TDK: Cherry Fraisier

My turn is finally here. After being approved last month, I could finally join my first ever The Daring Baker's challenge for this month of July. The challenge is to make Fresh Fraisier! Exciting exciting. Not because I love eating cakes that have fruits in it (it's honestly one of those on my bottom list) BUT I could get to practise making beautiful cake! Heehee. 

Berries are terribly expensive here where I live, so I substituted it with cherry - not that it's any cheaper, but at least it tastes the sweetest amongst all. Yes, berries in Asia are apparently very sour :(

Downloadable recipe is here

In case you're wondering, yes it's slightly slanting! Your eyes don't fool you this time :P We're supposed to assemble this in a springform pan, which sadly I don't have (and too broke to buy this time around). So what i did is just lining all sides of my usual baking pan with clingwrap paper and tried to lift it up with it after freezing... yikes. Nevertheless it tastes great! A good treat it is, especially for hot summer weather out there.

Paris Brest & eclair

I almost never planned for what pastry I'd like to make for the day. Mostly, if not all is because one of the ingredients is meeting the expiry date soon. In this case, was the whipping cream. At first I thought of doing the Fresh Fraisier as raised by The Daring Baker (I just got approved there yay!) but Mr. F would prefer eclair much more than that one. So i had to give in, 'cos he'd be the only supporter of my pastry at the end of the day.

So without further ado... presenting to you my eclair and Paris Brest! I've been meaning to make Paris Brest for the longest time and it finally came true. My Paris Brest isn't proportionally sized though because I don't have the proper piping bag and nozzles. Boo.

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Japanese Strawberry Cheesecake

It's my Japanese colleague turning 30 yesterday... I know that for many people, turning 30 can be a milestone, so I figured in order to 'commemorate' her big day, i should make her a Japanese cheesecake, decorated in hundreds and thousands and white cream. Doesn't that remind you enough of your childhood? I hope that I helped to make her turning 30 less serious. Hah.

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Spring Onion Pancake

I'm sorry for doing this to you, esp. at this hour. 10.17pm. But my hands were itching to make something - though on the other hands there's not much in the budget for this week to buy more butter or whipping cream to whip up some cakes. So. I got to do whatever's in the fridge. And that's when I remembered this post by my fave pastry chef. I just go to make it. :)

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Sick and little wishlist

Falling sick ain't fun at all, especially when it's fever that's combined with painful joint. Basically you can't do anything all. Despite my many attempts of trying to get into the kitchen to bake ('cos I take a sick leave today), my back just said no. Not to mention the weather that is just poor outside - pouring hard and yet at the same time the shiny sun that pierces through every single raindrop. The air is warm. Warm. Sighs.

So, being a little 'crippled' today, let me just share with you what I look forward to baking.

1. Green Tea Opera Cake (image source: http://theculinarybutler.blogspot.com/2010/08/green-tea-opera-cake-omg.html)

2. Macaron, again. (image source: www.davidlebovitz.com)

3. Paris Brest (image source: www.simplyfabulicious.com)

And I'm just thinking, if I really make it to Paris this August, can I meet the pastry chef of my dream, Pierre Herme? Do you think he'll respond to my email?

Croquembouche

It's my first Christmas in Bangkok (shortly after my 3-week arrival) last year. I decided to make this croquembouche for the landlord and staff. Wanted to decorate with sugar spun, but to no avail. Talk about too high an expectation. I didn't record that the recipe for this either :( But I'm pretty sure you can scout it online somewhere pretty easily.

Vanilla macaron with strawberry filling

The first time I learnt how to make macaron was at a short course place in Singapore. It turned out marvelous.

But that's two years ago. I made it again last week and it turned out disastrous (though probably non-baker wouldn't be able to tell what's so different because it still tasted like a macaron, almond-y crunchie thing) but there's NO FEET! argh. I was devastated, but at that very night I aged another 100g of egg whites to give it another try, which was yesterday. It turned out better, it had feet! I was so ecstatic I sent the picture to the boy while he's busy watching X-Men. 

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