My Cookbook is now LIVE from iBookstore!

If you have followed me on Facebook, you might have already known that I was working on my cookbook "Everyday Desserts" in the past few months.

It is now LIVE and selling in all major markets around the world.

I always wanted to self-publish a cookbook with photographs & recipes that I like, & it'd been a great challenge for me.

The photographs & recipes have already been published in this blog so I'm releasing it completely FREE.

Unfortunately, it is exclusively for iPad because it was created using the free Apple software - iBook Author.

When the software was first released, I was inspired to make the cookbook.

It's been a lot of hard work as I'm also finishing my Ph.D in September.

I'll not update the blog too often but I'll be happy to answer any questions on emails or here.

Please take a look & let me know if you like it :)

Here's the link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/everyday-desserts/id684982827?ls=1

Scenes from Lake District & Orange Cheesecake for Summer

Recipe! I've finally got some times in the kitchen for cakes.

I've been away & also quite busy after the trip to Turin.

I went to Lake District for a short break with my family about a month ago.

Take a look at the videos I've made using the Animoto app.

It's a glimpse of the paradise, aren't the scenes beautiful?

Now it's July & it's summer, finally.

Everytime when I want to bake, chocolate is my top list.

As the sunshine finally out of the clouds in UK, I think it's time to have a more summery treat.

A chilled orange cheesecake, not so difficult to make & it will make a great dessert for barbecue.

City Walk in Turin

Night scenes at Piazza Castello

I went to Turin with my colleagues for a science conference in the end of May.

The science conference was held for 3 days & we got there 3 days earlier so that we could walk around the city.

I'm a loner so I didn't join my colleagues, instead I explored the city with my like-minded roommate.

Palazzo Madama, Mole Antonelliana

Piazza San Carlo, Eataly supermarket

Before arriving at Turin, I knew nothing about it, I still do.

I think it's a small city & not as pretty as other European cities I've been to, but it's a lovely & historical.

There're lots of museums, churches & palaces, 3 days weren't enough for us to visit all these places!

I adore Egyptian's culture & history so when I found out there was one, we went on a Saturday & it's very busy.

In addition to those landmarks & attractions, my like-minded colleague & I had tried some of the best food in Turin.

Garden inside Palazzo Madama

Museo Egizio

Restorante Sotto la Mole

Turin is rated one of the Top 10 places for chocolate by National Geographic.

As a chocoholic myself, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

We went to Cafe Baratti & Milano to try out the divine hot chocolate & bicerin - a layered concoction of coffee, hot chocolate and foamy milk, it tasted like mocha in my opinion.

One of Turin’s chocolate makers, Caffarel, combined hazelnut paste with milk chocolate - so called gianduja.

These chocolates are shaped like elongated triangles & wrapped in gold or silver foil.

Guido Gobino is one of the big names in chic chocolates in Turin, I also love the pistachio & chocolate ice creams. 

I had the pistachio ice cream again before I went back to London.

I left Turin with my pants feeling a bit tighter & a big smile on my face. 

Cafe Baratti & Milano - bicerin & hot chocolate

Guido Gobino

Real chiesa di San Lorenzo, Turin Cathedral

River Po, Restorante Manfretto

Restorante Pollastrini

Porta Palazzo market

Restorante Galante

noir plus

I'm now at Turin, Italy when updating this post.

I'm attending a science conference with my colleagues & I have 2 days conference so I'll have some times walking around the town.

I had a long weekend break & took the chance to make some entremets.

I was craving for chocolate so I decided to make the chocolate mousse & coffee creme brûlée from "Top10名师的50道人气蛋糕技术教本" (50 Popular Cakes from Top 10 Pâtissiers).

The original recipe includes a jaconde base, chocolate mousse & coffee creme brûlée.

I used a different cake base & added some caramel hazelnuts for some variations.

I made this recipe into 6 small glasses & 6 little domes.

The chocolate mousse is absolutely divine.

The rich coffee creme brûlée enhances the bitterness & sweetness of chocolate mousse which makes a great combination.

Whisky & Raspberry Cheesecake

At one weekend, I went back to Basildon as usual by train.

At the station, the train was delayed so I went to the bookshop nearby & flipped through some food magazines.

I wanted to baked a cheesecake when I got home so when I saw there was a section on cheesecake in Food & Travel.

I bought the magazine without second thought.

All the cheesecakes in the magazine seem great & I baked the easiest recipe which I omitted the baked flapjack base.

The cheesecake wasn't overly sweet, so I drizzled some honey on top & served it with some tangy raspberries.

Bon appétit!

Chocolate Torta with Chocolate & Coffee Ganache

It was my sister Kelly's birthday so I wanted to make her a mascarpone mousse cake filled with fresh raspberry.

However, the supermarket closest to my place wasn't open on Easter Sunday.

Instead I baked this decadently dark chocolate torta with the bittersweet chocolate & coffee sauce.

The recipe is adapted from Willie's Chocolate Bible which has been in my collection over 2 years now.

I absolutely adore this cookbook as it includes a variety of savoury & sweet recipes for chocolate but I had to say this is the first time I've baked something from it.

This italian chocolate torta is heavenly smooth & chocolatey, simply divine.

It's very rich so I would suggest you to have it in smaller slices.

When ready to serve, make yourself a nicely brew coffee.

If you're not a coffee lover, tangy fruit tea is also a good choice which will ease the richness.

Now, have a small bite & let the chocolate torta slowly melt in your mouth, enjoy the velvet texture & allow your palate to take in the flavour.

Take a sip of the hot coffee/tea, sigh with satisfaction & enjoy the rest of the day.

Cadeau

March supposed to be spring time but in London the weather is freezing cold.

My mum's birthday and mother's day are in March so we always celebrate together.

For this reason, I flipped through a few cookbooks & wrote down a recipe even though I didn't feel like baking recently.

To suit my mum's taste bud, I made this entremet with crunchy streusel, nutty praline genoise, tangy raspberry jelly & smooth cream cheese mousse.

This combo turned out wonderfully well, almost everyone had 2 slices to be satisfied.

The recipe is adapted from a chinese cookbook "Japan Cake Boutique", I switched the almond genoise to praline & also added the raspberry jelly.

The cake is different from the cookbook so I renamed it 'Cadeau', meaning gift/present in French.

Tie a ribbon for the cake & it's a pretty present :)

M for Madeleines

Amongst those small cakes, my all time favourite is the buttery French madeleine.

Ever since Jenny baked some madeleines at home, I fell in love with the moist & crumbly textures.

Madeleines are easy to make & all the ingredients are in my cupboard.

There are 3 flavours: earl grey, cranberries & chocolate.

My favourite is certainly the chocolate flavour.

Which one is yours?

Oriental Soya Cookies

I just moved out from the flat I had lived for 2 years & I'm living with my sister who just started working in London.

To be honest, I have no idea how things will be with her after all I don't have much experience living with family since I stay in UK.

I don't have time to manage the blog, so I'll keep it updated very slowly…

Moreover, I don't have the energy to bake anything complicated but simple cakes & cookies.

These oriental cookies are made of soya flour, the recipe is simple & I have all the ingredients in my cupboard.

The cookies are delicious & crunchy.

Vanilla Creme Brûlée

Thanks for all the emails & greetings, I'm now getting better :)

This year is a very important year to me, as I'm finishing my Ph.D study and will be writing up my thesis.

As time goes by, I'm getting anxious & stressed.

Sometimes, I have the thought in mind that why I have chosen to do a Ph.D?

Being a patisserie sounds more fun, I know it's not as easy as I think it would be.

Coming to February & it's Valentine's day that I can remember of February.

My blog hardly goes along with the festival, because by the time I remember the day has passed…

I made these creme brûlée after the featherlight chocolate cake as there're leftover egg yolks.

Creme brûlée is easy to make yet delicious, I only used 1/4 vanilla pod for a mild fragrance.

Happy Valentine's day!

Featherlight Chocolate Cake

I'm in the middle of downturn in my life, I'm feeling I can no longer cope with any more stress & pressure.

When I should go to the college, I stay in my room shutting myself up.

Unable to tell, unable to refuel, as time slips away, I'm getting ever more suffocated.

I want so much to escape from here, there's no exit I can see of but I can only stay at a hopeless corner.

I hate myself being like this, I know I have to change but I'm not brave enough.

Being obsessed with baking, I can at least hide in the kitchen for a quiet moment.

Unable to make any complicated entremets, but a simple chocolate cake that I've picked from my pile of baking books.

Simple ingredients, simple steps, just enjoy the process of baking.

When baked in the oven, the room was full of sweet chocolate which warmed my heart & calmed my mind… at least for a moment.

Galette Bretonne au Caramel

Happy New Year!

A long overdue post!

I should have updated 2 weeks ago but I thought I couldn't write any more as I have a few reports to write.

Alongside with that, I started this year resolution with a photography project 'A Photo A Day' in January.

If that's going well, I'll extend it to '365 photos'.

Furthering my obsession with caramel & galette bretonne, I've baked a batch with salted caramel sauce.

I can't be bothered to rewrite the recipe of the caramel sauce but you can find it here.

The texture & flavour of these cookies have never failed me.

Rich & crispy, simply delicious :)