Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Swiss Roll 櫻花瑞士卷蛋糕

I adore Sakura (Cherry Blossom)!  One of my dreams is to visit Japan in Spring to enjoy the scenery when the Sakura blooms!  Since I don’t think that is going to happen any time soon, enjoying a slice of this Sakura Swiss Roll Cake 櫻花瑞士卷蛋糕 is as close as I can get my hands (or taste buds) on them!  



If you’ve tried my other Swiss Roll recipes, such as this Decorated Coffee Swiss Roll, Strawberry and Cream Swiss Roll, or Chocolate Yule Log, you probably know that my roll cake recipes are pretty much fool proof.  What is the biggest nightmare when making a roll cake?  I’m sure any baker would tell you that having a cracked up cake when you try to roll it up is the baker's biggest fear!  So, give my recipes a try and you’ll be amazed by how soft and spongy the cake is, which makes it super easy to roll up!  Watch the YouTube video tutorial at the top of this post and you’ll see what I meant.  



I used some pickled sakura to decorate this cake.  Beside adding a little pattern and decorations on the cake, the pickled sakura also adding a hints of tartness and unique flavors to this cake (the flavor is similar to the Chinese sweet and sour plums).  I also added some sakura paste into the cake batter and fillings.  It’s tart and sweet at the same time, and packed with wonderful sakura flavor which I adore.  The subtle floral aroma is beautiful in this gorgeous cake.  Check out the list of tools and ingredients at the end of this post to find out where to get them.  I hope you’ll give this cake a try soon.  It sure feels like Spring time arrived early in my kitchen!




Pickled Sakora Cherry Blossoms (Click here for more information)
Sakura Paste (Click here for more information)
10 by 15-inch Baking Pan (Click here for more information)
Heavy Cream (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click here for more information)
Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)

The Ultimate Friendship Bracelets Kit Giveaway Winner Announcement

Thank you everyone who participated in the Ultimate Friendship Bracelets Kit giveaway.  Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize.  We have selected a winner through Random.org!



The winner is An ika who said,

“pin-https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/483151866254754632/”
Congratulations, An ika!  I’m sure you will enjoy this kit a lot! I’ll be in contact with you soon.

If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Ultimate Friendship Bracelets Kit here.

It’s a wonderful that you can enjoy with your kids. 

Thank you all for reading.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes, video tutorials and giveaway soon.

Home Sweet Home 3D Sugar Cookies – For Valentine’s Day!

Another Valentine’s Day treat?  Why not?  Especially when they are as adorable as these Home Sweet Home 3D Sugar Cookies!  Check out the step-by-step video tutorial above and find out how to make them. They are super easy and you can decorate them however you like it.  I’ll list the tools that I used at the bottom of this post for your reference.

This post is actually a dedication to my Hubby for Valentine’s Day!  I might not have said it often enough, but I sure hope that he knows how much I appreciate and feel grateful for everything that he did for the family.  He is always very supportive and encouraging, especially when it comes to my work.  He taught me by example to be patience and have faith with the kids.  He works hard to provide for the family so I can work part-time from home and do what I love.  Because of him, we have this place that we feel loved and secured, a place that we can called home….a Home Sweet Home, in deed!  Now, you see why I created these cookies for Valentine’s Day! 

I actually used a 3D gingerbread house cookie cutter for these sugar cookies.  But who said I have to make gingerbread cookies in February, right?  I love that I can use the cookie cutter for more than just one thing!  

 

There are many ways you can decorate these cookies too.  Besides using the 3D gingerbread house cookie cutter, I also used a mini flower and heart shaped cookie cutters to decorate these houses.  You can also use sprinkles (see the 1st picture above), or colored sugar to garnish them as well.

Serve it hanging over the tea cup (see the picture above) with rich and smooth hot chocolate and you're all set for a great afternoon tea!  (Click here for an easy and decadent homemade cocoa mix recipe.)

And of course, you can put them in treat bags and give them out to your Valentines!  They made wonderful homemade treats for sure.  Be prepared to hear oohs and aahs when you hand them out.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy today’s post, recipe and video tutorial.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes in the near future.

Tools and Ingredients List:

3D Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter (Click Here for more information)
Mini Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter (Click Here for more information)
Mini Flower Shaped Cookie Cutter (Click Here for more information)
10-Inch Ribbon Cake Stand (Click her for more information)
Pastry Bag (Click Here for more information)
Wilton Decorating Tip No.2 Round (Click Here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click Here for more information)
Silpat (Click Here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click Here for more information)
Cooling Rack (Click Here for more information)
Vanilla Extract (Click Here for more information)

Happy New Year! Gong Hay Fat Choi 恭喜發財!

Picture Source

Happy Chinese New Year (恭喜發財)!  February 8th marks the first day of the Year of Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac.  I want to wish you all a healthy, wealthy, and prosperous year!  猴年祝大家新年快樂, 身体健康,步步高升! 財源滾滾來!

Chinese Turnip Cakes

Last week, I made some Chinese Turnip Cakes (港式臘味蘿蔔糕) to share with the family.  This is one of the Chinese New Year must-have treats!  Click here for the recipe.

Osmanthus Jelly with Goji Berries

Seems like we’re having warmer than usual temperature for CNY this year in L.A.  So, these Osmanthus Jelly with Goji Berries (杞子桂花糕) are perfect for the occasion! 

Chicken Pot Stickers

Another savory treat that I love are these Chicken Pot Stickers (雞肉鍋貼).  Their shape resembles the golden nuggets people used for trading in the ancient time.  So, serving these Pot Stickers around CNY is a symbol of wealth for the new year to come!  I recently made a pork and cabbage fillings version of these dumplings and they were so good.  Can’t wait to share the video tutorial with you soon.

 

Black Sesame Dumplings with Ginger Syrup

Of course, you can’t skip dessert for a happy CNY feast!  These Black Sesame Dumplings with Ginger Syrup (薑茶芝麻湯丸) is the perfect treat to conclude a meal.  The round shape of the dumpling represent the unity of the family.

For more authentic Chinese New Year treats and recipes, simply click here to check them all out!

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Once again, Happy Chinese New Year everyone 恭喜發財!  Stay tuned for a more fun recipe and video tutorial on the blog soon!

Truffled Mushroom Mac and Cheese 黑松露芝士通粉

It seems like I haven’t posted a savory recipe in a long while.  Of course, my family doesn’t survive on just dessert, even though I know my kids won’t mind that at all!  In fact, I cook every meal of the day, almost every single day!  We only dine out occasionally on the weekends.  What do I cook every day, you might wonder?  I would say 80% Chinese or Asian dishes.  Which most of the recipes are simple and I have them memorized in mind; or I seldom measure the ingredients but simply tasting the dishes along the cooking process.  Hence, the lack of recipe posting on those dishes.

The remaining 20% would be American cuisines or pasta dishes.  And this Truffled Mushroom Mac and Cheese is a frequent dish on our dinner table!  It’s definitely my kind of comfort food in the cooler weather.  Imagine your favorite mac and cheese got “upgraded”, to a truffled version!  It takes your regular Mac and Cheese to a whole new level!  Yet, it’s still super easy to prepare that I make it almost once a week on the weeknights!     

It’s cheesy, gooey, packed with mushroom goodness and a hints of truffle’s earthy aroma.  Have you checked out my YouTube tutorial video on top of this post yet?  I do have to confess, I took a short cut and used a can of organic mushroom condensed soup for the base, which makes this dish super fast and easy to prepare.   But the soup itself is so good, which you can’t go wrong with it at all (you’ll see why if you check out the brand that I used)!  Nope, I don’t own the brand nor have anything associated with the company.  It just happened to be called Amy’s Organic Soup!   

Give this recipe a try, I’m sure it’ll soon be your family’s favorite comfort food as well.  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and video.  Stay tuned for more easy and scrumptious recipes and video tutorials in the near future!

P.S. If you haven’t enter the worldwide giveaway, click here to check it out.  The deadline to enter is Feb 14, 2016.  Good luck!


Ingredients and props used:

Amy’s Organic Mushroom Soup (Click here for more information)

English Cheddar with Italian Black Truffle (Click here for more information)
CorningWare Etch 9-inch Baker (Click here for more information)

Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set (Click here for more information)

Truffle Oil (Click here for more information)