Fluffy American Buttermilk Pancake

We used to go to Tick Tock Diner every weekend for breakfast/brunch/lunch in a big group when we were in NY a few years ago (graduate training for 3 months), it is just a few blocks behind where we stayed, we always ordered pancakes, talked about all the funny things and exciting busy plans for the weekend. We all have our best memories in NY, even now we are still talking about our silly stories.

I miss the good old days... and the American pancakes! I was searching for places in London that do good American pancakes, none of them is the right texture/flavour :(  I have tried several recipes and I found this prefect fluffy one!

Fluffy American Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

160g (1.25 cup) flour
1 egg
240ml (1 cup) buttermilk
50g (0.25 cup) sugar
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
60ml (0.25 cup) vegetable  oil
0.5 teaspoon salt

Methods

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender/mixer until smooth.
2. Preheat a frying pan on medium low heat. Spray a little bit non-stick vegetable oil.
3. Pour batter to your desired size. When small bubbles start to show on top of the batter, flip and cook the other side the pancake until light brown.
4. Serve hot with maple syrup or whipped cream and berries :)

Bunnies Topsy Turvy Cake

Not sure where I first saw a picture of this utterly adorable Noah's Ark Cake on the internet last year, Sharon Wee Creations have since inspired me to the world of sugarpaste modelling especially by the unique cute figurines, pastel colours and sweet clean designs of her cakes.


Sharon from Australia used to work in a corporate company, she started out by decorating cakes and cupcakes for her friends and family, after a few years she quit her corporate job to focus on her cakes business full time. She has also now become on of the most popular cake decorator in the industry.

One of her most famous designs is this Cheeky Teddies Topsy Turvy Cake, I dropped my jaw when I first saw it and have wondered how she did the physics behind..with the hot air balloon tilted, teddy bear hanging on the cake stand, teddy bear popping out from a present, a cake on a cake stand and on top of 2 cakes?! all my questions unanswered until...she came to London to teach this class!!

The class was 2 days long, I made a bunny version of this Topsy Turvy Cake:

Sharon is so friendly and helpful, she shared so many valuable experience, tips and tricks with us in the class, we all enjoyed the class so much that we (I) didnt want to leave in the end :-P

Awww I know this is a bit self-obsessed, I really really x 100000 love and greatly contented with this cake and the bunny rabbits ❤❤❤❤ 

Sharon totally made my day/week/month :-P i am so looking forward to meet her again next time when she comes to London :)

Sweet Swirly Frosting Wedding Cake ♡

Heartiest congratulations to Suki and David on their wedding registry day, wishing the sweet couple a lifetime of the greatest bliss, love, and happiness. 

I was so thrilled and excited to make them a wedding cake for the big day! The couple picked this sweet cream chesse frosting design with their figurines and little figures of their cute rabbits, inside the frosting was tiers of tiramisu cakes. I added some hand-crafted sugar roses and hydrangea petals to match with the whole sweet design of the cake. 

I really find the process of making/filling/stacking/decorating tiered cakes most enjoyable :-D transporting the cake most nerve-racking :-S all efforts totally pay off when you see smiles from the couples' and the guests' faces.

 The two little rabbit figures inspired by the couples' cute fluffy rabbits ♡

Cherry Blossom, Rose, Jasmine & Earl Grey Macarons

I am going to feature a pretty month of delicate cherry blossoms and springtime blooms with pastel colors sweets ✿
I often need to make larger quantities when making macarons by the Italian Meringue (Sugar Syrup) Method to generate better result for the shinier consistency. It seems switching to the French Meringue (Incorporate "Cold" Sugar) Method can make smaller quantities that generate a very close result and taste. I prefer the Italian Meringue Method for smoother macaron shells, and the French Meringue Method for easier and smaller quantities :-P These Cherry Blossom, Rose, Jasmine & Earl Grey Macarons were made by the French Meringue Method with fragrant flowery ganache filling ✿

Cherry Blossom, Rose, Jasmine & Earl Grey Macarons

Ingredients

For the macaron shells 

(makes around 40-44 macaron shells, 20 sandwiched macarons for each flavour; you will need 4 times of the following quantities for 4 different flavours)
10g pickled cherry blossoms (optional)
90g grounded almond
120g icing sugar
a pinch of salt
75g aged egg whites
1/2 teaspoon egg white powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
75g sugar
Few drops of food coloring gel (colours of your choice)

For the cherry blossoms/rose/jasmine ganache

125g best-quality white chocolate
90g whipping cream
2 tablespoons cherry blossoms/rose/jasmine extract

For the earl grey tea ganache

125g best-quality white chocolate
90g whipping cream
4 earl grey tea bags

Methods

To make macaron shells

1. Soak the pickled cherry blossoms for at least 5 hours to remove the salt, gently dry them with kitchen paper, or in the oven funder low temperature for a few minutes. Set aside.

2. Put the grounded almond, icing sugar and salt in a food processor, pulse several times for a few seconds each to combine them. Sift them into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk together the egg white, egg white powder and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peak.
4. Add the sugar gradually and keep whisking until the meringue is glossy and stiff. Add in the food colouring.

5. Fold the dry ingredients quickly into the meringue with a spatula, try to fold as less strokes as possible and avoid over-fold the mixture.

6. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe rounds of 7cm with 2cm gaps apart from each other onto parchment paper. Gently put the dried cherry blossoms onto the shells.

7. Set aside for about 30 minutes or until a skin forms that does not stick onto your finger.
8. Bake the macarons in preheated oven between 160-180 degree for 15 mintues, rotate the tray 180 degree half-way during baking.
9. Remove the macaron shells from the oven and tray, place the parchment onto the work surface and let cool completely before removing the shells.

To make the cherry blossoms/rose/jasmine ganache 

1. Break the white chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl. Send to the microwave to melt for 60 seconds and stir until the chocolate completely melted.
2. Boil the cream and pour about a third at a time onto the melted chocolate, keep mixing and add in the extract until well combined.
3. Allow the ganache mixture to cool. Press clingfilm onto the surface of the ganache and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe.

To make the earl grey tea ganache 

1. Break the white chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl. Send to the microwave to melt for 60 seconds and stir until the chocolate completely melted.
2. Bring the cream and tea to boil in a small saucepan, let it infuse for at least 5 minutes, then press the tea bags to extract as much flavour as possible, remove the tea bags from the cream.
3. Immediately pour the cream onto the melted chocolate, keep mixing until well combined.
3. Allow the ganache mixture to cool. Press clingfilm onto the surface of the ganache and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe.

To assemble the macarons

1. Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. Pipe a generous round onto a shell, then top with another shell, twisting lightly so that the filling spreads and bulges enticingly.
2. Store the macarons covered in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the inside of the macaron shells to soften.
3. Bring back to room temperature before eating.