Tokyo Desserts

1/2 egg

1/4 teaspoon vinegar (such as apple vinegar)

20 ml water

175 grams  all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

 

1 egg for egg wash

Rough sanding sugar

 

1.    In a food processor, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and butter for about 30 seconds.

2.    Mix together the egg, water & vinegar then add to the food processor and mix until the dough comes together.

3.   Remove the dough from the mixer and wrap in plastic wrap & keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.

Note: increase recipe by ½ to have enough to make the cross hatch on top.

Filling:

2 ½ cans canned cherries (14.5 oz size)

70 grams sugar

30 grams tapioca starch

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond essence

1.    Roll out the dough to fit the pie pan and fit neatly into the pan. Put in the refrigerator until needed. With the leftover dough, cut slices to make the cross hatch and keep in the refrigerator also.

2.  Soak the cherries and sugar in a bowl for about 10 minutes then add the tapioca starch in portions and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Lastly, add the vanilla or almond essence.

3.    Pour mixture into large saucepan and heat on medium heat until just beginning to boil and thicken. Stir constantly so the starch doesn’t get lumpy. Turn off the heat and pour into a bowl to cool for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so the mixture doesn’t become lumpy.

4.   Pour the cherry mixture into the pie pan and arrange the cross hatch on the pie and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough portions of the pie with sanding sugar.

5.   Preheat oven to 180 C. and bake the pie for 40 – 50 minutes depending on your oven. Cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.

6.  Cool completely before cutting the pie.

We are still at home and observing social distancing. Japan has not implemented the drastic lockdown rules as other countries have so we are waiting to see how that develops and in the meantime I am still baking. To compensate for all of the desserts, I bought a steps tracker to check steps and distance during the morning neighborhood walks.

New plates look good with the custard pie

While browsing recipes, the custard pie jumped out at me. I have never made one of these and definitely haven't eaten one for a long time as well. So, why not.

Preparation is only about 15 minutes (add another 20 minutes if you make your own crust). Feel free to use a ready made crust if you really want to keep things simple. I think the custard recipe can be very forgiving if you need to either increase or decrease to fit your pie pan. I saw some recipes that included fresh cream in addition to the milk so depending on what is in your refrigerator feel free to experiment.

Pie Crust Recipe (fits 18 cm pie pan)

100 grams cold butter
1/2 egg
1/4 teaspoon vinegar (such as apple vinegar)
175 grams flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Egg white from one egg (use the yolk in the custard below)

6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for about 10 minutes.


Custard Pie

3 eggs plus the egg yolk from above
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Nutmeg powder as needed

1. In a large bowl mix the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, salt & vanilla extract with a small whisk until well mixed. Strain this through a sieve which will remove any egg parts which were not mixed.
2. Pour into the warm baked pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg powder and continue to bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes depending on your oven.

I had extra batter and baked in small milk bottles

Full pie baked and ready to serve

It is only December 29th but time to move past the Christmas baking. Lots of cookies and cakes were baked over the holiday season. I don't have any special recipe for New Year's desserts but chocolate is always good when the weather is cold. Chocolate is a lot easier to handle when the weather is cool.

My recipe for today is a Dutch Baby. I am probably one of the last ones to know about this dish but happy I finally found it. A TV show in Japan was demonstrating recipes from the TV show Chicago Fire and the Dutch Baby was the recipe demonstrated. I grew up using cast iron skillets and I have bad memories about washing them so that is why I don't have one in my house now. Anyway, after seeing the explanation about the Dutch Baby I decided it was time to reacquaint myself with iron skillets.

Basically, the Dutch Baby has a popover like bottom and then topped with your favorite fruit or other filling.

Basic Recipe for a small 15 cm iron skillet
(15 minutes prep time and 15 minutes for baking)
Serves 2 - 3

30 grams all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
50 grams milk

Approximately 1 teaspoon butter for coating the pan

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour and sugar then add the egg and mix with a small whisk.
2. Lastly, add in the milk in about 3 portions and mix with the whisk. Just stir enough to combine everything.
3. Preheat the over to 200 degrees Celsius then place the iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes to warm up. When heated, add the butter and swirl it around the pan to coat it entirely.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and put back into the oven and back for about 15 - 18 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and fill with your favorite filling. There is a lot of air in the Dutch Baby when it is baked so after removing it will deflate like a souffle.

For my Dutch Baby filling, I lightly sauteed an apple that was peeled & sliced  in a fry pan with about 3 tablespoons sugar and a few dashes cinnamon.

My recommendation is to serve it warm just out of the oven. Always be careful to handle the skillet since it very hot.

Fall is just about my favorite season and apple pies are just about my favorite dessert. Recently I discovered Bramley apples which are sold by a farm in Nagano prefecture. These apples are tart and crispy just like a Granny Smith.  Bramley apples are originally from England and were introduced in Japan about 20 years ago. One of my friends in Tokyo, Stacey,  runs a great bake shop and  school called Mornington Crescent. Her British desserts are delicious and if there is ever an opening book one of her classes.

This is a light tart with a thin crust, covered in a layer of almond cream then topped with sliced apples.  Total time for putting everything together (excluding baking time) is about 30 minutes.

This is a short project to enjoy fall baking so grab the apples, flour and some butter and time to get to work.

Fits a 24 cm tart pan (serves 8)

Dough
200 grams flour
100 grams butter cut into cubes (cold)
1 egg
5 grams salt
10 grams sugar

1. In a food processor, pulse together the butter and flour. Then add the salt and sugar. Lastly, add the egg.  Put the ingredients on a board and gently knead everything together so the dough is smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 40 minutes before using. 

Almond Cream
50 grams butter room temperature
50 grams powdered sugar
50 grams almond flour
1 egg
5 grams flour

1. In a bowl, mix the butter with the powdered sugar with a small whisk. Gradually add in the almond flour and flour in portions. Lastly, add the egg and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Apples
2 - 3 large crispy apples
1. Peel and thinly slice the apples

Putting everything together
1. Roll out the dough to fit the tart pan and cut off any extra around the edges.
2. Spread the almond cream on top of the dough then place the apples around the tart pan in a nice circular design. You can put the inside circle of apples in the opposite direction for a more creative look.
3. Before baking, sprinkle sugar on top of the apples.
4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 35 - 40 minutes. After removing from the oven you can brush with apricot jam for a nice shine.

I always try to bake to match the season. To me, it doesn't make sense to to buy expensive fruits such as mangoes in January or to make chocolate desserts in the heat of the summer. If you enjoy each of the seasons and the fruits and vegetables that are available, then you can stay better in tune with the nature around you.

Sweet potatoes are easily available throughout the year in Japan, but to me they remind me of fall and winter. Many of the supermarkets in Japan have a display of sweet potatoes at the entrance of the vegetable section and they also usually have warm baked ones available for sale. The smell of warm baked sweet potatoes can hit you as you enter the store and starts your taste buds watering. On a cold evening it is hard to resist putting one in your shopping basket.

Enough about shopping and the seasons, let's get to the baking.



1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Cut butter into small cubes and mix with the flour using a pastry cutter (use a food processor if you have one). Butter should be well mixed with the flour.

2. Add the egg, sugar, salt & water and mix. Put dough on a smooth surface and knead gently until it is soft and well mixed.

3. Cover in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.

50 grams almond powder
50 grams powdered sugar
50 grams soft butter
5 grams flour
1 egg
5 grams dark rum
1. Mix the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and mix. Add the almond powder, flour & rum. Mix well.

1 sweet potato (baked, peeled & sliced about 300 grams)
1/2 sweet potato thinly sliced (these pieces will be boiled)
30 grams butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
15 grams honey
10 grams dark rum
2 egg yolks
100 grams fresh cream

1. In a bowl, soften the butter then add the brown sugar, honey, rum & egg yolks. Mix well with a whisk.

2. Boil the sliced sweet potatoes in water (add 1 tablespoon sugar to the water) until they are soft. Do not over  boil  or they will break apart.

3. Add the 300 grams sweet potato to #1. You can use a food processor to mix together or a fork. Slowly, add the cream. To remove the lumps, you can  put the mixture through a sieve. 

4. Roll the dough to fit the tart pan and cut off any extra. Fill the bottom with sweet potato filling the cover with almond cream (do not add too much). Arrange the sliced sweet potatoes on top in a nice circle pattern.

5. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes then reduce to 160 degrees and bake for 40 minutes until browned. 

Top the tart with your favorite nuts

I really like this recipe since the  tart has a deep chocolate flavor and a creamy texture. I've topped it with walnuts but pecans would match very well also.

Cover the dough with baking paper and baking beans before baking

It was a baking day Peach Pie, Blueberry Crumbles and Focaccia

In spite of the heat, I did some summer baking in July. The peaches and blueberries were in season and I couldn't resist. I needed to invite a few friends over to eat all of this food though!!

The recipe for the blueberry crumbles is here.  I haven't posted the focaccia recipe but I am sure you can find an easy one online.

Feel free to substitute with a pre-made crust if you are in a hurry.


1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Cut butter into small cubes and mix with the flour using a pastry cutter (use a food processor if you have one). Butter should be well mixed with the flour.

2. Add the almond powder, powdered sugar, egg, sugar, salt and mix. Put dough on a smooth surface and knead gently until it is soft and well mixed.

3. Cover in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using. Roll the dough out quickly since it will become soft fast

Peaches
4 large pieces
50 grams sugar
20 grams butter (room temperature)
20 grams peach liquor


2.       Melt sugar in a frying pan until just starting to become caramel  color then add the butter and liquor and stir until well mixed then add the peaches. Cook together for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

3.       Drain well and cool.

 Almond Cream

50 grams almond powder
50 grams powdered sugar
50 grams soft butter
5 grams flour
1 egg

1. Mix the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and mix. Add the almond powder and flour. Mix well.

  

Crumble

25 grams butter
15 grams sugar
40 grams flour
1. Mix the softened butter with whisk then add the sugar and mix well. Then add the flour and finishing mixing.

Putting the pie together:

 1.       Roll out the dough to fit the pie pan. Spoon the almond cream on the bottom of the pie and then layer the peaches on top. Sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 – 50 minutes.

This pie pan is 24 cm

Definitely need the vanilla ice cream for this pie!

Geting ready to be put in the oven

Delicious Crispy Topping on the best Apple Streusel Pie

As I mentioned before, apples pies are one of my favorite desserts, doesn't matter what the recipe is.

Japan is a big producer of apples but there isn't a long a tradition of baking pies here though. Northern Japan in the Aomori area is the largest apple production region in the country. Since most people in Japan eat fresh apples instead of baked ones, the most popular apple sold is the Fuji apple. Unfortunately, this is not the best apple for baking.

Recently, I found Bramley apples in Japan. These apples originated in Britain and have found their way to Japan. They taste similar to Granny Smith apples, i.e. tangy & tarty - just what I like for baking. Now that I found a good baking apple, this is what I use.

I am including the recipe to make the dough, but if you need to save time feel free to use a store bought crust.

18 - 20 cm baking dish

Dough:

200 grams flour
100 grams butter cut into cubes (cold)
1 egg
5 grams salt
10 grams sugar

1. In a food processor, pulse together the butter and flour. Then add the salt and sugar. Lastly, add the egg.  Put the ingredients on a board and gently knead everything together so the dough is smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 40 minutes before using.

Streusel Topping:

30 grams flour
20 grams powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
30 grams butter
30 grams chopped walnuts

1. In a food processor, add all of the ingredients except the walnuts and give a short pulse to mix everything thoroughly. Put in a bowl and add the walnuts.

Apple Filling:

4 -5 apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon granular sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a bowl, mix the apples and other ingredients.

Putting together:
1. Roll out the dough to fit the pie pan. Cut the extra dough from the edges and use it take make a nice decoration around the pan.
2. Fill the pan with the apples and sprinkle the streusel filling on top.
3. Bake at 190 Celsius degrees for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature and bake 170 Celsius degrees for another 20 minutes.
4. Let cool completely before slicing.

Calm before the baking storm

Pie shell is ready

Friends joined the baking party

Fitting dough to the pie shell

Roll the dough

Pie with decorations

Peach Pie topped with Fresh Cream

Summer is full on hot! We were enjoying warm weather in June but now the thermometer is hitting the middle 30's - Celsius that is.

I was never a big fan of peaches but I tried this new recipe and I have become hooked. Not only does it taste great, but it only takes about 20 minutes to put together.

I baked this recipe in a both a traditional pie pan as well as a loaf pan and both turn out great.  Pair this pie with vanilla ice cream for the most excellent summer dessert!

Recipe:

Baking peach pie using a loaf pan

Cut yourself a slice of the mixed berry pie!

Summer and it's berry pie season. I've always favored apple pies but after seeing all of the fresh berries in the store I was too tempted to buy them.

This pie combines all of the berries you like - strawberry, blueberry and raspberry. You can add a few pieces of rhubarb for more variation if you like. Rhubard is difficult to find around Tokyo so I don't use it.

The recipe for the crust below is very flaky and crisp so I highly recommend it.








 Crust
170 grams flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
100 grams butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg

1. Put  flour in a bowl and lightly whisk to add air. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to mix in the butter. Can also use fingers to mix in the butter - should be blended well. Add in the egg.

Brush with egg before baking

Cool thoroughly before serving

Not your traditional tarte tatin recipe

Well, this may not look like a traditional tarte tatin, but it sure tastes good. I was making this for a group of 8 friends and I didn't want to be stingy with the servings so I used all of the apples that I purchased. Which I think was about 7 :)

One of the secrets to this recipe is making a deep dark caramel to cook the apples in. Making caramel can be daunting since the temperature of the sugar becomes very hot so it is quite dangerous if you get it on you.

I used a 20 cm round dish (5cm deep). Served 8 people.

Many layered tarte tatin

Dough:
150 grams sifted flour
75 grams cold butter
30 grams sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg

1. Mix the flour and butter together using a pastry cutter or with your fingers. Mix so that the mixture is like fine crumbs.
2. Add in the sugar and egg and continue to mix with the pastry cutter. Put on a pastry board and lightly knead so that it is well mixed.
3. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.

Preparing the Apples:
1. Please reduce the number of apples if you need to make less.  I used 7 apples for this recipe.
2. Peel the apples and remove the inner core. Cut in 8 pieces.
3. Make the caramel. Put 80 grams of sugar into a flat frying pan and heat until it turns dark & liquid. Remove from the heat and add 80 grams of butter to the caramel. Put back on a low heat while the butter melts.
4. Add pieces of apple until you fill the pan. Do not overlap the apples too much. Cook the apples on each side in the caramel until they become lightly softened.

Cooking the apples in the caramel

5. Remove apples  as they finish cooking and add new ones.
6. Continue cooking like this until all of the apples are cooked.
7. Pour the leftover caramel into the bottom of the baking ban. Let it cool and remove the butter if you want the dessert to be less rich.

Put the apples on a grill to remove the excess caramel

8. As the apples cooks, place them on a grill so the excess caramel drips into a pan.

9. Prepare the baking pan. As mentioned above, pour the remaining caramel into the bottom of the baking pan. Line the pan with layers of apple - fit the apples together so that the shape is nice.
10. After you finish one or two layers, use a spoon to push down the apples so that they space between them is removed. Keep doing this until the baking pan is filled.
11. Roll out the dough to fit just the top of the baking dish. Add to the top of the apples.
12. Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes.

13. Take the baking pan out of the oven when finished and let cool for about 10 minutes.
14. Please the baking pan upside down on top of a grill so that the juice can flow out naturally. After about 10 minutes, remove the baking pan.
15. If all goes well, the baking pan will lift off without any apples sticking to it :)
16. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like.