Apple Pie Cheesecake

I went apple picking upstate with the bf's fam two weeks ago and hauled a bag of apples home. I've been eating one daily and now have BECOME SICK OF APPLES. Soooo, I decided to make apple pie filling and put it in a cheesecake! After moving to New York, I can't and won't stop eating cheesecakes. It did give new life to plain apples and they were tolerable again :P

The apples that we could only pick were the Shizuka variety, since we went late and everyone already picked all the fuji and honeycrisp apples. It was like a plague of locusts just swept through the apple trees. But it worked out for me because shizuka apples are sweet, slightly tart, firm and perfect for baking or cooking. Since we had to pay an entrance fee to enter the grounds, you bet your butt I ate a lot of apples to get my money's worth! I couldn't look at another apple for days. Except I'm stuck in the SICU for 5 weeks and my food tray always includes an apple :(

I wanted to make a lighter cheesecake and incorporated a lot of yogurt. It still tastes very much like a rich cheesecake, but so much better for my muffin tops ;)

Apple Pie Cheesecake

makes one 9" cake

Apple pie filling
2 large apples peeled and diced, use firm slightly tart apples like pink lady
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

1. On low medium heat, melt butter and spices. Add 1 tbsp water, diced apples and sugar
2. Stir often and cook for about 6-8 mins until apples are slightly soft
3. Make the cornstarch slurry by adding water and cornstarch together until no lumps. Drizzle into apple filling
4. Cook for additional 3-5 minutes to thicken and until it bubble. Set aside to cool

Yogurt Cheesecake

Your favorite pie crust recipe (I use Ina Garten because she is a Food Goddess!)
2 8oz cream cheese
1 3/4 cup whole milk Siggi (I used) or greek yogurt
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400F. No need to roll out the pie dough. Just press into a 9" springform pan and up the sides a little. Poke holes with fork. Blind bake pie crust for 15 mins
2. Reduce oven temp to 325F. In a mixer or large bowel beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice
3. Beat in 1 egg at a time, making sure not to over beat as it can introduce bubbles
4. Cover springform pan sides with foil and place in larger pan to make a water bath. Pour room temp water into the bath until half way up cheesecake pan
5. Bake for 50-60 mins until middle is just set. Crack oven door open and cool in oven for 1 hour. Let cool completely at room temp afterwards
6. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight to set
7. Make the top pretty with dried apple slices and pie crust leaves!

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Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

YO YO YO, is it pumpkin time again?! I love pumpkin spiced latte (#PSL) like a basic white girl and I'm always super excited for the fall. Mostly because I can eat cans and cans of pumpkin and hide all the carb loading I'm doing all winter under a heavy jacket. I'm posting something I made two years ago, that I never got the chance post! I don't ever have an excuse for not posting often other than surgical residency life/  lack of sleep getting in the way. I just finished my transplant rotation and I kid you not...  I've only slept 6 hours in the past 4 days. Even though the surgeries and patients are amazing, the lifestyle is just not :\  And I pity the fellows, who must really be into suffering haha.

Anyhoo, back to pumpkin cake! This makes for a very moist cake due to the pumpkin puree and the cream cheese frosting with a hint of maple syrup really tops it off. The brittle adds some crunch and savory flavor. The brittle will melt into the frosting, so just stick it into the slices of cake or lay on top right before serving.

Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

makes a 8x8" cake

Pumpkin Cake
1-2/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/4 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1.5 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used lighter flavor olive oil)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated

Maple cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
6 tbsp butter, room temp

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare pan with parchment paper and butter. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour to pumpkin puree). In a smaller bowl, mix oil, sugar, salt (I know these are dry too :P) and egg yolks in a smaller bowl.
2. Whisk up egg whites until it is foamy and slightly bubbly. I added a tbsp of sugar to help it going
3. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in egg whites until no whites remains (some streaking is fine!)
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50mins or until a knife stuck in the middle just comes out clean (little moisture is fine!). It'll keep cooking outside so don't leave it in too long. Let it cool for 10 mins until taking it out to cool completely
5. For the frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar and maple syrup until the brown sugar isn't grainy in it. Then beat in powdered sugar. 
6. Spread on frosting to cooled cake. Serve immediately, or you can keep it in the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least an hour before serving.

Pepita seed brittle

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp butter, room temp

1. Prepare a pan with a silicone mat or that pan has to be real buttered up
2. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, vanilla extract and then water. Bring to boil and cook WITHOUT stirring until lightly amber
3. Stir in pumpkin seeds and once medium/dark amber, pour onto prepared baking sheet
4. Cool completely and then break into pieces

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Blood Orange Chai Mochi Cakes

It's Mother's day soon, so I thought I might put up this post as an idea for what to make for that special lady in your life! I saw that blood oranges are still being sold at supermarkets, but no idea if we're kind of done with the citrus season :P I made these a while ago so I do apologize!

My mum and I absolutely love mochi and it's chewy texture, so I wanted to make some mini cakes and add some flair to it. The chai pairs really well with the oranges and when the blood orange slices dry in the oven, it looks so pretty!

I'm keeping this short because I actually have to study... But, I hope you spend a lovely day with your mum. Love you mum! Also just found out that she reads my blog soo.... ;)

I used a tea strainer from Dreamfarm, which works like a dream to steep chai loose leaf tea in the milk!

Blood Orange Chai Mochi Cakes

makes 8 mochi cupcakes

1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups glutinous rice flour
1.5 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chai spice (mix of cinnamon, ginger powder, anise, pepper)
1 cup whole milk (coconut milk will work too)
3 tbsps loose chai leaves (or 3-4 chai tea bags)
3 tbsp butter, room temp
2 medium eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 blood orange
2 blood oranges, sliced
demerara sugar

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan and add tea bags. Once it starts to ripple/simmer but not bubble, take off heat and let tea bags steep for 10 mins. Take out tea bags and cut butter into little chunks. Add this to the flavored milk and stir until it melts. Heat a little if necessary to melt. Set aside to cool
2. Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pan. You can use liners but the mochi sticks to it a lot.
3. In a large bowl, mix sugar, glutinous rice flour, baking powder, salt and chai spices
4. Once butter/milk is cool, whisk in eggs, vanilla and zest. Pour this into dry mix and stir together until no lumps remain
5. Pour batter 3/4 up prepared muffin pan and add thinly sliced blood oranges on top. Sprinkle demerara or raw sugar on top generously
6. Bake for 40-45 mins or until mochi is cooked through. Leave to cool completely in the pan 

I developed this recipe for Dreamfarm; all opinions expressed are my own. I love their cute and innovative kitchen tools and especially their clever names :) Thank you for the support!

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Thai Tea Skillet Brownies

I hope you guys had a splendid Easter weekend! My Easter holidays growing up usually involved church and my mum forcing me to play some hymn on the violin. I used to have terrible stage fright, and I still do! But, my mum kept making me do all kinds of things in front of people because "it builds character". Now that I'm an almost adult, I get to wake up late and eat left over Easter dessert/candies for breakfast :P.

It's raining in Richmond today, so I can't imagine what doing a egg hunt would be like in this weather. My roommate and I did some major spring cleaning. Honestly, we only clean when we have prospective renters look at the apartment, so I'm glad some people want to see it tomorrow. We really needed a reason to kick our butts into high cleaning gear!! You don't even want to know some of the things I found under my desk! It's difficult when you have two girls with long black hair shedding all over the place :P

Cleaning is some back breaking work though, so we'll be treating ourselves to some leftover brownies a la mode. The butter here is infused with Thai tea, so it gives it some depth and extra flavor! I'm using the same Revol mini dishes that I used in my last kimchi chili tots post. These are perfect for serving and portion control...otherwise, I'd eat the whole pan! And, because of the gooey nature of these brownies, it's difficult to clean but these "cast iron" dishes are able to go into the dish washer! What a relief, because I have absolutely no strength to even wash dishes :D

Thai Tea Skillet Brownies

makes 3-4 mini skillet brownies

1 stick butter
4-5 tbsp loose thai tea leaves
5 oz unsweetened chocolate chips, melted
2 eggs, room temp
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
sweetened condensed milk

1. Put Thai tea leaves in a cheesecloth or tea bag. Melt butter in a small saucepan and place tea bags into the butter to let steep for a few minutes (I let it sit for 5-8 mins). Some thai tea leaves have orange food coloring in them, so if your butter turns bright orange, don't be alarmed!
2. Preheat oven to 350F and butter mini casserole dishes. Once the tea is done steeping, take out the tea bags, add in chocolate chips and the residual heat will melt it. If it isn't quite melted, just put it on low heat for a few seconds and it will melt quickly. Set aside and let cool
3. In a large bowl, mix together sugar flour, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, lightly beat eggs with the vanilla extract and stir this into the cooled melted chocolate. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated. Try not to over mix, or you'll get a more cakey brownie!
4. Bake for 20-25mins, or less if you want your center to be very gooey. And that's okay because we're going to be eating these with spoons anyway!
5. Serve with a giant scoop of ice cream and drizzle on sweetened condensed milk

I developed this recipe for Revol; all opinions expressed are my own. I love their beautiful and creative kitchen bakeware, serve ware and cooking tools :) Thank you for the support!

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Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Bars

Ah... It feels like I haven't been posting for a while! I swear I've been sweating it up in the kitchen baking, cooking and testing out recipes. I have so many posts lined up that I'm super excited about, so I promise I'll have it up soon. But, for now I'm going to post something I made last year. Haha oops. I've been meaning to post these oreo cheesecake brownies that I made when I just felt I needed the ultimate indulgence. It isn't one of my usual East-meets-West recipe, but sometimes there are foods like cheesecake brownies that you just can't tamper with.

Do make these and save them in the fridge so you can have them on one of those long and exhausting days. Or if you're like me and you become cookie monster at a certain time of the month ;) 

Hopefully I'll be able to post some cooler recipes soon! 

Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Bars
makes one 8x8" pan

Brownie
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake
2 - 8oz packages cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
About 1 cup crushed Oreos

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line pan with parchment paper
2. Brownie: mix wet ingredients (melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla), gently stir in the dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, salt, baking powder) and just mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into the pan. Smooth out if necessary.
3. Cheesecake: Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Whip in the sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Gently fold in the crushed Oreos.
4. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over the brownie batter and smooth the top
5. Put in the oven for 20mins (do not open the oven door). Lower the oven to 325F and bake for another 20 mins. Again (DON"T open the oven door), lower temperature to 300 and bake for 10 mins
6. Now crack open the oven door just a little bit, turn off the oven, and let it sit for 30-40mins. Let it cool and then stick it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

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Matcha Watermelon Cake

I'm all about reading unmotivated/demotivated posters and memes currently... Sometimes, I get these spurts of energy to do stuff and then I fall into a lull, and just want to sit on my couch with a bag of Cheetos on my belly and lick cheese dust off my fingers. I'm also in a fairly chill rotation right now with no stress, no early mornings or late nights.

I should be feeling pretty good, but it's kind of like that stillness before the storm. In two weeks, I'll be on internal med rotation and all hell will break loose. It'll be back to panda eyes, frizzy hair, caffeine IV drip and mismatched clothing. <-- haha, sometimes I seriously don't notice what I put on in the morning at 4.30am and I'll go to work in an all olive green ensemble looking like a pickle (true story).

I'm taking advantage of all this free time to do lots of baking though! I recently made a lot of matcha stuff, just because I love matcha and want more of my friends to be exposed to it! I have a whole recipe page dedicated to it here. For this post, I have a light as air matcha almond cake base, sandwiching a watermelon layer with almond scented whipped cream. It's then topped with fresh strawberries, almonds and dried petals. The cake is quite reminiscent of Japanese/Asian bakery cake density...something like a chiffon cake. The watermelon really works as a layer here. It's super refreshing and unexpected. My roommate and I devoured this cake in 2 days... but then we're also your no-so-typical-vigorous eaters ;).

Matcha Watermelon Cake

inspired by black star pastry
makes a 5 inch layer cake

Cake	Frosting
2 eggs, room temp 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup almond finely ground meal (plus more) 1 tbsp Panatea matcha 3 tbsp flour 3 egg whites, room temp 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 2 tbsp white sugar 1 slice watermelon	1.5 cups heavy whipping cream 4 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 pint strawberries sliced almonds dried petals (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place parchment paper on bottom of a 5 inch spring form pan.
2. Beat eggs, powdered sugar, almond flour on low-med until pale yellow. Mix in matcha and flour. Transfer to another bowl and wipe clean mixer bowel (or if you're lucky, whip out your other mixer bowl)
3. Whip on low egg whites and cream of tartar. Add sugar and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixer and matcha cake mix gently until all incorporated
4. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-40 mins. At 20mins you make need to foil the top because it will brown easily. Test with skewer for done-ness. Once out of the oven, immediately flip over on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely in it's pan
5. While you're waiting for your cake to cool, cut a 5 inch watermelon slice about 1-1.5cm thick. Sprinkle both sides with sugar ~1 tbsp and allow to macerate on a rack for 30 mins
6. Mix heavy whipping cream, sugar and extracts on high until stiff (but not too long that it separates). Set aside
7. Stick cake once cooled into the freezer for 10 mins, so it is easier to slice in half. If you used 2 pans, then forget about this step.
8. Place top layer of cake cut side up and spread frosting over it. Sprinkle almond meal over it (absorbs extra watermelon juice). Pat watermelon layer with kitchen towel and place over frosting. Sprinkle almond meal over watermelon and then spread more frosting over it. Top with final layer and more frosting.
9. Refrigerate cake for 1-2 hours to firm up. Cut up strawberries into quarters and halves. Decorate cake with sliced strawberries, sliced almonds and petals. Will keep for a few days!

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Vietnamese Coffee Cake

I'm currently on inpatient pediatrics, so I haven't had much time to update anything. I feel like I haven't posted in a while, so I just wanted to say hi! haha. 

Nothing really interesting on my end. I'm just seeing sick kids all day and all night. I've realized that kids are disease dispensers... I definitely got sick twice even if I sterilize my hands a gazillion times :( I've also been wearing scrubs a lot, which just like sweatpants, will FOREVER EXPAND. They are super comfy, but you don't ever realize how many Oreos you've been putting straight to your muffin top until you try to wear "real" clothes. So deceptive... and a sign that I need to hit the gym :(

So obviously I made more cakes, because my scrub pants can still take up some more expanding :P I'm kind of in love with Vietnamese coffee. It's an intensely brewed coffee that is dripped into a glass with a huge spoonful of sweetened condensed milk mixed in. They are so good freshly brewed, but you can also buy instant coffee packets from any Asian supermarket. I used Nestle brand packets to make these cakes, and the coffee flavor is pretty strong! You'll want to make sure you brew extremely strong coffee or espresso to make the coffee-ness really stand out.

Anyhoo, I need to end my rant, grab coffee and get. back. to. work. :(
Also, don't you love the shape of these cakes? I got them as a gift from a lovely friend, and I've been dying to use them.

Vietnamese Coffee Cake
adapted from King Arthur Flour
makes 1 large 10" bundt or 8-10 mini bundts or 2 loaves

Coffee Cake
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yogurt/sour cream
2 packets of vietnamese coffee mix (I bought this at an Asian supermarket)
3 tbsp instant coffee granules
~1/2 cup hot water (cooled)

Sweetened Condensed Milk Icing
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease molds or bundt pan
2. In a small bowl, dissolve instant coffee and Vietnamese coffee mix with hot water and set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add wet ingredients (eggs, oil, sourcream). Mix on medium speed until well combined.
4. Add in the cooled coffee mixture and beat for a minute
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and level the surface of the batter. 
6. For my mini bundt molds, it took about 25-30 mins, but for a bundt pan about 60-65 mins. Check with a toothpick or chopstick stuck down the middle.
7. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting it and letting it cool completely
8. To make the frosting, just mix the ingredients together. If it needs more thinning add milk, if it needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. Pour over your cake!

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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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Green tea Crêpe Cake

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Woah. I'm doing back-to-back blog posting. I never do this, but I made this crepe cake for friends-giving and wanted to just shout it out on the blogosphere :P. It's just like the ones you find in Lady M bakery (NYC) but obviously 100x less refined and 100x less pretty :( . Have I ever mentioned that I used to work at a boba shop that also sold crepes and hookah. Pretty strange combo, but I guess it worked out so well that it expanded all over LA and in Hong Kong! I was their very first employee AND I came up with the crepe recipe. At least I know, if med school doesn't work out, I'll be a crepe maker :P

I also made a christmas tree stencil for the cake, but I forgot to take a picture of it ughh. This took a whole day and a half to make, but I plopped my computer right next to the stove and made crepes and watched "The Mindy Project" for 2 hours. Yea... I now have carpel tunnel from twirling my frying pan and batter all over my keyboard. I really need to invest in a keyboard cover because when I type I hear a lot of crunching... too much snacking while studying (oops)

Green tea Crêpe Cake

makes one 8" cake

Crêpes
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups milk
1 cup water
4 eggs
6 tbsp butter, melted
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp matcha powder
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Pastry Creme Filling
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp matcha

1. Filling: In a medium pot, add yolks, flour, sugar, milk and vanilla. Whisk together and heat over medium fire. Keep whisking until it is pretty thick...probably about 5 mins. Take off heat and let it cool. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whip in the sugar and matcha powder until medium-stiff peaks.  Fold into the cooled down custard and keep in the fridge until ready to assemble.
2. Crepes: In a blender, add all the ingredients. Pulse for 15-20 seconds. Refrigerate it for at least an hour to overnight. This helps to get rid of the bubbles so that it is less likely to tear while making them
3. In an flat 8" non-stick frying pan, heat on medium and melt about 1/2 tbsp of butter. Work with less than 1/3 cup (between 1/4-1/3 cup) of the batter and pour into your frying pan. Immediate tilt the batter to cover the bottom of the pan
4. Wait until the bottom is slightly brown (about 2-3mins), flip with your hands. I found this a lot easier than trying to use a spatula. Heat the other side for 1 min
5. Lay over wax paper and continue with the rest of the batter. I didn't stack them up because they can steam and make the other crepes soggy. I spread them out and would stack them when they cooled down.
6. Assembly: In a 9 or 10" freeform cake pan, wrap the bottom tin with plastic wrap. Lay a crepe on the bottom (your largest and prettiest one). Spread thin layer of filling and stack with another crepe. I added way too much creme and it kind of oozed everywhere. Make it as high as you like (but keep some filling left over to spread the top)! I think I stacked 20 crepes.
7. Lay your last one over and let it set in the fridge with plastic wrap on top overnight. This will stiffen the cake up some so the layers don't slide everywhere. The cake is best left to develop the green tea flavor and soften the crepes for 1-2 days!
8. Get a pretty plate and invert the cake onto the plate. Cover the top with the leftover creme and dust with matcha or powdered sugar

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Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake

Yay I'm back from my cross country road trip! In one whole piece too. It was actually a lot of fun, with only some yelling and a few tears (ha!). Today is officially the start of classes and I just cannot bring myself to do anything productive. Yesterday, I watched Spiderman 2 during orientation but for Andrew Garfield...anything :D. The ending was so shocking and sad, and when it comes to sappy endings, I can't stop the flow of tears... even if I'm in the lecture hall :P Then my body felt like a jellyfish the entire night so no productivity there. I do need to get back to the grind though...because med school :(

I got a new 5 inch springform pan and other kitchenware stuff over the summer. Now I have absolutely no counter space so my mum made me put it all in a box in a living room. Soon half the living room will be filled with my stuff. Sorry, roommate! My first apology in the form of a cheesecake (with a oatmeal cookie crust! nom)

Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

So much free time this weekend, I didn't know what to do besides bake. So I created this monster, although the crazy idea came from the bf. This cheesecake is definitely a eat first and think later cake. It is studded with cookie dough balls and chocolate chips and is so rich and creamy! Wew, I'm either going to go into a food coma or having another slice :/

If you do decide to make the cheesecake, really make sure your springform pan is tightly secured with foil, so water doesn't seep in while baking. I had a little bit of an issue but the cake turned out okay.

Next week is all anatomy lab until spring break. Woo!! I don't mind every pore in my body stinking like formaldehyde, because I am going to go home sooonn!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
makes a 10" cake

Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 - 1 cup mix of brown and white sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Crust:
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups honey graham crackers, crushed (less than 14 crackers)

Filling:
4 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temp (I used lite cream cheese, plenty rich still)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used full fat)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

• Cookie dough: Beat butter and sugar in a mixer, add milk and vanilla. Mix on low the flour, salt and chocolate chips until everything comes together in a lump. You can add more milk if it seems too dry, but if you work the dough with your hands, it should be alright. Roll dough into 3/4" balls and place them on wax paper or plastic wrap covered baking sheet. Place into the freezer for at least 30mins
• Crust: Wrap the bottom of the pan with a lot of foil to make it waterproof. Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 10" springform pan. Crush crackers with a rolling pin in a ziploc bag, or a food processor. Mix together butter and crumbs. Press into bottom of pan and a little up the sides
• Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325F. In a mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. So important to use room temp cheese or you'll get cold lumps. Beat in eggs and flour. On medium, beat in sour cream and vanilla until smooth
• Assembly: Pour half the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Fold in frozen cookie dough balls and 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the remaining batter. Pour into pan and smooth out top. Place pan into a bigger pan and fill it up halfway with water (under the foil line though!)
• Bake cheesecake at 325F for 1 hour (may not look cooked but it's okay!). Turn off oven, crack door open and let the cake sit for another 30 mins. Let it cool completely out of the oven and then chill overnight.
• Cheesecake is best served cold!

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Persimmon Chai Cake

Two weeks until I'm back to sunny palm tree filled Los Angeles. I feel like I do a lot of complaining about the weather in Richmond... what can I say? We're a little stuck-up about the weather. I'm hoping to go to the beach and get some surfing in! Hopefully, I haven't forgotten how to use my muscles. I feel like I have wasted away half my body from sitting in a chair 24/7 :(

Just wanted to post this recipe before our an exam on Friday. I had a lot of chai packets so I wanted to make a tea infused cake. Plus, a lot of dried persimmons lying around. Makes a very moist and subtly cinnamon-y spicy cake. Definitely a success! I also learned saying tea and chai is redundant... I've been schooled!

Persimmon Chai Cake

makes 1 loaf

1stick 2tbsp unsalted butter
3-4 teabags of chai (I used 3 twinings ultra spicy chai)
Scant 1 cup white sugar (like 2 tbsp less than a cup)
1 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz (1 single serving cup) plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1.5 cup of dried persimmons, chopped (fresh would work well too)

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a loaf pan with baking paper
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat with the teabags in it. Let it sit for about 10 mins
3. Meanwhile, mix all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, spices, baking powder & soda) in large mixing bowl
4. Squeeze the butter out of the teabags. Careful not to rip them though! Add yogurt and beat eggs until blended
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just mixed. Fold in the chopped persimmons.
6. Bake for 1 hr - 1hr 20 min. Top may brown at 1 hr but inside the cake might not be done (test with a knife through the middle). You can cover the top with foil until it's done in the oven

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Makgeolli Sool Bbang - 술빵

Yay!! Finally a real free weekend!! Also, Happy Valentine's Day! Mine started out amazingly with 2 exams. *roll eyes* I am so sleep deprived, but currently baking at home :) Haven't touched my oven or my kitchenaid in too long!

The bf and I are going to cook together, because I just don't want to sit in a packed restaurant filled with lovey dovey couples. You know??! The only thing I baked where these EKG cookies. Anyway, the real Vday holiday is tomorrow, when the Valentine's chocolates are on SALE!! Yes!!

Here is a recipe for a traditional steamed cake made with Korean Rice wine, Makgeolli or 막걸리. I grew up on this stuff when I lived in Korea! The cake is very soft and rises amazingly, with a slight boozy taste. Oh, I feel so nostalgic...

Makgeolli Sool Bbang - 술빵

makes a 9 inch cake

1 cup makgeolli, korean sweet rice wine (preferably newly opened)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking power
1-2 tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the makgeolli, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar until slightly frothy
2. Sift flour and baking power directly into the bowl and fold in until totally blended together. (no over mixing though!)
3. Place a cheesecloth onto your steamer basket and pour in the batter. Scatter sesame seeds over the top is using.
4. Cover and steam on medium heat for 35-40mins, or until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean
5. Serve immediately - best when warm and fresh

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