Black Sesame Classic Sponge Cake 黑芝麻古早味蛋糕

"沒有最好，只有更好" 用來形容這蛋糕真是最貼切。口感鬆軟、細膩，有入口即溶的感覺。成份沒有牛油，只用液體菜油。健康簡單，不用什麼裝飾或餡料，它已是一款很受歡迎的甜品 (特別在台灣、香港等地方)。今次我加入黑芝麻粉，香味濃郁，吃完一件又想吃多件。

If I were to describe this cake in a few words, it would be that it bested the best. But as they say, there is always room for improvement, and I know that in the future I will find a way to make a cake even better than this one. But for now, this cake only uses vegetable oil. Without the use of any butter at all, it is incredibly light and soft and gives you a feeling of melt-in-your-mouth cotton candy. No wonder it is so popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The addition of black sesame powder not only makes it more healthy, but it also imparts an irresistible aroma. 

Sago Pudding with Lotus Seed Paste 蓮蓉西米布甸

This is a fusion dessert because its ingredients originate from different countries or culture.

Custard powder--English
Lotus seed paste filling--Chinese
Sago or tapioca pearls--Thai or Southeast Asian

No matter what its origin, it is a yummy and delicious dessert!

Coconut Tartlet 一口椰撻

I often regard coconut tart as a twin of egg tart. Both are a staples in Asian bakeries. However, I think coconut tart is easier to make and has a higher successful rate than egg tart. By using a smaller size tart mold makes it so cute and have no guilt feeling in eating more than one!

Mango Roll 芒果腸粉

Long time no post! As I looked back to my 275 posts throughout the years, mango is one of my favorite subjects--with over 13 different recipes!

Here is my latest and new beloved dessert:

November Cooking Class 十一月烹飪班

Black Forest Tart (No Bake) 黑森林撻 (免焗)

This is a nice summer-friendly, no-bake variation of the traditional black forest cake. I used dark chocolate mousse as the filling and dark sweet cherries. Use the finest chocolate for best flavor. Both homemade or store bought tart crusts do not require baking, so it is a superb dessert for hot summer days. If you keep the tart in the freezer and eat it frozen, the texture of the chocolate mousse becomes almost like ice cream.

Special note about silky and smooth chocolate mousse: the temperatures of the three different mixtures--egg, melted chocolate and whipped cream--have to be very close, if not the same. If the chocolate or egg mixture is too warm, the whipped cream will deflate, resulting with a dense mousse. If the cream is too cold, the chocolate will seize into flecks, making the mousse grainy.

Steam Egg with Ginger 薑汁燉蛋

This is one of my favorite classic Chinese desserts. Sweet, smooth, silky steamed egg with ginger is nutritious and satisfying especially in winter cold months. It can be made with milk for an even smoother texture. But if you are lactose intolerant, like me, you can use water. Sugar can be substituted with other sweeteners if you have diabetic concerns as well.

薑汁燉蛋這款經典甜品是我的至愛，香甜、幼滑，加上薑汁，更是錦上添花。在秋冬季節遇到手腳冰冷，或容易傷風感冒，多食有薑的食物會有幫助，行氣活血。

食譜中如用奶代替水，就更加香滑。白糖也可以用代糖取替。

Mango Sago with Pomelo 楊枝甘露

I use mangoes the most in making desserts, especially during summer--ice cream, jelly, panna cotta, mochi, mille crepes, pudding, souffle. Yet this one is a bit different from the rest. It is in liquid form, much like dessert soups common in Asian cuisine. Unlike baking, dessert soups are very forgiving and easy to make. There is almost no way to mess up or fail. Adjust the amount of sugar or use sugar substitute according to your palate.

Using mango puree and dice mangoes together increases the mango flavor and it matches so well with coconut milk and sago. I wonder why I haven't made this before!

Mango Panna Cotta 香芒奶凍

If you like mango pudding, then you might like this dessert with panna cotta for an extra smoothness and richness. What a way to beat summer heat!

Egg Drop Sweet Soup with Fresh Water Chestnut 蛋花馬蹄露

Although the calendar says it is May, the weather in Southern California feels like summer for a week and winter for another. This Chinese dessert can be served warm or cold, which is perfect for the season. Fresh water chestnuts are available year round. It is a versatile ingredient. Besides using it to make water chestnut pudding/cake 馬蹄糕 during Chinese New Year, it can be used in other savory dishes to provide a crunchy texture.

Lemon Mini Cupcake with homemade Limoncello 檸檬小蛋糕

With an abundance harvest of lemons, I have been searching for ways to make use of this citrus fruit: Lemon Bar 檸檬巴, Chicken pot with Preserved Lemon 惹味雞煲, Ginger and Lemon in Vinegar 八珍陳皮檸檬薑, Lemon Chiffon cake with Ginger Mousse 薑汁慕絲檸檬蛋糕, and Lemon Cream Tart 檸檬撻

This year with homemade lemon liquor, I made this refreshing treat.

Crème brûlée 法式燉蛋

Three simple ingredients--egg, cream and sugar--make this an incredible popular and yummy dessert. The addition of vanilla bean or extract (and liqueur, like rum or Grand Marnier ) makes it more flavorful. Just in time to make it for your Valentine!

Another aspect which makes this a welcome dessert is that it can be made ahead of time. Just add sugar and burn with a torch, then a caramelized crunchy top and silky custard is ready to be enjoyed!

Apple Cake (no added sugar) 萍果蛋糕 (無添加白糖)

This is my first time baking without granulated sugar and the result is surprisingly good. Maple syrup gives the cake a fine and moist crumb. A good choice for Fall dessert.

It is a straightforward recipe and easy to follow. It uses the simple muffin method which the dry ingredients are mixed in a bowl and the wet in another bowl then they are mixed together and bake.

Lemon Bar 檸檬吧

One of the benefits of living in Southern California is the abundance of sunshine. Many people have backyards with different types of fruit trees: lemon, peach, orange, loquat, pear, passion fruit.....Even though I don't have any, I am blessed to know friends who do : )

What can I with so much fruit, especially lemon, other than making lemonade? Here is a great recipe to make lemon bars with the right balance of sweetness and tanginess.

Hand Made Egg Roll 香脆手工蛋卷

Making egg rolls has been on my to-do list for quite some time. It is a very straightforward recipe, using only butter, egg, sugar, and flour. They just need to be blended together with a handheld mixer for a few minutes and the batter is ready to be cooked. But it does need a special pan that can be flipped to cook both sides. I tried different recipes and this one is the best, full of egg flavor and with a pleasantly crunchy texture.

Kabocha Squash Spice Cake (no added sugar) 日本南瓜蛋糕 (無添加白糖)

Kabocha is a variety of pumpkin which originates from Japan and can be found commonly in many Asian supermarkets. It is small and more meaty compared to other huge pumpkins. The flesh is creamy and sweet which makes it good for pairing with savory dishes like steamed spareribs or making desserts. The skin is also soft and edible after steaming or cooking.

In addition to the sweetness of the kabocha, this cake is also sweetened with Medjool dates. The dates give the cake a natural sweetness. Vegetable oil is used instead of butter, which makes it as healthy as ever.

This may be a good choice for your pumpkin pie alternative this season!

Steamed Pandan Coconut Multilayer Cake 班蘭椰汁千層糕

The first time I had this dessert, I thought it was made from glutinous flour because it was soft, chewy, and starchy. But how wrong was I! There is another kind of flour which produces a very similar texture. It is tapioca flour. Being a very popular flour in Asia, it is used in various kinds of dishes, especially in desserts. For people living in North America, the word tapioca is synonymous with boba. The pearl-like balls, usually black, are commonly found in milk tea and other drinks. If you like them, then you will appreciate the texture of this Indonesian dessert.

Red, White and Blue Panna Cotta 三色奶凍

Happy 239th Birthday America! 

Strawberry mousse, panna cotta and blueberry mousse--made with fresh fruits, vanilla pods, fresh cream and milk. A great way to celebrate with this wholesome and refreshing dessert!

Portuguese Egg Tart Recipe Comparison 葡撻大比拼

Ever since I posted the Portuguese Egg Tart recipe a few weeks ago, I have been thinking how I can make improvements on it. After doing more searches and experiments with different recipes, baking temperatures, etc, I am very pleased with the final results.

All the tarts in the following experiment have been made using the same store bought puff pastry as the crust.

Recipe references: dimcookguide.com (with video); "The Birth of an Egg Tart" by Egg Tart King ( "一個蛋撻的誕生" 蛋撻王著)p.40-41; morethanbread.net Portuguese Egg Tart

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Panna Cotta 紅桑子朱古力奶凍

This is my take on the classic Italian dessert panna cotta. It means "cooked cream" in Italian and is very much like a Western version of a popular Chinese dessert, steamed eggs with milk. By adding two other flavors--raspberry and chocolate mousse--I have created a new combination that compliments each other and at the same time adds depth to the flavor. With the right amount of gelatin to firm up the liquid, the texture of the panna cotta becomes delicately smooth and silky. They are served in small glasses of the perfect serving size. Mmm....yummy!

Since there are three layers and they all need to be refrigerated and set before adding another one, a bit of patience is needed. It can be prepared one to two days before serving.