Sweets

This was something brand new to me.

A frozen dessert called “Cassata” has been very popular among Japanese instagramers.

Apparently, one of the major convenience stores recently began selling this dessert, which became a big hit, particularly among dieters (apparently, it has relatively lower calories).

When I did a little google research, I found out that Cassata is a traditional cake from Sicily, Italy, consisting of cake sponge, ricotta cheese, candied fruit, nuts, and sometimes a layer of marzipan.

When I looked at some pictures, I realized that this is a colorful cake!

I also found some frozen Cassata online, but I’m not sure if it is considered traditional.

My version was adapted from Ms. AYA’s https://www.instagram.com/mmm_diet_160/ recipe (in Japanese).

I used her recipe for the top part but made my own bottom.

I have no idea how close this is to the “real” cassata, but it turned out great.

Doesn’t this look pretty?

I packed it with a lot of nuts and fruits.

This is light, refreshing, yet very satisfying.

It firms up in the freezer, but it never gets too hard, and it softens quickly once it’s out of the freezer.

I like it when it starts to melt and soften.

Yum!!

When I got some beautiful fresh rhubarb from my mother-in-law’s backyard, I knew I wanted to make cake with some of it.

I thought the combination of earl grey and rhubarb would be lovely, and it turned out…

Well, lovely!

By the way, the cake was made with rice flour, thus, gluten-free.

I had a few more pears left I got from my mother-in-law.

And I decided to make one more thing with them before I let them go past the peak of ripeness.

This cake turned out absolutely scrumptious!

Packed with my favorite flavors.

You can definitely taste cardamom (LOVE this spice!).

I didn’t have a lot of pears, so I used a smaller pan to make this cake.

Now it’s done, and I have mixed feelings about this.

I’m happy because I won’t (can’t) overeat, but at the same time I’m sad because I can’t have more!

This recipe is amazing!

I was skeptical first because of the super simple ingredients and super simple process.

No eggs, no corn starch, no gelatin, and no ager.

AND, no added sugar or any type of sweetner.

You basically need three ingredients:

Bananas.

Soy milk.

Cocoa powder.

That’s it!

I added vanilla extract and cinnamon this time, but they are certainly optional.

The recipe is in Japanese.

https://ameblo.jp/makahou8/entry-12361177460.html?frm=theme

I used her recipe posted on her Instagram account, which is slightly different from the one on her blog.

I don’t know how those three simple ingredients can create this perfect texture, but they magically do.

This was so good!

My husband, who does not eat bananas, did eat this and liked it!!

Definitely a guilt-free snack I can enjoy in the afternoon.

Or you can drizzle maple syrup sweetened vegan yogurt.

We had a fun family event outside.

The host cooked burgers for everyone, and everyone was asked to bring a dish to share.

I was going to bring a big salad with spiced and roasted chickpeas and skip sweets.

I’ve been trying really hard not to eat sweets, and the best way for me to avoid extra sugar is not having them around.

But I did initially say I would make chocolate chip cookies, vegan, mostly for my husband to eat at the event, and he looked so disappointed when I told him I changed my mind.

I felt so bad that I got up at 5:45 a.m. the morning of the event to go to the grocery store that opens at 6:00 a.m. to buy chocolate chips.

The cookies turned out great.

Crispy outside and chewy inside.

I had to admit I was glad that I had missed them.

But the best thing was that my husband really enjoyed them.

I always feel bad a little when we go to family gatherings and he cannot eat any sweets when others munch on sugary options after a meal.

I took advantage of this opportunity to try the recipe I had been interested in for a while.

This is a Japanese recipe and they call it “Yaki-Choco” literally means baked chocolate.

Super simple ingredients, chocolate, flour, and corn starch.

I added cinnamon to mine.

The batter was harder than expected, which made it impossible for piping, but they still turned out great.

The texture is delicate, and I really liked it.

They were good when frozen and crunchy too.

I’m posting this a little late, but I made this for Valentine’s Day.

It was ready for Saturday, and we got to enjoy it on Saturday and Sunday,

This is not a light soft fluffy cake, but a rich, dense, and heavy cake, and that’s exactly what I wanted.

Very chocolaty and decadant.

It was delicious just like that.

But we also enjoyed it with yogurt cream.

This was a huge hit with my husband, too.

Veganize any type of cake is a challenge, but when the main ingredients are cream cheese, eggs, and cream, the challenge becomes a headache!

The Basque burnt cheesecake has become extremely popular in Japan the past few years.

Although I’ve never tasted it myself, I was intrigued by the unique look (burnt apparently) and the creamy texture inside.

So I decided to create a vegan version.

I was excited and nervous until I finally got to taste-test it.

It turned out great!!

I used homemade vegan cream cheese (this particular batch’s main ingredient was tofu) this time.

I was very happy with the result, but I may try a few different things to fine-tune the recipe.

If that happens and I’m completely happy with the recipe, I may share it.