Bourbon Bacon Pumpkin Pie

Mini Chocolate Peanut Caramel Tarts

Pichet Ong's Kabocha Squash Cheesecake

I've beeing wanting to make this cheesecake for years. it's been in the NY times as well as in his cookbook, Sweet Spot. well finally came around to it. the grahm cracker-walnut crust is crisp, strumptious (though maybe more butter than called for to firm and crisp up). the custard is sweet, creamy and not-too-leaden as most cheesecakes tend to be. (afterall it calls for just one package of cream cheese as opposed to most other recipes which average around 3 packages!

the recipe calls for steaming the squash as opposed to roasting (or using canned pumpkin) as typically suggested. i found Kabocha to be denser than butternut so this worked well but not sure if it would with less denser species.

after our rich and extended portguese dinner, the family didn't seem too enthused about this one. but i'm willing to bet it was more about timing and state of stomach than the actual results and am willing to make (after some tweaks) this one more often. (perhaps in the form of mini cheesecakes.

Strawberry shortcake birthday cake

further to my preference for asian-style desserts, i made this strawberry shortcake for dad's 70th birthday. i used a sponge cake recipe from America's Test Kitchen and for the frosting i whipped 2 cups of heavy cream with 2 T of sugar. i tried using some soften gelatin to stabilize the frosting since i had to make this a day before (too much to do for dad's big day). the gelatin didn't quite combine completely with the cream creating some unappealing web-like clumps. turns out the whipped cream held up pretty well (for at least 2 days) on the cake so i don't think it's necessary for future whipped-cream frostings.

in any case, this is my favorite kind of dessert: light, fresh, not-too-sweet. i'll definitely beef up the strawberry middle layer (the sponge cake can take the load as i've learned) and continue to experiment to perfect this.

Honey Castella

I’ve always been on an enthusiastic quest for recreating desserts from the Korean bakeries I frequented as a kid in Seoul. From anko-pang to soboro, being able to make these treats that are a staple in asian bakeries at home is especially comforting and exciting when it’s a success.
That’s why I was thrilled with this Honey Castella recipe from Pichet Ong's "The Sweet Spot." It definitely goes down as a favorite. For whatever reason, these “traditional” western-style asian desserts tend to be on the drier, less sweet side, which may be why this cake really appeals. Its dry spongy texture and subtle honeyed flavor really took me back….

I used this loaf pan instead of the cake pan called for in the recipe (since that's how it's done in Korea). The pan which I got from IKEA turned about to be perfect for half the recipe.

Brioche Nectarine Tart

This is my first attempt using a brioche dough for a not-too-sweet, but absolutely tempting and scrumptious tart. I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe but used ripe-firm nectarines instead of the Italian plums called for. I wasn't sure about whether the brioche was made correctly (it always seem to be a crap shoot when it comes to me and yeasted doughs) as it didn't seem to rise as much/easily as the recipe indicated. but i followed the direction anyway (with an overnight rest in the refrig) and it came out looking like this...

Couldn't be happier. Did overbake it slightly (probably would use a lower than 425 oven next time) so the bottom crust was a overly browned and a little hard. Otherwise, i'm looking forward to using this recipe with a variety of summer/fall fruits.

Mocha walnut marbled bundt

Here's the mocha-walnut marbled bundt cake from Dorie Greenspan's baking book i made for dad's confirmation. After much going back and forth, I made a last minute decision to go with this. it was my first attempt at "marbling" and thought it turned out pretty well.

Super moist and on the dense side; i'm not sure if I needed to beat the eggs and sugar longer for a lighter crumb or if this is how it's supposed to taste/look. Nonetheless, pretty delicious and one of those desserts that melded together and improved in flavor as the days went by.