Double Black Sesame Babka - Tangzhong Method

The best way to spend a me day on a weekend? Bake! Bread baking to be exact. Just all day, bread and I. It takes time and patience to make bread, in fact, the proofing time alone took a total of 2 hours. But that's all hands off time, so you can be off to binge watch shows or just lay on the couch and scroll through years worth of feed on some stranger's instagram page.

This babka is very similar to making cinnamon rolls. Rather than cutting the rolls into individual pieces, you cut down lengthwise, reveal all the layers, braid the dough, and bake in a loaf pan. I rolled out my dough slightly too long for the pan and got 4 mini rolls out of the trimmed ends.

Since this recipe uses the tangzhong method (hydrate part of the bread flour with water prior to mixing with the dough), the resulting product came out similar to Asian style bread - super light and fluffy! Compared to traditional babka recipes, it also uses significantly less amount of butter in the dough to achieve these tender crumbs.

The black sesame flavor and aroma permeates the entire loaf with ground black sesame seeds mixed into the dough as well as in the filling. The filling has a slight hint of cinnamon which complements the black sesame flavor well. Next time, I will try a pure black sesame spread for the filling.

Whole Wheat Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls

LA is finally feeling like it's November, and the baking bug in me is full on activated with this chilly weather.

Let's start familiarizing myself with yeast again! I almost forgot how fun bread making is. It's especially rewarding with the long anticipation- in this case, overnight. The dough rises for 2 hours and gets left alone in the fridge overnight. The next morning/day, roll and give it another hour to double in size and bake!

Spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and finished with an orange almond glaze, these cinnamon rolls are special (& very much Fall appropriate).

Whole Wheat Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls
recipe adapted from The Musician Who Cooks
makes 9 cinnamon rolls

Dough:
2-1/3 cup/12.30 oz./350g white whole wheat flour
*I used a mix of 210g all purpose flour and 140g whole wheat flour
1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (*would reduce for next time)
1/2 tablespoon instant yeast
*I used active dry yeast
2/3 cup/5.35 oz./150g warm water
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons/2 oz./60g raw honey
3 tablespoons/1.35 oz./38g unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 tablespoon water

Glaze: *halved and found it to be plenty for my 11 rolls
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (*would reduce for next time)

The night before:
1. Measure and mix dry ingredients for dough together in a medium bowl or container.
2. Measure and mix together wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated.
*I used my stand mixer and let it mix with the dough hook on low for 5 minutes.
3. Dough will be very moist and thick.
4. Cover loosely, set in a warm area, and let rise for 2 hours.
*I turned the dough into an oiled bowl to rise.
5. After the 2 hours, cover bowl or container tightly and place in refrigerator overnight.
*The dough rose 50% after 2 hours; left to rise for almost 5 hours to double.

Sprinkled yeast on warm water.. waiting for it to bubble, but it didnt o.o

Mix for approx 5 mins on low.

The Fatty + Chio in action.

Moist and sticky.

Top: before. Bottom: the next day.

The next day:
1. Remove dough from refrigerator.
2. Mix together ingredients for the filling and set aside.
3. Dust a work surface with flour.
4. Remove dough from container and form into a round, then flatten into a small rectangle.
5. Dust work surface with more flour, and roll the dough, working out from the center, into an 18-inch by 12-inch rectangle, with the long side of the rectangle facing you horizontally.
6. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, pressing down lightly, and leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges of the dough without filling.
7. Begin to roll the long side of the dough towards you into a cylinder, using a plastic dough scraper to lift the edges of the dough as you roll, being careful not to roll too tightly.
8. Continue to roll the dough until it forms a cylinder.
9. Make a cut in the length of the cylinder every 2 inches, creating 9 separate rolls.
10. Butter an 8-inch by 8-inch square pan and place the rolls in the pan, spacing evenly, three to a row.
11. Press down lightly on each roll to flatten the top very slightly.
12. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area. Let rise for one hour until rolls are very puffy and crowding each other in the pan.
*Mine took about 1.5 hour.
13. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator so it can soften while the rolls rise.
14. About 15 minutes before the rolls are finished rising, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
15. When the rolls are done rising, place in oven on center rack and bake for 25 minutes, rotating pan 180º degrees halfway through the baking time.
16. Remove from oven when the top of the rolls are lightly browned.
17. While the rolls are cooling slightly, mix together the ingredients for the glaze, whisking until smooth.
18. Once the rolls have cooled for 10 minutes, scoop about a tablespoon of glaze on top of the center of each roll, spreading it over each roll as you go, until entire pan is covered.

Spread filling on, leaving 1/4" border on the bottom.

Cut into 2 inches thick rolls. I was able to get 11 rolls.

Place in butter/oil pans.

Leave to rise.

Glaze while rolls are still warm.

My two samplers.

With the yeast doing most of the work in bread recipes, I wamted to make sure my yeast is alive or that I won't be killing it. I had active dry yeast instead of the instant yeast that the original recipe calls for. I combined the yeast with the warm water in the recipe, and it ended up just dissolving with no bubbles formed. I proceeded anyways since the yeast was newly bought.. and I probably needed sugar to feed the yeast? 

Not sure if it's the inactive yeast or the cold weather, the first rise took almost twice the time. I left it out even longer after it doubled, not knowing that overproofing is bad until 5 hours later. 

I like to think that the dough was perfectly proofed.. The next morning, I did the "poke" test. If the dough was proofed correctly, it should shows a slight spring. Mine didn't. 

I went on with rolling and shaping anyways, and after an hour and a half, the dough puffed up just enough to be "crowding." 

The cinnamon rolls turned out decent despite all the possible mishaps.. probably not its fluffiest version, but it'd do. The rolls stayed soft even overnight in the fridge. With a quick toast in the oven, they were excellent with a slight crunch in the exterior.

Cardamom is a very aromatic Indian spice with floral notes. The taste of cardamom in this recipe is prominent without being overwhelming. I also added some pecans because why not? I'd leave those as is and lower the salt next time. The dough and the glaze were both on the salty end.

Taste: 3 stars out of 5
A bit salty and need to get use to Cardamom
Texture: 3.5 stars out of 5
Soft and fluffy.

Honey Almond Cacao Nib Granola Bar [no bake]

Four days later and with about 3 bars left of my first homemade granola bar, I made them again. This time- Honey Almond Cacao Nib! These bars are customize-able in infinity ways to suit you. I love how they are packed with fiber and protein and kept me away from snacking on junks.

For the most part, these granola bar are healthy.. but what?!?!? 20-22g of sugar PER BAR?!?!?! They don't taste excessively sweet at all.

In order to stay healthy, the American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons, or about 25 grams, of added sugars per day for women, and nine teaspoons, or about 36 grams, for men.

I guess the high sugar content can be somewhat overlooked because these bars stopped my cravings for more sweets. I was satiated and sweetly contented. My goal is to eventually get to a bar that is around 8g of sugar. That way, I can eat more than 1 a day.. 

Granola Bar

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

makes one 8x8 pan (about 12 bars)

Base:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, roasted

1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted (10 pieces)

1/4 cup honey

Variables:
18g coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw almond pieces, roasted

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut flakes, roasted

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toast oats, almonds and coconut chips.

Chia seeds and cacao nibs.

Honey and cinnamon.

Pulse the pitted dates.

Sticky soft dough ball like.

Combine everything in a bowl.

Mix mix mix thoroughly.

For written step by step, click here.

LET's COMPARE.

Left: last time; Right: this time.

This is the same general recipe as last time EXCEPT

• 10 pieces of dates vs 13 pieces last time
• 1 cup is roughly 8-9 dates, but mine are on the small side
• honey in place of maple syrup
• 18g melted coconut oil in place of peanut butter
• almonds in place of pecans
• cacao nibs in place of pumpkin seeds
• extra 1/2tsp of cinnamon 

The number of dates is slightly decreased and peanut butter is omitted all together. This bought the sugar down from 22g to 20g per bar. The result of all the changes in the liquid portion made the bar a bit more crumbly and less sticky. I prefer this change.

Last time: gooey and sticky

This time: noticeably less sticky, held together nicely.

Next time,

• Decrease to 8 pieces of dates
• Omit honey and put back 1/4 cup nut butter
• Try a bake version for crunchy texture

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Sweetness is just right to taste but would like to bring it down to 8g on the nutritional. 

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Great balance of chewy and crunchy.

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Fudge Tart

Sick of my tofu theme yet? Here's another one - Mexican Chocolate Tofu Mousse Tart. Possibly the last one until I set my eyes on another tofu sweets, but hey.. these no bake tofu recipes are so simple and take no time to whip up. And bonusES, there's not much dishes to wash either, and they are sort of healthy for you with the high protein content! I've given you no excuse to not make one of these even on a lazy weeknight. Not unless you hate chocolate.. or tofu. But then, you won't be reading this if you do. So give it a try! Prep and whip, head to bed, and wake up to some tasty chocolate tart.

This particular chocolate tofu mousse is pretty indulgent and satisfies my big sweet tooth just right. The tofu provides the structure of the mousse and you won't be able to detect any soy flavor actually.

What makes this Mexican? I don't really know, but maybe the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, and paprika. The flavor turned out distinctly spiced and well balanced. The spices were not overwhelming and simply elevated the flavor from being just an ordinary chocolate tart to something exotic for the taste buds.

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Mousse Tart
recipe inspired from Kiki Cuisine's Mexican Chocolate Pie and Chocolate Covered Katie's The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie
makes one 6" tart (& a bit extra mousse)

120g graham crackers, crushed
60g melted butter

1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg

349g (12.3oz) silken tofu
1 1/2tsp cocoa powder
1tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp milk (*reduced fat)
1/8tsp salt
8oz chocolate chips (*semi sweet)

2-3tbsp sweetener (*reduced to 1tsp honey)

Optional spices:
1/4tsp instant espresso
1/2tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle of paprika

Next time, I will probably top this with some cinnamon cream:
1cup heavy cream
2tbsp sugar
1/4tsp vanilla extract

2 large pinches of cinnamon

tofu mixture, crust prepped, chocolate not yet melted

melt the chocolate

whisk together everything else
optional: use food processor and strain through sieve

fold melted chocolate into tofu

1. In a bowl, combine crushed graham crackers, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press down evenly on the bottom and sides of a 6" tart pan. Bake at 325F for 5-8 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool while prepping the filling.

2. Melt chocolate chips over double boiler until smooth. Set aside.
3. Whisk together silken tofu, cocoa, vanilla, milk, salt, sweetener, and any optional spices. Alternatively, blend until smooth in food processor or blender.
4. Strain through sieve for silky texture. (*skipped this time)

5. Fold melted chocolate into tofu mix until combined.
6. Pour onto chilled crust.
7. Cover and chill for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.

8. Dust with powdered sugar or top with cream and enjoy!

pre- dust; the crust is a beauty

innovative way of using cooling racks?

I love the flavor of the mousse and crust with the addition of the spices. Texture-wise, I was expecting whipped cream like fluffiness. It turned out on the dense and fudge-y side which I also enjoyed very much. I should probably call this Mexican Chocolate Tofu Fudge Pie?

I used a tart pan with non- removable bottom and placed a small round sheet of parchment paper as insurance. With some wiggling, the tart slipped out with no problem. The crust was firm enough to handle without breaking. I am really starting to become addicted to this quick and delicious graham cracker crust.

A slice a day keeps the cravings away (:

Taste: 4.5 stars out of 5

The spices were well balanced and exciting

Texture: 4 stars out of 5 as a mousse

5 stars out of 5 as fudge

Should I make some cream puff to use up the leftover mousse/fudge? (;

Sour Cream Coffee Cake!!

Bookmark this recipe now! It's so worth a try or two or three or more! It's absolutely delicious! The cake itself is buttery, moist and fluffy. And the cinnamon sugar nutty layers just push that cake to perfection. The crunch of the walnuts goes oh so well with the moistness of the cake(: Ahhh, bake it now! My mouth is watering just from writing this.

I wanted to try this recipe so bad that even though I had way less than 12oz of sour cream in the fridge.. I went ahead with the baking. It came out really good still! So I can't imagine how much more perfect and moist-er this cake can get!

Absolutely divine. You will see me make this cake quite a lot from now on!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
-recipe adapted gimme some oven
- makes one 9x13 or 8x8 pan

Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar* (I used around 3/4 cup)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) container of sour cream* (I used a little less than 8oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.
5. Then pour half of the batter into a greased 9″x13″ baking pan, and sprinkle with half of the topping.
6. Add the remainder of the batter on top, and sprinkle with the remaining topping.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.



Taste: 5 stars out of 5
Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Snickerdoodle

Simple ingredients + Simple steps = Delicious fluffy cinnamon-y cookies



Snickerdoodle
recipe halved from Martha Stewart's Cookies
-makes around 24 cookies

1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4cup (150g) sugar (will reduced next time*)
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1 egg
1 and 3/8cup (170g) AP flour

1tbsp sugar
1tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
3. Cream butter and 3/4cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Mix in egg.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.

6. Stir together cinnamon and the 1tbsp sugar in a small bowl.
7. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar.
8. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
10. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.



Note: cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.



These cookies turned out fluffy, pillow-y and UNIFORM! (My cookies never turned out as uniform as these because I don't ever take the time to weight each dough.) I love how these look when they are all next to each other. They are so cute and attractive! Haha.. :p

Aside from the good looks, they taste great as well!

This is my first time making snickerdoodle, and I am glad this recipe yielded the soft and noncracked version I like. For those unfamiliar with snickerdoodles..

According to Wikipedia, a snickerdoodle is a type of sugar cookie made with butter or oil, sugar, and flour rolled in cinnamon sugar. Snickerdoodles are characterized by a cracked surface and can be crisp or soft depending on preference. In modern recipes, the leavening agent is frequently baking powder in contrast with traditional techniques utilizing baking soda and cream of tartar.

Next time, I may experiment with the baking soda/ cream of tartar recipe!



Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5 (a little too sweet)
Texture: 4.5 stars out of 5 (tender, fluffy, crumbly and melt in your mouth!)