Tag Archives: デザート

Uncategorized

French/Japanese Dessert: Pear Madeleine

6 Comments

PEAR-MADELEINE-1

Just discovered this intriguing little cake called Pear Madeleine by a Japanese friend. American friends would definitely find another name including the word “cupcake”!
Incidentally my own mother’s name was Madeleine! Coincidence?

INGREDIENTS: for about 12~13 cakes
-Butter: 125 g
-Egg: 1 large
-Sugar: 70 g
-All-purpose flour: 100 g
-Baking powder: 1 small teaspoon
-Almond powder: 20 g
-Walnuts: 20 g
-Pears: 4 cuts from halved pear can
For the nappage/topping:
-Water: 100 ml (half a cup)
-Sugar: 40 g
-Agar agar: 1 g

RECIPE:

-Cut half of the pear slices into small bits for the cake pastry. Cut the rest of the pears into thin slices for topping. Crush walnuts into bits, roast them lightly and put aside.

-Beat butter until it becomes whitish. Add sugar and mix well. In a separate bowl break egg and beat into light omelette. Add and mix with butter mixture little by little.

-Add in the following order: almond powder, flour and baking powder, mixing them in with spatula.

-Add and mix in crushed walnuts and pears bits. Leave in refrigerator overnight.

-Transfer cake mixture into cup of your choice with a spoon. The paste will be a bit hard, but try to put the same amount in each cup. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

-Bake inside oven for 5 minutes and take out. Place a pear cut on each cake and put back into oven for 20~30 minutes.

-Nappage: Pour all ingredients in a bowl and heat over a light fire. When completely dissolved, brush syrup on the cakes.
When completely cooled down, preserve them so as they do not dry up.

NOTE:
The cake mixture will somewhat feel too hard/solid but it will melt in quickly inside oven.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cheese Cake: The Basic Recipe

20 Comments

CHEESE-CAKE-1

I have been recently asked a lot of questions about Japanese-style cheese cakes. Incidentally I had never heard of cheese cakes before I came to Japan 33 years ago. After investigation, cheese cakes have been around the world for quite a long time and developped into many varieties. Among them, the Japanese style seems to have acquired a lot of popularity, to the point that many customers expect them to be on offer in Japanese Izakayas abroad!

Here is the basic recipe as far as it goes in this very country.
It should provide a base from which one can create more sophisticated desserts!

INGREDIENTS: For an 18cm-diameter cake
-Cream cheese (philadelphia style): 250 g
-Fresh cream: 1 cup/200 ml
-Eggs: 2
-Sugar: 80 g
-All purpose flour: 3 large tablespoons
-Lemon juice: 2 large tablespoons
For the base:
-Biscuites (or crackers of your choice): 90 g
-Unsalted butter: 40 g

RECIPE:
CHEESE-CAKE-2

-Put biscuits/crackers inside a tight seal vynil pouch. Close. Crush until fine.
Take crumbs out and mix with melted unsalted sugar.
Lay cooking paper inside a cake mold.
Spread crumbs on the bottom . Press with masher for uniformity and solidity.

-Soften cream cheese inside microwve oven for 30 seconds~1 minute.
Divide into 3 or 4 parts.

-In a mixer/blender drop eggs, sugar, lemon juice and flour. Mix well.

CHEESE-CAKE-3

Pour in fresh cream and then cream cheese little by little. Mix well. Stir with a spatula from time to time to help.

CHEESE-CAKE-4

-Pour the cheese cake mixture over the crumbs.
Preheat oven at 170 degrees and bake for 40~45 minutes.

CHEESE-CAKE-5

The colour should be a nice brown-orange. In Japan they say “kitsune iro/fox colour”!
Leave inside the mold.
Let it cool completely.
Leave inside the fridge at leat 12 hours. before unmolding and serving.

For better cutting, wipe the knife clean after every cut!

If the cake attains its colour before the cooking time has elapsed, cover with foil paper and put back into the oven.
In the case colour does come quickly enough raise the oven temperature.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

French Dessert: Lemon and Cointreau Souffle

6 Comments

lemomsouffle.jpg

I thought all day about having a go at Jenn, Kamran and other friends’ sweet tooth and I came with that old sweet souffle recipe of mine:
Lemon and Cointreau Souffle!
It is easier than it sounds! You might have to keep the kids off it, though (LOL)

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
-Almond powder: 50g
-Sugar: 100g (+ 30g for coating inside of molds)
-Flour: 50g
-Milk: 250cc
-Butter: 50g (+ 20g for coating inside of molds)
-Cointreau (or orange liqueur): a quarter of a cup/50 ml (more is no problem!)
-Eggs: 4
-Lemon (clean!): 1
-Glazing sugar
-Salt

RECIPE:

-Coat insides of molds of 4 small souffle molds with butter and then sugar.

-Preheat the oven at 6 (180 degrees Celsius).

-Grate the lemon skin and press out the juice. Put aside.

-Separate egg yolks from whites.

-In a saucepan, on a small fire, melt butter, mix on flour and cook, stirring gently all the time for 2 minutes, making sure the colour does not change.
Add milk and mix on a stronger fire until thick.
Take off fire. Add sugar, almond powder, grated lemon skin, lemon juice and Cointreau, and last the the egg yolks one by one and mix well.
Beat the whites with a pinch of salt until very firm. Fold the whites in the mixture delicately with a soft spatula.
Pour mixture inside molds up to their rims.
Cook for 20 minutes.

-Take out of the oven, sprinkle with glazing sugar and serve at once.

The next dessert will be the recipe for the basic Cheese Cake, Japanese-style!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

French Dessert: Hot Apple Souffle

12 Comments

APPLE-SOUFFLE

Apples are everywhere on the markets these days. This is a good time to try something different. It might hot and humid now, but one can appreciate a hot dessert, especially when you are confined within an air-conditioned space all day and night!
Souffle has a repution of a difficult dish to realize. Actually it is dead simple. Once you matsered it, you cannot make a mistake!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
Apples: 1kg (green probably best)
Eggs: 6
Butter: 50g
Powder Sugar: 100g
5 Sponge Biscuits or the equivalent in Sponge (Short) Cake
Calvados (French Apple Brandy): 100cc

RECIPE:
-Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
-Wash the apples and wipe them dry.
-Take off stems, cut in four and cook as they are in a covered saucepan inside the oven for one hour.
-Take out and sieve flesh of apples. Pour this compote into a fry-pan and cook on a small fire for 5 minutes to take out excess water.
-Stop the fire and mix in the 6 egg yolks.
-Beat the whites with 50g of powder sugar. Fold in the beaten whites delicately inside the cooled down compote with a spatula trying to achieve the lightest possible mixture.
-Cut the sponge biscuits and imbibe them with the Calvados.
-Butter and sugar the inside of a souffle dish.
-Pour in half of the souffle mixture.
-Then spread the calvados-imbibed biscuits and top with the rest of the souffle mixture.
-Cook for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celsius.

-Take out and eat at once!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

French Dessert: Nectarine Tart

12 Comments

NECTARINE-TART

Peaches are already on the market, and nectarines will appear soon!
These peaches being smaller and a lot firmer, they make for a great fruit in tarts.
Here is a simple enough recipe you could apply for other fruit such as apricots, apples and even mangoes!

INGREDIENTS: (for 6 people):
Pastry:
flour: 200g
butter: 75g
egg: 1
powdered sugar: 50g
water
salt
Filling:
nectarines: 750g
butter: 100g
powdered sugar
almond powder: 125g
eggs: 2
rum: 1 tablespoon
minced pistachio: 1 tablespoon
glazing sugar: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

A) Pastry:
In an all-purpose bowl mix eggs with sugar until smooth. Then mix in butter (softened) until smooth. Add a pinch of salt. Then mix in flour little
by little to obtain a homogeneous paste. Mix in water little by little until pastry is “as soft as your earlobe”. Wrap in cellophane and leave in refrigerator for an hour.

B) Take pastry out of refrigerator and knead a little until soft enough to spread.
Spread inside tart dish and punch a few holes with a fork.

C) Preheat oven to 6 (180 degrees Ceslius). Melt the butter and pour it in an electric blender (if you do not have one, use some elbow power and mix in all-purpose bowl), add almond powder, sugar, whole eggs and rum. Blend util smooth and pour on pastry.

D) Clean nectarines in cold water. Wipe and cut them in thin slices. Put them onto almond paste pushing them each a little onto the paste so as to make a nice regular pattern for better impression and easier cutting. Sprinkle with glazing sugar. Cook for 50 minutes.
Take out of the oven and out of its mold onto a dish or cake grill. Let it cool. Sprinkle with minced pistachio before serving.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Soft Peach and Cheese Cake

16 Comments

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-1

I’ve heard that Japanese Cheese Cakes are very popular in North America.
Since I already Have posted a snack and a chicken dish today, I thought I ought to finish it up wit a dessert before going back to work! LOL
It is also peach season right now in Japan. If you want to use fresh peaches for this recipe, choose them firm or make a compote with them first!

INGREDIENTS:
-Cream Cheese: 250g
CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-9
This is the Cream Cheese most used in Japan. Does it exist in North America?
-Fresh cream: 100~130 ml according to preferences
-Canned white peaches: 1 can
-Sugar: 40~50 g
-Canned syrup: 35 g (from the peaches can!)
-Eggs: 2
-All-purpose flour: 30 g

RECIPE:
CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-2

Take peaches out of the can. Keeping six slices apart for topping, crush the other peach slices with a fork.

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-3

Soften cream cheese inside microwave oven for 20~30 seconds. Strongly stir it inside a bowl until it becomes absolutely smooth.

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-4

Add sugar and syrup and stir well.
Make sure the whole is smooth and without any “solid” parts left.

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-5

First add egg one at a time and stir until completely smooth. Add flour and stir until completely smooth (important!).

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-6

Add fresh cream. Mix until smooth. Add crushed peaches. Mix until smooth.

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-7

As on the picture above, inside a baking mold/dish place lightly oiled (light vegetal oil) wide strips of kitchen paper. This will help takinf\g the cake out of the mold as it is very soft!
Pour in the whole cake mix and place peach sliced on top for decoration.

CREAM-CHEESE-PEACH-8

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.
As all ovens have their own “character”, check the colour until you are satisfied.
Stab with a thin wooden toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready!

Note: The cake might be difficult to unmold as it is soft. Do it carefully.
If you have one, use a mold with a movable bottom.
It’s best to let cool first and leave it in the refrigerator for a night before serving.
The above recipe is for the whole family. Adults can add peach liqueur as a finishing touch!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Watermelon non-wheat flour mini-Cakes

17 Comments

SUIKA-PUDDING-1

This particular recipe is dedicated to This Cat Can Cook who amused me with his comments and has a love for Watermelon.
Now, wheat flour allergics will be glad to know that none of it is being used!

INGREDIENTS: for 9~10 cakes
-Watermelon, red part, no pips: 150 g
-Eggs: 2
-Rice flour/powder: 60 g
-Sugar: 25 g
-Butter: 50 g

RECIPE:
SUIKA-PUDDING-2

Cut 100g of the watermelon in small cubes 1x1x1 cm. Blend rest into juice (40 ml).

SUIKA-PUDDING-3

Melt butter in electric oven at 5~600W for 40~50 seconds or until it is completely melted. Keep warm.
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

SUIKA-PUDDING-4

Mix sugar and eggs together. Warm sufficiently until it gets to your “skin temperature”.
Beat up at High Medium speed until it forms a bubbly but fine paste. Continue to beat at low speed for 3 more minutes.

SUIKA-PUDDING-5

Add rice flour and delicately with a spatula.

SUIKA-PUDDING-6

Mix in melted butter and watermelon juice delicately.

SUIKA-PUDDING-7

Pour in molds.

SUIKA-PUDDING-8

Place a watermelon cube on top and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

SUIKA-PUDDING-9

Let the cakes cool before taking them out of their molds.

SUIKA-PUDDING-10

Serve them upside down decorated with mint leaves.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 12: Recipe-Dango/Sweet Dumplings

12 Comments

DANGO-1a
(Mitarashi Dango)

This simple recipe is particularly dedicated to my friends at Bouchonfor2, Bread + Butter, Eeyoreblues 27 and The Sophisticated Gourmet!

Japanese dango are not complicated, although it might be better to make a lot at a time!

INGREDIENTS:
-Rice (“Uruchi Kome”/normal Japnese round rice): 200g
-Water (for dango): 130cc
-Water (for sauce): 60cc
-Cornstarch: 1 teaspoon
-Sugar: 1 teaspoon
-Soy sauce: 2 teaspoons

RECIPE:

DANGO-RECIPE-1

Wash rice thoroughly.
If rice is no-wash type, skip 3 first steps.

DANGO-RECIPE-2

Once the rice washing water is coming out clean, drain rice and spread ontowel. Take off all excess humidity.

DANGO-RECIPE-4

Let the rice dry for two hours.

DANGO-RECIPE-3

Pour rice in Blender/mixer. First work the blender for only a few seconds at a time until all the rice has been broken completeley. Then blend three times 15 seconds at a time.

DANGO-RECIPE-5

If the rice does not turn into powder easily, sift rice as many times as necessary until all rice has been reduced to powder.

DANGO-RECIPE-6

Finish the job with mortar and pestle.

DANGO-RECIPE-7

Once the rice has been reduced completely topowder, work the pestle in for 5 more minutes.

DANGO-RECIPE-8

Add water and mix well with spoon.

DANGO-RECIPE-9

Divide into small portions and steam for 15 minutes.

DANGO-RECIPE-10

In a pan add cornstarch to water (for the sauce). keep stirring over a low fire. once the water has been become transparent add sugar and soy sauce and mix well until you obtain a smooth syrup. take off fire.

DANGO-RECIPE-11

Fill a glass with water and keep within arm’s reach.
Drop all the steamed dango paste into mortar.
Work dango paste with a wet wooden pestle.
Once the paste ahas been become sticky and elastic, form small balls (the operation should not last more than 10 minutes).
Wet them to prevent them from sticking to each other.

DANGO-RECIPE-12

Push a wet (important!) stick through the balls (4 or 5 at the most).
Grill the balls (or not) for better effect.
Serve them smeared with syrup.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 11: Dango/Sweet Dumplings

4 Comments

DANGO-1a
(Mitarashi Dango)

Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from mochi-ko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.
In Edo times, they were very popular at tea stands along the country roads.

Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. One variety of dango from Hokkaidō is made from potato flour and baked with shoyu (soy sauce).

Types of dango:

There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.

DANGO-2
Chadango: Green-tea flavored Dango.

DANGO-4
Dango served covered with anko

Actually, if you want to write all about Dango, you’d need to publish a whole book!

Chichi dango: Slightly-sweet light treats usually eaten as a dessert.

DANGO-1
Hanami dango: Also has three colors, Hanami dango is traditionally
made during Sakura-viewing season. Hence the name Hanami (Hanami means “flower viewing”; hana meaning “flower”, and mi meaning “to see”).

DANGO-1b
Kushi dango: Dango held by a skewer

DANGO-3
Mitarashi: Covered with a syrup made from shouyu (soy sauce), sugar and starch.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Dessert: Kakigoori/Shaved Ice with Syrup

12 Comments

KAKEKOORI-1

Kakigōri (かき氷) is a very popular Japanese dessert made from shaved ice flavored with syrup.
It was served for the first time in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1869!

KAKEKOORI-2

Popular flavors include: strawberry, cherry, lemon, green tea, grape, melon, “blue-Hawaii” sweet plum, and colorless syrup. Some shops provide colorful varieties by using two or more different syrups. To sweeten Kakigōri, condensed milk is often poured on top of it.

KAKEKOORI-3

It is nearly identical to a snow cone but can have a slightly rougher consistency and a spoon is almost always used. The traditional way of making kakigōri involves using a hand cranked machine to spin a block of ice over an ice shaving blade. However, electric ice shavers are most often used, though street vendors can still be seen hand-shaving ice blocks in the summer.

KAKEKOORI-4

In addition to the streets, kakigōri is also sold in festivals, convenience stores, coffee shops, and restaurants. During the hot summer months, kakigōri is sold virtually everywhere in Japan. Some coffee shops serve it with ice cream and sweet bean paste. Convenience stores may also sell it already flavored and packaged similar to ice cream.

KAKEKOORI-5

In other countries in East Asia, similar varieties can be seen.

Halo halo: Filipino shaved ice topped with sweetened beans, nata de coco and ice cream. “Halo-Halo” literally means “mix-mix” in the Tagalog language. Some shops in Japan also sell these sweets.
Bingsu (빙수） Korean shaved ice. The most popular kind is patbingsu. It is topped with sweetened red beans, canned fruits, and soybean powder. Many other varieties can be found throughout the country.
Bàobīng (刨冰) in Mandarin Pinyin or Chhoah-peng (剉冰) in Taiwanese POJ: Taiwanese shaved ice. There are many varieties in Taiwan. Some of them are topped with fresh fruits, fruits syrup and condensed milk. Some of them are topped with sweetened beans, glutinous rice balls and brown sugar syrup, while others will even use seafood. Some vendors use milk ice to make finer shaved ice, and some vendors may sometimes use a hand blade to shave block ice in order to produce rough crushed ice.
Ice kacang: Malaysia and Singapore Shaved ice topped with sweetened syrup of various colours and flavours, condensed and evaporated milk, and sometimes also durian pulp or vanilla ice cream. Beneath the ice sweetened red beans, canned fruit, attap seeds and grass jelly are usually added. Electric ice shavers are often used; though some vendors may use a hand blade to shave the ice in order to produce a rough texture. A variation of this would be Cendol which is shaved ice with sweet green coloured glutinous rice noodles drizzled with palm sugar it is usually accompanied with kidney beans and canned sweetcorn.
Nam Kang Sai: Thai Shaved Ice. In Thailand, this kind of cold dessert is very popular as well. The differences from other countries’ shaved ice is that in the Thai version the toppings (mixings) are in the bottom and the shaved ice is on top. There are between 20-30 varieties of mixings that can be mixed in. Among them are young coconut that have been soaked in coconut milk, black sticky rice, chestnuts,sweetened taro, red beans, sarim (thin strands of cooked flour that is very chewy and slippery) and many more.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 10: Youkan: Easy Recipe-Mizu Youkan

2 Comments

MIZU-YOKAN-1

Youkan come in many guises. Here is an easy and ver basic recipe for “Mizu Youkan” that you will be able to adapt into many creations of yours! For vegans, vegetarians and omnivores!

INGREDIENTS:
-Boiled azuki beans: 1 can (430 g)
-Brown sugar: 60 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Agar agar Powder (“kanten” in Japanese): 4 g
-Water: 300 ml + 300 ml

RECIPE:

MIZU-YOKAN-2

Blend beans and 300 ml of water until smooth.

MIZU-YOKAN-3

Pass mixture through fine sieve.

MIZU-YOKAN-4

In 300 ml of water drop agara agar. Bring to boil, stirring at the same time. Then keep stirring vern medium fire for 1 minute.

MIZU-YOKAN-5

Switch off fire. Pour sugar and salt. Mix well. Add bean paste. Mix well.

MIZU-YOKAN--6

Pour in recipients of your choice (that is when the fun starts!) and let cool completely. Keep in fridge (not too cold, please). Take out of recipient and serve!

More recipes to come!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 9: Youkan

8 Comments

YOUKAN-JELLY

Here is another popular type of Japanese Wagashi fit for Vegans and Vegetarians: Youkan!

YOUKAN-MIZUYOKAN
Mizu Youkan

Yōkan (羊羹) is a thick jellied dessert made of red bean paste, agar (寒天/”kanten” in Japanese, and sugar. It is usually sold in a block form, and eaten in slices.

There are two main types: neri yōkan and mizu yōkan. “Mizu” means “water”, and indicates that it is made with more water than usual. Mizu yōkan is often chilled and eaten in summer.
Although most yōkan found in Japan and abroad are typically made with red bean paste, yōkan made from white kidney bean paste (しろあん, 白餡, shiro an in Japanese) are also relatively common. This type of yōkan is milky and translucent with a much milder flavour than that made of red bean paste.

YOUKAN-GREENTEAYOUKAN
Tea Youkan

As such, they can be effectively flavoured and coloured by using green tea powder.

YOUKAN-TRICOLOUR

MizuyōkanYōkan may also contain chopped chestnuts, persimmons, whole sweetened azuki beans, figs, and sweet potato, among other additions. Sugar can be also be substituted with honey, dark brown sugar, or molasses to alter the taste of the yōkan produced. There is also shio yōkan, which uses small amounts of salt as a sweetener.

Other Pictures of Youkan:

YOUKAN-BICOLOUR

YOUKAN-CHERRY

YOUKAN-PINK

I will introduce an easy recipe soon!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 8: Recipe-Beni Mochi

4 Comments

BENI-MOCHI-1

Here is a simple Japanese Cake/Wagashi Recipe that can be adapted to all shapes by vegans and vegetarians! Beni Mochi.
Beni Mochi, or 紅餅 in Japanese, means “Red Mochi”.

INGREDIENTS: 16 pieces

-Rice flour: 250 g
-White sugar: 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for white mochi)
-Brown sugar (take care in choosing the colour): 80 g
-Water: 100 ml/half a cup (for red mochi)

RECIPE:

BENI-MOCHI-2

Divide rice flour into two equal parts (125 g) and pour into two different bowls.

BENI-MOCHI-3

In a deep pan, drop red sugar and add water. Heat over fire until completed melted. Switch off fire. Add rice flour and mix well.
Repeat same procedure with white sugar.

BENI-MOCHI-4

In a steamer, put mochi pastes (take care no to mix them) on a steaming paper and steam for 10 minutes.

BENI-MOCHI--5

Take out. Let cool. Make two balls and keep in different bowls.

BENI-MOCHI--6

Shape the mochi as above or according to your preference. Put them back inside the steamer on steming paper and steam for 10 more minutes.

BENI-MOCHI--7

Let cool and serve!
Are best enjoyed with Japanese tea, hot or cold!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

LE CAFE-LABO: Classic Cakes (12)-Acapulco

4 Comments

acapulco-1

It had been some time since I checked on that great confectionery institution in Shizuoka City, LE CAFE-LABO, so yesterday afternoon I paid a visit to their shop In Isetan Department Store to find out if they had a new creation on display for my students!

acapulco-2

In fact they did!
The cake is called “Acapulco”.
I refrained buying two of them, otherwise my lady student might miscontrued my intent! LOL

It is very feminine and luscious not only in looks and concept, but also in taste and texture.
The base is a chocolate joconde short cake with a layer of cassis mousse surmounted with a small chocoate macaron inside. The whole is covered with a “mound” of green apple mousse overlaid with a thin layer of cassis jell.

Perfect for the summer with a cold glass of tea!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 7: Creation 3-Hanabira Mochi

Leave a comment

WAGASHI-HANABIRAMOCHI

Here is another traditional Japanese Cake/Wagashi: Hanabira Mochi (菱葩餅 in Japanese)!
Hanabiramochi is a Japanese sweet usually eaten at the beginning of the year. Hanabiramochi is also served at the first tea ceremony of the New Year.

The name “hanabiramochi” literally means “flower petal mochi”. The original form of Hanabiramochi is Hishihanabira, a dessert that was eaten by the Imperial family at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year.

Hanabiramochi was first made in the Meiji Era (8 September 1868 – 30 July 1912), but it is now a familiar New Year wagashi.

The exact shape of hanabiramochi is strictly defined by tradition. The white mochi covering is flat and round, folded over to form a semicircular shape, and must have a pink color showing through in the center of the confection, fading to a white at the edge. Unlike a daifuku the mochi must not completely seal the insides.

In the center of a hanabiramochi is a layer of anko, a sweet bean paste, commonly the white kind made from sweetened mung beans. In the very center is a thin strip of sweetly flavoured gobo (burdock root) which protrudes from the mochi on both sides.

Each element of the hanabiramochi is significant.

The red colour showing through the white mochi is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year but also evokes the Japanese apricot/plum (ume) blossom, which in turn represents the purity, perseverance, and renewal associated with the New Year.

The gobo represents pressed ayu, a fish exclusive to East Asia, and a prayer for a long life.

A vegan way to celebrate the New Year!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-