Tag Archives: love baking

Chocolate Sweet Pastry Cookies

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I love recipes that can be used in many ways. Sweet pastry is definitely one of them. Once you’ve found a good recipe, there are so many things you can do. Pies, tarts…..and cookies ! This is the same recipe I used for the shell of my Chocolate Pistachio Tart ! But instead of putting them in a tart mold, I cut them into squares and dressed them up with some melted white chocolate ! If you don’t want chocolate cookies, you can easily replace the cocoa powder with flour or even ground almond ! 

  • 120 g unsalted butter (cold)
  • 75 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 170 g cake and pastry flour (sifted)
  • 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 20 g white chocolate chips (optional)

Makes about 30 cookies

  1. Mix together cold butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until no more lumps
  2. Add egg yolk, mix until blended
  3. Add flour and cocoa powder, mix with the wooden spoon, then transfer onto a table or counter and gently press dough together (just work until ingredients are mixed in)
  4. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight
  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF
  6. Knead dough until pliable
  7. Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch in thickness on a floured surface, dock with a fork
  8. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters (dough scraps can be re-roll, but only do it once or twice or it may crack)
  9. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart 
  10. Bake for about 10 minutes 
  11. Cool on cookie sheets for about 10 minutes, then completely on rack 
  12. Melt white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, cool slightly
  13. Drizzle on top of cookies 

Chocolate Sweet Pastry Cookies

 


Mini Blueberry Loaves

9 Replies

To me, the best part of summer is the large variety of fruits we get to enjoy, berries, watermelon, peaches, etc. And blueberry is our no.1 favourite ! Every summer, we can easily go through over 30 pounds of blueberries!  There are many blueberry farms in our area, fresh, local, sweet and at a very reasonable price. How can I resist ? And as a baker, how can I not bake with them ?!  Again, I tried to use less sugar. So, I used use vanilla-flavoured almond milk instead of milk and added some honey, and was very pleased with the result !
I asked my daughter, who is my “art director” for my blog, to draw me something with blueberries and here is what she came up with ! I guess she is right, blueberries made you happy and healthy rather than blue ! 

You Aren't Blue

Makes about 6-8 mini loaves

  • 150 g fresh blueberries 
  • 270 g all-purpose flour + extra for coating blueberries 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 120 g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 60 g granulated sugar 
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100 mL vanilla-flavoured almond milk 
  • 60 mL honey
  • 15 mL lemon juice 
  • 5 mL pure vanilla extract 
  • zest of half a lemon
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside 
  3. Coat blueberries with about a tablespoon of flour, set aside 
  4. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy 
  5. Add eggs, honey, almond milk, lemon juice and vanilla
  6. Add flour mixture in 2 portions, mix until blended, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl (it’s ok if batter is slightly lumpy)
  7. Gently fold in blueberries and lemon zest
  8. Spoon batter into slightly greased and floured mini loaf pans
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes 
  10. Cool for about 10 minutes in pans, then completely on rack 

Mini Blueberry Loaves

 

 

Chocolate Pistachio Tart

10 Replies

As a mom, my kids are always my priorities. But sometimes I feel it’s necessary to do something for myself….in order to keep my sanity ! So I made this dessert just for me ! It’s loaded with chocolate with a bit of crunch and saltiness from the pistachios. Did you know that pistachios are called the “happy nuts” in Chinese? Their partially opened shells look like a smile. They are an excellent source of vitamin B, fibre, potassium, magnesium and many more. No wonder I felt fantastic after eating them! 

Makes about three to four 4-inch tarts

For the chocolate tart

  • 120 g unsalted butter (cold)
  • 75 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 170 g cake and pastry flour (sifted)
  • 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

For the filling

  • 2 ounces dark chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped)
  • 4 ounces whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 30 g salted pistachios (shells removed)
  1. Mix together cold butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until no more lumps
  2. Add egg yolk, mix until blended
  3. Add flour and cocoa powder, mix with the wooden spoon, then transfer onto a table or counter and gently press dough together (just work until ingredients are mixed in)
  4. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight
  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF
  6. Knead dough until pliable
  7. Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch in thickness on a floured surface, dock with a fork
  8. Place inside slightly greased tart molds, trim off excess dough (dough scraps can be re-roll, but only do it once or twice or it may crack)
  9. Bake for about 12 minutes till golden, let cool
  10. For the filling, crush pistachios into small pieces
  11. Heat whipping cream in a non-stick pot over medium heat until starting to bubble
  12. Pour cream over chopped chocolate, let stand for 1 minute
  13. Add vanilla extract, stir until smooth
  14. Mix in half of the crushed pistachios
  15. Pour into baked tart shells, sprinkle remaining pistachios on top 
  16. Let cool then put in refrigerator until set

Chocolate Pistachio Tart

 

Original chocolate tart shell recipe by Chef Marco Ropke at the Vancouver Pastry Training Centre 

 

Cherry Puff Tarts

2 Replies

Cherry is another fruit that we love to eat in the summer. My parents used to have 2 giant cherries at their old house. I still remember my brother and I would pick as much as we could before the birds get to them. There would be so much cherries that we would fill almost every single basket and bucket in the house….Oh, how I miss those good times.  My folks have moved and we no longer have our own cherry trees, but I can make these yummy tarts for them instead !
I always keep a box of puff pastry in the freezer. It’s really handy if you need to make something quick, both sweet and savory. I yet to try making my own puff pastry…. Well, it’s on my list! 🙂

Makes about 10-12 tarts

  • 200 g pitted fresh cherries
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 box puff pastry (about 400 g)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • vanilla sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling
  • Icing sugar for dusting
  1. To prepare the fillings, heat cherries, 3 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice in a non-stick pot over medium heat
  2. Turn heat down to low when liquid starts to bubble
  3. Cook until cherries softened, set aside to cool
  4. To make the puff pastry, preheat oven to 350°F
  5. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch in thickness
  6. Cut with a round cookie cutter into circles, about 2-3 inches in diameter
  7. Place half the number of circles on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
  8. Dork with a fork, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated or vanilla sugar 
  9. Cut out the centres of the other circles using a smaller cookie cutter, (or a bottle cap would work too) to form rings
  10. Place rings on top of the circles
  11. Brush ring tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (You can collect all the dough scrapes and re-roll, but only do it once, otherwise it will lose its puffiness)
  12. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden, let cool
  13. Spoon in cherry fillings, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately

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Healthy Banana Bread

1 Reply

Besides a mom and a home baker, I am also a pharmacist, so whenever I bake or make desserts, I would have a dilemma in my mind. Shouldn’t I be promoting healthy eating as a health professional? But I really like to make and eat sweets ? To somewhat justify myself, I try to create more recipes that use less sugar and fat, and incorporate healthier ingredients.  It took me a few tries to make this healthy yet very delicious banana bread. It contains no butter and no refined sugar. It is moist but not too dense, which is what my family likes. You can use bread flour if you prefer a denser texture. I also added some ground flax seeds for your extra dose of fibre and omega fatty acids!

Makes one 9×5 inch loaf

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  • 3-4 ripe bananas, meshed (about 1+1/2 cups)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 120 g coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup organic agave syrup
  • 100 g plain Greek yoghurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl
  3. Mix in ground flax seeds
  4. Add other wet ingredients, mix until blended
  5. Pour into a lightly greased and floured 9×5 inch loaf pan
  6. Bake for about 50-60 minutes

Strawberry Vanilla Cream Tart

23 Replies

Strawberries ! One of our family favourites !  My son can “chomp down” (that’s his words) a bowl in no time! They taste good, look pretty and you can use them in many ways.  I always wish I have a bigger yard and more time so I can grow my own. Luckily, we have a few local farms close to our neighbourhood, and we can get fresh strawberries very easily.  I love the U-picks that they have in the early summer too ! It’s a great activity for both adults and kids.   

Makes about three to four 4-inch tarts

For the tart shell

  • 120 g cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
  • 75 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 180 g cake and pastry flour, sifted

For the fillings

    • 450 g (about 1 lb) fresh strawberries
    • 500 mL milk (preferably full fat, but 2 % works too)
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 75 g granulated sugar
    • 40 g cornstarch
    • 1/2 to 1 vanilla bean
    • icing sugar for dusting

To make the tart shells

  1. Mix together cold butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until no more lumps
  2. Add egg yolk, mix until blended
  3. Add flour all at once, mix with the wooden spoon, then transfer onto a table or counter and gently knead dough together (just work until ingredients are mixed in)
  4. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight
  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF
  6. Knead dough until pliable
  7. Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch in thickness on a floured surface, dock with a fork
  8. Place inside slightly greased tart molds, trim off excess dough (dough scraps can be re-roll, but may crack, so only re-roll once or twice)
  9. Bake for about 12 minutes till golden, let cool

To make the vanilla cream fillings

    1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and 1/2 cup of milk together until no more lumps
    2. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds out of bean pod, do not throw away bean pod
    3. In a pot, heat remaining milk, vanilla beans and the pod over medium heat until just boiled
    4. Whisk 1/2 of boiled milk slowly into egg mixture to temper, then pour everything back into the pot
    5. Heat until just starting to bubble and thicken, whisking constantly
    6. Remove from heat, take out vanilla pod and let cool

When ready to serve, pipe or spoon vanilla cream into baked tart shell, top with fresh strawberries and icing sugar

Original tart shell and vanilla cream recipe by Chef Marco Ropke at the Vancouver Pastry Training Centre 

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This is my first ever collaborative post, how exciting ! The Canadian Food Creatives collaboration are featuring fresh strawberries this month ! Be sure to check out the links below for other great recipes. They can also be found on social media using the hashtag #CDNFoodCreatives . Many thanks to Amanda Saxby at The Cinnamon Scrolls for hosting.

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Baked Honey Crullers

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We love doughnuts! And my daughter has been asking me to make some. I tried making the fried ones a few times, but failed. So, I thought I would try some other methods. Upon some “research”, I discovered that crullers are made from choux paste…..Wait a minute…… I have a choux paste recipe from my pastry course last year! So here it is, my Baked Honey Crullers! They have a light and airy texture. You can pipe them any shapes and sizes you want, and I had so much fun making them!

Makes about 20 crullers

For the choux paste

  • 200 mL water
  • 90 g unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated or vanilla sugar 
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)

For the honey glaze

  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk
  1. To prepare choux paste, heat together water, butter, salt and sugar in a pot over medium heat until just starting to boil
  2. Turn heat down to low, add flour all at once
  3. Stirring constantly, cook until a thin film of paste formed at the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes
  4. Transfer paste to a heat-proofed mixing bowl and cool paste down
  5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375ºF and prepare piping bag with desired piping tip
  6. Add eggs to paste, one at a time and mix well after each addition
  7. Add lemon zest
  8. Transfer to piping bag and pipe into rings on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 3 inches in diameter
  9. Bake at 375ºF for about 12-14 minutes until starting to brown, then turn heat down to 325°F and bake for another 6-8 minutes until golden
  10. Let cool first on baking sheets, then completely on rack
  11. Prepare glaze by whisking together honey, icing sugar and milk to desired consistency
  12. Drizzle over crullers or dip crullers into glaze (Best to serve immediately)

Original recipe of choux paste by Chef Marco Ropke at the Vancouver Pastry Training Centre

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

10 Replies

My daughter said “zucchini is my worst enemy ! ” But with this yummy cake, I have successful converted her enemy into her new friend ! Yes, zucchini is definitely chocolate cake’s best friend. It makes the cake moist and soft. And you can eat your vegetable right inside a dessert !

Makes one 9 inch round cake

For the cake

  • 200 g grated zucchini
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1+3/4 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup demerara or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the ganache

  • 1 cup whipping or heavy cream
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

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  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Lightly grease 9 inch spring-form cake pan with oil, then dust with flour
  3. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
  4. Add lemon juice into milk, let sit for a few minutes
  5. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat oil and sugars at medium speed until blended
  6. Mix in eggs, milk with lemon juice and vanilla
  7. Add flour mixture in 2-3 portions, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl
  8. Add grated zucchini, mix until just blended
  9. Stir in 2 ounces of chopped chocolate 
  10. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 30 minutes (toothpick should come out clear when inserted into middle of cake)
  11. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache by heating cream in a non-stick pot over medium heat
  12. Turn heat off when cream just starting to bubble
  13. Pour over chopped chocolate, let sit for 1 minute
  14. Stir until smooth, let cool at room temperature
  15. When cake is ready, cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then completely on rack
  16. Cover cake with chocolate ganache, smooth with a spatula
  17. Let chocolate set, keep in refrigerator

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Tools I used and you may like

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KitchenAid K45SSWH Classic 4.5-Quart Bowl Stand Mixer, White

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Wilton 409-7716 Angled Icing Spatula, 13-Inch, Black

You can get these tools through the Amazon website by clicking the above link. I will receive a small compensation if you purchase the item. 

Simple Shortbread Cookies

7 Replies

My mom, myself and my daughter all love sweets! Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I thought I would make something that all of us would enjoy. These shortbread cookies are sweet and buttery ! Making them is, literally, as easy as 1,2,3 ! All you need to remember is, 1 part of sugar, 2 parts of butter and 3 parts of flour! I also added a touch of lemon zest.
Have a Happy Mother’s Day ! I think moms are the most wonderful people into the world….of course that includes myself !……. 🙂   And I have to thank my daughter for her wonderful drawing !

Makes about 30 cookies

  • 1/2 cup very fine sugar or vanilla sugar plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1+1/2 cups cake and pastry flour, sifted
  • Zest of half a lemon (optional)
  1. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together
  2. Add lemon zest
  3. Add flour in 2 portions, mix until dough starting to form
  4. Pat dough together with hands
  5. Cut dough into 2 parts, gently shape each dough into logs, about 1+1/2 inch in diameter
  6. Wrap with plastic wrap (Believe it or not, I wrapped the dough and put them inside paper towel rolls to shape! )
  7. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight
  8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300°F
  9. Cut dough into discs, about 1/4 – 3/8 inch in thickness (They do flattened slightly during baking)
  10. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart
  11. Sprinkle top with more sugar
  12. Bake for 18 -20 minutes until edges just golden (You don’t want them too brown)
  13. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then completely on rack

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Butterscotch Coconut Cookies

5 Replies

I was cleaning up my pantry today. I found many bags and containers of leftover, soon expired ingredients. So I threw most of them together and made some granola bars. Still left with some butterscotch chips and shredded coconut, I decided to put the two together. I was never a big fan of butterscotch, but these cookies came out soft, sweet and chewy, they are super yummy ! So if you have some leftover ingredients in your pantry, don’t feel shy to experiment, you never know what you can come up with.

Makes about 40 cookies
Total time = 30 minutes

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
  3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy
  4. Add eggs, vanilla and coconut milk, mix until blended, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl
  5. Stir in shredded coconut and butterscotch chips
  6. Drop about 1 tablespoon each of dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes until edges are golden

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