Matcha and raspberry friands

There’s just something about matcha (Japanese green tea powder) that sings out to me. I love its flavour in my desserts and pastries.

This time, it has found its way in one of my all time favourite afternoon tea snack – the humble friand. Some might refer to them as ‘financiers’. Well, to me, a friand by any other name still taste as great.

My sister was going through a hair-pulling, stressful period when she had to take a full day of exams. You might have heard of the incredibly intensive and tediously tough CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams.

I wanted to give her some encouragement and help but I’m far from being a math genius and my affinity to numbers is close to zero. All I can do is what I know best – baking.

And baking was what I did.

She ate them slightly warm and relished every mouthful. You can tell that she loved it from the way her entire face lit up.

And trust me, I have not seen that poor girl’s face lighting up in the entire week leading up to her exams.

Recipe: Matcha & raspberry friands (financiers)
Makes 9 small friands (using regular muffin moulds)
I filled them up to the 2/3 mark so they are pretty small but that’s the way I want them to be.  

This is a Japanese inspired version of one of my favourite tea cakes. I love how the cake is moist and flavourful. You need quite a bit of matcha powder for the flavour and the colour to come through. Raspberries go well with the matcha – it’s like the unexpected kick in acidity.

Ingredients:
95g unsalted butter, cubed
135g egg whites
150g granulated sugar
100g almond meal
60g flour
12g matcha (Japanese green tea powder. Not the same as tea leaves)
pinch of salt
Optional: Fresh/frozen raspberries

Method:
1. Grease your muffin tins thoroughly with butter and dust flour sparingly over it.
2. Prepare a Beurre Noisette (French for “browned butter”): Heat the butter in a pan over low-medium fire and allow it to cook until it is golden brown in colour. Turn off the fire and take it off the heat once it is golden brown, otherwise, it will go from golden brown to black very quickly. Allow the beurre noisette to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a bowl, place sugar, flour and ground almond, matcha powder and salt together. Whisk the dry ingredients a little. Add in the (cooled) beurre noisette (including the brown sediments) and whisk to combine.
4. Add in the egg whites slowly while whisking till incorporated. You do not need to create too much volume in the egg whites. I do all this by hand as you just need the batter to come together.
5. Spoon the friands batter into the greased muffin moulds. Place a raspberry into the centre of the friand. Bake in a 190 degrees preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until it springs back to touch.
6. Allow it to cool slightly in the muffin tins before unmoulding.  Cool them completely on wire racks before serving.

The perfect breakfast: French toast

I can’t think of a better and more decadent breakfast than French toast.

It is happy food especially when served with caramelised bananas and a good drizzle of maple syrup. It’s my kind of breakfast heaven.

If you ask me to pick, I would most likely go with a sweet breakfast item like pancakes and French toast over the savoury ones that comes with eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes.

I’m leaving you with my recipe for French toast. I wouldn’t exactly call it a recipe because it’s so easy and it’s just the throwing together of a few ingredients.

I think that a proper one should be done with a sweet dense bread like brioche or challah, thickly sliced. I find that French toast needs some soaking time especially when using such breads, not just quick dipping. Also, I like to finish off the French toast by a caramelised top for that added delightful caramel crunchiness.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hope you’ll have a happy breakfast today.

Recipe: Caramelised French toast with macerated strawberries and caramelised bananas
Serves 4

This is one time where I don’t measure my ingredients too precisely. It is fuss free and a good way to use up your stale loaves of bread.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp granulated sugar
a loaf (stale) dense and sweet bread like brioche or challah
caster sugar for caramelising

Method:
1. Place bread loaf in the freezer for 5 min to firm up before slicing into 1 inch thick slices.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar until well incorporated. Soak bread slices into the egg mixture for about 15 minutes (or until entirely soaked through).

3. Place a heavy (for even heat distribution) frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and a cube of butter. Place french toast and saute until golden brown then turn and do the same for the other side. Transfer to parchment lined tray and keep in the oven until needed.

4. Sprinkle a thin layer of caster sugar on the top of the french toast. Use a blow torch to caramelise the sugar. If you don’t have a blow torch, you can place it on a baking tray until in the oven under a hot grill.

5. Slice the bananas and spoon a thin layer of caster sugar on them and blowtorch them just before serving. Do it one or two slices at the time because the sugar will dissolve into the banana quite quickly if you don’t blowtorch them immediately.

6. Macerate strawberries by slicing them up and adding a two or three spoonsful of sugar, and a dash of grand marnier, if you like. Leave them to sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Gâteau Basque (Basque tart)

Basque is a region that I really hope to visit one day. I have read and heard so much about this region that many call a culinary destination for gourmands.

It must probably seem very strange that I embarked on baking something that I have yet to taste and have very little idea on how it should turn out.

I have read about this basque tart on several blogs and articles and I just like the sound of custard and tart. One Saturday evening, my good friend sent me a image of a gateau  basque made by one of her friend’s Spaniard friend and gushed about how good it tasted. That was the final push I needed to give this a go.

Ever so determined to make this a decent attempt, I did my research and consulted a few recipes (including the one made by Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella. See her post here).

On the day of baking, I was very ecstatic while my gateau basque was in the oven. I was trying to imagine how it would taste like. I’m not quite sure if my version of it is authentic but I used a recipe by Ash Mair (chef and winner of UK MasterChef Professionals) who had spent some time eating and cooking in the Basque region of Spain.

It took a while to make the custard and the crust dough. The dough was definitely fiddly and tough to handle. The results more than make up for the effort. Not too shabby for the first time.

The gateau basque was nothing quite like what I’ve eaten before. The crust is crumbly like tart on the exterior and a little cake like in the center. The baked vanilla custard was creamy, soft and ever so lovely when eaten with buttery crust that has a trace of lemon flavour. The custard in the middle was very soft and creamy (it wasn’t runny but it is slightly slouchy when you cut into it) when I first sliced into eat after baking. I’m not quite sure if it is suppose to be this way but it firmed up after a short time in the refrigerator.

I will definitely be making this one again because I love it so much.

This would have to do before I get the chance to fly myself to Bilbao, San Sebastien and Pays Basque in the south west of France.

Happy baking!

x,
Jo

Recipe: Gâteau Basque (Basque tart)
Adapted from  My Basque Cuisine: A love affair with Spanish Cooking by Ash Mair
Makes two medium  pie tins (6″ diameter) or you can also use fluted tart tins

Gâteau Basque or the Basque tart is a traditional pastry from the Basque region made with a cake like crumbly crust filled with a smooth, creamy vanilla creme patisserie (custard). In some versions, whole brandied cherries are added into the custard filling before baking. I like how this version is crumbly on the outside (almost like a tart) yet it yields to a softer cake-like crumb and then a lovely creamy custard interior. I can’t say how much I love this one.

Ingredients:
For the pastry/crust:
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g granulated sugar
98g egg (about 2 small eggs), room temperature
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
240g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + a pinch of salt + splash of milk, for glazing

For the custard filling:
90g egg yolks
70g granulated sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
500ml full cream milk
1/2 vanilla bean, scrapped in seeds

Method:
1. Start with the custard filling: In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until well incorporated. Add in the flour and cornflour and whisk it through thoroughly. It should be without lumps.
2. Pour the milk and vanilla bean in a pot and put it on a medium heat. Stir every once in a while. When the milk comes up to a boil, pour the milk over the egg yolk mixture and whisk continuously. Pour back ino the pot, and place over medium-low heat and bring it back to a simmer while whisking. Simmer for about 3 minutes (until it has thickened) and remove from heat.
3. Pour the custard onto cling wrap tray and cling wrap the custard to stop a skin from forming. Place the custard in the fridge to cool while you prepare the crust.
4. For the pastry/crust: cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in egg (one at the time) and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated. Sieve the dry ingredients in fold it through the we mix. This will form a very soft and sticky dough. Form a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firm.
5. Prepare the baking tins: grease and line the bottom with baking parchment. Divide the dough in two portions (keep one portion in the fridge while you work with the other).
6. Keep one third of the dough for the lid. Flour and roll dough out quickly but gently (between two baking parchments). Transfer and line the pie tin evenly. The dough is very fragile and hard to work with. Alternatively,Ash recommends squashing the dough into the tin and use your fingers to push the dough to the sides and edges evenly.
7. Remove the custard from the fridge and whisk it to smoothen it out before filling it into the pastry case, smooth it out with palette knife/spoon. Use the remaining of the dough, roll it out/flatten and place it on the top. Seal the edges, and smooth out with a wet spoon so the top is flush with the top of the tin. Repeat with the other tin.
8. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius (or 400 degrees F). Brush the tops with the egg wash.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and brown on the edges. Let it cool slightly before turning them out from the tins. Leave them to cool completely before serving.

*If you choose to serve your gateau basque at this stage, the custard filling will be soft and creamy, almost set but not quite. It would firm up as you referigerate it. Choose to eat it either way. However, it is best to eat these within a day of making, for the best result.

*Tip: The dough is fiddly can can be hard to work with. Just divide the dough and keep the unused parts cool and refrigerated while you work on a single portion. Also, even if the dough tears, you can easily patch it back without worries.

Walnut tarts

This one is for everyone who loves nuts and tarts.

It was not too long ago that J was in Brisbane and bought me a huge bag of walnuts. They were still lying around even after making my favourite homemade granola so they found their way into these tartlets.

Its intense, sweet, slightly chewy caramelized filling is perfect with the walnuts. If only, I had been more generous with the nuts…Its base is a simple sweet dough pastry (pâte sucrée)  that is buttery and crumbly.

The filling is terribly easy to put together – all you need to do is to measure all the ingredients and whisk together until incorporated.

I especially love digging into them while they are still slightly warm. And being a nut and tart lover, it was hard for me to stop. 

The next time I’m making it, I would definitely be baking these for a little longer. Mine are slightly too pale. I think they  can do with a bit more baking time to get its distinctive golden brown colour.

Also, I would definitely be doubling the recipe so there’ll be enough to go around.

Recipe: Walnut tartlets
Nut filling is enough for about 12 tartlets

These walnut tartlets are delicious and easy to make. It uses a pâte sucrée base that is blind-baked before pouring in the sticky filling and the nuts. Take note not to overfill these tartlets with the filling or they will bubble over and create a huge sticky mess on your baking tray. This fillling also works great with pecans.

Ingredients for the nut filling:
27g unsalted butter, melted
27g dark brown sugar
14g granulated sugar
155ml honey
114ml  glucose
13g egg yolk
110g egg (approximately 2 small eggs)
20g plain flour, sifted

*Tip: use a wet spoon to scoop out the glucose.

Method:
1. Melt butter over low heat (or microwave).
2. Whisk together all the ingredients until just combined.
3. Transfer mixture into a measuring cup and pour filling into blind-baked tartlets and top with walnuts/pecans. Do not overfill the tartlets. Also, it is a good idea to line your baking tray with baking parchment just in case the filling bubble and spill over.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius for about 10 – 12 minutes until the filling turns golden brown and start to bubble.
5. Allow tarts to cool on cooling rack before serving. Dust with confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) if you like.

Darjeeling tea cream, poached pears, quinoa crumble and salted meringue walnuts

Many moons ago, I chanced upon a magazine with a plated dessert with a Oolong cream, quince jelly, and gingerbread crumble. I was enchanted by the flavours and how a simple dessert can look so incredibly elegant. That plate was etched deeply in my memory.

After coming back from Sri Lanka, I was inspired to make a tea dessert. And this one resurfaced.

It is important for a plated dessert to look good and to have a good mix of textures and flavours. I think this one hits the spot.

I used a black tea from Darjeeling, India as that was the packet opened in my kitchen. The Darjeeling tea cream is really creamy, smooth, barely set; the quinoa crumble adds a lovely, nutty flavour and much needed crunchiness; the Packham pears were poached in white wine with orange peel and vanilla bean lent it a really nice texture and flavour; lastly the sea-salt meringue walnuts surprises with that kick of saltiness.

If I have to change anything, I’ll probably poach the pears in red wine instead to give it a nice burgundy colour which would serve as a contrast on the plate.

It makes a great do-ahead dessert as you can make all the components the day before and assemble it when you are ready to eat.

I always make more quinoa crumble than necessary so I can have it with my homemade greek yogurt. It makes for a lovely, though slightly decadent breakfast or a really delicious dessert after a heavy meal.

On this particular occasion, I added my leftover poached pears to my yogurt on top of the quinoa crumble. It was more than I could ask for on a such a warm weekend.

Recipe: Darjeeling tea cream, poached pears, quinoa crumble, salted meringue walnuts
Makes 5 individual servings (I use 5 inch diameter shallow dishes)

This is an easy dessert to put together for a dinner as all the components can be made ahead.

You can replaced the darjeeling tea leaves with any other black tea. It is advisable to use loose leaves rather than tea bags. If you are using tea bags, just make sure to taste the cream as you infuse it.

Ingredients:

For the tea cream
250ml  full cream milk
250ml double cream, at least 35% fat
2.5 sheets of gelatine leaves (Gold strength)
50g caster sugar
5 g darjeeling tea/oolong tea, loose leaves

For the poached pears
3 Packham pears
300ml sweet white wine, like a dessert wine or Riesling
250ml water
100g sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, scrapped seeds
zest of half a orange,

For the quinoa crumble
75g quinoa seeds
100g plain flour
50g sugar
40g brown sugar
pinch of salt
140g unsalted butter, cubed

For the salted meringue walnuts
30g egg white
1 tsp caster sugar
75g walnuts
1//2 tsp sea salt

1. For the tea cream: Warm the milk and cream until 90 degrees celcius (about 5 mins), over medium heat. Do not boil. Take pan away from the heat and add in the tea leaves. Allow to infuse for 15 minutes. In the meantime, softened gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes.
2. Return the pan to the heat and gently warm cream mixture over low heat for about 3 mins. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine leaves and add to the cream mixture. Add in the sugar and stire to dissolve. Strain the cream mixture through a sieve into a measuring cup.
3. Divide the strained mixture into 5 shallow dishes and chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours or until set.
4. For the poached pears: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan big enough to hold everything, including the pears. Set over a medium heat until the liquid comes to the boil, then reduce the heat so that it is barely simmering. The cooking time will vary according to the ripeness of the pears. Very ripe pears will only take 5 minutes, much less ripe fruit will need up to 15 minutes. As soon as they are ready, turn off the heat.
5. Transfer the pears with their poaching syrup to a bowl and leave at room temperature until needed. Serve one or two pears on each plate with a little orange zest and some of the syrup.
6. For the quinoa crumble: Toast quinoa seeds on a saucepan over medium-low fire until fragrant. Allow the seeds to cool slightly before milling them through a food processor until flour-like consistency.

7.   Rub in the cubed butter into the dry ingredients until coarse breadcrumb consistency. Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor, pulsing every 30 seconds until butter is evenly distributed.

8. Place crumbs onto a lined baking tray and refrigerate until firm, while you preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Bake for about 15- 18 minutes until golden brown in colour. You can cool it down and break into small crumbs after it has cooled.

9. For the meringue walnuts: Prepare a meringue b y whisking egg whites and sugar in a grease-free bowl until still peaks. Add in walnuts and sea salt and combine. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees celcius until golden and crisp for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool and then coarsely chop.

10. To serve: Serve the tea cream scattered with quinoa crumbs,  poached pears (cut into cubes) and meringue walnuts.