Dessert time

After everything that's been happening lately, one needs sweetness in their life. I am always reminded of the quote, 'when life gives you lemon, make cake', just to say that when life gets bitter, turn it into something sweet. So, I have been baking. I love chocolate, macarons and enjoy making them. I'm also into gluten-free cake at the moment, making cakes using almond meal instead of flour. This gave a more nutty consistency to the cake, which I like a lot. I have just started my second semester, and oh does time flies. It's been such a constant ride since the beginning of the year, but experience drives learning and I am trying my best to sink all in. 

So here are a few of the desserts I have produced over the last couple of weeks. Note that I have been using lemons and of course, my favourite combo right now: matcha and red bean. I also made a dessert in a glass which I have always wanted to. Let's not forget chocolate brownies because they are simply pure decadence. 

Smiley face lemon macaron with lemon buttercream

Lemon cake with lemon drizzle and candied lemons

Poached mandarin and kumquat with spiced syrup and yogurt and nut

Chocolate brownie

'Lego' Birthday cake I made for my cousin

Matcha greentea swiss roll with red bean filling

Matcha macaron with red bean filling

Another sweet round

So much has happened lately as per usual. Sometimes it's hard to believe how I made it. Some days are plain tough and then it gets better. Some days are long and some are super short. It is what you make of each day that counts. I like to bake during the weekend because I have ample time. Sometimes all you need is something sweet to cheer you up.

I have been following Masterchef and I am always amazed by the level of knowledge, creativity and cooking skills shown by the contestants. It's incredible to be able to cope under the pressure and present beautiful dishes with this incredible level of plating. #platinggoals

This is a group of desserts I have prepped and been compiling over the few weeks. I shall be posting more soon. 

Matcha custard tart with red bean filling

Macaron with lemon buttercream

Pandan cake layered with coconut cream

Mini carrot apple and sultana muffins

Mini chocolate tart with mini macaron

Anzac cookie

Almond flourless carrot cake

Happy Easter

Happy Easter. Have a blessed, joyful and peaceful Easter. Let us rejoice on this great occasion and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

As mentioned earlier, I made some bunny and easter egg-shaped macarons. I am pretty pleased at how they turned out. Yes, I am a happy bunny. Well, Easter would not be Easter without chocolate, so happy easter eggs hunting. It's not too late to overindulge in chocolate- I know I did.

...and here is just a sneak peak of pre-decorating the bunnies. 

Sweet round

Macaron, chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream and creme patissiere filled puff pastry. These are probably one of my favourite sweet treats. I mean you cannot go wrong with any of these. I have been trying to perfect my 'quenelle' shaping which is a really good technique to master for dessert plating- ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream. I do not always get it right, kind of still a tricky business for me. You need to place a spoon in hot water, tap excess water and roll the cream in an upward motion. The hot water will give a shiny finish. It demands lot of practice to get it right.

However, I am very pleased with my macarons. The ones in the photos are filled with buttermilk creme patissiere. This made the macaron soft with a slight bite from the crust- just the way I like it. What can I say about the brownies? Almond filled with a gooey centre. 

Birthday cake (Yellow cake with chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache)

For my cousin's birthday, I was inspired to make a cake with some decorations. This yellow cake recipe came into my inbox and I could not think of any better timing. I instantly made up my mind. The cake is just what I needed to cater for my cake decoration idea. My cousin loves nature, plants and animals, but to make it easy, I decided to go for a 'tree ring' for a close to nature feel. 

I used the same recipe for the cake. However I used a chocolate buttercream to fill and cover the cake. I made a chocolate ganache to frost the surrounding. I also made some pattern so it will look like a section of a tree trunk. To top it off, I made some 'mushrooms' using free forms macarons and a thicker ganache to make the stems. The cake turned out just the way I wanted. I originally planned to make some royal icing flower decorations, but then I did not want to lose the 'forest' feeling. Sometimes less is more. 

I was also extremely pleased with my macarons which I filled with more chocolate ganache- honestly the best I ate. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the freshness. After one night in the fridge to allow the flavour to mature and moisture to soften the cookie, it is the best time to eat it. 

The cake itself was quite nice. I think it went well with the chocolate. I am looking forward to make some bunny macarons for Easter. 

 

Sweet treats/ Dessert

It's been a long time since my last post. Here are some photos of sweet treats that I have made: macarons with matcha green tea buttercream and chocolate ganache, cheesecake brownie and a pandan chiffon cake. My current favourite snack is roasted chestnuts, really enjoy the nutty and slightly sweet flavour and soft texture of the nut. I cannot wait to write about my new journey. I will need some time to combine and organise everything into one. 

  

Black Sesame Macaron with Black Sesame Creme Pastissiere

I cannot recall when I first came across black sesame. I am well-aware of the white sesame seeds though. I used to eat lots of sesame peanut snaps back in the days. Anyway if you like the flavour of the white sesame, then you would also appreciate black sesame. To me, it has the same taste, with only difference being the colour. I read though that black sesame has huge nutritional benefits despite their tiny sizes. It can be used in sweet (cake, icecream) and savoury dishes (sushi, as coating/crust).

Well, after my recent successful attempts at making macarons, I decided to try a new, different flavour and pick black sesame. I was very happy of results. I am also getting better at piping perfectly round shape- the secret is to hold the piping bag straight with both hands, one to hold the bag and the other one to guide the piping. This macaron has a very nutty flavour and is perfectly chewy in the inside. I used this recipe for the macaron shells. As for the filling, I made some black sesame creme patissiere. This was not to waste the egg yolks. Basically follow the basic recipe for a creme pat, but infuse the milk with some black sesame powder while heating it.