Most people pack for cottage trips over Labour Day long weekend. Personally, if temperatures are anticipated to exceed twenty-seven degrees Celsius with humidity, then I'll pass and happily opt to spend my time indoors.
Moreover, there are plenty of chores to catch up with at home. The upcoming weekends are also proving quite hectic for me, so opportunities for "respite" ought be taken advantage of where possible.
As much as dance battles are liberating for SWF contestants, kitchen experiments assume my creative outlet - a results-oriented, conversion-involving process, but a creative outlet nonetheless.
Moreover, there are plenty of chores to catch up with at home. The upcoming weekends are also proving quite hectic for me, so opportunities for "respite" ought be taken advantage of where possible.
As much as dance battles are liberating for SWF contestants, kitchen experiments assume my creative outlet - a results-oriented, conversion-involving process, but a creative outlet nonetheless.
Long weekend projects comprised of:
1) Marbled Banana Bread
1) Marbled Banana Bread
Marble Banana Bread was first on the agenda, for I am hardly able to declare any better usage of spotty bananas (beyond eating them as is). The bunch of five meant that I'd be one banana short for two full loaves. In this circumstance, just one loaf was compiled with my 350 grams of banana. (Technically, I was 40 g short, but proceeded as planned.)
The amount of dry ingredients were unaltered, as was the heavy-handed inclusion of spices. With fewer bananas in the batter, the loaf was already sturdier than my regular. Given that the generous dusting of cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg hadn't varied at all from the two-loaf edition, the slices were irrefutably perfumed with coziness. Their presence was undeniable from the moment its cross-section was unveiled.
Naturally, this also meant subdued chocolate flavours, and a generally less-banana-y profile. Nevertheless, it was scrumptious; SK's Marbled Banana Bread never ceases to impress.
Naturally, this also meant subdued chocolate flavours, and a generally less-banana-y profile. Nevertheless, it was scrumptious; SK's Marbled Banana Bread never ceases to impress.
2) Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies were also crafted out of unfulfilled cookie cravings. The dough would be derived from Sunday Baking's Levain Cookie recipe. Ingredient quantities were kept consistent, though its constituents subject to a few minor swaps:
- 70 g of golden yellow sugar instead of 60 g of brown sugar (simply to verify whether there would be a difference, taste-wise)
- Chopped semi-sweet chocolate couverture (Surfin) instead of chocolate chips
- Toasted, chopped pecans instead of walnuts
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Given that I had slight reservations towards using golden yellow sugar without altering the amount of baking soda, I took to adding 10 grams more than specified to ensure sufficient acidity in the batter for a leavening reaction. Thankfully, results were comparable to the versions utilizing brown sugar, and succeeded in attaining the ever-coveted cookie texture: crispy edges, crunchy outer circumference, and soft, chewy centre. Pockets of gooey chocolate and aromatic pecans would elevate this combination further.
3) Match Strawberry Mousse Cake
Sunday Baking's Black Sesame Raspberry Mousse had earned exceptional praise even during its first execution. Having been craving its nutty base and smooth mousse formula for weeks, I began to contemplate a matcha rendition, for acquisition of Momo Tea's Matsu was an act spurring great enthusiasm.
Sunday Baking's Black Sesame Raspberry Mousse had earned exceptional praise even during its first execution. Having been craving its nutty base and smooth mousse formula for weeks, I began to contemplate a matcha rendition, for acquisition of Momo Tea's Matsu was an act spurring great enthusiasm.
Alas, adapting the joconde and mousse to fit the desired image had me wracking my brain for viable solutions. This was espeically tricky since black sesame paste made an appearance in both components and a direct substituion of matcha powder for black sesame paste was unfeasible. Black sesame paste is a source of both fat and moisture, and is incorporated into the egg-icing sugar-almond flour mixture, whereas matcha powder is a dry ingredient, devoid of both fat and moisture, and is incorporated into the final stages of cake-making, when the dry ingredients are folded into the batter with extreme caution.
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For the joconde, my approach involved:
Without the presence of vanilla, the cake, admittedly, smelled a tad too grassy out of the oven. That said, the layer was structurally sound - fitting for use as the foundation - and distinctly matcha-flavoured. Given the low proportion of fat and liquid though, the joconde was difficult to spread evenly, ultimately emerging without a level surface. My results informed that summoning of an offset spatula was pivotal, rather than optional.
- Omitting the black sesame paste and black sesame seeds
- Adding a small amount of half & half cream for moistness (unmeasured)
- Maintaining the same quantity of flour (30 g)
- Adding 15 g of matcha
Without the presence of vanilla, the cake, admittedly, smelled a tad too grassy out of the oven. That said, the layer was structurally sound - fitting for use as the foundation - and distinctly matcha-flavoured. Given the low proportion of fat and liquid though, the joconde was difficult to spread evenly, ultimately emerging without a level surface. My results informed that summoning of an offset spatula was pivotal, rather than optional.
For the matcha mousse, I kept the ingredient amounts consistent with Sunday's. Though, this time, the approach entailed:
- Omitting the black sesame paste (just as with the joconde)
- Combining matcha powder with a small amount of hot water to form a paste; and
- Mixing the matcha paste with egg yolk, then gradually incorporating milk to remove large lumps
At first glance, the mousse appeared decently smooth, albeit featuring rougher edges than desired. The observation prompted cross-referencing with the Black Sesame Mousse Cake, which, surprisingly, had also been revealed to have fuzzy edges. That said, the surface had been relatively level, while the matcha had sunken slightly, giving way to a concave rim.
While its hue appeared promising, the mousse was not potent enough to constitute a matcha mousse. A larger quantity of matcha (than my 10-12 grams) would likely be required for discernible depth. The mousse merely sheathed the translucent layer of strawberry jelly, which dominated the cake with its sweet, fruity presence. This layer had been constructed from a jam containing less pulp than my traditional breadmaker formula, consequently making for a smoother jelly with clean edges. Upon sampling, I was stricken by its resemblance to Akko's Strawberry Mousse Cakes - a quintessential component of my childhood.
While its hue appeared promising, the mousse was not potent enough to constitute a matcha mousse. A larger quantity of matcha (than my 10-12 grams) would likely be required for discernible depth. The mousse merely sheathed the translucent layer of strawberry jelly, which dominated the cake with its sweet, fruity presence. This layer had been constructed from a jam containing less pulp than my traditional breadmaker formula, consequently making for a smoother jelly with clean edges. Upon sampling, I was stricken by its resemblance to Akko's Strawberry Mousse Cakes - a quintessential component of my childhood.
Matcha announced its existence in the bottom-most layer. The joconde was left an astringent aftertaste: a lingering bitterness on the tongue that was neither particularly fragrant nor grassy. Comparing to the black sesame joconde, the matcha rendition appeared denser and was also more difficult to spread evenly during the baking stage. This would make sense, given its higher amount of flour and lower dosage of nuttiness - be it the black sesame paste or the toasted black sesame seeds.
The overall consensus was that the individual cake elements lacked harmony. Matcha had failed to realize its full potential in the creation, allowing the strawberry jelly to take centre stage. In that sense, one might as well take to forkfuls of the jelly in the absence of the other layers. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed in the turnout.
The overall consensus was that the individual cake elements lacked harmony. Matcha had failed to realize its full potential in the creation, allowing the strawberry jelly to take centre stage. In that sense, one might as well take to forkfuls of the jelly in the absence of the other layers. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed in the turnout.
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4) Mini Mocha Layered Cake
Since success with the matcha joconde was to be determined, concurrently constructed was a basic vanilla sponge. Should my attempts at an indirect substitution emerge a catastrophe, Sunday's genoise formula would pull through, in the very least. As such, ingredient quantities would remain unchanged, making enough for a two layers of cake - be it 6-inch or 8-inch.
Since success with the matcha joconde was to be determined, concurrently constructed was a basic vanilla sponge. Should my attempts at an indirect substitution emerge a catastrophe, Sunday's genoise formula would pull through, in the very least. As such, ingredient quantities would remain unchanged, making enough for a two layers of cake - be it 6-inch or 8-inch.
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In the end, the joconde was deemed adequate for use, causing half of the genoise to remain. Instead of slicing into strips for mindless munching, I allowed my mind to entertain further possibilities: perhaps a Mini Mocha Cake?
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Maximizing the cake sheet allowed for four rectangular sections of relatively uniform size to be retrieved. Next, I set out in search of an easy frosting, for wrist cramps and thumb blisters were on the horizon.
No-bake cheesecake fillings were not viable, for cream cheese was not to be found in the fridge. However, I had just replenished the heavy cream inventory. Emptying the remainder of my open carton yielded 215 grams. Consequently, I halved the Chocolate Whipped Cream Sunday Baking had used in her Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake recipe. It was the perfect portion for filling and masking, and left a bit for decorative use prior to serving. Making the recipe even more attractive was the elimination of gelatin, for cocoa powder sufficed in stabilizing the cream without rendering it overly rigid.
No-bake cheesecake fillings were not viable, for cream cheese was not to be found in the fridge. However, I had just replenished the heavy cream inventory. Emptying the remainder of my open carton yielded 215 grams. Consequently, I halved the Chocolate Whipped Cream Sunday Baking had used in her Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake recipe. It was the perfect portion for filling and masking, and left a bit for decorative use prior to serving. Making the recipe even more attractive was the elimination of gelatin, for cocoa powder sufficed in stabilizing the cream without rendering it overly rigid.
Each rectangular sheet (with dimensions unmeasured and incapable of being relayed) was liberally brushed with a syrup of Kahlua and water before Chocolate Whipped Cream was smeared on top. This step ensured that the sponge layers would be kept moist even after refrigeration. There was an obvious difference between the cake scraps that had been stored at room temperature, covered, versus the layers doused with syrup, chilled, then covered once set. Regrettably, the inclusion of coffee wasn't evident whatsoever; either the dilution factor had been too great, or the simple syrup simply needed instant coffee. The impromptu concoction exhibited qualities of a chocolate cake rather than mocha.
With that said, the household had been delighted with the outcome. While a fourth same-day creation had been totally unplanned, the results were absolutely delicious. Super soft and plush were the vanilla sponge layers. Meanwhile, the chocolate whipped cream was airy, yet slice-able. The cake could be consumed without fear of collapse - often a consequence of insufficient chill time stemming from impatience.
I must admit: I was quite amazed with the effort-to-output ratio.
I must admit: I was quite amazed with the effort-to-output ratio.
Snapshots of the long weekend were few beyond these kitchen experiments. Dishwashing, deep-cleaning, and chores embodied majority of the three-day "rest" period. Yet, I was ecstatic about spending time at home and, most importantly, indulging in productivity.
Meals comprised of leftovers, fragments of MyMy Chicken takeout, and Homemade Cha Siu (叉燒), otherwise known as Chinese BBQ Roast Pork.
It's become increasingly difficult to obtain reasonably-priced renditions of this Cantonese cult classic in the wild. A tried-and-true homemade recipe guarantees a luxurious sheen and beautifully charred, crispy edges every time. The marinade blends sweet and savoury in unmatched unity. Of course, meat quality can directly impact tenderness and flavour penetration, so opting for a well-marbled slab increases chance of success.
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