A Cream Puff Story

I have to agree,nothing is impossible.

We are so familiar with cream puff.If you you think it's true that you can conceive exactly the feeling of having a cream puff in your mouth then I shall say Beard Papa® is something that makes it inconceivable.If you are someone like me,define cream puff as whipped cream wrapped in flaky soft cake that can never be categorised to high class dessert,you must find a store near you and try a vanilla puff immediately;if you are a puff lover and and want to retain confidence on self-made cream puffs or would like to have different puffs every time then you'd better skip Beard Papa®,because you won't want to try others after a Beard Papa® cream puff.

It's clear that Beard Papa® has made effort on both the puff and filling,the outside short crust(don't ask me how it is done) makes the puff crispy and flavourful,with n appearance that resembles a flower with petals.To maintain its crispiness,Beard Papa insist fill the puff only after you've paid.It's normal to see customers waiting in line for filling their puffs,but there's more to see.Sometimes you can catch the scene of assistants processing vanilla sticks for the pastry cream filling!Isn't it impressive in this commercial world,especially in oriental world where vanilla is grown almost nowhere!

By a glance you may consider it "unbelievably expensive"--a puff=2kg flour?I became aware how this equation proved true after a first buy.

By compare I also bought some Brownie®'s puff,which is also praised highly by the public and runs much the same way with Beard Papa®.I'm sorry for giving it such an opponent.As you see,the puff dough has a crumb opping which makes it somewhat better than small puffs,but obviously flavourless and soft compared to Beard Papa®,the filling is...thumbs up if Beard Papa® filled its puff with whipped cream but now...the two versions of pastry cream is definitely not on the same level,just like the gap between high quality chocolate and very cheap one.Thank you Beard Papa®,I think I've discovered a pastry cream superior to Gourmet Corner's!

Celebraing the Tradition

Happy Dragon Boat Day!

I'm curious who at what time made this translation.It must be long ago,because glutinous rice dumpling obviously contributes more to this holiday nowadays,for some people,all the tradition lies in a dumpling.

Needless to say,traditional holidays are also losing their meanings,people no longer do that something for the same purpose but for following a trend.How many youngsters actually knows the background of Dragon Boat Day(DBD)?

DBD can't go without glutinous rice dumpling.This year I'm eating Daoxiangcun®'s,a redoubted brand,every Beijinger has got something on this term.A dim sum lover like me can never thank it too much.You know what's behind this hundred-year brand only after one try.There's no chance to get disappointed.From her I learned the power of frame.There's never a day one of the chain stores is not crowded.I usually prepare such festival foods at least a week earlier,because as the day drawing near,the line gets longer,it normal for a one-block long queue lines from the gate.
Making a glutinous rice dumpling is nothing complex,the most difficult part is wrapping.I'm not a big fan of this dim sum,I guess it's because the filling was too little.Today we can find in stores almost all such festival foods except my favourite--moon cakes.This may be forgivable because good moon cakes must be prepared by hands and are considerably time and space consuming to get the best flavour.I shall say more on it on Mid-Autumn Day.
I also made some traditional multi-layer pastry--remember the Chinese pastry I've mentioned before?If you like it,there's even more:try to use this method on your danish bread,it saves your butter,time and electricity(fridge-free),for people like me,flavours can be modified variously by adding drink powder to the oil dough without bothering the yeasts so that the bread is good enough eating alone!
Chinese multi-layer pastry:
flaky dough:
50ml soy oil
100g sugar
a pinch of salt
250g flour
30g baker's milk powder
100ml water
Mix the above ingredients,knead until smooth.Divide into 32 portions.Roll each one into thin round.
oil dough:
150ml soy oil
100g sugar
a pinch of salt
250g flour
Mix until well blended.Divide into 32 portions.
filling:
32 salted egg yolks
500g date paste
Wrap each egg with date paste(get yourself some good material so that it'll be easier to work).
Wrap each oil dough with flaky dough.Roll each into thin round.
Roll up from one side,press each portion flat.
Roll out each portion length wise,roll up like jelly roll.
Repeat the roll out and roll up steps.
Place a portion edge on top,press with hand,and roll into thin round,wrap 1 portion filling.
Continue with the remaining dough.
Bake at 200C until slightly browned.
This may not assemble puff pastry as it is somewhat tend to be crispy.As for the oil,lard work best,however,butter is also allowed.
Chinese style chocolate Danish:
bread dough:
400g bread flour
2tbsp sugar
2tbsp instant dry yeast
1tsp salt
30g unsalted butter
50g baker's milk powder

oil dough:
400g bread flour
200g sugar
200g soy oil(butter is preferred)
1tsp salt
Mix until well blended,use as he wrap-in butter.
I'm getting busy as my finals are coming,god bless me on this!

filling:
350g milk chocolate

Follow the way of normal danish making,just notice that there's no pause among the 3 folds.

Love to You

Happy Father's Day!

I don't know about the history of this holiday.No matter how it came into being,holidays have long before lost their initial meaning.Today,every holiday is a children's Day,and a shopping week,or even month.It's the father who actually pays for their holiday.

I didn't really prepare for this day,because...it was not until Saturday night that my father phoned me and said that he had arrived home.My mother was about to go for a trip!I harshly called my mother back and bought a cake at Justine's Patisserie,took the subway back in the dark,only to be told that father would be out for business Sunday afternoon.

Speaking of he cake,I must again refer to my bad eating habit.My taste always varies too much from the public,so public reviews for restaurants seldom work for me.Especially backeries and western foods.I find the traditional Asian bakery products--such as dessert bread,light cheesecake disgusting,other unappetising in my list includes the "stylish" mozzarella cheese pizza(this cheese tastes like plastic)and mayonnaise salad(that mess looks terrible).I wonder how my neighbour bakers dare to cut the sugar amount to half or even less of the original recipe written by the westerners when making desserts,just as they wonder how I'd sand the "heaviness"of a New York cheesecake.

The result is I rarely go to local bakeries,this saves no money,instead,I find myself adapt fairly well into 5-star hotels,be it China World Hotel,Grand Hyatt or Jiangguo,whose main targets are foreign visitors.My mother used to say God put me in a wrong place.I said that if I were rich enough,I shall stay in hotel instead of a home.

Unfortunately,my living place is not only not near but rather far from the grand hotel district.I know it's crazy to travel for hours for breads or cakes but...what can I do?

Justine's Patisserie is the gourmet corner of Jiangguo Hotel,which is some hundred metres east to China World Hotel.I am willing to say their cakes are the best,even more additive than Gourmet Corner's breads.I don't understand why his place always seem to be empty and you don't have to have much concern that something is sold out before you arrive.People say it's no to Chinese taste.Anyway,it's good that I don't have to hurry at the half-price time.

Green Tea Cake:

The sponge cake was somewhat dry to me.However,they all love dry cakes,Chinese recipes always say their cake"dry and airy",so my cakes are among the failed ones since they are so moist as if they had been soaked.The flavour was very very pleasing.The green tea flavour was just alright:neither too strong nor light.The chocolate caught my eyes when I decided to take it,but it was something more.I'm no sure what it is exactly,perhaps milk chocolate with black chocolate filling?

Chocolate Mousse:

I highly recommend this!I've never had raspberry before so firstly I swallowed the fruit on top.Oh my God!So sour!I immediately put a spoonful of mousse into mouth and...Qu'est-ce que c'est?!At that moment I truly understand the meaning of"to die for".It's so smooth and airy.You can feel all the glory of good quality chocolate in one bite without being thick and guilty.

Can you see any crust?I thought of this only when almost the whole slice had gone.Examining carefully,I was clear that there was actually a thin to none slice of chocolate cake at the bottom in the centre.Ah~so that explained all--it was more than cake,you can feel that something special in it.Small pieces of chocolate are luxuriously added into the cake,and adhere around the side with the help of chocolate syrup,too!Heavenly perfect!I must take a whole one next time!

Blueberry Cheesecake(head picture):

My heart sunk when I saw it.The berries alone worth the price!Because the only blueberry you can get here is the imported frozen bags,which are almost twice as expensive as cream cheese!It was my first time eating blueberries.They were somewhat sour too but balanced just well coated in syrup.The cake was just what I like:not too sweet and of none-cheese flavour as those in street bakeries.This time I paid attention o the crust,the same style:thin o none and smaller than the cheese top.If only it can hear my saying:"it's my great honour to have you!"

Above all,I doubt if any profit can be made selling these cakes a such prices,I'd kindly advise them double the oringinal price and cancel the discounts,like other hotels on the same grade,if not for my sake.

The Charm of Puff Pastry

My mother always say I cannot be an easy-going person.According to her,my mind is never clear enough and I'm just too critical about anything.

I used to ague.However,as I grow I have to say:"Mom,you are right."

My mother said she hated such situation when an old friend came to visit and asked:"What does your daughter like?"She didn't know he answer as a mother.She never buys anything with me following since my father sometimes does spend money only to meet with a quarrel.

Mom,this is not merely a problem of you,my every style changes so fast that even myself cannot make a long-time decision.

My taste on food can be a good example.also one of the biggest worries of my mother,although things have been made better when I became the cook.There are quite something on my dinner table described "none-edible"by my father or something initially specially for me but finally none end up in my mouth.

My eating habit is bad--I never say it isn't.From some day I suddenly find a particular dish is "to taste",it will be on my diet at amazing amount and frequency,until some time I consider it "disgusting",which means I've had enough,it disappears if there's never such a dish,not even a small bite when I am asked to have some quality ones.

So I guess puff pastry is in my fashion.This startled me so much because I've tasted so many publicly favoured such multi-layered pastries and never consider them tasty.Falling in love with such flavourless yet expensive pastry would sound nothing more than a joke.I tried to modify it by adding much sugar when making mine but,why not just have some good cookies?

I don't know when I began to fancy puff pastry.It was not earlier than last month I threw a bag of elephant ear into trash tin.Would it because puff pastry sound more challenging in hot summer?Je ne sais pas.Anyway,I discovered he subtly appealing butter flavour and substituted my daily cookie baking with Chinese pastry(similar to puff pastry despite that it doesn't puff).

Chocolate Cheese Strawberry Yorgut Bread

I've been blogging blind.Interesting enough,I can edit anything about my blog,but I can never view it.I've experiencing the same problem with a number of websites.So if you find mistakes on my blog or your comments unreplied(if there is a comment),je suis désolée mais ce n'est pas ma faute!
I finally give physics a farewell this afternoon by finish my final on physics experiment,I wouldn't say physics is boring or too tough to learn.Physic is full of fun,and fairly useful,and of course,easy as ABC comparing with maths.Nevertheless,it seems that I was not born for it.No one ever said my physics were bad and,though I'd rather not say about it,I was put into a physics specialist class in high school.I just lack that gene,perhaps.
Does today's bread sound somewhat bizarre?Not to me.
I'm the kind of people who are always looking for "On Sale".It's quite normal for me to buy foods near their expiration date.I don't know if it matters to some of you.They do stay well a certain time beyond their shelf-life.SanYuan® strawberry yogurt is my favourite yogurt,I'm always kept away by its high price,not very expensive but I don't usually drink yogurt,and I'd say I don't drink any other yogurt.Sanyuan® is one of the brands I fell in love with not long after I came to Beijing.I don't think there's anything good in such processed cheese,but they were two for one,a good bargain,isn't it?
Chocolate Cheese Strawberry Yogurt Bread
Ingredients:
For the dough:
500g s strawberry yogurt
400g bread flour
50g baker's dried milk
2 tbsp instant dry yeast
30g butter
For filling:
16 chocolate cheese slices
Method:
1.Put the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl,mix until dough forms,add in butter,knead until smooth and elastic.
2.Let rise until doubled in volume.
3.Divide dough into 16 portions,roll out each portion thin and flat(not too thin).
4.Place 1 cheese slice on each portion and roll up.Press to seal edges.
5.Let rise until doubled again.
6.Bake at 200C until golden brown.
I don't know why they say it is important to preheat the oven,my breads are usually cold oven baked and they taste as well.

China World Hotel Addicted

I have to confess I'm a little addicted to Gourmet Corner.Whenever I've got a chance to be closed,I couldn't leave if not change my money for its breads.You may think it's crazy but tell you the truth,don't be surprised if you see people crowd in that small corner 20 minutes prior to the half-price time,you'll only see an empty counter if you do not line that queue.If you really know bread,Gourmet Corner can be the right place.Their croissant is unofficially rated the best in China(because there isn't any official judgment).
Unfortunately,there has been a confusing rise on the price of plain croissant.RMB5.00 to 8.00,almost doubled!Although general prices are rising and several other items also got more expensive(chocolate croissant from RMB7.00 to 8.00,chicken pie and black forest cake slightly rose),even the clerk said she was astonished at such a big rise.Hmm...maybe it had been sold too fast?Anyway,that left the plain one no advantage to chocolate croissant.

Nonetheless,the queue wasn't shortened.Honestly speaking,I prefer croissant au chocolat,I also bought a plain one for my mother who prefers savory food and ever said pizza hut was an intolerable food-seller,she finished it in second and asked for more!
What makes its croissant different is butter,from the smell alone you can be sure it's made with real butter,the layers are so thine and crispy you cannot decide how to bite.The chocolate filling,though little,tastes qualified.
Brioche and muffin are too,buttery enough,authentic is what I can say.
Pretzel,another favourite of mine,I've tried making it.The colour was fine but my bread became noodles in alkaline water.
Chocolate doughnut with pastry cream:for the filling alone sweet teeth should try it!Y......yummy!

Watermelon Mousse with Agar

For me,mousse is a dessert to clean up the left-aways, where the unappetising turn to crusts.This mousse began with my overly sweet cookies made several days ago.

so easy that I gave up my cheesecake experiment after making once.It seems that you can never make it a nightmare.

Agar is made from marine plants,such as marine algae.I don't know how it is used in other cuisine,it is a versatile food when it is softened or dissolved in liquid:I like it in Chinese salads.also,it is one of the most important ingredients of commercially produced puddings and chewing gums.

I guess none-vegans mostly use gelatin to make mousse,nonetheless,I daresay agar is the basic ingredient in instant jelly powder(I never saw such item in stores here,though).Agar has a considerable higher set point,I'm not sure about the precise degree,it set easily today in my kitchen whose temperature was surely higher than 30C.So if you also like it stiffer,try agar instead of gelatin.

Watermelon Mousse:

Ingredients:

juice from 1/4 watermelon

250g cream cheese

400g none-dairy whipping top(of course,heavy cream works better)

25g agar

overly sweet cookies

Method:

1.Over low heat,dissolve agar in watermelon juice.

2.Cream the cheese,gradually pour in watermelon juice,mix well.

3.Whip the cream,fold in the cheese mixture.

4.break cookies too small pieces,place a layer at the bottom of a bowl,pour in some mousse,repeat layers.

You don't need to let it in cool down completely,in fact,mine had already begun to set when fold into the cold topping.

You may have to add some sugar if your cookies are not overly sweet or if your cream is sugar-free.

Agar salad:

Put some agar in lukewarm water(10-20C) for 20 minutes or until softened,add to your salad to make a twist.

Thesis:the most effecient way to torture yourself

The oral defence for my optional course "VB Programming" is this Friday but I had barely finished writing my thesis just now.I'm not feeling anything as achievement but really exhausted and dizzy.
Conclusion:writing a thesis is the most efficient way to torture yourself.
I didn't expect that credit hour of this optional course would be so hard to gain.Due to military training of my grade,I merely had no more than 30 hours of the lesson.When I returned school and was informed of a thesis topic and oral defence there were only 10 days left.I had learnt several programming language before but never dealt with so complicated a task.
The most painful part was writing the code.He who ever learned programming is able to imagine how painful this procession is,especially a big project with many MDI windows.you need to keep in mind what you have written while composing code for functioning the next step.You need to run your project once several lines and go over your code again and again if it stopped somewhere or never stopped until it achieves your goal.Only now I am so grateful for Microsoft,I have no textbook,I couldn't imagine my sate if there's no MSDN.If doing on my own,I think calculator is the only thing I could produce.
However,I did surprise my self when I finally finished writing the last word.I couldn't believe it is MY project,every single line is typed by my fingers.Comparing with this,my last year's success in assembling a desktop was nothing.
This afternoon,a classmate of mine asked me if I'd like to read a second degree.This was quite interesting because 1 week ago he tried persuading me to change my major.To be honest I do want to since my current major is too laboured,especially for female that normally few working opportunities are offered.Well no,one's ability goes far beyond "major".I said that I wouldn't hire him if one day set up my own company--too changeable an employer.

Ice cream, no maker

I agree that an ice cream maker makes everything easy,it seems whatever combination can end up in ice cream if thrown into a machine.But good ice cream must have come before an ice cream maker.Just be careful on the ingredients,it's as tasty.

At least I'm quite satisfied with my ice cream so far.I dislike store-bought ice cream.I guess it's better in the US but imported ones are definitely too expensive,China made ice cream is ice,not cream.You see,it hardens as ice if frozen overnight.

strawberry ice cream

ingredients:

250g fresh strawberries

100g sugar

gelatin this varies,depends on your preference of the texture and the quality of your gelatin

250g whipping cream

method:

1.Dissolve gelatin with as little boiling water as possible.

2.Mash strawberries with sugar.

3.Combine strawberries and gelatin.

4.Whip the cream.

5.Fold in strawberries.

6.Put in freezer.

Chocolate banana ice cream

This is a by-product.

Ingredients:

Chocolate filling from 360g sandwich cookies(Can be substitute with chocolate syrup)

2 bananas

250g whipping cream

1.Mash bananas with filling.

2.Whip the cream.

3.fold in bananas.

4.Put in freezer.

Cinnamon ice cream

Ingredients:

1 cinnamon stick

100g sugar

100g water

3 egg yolks

250g whipping cream

Method:

1.Heat the first 3 ingredients until the mixture browns,thickens and bubbles.(Better use low heat to let the cinnamon release its flavour.)Take out cinnamon.

2.Quickly pour the syrup into yolks,whip until fluffy.(Work fast to get the yolks pasteurised.)

3.Whip the cream.

4.Fold in yolks.

5.Put in freezer.

I suggest using heavy cream to make it softer,is it sold somewhere in Beijing?

Nestle's light cream is a little bit harder to whip,maybe it's too white?Arla's looks slightly yellow and is made from fresh milk,seen from the package,Nestle's ingredients contains milk,butter and some additives.