Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

One of my favorite desserts is pudding. I grew up eating custards and egg puddings from Japanese convenience stores, so I love eating anything with that silky creamy texture. So here's a creation of mine making boba milk tea into puddings!

This is best served within 24 hours because boba tends to become a little stiff.

Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

makes 4 small pudding cups

1 3/4 cup whole milk

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp honey

3 Lipton black tea bags

1 package (1 tbsp) gelatin

1/2 cup dried boba/tapioca balls

3 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1. To make boba: In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup brown sugar. When it boils, add the boba and let simmer in medium heat for 3 mins (it should float). Switch heat off and let sit for another few minutes while you prepare pudding
2. In a small pot, mix milk, sugar, honey and gelatin. Add tea bags and heat until milk is bubbling at edges and everything is dissolved. Squeeze and remove tea bags. Allow to cool for a minutes
3. Strain milk tea pudding mixture and pour equally into small pudding cups. Add 1 tbsp of prepared boba. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours
4. Serve with a dollop of honey and remaining boba balls

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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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Mango Chai Tiramisu

I'm on my surgery rotation right now, so I don't have much to update you on about my life. Mostly because it's really boring and consists of waking up at the crack of dawn and standing in the OR all day. Although, I'm on cardiothoracic surgery right now and I get to poke and jab at beating hearts. I even shocked one today right in the chest :O! Speaking of hearts...it's almost V-day! I don't usually do anything, because it's a pain in the butt to eat with other lovey-dovey couples (who should really get a room) and prices at restaurants are ridiculously expensive. I'm planning on spending Vday ordering wings and pizza!!

Anyway, I wanted to put this recipe up since I've been getting questions about the recipe after I posted a photo on instagram. I know it's been months since I said I was going to upload this post, but at least I did it!!

Mango Chai Tiramisu

makes a 8x8" tiramisu cake

20-22 lady finger biscuits
1 tbsp chai spice mix (like this one if you want to DIY)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry milk powder
1 cup hot water

4 oz mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups mango, diced
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp meyer lemon jam (or use some lemon juice)

1. Make sure you have enough biscuits for 2 layers for a 8x8" square pan. Line the biscuits in the pan so they fit tightly on the bottom. Cut any pieces so that it fits to make a flat layer. Set aside the biscuits
2. In a shallow bowl, mix chai spices, sugar, milk powder and hot water together. Let cool (This will smell ridiculously spicy but it tones down over night)
3. In a mixing bowl, whip mascarpone cheese, cinnamon, ginger and powdered sugar together until fluffy. Place in a large bowl and then whip up heavy cream until soft peaks form and then whip in vanilla extract. Carefully fold mascarpone mix to the whipped cream until no streaks remain
4. In a blender, blend cubed mango, sugar and lemon jam together
5. Assembly: Dunk lady finger biscuits into the chai for about 7 seconds top and bottom. Lay them down like you had previously planned. Once they are in a nice layer, add 1/2 the mascarpone mix and flatten into a neat layer with a offset spatula. Next, spread all the mango over the mascarpone
6. Dunk lady finger biscuits again to make the second layer. Cover with the rest of the mascarpone. Tent pan with foil while taking care not to touch the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (but best overnight)
7. Serve chilled with cubed mango and chai spice sprinkled on top!

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Chamomile Poached Pear and Warm Granola

In continuation of my "healthy" posts, here's a recipe that can act as both breakfast and dessert. The granola base is filled with all kinds of whole wheat goodies like oats, brown rice and nuttiness from roasted pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.  I wanted to make a huge batch of this so that I could fill up some mason jars and eat it throughout the week. I made enough to fill three jars and my roommate and I have already devoured two :\. 

I've been really into tea lately, and bought a lot of floral loose leaf such as chrysanthemum, rose buds and chamomile. I frequent Chinese medicinal stores to buy these in bulk, because they are so much cheaper than buying it in some specialty tea store like Teavana. I was comparing teas and a lot of their stuff have candied fruits and added sugar, which I wasn't crazy about. My mum has also taken to drying hibiscus flowers in the oven and they make the most beautiful hue of deep magenta when steeped! The best thing about floral teas are that they are drinkable at night if you are sensitive to caffeine, since they don't contain any caffeine. It helps soothe my throat, keeps me warm and relaxed during this cold winter!

For the poached pear portion of this recipe, I decided to poach it with chamomile tea. I received a tea infuser from Dreamfarm, which is the best for steeping loose leaf tea with. It's that bright orange infuser you see in the picture above and it's called teafu. The bright orange is a squeezable silicone that splits open to put lose leaf and you can squeeze the flexible pod to infuse your tea faster. It's like how you shake your teabag about, which doesn't quite do anything, but with the teafu, it forces the water in and out and through your tea leaves. The best thing is that once you're done steeping, you just squeeze it and lift it out of your cup, unlike a teabag dribbling all over the place! (also unlike the picture above, the loose leaf does stay inside the pod! There is loose tea in the photo because....artistic flair :P) So, now I'll be having chamomile poached pears, warm granola with a drizzle of honey and sweetened coconut milk for dessert. And I don't feel guilty at all!

Chamomile Poached Pear and Warm Granola

makes 3 servings

3 forelle pears, peeled

1/4 cup sugar

2-3 tbsp loose leaf chamomile (or as much as my teafu could contain)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup rice crispy cereal

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup shaved almonds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsps coconut oil (or butter)

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 can coconut milk or cream

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare a lined baking sheet
2. Mix oats, cereal, coconut flakes, nuts and seeds together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla and salt. Pour honey mix over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly
3. Spread to a thin layer and press into a the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40-50mins, or until gold brown. I used a spatula and flipped the granola half way into the baking time to ensure both sides were nicely toasted
4. Meanwhile, place the peeled pears in a small saucepan and fill with water enough to cover the tops. Add sugar and the tea. Heat until it simmers and then gently heat on medium-low for about 1 hour or until the pears are very soft, translucent and a fork can easily pierce it
5. To serve, mix about 1/4 cup of the chamomile poaching liquid into coconut milk. Pour this over a small serving of warm granola. Top with the poached pear and drizzle with honey if desired!

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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Matcha Affogato (no-churn)

My arms are full of babies this week! I'm currently working a week at the newborn nursery, and I see tiny hands and feet all day. I'm not one for babies usually, but I see their scrunched up faces and rolling chubby folds in their arms and I just melt. Omgee, my womanly hormones must be finally kicking in. I'm learning so many life lessons every day from the nurses and residents (that is if I ever decide to have children), that I almost feel like a regular baby expert haha! Then I see the faces of exhausted mums and dads and they're so tired that even their words are slurring... and I think, yea... I have no idea what having a child is like :P

But seriously, all my friends are getting married or having babies. There must be something in the water, or I'm just becoming an old fart. Although, med school has me all tied up for the next gazillion years, so I better freeze my eggs now!  

It's becoming almost unbearably hot and humid in Richmond. I get to the hospital at the crack of dawn and it is still so stiflingly hot. Sometimes I wish I had a gigantic ice cooler strapped to my chest while I walk to school. I just crave all things cold, so I've made this cooling dessert just for summer. It's a play on an Italian dessert called affogato (literally translates to "drowned"), where you take one scoop of cold vanilla gelato and then dump a shot of hot espresso over it.



This is my matcha take on the popular affogato dessert. A cold scoop of no-churn coconut matcha ice cream, topped with a shot of freshly whisked matcha!

Matcha Coconut Affogato
makes 6 servings

2 cans coconut milk or 1 can coconut cream (refrigerated overnight)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp Panatea matcha (add to your discretion, I really like it strong so I even go up to 2-3tbsp)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup honey (optional: adjust to taste)

1. Take out refrigerated coconut milk, open one side of the can and scoop out ONLY solid portion into a mixing bowl. Save left over coconut water for shakes or just drink it! Whisk on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Whisk in vanilla, matcha and condensed milk. If it seems a little liquid-y, it's okay... it seems to freeze just fine!
3. Fill up a pint container, freeze overnight. When ready, allow to thaw outside a little so it is easier to use an ice cream scooper
4. Whisk 3 tbsp boiling water and 1 tsp of matcha powder in a small bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup ice cream into a short glass or small dessert bowl. Pour 1 hot matcha shot over ice-cream and serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with panatea matcha. All 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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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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