A Sweet Finale Rooted in Comfort and Craft
At the close of any meal, Hooley’s offered a dessert menu that leaned into warmth, indulgence, and a sense of home. These dishes reflected both Canadian seasonal ingredients and rich, pub-style interpretations of familiar sweets. While Hooley’s no longer serves them, these desserts remain a window into the flavour-forward, comfort-first spirit of its kitchen.
Sticky Maple Toffee: A Canadian Twist on a Classic
The Sticky Maple Toffee Pudding stood out as a signature offering. It featured a moist sponge cake soaked in a sticky maple sauce. While inspired by the traditional English version, this dessert replaced date or treacle with Canadian maple syrup, adding regional identity to a global favourite. The result was rich and deeply satisfying, especially for those drawn to warm, dense sweets.
Southern Flavours with a Canadian Accent
Another popular item was the Pecan Pie. While rooted in Southern U.S. tradition, Hooley’s version came topped with caramelised pecans and finished with a caramel glaze. This addition brought a glossy, buttery crunch to the surface. As a result, the dessert balanced its syrupy filling with a crisp finish that echoed Canadian fall flavours.
Apple Crumble and Familiar Comfort
The Apple Crumble paid homage to home-baked classics. Sliced Royal Gala apples were sautéed with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then topped with a honey-oat crumble. A scoop of vanilla ice cream added a creamy contrast to the warm, crisp topping. Though simple in structure, this dessert captured the essence of autumn in Ontario, and the nostalgia of childhood desserts.
Guinness Chocolate Cake and the Influence of the Tap
Not all sweets relied on tradition alone. The Guinness Chocolate Cake uses dark chocolate chips melted into a thick batter, enhanced with a touch of stout. While the beer’s flavour was subtle, it deepened the richness of the cake and tied it back to the pub’s beverage offerings. Covered in thick chocolate ganache, the dessert delivered intensity without overwhelming sweetness.
Ice Cream Meets Cake: The Guinness Sundae
To close the menu, the Guinness Chocolate Sundae is layered French vanilla ice cream with slices of the house-made chocolate cake. Topped with whipped cream and more ganache, it offered both hot and cold textures in each spoonful. This dish combined the pub’s two dessert strengths—ice cream and dense chocolate—into one final indulgence.
Together, these desserts showcased how Hooley’s approached the end of a meal: with generosity, familiarity, and just enough invention to keep things interesting.