Matcha Ice Cream 綠茶雪糕

Summer seems never end in Southern California. Mid Autumn Festival is over but it still has a few weeks before official Fall (Sept 23) arrives. This Asian flavor matcha ice cream is refreshing and full of green tea flavor. It greatly helps to relieve some summer heat.

Matcha Mousse Cake 綠茶慕絲蛋糕

Matcha always gives me a light and refreshing feeling. It's also great when I infuse it into a mousse cake. The addition of Italian meringue makes it very light and smooth.

我很喜歡綠茶那種清新的口味,用它來做慕絲蛋糕讓人有一種飄然的感覺,再加入意式蛋白霜,更加令到它有軟滑之口感。

Hand Painted Matcha Cake Roll 手繪抹茶蛋糕卷

This pattern is easier to make than I thought. It is one of the designs from Junko's cake roll book that I bought. I couldn't wait to try them all !

這個圖案是我從Junko的書上跟著做的,看似很難,但其實又很容易,真是想每個圖案及設計都去試試!

Matcha Macarons 抹茶馬卡龍

It's been such a long time since I've made macarons that I almost forgot how to make them! I admit that I have a love/hate relationship with macarons. I love them because they are so attractive and delicious with all the different colors and yummy fillings. But at the same time they are such a pain to make. If the oven temperature is a bit high or they aren't dry enough, they may crack on top. If you bake them a minute less, you can't even remove them in a whole piece. If you didn't mix it right, the little "feet" may not come out. No wonder they fetch a premium price among bakery items and not too many bakeries have them on the menu. But at the same time, it is so rewarding and satisfying if they come out well!

Green Tea Cake Roll 綠茶蛋卷

Going green is a global trend. It is not just good for the environment but it is also good for our health. There is increasing evidence that drinking green tea is beneficial to our bodies. Green tea is also helpful in weight loss as well. (Click here for more information) No wonder the Japanese, who are heavy green tea drinkers, are generally slimmer and look younger than other ethnic groups.

I bought a bag of green tea powder/matcha powder from an Asian grocery store but it does not have any flavor or color. Then, I recently bought a different bottle from a Japanese store. Although it is expensive ($10/ounce), its flavor is very intense and the color is much more vivid than the other one from the grocery store. Sometimes, it is a waste of money to buy imitations. :(