Annoucement: baking class

It's been almost a year since I launched this blog in October 2010. I have learned so much this past year, not just in terms of cooking and baking skills, but also about blogging and photographic techniques. It really opened me up to a new world and many doors to me. And most importantly, the more I know, I realized that there was far more I needed to know.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all my family and friends who support me through different channels. I would not have gone this far without your ideas, suggestions and encouragements.

In response to numerous inquiries, I am taking a leap of faith to offer cooking classes after much consideration. This is just a way to share my experience with those who are interested and it is not meant to be formal training. I hope it will be fun, practical, interesting, and a way to make more friends.

In order to accommodate different needs, I would like to ask you to give me feedback or comments so that I would have an idea as to what and when (weekdays or/and weekends) to offer. You can do so by clicking comment on the bottom of this post. Thank You!

自從上年十月開始,轉眼間我寫這個網誌也將近一年時間,我不斷在各方面學習,除了烹飪及烘焙技巧與知識外, 網誌、電腦與攝影技術對於我也是很新的範疇,有很多學習的空間。寫這個網誌實在擴闊了我的世界及開搌了很多門,使我更體驗到學海無涯之意思。

我想藉此機會向我的家人及朋友致謝,你們在各方面的支持與鼓勵,實在是我背後最大的推動力。

經過眾多朋友的諮詢、鼓勵和自己詳細的考慮,我願意踏出信心的一步,嘗試開班與別人分享自己的經驗與心得,希望課程能夠做到實用與趣味性兼備。

為了能適合不同人的須要,請在下面comment處寫上你的意見及須要,以便我可以設計不同的課程及上課時間去迎合各位,多謝 !

More Snowy Moon Cakes 冰皮月餅(二)

Yes, the moon cakes are so popular that there are suggestions to make different flavors and fillings. This time I tried out different colors of the skin to match the filling inside. Also, I tried to be innovative by putting chocolate ganache in the center of the filling--"a filling inside a filling"--just like the traditional moon cake with a yolk inside the lotus seed paste filling.

Snowy Moon Cake 冰皮月餅

Snowy moon cake or icy skin moon cake both refer to a relatively new moon cake invented by a Hong Kong bakery called Tai Pan in recent years. The traditional Cantonese moon cake is ususally filled with lotus seed paste with a salted duck egg yolk and baked in a thin crust. Ususally it is loaded with lard and sugar and can be kept for a long time. But in this health conscious time, a healthier version made with vegetable oil and less sugar is welcome by many.

Fraisier 法式草莓蛋糕

I have been trying to make this cake for a long time. The traditional fraisier is made in a square mousse ring. Since I do not have a square mousse ring, I didn't know how it would turn out if I used a round springform pan. But strawberries are in season and I just don't want to pass up this opportunity...

Chocolate Gelato 朱古力雪糕

My family admits to being addicted to chocolate. We are also addicted to homemade gelato ever since we bought the ice cream machine a while ago. I don't think we would go back to supermarket grade ice cream if we were given the choice. This chocolate gelato is so rich and full of chocolate that it satisfies the chocoholics at home. By doing it at home, we can select the finest ingredients and no other additives !!

Raisins Braided Bread 葡萄乾辮子麵包

I remember this is one of my favorite breads from my childhood. I used to pick the raisins out from the bread and eat them first, but there usually were not that many in it. Now since I can make it myself, I can put as many as I'd like in it (but don't go overboard, don't use more than 33% of the flour weight). I can also make it as healthy as I'd like it to be, too. This one is made using whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed with Tong Zhong.

Chocolate Bo Lo Bao 朱古力菠蘿包

There is a saying that do not judge a book by its cover, but let me rephrase it: "Do not judge bread by its crust." Although this chocolate bo lo bao has a darker crust than regular bo lo bao , the crust is still as crunchy and tasty as the regular one. The difference is the addition of cocoa powder. It adds a taste of chocolate flavor to an otherwise just plainly sweet crust. It passed the taste test of my chocoholics at home!