It is that time again

My apologies for my absence from the blog world. Been busy and stressful few months. But now, with the holiday just right around the corner, 2.5 weeks technically speaking, my baking brain is in full throttle. I have no clue what else to baked. I have my usual favorites with the usual requests. With the past few years and new recipes, those requests have grown and boy have those requests have grown.


I have six items on the list so far and it is still growing. The reality is that I can't make all these items without help. In previous years I could but with a two year old running around it makes it a little hard. Well, let's face it, it makes it REALLY hard. I don't feel comfortable trying to slowly pour down a stream of hot sugar syrup into a egg white mixture to make marshmallows as my two year old is climbing up my leg. 


But so far, prior to any editing, the items for the ninja box includes, the infamous chocolate chip cookies, madeleines (vanilla, chocolate, citrus, coconut), chocolate & vanilla swirl sables (french butter cookie), lemon glazed cookies, chewy chai sugar cookie, meringue cookie, and maybe my s'mores box. This s'mores box consist of homemade vanilla marshmallows, home made graham crackers, and dark chocolate squares. 


Yes, it is quite a lot of things. It will be edited and pictures will come. Now, if you excuse this ninja, I will have to get back to work on editing, prepping, and baking. 

It's That Time Again...

It's October. The chilly nights were all you want to do is curl up with a blanket, some warm tea or even some yummy Ho-Cho (Hot Chocolate to those not in the know) with someone you love and maybe even a good movie. But there is something about fall that just makes me happy. The smell of the cool air. The way the leaves slowly starts to turn from green to red, yellow, brown, gold. Fall fruits and vegetables. The more apples that I see the more my brains starts to fill with baking idea endorphins. 


I love the way the house fills with the scent of sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and just the smell of flour and eggs just mixed together with the most simple ingredients to make you ache with all these yummy goodness. Keep in mind, I grew up in an Asian household where our desserts were fruit. I fell in love with all these great baking ideas and ideals from watching Julia Child on PBS. I love her cooking shows but when they had Baking with Julia-I was glued to the television. The way she took the butter, flour, sugar, eggs, yeast and just created these masterpieces of baked goods. To a 5 year old it was amazing. That was when I fell in love with baking. There is no doubt that once fall hits, my eagerness to create new recipes, to just bake these traditional pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, or whatever else, spikes up. 


As time went by, I noticed how my friends eyes light up when I bring a box of whatever it is I baked. That was when more ideas, more recipes, more flavor combinations kept coming to me. I even think there were a few times I woke up in the middle of the night with new recipe ideas or even how can I incorporate these flavor ideas into this recipe. Fall is my beginning of baking time. All the way up to spring where is starts to warm up and my heart breaks just a bit-not much, just a bit because the oven was what warms my home and my senses. 


I hope, very soon, all these ideas and recipes can be shared with you and your love ones. I want to evoked your senses with the feelings, the smell, and the heart that I put into making something for you to enjoy. I really do hope you enjoy it like those before you. It will be soon I hope...

Too many left over egg whites

What to do with left over egg whites??? Make Pavlova! I go through a ton of eggs when I go on my baking spree. December is going to be a fun month! With all the lemon curds, pastry creams and other items where egg whites are not really used. I portioned the whites and freeze them. Since I needed to make space in the freezer, I took the frozen whites out and let them thawed. I kept trying to figure out what to make and nothing came to mind. Too hot to make marshmallows and the fact that I didn't have gelatin either. So Pavlova came to mind. The dessert was named after a ballerina-Anna Pavlova. 


I added superfine sugar, some vanilla extract, lemon zest, and almond extract. Whip it all up till it holds stiff peaks. Spread on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at a low heat. It still needs work. I want it more marshmallow texture in the center. The problem is that the weather has a lot to do with it also. So I need figure out the science and what and how much of it to put in the Pavlova mixture.

Ginger Lemongrass Cupcakes

So I have been toying around with the idea of taking two of my favorite flavors and scents and putting them together to make a cupcake. It may be such an "Asian" thing to do considering I am Asian right? Well whatever folks. I embrace the flavors and the scents that I love and if it goes well together why not use it right? The cupcake didn't come out as flavorful as I would have liked it. I am thinking of grating some ginger into the batter next time. The thing is to get more lemongrass flavor into the cake. 


What I did, since the recipe I use calls for 1 cup of milk, I took 3 stalks of lemongrass, sliced and smashed, 1 knob of ginger sliced and smashed. Threw them into the pot of milk, turn the stove on warm, and let it slowly steep and slowly heat up. When the mixture became steaming hot, I turn the heat off and let it sat there till it cool and let the flavors of the lemongrass and ginger steep into the milk. I also thought of making a lemongrass ginger syrup to brushed on the baked cupcakes. 

The batter all ready to be baked

All baked

I took a basic simple syrup recipe, added some smashed ginger and smashed lemongrass. I can tell you this, you will left over syrup. There are plenty of uses for this syrup. Tell you about that later. When the cupcakes are out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes so it will still be warm. With a toothpick, poke a few holes in the cupcakes. Brush the syrup mixture over the cupcakes. After another 10 minutes, brush the cupcakes again. 

Lemongrass Ginger infusing it's flavor

Lemongrass Ginger syrup

For the frosting-it is a whipped butter powdered sugar frosting. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of milk. So I use the same lemongrass ginger milk mixture from the cupcakes in the frosting also. I also use the syrup mixture in the frosting also. 

Whipped butter Sugar frosting

From my test taster, you can get the taste of the ginger but not so much of the lemongrass. I still have to figure out to get more lemongrass flavor in. The syrup helps a little bit but I think some grated ginger into the cake batter will make it more gingery. Now...the lemongrass....

The finished product

September

Oh September is here! I am just waiting for the cool weather to kick in. When that kicks in, the colors of fall should start appearing. That means more baking for me. Cooking of stews, soups, the crock pot will be dusted off, and hot drinks! Tea with some fresh baked scones, hot chocolate with some fresh baked graham crackers, smeared with freshly made marshmallows. With autumn coming soon, it means that summer has ended. 

My daughter is now 2 and as energetic as ever. Her 2nd birthday was an intimate affair and that is what I wanted. Good friends and family and that is all that is needed. She originally was to be a September baby but just like her mom, she feels that to be on time, you have to arrive early. Now at 2 years old, she is starting pre-school on Tuesday. Such a stereotypical image that I have in my head. My daughter in her cute back to school outfit, with a backpack and all ready to absorb all the information that will be taught to her. However, she is only 2 and that cute outfit will be smeared with finger paint, dirt, and food. I guess my image can wait when she enters kindergarten. 

With school starting or already started for some, fall is right around the corner. I don't want an Indian summer but I want fall. To me fall seems to signal even more recipes idea and more baking adventures. Only because the holidays are around the corner and it seems like every holiday season, I want to include something new and different in my array of expected goodies. I can't wait to try the new recipes and hope these new recipes will be included in my permanent recipe box. But also, it means boots, jackets, blazers, coats, and hats. I do have to look fashionable when I bake right? After all, just because I am clumsy ninja doesn't mean I have to look like a clumsy ninja! 

First try-Croissants

Here is the thing, I LOVE French pastries. I am not a sweet/dessert person but when it comes down to French pastries, I can be pretty indecisive. That is the problem when you go to Paris for the first time at age 14 and fall in love with everything that is Paris. I am still in love with Paris. I can't wait to take Adia there and just expose her to everything. The one thing that really remember is walking from my grandmother's apartment to the corner bakery. There, I would but the banquettes that I am suppose to and I would grab myself a croissant. Not a pan au chocolate or a jambon au chocolate. Just a simple plain croissant. I fell in love. After a while, the bakers there would just give me one and teach me a few french words here and there. Since then, the croissants here are no match. They are good don't get me wrong but it isn't the same. 


So, I finally gave in and decided to make to make these flaky, buttery, crispy pastry. I was so afraid that I would fail. It isn't like baking a cake or baking other things. I am actually talking about intense patience, a lot of patience, and a whole lot of love for the croissant. Making the dough, making the butter square, then the rolling, folding, waiting, rolling, folding, waiting, rolling, waiting folding. It is a true labor of love to create this piece of bake dough.


The thing is, it just isn't a piece of baked dough. When you tear into a really good croissant, you will instantly see the layers of dough that has separated from the rolling and folding of the dough. You will taste the buttery goodness without it being overly buttery greasy. You will feel the crispness of the croissant and see the beautiful golden color on it. Please, I am not saying this is the love of my life but when you bite into a really good croissant, you can feel and taste the hard work and love that the baker put into it. 


My croissants will probably not be up to those French baker standards. Yet, it doesn't mean I won't keep trying. How did my first try at making croissants turn out? I was damm proud of myself. I made pan au chocolate too. The next morning, I had just baked a fresh batch for my friend Brooke. Eric, my guy, came downstairs after he got up and asked if the batch cooling on the rack was for him. I told him no and baked him up some. I was flattered to know that he like it. Having a boyfriend as a chef can be intimidating at times. 


This is one of those things that I know I can do and if I can do it well on the first try, I am sure on the next few tries, I can come close to perfection. 

The butter square. The main thing that makes it so flaky!

Just the beginning to the folding, rolling, chilling stage.

Pan au Chocolate

The melty chocolaty goodness of the pan au chocolate

The first croissant

A peek inside-see the layers? Yeah, I did that!

Just to say I am proud that I can do this and know that, hopefully, the next few batches will come out better and better. I am willing to to try to perfect this even though perfection is hard to come by. But I am going to share this all with you. 

2 Weeks and not sure what to make!

Adia's 2nd birthday is officially 2 weeks from today. My little girl is turning 2 and it has been a tremendous learning experience for all of us. I've learned that as her mother I have to trust my instinct and not solely rely on what everyone tells me or advise me to do. The funny thing is that when Adia was only a few days old, she was turning yellow/orange. It kept bugging me. Didn't worry too much since we were taking her to the doctor for her 2/3 day check up. Brought up our concerns. The doctor told us since she is part Asian she will have some yellow tinge to her. The main fact was my baby girl was turning into a human carrot. Yet, the doctor felt that since she is part Asian she is ok. Left the doctor's office and yet, that nagging feeling kept at me.

Called the advice nurse, set up another appointment with another doctor. Went in and from just looking at Adia, the new doctor said she looks like she has jaundice. A simple test on the forehead and it showed that her bilirubin levels were at 20. If it was at 21 Adia would have been hospitalized with possible brain damage. That day, I look at my daughter and knew how much stronger she is then me. I did not cry, I was not sad at all. I was just so angry at the first doctor. I wanted so much to smack that woman in the head and ask her if she forgot how to be a doctor and if she forgot her Hippocratic oath.

At that point, I knew my daughter was going to be ok. All 5 pounds and 7 ounces of her. Of course she was going to look like a human Lite Bright for a week or so but she was going to be ok.

Adia-a few hours old-8/27/08

Now, my daughter is healthy, happy, almost 2 year old. She does not like a lot of sweets. Enjoy tofu, vegetables, fruits, and books. Trying to figure out what to make her is difficult. But at this point, I am just going to make something I know she might like. Or bits of it. It is funny being a parent. You just have to figure out everything one at a time. Funny thing about baking and parenting. You just have to put in just the right amount of ingredients into what you are making or it won't come out right. With parenting, if you give into what they want, they become this spoil person. If you hold back, they don't grow up knowing what love is. You just have to love them regardless, show them love, and hold back when you need to. I love my daughter and already, we are baking together.

Rolling out dough

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake

I had this recipe for an Orange Creamsicle cupcake. It was an orange based cupcake with a whipped marshmallow frosting. I know my pal N'Gina LOVES it. Not sure if she still does. However, I have lost the recipe. I was thinking about it yesterday along with a few other ideas of creating. I am sure it will come back to me.

The only reason for me thinking about Orange Creamsicle was because I wanted to kind of take it up a little but. Maybe use some orange blossom flower water, orange powder (orange zest that has been dehydrated and pulverized into a powder). Is that too much? Is that too...how you say..."haute"??? I'll think about it. Let me see what I can do with it once I locate the recipe.

I know this is going to drive me nuts until I find the recipe! GRRRR!!!!

Butter, cake flour, flour, orange juice, sugar, orange zest...there was something else....hmmmm...

The Chocolate Chip Cookie

To me, the chocolate chip cookie has always been associated with Cookie Monster. That blue furry monster who has this passion for cookies but his favorite has always been the chocolate chip cookie. I remembered one of the first real things I baked when I was a kid was the chocolate chip cookie. I remember reading the Toll House recipe and following it. Dotting all the "I"s and crossing the "T"s. However, although everyone else enjoyed it, I didn't. I always thought it needed something. Never knew what that was. As I got older, I discovered the variety of chocolate. The different cacaos and the difference in sweetness and bitterness. The different cacaos from all over the world and the things, the things you can create with this simple ingredient!!!! WOW!!! Now, taking all these different types of chocolate and putting into something so simple as...the chocolate chip cookie can heighten the cookie itself. Keep in mind I am not a fan of chocolate. However, I am a fan of the versatility of it.

Through the years, I've came across so many recipes, so many ways of creating this simple cookie that the Cookie Monster love so much. Yet, it seem unattainable to me to create one really good cookie. I am not saying I have perfected it...not yet. Although everyone who has had my chocolate chip cookies, love them. They may be bias, I am not sure but when people keep asking me for more, I am sure they love it. 

What is the perfect chocolate chip cookie? In my opinion, it should be chewy, soft interior, a slight crisp exterior. When you are chewing it, you should taste the sweetness from the sugars, the slight nuttiness from the butter, and the chocolate chips. Well the chocolate chips has to have this complex taste. It should give your taste buds a wake up call from all the slight bitterness, the sweetness, and a slight almost coffee like flavor when combined. 

The Chocolate Chip cookies

Now, keep in mind there are so many variances of the chocolate chip cookies. There are thin and crispy. There are thick and chewy. There are some with nuts and some without. There are some that only has one type of chocolate chip. So many ways to make this simple cookie.

Ready for consumption or...

Instead of using soften butter and creaming it with the sugars, I use slightly browned melted butter. When that has cool just a bit, I then pour it in with the brown sugar and regular sugar. I'll slightly mix it and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. Then continue creaming the butter sugar mixture for a few minutes. Now, I learned this recipe from Cook's Illustrated but I added some of my own things into it. I actually mess with the recipe that they had perfected. Again, perfection is ones' opinion. I did use the 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. It helps the cookie's texture to stay chewy. Instead of using 1 type of chocolate chip. I use 3 different types. I use a bitter sweet-60% cacao, semi sweet, and white chocolate chips. I am thinking of using a higher cacao percentage but I am afraid few people will like it.

Add some creamy, cold, vanilla...

Now, there is something to be said about a good vanilla ice cream. It is plain, it is simple, and sometimes, those are the best! High end foods may sound great but at the end of the day, something so simple as vanilla ice cream is the best.

of the simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Take a good size scoop of ice cream

Take something so simple as vanilla ice cream and put it between two home made chocolate chip cookies, what do you get??? Delicious goody!

Place it between the two cookies

Enjoy the view

Gently squeeze together

Slowly enjoy the flavors

I don't ever get tired of making chocolate chip cookies. I actually don't get tired of making cookies period. There is something about it that creaming the butter, the sugars and slowly adding the rest of the ingredients, makes you feel like you creating a masterpiece of some sort. I have given this recipe to others and they all come back to me and say it never turned out the same way. I'll asked them if they followed the directions, if they did this, if they did that. They will answer yes to everything. Alas, maybe it is something I posses that makes these cookies unique. I don't know. But I'll let you decide on it.

Lisa's Chocolate Chip Cookies
***if you have a scale, weigh your ingredients. It does make a difference.

preheat oven to 325

2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda


12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melt 1 stick slightly brown it. Take off heat and add the remaining 1/2 stick and let cooled slightly

*1/2 cup brown sugar (1/2 cup light and 1/2 dark), 7 ounces (I use a equal combo of the brown sugars, if you want you can use 1 cup of light or 1 cup of dark)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet or white or a combination of)

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside

Melt 1 stick of butter and let it brown. Take off the heat and add the remaining 1/2 stick and slowly stir it into the brown butter mixture to ensure that it all melts completely. Let it cool slightly.
Add the sugars and the slightly cool butter into a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment.

Mix for 1 minute then let the butter, sugar sit for about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, beat the mixture for about another 2 minutes, add the egg. Wait until it is mix thoroughly, then add the egg yolk. Mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla until it is well combined. Be sure to scrape the bowl down to make sure all the ingredients are mixed well.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. When all the flour mixture is added, scrape the bowl down. The add the chocolate chips and mix together.

With an ice cream scoop or portion scoop (same thing) that equals to about 1/4 cup of measurement, scoop the dough, roll into a ball, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. ***Place in fridge for about an hour or in the freezer for about 15 minutes. (If your fridge/freezer isn't able to hold the cookie sheet, you can place it on a plate or small cutting board).
The reasons behind this is to firm up the butter a bit so when it bakes, it doesn't spread out too quickly and become a thin cookie.

*** you can freeze them after it has been formed and place them in a freezer locked bagged for up to a month. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days.

Bake at 325 for about 15-18 minutes rotating it halfway through. Take it out when it is slightly golden brown. Let it cool on the pan for about 10 minutes then transfer it to a cooling rack.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy the cookies.

Dahn Taht (Egg Custard Tart)

So I have been wanting to make dahnt Taht (egg custard tart to those not in the know). It seems complicated but only because it is a Chinese dim sum item that I oh so love. Even as a kid, I couldn't get enough of these. My Godmother who use to care for me as a young child would make these for me and other Chinese desserts. I love her Dahn Tahts. I miss her and I miss the things that she would make for me. But Dahn Tahts were one of those specialty items that I wish I could have learned from her when I got older. Unfortunately I never got the chance. She passed away during my 2nd year of college when I was in the East Coast. Dumb thing, I was in RI and she was in DC. I could have made the trip out there despite my lack of funds.

However, every time I think of any Chinese Desserts, I think of her. So when I attempted to make these tartlettes of egg custardy goodness, I was thinking of her the whole time.

How did it turn out? I didn't like the crust. I'm not use to using shortening as my fat in any dough other then snicker doodle cookies. I am use to using the good old yellow fat known as butter. The Chinese are not known for their desserts. But when making it, they use lard as their fat.

The recipe called for 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 cup of lard/shortening, 1/4 cup of ice water plus a few teaspoons if needed. So it is a basic tart/pie dough kind of. But I think I am going to tinkle with this a bit.

The custard came out alright. But it was missing something. Not sure what, but it was missing something. The recipe I found called for 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. I am thinking of adding something else to it. Even if it isn't traditional, to take this dahn taht to another level of some sort. I already know there is no way for me to recreate the dahn taht that my Godmother made for me as a kid but I think she would be proud of me for creating something of my own.

So there are pictures. If any of you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Again, no drama, no hate.

Unbaked dahn taht shells (this was just a test run so don't diss the appearance)

Unbaked shells from the top view

Filling is in after the shells have been par baked

Ready to go into the oven to set the custard filling

Finished Mini Dahn Taht

Overall-visually it doesn't look too bad. Personally, I think it needs something else. Either that or I am way too critical of my own work.

Intro...

Aren't ninjas supposedly to be all stealth like you asked? Well here is the thing, many of my friends call me a ninja. I have no idea how that happen it just did. I can be a bit clumsy at times. I can walk and run in 4 inch heels but I can trip over my own feet walking barefoot. Don't ask. It is weird I know but it is how I am. As for the baker part, well, I am a self taught baker.

Love to bake. Love to think of all these great recipes and try them out. I use to watch Baking with Julia on PBS when I was little. Then go into the kitchen and pretend I was this great baker. Never really turn out the way it did but hey, I was 6, what did you expect. I will be opeing a little bakery, not sure when, just need the money. (if you are interested in assisting me do this, please don't hesitate to contact me.)

With this blog, I will be posting pictures and my triumph and failures of my clumsy ninja baking skills. If you have any ideas on how to make it better please feel free to post your comments. Just don't hate and I don't need your drama. Take it somewhere else alright?

So let the baking blog begin...