Japanese Black Sesame Cheesecake with Tofu (No Bake) 日式黑芝麻豆腐芝士餅 (免焗)

People always ask me this question: How do you keep your weight under control with all the yummy desserts and breads you make? I usually will reply with a big smile : )) It is a secret!

Actually, there is no secret to keep a healthy weight while enjoying the foods you like. Recently I read a cookbook on Japanese desserts. The author claimed that she lost a total of 80 pounds while eating Japanese desserts using the recipes in the book over a period of 7 years. And the fact that she is an Italian, not Japanese, made me want to find out more. Of course, eating just any dessert would not make you lose weight. But eating the right kind of desserts--not excessively sweet, not too high in calories, and eating them in moderation--can satisfy your cravings without making you put on some extra pounds.

Strawberry Cheesecake (No Bake) 草莓芝士凍餅

This has been the longest stretch since my last post on 2/10/15. What I have been doing for the past month? I took a vacation to visit family and meet some friends whom I have lost contact with for more than two decades. It is a great feeling to reconnect with old friends and catch up with each others' lives. 

What is most precious is after all these years we still treasure our friendship. 

Genuine friendship can pass the test of time!

Mango Cheesecake (Baked) 芒果芝士蛋糕

Are you a cheesecake lover? Do you like mango? If your answers are both positive, then don't miss out on this mango cheesecake. What makes this cheesecake different from all others is the concentrated mango pulp mixed into the mango cheese filling. As you bite into it, you experience an intense mango flavor.

This recipe is adapted from the newly published Baking Bible by renowned baker and cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum.

2013 New Baking Classes 新年有新班



This is a short video shot from one of my classes last year. Thanks to my dear friend May who recorded and edited it for me :) Enjoy!



No more shrinkage ! 不再回縮

light cheesecake after the shock treatment

This is another great illustration on how understanding science helps me to be a better baker. Ever since I started baking cakes, especially light cheesecake, the issue of shrinkage always bothered me. I carefully and diligently beat up the egg white to stiff peaks and folded it in with the batter. I hoped that the air that was incorporated would expand due to the oven's heat and produce a nice and fluffy cake. But I was disappointed to notice the cake gradually shrank after a few minutes out of the oven.

Mango CheeseCake (No Bake) 芒果芝士凍餅

My son's birthday is approaching. He's been thinking about whether to have a black forest cake or a mango mousse cake. Both are his favorite but I convinced him to try this mango cheesecake that I learned recently. I altered the recipe a bit. This is a no-bake cheesecake and there is only 22g/2 tbsp of sugar added in the recipe (because the mango puree is already sweetened).