Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Thanks to Harold, who sent us a picture of a double chocolate banana bread one day,
I could not get double chocolate banana bread out of my mind.

Double chocolate banana bread.

Double chocolate banana bread.

I tried other things, I went to 7-11 and bought dreyers triple chocolate ice cream.



Double chocolate banana bread.

I ate a packet of Indomie,

Double chocolate banana bread.

I watched endless cute kittens and cute Kpop idols on youtube...

Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread.Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread.Double chocolate banana bread.Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread. Double chocolate banana bread.

ARGGHHHHH!
This must be how it feels like being in Stephen King's movies.
Luckily, this obsession is easy to solve.

I just had to google recipes for double chocolate banana bread and make the first one I encounter.
It's Smitten Kitchen's Double Chocolate Banana Bread.

Recipe
My slight adaptation:
I reduced the sugar from 3/4 to 1/2 and I used the sugar I have at home (caster sugar).
I tried to follow the baking time 'til the end but my toothpick came out clean after only about 30 minutes of baking - so I had to take it out way earlier than 55-65 minutes. I recommend frequent testing after 30 minutes.

- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter pan. Mash bananas, Whisk in melter butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla. Mix baking soda, salt, flour and cocoa (I didn't sift as instructed by original recipe - sorry, too lazy) in another mixing bowl. Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined (actually OB helped me mixing the batter, so I am sure it was overmixed), add chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, run a knife around the edge and invert it out onto a cooling rack.

The cooling process was very hard for me as SC and OB's grabby hands could not stay away from the cake. Warning: very very chocolatey.
WE LOVE IT, and I can finally stop obsessing with DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD... well, until my next craving, or whenever Harold posted another picture of double chocolata banana bread :)

Please check out the original recipe here.

Super Easy Fruit Sorbet - Nova Gelato Maker

How to make super easy fruit sorbet at home without an ice cream maker or manually "churning" for hours? I'm so glad I've found Nova gelato maker!

(This is not an advert, Nova does not sponsor this post nor gave me any free product hehehe).

So easy to make icy fruity dessert that's perfect for summer, healthier, and fun for OB to make!

To make, simply freeze cut up fruits. We made strawberries, lychee & blueberries.

Aren't they gorgeous?

The possibility is limitless. You can use mango, pineapple, banana, yoghurt, add crushed oreos for texture, shaved chocolate, and even booze! Uh huh!

To start making, simply thaw the frozen fruits for 15 minutes & dump them into the chute.

OB loves helping out!

And you have lovely fresh gelato, sorbet, icy fruit, or whatever you wanna call it. 

The machine doesn't take so much space & easy to clean too!

It's HK$880 if bought from their website, price could be cheaper in some other shops (I bought from Patisserie Corner for HK$700).

Here's their official website: en.nova-greenliving.com

How to Make Easy Ice Sweet Corn Summer Dessert

Mega delish easy ice dessert. Just the perfect thing for this crazy sticky hot humid Hong Kong summer.

I saw this dish made by a celebrity in a Korean show called Happy Together, the Late Night Cafetaria segment. It's brilliant! It's savory-sweet, sweetness can be adjusted to any level, many different combinations can be done, it involves some sort of ice & super easy to make. I just had to try it!

Recipe (adapted from the show)

- 1 small can of coconut milk (the original recipe uses 1 box of milk)

- sweet corn kernels (fresh or canned - whichever lights your fire)

- condensed milk

Pour coconut milk into freezer friendly container, freeze. A couple of hours before serving, thaw in fridge until you can "mash" it with a fork. Or you can freeze the milk/coconut milk in smaller container so that you can use blender to make the "shaved milk ice". Place a serving of the granita-esque coconut milk in a bowl, add as much corn kernels (if you're using fresh corn, cook the corn & get the kernels) as you like & top it with condensed milk. 

Icy creamy sweet savory goodness. LOVE! 

Super Easy Cheat Cherry Tart

Looks impossibly impressive, absolutely gorgeous, and super yummy!


I am not calling this a recipe. But here's how to make this beautiful yummy dessert.
Preheat oven to 200C, Lightly butter baking sheet, place frozen roti prata on top (one per person), brush the top with beaten egg, bake until it's fluffed, take it out of the oven. Arrange halved cherries on top, add some sugar all over, bake again until golden brown and serve.

It doesn't get any easier than this, no?
Enjoy!

Sweet Summer - How To Make Cherry Clafoutis

Saw the recipe on Gary's blog and I just had to make it! It's my favorite kind of recipe. Minimal, simple ingredients and the dish sounds and looks absolutely divine. I went to buy fresh cherries right away and got it done. If only I'd stop procrastinating things other than food...


Very easy to make!
Recipe (literally taken from Gary's blog. I followed every step!)
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pounds of red cherries, stem removed, pitted (alternatively you can add blueberries, strawberries or even apricots or pears)
• 0.5 cup of flour
• 0.5 cup caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• powdered sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 180C, lightly butter baking pan. Set aside.

2. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer (do not boil) and set aside.

3. Combine eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk by hand or by food processor until smooth. Gradually add in warm milk. Continue to whisk until thoroughly combined. The batter will be a little watery - even more watery than whipping cream - but that's how it's supposed to be, so don't worry! 

4. Pour the batter into baking pan. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until slightly set. Remove pan from oven - do not turn it off!

5. Put cherries into the batter in single layer. Put baking pan back into the oven and continue to bake for an additional 40-45 minutes. Surface should be brown and batter set. 

6. Take the pan out of the oven. Let cool slightly, and run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen up the clafoutis.

7. You can serve it immediately or let cool to lukewarm/room temperature. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar, cut into wedges or squares, and optionally put a scoop of ice cream on top (preferably homemade - that's Gary. For me... I'd totally buy since I haven't tried making ice cream before heheheh).


Halfway done. How gorgeous are those cherries!

And...

The beauty.

Dig in! I had it for tea time and breakfast the next day. I absolutely ADORE the flavor of baked cherries.

Thanks for the recipe & inspiration to bake again, Gary!

How To Make Easy No Bake Chocolate Pots de Creme with Fresh Berries And Fruit Compote

A super duper easy dessert to make. Totally right up my alley.

Luscious chocolate, a kick of tartness from the compote and fresh summer berries.

Perfect.
Recipe
(adapted from May's recipes Chocolate Pot De Creme)
Serves 6 (but I made this into 4 bigger portions)
The chocolate
- 100g dark chocolate
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 250 ml cream
- 30g white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp whiskey (omit if making for kids)
- a pinch of sea salt

Chop chocolate, place into mixing bowl.
Put cream and sugar into saucepan, add vanilla and salt. Bring to almost boil.
Pour into chopped chocolate, add instant coffee & whiskey. Set for 1 minute, beat until smooth and shiny.
Pour into ramekins, let cool, chill for at least 5 hours.

The fruit compote (optional)
- a handful of berries (I used 3 strawberries and 7 blueberries)
- a tbsp of water
- 1 tsp sugar
Chop berries, place in sauce pan, cook using low heat. Keep cooking until fruit became softened and produced some liquid. Add a bit of water if needed. Add sugar bit by bit until you achieve balance between tartness and sweetness. Let cool, add into chocolate pot de creme with fresh fruits...

...or eat with toasts, or croissants, or bacon... the sky is the limit really.

Now... dig into that luscious pot of chocolatey fruity goodness.

Happy summer!

How To Make Ridiculously Easy Cheat No Bake Chocolate "Cake"

I love anything cheat and anything lazy. Short cuts, I adore thee!
What else is new? :)
When I first saw the idea on TV (TLC, Buddy's cooking show), I fell in love with it immediately and decided that I HAVE TO make (an adaptation of) it! And here goes...

This beautiful gorgeous gorgeous "cake" isn't a cake. It's made of bread, soaked in chocolatey goodness. Uh huh! Oh yeah! So, pick a bread with desired texture, you can pick fluffy ones, or chewy ones... but make sure you pick one that can withstand liquid and won't turn into mush. I picked a chewy one made of mixed grains with lots of nuts in it. I love that it has a bit of saltiness in it. So, here's how I made this.

Recipe (Adapted from Kitchen Boss)
- Chunks of bread that you like, cut the crusts, I made two thick chunks
(if you wanna make more, adjust the liquid recipe)
- 100gr dark chocolate (or you can use milk chocolate or white chocolate - the world is your chocolate box)
- 1 cup coffee
- 2 tbsp sugar (you can adjust the sweetness)
- 2 tsp rum essence
- 1 shot vodka (you can use rum and omit the rum essence, I did this because I only had vodka)
- Strawberries (or fresh fruits of your choice to go with chocolate)

Cut chocolate into chunks (or you can use baking chocolate chunks), melt over double boiler. Add coffee, sugar, rum essence and vodka, mix well, take it off the heat. Cut crust off bread and cut into chunks. Soak bread in the chocolatey liquid, make sure the liquid gets all absorbed the inner parts of the bread. Baste them, flip them upside down. Once all the chocolate liquid gets absorbed by the bread, you can serve it.

On the TV show, it's served with whipped cream. Since I am not a fan of whipped cream, I planned to serve it with ice cream. But in an effort to be healthier, in the end I served it with fresh fruits instead.

Beyond yum and so damn easy. Perfect for me.

And here's a behind-the-scene shot of baby M "helping out" during the photoshoot.

He flipped the mirror around, took the mirror away, and threatened to touch the chocolate a few times :D

Have fun, hope you like the crazy lazy recipe.

James' Kitchen - Private Kitchen, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Good deal decent dinner! We had the privilege to order the VIP members only set dinner because my colleague is the chef's secondary classmate! Yay! We love good deals!

James' Special Platter.

Salad with Serrano ham. Nothing earth shattering...


Poached egg salad with black truffle paste. The egg's poached beautifully, but I am maxed out on black truffle paste. I wish there's more dressing with more acid and seasoning.


Yummy yummy oysters. Many of my colleagues don't eat oysters, which means - more for me!


Love the foie T_T really really love it. Pear's poached perfectly. Yum max!


Duck soup. Very well seasoned, very tasty. I finished every single drop of it. And I'm not even a soup person :)


Spinach & cheese homemade ravioli with king prawn. Perfectly cooked prawns, decent ravioli. The creamy sauce is a tad to sweet for me though. I wanted more salt and acid.


Perfectly cooked and well seasoned Australian grain-fed rib eye steak. It's served with black pepper sauce, which is yum. But I am not a big fan of the lotus root chunks, sweet potato mash, and taro crisp part. I was happy to just demolish the steak.

Now... some serious desserts. They are mostly yummy and the servings are generous. Value for money!

Epic baked Alaska. There are black sesame mochi ice cream balls hidden underneath. We LOVE!


Creme brulee. Yummy.


75% dark chocolate cake. It's yummy too.... until I had the next one...


My photo didn't do this molten chocolate cake justice. It's absolutely delicious! Love it!
My colleagues signed up for VIP membership as soon as they finished dinner :)
And because of my colleague, we got a platter of free dessert too - yay! Thanks, Chef!

VIP Members only set dinner: HK$488 for two (not including dessert) + HK$90 for foie 

James' Kitchen
9/F, H8, 8 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2368 3833
尖沙咀厚福街8號H8 9

Jean-Paul Hevin - All Day Afternoon Tea for Dark Chocolate Lovers

I love dark chocolate (who doesn't?), and if you loved chocolate so much and you want to have a very chocolatey afternoon tea as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then this is perfect for you :)

This is one of Jean-Paul Hevin's all-day afternoon tea sets. It has two chocolate cakes, two macarons, two chocolate bonbons and two chocolate coated almonds.

The chocolate cake in focus is voted the best chocolate cake in Japan!

I must admit that I've never loved macarons... to me, they are just way too sweet, until I tried Jean-Paul Hevin's macaron last year.

I love how they are not too sweet, and I love the dark chocolate ganache here.


One of the chocolate coated almond had a hint of Earl Grey Tea, which I love.

If you're looking for a nice quiet place to sit down with friends after (well, or before) a crazy shopping around Central, or a place to have dessert after an early bird dinner (just like me - a senior citizen who likes to dine latest by 6:30pm..), before clubbing, or if you just need a good dose of dark chocolate... (you don't need a reason to want chocolate, right?), then check the place out!

Christmas is around the corner, and I know what to get MIL (who's a dark chocolate maniac) for Christmas.

Oh hello, chocolate! Come to mama!

I want to keep the "rustic" wooden box.


And this will surely cure all kinds of Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday blues...

More photos on my Facebook page.

Jean-Paul Hevin
Address etc here.
Afternoon tea set: HK$168.
Chocolate cake: HK$58/slice
Macarons: HK$25/piece

Thank you Jean-Paul Hevin for the invitation! You've brightened up my gloomy weekday night.

Easy Chocolate Yogurt Dessert

Chocolate + tangy yogurt. I must've been mad.
Again, side effect of dieting.

Screw diet! I'm having something sweet. It's almost the weekend anyway.

This is very easy to make, and the tang from the yogurt made the whole thing almost taste like chocolate cheesecake.

Recipe
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (this is why mine's so tangy, you can use vanilla yogurt, etc, but remember to adjust the amount of sugar)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted
(you can use melted dark chocolate if you wish, I was just too lazy to even bother)

Toppings
I used dark chocolate cornflakes & powdered sugar based on SC's request, but you can use frosties/special K/coco pops or granola and berries if you like.

Whisk together yogurt, cocoa powder and sugar until well combined. Serve in a bowl with topping.

Enjoy!

At least the yogurt part is healthy right? T_T

Bubur Sagu - Indonesian Sago Pearl with Coconut Milk Dessert

This is so worth ruining my diet.
I miss this dessert all the time. It is something I always had back home in Indonesia. My grandma would bring us to the wet market in the morning (Pasar Gang Baru) and brought us a pink version of this (made using pink sago and caster sugar instead of palm sugar).

So I tried making the palm sugar version last weekend and... it's so easy to prepare, and so satisfying. The sticky sago pearls have the caramel-esque flavor from the palm sugar, and the coconut milk "sauce" is slightly savory. Perfect!

Recipe
- 3/4 cup sago pearls
- water
- 4 chunks of palm sugar (add caster sugar if needed) or you can use brown sugar
- half a cup of coconut milk + pinch of salt

In a pot (preferably non stick), drop sago pearls into boiling water, bring to boil, and simmer until they turn translucent (with minimum stirring if you are using non stick pot). Using a sieve, drain the water, place the sago pearls back into the pot. While the sago pearls were cooking, prepare the palm sugar by dissolving them in a bit of hot water. Pour the palm sugar syrup into the sago, stir until mixed well. Taste and add sugar if needed. Let the sago pearls absorb the palm sugar syrup. To prepare the sauce, mix coconut cream with a bit of hot water, heat it up (I did in a microwave) and add 1-2 pinches of salt, add enough salt to balance the sweet. Place a serving of sago pearls on a serving bowl and add a bit of the coconut milk sauce.

Weekends aren't meant for dieting, right?
I ate at least 2 bowls of this bad boy.
Oppps.

Watermelon and Mint Slurpee

Something easy and refreshing to slurp loudly while watching my late night bad TV after baby M went to bed. Watermelon and mint slurpee!

Simply throw some chunks of seedless watermelon (I used about a quarter of a watermelon), some fresh mint leaves, and a bit of honey (if needed) into food processor/blender, pulse/blend until smooth, add a splash of vodka if you want, pour into a plastic container, place in the freezer for about 90 minutes - 2 hours, and slurpppppp~!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Rose Shaped Chocolate Cake from Patisserie Tony Wong, Kowloon City, Hong Kong

This has got to be one of the most gorgeous cakes I've ever seen! Look at those chocolate rose petals!

We were having this cake at Athena's birthday party last weekend. When it was unboxed, there was a collective "ahhhhh" and we gawked at the cake for a good 15 minutes at least...and we surely photographed the cake like there's no tomorrow.

We proceeded to debating on how we should "divide" the cake, as it is obviously too pretty to slice.
We screamed in unison when the birthday girl did this.


What's under those beautiful petals?

More chocolatey yumminess!


My favorite part of the cake's definitely those chocolate petals. As for the cake itself, it would be nice if there were some non chocolate elements in there to prevent us from getting chocolate overdose. There's a pink version of this cake which is as pretty if not prettier. I am soo gonna try it next time ;)

Check out Patisserie Tony Wong's website here.