Mango Mille Crêpes 香芒千層薄餅

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "cake"? Sweet, soft, something made with flour, eggs, sugar, oil/fat and then baked? According to the Webster dictionary, a cake is "a breadlike food made from a dough or batter that is usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened."
I think this is the first time I make a cake that is not baked but fried. It is called Gâteau de Crêpes in French or Mille Crêpes. Essentially it is a stack of 15-20 plus very thin crêpes with pastry cream or jam spread in between. It is not served at breakfast as Americans do with pancakes but enjoyed as a dessert.
I was a bit shocked to see the price tag of a 9 inch Mille Crêpe Cake sold in a fancy cake shop in New York City (Lady M $75-80). The ingredients are nothing extraordinary. But it does take skill, patience and time to fry those twenty plus pieces of paper thin crêpes. It took me about 30 minutes to fry a batch. After that, just layer with whatever flavored pastry cream you prefer. I picked mango for this one, but you might like strawberry, dark chocolate ganache, vanilla or green tea better. The batter of this French crêpe is much thinner than our regular American pancake batter. Just remember to fry it as thin as possible for best texture.

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。

Korean Kimbap 韓式紫菜飯卷 김밥

It has been a pleasant summer so far in Southern California, compared to the rest of the country where triple digit temperature has been prevailing. We have been blessed by marine layers from the Pacific Ocean which serve as a natural air conditioner to keep us around 80F for most of Los Angeles.
On hot summer days, light meals with easy to fix ingredients are preferred, like kimbap, a Korean dish similar to California rolls. It is fun to make (my daughter LOVES to do it) and easy to eat. It can be an appetizer or side dish. You can make kimbap whenever you don't feel like cooking. The ingredients do not need any cooking, except the fried egg and rice, but like the rest of the ingredients, it can be replaced with other foods of your choice. It can also be completely vegetarian.

Dark Chocolate Truffles with Mocha 摩卡朱古力軟心糖

Some people do not consider chocolate as candy. I am one of them. If I were to label it as a candy, I would say it is candy from heaven. More and more studies prove that chocolate is a healthy food. It is loaded with antioxidants that counteract the damage done by the oxidative stress in our bodies. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease by improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. Polyphenols, which are abundant in dark chocolate and cocoa powder, is the same antioxidants found in tea.  A recent study published by the British Medical Journal showed that a daily consumption of 3.5 oz of dark chocolate reduces the chances of having a heart attack.

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!

Baking for a Good Cause 義賣籌款

I have never done any fundraising with my baking in the past. This time I am doing it to raise funds for various short term mission teams at my church. Although I am not physically going to a mission field, by doing what God makes me do best is another great way to participate.
Baking 100 macarons and 100 cups of tiramisu is a big project. I have been planning for days. The most challenging part is to determine how many ingredients to prepare.

我從未用烘焙成品來作籌款,今次是為了幫助教會短宣隊作籌募經費之用,雖然我本身未能親身成行去到宣教工場,但能夠用神給我在烘焙上的恩賜去服事也都是美事啊。
要做一百個馬卡龍及一百杯提拉米蘇須要調詳的計劃及準備,其中最具挑戰性的是決定要買多少材料。

Whole Wheat Bread with Goji Berries 全麥湯種杞子包

Goji berries, or wolfberries, have been around for centuries; even longer in China. It is prized as the anti-aging food. It has properties to improve vision, boost the immunity system and even to help fight cancer. Goji berries' health benefits are endless.

There are many culinary uses. They can either be used in savory or sweet dishes. I usually use goji berries in Chinese soup. It is also good for making jello-like desserts or pudding. Now instead of using raisins in bread, why not make it even more nutritious and healthy by using goji berries?

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)! 

Walnut and Cranberry Biscotti with Cornmeal 義大利脆餅

After making a few "R" rated desserts (Ginger Ice Cream and Lemon Chiffon Cake with Ginger Mousse) for adult consumption, how about "R" rated cookies for grown ups--I mean biscotti. These twice baked cookies have a lot of variations and are good keepers, but they usually are gone in a short time at my home.

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.