Sweets

Satsuma sweet potato ganache.

Raspberry cashew cream cheese.

Matcha cashew cream cheese.

Love macarons.

I already have ideas for my next batch!

Remember my first vegan macarons?

Well, since they turned out so well that I decided to make some again.

It is not difficult, but it is a process.

So I do need to plan the day well when I decide to make them.

I used the same recipe, and they turned out wonderful, maybe even better this time!

This time I decided not to use food coloring, but strong coffee instead to add some beige color and coffee flavor to the shells.

Coffee flavored chocolate ganache was paired with them.

They are so adorable.

I simply love them.

This is the other version of vegan macarons I made last weekend.

These have avocado chocolate mousse.

The ones in the previous post had seedless raspberry jam.

Yesterday I said these macarons were not perfect, but they actually BECAME perfect.

Apparently, with some time they “matured”, and the process appeared to improve the whole texture!

Today you can find a lot of good quality vegan baked goods, if you try hard looking for them.

But vegan macarons are still hard to come by.

French macaron was one of my favorite sweets before I switched to the plant-based diet.

So when I saw this vegan macaron recipe, I had to try it.

I was excited about the possibility to be able to eat macarons again, but at the same time I was intimidated because macarons are tricky to make, vegan or not.

So I was going to think about it for a while, but then when I happened to be left with some chickpea liquid (after making vegan meatballs with chickpeas) this weekend, I knew it was time.

I followed the recipe for the shell.

I prepared two different fillings.

This one is seedless raspberry jam.

Delicious!!

And very pretty!

They were not perfect (mostly because the cookies were not as dense as I liked), but I was happy with the result.

I will definitely try making them again!

P.S. After resting with filling inside for a while, they “matured” and the process seemed to improve the texture (which I was not sure about) tremendously. So, at this point I have to say these WERE perfect. The recipe is pretty amazing! Highly recommended.

This is my husband’s birthday week.

I knew I wanted to get him a cake.

After I went back and forth between “should I make one myself”” and “should I order from one of the local bakers?”, I decided to make him a homemade cake.

His request was simple.

“A lemon cake.”

I needed a little more information, and asked “what kind of lemon cake?”

He told me that he wanted a cake that is so tart that every bite makes you pucker your lips.

So at that point I knew I wanted to add lemon curd to his cake.

Every component was supposed to be lemon flavored, but there was a little change in the plan, and earl grey frosting was decided at the last minute.

So this is a four-layered lemon sponge cake with tart lemon curd between the layers and covered with earl grey frosting.

I’m so glad that I decided to make his birthday cake myself.

I’m not the best cake decorator, but I do enjoy the process.

It turned out beautiful (yes rustic as usual) and delicious, and most importantly my husband loved it!

For the first time I tried chia seeds, I was horrified by the gooey texture.

That was many years ago.

Looking other people’s beautiful chia pudding pictures, however, I was still interested and kept telling myself “someday.”

The “someday” came this weekend.

Last time (and my only time) I tried, I probably put too much, which I suspect created the awful texture, so this time I did some research and measured seeds and liquid to get the correct ratio.

I made two different flavors.

One was Matcha, and the other was “Kinako” (roasted soy beans) and layered them in jars.

They are both very traditional Japanese flavors, and I love this combination.

I just happened to have “yo-kan” or Japanese red bean jelly, so I cut it into small cubes for garnish along with more kinako powder.

How did I like it?

Well, I loved it!!

The texture was “more right” this time, and I could actually enjoy it.

Of course, the Matcha x Kinako combination was a big winner for me.

A great thing about this pudding is that you can store it in a fridge for a few days (although I have a feeling that this will be gone quickly!).