Lovely summer has arrived, lucky the temperature didn't went too high yet. As I said earlier, summer makes me excited: sunny day walking on the beach, having a picnic on a lazy afternoon, a lots lots of fruits, all those kinds of thing. ah, I can't wait for these.
Also my favorite summer fruit----stone fruits has arrived too. The first one come in my mind is beautiful, ruby red cherries. Since I love lemon verbena so much, I decide make lemon verbena flavored cherry jam, well, not so traditional.

It's fun and easy to make cherry jam, all you need is a lemon, sugar, some lemon verbena leaves and cherries. Rinse the cherries then remove the stems, and here comes my favorite part of making this jam---pit the cherries, with the cherry pitter. After you done all of them, chop up 3/4 cherries, put in a large pot with juice of one lemon and zests, cooking and stirring for 20 minutes, or until softened.
Process lemon verbena leaves in a food processor with some sugar. Add about cooked cherries 3/5 of the amount of sugar (include the lemon verbena sugar), cook a litte bit more, when the jam start to coat the spatula in a thin jelly-like layer, add some kirsch or cognac.

 I made cherry and rosemary clafoutis with leftover cherries. And the scents are quite strong, I didn't happy with it, although it's not bad. So I use lemon thyme instead, when you serve the custard warm, a hint of thyme scents makes all the different.

Cherry and rosemary clafoutis         (adapted from Jams, conserves & preserving)

125g sugar
1 egg yolk
2 eggs
20g flour, sifted
25g ground almonds
200ml milk
100ml cream
300g cherries
1tbsp kirsch or cognac
1 rosemary sprig(or 2 lemon thyme )
salt

1. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolk in a bowl, then whisk in the whole eggs. Fold in the flour, almonds and a pinch of salt and whisk well. Stir in the milk,cream and kirsch, then set aside in a cool place to rest for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, arrange the cherries and rosemary(thyme) in a well-greased ovenproof dish. Whisk the batter again, pour it over the fruit and cook in a preheated oven, 180℃/350°F, for 30 minutes. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes and serve slightly warm.

早就想用lemon verbena做这个tartlet了，只是一直没有等到喜欢的水果，现在我最爱的stone fruits正好in season, 怎么可以错过。(我还用cherry做了很多东西，先卖个小关子，嘻~~)
这个tartlet非常简单，不过我超喜欢，lemon verbena infused pastry cream, 预先烤好的塔皮是用PH的sweet tart dough, 很酥脆，尤其里面还加了almond flour, 更香。堆上喜欢的水果，voilà.

Lemon verbena的香味，闻一次就会爱上它，like someone said: If you've never rubbed a leaf of lemon verbena, it's impossible to explain the lovely scent. 有点像清爽的花香气里带着淡淡的柠檬味，哪怕只是摘几片泡茶喝都让人愉悦。不过一定要用新鲜的叶子，干的味道远不及新鲜的来得好闻。

这是另外一天做的Key lime white-chocolate tart，酸酸甜甜的。不过对我来说酸了点，我怕酸。配上whipped crème fraîche稍微好点。跟我想象中的差距蛮大的，虽然有苦甜的巧克力塔皮来中和，不过味道还是太sharp，也许下次做key lime pie看会不会好点。

Lemon verbena  pastry cream              (adapted from Joy of Cooking)

2 cups milk                                    牛奶
1/3 cup sugar                                糖
2 large egg yolks                          蛋黄
1 egg                                              全蛋
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch     玉米淀粉
1/3 cup sugar                                糖
2 Tbsp butter                                奶油
2 Tbsp rough chopped  fresh lemon verbena   新鲜柠檬马鞭草
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract                香草精

1. In a heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar in milk and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.
2. With a whisk, beat egg yolks and whole egg in a separate, stainless steel bowl.
3. Sift cornstarch and sugar into eggs, whisking until perfectly smooth.
4. Take 1 to 2 Tbsp of of hot milk mixture and whisk into the eggs quickly. Add hot milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to egg mixture while whisking until egg mixture is rather warm. Pour egg mixture back into remaining milk/saucepan.
5. Add fresh herbs to saucepan.
6. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Continue whisking and cooking for approximately 45 seconds.
7. Once mixture looks like it is thickening, remove from heat.
8. Pour it through a sieve or fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
9. Stir in butter until completely blended in.
10. Cover custard with wax or parchment paper - press to surface of custard. Let cool. Then, cover and refrigerate before using, up to 2 days.
You can taste the pastry cream to see if it tastes very starchy before you remove it from the heat. If it does, cook it for 30 seconds longer to reduce the starchy flavor.

我用了一半的食谱。

夏天----想想就觉得兴奋, 尤其是水果多得挑花眼, 可以做好多好多甜点, 有没有人像我一样瞎开心的?
而且不光水果，连蔬菜们都非常可爱，也想把它们都用到甜点里，呵呵。

把Fava bean入甜点，不得不说Hidemi sugino是个genius. 用Vanilla bean poach fave beans, 来去除豆腥味，再purée加入蛋糕里，增加清香。蛋糕做法和Kumquat pound cake 一样。
味道么，请同学们自行发挥想象，想象它有多好吃: P

 还记得去年拍的那些rosebushs 吗，今年发现了新的颜色，粉嫩，粉嫩的。还有蜜蜂一直来抢镜头，也帮它们拍了几张，不过很难拍。

P.S: Special thanks to P,  for giving me a "hand".

当还和Peter是普通朋友的时候，他的birthday cake就是我负责的。他说想要cheesecake，所以就选个不太一样的给他.
用Brie来做蛋糕，同时加入white chocolate，口感比普通的NY cheesecake要light，但是味道却一样浓郁，真是很奇妙~

提前做好的fleur de sel and hazelnut brittle,放在密封罐里，等蛋糕做好，吃之前摆在上去。要赶快吃掉，不然会化的。

P看着照片说: 蛋糕不好看。
我: 难道不好吃吗？
P: 好吃，就是太丑了。
我: ......

好吧，我要声明一下，蛋糕比看上去的好吃。

 Brie white-chocolate cheesecake    (adapted from Pure chocolate)

4 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
12 oz brie cheesecak, room temperature, weighed after the rind is removed
3/4 cup suger
5 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Butter a 9inch cake pan. Line bottom with a lightly buttered parchment paper.
3. In double boiler melt the white chocolate. Remove the chocolate when nearly melted and stir until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.
4. Beat the cream cheese at mid-high speed until smooth, about 3 mins. Transfer the cheese from the mixing bowl to another bowl and set aside.
5. In the same bowl, beat Brie on mid-high speed until completely smooth and elastic, about 3 mins.
6. On medium speed, add the cream cheese to the Brie in 3 parts. Blend until smooth. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the sugar.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time. Pour the melted white chocolate in, mix until well blended, smooth, and creamy.
8. Pour into the pan, and wrap outside with foils. Place on a rimmed baking sheet ,add 1/2inch of simmering water.
9. Bake for 1 hour and 15mins, or until the top is lightly golden brown and puffed. Let cool in pan for 2 to 4 hours.

再不更新，5月就溜走了，夏天开始悄无声息的到来。
好像我不止慢半拍，那天路过樱花树发现上面的果子都结出来了。可惜今年只拍到了单樱，八重樱开时，我正好out of town，等我回来连地上的花瓣都没得拍了，唉，又要等上一年。

Peter说他最喜欢这张，一定要我放上来。我问到底哪里好，他也说不出来，可就是喜欢，呵呵。

这张不是我拍的，听着peter说花已经开了，拍不到心里实在舍不得，就拜托他替我去拍。尽管能挑出一大堆的毛病来，可我还是最喜欢这张，锦缎似的~~

记得去年做过的樱花甜点吗？最让我惊艳的Cherry blossom cardamom english cream，实在是很喜欢，所以今年又做了，不过是以Crème brûlée的形式。味道还是那么迷人，小小用力敲开焦糖，露出底下香滑的蛋奶，几乎融合了我的最爱。

 很好奇cherry blossom和cream cheese在一起会是什么味道。这个no-bake cheesecake里加了细细切碎的樱花，上面一层樱花冻，下面是原味的joconde sans beurre. 至于味道嘛，淡淡的花香，要细细的品，口感很清爽。

 Always the little thing that caught my eye.

我放着马上要meet deadline的东西不写，跑来更新是为了什么呀？我被打击到了，我被蛋糕神遗弃了，我一连做了3个蛋糕----都失败了！
实在是受不了这样的刺激，需要一些能让我comfort的，最好是巧克力的。不做蛋糕，其他的甜点总可以吧。

还没有开始烤整个面糊就香气四逸，和我想象的一样，加了Buddha's hand zest 味道完全就不一样了。buddha's hand 是我闻过最好闻的水果，花香加橙香的味道。照片把它拍丑了，实物是更漂亮的。我把它们切片放在糖罐头里，做buddha's hand sugar，这样就算过季没有了，我还能保留这个味道，闻到它实在是很幸福的事呀。

扯远了，回到我的comfort food，madeleines出炉时就有股浓浓的巧克力香，当你咬破这个小点心时，里面有一个惊喜，就好像花儿一下子绽放开来，花香伴着巧克力的苦香，Mmm......这一刻我的心受到了抚慰，看来我还没有完全被遗弃，还是有救的。原食谱是单纯的chocolate madeleine，我加进了zest，觉得比原来的更好。

Chocolate madeleines                    (adapted from Pure chocolate)

3 oz  unsalted butter
3 oz  semisweet chocolate  (我用55%)
1 1/2 eggs
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1/2cup cake flour
1/4tsp B.P
2Tbsp cocoa powder

1. 把奶油溶化，放在一边放凉。
2. 隔水完全溶化切碎的巧克力，也放在一旁放凉，但是不要让它凝固起来。
3. 混合鸡蛋和糖用打蛋器高速打3分钟，颜色变成淡黄色，加入vanilla。
4. 拌入巧克力，筛入面粉，可可粉和B.P，用软铲拌匀。加入溶化的奶油，完全均匀后，盖上保鲜膜，静置20分钟。
5. 烤箱预热425°F，另取一些奶油刷在模子上。面糊装到8分满，放入烤箱烤8-10分钟。出炉后，乘热把madeleines脱模。乘热吃，配牛奶非常好。

我在面糊里加了1/2tsp的Buddha's hand zest。如果没有，用橙子，柠檬或者是青檬皮，也是一样美味的。这个食谱不甜，偏苦。

我说过的，这次会勤劳------勤劳的清理冰箱。上次做东西剩下的材料，蛋白、橘子奶油，塔皮全部凑到一块，就有了这个Mandarin meringue tartlet. 其实，我一直都是想做Lemon meringue tart的，只是每次都阴差阳错的错过了。

做这个也是为了上面的挤花，挤得各式各样，很漂亮，可惜这次材料不够，就做了2个，还没挤过隐呢。最后Blow torch烧一烧就很漂亮了，不过这个烧焦了点。

去花市买了点花，在那里挑了半天，就为了配颜色。想做一个漂亮的球状插花，无奈没什么天赋，只能弄成这样。多下来的放在窗台上，坐着上网一抬头能看到它，心情就很好。

自从space改版后我就找不到哪里是哪里了，用着头晕。
好吧，这不是我想说的重点，其实我是想说，冬眠期已经过了，最近RP大爆发，做了很多甜点，大家期待我多更新点，这次真的变得勤劳了。
送去修的电脑今天终于拿回来了，所以现在才更新，本来可以更早的。
前些日子家里有好多橘子啊，橙子啊，看得我手痒痒，不拿来做点什么实在是难受。就做了Hidemi Sugino书上的甜点，一连三个。

Citrus baba 把烤好的baba放入橙汁糖浆里浸透吸足。不过我个人不是很喜欢这种口感。
Mandarin tartlet 煮好的橘子奶油抹在烤过的塔皮里，上面撒上一层糖，用blow torch烧一下就好了。这个橘子奶油真的很好吃，做的时候我偷偷吃了好多。咳，其实我在减肥中，吃那么多好有罪恶感呐~~

 Kumquat pound cake 很平常的蛋糕，但是很香，很湿润。蛋糕里用了杏仁粉，糖渍金橘打成的果茸，上面再撒上杏仁粒，放上糖渍金橘，香气四溢的。

Mandarin cream  橘子奶油       (adapted from The dessert book)

60g   糖
15g   面粉
80g   全蛋
60g   蛋黄
75g   无盐奶油  融化
80g   橘子汁
15g   Mandarine brandy    我用Grand marnier
1 1/2个  橘子皮

1. 混合糖和面粉，一点点地加入蛋液，慢慢搅匀。
2. 加入融化的奶油继续搅拌均匀，然后过滤。加入橘子汁和橘子皮。
3. 把盆放到煮着热水的锅上，隔水搅拌5分钟。
4. 将混合物倒入锅里在炉子上用中火煮至微滚。然后继续煮多几秒钟，当开始变厚，变浓稠，像pastry cream一样就马上离火。煮时间太长的话，奶油是会分离的。
5. 把整个锅放入冰水中冷却，并不断的搅拌，直到放凉。加入brandy搅拌均匀。放进冰箱中备用，可以保存4-5天左右。

Kumquat pound cake                 (adapted from The dessert book)

50g  Kumquat compote  糖渍金橘
50g  unsalted butter  无盐奶油
75g  Confectioners' sugar  糖粉
90g  whole eggs  全蛋
35g  flour  面粉
0.7g  Baking powder
50g  almond flour  杏仁粉
Diced almonds for sprinkle  杏仁粒撒在蛋糕表面
Kumquat compote,for garnish  糖渍金橘用于表面装饰
Mandarin brandy for blushing  橘子白兰地刷在蛋糕上

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and almond flour. Generously brush tins with butter.
2. In a food processor, chop kumquat compote coarsely, transfer to a bowl.
3. In the food processor, add butter and sugar, and process for 7 to 8 seconds. Grandually add egg dan flour mixture, pulsing until just incorporated fot 5 to 6 seconds, after each addition. Don't over-mix, because batter will become too soft.
4. transfer this batter to the kumquat, and fold until incorporated with a spatula.
5. Pour batter  into a pastry bag without tip, and tube into each tin. Lightly tap tins. Arrange some slices of kumquat and diced almonds on top. Bake in a 170℃/340℉oven,until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out chean, about 25 minustes.
6. Remove from tins and transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Brush cakes with brandy, and sprinkle confectioners' sugar. Garnish with kumquat compote.

Kumquat compote

200g  kumquats  金橘
200g  sugar  糖
200g  water  水

1. Wash and pat dry kumquats. Remove calyces,and cut in half horizontally; pit with a fork.
2. Bring sugar and water to a boil, and add kumquats. Cover with a paper towel, and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside at room temperature overnight.
3. Reheat only poaching liquid to a boil, and return over to kumquats. Leave overnight. Refrigerated in a container up to 1 week.

我回来了，还有人记得我吗？呵呵，在没有internet的地方呆久了，回来觉得能上网还真是幸福的~
今年到现在我还没有动手做过甜点，所以没有什么可以更新的。只有去年圣诞节时做的一点东西，都是从前做过的。
前年圣诞我给Peter做了Panettone, 他喜欢得不得了，常常问什么时候能再做，终于又到圣诞了，就做了一个大的供他独享。

Icing cookies，纯粹是为了好玩。在做准备工作时，先把小碗都准备好，因为royal icing干得快。我没有成套的小碗，各式各样的一字排开也挺好看。

这些是和gingerbread cookie tree一起做的，还烤了cream cheese suger cookie。做比吃更有趣，所以做完就都送掉了。

库存清理光了，等着做新东西咯~~

圣诞了，我又开始玩饼干了。做了很多也装饰了很多，看来看去还是觉得这个最适合圣诞节。先放这个上来，剩下的以后再说。
用Gingerbread cookie做的，小小的一个超级可爱。自己看着很开心，希望大家看到也能开心哦~~
Wish You a Happy Holiday!

November 唯一做成的事---洗照片。不过，照片打印得很烂，让我心里窩瑟了好久。
算了，以后有机会重新再洗吧。 我老是喜欢在墙上钉东西，弄得都是洞洞，这些就留着补墙用了。

dessert：Sorbetto di pere  (pear sorbet)  最喜欢的梨味，就是里面加了grappa，不能吃多，会醉的，呵呵~~

I have been waiting for this season - plums at their peak of ripeness, to make this dessert, that I want do it a long time ago. The recipe is from Gordon Ramsay, Britain's most highly acclaimed chef - the only London chef to hold three Michelin stars.  Although Jamie is my all time favorite chef, but his recipe keeps me coming back.

It is quite simple to make this soup, you just put together Plums, orange zests, vanilla pods, star anise and cinnamon sticks, simmer for 10-15 minutes until the plums are softened, and blender to a smooth Purée, chill for couple of hours.

The dessert tastes like what it looks, have a warm, earthy taste. To finish it you just truckle some yogurt on top of the soup, and voilà. The simplest finishes are often the most effective, I can't agree more.

It's still summer time, so why not make something cold. There it is, the lollipop vision, use leftover soup. Just put some yogurt first, freeze for 30 minutes, then pour in the soup, and freeze again.

Chilled soup of pan-roasted plums 

500g ripe dark red plums
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
2 cinnamon sticks
2 vanilla pods, empty pods will do
1 orange, strips of zest
2 star anise
200ml stock syrup
1 tbsp corn syrup
200g natural yogurt, to serve

1. Halve and stone the plums and set aside the 6 best halves to serve. Cut the rest into quarters. Heat a wide, shallow heavy_based pan until you can see a faint haze rising.

2. Toss the plum quarters in the icing sugar, then immediately tip them into the pan and spread out in a single layer, adding the cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and star anise. Cook, without moving, for about 20 seconds until beginning to caramelise underneath, then turn to lightly colour the other sides.

3. Mix the stock syrup with 100ml boiling water and the corn syrup, then pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the plums are softened.

4. Set aside to cool, then remove the cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and star anise. Tip the plums and syrup into a blender and whiz to a smooth puree. Rub this though a fine sieve into a bowl with the back of ladle. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill the soup until required.

5. When ready to serve, slice the reserved plum halves as thinly as possible and use to line the sides of 4 shallow glasses. Carefully pour in the soup. Stir the yogurt until smooth and runny, then Trickle on top of the soup and serve.

Stock syrup
Using 500ml water and 500g sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a heavy-based pan over a low heat, then bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Cool and pour into a jar and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

中文的食谱如果有人要，我再放上来吧。

I'm sadly to tell everyone: I lost my oven.
For me, living without oven is not imaginable, like i've lost a part of my life.
Gladly I will get a new one, but the problem is when? It's probable at the end of this year. So from now on, the next few months I can only making desserts without oven.
Good thing is I have been eating a lots of fruit I loved in this summer, Juicy white peach, sweet Lychee. And I'm not taking about lot, but double lot.

I bet you have had risotto before, but have you tried sweet risotto before? This sweet, creamy, rice pudding-like risotto is a brilliant idea from my all time favorite chef--Jamie Oliver. Fried the vanilla seed with butter a little bit, stir in the rice and sugar, and add the white wine, stir until it almost cooked away. Then add the milk little by little, keep stirring, after about 20 minutes, you have a silky, ooze risotto. Add the grated white chocolate, leave for few minutes. When you spoon the risotto on to plates, you can push a couple of pieces of bittersweet chocolate into the middle of risotto. But I think with just white chocolate is good enough. Instead mint leaves, I sprinkled chopped pistachio to add crunchiness.

I made another simple but lovely dessert from peach, with a little surprise inside of mousse. I add some chopped lychees in it. When people try the first bit, I see they had unexpected surprise on the face, then they are smiling at me. I think it must be extremely good.

White peach mousse with poached peach

Peach mousse
1 white peach
1 tsp lemon juice 
35 g caster sugar 
25 ml Brandy 
1.5 g gelatin, softened in cold water 
80 ml   cream
4  fresh lychees with pit removed, chopped

Poached peach
1 very ripe peach
1/2 orange juice
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 tsp sugar

1. Coarsely chop peach, toss in lemon juice and process in a food processor with sugar, then transfer to a bowl. 
2. Heat 1/4 cup peach with brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the gelatin to pan and stir to dissolve. Fold gelatin mixture into remaining peach mixture and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until starting to set. 
3. Whisk cream until soft peaks form, fold through peach mixture, add chopped lychees. Divide in to serving bowls and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. 
4. peel off the peach skin, slices the peach. In a small saucepan add sugar, orange juice, cinnamon and peach skin,  put a lid on top and slowly simmer for 10 minutes, add the peach simmer for another 3 minutes.
5. Place some peaches on plate, drizzle over some of the juice, server with the mousse.

If you don't have lychee on your hand, the peach mousse is good enough on itself.

White peach mousse with poached peach

Peach mousse
1个白桃
1 tsp 柠檬汁
35g 糖
25ml brandy
1.5g 吉利丁 用冷水泡软
80 ml 鲜奶油
4颗新鲜的荔枝，去核

Poached peach
1个非常熟的白桃 最好颜色比较红
1/2个 鲜榨橙汁
1/2根 肉桂棒
1 tsp 糖

1. 把桃子切大块，与柠檬汁混合。放入食物处理器，加糖一起搅成泥。
2. 取1/4杯桃子泥，加入brandy，在小锅里用中火加热煮至微滚。倒入吉利丁搅拌至完全溶解。把煮好的混合物与剩下的桃子泥混合， 放入冰箱10分钟，或者直到混合物开始凝固. 
3. 鲜奶油打法到软性发泡，拌入桃子泥混合物。在每个容器中都放入荔枝，把mousse倒入容器，在冰箱里至少要冰3小时。
4. 把桃子的皮剥去，桃肉切片。在小锅里加入糖、橙汁、肉桂棒和桃子皮，盖上盖子，小火微滚10分钟，然后加入切好的桃子，再微滚另外3分钟。
5. 把煮好的桃子摆盘，浇上一些汤汁，和mousse一起享用。

如果没有荔枝可以省略，peach mousse本身的味道就相当的好。 这个mousse相当的软，只能放在杯子里面吃，不适合脱模。