Why Hello, Kitty!

One of my favorite memories as a child was going to the mall with my mom and begging her to let me go into the Sanrio store. What little girl doesn't like Hello Kitty? I vividly remember a "surprise gift wheel", which incidentally taught us gambling at an early age. My mom would pay the dollar or two, and I got to spin a wheel hoping to get the grand prize (usually a large sized stuffed animal). More often than not the wheel would stop, and the pointer would land on a surprise grab bag; usually containing some stickers, erasers, or candy.

I while back, I came across a Hello Kitty cake pan on sale, and couldn't resist. Though I've come across many Hello Kitty items during my travels to Japan, this pan was actually purchased state-side and is readily available online or most craft stores.

Spumoni Cookies

Lately I've been looking for unique cookie recipes for a friend's business. Sure, there's no trumping your go to oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie, but those recipes have been done 500 times in 500 different ways. Add browned butter, sea salt, refrigerate them overnight or what have you. I always am on the hunt for interesting flavor combinations or non-traditional ingredients.

Strawberry sponge roll

About a decade ago, my dad was diagnosed with type two diabetes. Mind you, he's never been a guy who ate a lot of sweets. In fact, pre-diagnosis, his diet primarily consisted of rice and bread, though technically they convert to sugar anyways. Though he was never a big fan of my desserts (or any desserts for that matter), nowadays he opts for fruit, or light desserts. 

Victoria Sponge

Lately I've been dipping into my arsenal of British baking books when I tire of the tried and true French recipes for genoise, jacondes, etc. It's interesting to see the difference in technique; many of the English sponge cakes are by proportion. The recipes remind me of a French yogurt cake, that French kids made by using the yogurt pots as the measuring device and the cake had relative proportions to the pot.

Tea parties

I whole-heartedly prefer a 'proper' cup of tea to coffee. My mornings usually begin with a cup of strong English tea with a splash of milk. No sugar of course. And often the evenings come to a close with another cuppa.

Mini Cheesecakes

I love making cheesecakes. They're usually a crowd pleaser and are relatively quick to make. For years I've been using my go-to recipe that has a few simple ingredients. Though there are debates about NY style cheesecakes with a thick sour cream topping, cream cheese cheesecakes, and no-bake cheesecakes, I tend to stick to my simple recipe, and experiment with adding cocoa powder, fruit, caramel, etc.

Charlotte aux fraises

Every now and then for parties I like to throw together a Charlotte. They look really pretty, and to be honest, aren't a lot of work, relative to other layered cakes. I've posted about a Charlotte Russe on my blog before but previously didn't share the recipe. Since I was attending two family parties, I decided to make a strawberry Charlotte, or Charlotte aux fraises. The ladyfingers and Bavarian cream are super light and reminiscent of a lot of Asian cakes.

B. Patisserie

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to meet up with a few of my pastry school girlfriends. One of whom has a macaron bakery in Venezuela and was on her honeymoon in the States. After a really late brunch... okay it was pretty much breakfast at 1pm, we headed over to B. Patisserie. B Patisserie is a magnificent pastry shop opened by Belinda Leong about six months ago in Pacific Heights. If you haven't heard of her, she's done stints all across Europe (including Pierre Herme), and was the pastry chef at Gary Danko and Manresa. The clean look and modern lines of pastry shop is very reminiscent of Philippe Conticini's La Patisserie des Reves, though she designed an open kitchen with a back wall lined with refrigerators. Since a couple of my friends worked at Pierre Herme, and she was curious about my stint at Plaza Athenee, we had quite a bit to chat about. However meeting the chef, and the amazing decor (including  seasonal tree wall mural decorated with macarons), did not overshadow the pastries.