As I attempted to resuscitate the dried up polymer clay from previous projects (this and this) to make a Double Bow keychain that I saw on Minted Strawberry, I pondered on the quote I once saw: Don’t Let the World Make You Hard.

We human are no different than the polymer clay — our souls too harden when neglected and forgotten over time. We need to take the time to knead, knead, and knead some more with love and care so that the crackled soul can become soft and alive again, and turn into something colorful and playful like these lovely double bows.

Like so many tourists from around the world who make homage to this world famous boulangerie, I too visited Poilane on my last trip to the City of Lights and picked up a little complimentary “Punitions” cookie (or two, or three) from a basket by the cashier on my way out. I can still recall the moment the robust buttery flavor and subtle sweetness hit my taste bud – it was heaven. Just like the French culture, these cookies present a paradox that we Westerners often struggle to decipher: how something so simple (cookies made from only butter, sugar, egg, and flour) taste so rich, luxurious, and opulent.

There’s no mystery why these butter cookies from one of Paris’ most famous bakers are called, “Punitions,” or punishment, because it’s just plan cruel to have to wait to bite into them until they cool down. Yep, it was definitely a torture.

You can find the recipe and a lovely story by Dorie Greenspan in her book, Paris Sweets. Or, click here for the recipe. This is one of my all-time favorite baking books.

Life as a mother has settled down a bit, as we approach the second month anniversary of Pon Pon’s arrival. I still cry and pull my hair out once in a while (okay, every other day), but things have definitely gotten much, much better. For one thing, I stopped taking things too seriously. I now let mistakes happen and not punish myself for them. Now that I’m learning to balance my life, I made time during the blissful hour I have before Pon Pon wakes up in the morning to bake Gateau au Yaourt, or Yogurt Cake, courtesy of the book, Bringing Up Bebe, by Pamela Druckerman.

Speaking of the book, it’s a lifesaver. I still have a few more chapters to go, but it’s been wonderful so far, providing me with sound advice about raising a bebe.

Thanks to the book, I learned to “pause,” and started to give Pon Pon the opportunity to self-sooth first, before running to her the moment she cries. I also started speaking to her more frequently, especially when I need to explain her something. The other day, I politely asked Pon Pon to please stay calm and quite in a swing for 30 minutes because mommy needed to eat lunch … and she complied! Now, I speak to her every night before she goes to bed, recapping the things we did together, and thank her for another wonderful and adventurous day.  And of course, let her know how much I love her.

Gateau au Yaourt (Yogurt Cake)
Adapted from the book, Bringing Up Bebe, but modified slightly

The book introduced this recipe because this is a cake that even a three-year-old can make. All the measurements are done in the 6 oz yogurt container. Since I didn’t have the small container, I used the regular measuring cup.

Ingredients: 

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used the low fat kind)
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup corn oil

Instruction:

① Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Prepare the 9-inch loaf pan by layering the bottom with a wax paper.

② Combine the yogurt, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well (wet). In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together (dry).

③ Add the dry ingredient with the wet one, and mix to combine. Be careful not to over mix the batter.

④ Pour the combined mixture into a 9-inch loaf pan and bake it in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.

⑤ Let the cake cool at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Oh my … this is a delicious cake! I love the combination of subtle sweet and slight tang that is present in this lovely cake. I used the generic, low fat yogurt that I purchased from Fresh and Easy for this. I was worried at first because the yogurt was a little on the watery side but I think that helped make this cake extra soft and moist!

I definitely recommend that you give this recipe a try! It’ll be even better if you go crazy and have fun making this with your little one in the kitchen. I can’t wait to make this cake with Pon Pon soon!

Early summer is upon us, which means fresh, succulent strawberries will begin to make appearances at local farmers markets and roadside vendors soon … and that’s a wonderful thing!

I still haven’t decided if I’ll drive down to Oxnard for the annual Strawberry Festival in May, but I’ll definitely be indulging in fraise as much as I can in the coming months. And I’ll also be making lots of desserts with the juicy berries, including this refreshing frozen yogurt.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Recipe inspired by David Levovitz’s recipe but modified slightly
(Makes about 2 quarts)

2 lbs fresh or frozen strawberries
32 oz plain yogurt
1 cup maple syrup
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon vodka (optional)

①　Cut strawberries into small pieces, removing the stems.  Mix in the maple syrup, vodka, and lemon juice, and let it sit for about 2 hours to let the flavors soak in.

② Puree the mixture in a blender. Don’t liquidity completely, if you like some strawberry bits.

③ Combine the strawberry puree with yogurt and mix well with a spatula.  You can put the mixture in an ice cream maker at this point, but you can skip this if you don’t own it, or don’t want to bother (like me this time).

④ If you’re not using the ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a plastic container and freeze for about 6 hours. Take the container out of the freezer several times to mix occasionally.

You might want to take out the container from the freezer and leave it out for about 10-15 minutes before serving, to soften the frozen yogurt a little so it’ll scoop better.

I love this dessert. It’s tastes like a mixture of frozen yogurt and fruit sorbet, and a great alternative to a high-calorie ice cream.

My husband and I enjoy throwing lunch / dinner parties at home instead of going out, especially now that we have a little munchkin to think about. It saves money, we eliminate the need to look for parking, we can go overboard on wine if we want, and we can pass out on a couch immediately if we overdose on a little too much gluttony … and that’s precisely what I did this weekend.

After the “roll your own sushi” party with friends, I went straight to the bedroom and crashed for several hours, while my husband did the dishes, fed the baby and changed her diaper. I feel a little guilty that he did everything from start to finish – but I did contribute by making an appetizer platter of baguette, grilled asparagus, sliced cucumbers, prosciutto, smoked salmon, goat cheese, Havarti, and Asiago, which took all five minutes to put together. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter if you celebrate it. If not, I hope you enjoyed those delicious Cadbury Mini Eggs!

I remember when my family and I first came to the states back in the 80s, it was virtually impossible to find delicate, French-inspired confections what rivaled those available in Japan. Dense sugary cakes topped with thick buttercream (with artificial colorings) and overly sweet and brick-like brownies filled the supermarket bakery counters, and those airy sponge cakes that we were so accustomed to were nowhere to be found.

That’s when my mother learned to bake at home. I think she baked almost every day one year. I looked forward to coming home from school every day, knowing that lemon-infused madeleines (she baked them in cupcake tins because she didn’t own a shell-shaped pan) and heavenly chocolate vodka cakes (yes, vodka!) would be waiting for me upon my return.

The dessert landscape has certainly changed in recent years. It’s now possible to bring home wonderful, high-quality cakes, cookies, macarons and any other confections imaginable, from even as close as your local neighborhood grocer. But there’s something still very empowering about baking things you crave at home, in your own kitchen, whenever you want, however much you want.

My recent empowering moment – making dorayaki, one of my favorite Japanese confections, at home! When the craving strikes, but a trip to a nearest Asian supermarket is out of reach (with a little bebe sleeping in the crib), we’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do to satisfy the urges!

Dorayaki
(Makes 12 pancakes; 6 dorayaki)
Recipe taken from Cooking With Dog; I doubled the recipe to make more

Ingredients:

4 eggs
160 g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
100 ml water
260 g cake flour
5 tablespoons water (to adjust the thickness of the batter at the end)
18 oz (1 large can) Azuki (sweet red bean paste)

Instruction:

① Beat eggs, sugar and honey with a whisk. Beat the mixture for about 15 minutes. I used a stand mixture with a whisk attachment.

② In a separate bowl or a cup, dissolve the baking soda with water. Add it to the egg mixture, and mix.

③ Sift cake flour and add it to the egg mixture; mix but be careful not to over mix.

This is the consistency of the batter.

④ Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes.

⑤ Adjust the thickness of the batter by adding water, one teaspoon at a time, to achieve the perfect consistency.  This is the consistency that you’re looking for.  You want the batter to flow down the whisk effortlessly without being too runny.

⑥ Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan.  Drop the batter onto the griddle or pan; it should naturally form a circle when you drop the batter gently.

I noticed that the surface will come out perfectly brown (without any inconsistent spots) if you don’t oil the pan.  Make sure to use the non-stick kind so the pancake slides right off the surface.

⑦ Flip the pancake when the bubbles form on top.  Cook the other side for about 20 seconds.

⑧ Get the pre-made anko (sweetened azuki beans) ready.  You can get this at most supermarkets (in Asian grocery aisle) or at Asian stores.  You can always make your own but I found the canned version to be too delicious to pass up.  I can eat the entire can by myself in one sitting!

⑨ Scoop about 2 tablespoons of anko and layer it onto one side (the “wrong” side) of the pancake.

⑩ Take the second pancake to sandwich the anko.  You’re all done!

These dorayakis are amazing. The cakes (called “castella” in Japan) are perfectly bouncy (different from a regular breakfast pancake) and the combination between the sweet cake and azuki is simply divine. I might like the homemade version better than the store-bought ones!  If you store them in the refrigerator, it’s best to bring them to room temperature before you eat them by leaving them out for about 15-30 minutes (they are much softer at room temperature).

I’m glad I found a YouTube cooking show called, “Cooking with Dog,” that shows viewers how to make Japanese food and desserts.  Each show is narrated by an English speaking dog, Francis, with thick Japanese accent. It’s hilarious and informative – do check it out!

I woke up early to watch the coverage of the Los Angeles Marathon this morning on television.  My sister and several of my friends ran the race this year, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished by completing the 26.2-mile race!  There was a high school student who completed the marathon in less than three hours.  What an amazing accomplishment for such a young man, and I have a feeling that many colleges will be calling him soon!

Although a part of me enjoyed being cozy at home and not putting myself on a self-inflicting torture, a part of me really missed being a part of the event.  I never thought I’ll say this, but I actually missed running!  My goal is to run a half marathon in 2014 and hopefully participate in the LA Marathon again in 2015.

Congratulations to everyone who completed the marathon today, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My husband and I enjoyed the traditional corned beef and cabbage for dinner!

Ever since the arrival of Pon Pon three weeks ago, my life has turned into all things itty bitty – itty bitty onsies, itty bitty hats, itty bitty diapers, itty bitty burps, itty bitty (or not so itty bitty) poo, itty bitty time to sleep … you name it, everything has shrunk in size! And look, I’m even making apple pies in an itty bitty, individual size now!

I initially planned on making a regular-size apple pie, or even a French apple tart (Tarte de Pommes), but realized after I finished making the dough that I only had four, relatively small Fuji apples, which weren’t enough to fill the entire pie plate. So, instead of making a thin, sorry pie, I decided to make mini, individual size pies using ramekins as a baking dish.

Since the only thing that’s not itty bitty at the moment is my raging appetite (I hear that a body often mistakes sleep deprivation with hunger, which explains my recent urge to eat everything in sight), this is a great way for me to control each food portionl! 

Making the Pie Dough

I’ve tried several different recipes but I found this to be my favorite one for a pie dough.  The texture of the dough is not overly buttery but comes out nice and flaky!  I adapted this recipe / ingredient measurements from the William Sonoma’s website but modified the process significantly, and omitted using a food processor.

Itty Bitty Apple Pie
(Makes 4 servings)

Pie Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

2-½ cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and diced into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ cup ice water

① Sift together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Add butter cubes.

② With a fork or a pastry cutter, mix the dry ingredients with butter.  Try to break the butter cubes with the fork by smashing them against the bowl.  A food processor is often used here but there’s no need to go out and get one if you don’t own the machine.  Congratulations, you just saved yourself about $100.

③ Slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time, as you continue to mix.  This should add a little ease, as the dough gets more pliable.  The mixture should have butter chunks the size of a small marble.

④ Knead the dough.  Although many recipes instruct you to do this on a lightly-floured surface, you can actually do it directly in the bowl.  (Less dishes to wash — yipee!)

⑤ Split the dough into two balls.  Wrap each dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. You will only use one for this recipe so you can freeze the other for future baking (It should last about two months in a freezer).

I suppose you can half the recipe and only make one ball but I think it’s always nice to have the extra dough handy, in case you get surprise visitors and want to impress them with a freshly-baked pie or something!

⑥ Take the chilled dough out of a refrigerator and place it on a lightly-floured surface.

⑦ Roll the dough with a rolling pin.  Don’t worry about rolling it thinly yet.

⑧ Fold the dough into three pieces, like folding a letter.

⑨ Roll the dough again with the rolling pin.  Repeat this several time, for about five minutes.

⑩ Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate again, this time for about 20 minutes.

Making the Pie Filling

I debated whether to cook the filling first or bake it raw.  I decided on the former since Fuji is very firm and I was afraid that apple slices would still be too crispy after the dough bakes if I didn’t cook them first.  I’m really happy with how it came out – a perfect filling with a gentle bite!

Pie Filling:

4 Fuji apples, peeled and sliced in small pieces
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Juice of 1/2 lemon

① Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add lemon juice.

② Cook the filling for about 20 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the apple slices are tender, but not mushy.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for about one hour.  It’ll be quicker if you refrigerate, for about 15 minutes.

Putting  Together the Pie

① Preheat the oven to 425 degree (F).  Take out the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly-floured surface.  Divide the dough into four equal pieces.  Then, divide each piece in half.  You should now have eight, equal size dough. You will use two (top and bottom) for each pie.  Roll the dough into a thin layer with a rolling pin.  The flattened dough should be larger than the ramekin.

② Drape the ramekin with the dough and press it firmly against the dish.  Be careful not to tear the dough, but if you do, simply press it together and seal.

③ Spoon the chilled apple filling evenly into each ramekin.

④ Trim the access dough from the side with a small knife.  I used a sharp paring knife.  Press the edge tightly around the ramekin with your fingers to seal the filling inside, to avoid spillage during baking.

⑤ Press the rim around the ramekin with a fork for a pretty imprint.

⑥ Score the center of the pie with a knife.  This allows the air to go inside the pie during baking and help avoid filling explosion.

⑦ Brush the top of each pie with egg wash, using a pastry brush, for a golden finish.  Sprinkle a teaspoon of granulated sugar on top of each pie.  Place each pie on the baking pan and put it in the oven.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

⑧ Remove the pies from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

Serving the Pie

You can remove the pie from the ramekin (it should slide right out, even without buttering the dish beforehand, if it’s still warm), or serve it directly on the ceramic dish.  The pie will be amazing a la mode, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The filling is not too sweet and not too mushy – just perfect.  And the crust has an amazing crisp to it.  I know it’s not typical to use Fuji apples for a pie but I find this to be the best kind because of its texture (they’re nicely firm and crispy) and has the perfect combination of sweetness and tartness.

I know I’m two days late, but I hope everyone had a wonderful Pi Day on March 14, to celebrate the significant of the number π, by eating your favorite pie!  Who knew mathematics can be so delicious!

It’s official – I’ve gone bananas.

With only three hours of sleep (in 15-minute increments) in the last few days, I’m now completely moody, incoherent, and utterly delirious. Ask my husband. He probably thinks my head will start spinning any day (if it hasn’t already), like a woman possessed. I actually don’t know how I’m still alive.

Thank goodness for my friend Y for recommending me a book called, “Bring Up Bebe,” about the wisdom of French parenting. I’m only halfway done with the book, but I’m already fascinated. In addition to plethora of common-sense-but-so-often-forgotten advice, there’s even a chapter on how to make babies sleep through the night!  Boy, do I need to implement this technique immediately!

When life turns you into a banana, there’s only one thing to do – bake a banana bread, of course!

Please excuse me that this is a repeat of a post from 2009 (except I added some chocolate chips on this one). I baked a banana bread this morning and wanted to share some photos of this delicious dessert!

Banana Bread with Agave Nectar
(makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon baking power
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup corn oil
3 ripe bananas, mashed (I like to leave little chunks in for texture)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used half semi-sweet and half milk chocolates).

Instruction:

①　Preheat the oven to 350 degree (F).

②　Grease the 9x5x3 loaf pan with corn oil and place parchment paper inside.

③　Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking power in a bowl and put aside.

④　In a separate bowl, mash bananas. Add vanilla, ground cinnamon, agave nectar, canola oil and eggs and mix them together.

⑤ Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips.  Fold the wet ingredients gently into dry just until they mix evenly.  The important thing to keep in mind here is not to over-mix as it will result in tough bread (so all you KitchenAid lovers, put those stand mixers away and grab a spatula).

⑥  Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes (in the middle rack), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

⑦　Remove the loaf from the pan and let it rest on a wire rack or on a plate.

⑧　Slice the loaf and serve at room temperature or cooled. I personally LOVE it served slightly warm!

Enjoy! Bon appetite! Itadakimasu! Okay, good night!

I picked up an instant Crème Caramel dessert mix from a neighborhood grocery store the other day, instead of bringing home an individual flan like I usually do. Each pre-prepared flan costs about a dollar each, and this package is only $2 and makes four custards, so I just saved myself $2, plus all the plastic containers that just go to waste after one use.

I put the dessert through the test taste and here are my thoughts … but first, the recipe!

Creme Caramel with Caramel Sauce from Dr. Oetker
(Makes 4 servings)

① In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 1-1/2 cup milk to a boil.

② Pour caramel sauce (included in package) into four dessert dishes.

③ Dissolve contents of custard pouch in 1/2 cup cold milk.

④ Whisk custard mix into a saucepan.

⑤ Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Simmer and stir for one minute. Mixture does not thicken.

⑥ Pour carefully into prepared dessert dishes. Chill for 30 minutes. To serve, loosen edge with knife and turn onto dessert plate.

The Verdict:

The Crème Caramel was not bad at all. It’s super sweet and you can actually taste the evaporated milk and eggs (or whatever artificial ingredients they use to mimic the flavors). I ate mine after only refrigerating the custard for an hour and it was still very soft and loose. I would probably let it sit for at least a few hours, or overnight, for a firmer texture. All in all, this was a success and I will definitely make it again!

Update: I had another serving of the flan, and this time, it sat in the refrigerator for about more than six hours. I found that the consistency was still very soft. Don’t get me wrong, it’s silky and delicious this way, but you might be a bit disappointed if you prefer a little “bouncier” texture like I do.

I’m sure the homemade kind made from scratch would taste much better but most recipes that I researched use tons of egg yolks (like seven in some recipes!), condensed milk AND evaporated milk, and I got scared! The packaged version somehow lessens the guilt …although I know it’s only my wishful thinking.