With only a couple more weeks of summer left, I am trying to eat all of my favorite summer season dishes. Grilled corn on the cob with butter is a cookout classic, but it can be super bland in both taste and presentation. This Japanese-inspired recipe gives corn on the cob a new life. It has all of the elements that I love in Japanese cooking— Miso, Shiso and Shichimi Togarashi. Each ingredient brings a different flavor profile and vibrant colors from the shiso and Shichimi Togarashi. It only takes a couple of extra minutes and steps to prepare this dish compared to a traditional corn on the cob recipe, and it is so worth it!
Corn on the Cob with Miso Honey Butter, Shiso and Shichimi Togarashi
Ingredients
4 ears corn, shucked
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon honey
2 shiso leaves, chiffonade
½ tsp Shichi-mi Tōgarashi
½ lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Miso Butter Compound
Mix unsalted butter and miso till thoroughly combined.
Add in honey and mix.
Grilling Corn
Heat grill to medium to high.
Shuck corn and keep husk on.
Soak ears of corn in cold water for at least 15 minutes.
Remove corn from water and place on grill.
Close the cover and grill for 15-20 minutes. Turn every 5 minutes.
Remove husk and spread miso butter evenly on the corn.
Sprinkle with chiffonade shiso and Shichi-mi Tōgarashi.
The two weeks of cherry blossoms in full bloom are one of the best parts of stepping out of winter and into spring. I’ve been lucky to able to visit Washington D.C. and the University of Washington campus during the small window that they are in bloom and there’s nothing like seeing thousands of delicate blossoms decorate the trees. Not only are cherry blossoms super pretty to look at, but they are also edible! They can be bought year-round and can extend cherry blossom season in your home. These Cherry Blossom Lollipops are a fun and simple way to showcase the flower and its flavors. They are quick to make and are perfect gifts or treats.
Equipment & Ingredients
Silicone Mold & Lollipop Sticks
Silicone Molds make it super easy to use and ensure the lollipop comes out perfectly shaped each time. I bought a set off of Amazon which included the mold, sticks, and individual cellophane wrappers. If you don’t want to use a silicone mold, you can use powdered sugar to create molds for the lollipops.
Thermometer
Candy-making requires precision when it comes to boiling the sugar. A candy thermometer or regular thermometer guarantees the lollipops are not undercooked or overcooked. An alternative to using a thermometer is to drop a spoonful of hot syrup into a glass with cold water. Remove the hardened syrup from the cold water and try to bend it. You will know the syrup has hit the hard-crack stage if it cracks as you bend it.
Pickled Salted Cherry Blossoms
You can buy pickled salted cherry blossoms from Japanese markets or Amazon. The flowers are harvested, washed in water and plum vinegar and pickled in salt to preserve them.
Tips
Distilled Water
Using distilled water is optional, but it eliminates the chance of the sugar turning yellow. Tap water has minerals that can yellow when heated. Food coloring can mask the yellow tint if you don’t have distilled water around.
Boiling Sugar
Boiling sugar goes through six different stages. Lollipop sugar needs to be cooked to the hard crack stage, which is 300°F. If you don’t heat the sugar up to 300°F, the sugar will be sticky. Also, don’t cook the sugar till any higher temperature as it will turn into caramelized sugar at 350°F. The best method to cooking the sugar is to cook the sugar on medium-low heat and be patient since the syrup caramelizes quickly.
Crystal Clear Lollipops
When using a silicone mold, the lollipop side that touches the silicone will come out frosted when it hardens. If you want both sides of the lollipop to be crystal clear, use a blowtorch on a low setting for a few minutes.
Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Lollipops
Yield: 12 lollipops
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 teaspoon Cooking oil
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup distilled water
12 salted pickled cherry blossoms
Gold leaf (or imitation gold leaf)
Instructions
Prepping the cherry blossoms
Pick 12 cherry blossoms out from the packaging.
Soak cherry blossoms in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Gently stir a few times to help remove the salt from the petals.
Strain out cherry blossoms.
Arrange cherry blossoms on a paper towel and cut any long stems.
Place another paper towel on top of cherry blossoms and gently press out any excess water.
The blossom’s petals will be stuck together. Gently fan out the petals so they will look more natural when in the lollipops.
Lollipop Mixture and Assembly
Grease lollipop molds with a flavorless oil and paper towel. Place lollipop sticks in the mold.
On low-medium heat in a small-medium (heavy-bottom preferable) saucepan, pour in sugar, corn syrup, and distilled water.
Use a pastry brush and cold water to brush the sides of the saucepan if sugar gets stuck.
Bring the sugar mixture to a boil and it reaches 300 °F. Immediately take off heat.
Quickly stir in 1-2 drops of pink gel food coloring.
Fill the lollipop molds halfway with the sugar mixture
Place the syrup back on the stovetop on the lowest setting to keep warm during step 7 and 8.
Place cherry blossoms and gold leaf on top of the mixture.
Finish filling the lollipop molds with the sugar mixture.
Leave lollipops to set for at least 1 hour.
Take lollipops out of molds. The lollipops shouldn’t be sticky.
(Optional Step) One side of the lollipop will be frosted. Use a culinary torch to make the side crystal. On a low setting, torch the frosted side for about five seconds.
After binge-watching baking videos on Youtube, I decided to challenge myself with a holiday baking project. I ended up coming up with the idea of making a matcha flavored Christmas tree croquembouche. A crqouembouche is a cone-shaped tower of cream puffs joined together by caramel. Fun, right? Well, 6 hours later, 80+ cream buns, only one small burn, and four batches of caramel, I finally finished it. This was one of the hardest baking projects I have worked on. So many of the steps require you to be extremely careful and work quickly. There are also 4 main components you have to make.– the choux pastry, the craqueline topping, diplomat cream, and the caramel. In case you decide to drain yourself emotionally, I have included how I constructed this croquembouche.
Equipment
Sauce Pan
Wooden Spoon
Stand Mixer–I used a stand mixer to beat my pastry dough but this is not necessary. You can use a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. If you are using a wooden spoon, just be aware it will take much longer for the dough to come together.
Silicone Template Mats– I used a silicone mat with a circle template. This is totally not necessary but helps keep the puffs a consistent size. These mats are also perfect for macaroons.
Rolling Pin
Small round cookie cutter
Mold– There are two ways to create a croquembouche–freehand or a cone mold. I opted to make a cone mold since I was afraid to battle gravity during my first attempt at a croquembouche. They have molds you can buy, but they are $50+. Instead I bought a poster board from Target for 99 cents and watched this Youtube video for constructing it. Making your own mold is also great because you can decide how big or little you want it to be.
Fork
Tips
Equation for figuring out how many cream puffs are needed
Before you start baking, you need to know how many puffs are needed to cover the cone. Below is the formula I used to figure out. It is an overestimate, but it is much better to have a few extra instead of having to make a last-minute extra batch. For a 14 inch cone with a 3.25 inch radius, I needed 75 puffs. I made 2 batches of choux pastry which was approximately 80 puffs. My puffs were 1.75 inches in diameter.
(Surface Area of the cone) πr(r+h2+r2)/ (Area of puff) πr2 = Approximate amount of puffs needed
Working with Caramel
Caramel is tough to work with because you have to keep a close eye on it cooking, move quickly, and very carefully. Caramel can burn very easily so I keep an ice bath bowl next to the stove to help stop the caramel from cooking once I take it off of the stove. To protect my hands from severe burns, I wore cotton gloves with latex food-safe gloves on top so the caramel could not stick directly to my skin. I also keep an ice bath bowl nearby in case of any accidents. I made 3 batches of caramel (+ 1 burnt batch) with the first batch dedicated to sticking the cream puffs to the mold. With the second batch of caramel, I finished constructing the cone and started to swirl the caramel on top of the croquembouche for decoration. The final batch was used to finish decorating.
Cream Puff Fillings
These puffs can be filled with anything you want–matcha whipped cream, matcha diplomat cream or matcha pastry cream. I recommend a diplomat cream which is 1/2 whipped cream and 1/2 pastry cream since it is the right balance between a heavy filling and a light filling. Here are the recipes I use to make the whipped cream and pastry cream.
Matcha Croquembocuhe
Yield: 80 cream puffs
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Ingredients
Choux Dough
2/3 cup Water
2/3 cup Whole Milk
1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
10 tablespoon Butter
1 1/2 cup Bread Flour
10 large Eggs, whisked together
Craquelin
12 tablespoons cool unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/3 cup lightly packed Brown Sugar
Pinch fine Sea Salt
1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoon Matcha
Caramel
1/2 cups Sugar
1/4 cup Water
Instructions
Craquelin
In a food processor, add the butter and sugar. Pulse until they are creamed together.
Add the flour, salt, and matcha, and pulse the mixture until it is all blended.
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to be about ⅛ inch think.
Place in the freezer over a flat tray to chill for at least 1 hour.
Choux Pastry
In a medium saucepan, heat the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat.
Once the mixture is melted and started to gently boil, turn down the heat to low and add the flour all at once.
Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough, approximately 2-3 minutes. The dough should begin to coat the bottom.
Transfer the dough to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle and beat on low for 3-5 minutes to allow the dough to cool slightly.
Slowly add in the eggs on low speed until the eggs are fully incorporated. The mixture should be thick and fall off the beater after 3 seconds.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tip with the pastry dough.
Pipe the choux pastry into 1 1/2 inches wide rounds.
Take craquelin out of the freeze and cut it into circles that is slightly smaller than the pipped pastry.
Place craquelin disk in the center of the rounds.
Freeze trays for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 Farenheight.
Add a pan of boiling water (bain-marie) to the oven before.
Turn oven down to 350 Farenheight.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove the puff from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before filling with matcha diplomat cream or any filling of our choice.
Constructing the tower
In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar, a gentle boil over high heat. Do not stir.
Turn down heat to medium-low and carefully watch for the syrup to turn a light amber color. Remove from heat and dip the saucepan in an ice bath.
Carefully dip the bottom of each puff into the caramel, and arrange puffs in a pyramid.
Repeat until the tower is covered with puffs.
To make a spun-sugar, use a fork held side by side, and dip it into the caramel.
Wave the fork with caramel back and forth over the croquembouche.
Crème Brûlée was the dessert I always got when eating out at nice restaurants growing up. I was totally obsessed with the crispy layer of caramelized sugar. Every aspect of the brûlée was so satisfying! You get to hear and see the sugar crack and then you get a chunk of crunchy topping and custard in every bite. I loved it so much that this was one of the first desserts I learned how to make at home. Once I learned how to make it, I realized how deceivingly easy it is to make. I always make it at home with only 20 minutes of prep time and a few ingredients instead of paying $8 dollars for one serving at a restaurant. Plus if you are having guests over, everyone loves to see the sugar caramelize! One of the best parts of crème brûlée is that it is a stress-free dessert. You can make it a day ahead of time and then take it out and torch right before serving.
While vanilla will always be the classic for crème brûlée, I really like using teas to flavor the cream. I love using matcha, earl grey, and hōjicha to flavor crème brûlée. Hōjicha works really well with crème brûlée because it has a smoky and caramelized flavor which matches the caramelized flavor of the brûlée!
Tips
Hōjicha Powder
Hōjicha comes in a powder (similar to matcha) as well as in a loose-leaf form. I recommend using the powder because it is more concentrated, and the cream absorbs the flavor easier than loose leaf. If you can only find loose-leaf, you can still make this and just need to measure 5 teaspoons. The powder form is a little harder to find. I buy mine from a local cafe, StoneMill Matcha, but you can also buy it from Amazon.
CrèmeBrûlée Topping
If you want a thick layer of caramelized sugar, you can’t skip on the sugar on the top. You will need to use a little more than a tablespoon of regular white sugar per ramekin to achieve the perfect topping. Unfortunately, you can’t substitute white sugar out from the topping if you want a perfect brûlée. Make sure the sugar is spread evenly and the entire top is covered in a layer of sugar. Keep the torch a few inches away from the topping and make sure to keep the flame moving and not centered on one stop. After you torch it, you should it eat immediately! if you put the crème brûlée back in the refrigerator, the topping will become soft.
Equipment
Oven-Safe Ramekins
The best ramekins for crème brûlée are ones that are shallow especially if you like the caramelized topping. This type of ramekins allows for a higher ratio of topping to custard. However, I use the deeper ramekins in this recipe since this is what I have at home and have not convinced myself to buy a new set of ramekins just for Crème Brûlée.
Torch
There are ways to hack crème brûlée without buying a torch. It is possible but extremely hard to replicate a similar effect under a broiler. Torches are about 20 dollars and they are also great for searing salmon and toro sashimi too! 🙂
Tea Whisk + Bowl
If you don’t have a traditional tea whisk, you can easily use a milk frother or a small whisk. Just make sure the powder is dissolved and there are no clumps.
Hōjicha Crème Brûlée
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 ½ cup cream
2 tsp hojicha powder
⅓ cup sugar + 4 tablespoons for the topping
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 325 Farenheight.
Separate egg yolks and place in a medium bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream on medium-low. Heat until the cream is hot and starts to steam, but do not let it boil. Set aside the cream.
Sift hōjicha powder into a bowl.
Pour about ¼ cup cream into the bowl with the powder. Whisk vigorously.
Add another ¼ cup of cream into the bowl and whisk again.
Combine the hōjicha infused cream with the rest of the original cream.
Beat egg yolks and sugar for two minutes or until pale and foamy.
Pour ¼ of the cream mixture into the egg and whisk. While stirring, pour the egg into the rest of the cream.
Pour the mixture into a measuring cup or a cup with a spout.
Place 4 (5 to 6-ounce) ramekins into a square or rectangular baking pan.
Pour the mixture into ramekins.
Fill the baking pan with boiling water. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the centers are just set.
Remove the ramekins from the pan and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
Evenly sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on the top.
Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top.
Even though we are well into fall, I still am craving summer flavors like mango since it’s been in the 80s this week in San Francisco. I’ve been snack on a lot of shaved ice and iced tea this week! Our local market still has mangos so I decided to recreate a tart inspired by one of my favorites cafes in the City. Stonemill Matcha’s highly aesthetic decor and Instagram-worthy food make it a super popular cafe in San Francisco. They have a Yuzu Curd Matcha Tart with an Italian Meringue topping which I have been craving! The matcha and fruit curd balance each other. I recreated the curd with mango being the main flavor with the yuzu as a complimentary flavor.
For this recipe, the tart and curd can be made over a few days which makes them manageable to make without feeling overwhelmed. This also allows for the tarts to be easily assembled right before serving or a couple hours before.
Tips
Gelatin
The gelatin in the curd is optional. If you do not want to buy gelatin or are vegetarian, you can omit the gelatin in the curd. The gelatin thickens the curd so it is less messy when cutting and eating the tart.
Tart Dough
This recipe makes Pâte Sucrée which is a sweet shortcrust pastry dough. The tarts are so buttery and flaky! I also love this type of tart dough because it only takes 10 minutes to make.
Temperature is key when working with tart dough! The dough needs to be at specific temperatures throughout the process. The butter in pastry dough needs to be cold so the dough will hold its shape in the oven. The dough needs to chill at two different points so there is a lot of waiting around.
Making It Ahead of Time
The curd stays fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The tart shells can also be made 1-2 days ahead of time and put in an airtight container in the drige till ready to assemble.
Equipment
Since I have limited kitchen space,, I always want to limit the amount of baking supplies needed and minimize the cost of buying specialized equipment. I made a recipe that didn’t need a blind bake with pie weights. Most bloggers recommend DeBuyer’s tart rings, but at $16 for one 4 inch ring, I could not justify buying those. I found a set on Amazon that only cost $18 for five, and they work great. A perforated baking mat is also needed, but it can also be used for baking bread and eclairs.
Mango Matcha Tart
Yield: 6-8 tarts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours15 minutes
Ingredients
Curd
1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 teaspoon cold water
5 tablespoons mango puree
2 tablespoon yuzu juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
Tart
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
16 tablespoons butter unsalted, cut into cubes
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons matcha
Instructions
Curd
In a small bowl, combine and stir gelatin and cold water until the gelatin has dissolved.
Cut up ½ half of a mango into chunk size pieces. Add to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree the mango. This will make approximately 5-6 tablespoons of puree.
In a medium saucepan, combine mango puree, yuzu juice, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs till combined. Slowly pour ⅓ of the curd base into the eggs and whisk till combined. Repeat with another ⅓ of the curd. Finally, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan where the last ⅓ of the curd base is and whisk till combined.
Turn the stovetop on to medium heat and stir the curd continuously so it will not curdle. Once the curd starts to bubble, whisk in the gelatin mixture. Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm.
Add a few pieces of butter at a time to the curd and whisk until the butter is fully incorporated. Repeat with the rest of the butter. The curd should be silky and smooth.
Transfer the curd to a container. Let cool. Place plastic wrap on top the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator till it's time to assemble the tarts.
Tart
In a large bowl, add the cubed butter, sugar, salt to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about a minute or until pale and light.
Add the egg yolks and mix on low until combined.
Add the flour and matcha and mix until the dough becomes shaggy.
Divide the dough into two and press them into flat disks.
In in between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper, roll each disk until it's 1/8 inch thick. Put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Take your dough out of the fridge and start to work quickly. Using the tart cutters, cut your tart bottoms out.
Measure the height of your tart rings and cut strips for the sides using that measurement. Place the strips flush against the inner sides of the tart ring. Press the side into the ring. Use a paring knife at 180-degree angle to trim the excess. Trim the top so it's flush to the ring.
Freeze tarts for at least 45 minutes. This is essential because the gluten needs time to relax.
Bake at 350 Farenheight for 10-12 minutes.
Let the tarts cool for a few minutes before removing the ring.
Set aside rings to fully cool before assembling the tarts.
Buta No Kakuni also known as Japanese braised pork belly has become a weeknight staple during the past few months from working from home. It takes a few hours on the stove top, but almost all the prep work can be done during lunch time or a late afternoon break. By the time dinner comes around, you have extremely tender pork ready!
A lot of Asian countries have their version of the braised pork belly. Chinese have Hong Shou Rou, Koreans have Doenjang Daeji Gogi , Vietnamese have Thịt Kho. The Japanese version originates from the Chinese version so there are a lot of similarities in ingredients like ginger, scallions, and soy sauce.
The Japanese version of braised pork belly is seared, boiled with ginger and scallions and then simmered in a broth of dashi, sake, soy sauce, and mirin. The three step process ensures the meat has a tender texture without it tasting like boiled meat. Towards the end of the cooking process, I added in hard boiled eggs which also absorb the broth. We love to eat the pork and egg bowl style with rice and bok choy or other leafy vegetables. If you like spicy, you can add Shichimi Togarashi seasoning to the top of the pork at the end.
Tips
I recommend simmering the meat in the boiled water for at least three and a half hours for super tender pork. You want a fork to be able to pierce through the cube easily. After simmering in boiled water, you want to simmer it in the dashi soy sauce broth for another hour at least. The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of dashi. Since there is a substantial amount, it is better to use homemade dashi instead of instant granules.
Equipment
Cast Iron Pan and Pot
If you want to get a super crispy sear on the pork belly, a cast iron pan is essential. I also use a cast iron pot to simmer the pork for hours since the pot retains very well.
Otoshibuta
Otoshibuta is a Japanese drop lid that holds the pork down while it is simmering in the broth. This helps the pork cook evenly, absorb the flavors, and helps the broth thicken. I like the adjustable stainless steel otoshibuta since they are easy to clean and can adjust to whatever your pot size is. I bought mine from Daiso for 4 dollars. Before I bought one, I just used aluminum foil. I would cut the aluminum foil to fit the pot and cut a few holes in the top.
Buta No Kakuni
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours15 minutes
Ingredients
1 - 1 1/3 lbs pork belly, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
2 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 1/2 cups dashi
4 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons mirin
4 tablespoons soy sauce
Optional: Cornstarch Slurry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon water
Instructions
Trim any skin from the pork belly and cut into 2 inch cubes.
In a cast iron skillet, heat a small amount of canola oil evenly over medium heat.
Sear the pork for a few minutes on all sides until golden brown.
Rest the pork on paper towels to drain the excess fat.
In a large pot, boil approximately 8 cups or enough water that the pork is submerged under water.
Add the pork, thinly sliced ginger, and chopped scallion.
Lower the heat till the pork is simmering for at least 4 hours.
Drain pork into a colander.
In a clean pot, add dashi, sake, sugar, mirin and soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Add the cooked pork, turn down the heat to low. Put the Otoshibuta in the pot, and simmer for an hour or until the sauce is reduced. In the last30 minutes of cooking, add hard boiled eggs.
Optionally garnish with scallions and Shichimi Togarashi.
As summer comes to an end, I’ve been spending extra time eating and baking with peaches before they’re gone. If you have peaches you are trying to use up, this is an easy way to turn them into dessert. I love making galettes because the rustic nature of the dessert allows for mishaps. This galette was supposed to be circular but I ended up with a rectangle when I accidentally rolled the dough too far in one direction. It’s totally fine for the edges to be imperfect or for the fruit to look a little messy!
Since peaches can be super sweet, I wanted another flavor in the galette to balance it out. Ginger brings some heat and a kick to the galette. I wanted the ginger to be in all elements of the galete. I added ground ginger in the crust and the fresh minced ginger in the filling. While this galette does not require a lot of skills or steps, I have some tips.
Pastry Dough
I love flaky and light pastry! It creates a mess when eating but the taste is totally worth it. Butter is super important in order to create this. The butter needs to be cold and broken into chickpea-sized chunks. These cold chunks of butter help the dough expanded and become flakey during the baking process. To help the dough stay cold, roll the dough out onto a stone countertop or marble pastry slab.
The dough should be rolled to ⅛ inch thick. The thickness of the dough can cause two problems if not correct. If it’s too thick, it will cause the pastry to be gummy. If it’s too thin, the filling is more likely to spread and the pastry can become soggy and the crust will burn easily.
Peach Filling
The filling is super versatile and you can create whatever pattern you would like. I like to use thin slices, but I have seen people use thick slices or even cut up chunks. I laid my peaches out in rows since my dough turned out to be a rectangle, but circular patterns or even no pattern looks great. Additionally, I like to keep the skin on the peaches. I think it creates a super pretty pattern.
One of the most complaints about galettes is the filling leaking. There a few steps you can do to help mitigate the filling leaking.
Don’t use super-ripe fruit. I like for my peaches to still be firm and easy to cut through. If you are cutting your peaches and they feel soft, they are probably a little too ripe. You can still use them! However, I would add a little more cornstarch which will help thicken the filling.
When you toss the peaches in a bowl with the other ingredients, do not dump the peach mixture onto the dough. Pick up the slices of peaches and place them on the dough so the peach juice is left in bowl.
Equipment
Baking Sheet
Food Processor
The easiest and least messy method for making the dough involves a food processor. However, if you don’t have one, you can still make the galette. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, ground ginger and salt. Using a fork or your fingers to break up the butter into small chunks. Add the egg mixture into the dough and knead it’s still mostly large crumbs. Then form into a disc.
Pastry Brush
Rolling Pin
Ginger Peach Galette
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours15 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 egg
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubbed
Peach Filling
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cup peaches, sliced
1/4 brown sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, ground ginger, and salt together till combined.
Add the cubed butter to the dry mixture and pulse until there chickpea-size chunks of butter.
In a small bowl whisk together the egg and heavy whipping cream. Measure the mixture out to ¼ cup. Set aside and chill the extra mixture for later use.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the dough and pulse until it’s still mostly large crumbs.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a disk that’s approximately one inch thick.
Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Wash, dry, pit, and slice peaches.
Grate fresh ginger.
Gently toss peaches with sugar, fresh ginger, and cornstarch.
Roll the dough out to a ⅛ inch thick round (approximately 12-inch in diameter).
Transfer the dough to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place fruit on the dough circle in your preferred pattern, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
Gently fold the edge of the dough over the peaches.
Brush edges with the leftover egg and cream mixture. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on the edges.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
On a wire rack, let the galette cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Best eaten day of. It can keep for a day in an airtight container.
I decided my Matcha Black Sesame & Hojicha Caramel Rice Krispie Treats recipes should be my first post since they are so easy to make. They are also extremely addicting! It is so tempting to eat a few bars in one sitting. I couldn’t decide if I loved the Matcha Black Sesame or Hojicha Caramel more so I included both versions. They are the perfect go-to sweets for picnics, care packages, or on the go snacks.
I remember my mom would include prepackaged rice krispie treats in my lunchbox and they were always one of my favorite treats growing up. However as I have gotten older, I have craved a less sweet version of the prepackaged treats. With this recipe, the bitter flavors from the powder teas mellow out the sweetness of the marshmallows. The Matcha Rice Krispies are earthy from the matcha and nutty from the black sesame seeds. The Hojicha Caramel Rice Krispie treats are smokey from the hojicha and the caramel drizzle adds another layer of toastiness and sweetness. To finish it off, I sprinkled some flaky Maldon salt on top to balance the sweetness in the treats.
Tips
Even though the recipe is pretty straightforward, below are a few tips to ensure they turn out perfect every time. It’s pretty hard to mess this recipe up!
It is not necessary to use mini marshmallows but they meltdown a lot quicker.
When you are melting the marshmallows, make sure the stove is on low-medium. If the marshmallows melt at too high of a temperature, the treats are not as soft and gooey. The marshmallows should slowly melt and the mixture should not have any large bubbles.
When transferring the mixture to the pan, gently press the treats to form. If you press too hard, the treats won’t be soft and gooey.
They can be made ahead of time and stay fresh for a couple of days. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container.
Equipment
Another great thing about this recipe is that there is very little equipment needed for this recipe. You don’t need any fancy equipment to whip this up.
Nonstick pot
9 x 13″ baking dish (doesn’t matter if it is metal or glass)– You can also use another size dish but this will cause the treats to either be thinner or thicker.
Sieve (optional)–It helps the powdered tea not to clump but it’s necessary.
Parchment Paper
Spatula
Matcha Black Sesame Rice Krispie Treats
Yield: 20 Bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounce bags (5.5 heaping cups) mini marshmallows
2.5 tablespoons culinary-grade Matcha Powder
5 cups Rice Krispies
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Instructions
Spray a 9 x 13" dish with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.
In a large pot, melt cubbed butter over medium-low heat.
Add the marshmallows and sifted matcha powder. Stir until melted and the matcha is completely incorporated.
Remove mixture heat and immediately fold in the rice krispie cereal and black sesame seeds.
Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined dish and spread evenly. Gently press the mixture into corners and on the top.
Slice in 3 in x 3 inch squares.
Hojicha Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
Yield: 20
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounce bag (5.5 cups) mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispies
2.5 tablespoons Hojicha powder
Pinch of Flaky Salt
Caramel Drizzle
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature
Instructions
Spray a 9 x 13" dish with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.
Start with making the caramel drizzle. Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add sugar. Stir occasionally.
After approximately 5 minutes, the sugar will turn disolve into a dark tan color.
Remove from heat and add butter one tablespoon at a time.
Add in the heavy cream and stir. The mixture will be very thin, but will thicken as it cools.
Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and cover. Place in the fridge to cool for 15 minutes.
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Brown the butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until it becomes a golden brown.
Add the marshmallows and sifted hojicha powder. Stir until all melted and the hojicha is fully incorporated.
Remove from heat and immediately fold in the rice krispie cereal
Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined dish and spread evenly. Gently press the mixture into the corners and on the top to flatten the surface.
Drizzle over the rice krispie treats with a spoon or piping bag.
There are some foods that almost everyone likes, and blueberry muffins fall into that category. There is something just irresistible about them! There are a million blueberry muffin recipes, and this is my take on the classic breakfast sweet. These Kinako Blueberry Muffins are nutty, dense, packed with berries, and not overly sweet. They also have great crunch from the sprinkled carmalized turbinado sugar and kinako on top! Most of the sweetness in these muffins come from the blueberries. Kinako has a ton of health benefits, which makes me feel a little less guilty for having more than one. The muffins are the best day of but can keep up to three days after making in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to three months.
What is Kinako?
Kinako is a finely milled skinless roasted soybeans. In the US, kinako is commonly referred to as roasted soybean flour. It has a nutty taste and reminds Kinako is often sprinkled on top of Japanese desserts. It’s biggest health benefit is that it is very high in protein. It also has fiber, vitamin B, and magnesium in it.
Fresh Blueberries or Frozen Blueberries?
You can use either frozen or fresh blueberries in this recipe. Fresh blueberries always taste a little better though. If frozen blueberries are used, it does require a few extra steps. Frozen blueberries will cause discoloration in the batter if you don’t take the few extra steps.
Defrost the blueberries
Rinse blueberries with cold water till the water runs clear.
Pat dry with paper towels
Do not crush blueberries
Tips for Helping the Muffin Rise
There are a few extra steps you can take, which will help the muffins rise and have a full top.
Let the batter rest for at least one hour before baking. The starch molecules in the flour will absorb the liquid in the batter and will help the muffins rise.
Fill the tins all the way full.
Bake the muffins at 425F for the first five minutes of baking. This will cause the muffins to rise during the first few minutes of baking rapidly. The higher heat creates a burst of steam that lifts the batter.
Homemade Pan Release
Muffin liners are totally optional. If you decide to forgo liners, a non-stick cooking spray or spread is needed. You can use non-stick cooking spray, but a homemade pan release works every time for me. I use this mixture for all my baked goods, including bundt cakes which are notorious for sticking. The pan release is equal parts flour, shortening, and vegetable oil. Whisk until combined and smooth. Use a pastry brush to spread the release onto the pan. Store in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) for up to three months refrigerated. If it separates between uses, whisk.
Equipment
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Regular Size Muffin Pan
Cookie/Dough Scoop (optional)
Offset Spatula (optional)
I highly recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer. The butter needs to be creamed with sugar to ensure a light texture and a rise while baking. When you beat sugar into butter, the sugar cuts the butter and aerates it. Cook’s Illustrated suggests using whipped butter if you need to cream the butter and sugar by hand.
You can use any sized muffin pan. The recipe is designed for a standard muffin pan. Adjust the baking time if you are baking jumbo or mini muffin. Fill any empty muffin cups with a few tablespoons of water to help make the baking more even.
Kinako Blueberry Muffins
Yield: 6 Muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup kinako plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup blueberries (fresh preferred), room temperature
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
Combine the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light with a hand mixer or stand mixer. This will take approximately 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg and beat till combined.
Sift together the flour, kinako, salt, and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixture alternately with milk in three parts, starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the dry ingredients.
Crush 1/3 cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not crush. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
Let the batter rest for at least one hour before baking.
While the batter is resting, preheat over to 425F.
Fill each muffin cavity to the top edge.
Sprinkle sugar and kinako on top of each muffin.
Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425F.
Lower oven temperature to 375F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the middle of the muffin. If the skewer comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, the muffins are done.
I have a delish breakfast sandwich recipe if you are trying to mix up your brunch or on the go morning routine! This sando is a Japanese omelet inspired sandwich with bacon and avocado. I was inspired to meld I am a food blog’s Tamagoyaki Sando and the McGriddle to create a sweet and salty breakfast sandwich. I am a food keeps it simple with just the tamagoyaki, mayo and bun. With a McGriddle, the pancakes, bacon, egg, and cheese make a sweet and salty sandwich. This sandwich combines elements from both sandwiches to create the ultimate breakfast sandwich– full of flavor and texture.
Tamagoyaki
Tamagoyaki directly translates to grilled egg and this popular item is included in everything from bento boxes to omakase menus. There are two main version of Tamagoyaki. The Atsuyaki Tamago is made without dashi and Dashimaki Tamago is made with dashi. Either version can be made sweet or savory. For this sandwich, I make a sweet Dashimaki Tamago. Dashimaki Tamago is one of my favorite ways to make eggs because it is so flavorful, soft, and moist. However, the dashi does make it more difficult to roll because the egg mixture is more liquidy and more prone to break. It takes a little bit of practice but it’s well worth it!
Tamagoyaki Tips
It’s a little nerve racking to make Tamagoyaki since there is a lot of folding of thin egg layers. Below are a couple tips for perfecting the process.
Lightly beat the eggs with a chopstick and try not to create bubbles. The bubbles in the mixture will become bigger when you’re cooking the tamagoyaki . If you do have bubbles when the mixture is cooking in the pan, gently pop them with your chopsticks.
Use light soy sauce for a bright yellow color.
Strain the egg mixture with a fine mesh sieve. This is a tedious step but I promise that it makes a huge difference in the appearance and it is essential for creating a pure yellow roll! The sieve will prevent any of the thick egg whites from creating white splotches in the tamagoyaki.
Use a measuring cup or a cup with a spout to pour the egg mixture in the pan. This will help reduce any mesiness.
Wait for the pan to heat up to low-medium before pouring the mixture in. Cook it over low heat and if the tamagoyaki starts to brown or cook too quickly, pick the pan off of the burner instead of turning the burn off.
Oil the pan after every layer using a paper towel. I have a small bowl with oil and a folded paper towel that’s 2 inches by 2 inches. I use chopsticks to run the paper towel over the pan. My tamagoyaki pan works really well and I only need to oil the pan at the very beginning but I would be safe and oil eat each time if you don’t know your pan well.
Ingredients & Substitutes
I used Trader Joe’s brioche buns for this recipe since they are slightly sweet, soft, and toast well. A great substitute would be Hawaiian buns!
Dashi is an important ingredient for making the tamagoyaki soft. Homemade will always be better but I often will just use powder if I’m only need it for tamagoyaki and don’t want to make a whole batch of fresh dashi. JustOneCookbook has all the various ways to make Dashi.
Light Soy Sauce helps achieve a bright yellow tamagoyaki. You can use regular soy sauce however the tamagoyaki will look darker.
Equipment
Tamagoyaki Pan or Small Skillet
Chopsticks and/or spatula
Baking Sheet and Rack
A tamagoyaki pan is really helpful as it helps keep the same uninformed and makes it easier to fold. It is not needed and if you have a small kitchen or do not make tamagoyaki often then I would suggest just using a 8 inch or 10 inch nonstick skillet. The larger the skillet the harder it will be to fold.
If you make tamagoyaki often, this spatula is a game changer! It is the same size as most tamagoyaki pans and it has helped me a lot since my chopstick skills are pretty terrible.
Tamagoyaki Sando
Yield: 1 Sandwich
Ingredients
1 brioche sandwich buns
1/4 of an avocado
1 strip of bacon
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin
1 tablespoon dashi
2 tsp sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Bake bacon for approximately for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy.
Crack and whisk 3 eggs into a medium-sized bowl using chopsticks. Do not over whisk as this will cause air bubbles.
Whisk in the light soy sauce, mirin, dashi, and sugar.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the egg into a measuring cup.
Heat the pan to medium-low. Oil the pan using a folded paper towel dipped in oil.
Pour ⅓ of the egg mixture into the pan. If needed, swirl the egg mixture to coat the bottom of the pan.
Cook until the bottom of the egg has set. The top doesn’t need to be fully cooked since it will help the egg stick to itself if it’s a little moist.
Using chopsticks or a spatula, fold the egg in half and push it to the end of the pan.
Reoil the pan before pouring another 1/3 of the egg mixture into the pan.
Lift up the folded egg layer and let the egg mixture run under it. Swirl the pan if needed egg so that the egg mixture touches the egg layer.
Cook until the bottom of the egg is set and fold the eggs in half.
Repeat with one more time with the rest of the egg mixture.
Once cooked, cut the tamagoyaki in half so it fits the size of the bun.
Heat pan with a teaspoon of butter.
Once the butter is melted, place the brioche bun in the pan and toast for about 30 seconds or until golden brown.
