I usually modify recipes purposely because I want to experiment.
But this time it happened out of necessity.
The recipe called for apple sauce, but I didn’t have it.
The closest thing I could think of that I had was pickled beets in a jar.
So that’s what went into these cookies.
These turned out perfect!
The beets worked great because they achieved the same texture.
These cookies are delicious.
And I love the color, too.
If you are wondering, no they don’t taste like pickled beets.
Who doesn’t like the white chocolate and strawberry combination?!
It’s a match made in heaven.
I was afraid that the chocolate chips might melt while baking, so I decided to put them right out of the oven, when the cookies were still hot.
Soft.
Chewy.
So good!!
Rice flour steamed bun is one of my favorite snacks.
They are light yet satisfying at the same time.
I had a beautiful mango, and I used both pureed and diced for the batter.
Coconuts were also added to the batter, and then more coconuts were toasted and sprinkled on top.
So good!
I love anything with Matcha.
These chewy Mathca cookies were paired with chocolate chips or/and walnuts.
So good.
Several years ago when I had a yeast waffle for the first time at a fair, I fell in love with it.
I have since made yeast waffles a few times, but I’ve never tried Liege style waffles.
I bought this pearl sugar just for waffles a few years ago, but I’ve been afraid that my waffles might not turn out well or make a huge mess because I don’t have a Liege waffle iron.
But finally I decided to give it a try.
I didn’t know exactly how much the sugar was supposed to be caramelized.
I was both worried and amazed by the beautiful dark caramel color created on the surface.
My initial plan was to dip them into chocolate, but when my husband and I had the first bite, we both agreed that we did not need it, or should I say, we did not want it.
They were so perfectly delicious just as they were, and we didn’t want to take away the delicious caramelized sugar flavor from them by masking it with chocolate.
Liege Waffles – makes 8
130g lukewarm soy milk
1 tablespoon falx meal
5g dry yeast
1/2 ~ 1/3 teaspoon salt
30g sugar
100g bread flour
100g all purpose flour
50g vegan butter (I use homemade vegan butter), softened
25g plus more to coat surface pearl sugar; I used Lars Pearl Sugar
1. Combine soy milk, flax meal, yeast, and salt. Mix well.
2. Add sugar and flour.
3. Knead; I use bread mixer. Add butter.
4. Cover and let it rise, for about one hour, until it has doubled in size.
5. Add pearl sugar and mix.
6. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Coat them with pearl sugar.
7. Bake in waffle maker for about 4-5 minutes. I experimented with different temperatures and time to cook. I liked the batch which I baked for 5 minutes at medium-dark. I have a Calphalon waffle maker. Please note that as you can tell from the pictures, I like mine dark and with heavy sugar caramelization.
When you are in the mood for chocolate and decide to make something chocolaty, why not make it double?!
So deciding on double chocolate cookies was a no-brainer!
I was at Keg and Case’s outdoor farmer’s market a few weekends ago, and I found something interesting!
This one said “vintage Merlot Fusion Salt” and I had to take it home with me.
Well, look at the color!
So pretty.
It looked great on my cookies too.
I recently had turmeric cake from a Lebanese deli, called Zakia Deli, and I fell in love with the flavor combination: turmeric, anise, and sesame seeds.
These turned out great.
Crunchy outside, chewy inside, and super flavorful!!
At our house, I’m the one who typically go wild about exotic spices, but it was my husband who raved about these cookies!
Turmeric Anise Sesame Cookies; adapted from Ms. Isa Chandra’s recipe – makes about a dozen
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 white sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/8 cup soy milk
1/2 tablespoon tapioca flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
turmeric powder
ground star anise
sesame seeds
1. Combine and mix all the ingredients except for sesame seeds.
2. Roll the dough into balls and flatten them. Sprinkle sesame seeds and press them.
3. Bake in the oven at 350F for about 8 minutes.
When non-vegan friend invites us to her house for home-made vegan dinner, I make sure I bring the dessert that will surely please her.
I know she likes chocolate, and based on my dining experience with her, I don’t think she particularly likes anything flour-dense.
So I thought flourless chocolate cake would be a good choice, and I found a perfect recipe!
I’ve made several things with Amy’s recipes, and I’ve never been disappointed.
And this was not an exception!
I used strong home-brewed coffee and brandy to add some mocha flavor.
It turned out delicious!!
I served it with vanilla soy ice cream.
We also tried it with roasted nuts, and that was awesome too!
Did our non-vegan friend like it?
Oh yes, she did!!
Do you want to know why these are named “Paris Scones”?
I’m a big fan of Harney & Sons tea.
Delicious blends.
And the tins!
I don’t know what to do with it, but I’m keeping this tin after I finish the tea.
When I first saw this, I was intrigued.
It just says “Paris”.
What does “Paris” tea taste like???
When I opened the tin, it was Paris.
I’ve been to Paris only once and it was a long time ago.
But if someone told me that this is what Paris smells like, I would believe it.
It’s sweet, handsome, and sophisticated.
These may not be the typical words to describe a smell, but they came to my mind first.
The tea was delicious, but I thought it would make wonderful scones.
And I was right.
The combination of the Paris tea and freeze-dried blueberries was as amazing as I had hoped it would be.
I quickly made V butter because I wanted to make sure I had fresh butter when the scones were ready.
Love, love, love.
I love you, Paris.
I try not to make too many sweets, because if I have them around, I eat them until they are gone.
But craving for sweets does come once in a while, and when it does, I want to eat quality sweets, which often means “homemade” instead of something from bags.
These Pink Himalayan Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies were delicious!!
Luckily, there were a few family get-togethers, and I got to share them with others, which kept me from over-eating.
(Although I was sad when I realized that I don’t have them around anymore. )
