Tarte tatin is basically an upside down tart where the fruit is caramelized and baked on the bottom of the pan, and the pastry is baked on top. This produces a flakey and crisp pastry, while the fruits are saucy and gooey. Apples are usually used for tarte tatin, but pears work great too because they can get soft and caramelized the same way apples do too.

Equipment:

For this recipe, I am using a medium-large skillet that’s 10 inches in diameter.

A tarte tatin is usually done in an oven safe skillet, since you need to caramelize the fruits first, and then lay a sheet of puff pastry over it and bake it in the oven. However, you can use a cake pan too, or even a cast iron. A cast iron would be my last choice because you have to keep in mind that you need to flip the pan upside down to release the tart from the pan; but if you want to train those muscles, by all means go ahead.

How to avoid a soggy crust:

1. Let the tart cool completely in the pan. If you flip it too soon, the juices and sauce from the fruits will fall down onto the pastry, thus resulting in a soggy pastry that’s not crisp.
2. When it’s time to serve, warm it at 300°F in the oven. This will help loosen the fruit from sticking to the bottom so that you can flip it more easily.

You can also cook the pears ahead of time, but be sure to keep the pears at room temperature before laying over the puff pastry sheet, or else it won’t product the same caramelized and juicy texture. That’s why it’s best to do everything in the same day (you can cook the pears in the morning, and do the puff pastry part later that day). If you’re not baking it in the oven right away, remember to not cover the fruits with the puff pastry just yet, or else the puff pastry will become soggy.

You can serve this dessert with some ice cream for a little extra treat.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Pear Ginger Tarte Tatin

Sweet juicy Bosc pears are first slowly caramelized, and then placed on a flakey and crisp pastry.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

• 5 large Bosc pears
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter
• ½ cup (100g) sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 1 box of puff pastry (weighing 397g)

Instructions

• Prepare the Bosc pears by peeling the skin and slicing them in half. Discard the core by scooping it out or using a pairing knife. Cut out and discard the stem lines that run from the stem to the core. Then, cut off the end.
• In a medium-large skillet that’s oven safe (mines is 10 inches in diameter), melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the sugar and stir to create a sandy mixture.
• Distribute the sliced pears around the pan (with the insides facing up). For the center of the skillet, place the bottom half of a pear to form a flower shape. You might have to move the pears around to make them fit in the skillet.
• Allow the pears to sit in the mixture over medium heat without moving them, for the sugar to caramelize (this should take around 10-15 minutes). Keep a close eye so that it doesn’t burn. It’s ready once the bottom of the pears turn golden brown. Cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon and ginger over the pears and also in between them.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a large circular shape that has a diameter of 12 inches, and a thickness of 2mm. Place over the skillet and tuck in the edges around the pears.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the pastry is a deep golden brown color. Then, let cool for 5 minutes to allow the caramel to stop bubbling.
• Cover the skillet with a plate that’s larger than the skillet, and be brave and flip it over. Let cool for 10 minutes, and serve. Slice and enjoy!

You may think Oreo corn dogs are so weird, yes, I thought it was weird too; but when I tried it for the first time, it was mind blowing let me tell you. The first time I tried Oreo corn dogs was at a place called Arirang Hotdog. I was a bit skeptical to try it at first, but it seemed so unique and interesting. When I took a bite, it was surprisingly very good. That sweet and savoury combination was working wonders, and I was amazed at how good it tasted. So much better than fried Oreos.

Tips:

1. Make sure the dough rises for one hour until it doubles in size – very important or else it will be hard to coat the skewers in the batter!
2. I opted to use wooden chopsticks (the ones that you would usually get for your takeout utensils). I find that those have a much stronger hold than regular skewers, and they don’t break as easily.
3. I’m using Oreo O’s here and I crushed it into smaller pieces for it to stick to the dough better. I tried this recipe using uncrushed Oreo O’s and it kept falling off of the dough and also when it was being fried (a huge mess and it drove me nuts), so learn from my mistakes.
4. After rolling the corn dog in Oreo O’s and panko, press it down on the corn dog with your hands to ensure they won’t fall off!
5. Keep a very close eye when frying these, because I find that the Oreo O’s can get burnt very easily.

Last but not least, drizzle a good amount of condensed milk on top, and it will taste so so good.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Oreo Corn Dogs

It's crunchy, sweet and savoury, and drizzled with condensed milk.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Fusion, Korean, Western

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Servings 3 corn dogs

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 135 ml lukewarm whole milk
• 120 g all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Corn Dogs

• 3 hot dogs
• 2 cups Oreo O’s
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• Condensed milk

Instructions

Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and warm milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to melt and appear bubbly (activation). 
• Add in the flour and salt to the mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir to combine (make sure there are no dry lumps remaining). Cover with plastic wrap or a wet cloth and let it rest for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Corn Dogs

• In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the hot dogs for 1 minute to remove the oil and saltiness. Remove and let cool.
• Crush the Oreo O’s into smaller pieces (I am using a rolling pin here). Pour into a tray or a large flat dish.
• Let’s prepare the skewers. I am using wooden takeout chopsticks because they have a much stronger hold than regular skewers. Skewer on the hot dogs.
• Prepare two more baking trays or flat dishes. Pour the panko breadcrumbs onto one tray, and the dough onto the second tray.
• Roll the dogs on the dough, and with slightly wet hands, remove the excess dough off the dogs. Then, roll the dogs in the crushed Oreo O’s. Then, use your hands to wrap around the corn dog while pressing down the Oreo O’s on the corn dog to ensure they don’t fall off.
• Roll in the panko breadcrumbs evenly and sprinkle some on any holes that you see.
• In a large pot/wok, add in the oil. Once the oil temperature has reached 170°C/335°F, fry the dogs for a few minutes and roll it around to cook evenly, until golden and crispy. Remove, and place on a wire rack.
• Drizzle on some condensed milk and enjoy!

How are Korean sweet potatoes different from regular sweet potatoes?

Korean sweet potatoes have a red purple skin and yellow flesh on the inside, while regular sweet potatoes have an orange flesh. Japanese sweet potatoes are also very similar to Korean sweet potatoes. They’re both sweeter than regular sweet potatoes which makes them so satisfying. I love roasting them for a nice snack. It becomes soft and caramelized on the inside with a crispy skin.

You can use Japanese sweet potatoes for this recipe, it works the same. They can both be found in Asian grocery stores.

This cake uses a Genoise sponge cake base (recipe here). The cake is soft and fluffy and makes this cake so so good. You can make the cake ahead of time (or even a day ahead). Just remember to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap after it has cooled, in order to retain the moisture and fluffiness of the cake.

One more picture – just because I worked so hard on making and decorating it!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Korean Style Sweet Potato Cake

A fluffy layered cake that has a creamy sweet potato filling (made from Korean sweet potatoes) and a light whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Fusion, Korean, Western

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 6-inch cake

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

• 1 Genoise sponge cake

Sweet Potato Filling

• 500 g Korean or Japanese sweet potatoes (the ones with yellow filling and purple skin)
• ½ cup whipping cream (or heavy cream)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1½ tbsp sugar

Syrup

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp hot water

Toppings

• Finely chopped pistachios (optional)

Instructions

Sweet Potato Filling

• Boil the sweet potatoes in a pot of water until they are soft and completely cooked through.
• Peel and mash the sweet potatoes while they’re hot.
• In a medium saucepan, add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix and cook until the butter has melted. Then mix in the mashed sweet potato until creamy.
• To make it extra creamy and delicious: I always blend the mixture with an immersion hand blender. You can also blend it in a regular blender or run it through a sieve. Cool the filling completely.

Whipped Cream

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream with the sugar with an electric hand held mixer until it’s up to 70% (which means medium peaks – soft, but still holds a form). Set aside.

Syrup

• Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Assembling

• Slice the genoise sponge cake in 3 even layers.
• Brush some of the syrup on top of two of the cakes (this helps the cake to stay soft and moist even after you put it in the fridge!)
• Spread the sweet potato filling on 1 sliced cake, and top with the second layer of cake. Repeat steps 2 and 3 again for the second and third layer.
• Spread the whipped cream all over the cake.
• Decorate it however you like! I had extra sweet potato filling leftover, so I just piped it on top along with the whipped cream. Top with finely chopped pistachios (optional). Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tips for achieving the perfect Genoise Sponge Cake:

1. Use cake flour for this recipe. I always use cake flour when baking cakes because it produces a soft and tender texture in baked goods due to its low gluten content. Remember to sift it because since cake flour is much finer than all purpose flour, it will easily end up in clumps if you don’t sift it.
2. Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature before mixing them together in the batter. This is because if they’re straight out of the refrigerator and you mix it with the melted butter, it will end up in clumps (learn from my previous mistakes).
3. Always fold your batter GENTLY and do NOT overmix, or else the cake will fail to rise properly and it will produce a dense texture.
4. Bang the cake pan on the counter for a few times to release all the air bubbles in the batter – the more air bubbles there are, the drier the cake will be.
5. After you pour in the batter and bang it on the counter, bake it in a fully pre-heated oven IMMEDIATELY, because the longer it sits out, the more air bubbles it will produce.

Recipes that uses a sponge cake:

Korean Style Sweet Potato Cake – a fluffy and moist layered cake with Korean sweet potato cream and a light whipped cream.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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The BEST fluffy Genoise Sponge Cake

Soft and fluffy – this is the only sponge cake recipe you'll ever need for your cakes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1 6-inch cake

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• ½ cup sugar
• 100 g cake flour
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Separate the egg yolks and whites in two separate mixing bowls.
• In the bowl with the yolks, add in HALF of the sugar and whisk until it becomes creamy and a light yellow colour. Set aside.
• In the bowl with the whites, beat it with an electric hand held mixer to make meringue, while adding in the rest of the sugar little by little. Mix until stiff peaks form.
• Add in the meringue to the yolk mixture in 2 separate times, while folding gently with a spatula.
• Sift in the cake flour and fold it GENTLY until the flour has been incorporated.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter (cooled), milk, and vanilla extract. Pour this around the edges of the cake batter in a circular motion.
• Carefully fold the mixture. Do not overmix.
• Pour into a 6” mold lined with parchment (do not grease the sides). Bang the pan on the counter for a few times to release all the air bubbles (too much air bubbles dries out the cake). Then put it in the preheated oven to bake IMMEDIATELY for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from the mold and transfer to a wire rack and remove the parchment. Cool to room temperature and then slice in equal layers. Enjoy!

This type of gigantic mango mochi actually originated from Cheung Chau, an island southwest of Hong Kong Island. They sell these gigantic mango mochis, which attracts everybody to go to Cheung Chau just to try them. It’s freshly made, and you can pack a box of them back home.

I was trying to recreate the Cheung Chau style mochi – mango mochi that’s the size of your whole hand. It consists of simple ingredients that I’m sure you’ll have in your pantry, or you can easily get it from the grocery store. Did I mention it’s also vegan friendly and gluten free?

Be sure to get the Nam Dok Mai mangoes or Carabao mangoes, because I find these to be tastier and sweeter than regular mangoes. The mango mochi from Cheung Chau also uses this type of juicy mango!

Do I have to steam the mochi?

I find that steaming the mochi produces the best texture and chewiness. You can however, microwave it by microwaving the mochi in 1 minute intervals and stirring between each interval. I usually choose to steam it because I find that microwaving it makes the mochi dry and hard to seal together.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Giant Mango Mochi

A whole sweet and juicy mango inside a thin chewy layer of mochi. Also vegan friendly and gluten free!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Cantonese, Japanese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 mochi

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Mochi

• 90 g glutinous rice powder
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 90 ml water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Assembling

• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• ¼ cup glutinous rice powder
• 2 large Nam Dok Mai mangoes or Carabao mangoes

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice powder, cornstarch, and icing sugar. Then add in the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
• Brush a little vegetable oil on the bottom of the baking tray (I’m using a 9×9 inch tray).
• Sieve the mixture and cover with foil.
• Cover and steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes (it should feel firm and lightly springy to the touch, and not stick to your hand). Let cool for a bit (I usually wait until it’s warm enough to handle so that the mochi is still slightly sticky). Then, divide into 4 even squares.

  Alternatively, you can microwave it for 1 minute in 3 intervals, stirring after each time.
• Meanwhile, stir fry 1/4 cup of glutinous rice powder in a pan over low heat until it’s heated. Set aside to cool.
• Slice and scoop out the mangoes.
• Sprinkle some toasted glutinous rice powder onto your work surface (I like doing it on a large piece of plastic wrap to prevent the mochi from sticking).
• Place a piece of mochi onto the powder, followed by half of a whole mango. Fold the corners together and pinch to seal shut. Dust with extra toasted powder. Slice in half (or eat as a whole) and enjoy!

What is Hong Kong style milk tea?

Hong Kong style milk tea was actually inspired by the British afternoon tea, but instead of using traditional milk and sugar, Hong Kong people modified it to fit more of the Hong Kong palate. It’s made from Ceylon black tea, and passed many times through a fine sieve or stocking, which some people thought it looked like a pantyhose. It is then mixed with evaporated milk and condensed milk, and then sweetened by additional sugar depending on preference.

This ice cream is super creamy, and has intense Hong Kong milk tea flavours. I like my milk tea very strong (tea is more important to me over sugar), that’s why I steeped a lot of Ceylon tea for this recipe in order for the flavours to come through in the ice cream. Ice cream that lacks flavour is definitely a no no for me. I highly recommend refrigerating the milk tea mixture overnight, to intensify the flavours. I tried making it all in the same day, but the flavour is just not as strong compared to if I had let it steep in the fridge overnight.

To make it vegan:

Substitute the heavy whipping cream or coconut cream or canned coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight. Whisk or beat with an electric hand held mixer and it’ll turn into just like whipping cream. For the condensed milk, substitute it with sugar or maple syrup, but taste as you go because maple syrup can be very sweet!

How to cook the perfect boba:

I’ve worked in a bubble tea shop before so let me tell you the secret to cooking the perfect boba.

First, you have to remember the ratio: 10 cups of water to every 1 cup of boba.

Once the tapioca pearls float to the top, you want to cook it for 30 minutes, while stirring every 5 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Then turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 30 minutes. If there are still white spots in the centre of the pearls, that means it’s still not fully cooked yet. If they are cooked, mix with brown sugar water for that bubble tea shop style boba.

Yes, cooking boba is a long process, but that’s what you have to go through in order to get that perfect bubble tea shop style boba!

There should be no white spots in the pearls, or else that would mean they still need some more cooking time.

Combine the creamy milk tea mixture and bouncy brown sugar boba together, and freeze! The flavours from the HK milk tea is just pure nostalgia.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Hong Kong Milk Tea Boba Ice Cream

Smooth, creamy, infused with black tea for a strong and bold flavour, and mixed with bouncy brown sugar boba for the ultimate treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cantonese, Fusion, Western

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cups

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

HK Milk Tea Ice Cream

• 30g (¼ cup) Ceylon tea (loose leaf black tea)
• 375ml (1½ cups) heavy whipping cream (sub for coconut cream or refrigerated canned coconut milk for vegan)
• 150g (½ cup) condensed milk (sub for sugar or maple syrup for vegan)
• ¼ tsp salt

Boba

• ¼ cup tapioca pearls
• 3 cups water
• 50g (¼ cup) brown sugar + water

Instructions

HK Milk Tea Ice Cream

• Combine the Ceylon tea and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and cover for 30 minutes to let it steep. Let cool, and refrigerate (I like to refrigerate it overnight to intensify the flavours even further – highly recommended).
• Strain out the tea leaves through a fine sieve and press out every last drop of the liquid (to extract the most intense flavours)!

Boba

• The ratio for making boba is 10 cups of water to every 1 cup of boba.
• In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add in the tapioca pearls.
• Once the tapioca pearls float to the top, turn the heat down to medium, and cook it for 30 minutes, while stirring every 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat after 30 minutes and cover with a lid for another 30 minutes. The tapioca pearls should then be fully cooked. If there is still a white spot in the centre, that means it’s still not fully cooked – repeat step 3 and 4 until there are no white spots.
• Drain and rinse the pearls under cold running water (this will give it that chewy and bouncy texture).
• In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar and a little water together and bring to a simmer until the sugar melts, to make brown sugar water. Turn off the heat and add in the cooked pearls and mix everything together. You can let it sit for a few minutes to let the pearls soak up everything. Your pearls are now ready to use.

Assembling

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the HK milk tea ice cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks.
• Add in the condensed milk and salt and whisk until incorporated.
• Fold in the boba until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or airtight container and freeze for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to serve: let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping. Enjoy!

I never quite understood why mochi is so overpriced. Yes, it’s chewy, and has a fluffy rice cake texture, and is a nice sweet treat, and can be addictive, but did you know it’s actually super easy to make?

This is very similar to the Japanese Daifuku, where both have a chewy and sticky outer layer, and stuffed with a filling. In today’s recipe, I created a filling that contains of matcha cream and fresh strawberries. You can also customize the filling with any other fillings that you like. You can use other fruits, anko red bean paste, or even ice cream.

To make it vegan:

You can also make this vegan by substituting the whipping cream with canned coconut cream or canned coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight (just scoop out the cream layer and leave out the liquid). Whisk it by hand or beat it with an electric hand held mixer, and you’ll have cream just like whipping cream.

The expenses for this mochi came out to be way cheaper than what you would normally pay, and the best part is I can have as much as I want.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Matcha Strawberry Mochi

Fluffy, chewy, rice-cake texture matcha mochi, wrapped around a filling filled with matcha cream and fresh strawberries.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 mochi

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Filling

• 40 ml whipping cream (sub for coconut cream or refrigerated canned coconut milk for vegan)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• Chopped fresh strawberries

Mochi

• 100 g glutinous rice flour , plus more for toasting
• 50 g sugar
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• 200 ml water

Instructions

Filling

• In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and matcha powder together using a whisk or electric hand held mixer until stiff peaks.
• Fold in chopped fresh strawberries.
• Scoop out small balls and place in the freezer until they harden.

Mochi

• In a pan over low heat, toast some glutinous rice flour until it is hot. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a microwavable bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and no lumps remain.
• Cover and microwave on high for 1 min, then remove and stir.
• Repeat this process for another minute in the microwave. Remove and stir. It should start to become sticky after the second round.
• Repeat for a third time, for another min in the microwave again. Remove and stir. By this third round, it should become more of a mochi texture. Repeat the above step until it becomes a mochi texture (smooth, and not extremely sticky, yet not too dry).
• Sprinkle on some toasted glutinous rice flour on your work surface and form the mochi into a log. Divide the mochi into even pieces.
• Dust your hands with toasted glutinous flour, and wrap the filling balls in each mochi, pinching all sides to seal tightly.
• Let the mochi sit in room temperature for a few mins (to let the filling defrost). Sift on extra matcha powder on top. When the mochi is ready, enjoy!

It’s picnic season, (and also lavender season), which is why I decided to make vibrant purple ube cookies. I like my cookies soft and chewy, which is why these are actually the best cookies you will ever have. Other than the amazing taste, they also look aesthetically pleasing.

I decided to add a purple yam filling inside these cookies to increase the ube flavour even more, and that was the best decision I’ve ever made for these cookies. We first steam the purple yam, and then mash it with condensed milk until smooth. Add a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each cookie and wrap it up. When you take a bite, all the ube flavours will be melting on your tongue.

What is ube?

Ube, is a purple yam or (purple sweet potato) that originated from the Philippines. It has a slightly nutty and vanilla taste, and has a beautiful purple colour. It’s normally hard to find ube in grocery stores (if you can find it for this recipe, that’ll be even better), so I substituted it with purple yam, which tastes very very similar. Purple yam or purple sweet potato works for this recipe!

This is cookie dough (not what you’re thinking). Look at that glossy dough.

The cookie dough is super easy to make. I added coconut oil and coconut milk in it to enhance the flavours even more. It also makes it less fattening as I didn’t use full butter!

Here’s an idea: a purple themed picnic. These cookies would be PERFECT for it.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Stuffed Ube Cookies

The perfect cookies. Soft, chewy, crispy edges, stuffed with real purple yam filling, and has a vibrant purple colour.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Fusion, Western

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Servings 10 large cookies

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Filling

• 200 g purple yam
• 1 tbsp condensed milk

Cookie Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• ½ cup coconut oil (softened)
• 1-2 tsp ube extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut milk (if dough is crumbly – add little by little at a time)

Topping

• Dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

Filling

• Peel and chop the taro, purple yam, and sweet potato in small chunks. Steam for 25-30 minutes, or until soft and you can poke it through with a toothpick.
• Mash the purple yam while it’s hot. Add condensed milk and mix until combined and smooth. Let cool and set aside.

Cookie Dough

• In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer/hand held electric mixer/by hand, cream together the brown sugar, butter, and coconut oil.
• Add in ube extract and vanilla extract and mix. Then, add in the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.
• Lastly, add in the coconut milk a little at a time. You may not need the whole thing depending on the texture of the dough. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky, but not stick to the spatula.
• Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours and let it sit in room temperature for around 10 minutes until it softens up before assembling.

Assembling

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and form them into balls.
• Flatten each ball and place a teaspoon filling inside each of them. Fold the edges of the dough together and roll it up to form into a ball. Slightly flatten the cookies and place the chocolate chunks on top.
• Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 13-15 mins, or until edges are set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy them while they’re warm!

I’m the self-proclaimed tiramisu queen, because I make the best foolproof classic tiramisu, and every human being who’s tried my tiramisus have all said they can never have other tiramisus ever again (well, I don’t mean to brag, but you know, I always want to stay truthful with my audiences and readers!)

I thought about dipping the ladyfingers in some kind of tea for this recipe, but then I thought that strawberry syrup would work even better because I want this strawberry tiramisu to be filled with REAL strawberry flavours. This super simple strawberry syrup which consists of 4 ingredients comes together in under 10 minutes, and you can even store the remaining contents for other desserts or drinks, like fresh strawberry milk.

The perfect and most aesthetic dessert for this summer. I’m using Staub’s 7.5” x 6” ceramic baking dish to make this dessert. Not only is it good for oven baked and roasted dishes, it’s also suitable for desserts – perfect for my aesthetic style because of the beautiful glass porcelain-enamel finish.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Strawberry Tiramisu

Ladyfingers dipped in a homemade strawberry syrup with natural ingredients, vanilla flavoured mascarpone, strawberry cream, and lots and lots of fresh strawberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Strawberry Syrup

• 300 g fresh strawberries (stems & leaves removed and chopped)
• 1 cup water
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Filling

• 3 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 4 tbsp strawberry syrup (recipe below)

Strawberry Cream

• 200 ml whipping cream
• 2 tbsp strawberry syrup (recipe below)

Assembling & Topping

• Ladyfingers
• 1½ cup strawberry syrup
• 200 g sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions

Strawberry Syrup

• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the strawberries and bring to a boil. then add lemon juice. Let cool and then blend until smooth. Refrigerate the remaining contents. (You can also do this a day before, and the syrup can last in the fridge for up to one week).

Filling and Strawberry Cream

• Place all the filling ingredients (except for the mascarpone and strawberry syrup) in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk continuously until the mixture doubles and has a thick and creamy consistency (about 10 to 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. 
• Meanwhile, beat the whipping cream with the strawberry syrup with an electric handheld mixer until it’s about 70% done (soft peaks). Set aside.
• In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, strawberry syrup, and the egg mixture (which has cooled completely!). Gently fold in the strawberry cream two separate times.

Assembling & Topping

• Dip the ladyfingers quickly (1 second each) in the strawberry syrup and line them in one layer. Smooth half of the filling on top. Repeat for another layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight to let the ladyfingers soak in the strawberry syrup.
• The next day: Top with sliced strawberries. Serve and enjoy!

This was inspired by the taro balls I used to always get at this place called, “Meet Fresh”. I was always so happy whenever I got a big bowl of these because they were so chewy and came in so many different variations.

I decided to make my own because I can make them in bulk and freeze them for later use. Whenever I’m craving for these, I can simply take them out of the freezer, cook it and enjoy them fresh.

I decided to go with the classics and serve it with grass jelly, taro paste, taro balls, sweet potato balls, purple yam balls, and finish it off with a huge drizzle of condensed milk. You can customize it however you want by adding toppings such as red bean, ice cream, jelly – the variations are endless!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Taiwanese Taro & Sweet Potato Balls Dessert

The perfect summer dessert – chewy balls, just like the ones you see at night markets and made with natural ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Taiwanese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Taro Balls

• 100 g taro
• 55 g tapioca starch, plus more
• 35 g hot water
• 20 g sugar

Sweet Potato Balls

• 100 g sweet potato
• 55 g tapioca starch, plus more
• 35 g hot water
• 20 g sugar

Purple Yam Balls

• 100 g purple yam
• 55 g tapioca starch, plus more
• 35 g hot water
• 20 g sugar

Instructions

• Peel and chop the taro, purple yam, and sweet potato in small chunks. Steam for 25-30 minutes, or until soft and you can poke it through with a toothpick. Make sure to steam them separately to prevent any colour transfer.
• Work with one at a time. For each one, mash until smooth.
• Add in the tapioca starch and mix with a fork. Form a small volcano and add hot water on the top and let it sit for 30 seconds (this step is crucial in order to make the balls chewy!) Mix with a fork until the water has been absorbed, then form into a dough and knead with your hands for a few minutes.
• Roll out into logs and cut into bite-sized pieces. Form into balls that look *smooth*.
• Place the balls in a bowl of tapioca starch and sieve out all the excess. If you want to save these for later use, you can freeze them in freezer bags now (see note).

To Cook

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it boils, add in the taro balls FIRST. Work with one flavour at a time. When they float, let it cook for 2-3 more minutes, and then immediately place it in an ice bath. Repeat for the sweet potato balls second, and the purple yam balls LAST (to prevent colour transfer from the water).
• Drain and place in separate bowls and mix with sugar. They are now ready to eat.
• For the real complete package, add grass jelly to a bowl, and then taro paste, taro balls, sweet potato balls, and purple yam balls. Drizzle with condensed milk and mix everything together. Enjoy!

Notes

If cooking frozen taro balls, sweet potato balls, and purple yam balls: no need to defrost. Just take them out of the freezer and straight to a pot of boiling water.