first warm hug, but also a reassuring gesture for tourists with her signature statement: “Annie’s got you.”

“At Annie’s, we don’t just focus on quantity but on quality. To maintain our standard, we continue to use the highest quality ingredients, local, fresh and premium quality raw materials. We also have our secret ingredients – love and dedication – because everything is handmade from scratch, staying true to our signature, ”Alfred told the Express during a WhatsApp exchange on Wednesday. .

Staying true to that overall statement meant adjusting the menu to include breakfast and lunch to feed the daily horde of hungry bellies disembarking from the ferry, Alfred said.

“We encourage customer engagement because we understand the intricacies of each person’s palate. To meet this need and maintain our highest quality in our breakfast, lunches and baked desserts, we have created a marriage of local and international cuisines, making your visit not only an experience but a hit. lightning, ”she joked.

To live his dream

Annie’s Dessert Parlor is the manifestation of a long-standing passion for baking, said Alfred. The talented pastry chef started baking warm cross buns for her family over Easter as a young girl. Soon she graduated to take care of the household Christmas baking. Several cooking classes later and the rest, as they say, is history.

“For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for baking, and as I got older it became my recreational hobby. It was my family and close friends who supported my ideas and encouraged me to pursue my dreams, which led to the launch of Annie’s Dessert Parlor, ”she recalls.

“I never imagined that my childhood hobby would become the passion of my life, but I love every moment of it. I admit I am fortunate to be able to balance a full time job with a small business that demands my attention.

Alfred also has a background in psychology. She said understanding people and what makes them tick has been helpful in training staff and having the right customer-centric business approach.

“Besides my love for people and the culinary arts, my background in psychology has made it easy for me to train and motivate Annie’s team members to create a warm and welcoming experience for our customers.”

This people-centered mode of operation has served him well during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Like all other restaurant-related businesses, Annie’s has been forced to shut down to comply with government restrictions, but with the recent resumption of service, Alfred says business is picking up speed again.

“As the restrictions were relaxed and the curfew was the only restriction, I took this opportunity to reopen, maximizing my available hours and increasing my offers. Annie’s is now open Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Annie’s has been very busy with our repeat customers and has seen new faces. To maintain our flow of customers, we’ve made a few additions to our breakfast menu, and customers now have the option of curbside pickup for lunch. We have also extended our social media platforms, as well as introduced promotions and giveaways to our potential customers, ”concluded Alfred.

Annie’s New York Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

1 15-ounce package of digestive cookies

4 tablespoons of melted butter

32 ounces of cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.

2. Crush the cookies into crumbs and mix with melted butter.

3. Press cookies into bottom of greased nine-inch springform pan.

4. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

5. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and cornstarch and mix until blended.

6. Stir in sour cream.

7. Pour the dough into the prepared pan.

8. Bake at 375 ° F for ten minutes, then reduce oven heat to 200 ° F and bake for 45 minutes.

9. Slightly split the oven door and let cool.

10. Garnish with your favorite toppings.

Pro tip: The cheesecake should be puffed up on the sides and have a slight shake in the middle at the end of step 8.