Chocolate Crepe Cake

中文：巧克力千层蛋糕

I have been making several crepe cakes.  The most popular and tastiest one in my option is chocolate crepe cake.

The slight bitterness from dark chocolate adds more flavor and richness to the cake.  I am not a big fan of whipped cream.  Normally I have to get rid of the whipped cream icing when I eat cakes.  Whenever I order a sundae, I skip the whipped cream topping too.  But I enjoy every single bit this chocolate crepe cake.  Yes, it is that good! O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon coco powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla exact  (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh strawberries for garnish
1 to 2 tablespoons coco powder for garish

Whipped cream filling:

1 1/2 to 2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 to 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup dark chocolate
1 to 2 tablespoons coco powder

Directions：

In a large glass cup or bowl, add flour, salt and coco powder.  And then add egg, melted butter, vanilla extract and milk.  Blend with a hand blender until the batter is smooth.  If you don’t have a hand blender, a regular blender will work just fine.

Heat one or two mini cast iron skillets over medium low heat.

My skillets measure 6.5 in diameter on the bottom.  I think it is the perfect size for a small crepe cake.

Spray them with a little bit vegetable oil and then wipe with paper towel.

Add 1 to 2 teaspoons batter.  With a crepe spreader, spread it quickly and evenly.

I use two skillets so that I can cut the preparation time in half.  And the crepes size will be uniform.

I make 28 crepes which means the crepe cake has 28 layers O(∩_∩)O~

Allow the crepes cool down to room temperature.

Meanwhile, I prepare whipped cream filling.

Add chocolate to a heat proof bowl.  Microwave on high for 25 to 45 seconds or until chocolate starts to melt.  Stir in instant coffee.  Allow it to cool down a little bit.

With a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl just until it begins to hold it shape.  Gradually add the sugar in between.

Fold in chocolate with a spatula.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Place one crepe in the center of a cake stand.  Add about 2 tablespoons whipped cream.  Spread it out evenly with an icing spatula. 

Repeat the process until all the crepes are done.

Sprinkle the top with coco powder.  Top with strawberries.

Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Time to enjoy!

Although the crepes and whipped cream are in the same color, you can still see the layers. O(∩_∩)O~

Want to take a bite? O(∩_∩)O~

Matcha Crepe Cake

中文：抹茶千层蛋糕

The very first time I tried crepe cake was in Toronto’s st Lawrence market.  I tried so many delicious things all at the same time that I forgot how the cake taste like.  After I came back, I begin to make my own version of crepe cake.  It is not hard or intimidating at all, but you surely need to be very patient with it.  

With two mini cast iron skillet and a custom made crepe spread from my husband, I present you, tad dah, a matcha crepe cake! O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon matcha powder(or adjust the amount according to your own preference)
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla exact  (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh strawberries for garnish
1 to 2 tablespoons matcha powder for garish

Whipped cream filling:

1 1/2 to 2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 to 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon gelatin powder
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Directions：

In a large glass cup or bowl, add flour, salt and matcha powder.

Add egg, melted butter, vanilla extract and milk.  Blend with a hand blender until the batter is smooth.  If you don’t have a hand blender, a regular blender will work just fine.

Heat one or two mini cast iron skillet over medium low heat, spray them with a little bit vegetable oil and then wipe with paper towel.

My skillets measure 6.5 in diameter.  I think it is the perfect size for a small crepe cake.

Add 1 to 2 teaspoons batter.  With a crepe spreader, spread it quickly and evenly.

I use two skillets so that I can cut the preparation time in half.  And the crepes size will be uniform.

See how beautiful they are?  That is the reason I love cast iron pans!

I make 29 crepes which means the crepe cake has 29 layers O(∩_∩)O~

Allow the crepes cool down to room temperature.

Meanwhile, I prepare whipped cream filling.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder over water in a bowl.  Let it sit for a couple minutes and then microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds or until it completely melts.  Cool until it is no longer too hot to touch. 

With a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl just until it begins to hold it shape.  Gradually add the sugar in between.

Add the gelatin solution to the whipped cream.  Whisk or fold until well combined.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Place one crepe in the center of a cake stand.  Add about 2 tablespoons whipped cream.  Spread it out evenly with an icing spatula.  You can add dice strawberries with whipped cream if you like.

Repeat the process until all the crepes are done

Sprinkle the top with matcha powder.  Top with sliced strawberries.

Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Matcha and strawberries make a great pair, not only in colors but also in flavors too! O(∩_∩)O~

 Time to enjoy!

Rice and Chinese cured pork belly

中文： 腊肉香菇锅仔饭

There is a winter tradition in my hometown that every family is going to make cured pork and pork sausages.  It is such a big deal that the all family members are recruited to help around.  From planning, ingredients shopping, chopping, dicing, mixing to stuffing, it is a traditional family activity and celebration. 

Although every family has its own secret ingredients when making cured pork, they all taste very good.  The pork develop deeper and richer pork flavor after marinating and curing over time.  If you have no idea what they taste like, just imagine the Spanish prosciutto with a touch of rice wine.  

Most people don’t do that from scratch any more.  Whenever they crave for cured pork or pork sausage, all they need to do is to make a quick trip to nearest market where you can find all the ingredients and people to make them at a very affordable price.

Michigan has long cold winter, and it is perfect for making cured pork.

I love to make cured pork with pork belly.

You should be able to find cured pork in almost any Asian grocery store. 

Ingredients：

1 cup medium grain rice
water needed to cook the rice according to the instructions on rice package
1 piece of cured pork belly (weighs between 1/2 to 1 pound)
4 to 6 fresh shitake mushrooms (you can use the rehydrated dry shitake mushrooms when the fresh ones are not available)
4 to 6 baby bok choy (I don’t have any left in refrigerator, so I use spinach instead)

For the sauce：

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 to 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 to 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions：

The most authentic ones are cooked in Chinese clay pots.  I broke mine years ago.  So I use cast iron pot to cook it.  The result is fantastic too!

In a 3 quart Le Creusetcast iron Dutch oven, add rice and water.  Heat over high heat until it boils.

Rinse the cured pork belly under running cold water.  Pat dry with paper towel.  With a sharp knife, slice it.

Clean the shitake mushroom under running water or with a damp paper towel.  Cut each mushroom into 4 to 5 pieces. 

When water in cast iron pot start to reduce and you can see holes appearing on top, add sliced cured pork and shitake mushrooms.

Cover it up and reduce the heat to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat but don’t rush to life the lid.  Allow it to rest for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain well the baby bok choy.  Blanch in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds and then immerse in icy cold water for 10 seconds.  Drain well.

The rice is ready

The cured pork belly is semi transparent.  The rice absorbs the rich meaty nutty flavor from pork and shitake mushrooms.

Mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Pour over the rice

Add baby bok choy/ spinach.

Mix with a wooden spoon.

Bon Appetit！O(∩_∩)O~

Cranberry Bagels

中文： 蔓越莓贝果

What I love about bagels is that they are soft and chewy at the same time.  Cranberry bagel is one of my favorite flavors.  I wrote this recipe a few years ago and it has been getting good reviews.  It is getting improved over the years. I also retake step by step photos when I am making them.

Ingredients：

3 1/2 cups bread flour (500g)
1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups water
2 teaspoons yeast
5 tablespoons sugar (use more if you have sweet tooth)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of dried cranberry  (or raisins, dried blueberries, mango or any dried fruits of your choice)

For boiling the bagels：

1/2 gallon water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Direction:

Microwave the water on high for 30 to 50 seconds.  Add the water, along with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon flour to the bread machine .  Stir them together.  Sprinkle yeast on top.  Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and start dough process. 

In five minutes, everything starts to come together.

The bread machine kneads for another 20 minutes.  The dough is very smooth and elastic now.

Wait until the dough doubles in size.

Transfer the dough to a well dusted wooden board.  Knead gently to get rid of big air bubbles.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 16 pieces.  If you prefer bigger bagels, divide it into 8 to 10 pieces.

With a small rolling pin, roll each one flat.

Roll up from one end.

Tightly seal the seam.

Put two ends together and roll into a circle.

Lay the bagel dough pieces on the cookie pan lined with silicone baking mat.

Cover with greased plastic again.  Proof in the refrigerator overnight; longer proofing time at low temperature gives them finer texture.  If you don’t want to wait, just proof them at the room temperature for another 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to425F/220 C

In a large pan, add water, honey, salt and baking powder.  Heat over high heat until the water boils.  Reduce the heat to simmer.  Add bagels.  Boil each side for 30 to 60 seconds depending on their sizes.

Drain well and put them back to the baking pan with silicone mat.

Bake in the oven for 16 to 20 minutes or until the bagels are golden brown

Now you have a batch of cranberry bagels freshly out of the oven!

I prefer to eat them just like this.

They are both soft and chewy at the same time.  And the light sweetness and tartness from cranberries is a really nice touch.

Or you can also slice them open.  Toast in a toaster for a couple minutes.  Spread with your favorite cream cheese or jam.

Savory Chinese Crepe

中文： Crepe版煎饼果子

Savory Chinese crepes are widely popular in mainland China.  They are usually sold by food trucks or food vendors.  One crepe can be done in a couple minutes from start to finish.  It is tasty and cooked really fast so that it is a lot of people’s breakfast or late night snack food on the go.

The traditional authentic version of savory Chinese crepe batter calls for mung bean flour and a few other secret ingredients like beef broth.  I substitute with French crepe batter.  It is equally delicious if not better. And it is simpler and easier O(∩_∩)O~

Crepe ingredients (makes 8 to 9):

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crispy thin crackers (make 14 to 16):

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crepe seasoning and toppings：

Crispy thin crackers
eggs
chopped cilantro
chopped green onion
sweet bean sauce
fermented tofu sauce
sriracha chili sauce
white sesame seeds

Directions：

Just like cooking French crepe, you will need a large cast iron skillet and a crepe spreader.  I use a 12 inches cast iron skillet which is perfect for making crepes. I found it in a local cookware store years ago.  What a pity they don’t make them the same way anymore.

My crepe spreader is custom made just for me!  (Yes, my husband made it.)

I start with making crispy thin crackers.  You can use wonton wrapper instead.  After being deep fried, wonton wrapper taste great too.

Mix together flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Gradually add water while whisking with a wooden spoon.  When everything starts to come together, knead with hands for a couple minutes; and then transfer to a well-dust wooden board; and knead until the dough ball is smooth and elastic.

Wrap with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Flatten the ball of dough with a large rolling pin.  And then feed it through the pasta roller for KitchenAid stand mixer for several times.  At the one last time, set the thickness to 5.

Cut the dough sheet into 5 by 3 inches pieces.  Make a couple cuts in the middle of each piece to prevent puffing during deep frying process.

Deep fried in vegetable oil until both sides are golden brown.  Remember, wonton wrapper is a good substitute here if you don’t want to make everything from scratch.

Drain and cool them

You can store any extra crispy crackers in a sealed ziploc bag and they should last for about a week at room temperature.

Here are the sweet bean sauce, fermented tofu sauce and siracha chili sauce needed in this recipe.

Mix flour, milk, egg and salt in a blender until the batter is smooth.

Heat the cast iron skillet over medium low heat.

Spray the pan with oil and then wipe it with paper towel.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons batter.

Spread it thinly and evenly with crepe spreader.

I am behind the camera.  So it means my husband is cooking! O(∩_∩)O~

Add an egg

Spread it too

Top with white sesame seeds, chopped green onion and cilantro.

Flip the whole crepe with a spatula.

Brush with fermented tofu sauce.  I like to use silicone brushes because I can just toss them into the dish washer when I am done.  How convenient is that!

Brush with sweet bean sauce. There is no rule of how much of what should be added.  You can add the seasoning just to your own taste.

Add siracha chili sauce

Add a crispy cracker to the center

Fold from one side

And then the other side

Fold one more time in the middle

Now you have a savory Chinese crepe! bon appetit!

And I made this one O(∩_∩)O~