Strawberry Milky Lollipop 士多啤梨牛奶棒棒糖

Have your kids started their Spring Break yet?  I know my kids couldn’t wait to have some time off from school.  They want to feel free and not have to worry about homework, exams, book reports, etc.  Today, I’ve a super fun and cute recipe for you to welcome Spring Break!  Check out these Strawberry Milky Lollipops!  Aren’t they the cutest things you’ve seen lately?  Best of all, they are really yummy as well.



I made these Strawberry Milky Lollipop over the weekend with my Baby Girl.  If you’re looking for some fun activities to do with your kids on their days off, this recipe would be a fun and delicious project.  These lollipops are also a perfect treat if you’re planning a kids party as well.



The flavors of these homemade Strawberry Milky Lollipops remind me of these Strawberry and Cream lollipops that I loved when I was young.  Better yet, my homemade version is made with real strawberries and no artificial flavors or coloring.  Since there are only a few ingredients in these lollipop candies, the strawberry flavor truly comes through. 



If you haven’t done so, be sure to check out my video tutorial at the top of this post on how to make these cuties!  I’ll show you step by step on how to make the traditional lollipop shapes and the strawberry shaped ones as well.



An alternate to shaping the lollipop is to cut the rolled candy into tiny dots (as shown in the picture above.)  I personally prefer these smaller ones as they are perfect for 'portion control!'  I’ll list all the ingredients and tools used in this recipe at the end of the post for your reference.



If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my Youtube channel here.  That way, you won’t miss out on any future videos and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published.  Thank you for stopping by and I wish you all a fun and sweet Spring Break!


Ingredients and Tools Used:
All Natural Beet Rool Coloring Tutorial: https://goo.gl/uWBS7D
Sweet Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Organic Honey (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Unsalted Butter (Click here for more information)
Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Freeze Dried Strawberry (Click here for more information)
Lollipop Sticks (Click here for more information)
Infrared Thermometer (Click here for more information)
 

Rosé Gummy Bears

Have you seen the latest obsession over the internet and Bloggiverse?  Yes, I just made that “B” word up (but how else would you call it?)  Anyway, I meant to say, these Rosé Gummy Bears are all over the place!  The popular confession company that manufactures these Rosé Gummy Bears simply went out of stocks over the unexpected demand.  As a result, over 18,000 people had to get on the waiting list to order them!  I could totally understand why!  I mean, who wouldn’t love these cutie pinkish gummy bears that are packed with romantic Rosé flavor?  I know I couldn’t resist!



The first time when I came across these gorgeous and cutie little bears was in Hawaii over the summer.  The hotel that we stayed had a little shop that carries confessions.  But due to the limited luggage space, I had to refrain myself from buying them.  Plus, instead of paying $8.50 USD for just a small box, I decided that I can simply make these at home.  After all, they are quite easy and fun to make.  Another advantage of creating your own gummy is that you can select your favorite Rosé that suits your palates. 



If you’re hosting a party, bridal shower, celebrations, or girls gatherings, I say these Rosé Gummy Bears would be the perfect conversation starter!  You can also package them as party favors for your guests to take home as well. 



If you’ve watched the video tutorial at the beginning of this post, you can see that I used 2 different silicone molds to make these gummies.  One with a traditional gummy bear shape and the other with a rose shape.  They both came out gorgeous and the silicone molds that I had are so easy to use.  I love that the gummy bear mold a lot because it comes with a little dropper for easy filling.  I’ll list the products that I used at the end of the post for your convenience.



These Rosé Gummy Bears are truly amazing. They are only slightly sweet and you can totally taste the Rosé in them.  So, make sure you choose a wine that you would enjoy drinking (by the glass) to make these treats.  To amp up the pink color in these Rosé Gummy Bears, I added a few drops of Homemade Beet Root Natural Red food colorant.  Since I had shared this food colorant recipe in the past, I’ll list the link below so that you can check out the video tutorial as well!  Last but not least, I added a tiny amount of edible pink shimmer powder in them as well.  It added so much shine, and totally glam up these Rosé Gummy Bears!   



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and video tutorial.  Please stay tuned for more fun and gorgeous recipe.  Until next time, have a Fabulous Friday!


Tools and Ingredients Used:

Gummy Bear Mold (Click here for more information)
Rose Shape Silicone Mold  (Click here for more information)
Edible Pink Shimmer Powder  (Click here for more information)
Unflavored Gelatin Powder (Click here for more information)
Heat Proof Measuring Cups (Click here for more information)
Measuring Spoons Set (Click here for more information)
Organic Non-Stick Cooking Spray  (Click here for more information)
All Natural Beet Root Red Colorant (Click here for more information)





This recipe contains alcohol.  Please read our Health and General Disclaimers.

Frosted Cranberries (Candied Cranberries)

Are you ready for the holidays?  I can’t wait to spend some time with my family and friends.  We all need some time off, I guess.  Today, I wanted to share this easy recipe with you that will make your holiday treats a lot more festive! Say hello to these Frosted Cranberries!  They are gorgeous, festive, edible jewels, in my opinion.  Best of all, they are quite easy to make.  Be sure to check out my YouTube video above for the step-by-step instructions.   

These Frosted Cranberries are made with the fresh ones, not frozen.  If you’ve tried a fresh cranberry without anything else, you know they taste super sour.  That’s why you usually see them dried or turned into sauces.  For the same reason, these frosted edible jewels are perfect with the sugar coating!  The sweet and tart taste balance each other out really well.  I used some vanilla sugar in the soaking syrup (click here to see the vanilla sugar recipe).  Or, you can simply use regular sugar.

So besides eating these candied cranberries as is, you can also use them as a festive holiday garnish for your cakes and treats. 

They turn a regular bundt cake into a festive holiday centerpieces!  The Frosted Cranberries are also great in punches and cocktails!  I’ll post the Classic Bundt Cake (picture above) recipe on my next post.  So please stay tuned!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoy the post and the recipe.  Until next time, please take care and stay warm!

Chocolate Tiramisu Layer Cake (No Bake!) 巧克力提拉米蘇三層蛋糕 (免烘)

My oven is on almost everyday, or every other day.  From homemade loaf bread, cookies, cupcakes, to roasted vegetables and chickens drumsticks, I certainly keep my oven quite busy.  But as the temperature rises, I do long for no bake treats.  After all, it’s not that fun to turn on the oven and adding more heat to the almost triple digit temperature out there.  This Chocolate Tiramisu Layer Cake will certainly holds a special spot in your fridge, then your tummy, and probably in your heart after you've tried a piece.  I especially love it when I don't have to turn on the oven in the summer to make a gorgeous cake.  After all, I have quite a few birthdays to celebrate in summer!



My Kids love Tiramisu, both the traditional one and the Strawberry version (recipe here).  However, I've got to keep it to just a tasting portion for the traditional ones because there’s coffee in it.  That’s the main reason why I created this Chocolate version of Tiramisu so everyone in the family can enjoy.  I guess it’s not news anymore that my whole family is chocoholic!  Um, I guess it runs in the family; especially, my Baby Girl, she loves dark chocolate way more than milk or white ones!  She’s definitely a little foodie.       



Since there’s no baking involved in this Chocolate Tiramisu Layer Cake, it is rather an easy cake to make.  All you need to do is have each element ready before you start layering and assembling the cake.  The ingredients are quite straight forward and pretty easy to find these days.  At the end of the post, I’ll list the links of the products that I used for your convenience so you know what to look for when you go shop.  The toughest part of this cake?  WAITING!  Yes, after you put the cake together, you have to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.   That gives the lady fingers the time they needed to fully absorbed all the moisture and goodness, and softened up to cake like consistency.  If you ask me, I think it’s totally worth the wait!  



As you might already know.  Tiramisu in Italian means “pick me up”.  Traditionally, this famous dessert is made of ladyfingers (a very light weight and crispy cookies) dipped in a mixture of espresso and liquor, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, cream and mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder.  The texture is so soft and fluffy, hence, it’s called “pick me up”.  So, the texture of this Chocolate Tiramisu Layer Cake is also very light, tender, soft and fluffy!  Yet, it’s rich and chocolate-y at the same time because of the dark cocoa powder that I used.  I love Valrhona's! Trust me on this one.  I've tried a fair share of cocoa powder and this one gives me the richest, darkest, and most chocolate-y taste!  The mascarpone cheese provided the silky, rich and creamy texture.  This dessert is rich and satisfying, but not overly sweet. 



As you can see from the pictures of the whole cake, I leave the sides of this cake with a rustic look and you can see all 3 layers of cream and the lady fingers as well.  You can make it smooth and seamless by smearing a thin layer of whipped mascarpone cream mixture to the side of the pan before soaking and lining the lady fingers.  You’ll see what I mean when we go over the pictorial below.  Ready to step into the kitchen with me?  Let’s go!

1) Grease the side and bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.
2) Line the bottom and sides of the pan with a piece of parchment paper, make sure the parchment paper is a little taller than the side of the pan by 1/2 to 1-inch.
3) Heat and whisk all the ingredients of the chocolate milk mixture until sugar dissolved.  Pour mixture into a shallow dish to let cool.
4) In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar until soft peak. 




5) Stop the mixer and add the mascarpone cheese.  Beat the mixture until medium peak forms.
6) Add the cocoa powder and beat until incorporated
7) Dip the lady fingers into the chocolate milk mixture, 1 to 2 second for both sides.  Do not dip too long or else your lady fingers will get too soggy.
8) Line the dipped lady fingers on the bottom of the prepared pan. You might need to break a piece to fill the gaps between the lady fingers.  You should be able to fit 12 pieces (100 grams) in a layer.




9) Spread 1/3 of the mascarpone cheese mixture on top of the lady fingers.  Spread evenly on top.
10) Dust 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder to cover the top.
11) Repeat 2 more layers by dipping more lady fingers into the chocolate milk mixture, follow by mascarpone mixture and cocoa powder.
12) Do not dust the very top of the final layer of mascarpone cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 24 hours before serving.




13) When it’s ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap.
14) Remove the ring of the spring-form pan and the parchment paper on the sides.
15) Dust the top of the cake with 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
16) Decorate with a few fresh raspberries and fresh mint leaves and enjoy!





Pretty simple, right?  You’ll be amazed with how simple this cake is to prepare, yet got that wow factor and tasted just as amazing as it looks, if not better.  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and give this cake a try.  You can come back and thank me later. 





Tools and Props used in this post:

9-inch Non-Stick Spring Form Pan (Click here for more information)
Ruffled Edges White Cake Stand (Click here to see similar product)
KitchenAid Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Cake/Pie Server (Click here for more information)
2 Tone Bamboo Cutting Board (See similar product here)
Small Forks for Dessert (See similar product here)
Italian Lady Fingers (Click here for more information)
Valrhona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Click here for more information)
Mascarpone Cheese (Click here for more information)
Cooking Spray (Click here for more information)
 

Dark Chocolate Orange Tartlets and Happy New Year

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your friends and family.  As for me, besides feeling a little under the weather on Christmas Eve, I had a wonderful Christmas celebration with my family and loved ones.  Of course, it's not fun being sick.  But the up side was that it reminded me what's most important, my family’s health and the time we spent making new memories together.

I had been busy baking all month long in December for the holidays, special orders, and gift-givings.  With the New Year and Chinese New Year coming up soon, it seems that my “bakathon” (baking marathon) never ends!  It’s all good though, because I really enjoy what I do and I get to shared what I love with friends and family.     



Back to these Dark Chocolate Orange Tartlets, they are simply amazing.  Dark Chocolate and orange is probably one of my favorite flavor combinations.  These tartlets simply brighten up my palates and my days.  And I hope they'll bring some sunshine your way too, no matter where you are.  The orange curd is sweet and slightly tart at the same time; the dark chocolate cookie crust is rich and super chocolate-y, buttery and crumbly, which is heavenly on its own.




Imagine having a layer of crunchy dark chocolate between the chocolate cookie crust and the refreshing orange curd, hm….I don’t think anyone can refuse these tartlets.  Plus, the dark chocolate layer prevents the cookie crust from absorbing the moisture from the orange curd so it stays flaky and crunchy.  The candied orange slice on top truly put a wonderful finishing touch on these tarts; not only they are pretty to look at, they are also delicious on their own.  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  They are worth celebrating for. 



Last but not least, I wanted to thank you all for your supports, encouragement, suggestions, and comments throughout the years on my blog.  It’s wonderful to know each of you and words simply can’t describe how thankful I am to have you in my life.  So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  I also want to wish you all a blessed, healthy and prosperous 2014!  Please stay tuned for more recipes, reviews, and giveaways in the near future.  Happy New Year!

Boozy Framboise Guimauve Pops--For Mothers Day

The other day, I was craving for marshmallows.  Those soft, pillow-y and flavorful marshmallows.  Ever since I made my own, (see previous posts from here and here), I can never go back to the store bought ones.  If you've ever tried a homemade marshmallow, you will know exactly why.  The texture of the homemade ones is just heavenly soft and light; the flavor is truly up to your imagination.  On the day I craved for the marshmallows, my imagination took me to a boozy place, with sweet and tart framboise (raspberry in French), and a wonderland filled with pinkish guimauve (marshmallow in French).  Okay, I know, I’m not French, but don’t you agree that French names sound more fancy and romantic? And these Boozy Framboise Guimauve Pops definitely are fancy, romantic and just darn tasty!  They will make you dream a little.



Making homemade marshmallow involve making a syrup, which is a solution of sugar and liquid, and cook it to a certain temperature.  The easiest way to tell the temperature of the syrup is using a candy thermometer.  If you don’t have one, I highly recommend you getting one.  It’s not only useful in candies making, but also handy when canning for jams and cooking the custard for your favorite ice cream.  Click here to see the thermometer I use.  The price is reasonable and and the numbers are easy to read.



I couldn't help it but to turn these marshmallows into pops, lovely flower pops.  You can wrap them individually with treat bags and pass them on as gifts (you know, Mother’s Day is coming up).  I think they are the perfect homemade gifts for Mother's day.  They are just so feminine and beautiful. Although you can hardly detect the taste of liquor in these mallows because most of the liquor is cooked off.  These boozy mallows are simply not for kids, pregnant ladies, or any one who can’t take alcohol.  But, you can certainly replace the liquor with fruit juice and make them kids friendly.  My kids love the kids friendly version a lot.  I’ll include both recipes below for your convenience.  Oh, and I used these cookie cutters to make the pops.  Aren't they the cutest thing ever!?



So, I made a batch of kid's friendly flower pops for my kids.  Then a boozy batch for myself and some friends to enjoy!  To distinguish the two, I piped the boozy one into long ropes in a pastry bag fitted with a round pastry tip.  When the ropes were dry, I cut them into small pieces.  These are not just cute, but also sweet, tart, raspberr-ey, pillow-y, and melt in the mouth as well.  Super addictive!  One last thing, I used potato starch to prevent the marshmallow from sticking together.  You can also use a mixture of corn starch and powdered sugar.  However, I love the potato starch because it's mild and doesn't have the raw flour taste.  Plus, the potato starch doesn't add any sweetness to these mallows as they are already sweet enough.  I used the potato starch to coat these Black Sesame Mochi as well.  Have you ever make homemade marshmallows before?  I want to know what flavors you dream of. 




For more homemade gift ideas for Mother's Day, check out the Meyer Lemon Sugar Scrub and Lavender Bath Salt.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and a Giveaway

Do good things come in small packages?  Oh yeah.  I couldn’t agree more.  Although I’m short, but no, I’m not talking about myself.  As I was searching for more cookie ideas to bake for this holiday season, I was munching on these Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies that I’ve just made.  They are tiny one-bite cookies that are packed with wonderful flavors with different texture in each layer.  But honestly, I can’t quite focus on searching for other cookies while indulging these Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies as the same time.  With a glass of milk, I wanted to take a nap instead of doing my “research”!  What a tough job that I have here.



Recently, I’ve received the OXO Mini Measuring Beaker Set and the Good Cookie Spatula (see pictures below) from the nice people at OXO.  They are nice not just because they sent me these awesome products to try out; but they are folks who also care about others who are in need.  Have you heard of the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer?  It’s a non-profit organization that focuses on helping kids with cancer to get the funding for better treatments.  Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by OXOnians (OXO employees).  OXO encourages bloggers, bakers, and the like to participate in the Bake a Difference project.  For every donation or bake sale registered at www.cookiesforkidscancer.org that mentions OXO, they will match the funds up to $100,000! For more information, here’s the Cookie for Kids’ Cancer website.



So, what are you waiting for?  Spread the words and host a bake sale.  I think it’s a nice gesture to give back a little this Holiday season. 



I’ve always been a big fan for OXO’s products and designs.  This Mini Measuring Beaker Set didn’t disappoint me at all!  It’s so easy to measure small amount of ingredients, and I won’t spill them all over the place any more (especially when the mixer running, with one hand trying to pour the ingredient into the running machine, and the other hand holding the heavy camera trying to take a picture at the same time!)  You know this is how I roll when taking my pictorial pictures.  See, I’ve told you I have a tough job.   



The picture below shows the marshmallow already piped onto the cookies before dipping into the chocolate.  The marshmallow “kisses” are soft, light, and fluffy; sitting on top of the crunchy and crumbly cookies. hm…..    



After the mallow-topped cookies are dipped into the semi-sweet melted chocolate, they became perfect.  Perfectly addictive.  The semi-sweet chocolate coating gives these cookies a wonderful chocolaty flavor and a slight crunch when bite into them. 



What’s even better than these Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies?  How about a Giveaway?  Sounds great?  Here are the details of the giveaway. 

One uTry.it reader (with an U.S. mailing address, no P.O Box please) will win an OXO Mini Measuring Beaker Set and the Good Cookie Spatula, courtesy of OXO.  (I’ve told you they are nice people ) 

This Giveaway is now closed.  Winner will be announced shortly.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post to let me know what is your favorite Holiday cookie to make?  Dead line to enter is December 18, 2012 by mid-night PST.  Winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and announced shortly after the giveaway is closed.  So, please make sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you won.   


Want extra chances to win?  Simply do any, or all, of the following (optional).  Just leave a separate comment of each action that you do.
1) Add uTry.it to your Google+ circle.  (See sidebar to the right)
2) “Like” uTry.it’s Facebook page.  Here’s the link.
3) “Like” OXO’s Facebook page.  Here’s the link.
4) Follow uTry.it on Twitter.  Here’s the link.
5) Follow OXO on Twitter.  Here’s the link.
6) Follow uTry.it on Pinterest.  Here’s the link.
7) Subscribe via email or RSS feed. (See sidebar to the right)

Good luck everyone and have fun baking!





Disclaimer:  I received an OXO Mini Measuring Beaker Set and a Good Cookie Spatula free of charge and I was not compensated in any other way.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review, or a review at all.  All opinions are my own.

Happy Thanksgiving—Turkey for Dessert, anyone?

Turkey for dessert, anyone?  I don’t see why not if they are as charming and sweet as these Oreo Turkeys!  I can’t believe there are only a few days left before Thanksgiving.  If you haven’t take the real turkey out of your freezer (or get one from the market’s freezer), it’s about time to do so.  If your recipe has a long marinating/brining process, it could be already too late.  Opps…if that’s the case, don't panic! Go get yourself a pack of Oreo, some mini Reese's and confetti's...stay calm and make these sweet turkeys instead!  You won’t regret it. I promise!  And for the Thanksgiving entree, get a honey glazed ham instead.  I'm sure it'll be just as delicious.  



When I was making these Oreo Turkeys with my kids the other day, we had a blast.  It’s always warm and sweet spending time with my kids in the kitchen.  Not to mention, we can sneak a few cookies and candies along the "production line"!  When the “glue” is actually sweet and tasty, that’s a big plus too.  When I’m in the kitchen with my kids, the list of “What I’m grateful for this year…” simply goes on and on.  I feel blessed to have my kids around me, that they are healthy and happy kids. 



I probably don’t say or show it enough, how grateful I am for my lovely husband.  He works hard and studies hard so that the kids and I can play hard.  (Sorry, can’t help it, Honey.)  Seriously, I’m really thankful for everything that he does for the family, big or small.  He’s always so thoughtful, supportive, and caring.  What more can a wife ask for, right?  He’s really the perfect role model for the kids.   I’m truly grateful for that because sometimes I act like a kid myself. 

I’m grateful for my Parents and In-Laws, they are always loving, generous, caring, and supportive.  I’m grateful for my dear friends.  Although we don’t see each other often, some even live thousands of miles away, but I know I can count on them to be there whenever I need them.  I’m truly thankful for that. 

I’m thankful for you, my readers and blog friends around the world.  Without you, your supports, comments, feedback and trust (to try my recipes), uTry.it probably won’t exist.  I’m truly thankful for that.



I’m grateful that you’re still here reading my post and didn't click away.  I’m truly thankful for that!  As a way to say thank you, let me show you how to make these Oreo Turkeys.  First, gather all your ingredients.  Some Oreo for the base and rear end, Mini Reese’s as the body, Whoppers for the head, Cookie Icing for the eyes and act as “glue”, Candy Corn as the beak and feathers, tiny black confetti for the eye balls, pink Nerds as the waddle and some melted chocolate as “glue”.



Here’s the pictorial on how to get this turkey done without putting it into the oven.

1) Have all your ingredients ready, unwrap from plastic bags/wrapping papers, etc.

2) Split the Oreo open, gently press 5 candy corns to the edges (as feather).  Add some cookie icing on the candy corns tips and cover back the other side of the Oreo cookie, set aside.

3) Trim one side of the mini Reese’s as shown (for its body).

4) Take another Oreo cookie and smear a little bit melted chocolate on top (for base).

5) Take the Oreo with melted chocolate to a vertical position and place the “feathered” Oreo on the side.  Smear some melted chocolate on the cut side and flat side of the Reese’s and place on top of the “feathered” Oreo.  Slightly dip the Whopper into the melted chocolate and place on top of the Reese’s (as the head).

6) Place a small amount of cookie icing on top of the Whopper on both left and right side (as the eyes).  Top with black confetti as eye balls.  Cut the tip off a candy corn, dip the cut side of the candy corn tip in melted chocolate and place below the eyes (as the beak).  Dip the pink Nerd in melted chocolate and place below the beak (as waddle).  Leave the turkeys alone until the chocolate and icing are firmed up before transferring or packing.



That’s it.  Pretty simple, right?  Oh yeah…I’m packaging these Oreo Turkeys and they will be delivered to some happy tummies.  Last but not least, I’m submitting this post to Kitchen-PLAY.  They’re having some fun contest and giveaway.  Check it out or join in for some fun.



So, what are you thankful for this year?  Please share because I always love to hear from you.  Take care, have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!