Matcha Cinnamon Apple Scones

Whoa! It's been way too long since I updated the blog. Honestly when residency started, I thought I would never come back to it because on the little free time I had off I just wanted to veg on the couch or sleep. I'm now on night float so I've been able to make things during the day and werk, werk, werk all night.

I'm also updating just in time too for my favorite season! I love, love sweater weather and all things cinnamon and pumpkin spiced. For my comeback, I've made these matcha cinnamon apple scones that were adapted from King Arthur Flour.

 Unfortunately the weather was rainy and dark, so these pictures aren't the best :(

Matcha Apple Scones

makes 16 mini scones

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp matcha (I used panatea culinary grade matcha)
1 stick cold butter (cut into pieces)
1/2 cup finely diced apple
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple sauce

turbinado sugar to top
Icing sugar mixed with a little milk

1. In a large mixing bowel, mix flour, sugar, salt, matcha, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into dry mix until crumbly. You'll have some larger chunks of butter but that's okay!
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and apple sauce. Add wet to dry ingredients, toss in chopped apple and stir until just moistened
3. Line pan with silpat or parchment paper. Flour surface and your hands. Divide dough, which is pretty goopy) in half and pat each half into a 6" circle about 3/4" thick
4. Brush each circle with milk and top with turbinado sugar. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and pull them apart from each other just a bit so there is some space
5. Place scones uncovered into freezer for 30 minutes. This is important for best texture and rise!
6. Preheat oven to 425F. Bake scones 20-24 mins or until edges are slightly golden brown
7. Cool briefly on pan before transferring onto rack.
8. I mixed some powdered sugar with a little milk to glaze on top

This post was sponsored by panatea matcha. I was provided products to use, but all opinions are my own.

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Matcha Tres Leches Cake

Hello blogworld! I'm finally free to blog! Although, I will be MIA again for another 2-3 weeks. :P I'm actually typing this post at the airport about to board the plane for Korea and Nepal. I seriously only have a ticket to Nepal and NO plans. This makes my type A personality go crazy, but I haven't had any time to book/plan anything, so I am without hotel, itinerary, travel insurance or proper hiking equipment. Yikes... It's supposed to be raining all throughout my trip and I only brought a pair of Nikes to trek the Himalayan range. Hmmm.. I'm starting to worry now, but I'm about to board in half and hour and can't do anything about it. D:

I hope I come back in one piece... Besides that, I made this cake as homage to the matcha almond lattes I drank every.single.day.of.studying. I'm really sensitive to caffeine and coffee makes me go crazy, so I was so grateful when I learned of Encha from my fave blogger, Betty of  lejusdorangeblog.com. They make different grades of matcha, which is awesome because I always feel guilty using a lot of it for baking. Matcha lattes seriously saved my life, since I obviously can't be sleeping all day and they taste so delicious that it put me out of my studying misery. THANK YOU ENCHA!

Matcha Tres Leches Cake

makes a 8 x 8" cake
adapted from allrecipes.com

6 tbsp white sugar (divided)
3 medium/small egg yolks
3 medium/small egg whites
2.5 tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp matcha powder - using almond latte grade from ENCHA

3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp matcha powder
heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour bottom and sides of a 8x8" pan
2. Beat egg yolks with 3 tbsp of sugar until fluffy. Mix in 2.5 tbsp milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder and matcha powder
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with the other 3 tbsp of sugar until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the batter carefully
4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
5. Allow the cake to completely cool. Pour a ton of holes into it with a fork or toothpick. Mix together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, almond milk and matcha powder. Pour over the cake slowly until it is absorbed. Chill in the fridge overnight
6. You can whip about 1/2 cup of whipping cream and put an even layer on top before chilling. I just served the cake with dollops of whipped cream and strawberries

I received a bag of Encha culinary-grade matcha for this post. But, I honestly love their stuff and bought their almond-grade out of my own pocket, which I used to make this cake. All product opinions are my own!

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Basic Gougères

My friends and I are starting a new thing where we have potlucks based on a specific country. So a few weeks ago, we had a Brazilian potluck and I had full intention of making Pão de Queijo. Watch me go to a Brazilian churrascaria and chow down a basket full of cheesy chewy puffs of dough. They are soo delicious, so fluffy and even better hot out of the oven.

But... Why does my post say gougères then?! Because, I didn't have the right flour!! I was so devastated, but I thought screw it, I need to make something in 2 hours or I will show up empty handed. And my friends will beat me (haha kidding). I started making the dough with olive oil (typically for pão de queijo) and normal flour, which reminded me of making cream puffs. And I thought, GOUGÈRES! They are like the French version of pão. Don't ask me who came up with cheesy breads first... I just like to eat them :P.

Anyway, instead of using butter, I used mostly olive oil and they turned out wonderfully. And I saved the day (sort of :\). These are like crack on a plate, covered in cheese. Do make them!!

Parmesan Gougères

adapted from foodandwine.com
makes 35-40
1 cup whole milk
a little less than 1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 tbsp pepper

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Boston Cream Pie Macarons

Yay It's the weekend! And the weather is perfect and I'm slightly less stressed than usual :P I've been baking all morning and finally tackled making macarons. This was my first time baking them too. I know I'm a little behind the macaron blogging game, but the price of almond flour and everything else can quickly add up. Food and feeding my ever hangry state has turned my pockets inside out. I'm going to seriously live on carrot sticks next. Although, I did do that once and turned yellow-orange. True story. That's how the bf met me. He thought I was normally orange in color. I don't really know how anyone can be attracted to an oompa loompa. But hey! Everyone for everybody ;)

Since this was my first time making macarons, I was surprised at how easy they were to make! And when I saw feet. I was like YEESSSS!! It does take a little bit of prep because you used aged egg whites but otherwise they are pretty simple... as long as you follow a good recipe.

Some notes...I did one batch with a silicon mat and one with just parchment paper with a template I printed off the internet (3.5cm diameter). I thought it was easier using parchment paper and the shells weren't as hollow. Although, the shells slide right off the silicon mat whereas the paper stuck a little.  If you ever wanted to make macarons, you really should. Nothing to be intimidated by. Heck, if I can, I'm sure you can too :)

Boston Cream Pie Macarons

Makes about 20 macarons
adapted from shopsucre
Macaron Batter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
2 large egg whites, ages 1 day in fridge and 1 day at room temp
5 tbsp granulated sugar

Custard filling
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup flour (or 1.5 tbsp cornstarch for gf)
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar

**or the lazy man's custard: 1 box instant vanilla pudding powder, 3/4 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup powdered sugar mixed into 3 tbsp whipped butter (I used this recipe for my pictures)

Chocolate drizzle
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate

• Custard: whisk all the ingredients other than the butter and powdered sugar in a small pot. Heat on medium and keep whisking it from time to time until it starts to simmer. Keep whisking until its pretty thick and starts spitting large bubbles from the top. Remove from heat and let it cool. In another bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Fold together custard and butter mix. Chill in a piping bag.
• Macarons:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mat and get a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip prepared
2. In a food processor pulse almond flour and powdered sugar until mixed and fluffy
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (if you have one, or just an egg beater bowl... I really don't recommend whisking by hand!), beat egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium low for 2 mins, gradually adding in the sugar.
4. Increase speed to 7 to whip for another 3 minutes and then at 8-10 for another 4 minutes. You should be getting a stiff meringue that you can make soft peaks with. Don't over beat it or bad things will happen (apparently...)
5. Fold the dry ingredients in 2 batches with a rubber spatula and make smooth sweeps to the bottom of the bowl. You do want to deflate the meringue a bit so squishing to mix to knock out some air is okay! After about 30-50 foldings (I didn't count but everyone talks about that magic number). I just did it until the batter looked glossy and when you drop some from your spatula to the batter, it takes about 20 secs for it to mold back into the mix. Don't over mix or it will a runny and watery mess!
6. Fill your pastry bag (hold it up in a tall glass..makes life so easy) and pipe batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 3.5cm circles, spaced 1" apart. 
7. Rap the baking sheet a few times about 1 inch above the counter top to flatten the macarons and to get rid of bubbles. Let them rest at room temp for 45-60mins. The tops should be dry and nothing should stick to your finger if you poke them. 
8. Preheat your oven to 325 F in the last 2 minutes. Bake for 15 mins, rotate pans and then bake for another 3-5 minutes. You can check they are done by lifting one macaron you can sacrifice. If the feet comes off, leave it in longer. You always want to overbake than underbake.
9. Let cool completely before removing them from the paper. Line up similar sized ones and pipe the chilled custard filling onto 1 shell. Sandwich together. Heat milk in the microwave or small sauce pot, remove and stir in chocolate until it melts into a thick sauce. Drizzle onto assembled macaron tops. Let them sit in the fridge in a sealed container for at least 1 day before serving. They don't taste as good fresh out because the inside of the macaron shells need some time to soften and for the filling flavors to come together.

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