white peach galette

using fresh white peaches picked at the farm from last weekend and recipe is based on this stone fruit galette. the galette pie is easy to make and you can simply substitute peaches with berries/apples/pears or do a mix berries or a peach/apricot combo which i haven't tried yet but think they will work wonderfully. and the most lovely part is that it makes your entire house smells like sweet peach afterwards. photos are also shared on instagram .

morning juice

healthy and delicious, to jump start the day. made with carrot, apple, celery, spinach and a little knob of ginger. 

preserved kumquats

it's kumquat season and these tiny citrus fruits are just what i need to make a big jar of preserved kumquats. last year i only made a small jar of it and it's a year old now and ready to eat. i still haven't opened the small jar yet but will do so later. the longer it sits the better it is according to some sources. preserved kumquats can be used in drinks, some dishes, jams and whatever you can think of. i want to make strawberry- preserved kumquat jam which i saw from a cooking show a while ago and kumquat drinks. there are also other kumquat recipes that i would like to make such as the kumquat-jalapeno marmalade i made last year and this candied kumquats. 

stone-fruit galette

a simple and delicious fruit tart made with some fresh semi-ripe peaches. here's the recipe i used.

i love jam

ever since i tried the apricot jam made by local jam maker, we love jam; i recently purchased a few jars in apricot and kumquat flavors. these jams are made with real fruits and are so intense and addictively delicious that i've been eating toast with jam quite frequently lately. frankly, they are expensive jams but once you have a taste of it, they are not your average jam. 

kumquat-jalapeno marmalade

my citrus-making continues and moving on to kumquats...

kumquats are in season now and i purchased a bag of these grape-like citrus at a local asian grocer in chinatown. they were displayed on a stand in front of the store and i spotted them easily by their golden-orange peel. i initially wanted to make preserved kumquats but don't have a big jar to put them in. so my other plan was to make kumquat marmalade which i found a few good recipes online that i was drawn to. i incorporated these three recipes into my marmalade making. since i'm still fairly new to jam-making and this is only my second time making marmalade; therefore, i would like to stick to small batches for now. eventually i would like to make big batches and give them away as gifts when i get familiarized with the whole process of jam-making.

i followed this recipe for the base ingredients and some directions, incorporated flavors from this recipe by adding red chillies and star anise and adapted the idea from this recipe but couldn't find habanero so i settled for jalapeno by roasting it first and then removed the skin and seeds and finely chopped it. the chopped jalapeno, three star anise, and sugar were added to the kumquat marmalade on day 2 of cooking the jam after it has been sit for 8-12 hours or overnight and removing the red chilies only.

i cooked my marmalade a bit too long and ended up with a thick but intense jam. i was striving for a lightly gel set jam consistency but not runny like cakewalk version and moreover, you can see her kumquats in circles. so pretty! next time, i will keep in mind not to cook my jam too long.

*see also kumquat marmalade

lemon bars

after two weeks, the other half of the lemons i saved to make lemon bars are still looking great and the other thing i forgot to mention, they smell so fragrant. i'm using them up to make my all-time favorite lemon bar, a recipe from the mrs.fields cookie book which i haven't baked in a very long time. i tried a few lemon bars recipe before but it's this recipe i always come back to. the crust is flaky and has a cookie-like texture and the lemon curd part is not overly sweet and has a tangy, tartness to it. it's just the perfect combination of a delicious lemon bar. 

preserving lemons

my friend gave me a bag of organic baby lemons picked from her tree. the lemons have thin smooth skin and are tart amd juicy. i decided to use half of them to make preserved lemons and the other half to make lemon bars. for the preserved lemons, i followed this basic recipe by adding a layer of sea salt, a layer of lemons and continue repeating these two steps until the jar is fully packed. i would like to make a jar of preserved kumquats too.  

pineapple cakes

.: recipe here

i first learned about feng li su as known as taiwanese pineapple cake during my visit to taiwan four years ago and bought back a few boxes of these treats from a famous taiwanese bakery called vigor kobo. since then, i've been looking for a bakery type of taiwanese pineapple cake in the states but the closest thing i can find and purchase is the low-end product sold in asian markets/grocers which cost only a few bucks. apparently, they are not that great tasting compared to the freshly baked ones but are edible and do satisfying my craving from time to time. so finally, i decided to make my own feng li su instead and found a recipe that is doable. the shortbread dough was very sticky to work with and i had a hard time shaping the pineapple cake into a square or rectangle using my hands. if only i had those square/rectangle molds then the cake can easily be placed into each mold and will come out perfectly shaped. my first batch of pineapple cakes looked wonky and weird-shaped and the bottoms were burnt. afterwards, i made the second batch into mini pineapple tarts instead using a mini muffin pan. they tasted pretty good despite the way they looked. 

hello october!

it's officially fall and the weather has been nice and toasty. i've been eating lots of cherry and sungold tomatoes lately as a snack and dressing them in salad, quinoa salad, and spicy korean cold noodles pictured in the middle. what i look forward in fall is eating pumpkin pie, persimmon, and pear and making baked goods. it's also a great beginning for me as i sold my first 2012 calendar yesterday to a friend of mine who is buying it for a gift. (thanks lil!) happy autumn everyone!

upside-down pineapple cake

pineapple upside-down cake

from heirloom baking with the brass sisters

serves 8 slices

*recipe link

{ingredients}:

.: ½ cup butter, melted

.: 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

.: 7 slices/rings of canned pineapple from 20 oz can & 5 tbsp. reserved juice

.: 1 cup cake flour (not self rising)

.: 1 tsp. baking powder

.: ½ tsp. salt

.: 3 eggs, separated

.: 1 cup white granulated sugar

.: 1 tsp. vanilla

{directions}:

1. preheat oven to 350 F.  place rack in the middle position.

2. in a medium bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

3. in a 9-inch cake pan, swirl butter to coat the bottom and sides of pan. sprinkle brown sugar over the bottom of the pan. using a paper towel pat dry pineapple slices on both sides and arrange in a decorative pattern on the bottom of the pan.

4. in a large bowl, stir egg yolks just to break them up and add sugar, vanilla and 5 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice. mix well and stir in flour mixture until combined. set aside.

5. place egg whites in bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat until just stiff but not dry. fold egg whites into the batter already in the large bowl until fully combined. pour batter into cake pan.

6. bake for 45-55 minutes until tester inserted into middle comes out clean. cook pan on rack for 2-3 minutes then invert onto another cooling rack. scrape any remaining bits of sugar or fruit from pan onto top of cake. serve warm or at room temperature.

after seeing an interesting episode of bobby flay's throwdown challenge on pineapple upside-down cake on the food network channel, it was the brass sisters, marilyn brass and sheila brass, pineapple cake version that i wanted to make badly. the cake looked absolutely gorgeous and better yet, it was light, fluffy, and moist. i'm glad i gave this recipe a try and it came out delicious (just the way it was being delivered on the tv show).

kumquat marmalade

kumquat marmalade
makes 1 (12 oz) jar

{ingredients}:

.: 2 cups cleaned & sliced kumquats (seeds removed)

.: 1 1/2 cups water

.: 1 1/2 cups sugar

.: 1 tbsp ginger (finely shredded; optional)

{directions}:

place all ingredients in a pot, stir, and bring to a boil. cook for 1 hour on low heat or until it becomes thicken. remove from heat. allow to cool slightly and then pour into sterilized jar and seal tightly. refrigerate it.

last week i purchased a bag of kumquats at the asian grocery and made marmalade with them. unexpectedly, my marmalade came out pretty good for the first try. i was amazed with the use of only three ingredients (kumquats, water, and sugar) can turn into a delicious spread for toast or can be eaten with anything and it's so easy to make. my only complaint is slicing the kumquats take time.

blueberry muffins

blueberry sour cream muffins

from the sono baking company cookbook

{ingredients}:

.: 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

.: 1 tsp. baking powder

.: 1/2 tsp. baking soda

.: 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries

.: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

.: 1 cup granulated sugar

.: 1 tsp. coarse salt

.: 2 large eggs, room temperature

.: 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

.: grated zest of 1 lemon

.: 1/2 cup sour cream

.: coarse sanding sugar, for finishing

{directions}:

1. preheat oven to 375 F & position the oven rack in the middle. spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan w/ nonstick cooking spray or butter it generously; set aside.

2. in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, & baking soda; set aside. toss the blueberries in a sieve w/ the remaining 1 tbsp flour.

3. in a standing mixer bowl fitted w/ the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, & salt on medium-high speed until light & fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. beat in the vanilla & lemon zest.

4. with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating just until the flour is absorbed. add the sour cream, beating until combined. gently fold in the blueberries w/ a rubber spatula.

5. use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. sprinkle w/ the sanding sugar.

6. bake, rotating the pan about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched & a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

7. transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 mins. use an offset spatula or table knife to gently lift & turn the muffins on their sides in the muffin cups. let cool completely in the pan. 

i made blueberry muffins yesterday and they were delicious. this recipe is perfect for autumn baking and you can easily substitute the blueberries with cranberries or make them into mini muffins and have a tea party :). happy baking!

apple pie

there's an old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", if that's truth then i don't mind having it in an apple pie everyday. :) speaking of apple pie, i haven't made this in ages and today i'm making one using fresh apples given to me by my co-worker who previously gave me orange cherry tomatoes. apparently, i never done a basket weave for the top layer crust before (thinking it was a complicated thing to do) but actually it's not and i like the look of it. recipe coming soon!

golden-orange cherry tomatoes

my co-worker brought in some cherry tomatoes, which are organically grown from her garden, for me today. they are super sweet and the color is so gorgeous. even though, they are not fruits but their appearance, shape & color remind me of a kumquat or even a baby version pumpkin.

strawberry daifuku :: mochi

i love mochi and making them was so much fun. the dough was indeed very sticky to work with and shaping each piece into a round ball is something i really need to work on but a couple of mochi later, i did get a hang of it. these were so yummy and the fresh, sweet strawberries do make a big difference. since the strawberry daifuku mochi were quite a success, i'm planning to make mango mochi next. stay tuned!

.: recipe is from chocolate & zucchini and clotilde has the full (elaborate) details on mochi making.

fuzzy peaches :: stone fruit tea cake

recipe from foodgal

those peaches were from the U-pick fruits day. they were still raw & hard when i picked them from the trees that day but after a couple of days later; they turned ripe, soft, & sweet. i was planning to make the stone fruit tea cake this weekend but then decided to bake it this evening instead before the peaches get too soft to handle. i just ate a slice of the warm baked peach cake and must say it is absolutely delicious. it would be even better if it was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with some more fresh sliced peaches. :)

U-pick fruits day :: revisited

it was a beautiful day yesterday; sunny & hot with a touch of cool breeze. we headed back to brentwood for fruit-picking again. the farms were packed with people and cars. everyone was there for all sorts of fruit-picking. there were cherries (red & white), apricots, peaches (white & yellow), blackberries, strawberries, and loquats. i returned home with a bag full of sweet cherries and some loquats & peaches. i'll be consuming fresh picked fruits for the next few days. :) hope your long weekend is so far so good!