SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Blackberry-Apple Hand Pies

      Last week Seth and I went to the farmers market for a fruit run, and also to have a quick Sunday breakfast. The market has quite a gathering of food stalls. I was in the mood for something savory, and Seth was in the mood for something sweet. Seth decided to wait in the line for a Belgium waffle. While Seth was waiting in line for his waffle, I quickly grabbed a mushroom empanada at a nearby stall and joined Seth again while he waited patiently in line.  As I was munching on my empanada, it got me thinking about hand pies. I love to make hand pies. These blackberry-apple hand pies would be perfect for a Spring picnic. Gather your posse, pack some fried chicken, potato salad, iced tea and these sweet little pies. They are the perfect end to a great picnic.

      Blackberry-apple hand pies picnic

      Who’s ready for a Spring picnic?

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      Blackberry-Apple Hand Pies Collage copy

      Blackberry-Apple Hand Pies

      recipe adapted from fine cooking

      yield ~ 1 dozen (3 inch) hand pies

      One recipe of my “fearless pie crust” or pie crust of your choice

      6 oz. container fresh blackberries (washed, dried) and cut in half

      1 Lg. pink lady, fuji, or gala apple, peeled, cored and diced small

      1/2 Cup lightly packed golden brown sugar

      1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

      1/2 tsp. cinnamon

      1/8 tsp. nutmeg

      1/2 tsp. salt

      For egg wash: Mix 1 lg. egg yolk + 1 tsp. water in a small bowl

      For sprinkling: coarse sugar

      1. Prepare pie crust ahead of time and let it rest (by chilling in fridge) at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

      2. In a medium bowl combine all of the filling ingredients except the egg wash and coarse sugar. Roll out pie crust until thin. Using a 3-4 inch cutter, cut out rounds of crust. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling onto each round and brush along outer edge lightly with egg wash. Try not to get the edges too wet or the crusts will not seal. Place another round on top and crimp with a floured fork to seal. Brush with egg wash and cut 3-4 vents in top of pies.

      3. Bake pies in a 400 degree F preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    • Fresh Almond Milk and Matcha Green Tea Frappe

      I’m not exactly what you call the granola type. Uh huh. Although, as I’m cresting up the dreaded summit of age 50 this year, (gulp) I’ve recently started taking more serious steps on becoming healthier. One of the surprising things I discovered was how good almond milk is stirred into coffee. I love love love cream in my coffee but hey, I can let it go in the name of good health.

      After this epiphany, I decided that I had to find other ways I could use almond milk. See the recipe below for Matcha Green Tea Frappe. [It is AMAZING]. I took it a step further and decided to make my own almond milk. My first attempt, I found out that plain almond milk can taste pretty bland and my first try it tasted a bit too watery, and then I saw on YouTube a version made with a bit of vanilla and a few dried dates to sweeten it just a tad. It was perfect.

      Giving props to the sweet lady on YouTube. Chef Joy of “Delicious Revolution” for her recipe. Some recipes call for up to 4 cups of water, and my first try I used 3 cups and still found it to be too thin for me personally. I like my milk creamier and found that for me 2 cups was the perfect amount, so try it first with 2 cups and see from there how you like it. Then go crazy-you kind find a million uses for almond milk. I would love to hear from my readers ways you use almond milk! Holler back~

      Fresh Almond Milk

      (recipe: Joy Houston of Delicious Revolution)

      1 Cup raw almonds

      2 + Cups filtered water

      1 Tbsp.  vanilla

      3-4 pitted dates (I used 4)

      Soak the almonds in 2 cups of water overnight, or even up to 24 hours. Drain the nuts (discard the water) and place in a Vitamix or blender along with 2 cups fresh filtered water. Blend on high for about 2-3 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer lined with double cheesecloth over a bowl. Pour the milk over the strainer and press down on the pulp to push as much milk through as possible. You will have to do this in 2-3 stages as you acquire a lot of pulp along the way. Gather up the cheesecloth being careful not to lose anything out the sides and squeeze out as much milk from the pulp. Discard the pulp and keep going until you have strained all of the milk. Alternatively you can also use a large clean cloth napkin and place that in the strainer or even a clean [designated] pillow case and only use it for that purpose and you can squeeze the milk through by gather up the pulp, twisting and squeezing the milk through. (If you plan to make it a regular habit of making fresh milk, then that is definitely the way to go.  Store milk in a clean jar or covered container in the fridge.

      Matcha Frappe 5

      Matcha Green Tea Frappe

      serves one

      (recipe adapted from The Kitchn)

      1 Cup cold almond milk

      1 Tbsp. matcha green tea powder

      1 Tbsp. sugar, honey or agave nectar (your choice)

      1/2 tsp. vanilla

      handful of ice

      Place all the ingredients in a blender or Vitamix. Blend until smooth. Serve cold.

    • National Banana Bread Day: Banana Bread Mini-Mini Loaves

      You know-when you have leftover bananas that have turned really ripe and you don’t want to throw them away? (I call that banana guilt). Today is the day you can ease your banana guilt AND celebrate. Today is National Banana Bread Day. Did you know? In honor of the day- I thought it would be fun to come up with something a little different. I always make my bread with walnuts, but this time I left them out and added in mini chocolate chips and baked the batter in financier molds to make it a personal banana bread experience. Your own little “mini mini” loaf of banana bread. Each mini is like 4-5 bites. This is perfect if you have picky ones in your house who some like nuts and some don’t. You can divide the batter and add in whatever you like. If you want to bake the batter the traditional way, this amount will also fill a standard size loaf pan and you can change out the chips for regular size chips or even walnuts; just bake the bread longer; like around 50-60 mins. or so for a regular size loaf. Enjoy.

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      Banana bread mini 2

      Banana bread minis in pan

      Banana Bread Mini-Mini Loaves

      (yield: 23-24 individual minis)

      1  2/3 Cup all-purpose flour

      1 tsp. baking soda

      1/2 tsp. salt

      1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

      1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

      2 Lg. eggs

      1 tsp. vanilla

      2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)

      1  1/2 cup mashed banana (takes about 3-4 bananas)

      1/3 Cup mini chocolate chips

      Banana chips (optional for garnish)

      1. Preheat the oven to 350°  F. Brush the wells of a silicone financier pan with melted butter. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the melted butter and sugar together for about 30 seconds. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt and beat until combined. Add in the mashed banana and stir to combine. Add in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

      2. Fill your chosen mold or pan. For financier molds-fill with about 2 Tbsp. batter (or enough to fill about 2/3 full) and bake at 350° F for about 25 mins or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Once immediately out of the oven, cut a small slit in the breads and stick gently with banana chips (optional) for garnish.

    • Spring-Cherry Blossom (Cherry Flavored) Sugar Cookies

      The cherry blossoms are out in my neighborhood and they are so beautiful. There are a lot of trees in my neighborhood with blossoms. It always catches my eye when I see a tree in full bloom; the soft pink haze of a million blossoms is quite a sight. They are the promise that Spring is close and the weather is turning. I heard you can buy (sakura) cherry blossom extract (in Japan) but alas I tried to find some in Japan town and could not locate any. I decided to infuse my sugar cookie recipe with cherry powder to impart a  hint of cherry flavor. I know it’s not the same as sakura extract but thought it would taste good to add it to my basic recipe. The cookie dough ends up turning a light pink which is pretty. Cherry blossoms smell so amazing if you get a chance to smell them up close and personal, make sure to stop and take a whiff. If you are not feeling up to decorating the cookies with icing, another great alternative is to take some powdered sugar and mix it with a bit of the cherry powder and toss the cookies in the sugar.

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      Blossom Cookies 1A

      Blossom Cookies watermarked

      Naturally Flavored Cherry Sugar Cookies

      3 Cups all-purpose flour

      1 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 tsp. salt

      2 Tbsp. organic cherry powder*

      2 sticks unsalted butter

      1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

      1 Lg. egg

      1  1/2 tsp. vanilla

      1/2 tsp. almond extract

      *I buy my cherry powder at “Spice Ace” in San Francisco. They have an online store: click here for the link.

      Whisk the flour, baking powder, cherry powder and salt; set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the extracts; mix. Add in the egg and mix. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix until just combined; scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined well. Try not to overmix the dough. There will be crumbs; take out the dough and knead softly with your hands. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick (or slightly thicker if you like a thicker cookie). Cut into desired shapes. Place on a Silpat sheet or parchment paper lined cookie sheet and Bake at 350 °  F for 12-15 minutes until the edges just barely start to turn light brown. Let cookies cool on sheets placed on a wire rack for 10 mins. Move the cookies to wire rack to cool completely before icing. Decorate as desired with royal icing.

      Royal Icing:

      4 Tbsp. meringue powder

      1/2 C cold water

      1 lb. powdered sugar

      1/2 tsp. clear vanilla

      pink (gel) food coloring of choice

      Combine the meringue powder and H2O until foamy. Add the sugar a cup at a time [if the sugar is lumpy; make sure to sift it first] and beat on low until combined. Once all the sugar is combined, turn up the mixer to high and beat for about 5 mins. until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Add cold water one tsp. at a time until the mixture is thinned to consistency of heavy cream. Ice the cookies and let the icing dry until the icing is totally dry. This may take overnight. Decorate as desired.

    • Vacherins with Raspberry Curd and Chantilly Cream

      For some reason I was in the mood to make vacherins, so I made them heart shaped for Valentines Day. The meringues are a good vehicle to house raspberry curd and whipped cream. If you are not feeling ambitious, you can fill your meringues with raspberry sorbet or your favorite flavor of sorbet, and top with the cream, just make your meringues a little bit bigger. For the purposes here I made 8 small vacherins. Either way, they are delicious. Make sure to give yourself an extra day to make the meringues so they have time to fully dry and harden.

      Valentines Day Vacherin 3

      Filling Vacherins

      Filling Vacherins 2

      Piped Vacherins 2 one last picture to show how pretty they look before going into the oven…..

      Heart Shaped Vacherins with Raspberry Curd & Chantilly Cream

      Raspberry Curd

      recipe: adapted from all recipes.com

      yield: makes 1  1/2 Cups

      one bag frozen (12 oz.) raspberries, thawed

      3/4 Cup sugar

      4 lg. egg yolks

      1 stick (1/2 Cup) unsalted butter, cubed

      pinch of salt

      1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

      1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water (cornstarch is not typ

      Thaw the berries in the bag overnight in the fridge or over a couple of hours at room temp. Press the berries through a strainer to remove any seeds and save all the juice and any pulp and place in a 3 quart saucepan.  Mix the cornstarch and water to make a slurry and set aside. To the berry juice in the saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients: sugar, yolks, butter, salt and lemon juice. . Over medium heat whisk the curd until it becomes thickened. Add in the cornstarch slurry and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until curd becomes thick. Cover with plastic and chill until firm and ready to use.

      Chantilly Cream

      1 Cup heavy whipping cream, well chilled

      1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

      1 tsp. vanilla

      Place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks. Chill until ready to use.

      Tips about egg whites & making meringue:

      * Always separate your egg whites with cold eggs; it’s much easier with cold whites.

      * Always separate your egg whites into one small “clean” bowl and then transfer each white to a designated bowl. One tiny drop of yolk can “contaminate” your whites and they will not whip if any fat is in the mix.

      * One large egg white usually measures about 34-35 gms (if you prefer to use “liquid whites”)

      * If you are making a large batch (of anything) that requires egg whites, you might want to consider buying “liquid whites” in the carton to avoid having to separate a lot of whites and also to avoid having a lot of leftover yolks.

      * Always whip whites with room temperature whites. To speed up the process you can place your whites in a clean glass measuring cup and place the cup carefully into a larger bowl of hot water, and let sit for about 15 minutes, changing out the water as necessary with fresh hot water.

      * Make sure the bowl you are whipping whites in is very clean.

      * To achieve a clean bowl, wipe bowl several times with a paper towel that has been dampened with a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar, then wipe bowl dry.

      Vacherins:

      3 Lg. egg whites (or 105 gms of liquid whites), room temperature
      3/4 Cup sugar
      1 Tbsp. cornstarch
      1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

      dark pink or red food coloring (optional)

      1.  Prepare a parchment sheet of paper by drawing hearts with a pen to desired size. Turn paper over and place on a baking sheet.

      2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

      3. In a small bowl whisk the sugar and cornstarch until combined. In a bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl whip the egg whites (with the whisk attachment) until foamy; about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and whip until soft peaks form. Add in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Add in the optional food coloring and continue to whip. Place the meringue in a prepared piping bag fitted with a plain circle tip and pipe onto prepared sheet. Start by piping a base of meringue the shape of a heart. Pipe concentric “walls” of  heart shapes over base leaving the interior free. Place sheet in a 200 degree oven and bake for 3-4 hours until meringues have become firm and dry. Turn off the oven and let meringues sit in oven until cool or even overnight.

      4. Fill cooled meringues with raspberry curd and chantilly cream. Garnished as desired.

    • Happy Chinese New Year 2013: Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

      Happy Chinese New Year 2013: Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

      Happy Chinese New Year 2013 to all my Asian friends, and especially my Taiwanese husband, and family! I’ve always wanted to make these, so this year I finally gave it a shot. Taiwanese pineapple cakes are really more like a cookie, but they are usually referred to as cakes. Some people also refer to them as tarts. Whatever you call them, just call them tasty. The first time I had a pineapple cake; which was several years ago, it was love at first bite. The filling is slightly sticky but yielding, and it is encased in a kind of buttery shortbread like pastry/cookie. Taiwanese pineapple cakes are the quintessential gift and treat of Taiwan. They are the number one item foreign visitors buy when they come to Taiwan. The Taiwanese word for pineapple sounds like “prosperity arrives” so they are very auspicious. They are often given as gifts to a foreign host or to friends as a friendly offering. They are everywhere in Taiwan and every bakery makes their own version. You usually see them shaped into little squares. Read more about Taiwan and the history of these important little cakes here.

      Taiwan Pineapple Cakes 4

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      Taiwan Pineapple Cakes 2

      Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

      recipe adapted from Billy Law (from “A Table for Two” blog)

      yield: about 28 cakes

      Pineapple Filling

      2 (20 oz) cans crushed pineapple
      Scant 1 Cup (200 gm) granulated sugar
      1/4 tsp. cinnamon
      pinch salt
      1/2 cup (150 gm) corn syrup (or liquid glucose)
      2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

      1. Drain the pineapple well over a bowl, pushing on it through a fine mesh strainer to push out as much juice as possible. (Save the pineapple juice to drink or for making pineapple mojitos!) Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

      2. In a saucepan place the strained pineapple and cook over medium heat until all the juice is gone and pineapple appears dry; about 5 minutes. Add the sugar/cinnamon/salt mix and stir constantly over medium heat and cook until all the juice is absorbed,  it appears dry and sticky. (visually you are looking for a mixture that comes together when you stir and push it around with the spatula). This will take about 10-15 minutes. Add in the corn syrup and cook again until mixture appears sticky and dry. This will take about another 10 minutes. Add in the flour, stir and cook for about 7 more minutes. Mixture will become very sticky and dry. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to cool while you make the pastry.

      Shortcrust Pastry Dough

      10 Tbsp. (250 gm) unsalted butter

      5 Tbsp. (50 gm) confectioners sugar

      2 egg yolks

      1 tsp. vanilla

      1/4 tsp. salt

      350 gm (2  1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp.) all purpose flour

      6 Tbsp.  (50 gm) corn starch

      1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. (180° C).  Prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light; about 1 minute. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla, salt and blend.

      2. In a bowl whisk the flour and corn starch together. To the butter/sugar mixture, add in the flour and corn starch mixture until dough starts to come together, but dough is still a bit craggy, then knead gently with your hands to bring the dough together.

      To form cakes:

      Take a tablespoon of dough and flatten out in your hand, set aside. Lightly butter your hands, and take a teaspoon of filling and roll it in your hands to form a ball. Place the flattened piece of dough in our hand, and place the ball of filling on top and fold over and bring the dough together to encase the filling. Roll the filled cake ball in your hands, to even out any seams. Shape the filled cake into an equal square. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet at least one inch apart, and bake at 350° F for 15 minutes on one side, then using a small offset spatula, carefully flip over and bake on the other side for 15 minutes more. They will turn lightly golden brown. Let the cakes cool completely on the baking sheet until cool to prevent crumbling. Eat when cool.