The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart—Happy 4th of July

I’d made this The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart and have taken these pictures a while ago.  Somehow, I didn’t have a chance to share it on my blog yet.  To celebrate the 4th of July, I think we can all use a little pie/tart recipe as beautiful as this one, right?  This fresh fruit tart was an attempt to recreate my favorite fruit tart that I used to purchase from a Japanese bakery.  The ones from the bakery was a 4-inch tart. But for celebration, I think a full 9-inch tart is more beautiful though.  Somehow, the bakery changed their recipe and I didn’t like their new tarts anymore.  So, this fresh fruit tart is how I remembered what the tart used to be like from the bakery. 



What is unique about this tart is that it has a crunchy and flaky butter cookie crust.  Hm….yummy right?  I can’t resist a tart that has a butter cookie crust, can you?  On top of the crust, it’s a thin layer of chocolate.  So, think about chocolate cookies now.  Topping the chocolate layer is another layer of pastry cream, and a thin layer of freshly whipped cream.  Sounds decadent?  You bet it is.  Then, I top the whole tart with different fresh fruit.  I used Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges, and kiwi.  The berries are in season and it’s the best time and best way to celebrate them with this Ultimate Fresh Fruit Tart.  I brushed the fruit with a thin layer of glaze made with my homemade orange marmalade that was thinned out with a dash of lemon juice.  Each layer tasted wonderful on it’s own and really compliment each other all together.  This is really closed to the fruit tart that I love from the Japanese bakery, if not better.  



Due to the different layers involved in preparing this tart, there are quite a few steps in the recipe.  However, each step is quite simple to prepare.  I hope you will all enjoy today’s recipe and give it a try.  I wish you all a safe and wonderful 4th of July celebration.   




Note: I got this Pie plate a long time ago.  You can find a similar one here.

The Nest

Okay, I’ve news.  Well, not really news, it’s more like, I have some self-invited guests.  Technically, they are more like self-invited housemates, because we’re now living under the same roof!  Just a few weeks ago, it was one of the typical, hectic morning that I tried to get the kids out the door to go to school on time (and tried to keep myself in one piece at the same time).  As soon as I stepped out the door, I notice something strange at my front door porch.  There were puddles of mud drops on the ground right on the porch.  I puzzled for a few seconds, rubbed my eyes to make sure that wasn’t illusion as I was still trying to get myself awake.  I looked around the area, nothing unusual.  Then, I looked up the roof and this was what I saw(see picture below).  A well built nest, that happened just overnight.  After dropping the kids off to school, I had a little “investigation”, along with my camera. 



After standing there for a couple of minutes with my camera clicking, this little guy peek out of his/her nest. (see picture below)



There!  See picture below with the big-o white arrow!  See that little fellow?  Apparently, he/she feels that this is a nice and quiet neighborhood and decided to settle down and call this place, home!  Well, that was exactly what my hubby and I did a couple of years ago.  Guess we do have a little in common.  After all, we are “housemates” now.  After consulting the “bird expert” (sorry, it’s an inside joke), I was told that the birds are probably building a nest for his/her eggs.  When the babies hatches and can fly on their own, the whole family probably will move somewhere else.  But of course, the mud drops used to build their nest wasn’t the only thing that they have left on my porch.  The situation is getting worse each day and I don’t think I should post that yucky picture on my blog, I’m sure you understand.  But I have the evident on file!  So, I just need to host down my porch every now and then until they’re ready to move on.
 


On the up side, the kids had been so excited to check out the nest every single day after school.  We all wonder how many eggs there are in the nest.  Just a few days ago, I was watering my plants outside and found a half shell on one of the plants.  The shell was quite tiny though.  But then, this little fellow wasn’t that big at all.  If that’s a shell from one of her eggs, I guess that’s about the right size.  Unfortunately, I haven’t see any baby birds yet.  I’ll sure to report back when I capture something interesting on camera.  Does that ever happen to you?  Did you ever have to deal with the self-invited guests/housemates (either in animal form or human form)?  I would love know how you handled the situation.  

Mini Azuki Buns 迷你紅豆麵包 (TangZhong method 湯種法)

Just realized that I haven’t share a bread/buns recipe on my blog for a while.  So, I guess it’s about time to do so.  I make loaf breads and filled buns at least two to three times a week.  That’s how much my family loves bread.  Besides the usual Sausage Buns, Pastrami And Muenster Blossom Buns, and Prosciutto with Smoke Gouda Crescent, these sweet Mini Azuki Buns (迷你紅豆麵包) are also my family’s favorites. 

Still remember the Azuki Bean Paste recipe that I shared not long ago?  Great!  If not, please check out this post here for the recipe and pictorial.  You’re going to need that for today’s recipe.  Of course, you can get the ready-made red bean fillings for this bread recipe.  But why?  When you can easily make your own and enjoy it any time you like.  Plus, it’s a lot cheaper to make your own and you can control the sweetness in your bean paste.



These buns are really mini in size.  I can easily eat three of them just for breakfast.  Yes, they are that tiny.  Or yes, I have a big appetite!  They fit perfectly in my Little Girl’s hands.  Don’t you think everything is more adorable in mini-size?  Well, I guess my hubby’s tummy would disagree on that.  But the rest of the family do think so. 



You might noticed from the title of this post that this bun recipe uses the TangZhong method (湯種法).  If you’re a long time follower of my blog, you might remember this method is my favorite way of making bread.  In summary, the TangZhong method is adding a cooked dough into the main bread dough to create a soft and fluffy bread/buns, with its softness lasting for a few days.  You can read more about this method here if you're interested.



Are you ready to get into my kitchen to see how I made these Mini Azuki Buns?  Come on over.

First, we prepare the TangZhong the day before (See picture below)

**Note, please excuse me that the TangZhong Pictorial picture is from a previous post.

1) In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup bread flour together. 

2) With a wooden specula, stir until there’s no big lumps.

3) Cook the mixture on low heat, stirring constantly. 

4) When the dough turns slightly translucent and thicken, remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

5) I usually double the TangZhong for another recipe.  So, I used a scale to divide the TangZhong.  If you’re just making a single recipe, please ignore this step.

6) Wrap the TangZhong with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight before use.



After the mixer is done with kneading the dough for you (thank you), let the dough proof for an hour.  Divide the dough into 24 equal parts, let them rest for 15 minutes and follow the steps below to fill the buns.  (see picture below)

1) Simply roll the red bean paste into 24 1-inch balls.  Set aside.

2) On a lightly floured surface, work with one portion of the dough at a time.  Gently knead the dough a few times. Form it into a smooth round ball. 

3) With a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough into an 3-inch circle.

4) Place one of the red bean paste ball in the middle of the rolled-out dough. 



5) Gently pull the sides up and pinch the dough to close the seams. 

6) Place the filled dough seams side down into a mini tin foil cup (or onto a silpat lined baking sheet).  Repeat with the rest of the dough and fillings.  Place filled buns in a warm place to proof a second time.  About 30 to 40 minutes, or until double in size.

7) Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare the egg wash by beating the egg and a teaspoon of water until well combined.  Gently brush egg wash on top of the buns.

8) Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until slightly golden. Cool on wiring rack.



Pretty straight forward, isn't it?  The steps are actually quite easy.  But please note that, the whole process of bread making takes more than 3 hours from start to finish.  So, it could well be your weekend “project”, especially if you have a 9-5 full-time job.  The good news is, the bread stays nice and soft for many days for your enjoyment.  Because of the hot summer weather, you might want to keep the buns in the refrigerator.  Simply reheat them slightly in the microwave (without the foil) or toaster oven and they will taste like they are fresh out of the oven.  (I usually use the microwave so the buns won’t get dried up and turn crispy).



These are the perfect two-biters, or 6, if you’re like me, eating 3 buns in one sitting.  So, do you make your own bread at home?  Have you ever tried the TangZhong method of making bread?  I would love to hear from you.  Let me know if you have a favorite bread recipe to share.  Until next time, please take care. 

The End of Google Reader, Alternative and Options

Finally, the date is getting closer!  Google Reader is coming to an end on July 1st, 2013.  Yup, only a few days away.  I've been testing and trying alternatives sites to migrate the subscribed blogs that I read regularly.  And you might want to do the same as well before it’s too late.  Now, I use Feedly.  It’s the closest alternative to Google reader, in my opinion.

Here are a couple of articles for more details on how to set your account up if you want to read more about it.  Please check out this post here, and here.

Another alternative is to follow me on Bloglobin’, simply click here to follow.

Of course, you can also subscribe to my blog by eMail so you don’t miss my new posts.  (please see the “subscribe by email” on the right hand side-bar right below my profile picture.)

If you really want to track me down, you can also follow me on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterst.  I will be happy to follow you back.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment below.  I’ll try my best to answer.  For questions that I don’t really know, I’ll ask my personal I.T. support technician (a.k.a. my hubby) for you. 

How to Make Azuki (Red Bean) Paste (自家製紅豆沙餡料)

I hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day celebration.  We spent the weekend at my In-Law's place and we had a blast.  Maybe I'll share a few pictures with you in a future post.  For now, let's check out today's recipe.

Red bean paste and I go way back!  It’s a popular Chinese/Asian ingredient that you’ll find in many traditional desserts.  I think it’s safe to say that we have a love-hate relationship with it.  How?  I’m glad to tell you this love-hate relationship is less complicated than a love story involving a real person.  I simply love red bean paste in certain desserts, and hate it in some others.  Isn't it quite extreme?  Maybe after all, it’s not the problem of the red bean paste, but “other” ingredients in certain dessert that made me hated it?  I thought I would never know why....





So, my conclusion is that it’s not the red bean paste’s fault.  I guess I do love it after all.  It’s a wonderful addition in many desserts, such as these Coconut and Azuki Glutinous Rice Cake 椰汁紅豆糯米糕 that I always make duirng Chinese New Year; Black Sesame Macarons with Black Sesame Buttercream and Adzuki Beans; or for these Snow Skin Mooncake 冰皮月餅.  The red beans I used here are the Azuki beans (see picture above).  They are slightly bigger than the regular red beans you might find in American markets.  So, if you’re make this recipe, you might want to get the Azuki beans from the Asian markets or online here.  Otherwise, your cook time might be less if the size is smaller.




Another key ingredient in this recipe is the Chinese Cane Sugar (片糖), see picture above.  I know, somehow the English translation said “brown sugar” (in pieces?) on the package.  But as the ingredient said, they are really “cane sugar”.  So, just make sure this is the type you use.  Or else, you can substitute with turbinato (raw) sugar.  They taste pretty much the same.


This is how the cane sugar “pieces” look (see picture below)!  Don’t you just love all these translations?  I always have so much fun with them. 




Back to the recipe.  Here’s how I make these red bean paste. 

1) Place Azuki beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least an inch above the top of the beans. Cover with plastic wrap and let them soak overnight.

2) This is how they look after soaking for a night, all plumped up and ready to go.

3) Transfer the beans to a strainer and rinse under cold tap water. Discard soaking water.

4) Place bean in a large pot and add just enough water to cover the beans. Cook on medium high until water comes up to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Taste a bean and it should be tender. Then, add the cane sugar and salt and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered and stirs constantly with a wooden spoon until water is almost all absorbed by the beans.

6) This is how the bean paste should look like. Remove from heat, let cool and store in the fridge until ready to use. Or, you can wrap them individually in small portion and store in the freezer for future use.



Pretty simple right?  Of course it is.  There are many ways to use these red bean paste other than the recipes link I shared above.  I’ll share more recipes using this red bean paste in the near future. 



Of course, you can always buy ready made canned ones.  But I really adore the homemade version because I can adjust the sweetness in mine.  The canned ones are always a little too sweet for me.  With this less sweet homemade version, you can really taste the earthy flavor of the red bean.  This red bean paste is really starchy, slightly creamy, and with the perfect amount of sweetness, like all good beans paste should be.  Yes, I eat it by the spoonful too!  They are that good!  Please don’t judge.  You might do the same if you make these goodness. 

So, the mystery of my love-hated relationship with the red bean paste was solved ever since I made my own paste at home.  It was the quality if the paste that made me dislike it with certain desserts.  I'm so glad that we have mended our relationship.  After all, red bean paste is something that I don't want to miss in my life.