Chinese Sesame Cracker 中式芝麻脆餅

More sesame snacks! This is one of my childhood favorite snacks. It brings back a lot of childhood memories. I tried a few recipes and this one comes closer to what I had as a child.

What is your childhood favorite snack?

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!

Sriracha Honey Popcorn 是拉差爆谷

The popularity of this hot sauce is quite the phenomenon. There are not a lot of products that only rely on word of mouth and reach such a level of success. People who love Sriracha put it in almost everything they eat. There are even Sriracha mayonnaise and ketchup in the market.

So when I was flipping through the pages of a new cookbook named The Kitchn (without an "e"), this recipe for Sriracha popcorn caught my eyes.

Seeded Whole Wheat Bread 全麥種子麵包

Since I started making my own bread a few years ago, I have almost exclusively been using the Tong Zhong method. It gives me consistently soft and fluffy bread that lasts up to four or five days at room temperature. However, I learned this is not the only method for soft, long-lasting bread.

I have been exploring new ways to make bread with a higher percentage of whole wheat. Most breads that are labelled as whole wheat in the market are made with only 30% whole wheat flour while the majority is white bread flour. I think the main reason is not so much the cost but the nature of wheat flour.

Omega-3 Banana Muffins 超健康版香蕉蛋糕

By looking at the title of this post, you may wonder what this is all about. I was inspired by a recipe in a book called The Queen of Fats by Susan Allport. It is not a cookbook in any way. Its subtitle is "why omega-3s were removed from the Western diet and what we can do to replace them". By reading the subtitle I guess you can get an idea what the book is all about. I do not intend to do a book report here. If you are interested, you can check it out from the library. In short, omega-3 is the good fat that our body needs in order to function properly, especially our brain and eyes. Fish, walnut, flaxseed, fruit, vegetable, and so on are good sources of omega-3. But most of the processed foods in the market have had the omega-3 removed because it has a short shelf life. This is another reason to avoid processed foods in general.

Whole Wheat Bread with Chia Seeds 奇異籽全麥麵包

You should be familiar with chia seed if you are health-conscious or you follow health-related news. According to the newly published book called The Chia Seed Cookbook by Emily Morris, these tiny seeds can help you lose weight, balance blood sugar and prevent constipation. Adding them to your diet boosts healthy omega-3 oil and anti-oxidants in your body as well, and these are just a few of the health benefits they offer.

How can you incorporate chia seed to your day-to-day diet? Besides adding it to your bread, they can be incorporated into salads, soups and beverages as well (for details check out the cookbook mentioned above).

Black Sesame Ice Cream 黑芝麻雪糕

What a way to enjoy dessert the healthy way--whole grain ice cream! Store-bought black sesame ice cream can never come close to this homemade version. The aroma of the freshly toasted sesame is what makes it distinct. Dessert usually appeals to us with presentation, color or other arrangements. But this ice cream's wonderful aroma is amazingly tempting and appetizing. I almost could not wait for it to harden before digging into it.
This recipe is not custard based (no egg yolk) therefore it does not involve any cooking. How easy and simple can it get!

Croissant with Grapeseed oil 牛角包,健康版

I love to have croissants because of their flaky, buttery layers. But every time I have to constrain myself not to have too many because of their high fat content. However, this isn't the case if they are made with more healthy grapeseed oil (but the flakiness has to be compromised a little)! 

Snowy Moon Cake 冰皮月餅

Snowy moon cake or icy skin moon cake both refer to a relatively new moon cake invented by a Hong Kong bakery called Tai Pan in recent years. The traditional Cantonese moon cake is ususally filled with lotus seed paste with a salted duck egg yolk and baked in a thin crust. Ususally it is loaded with lard and sugar and can be kept for a long time. But in this health conscious time, a healthier version made with vegetable oil and less sugar is welcome by many.