if you love mochi, you probably love the ‘qq’ texture of it that is oh-so satisfying. this ‘qq’ texture can be described as soft, springy, and bouncy, a desirable quality in many asian desserts. this waffle recipe achieves the perfect harmony of crispy and chewy with a 1:1 ratio of white rice flour to glutinous rice flour. do not fret as glutinous rice flour is made from ground up sticky rice and is 100% gluten free, contrary to what the name suggests. recommended pairings: coconut ice cream, pandan kaya, and grilled peaches!
it’s soft, it’s delightfully chewy, and it’s perfectly sweet.
leen goh or nian gao is my favourite once-a-year snack that brings me back to eating it directly out of the pan with my sisters growing up. it’s especially delicious sliced and dipped in whisked eggs before frying to crispy, golden perfection (similar to french toast)! this cake is not to be eaten in large triangular prisms but in domino-sized rectangles, a few pieces at a time.
these red bean date balls (that taste like mochi filling!) are a delicious low sugar, high fibre snack that’ll keep you going throughout the week. once the beans are cooked, they come together in a snap and last about 5 days in the fridge.
I recently made a mango pie for one of my pop up dinners and ended up with both leftover filling and crumble. I divided the extra filling into small serving bowls and let it set for the same amount of time as my pie. then I thought to myself, why bother with making pie next time if this is 10x easier? there’s no need to prebake a crust, no need to cut out slices. just drop the finicky parts and you’re left with this - a delightfully bright mango custard with a crispy, crunchy graham cracker crumble. serve with coconut whip and mixed berries, and polish that bowl clean! simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
banana muffins baking in the oven has got to be one of my favourite smells in the world. as the maillard reaction goes down and the bananas begin to caramelize, an intoxicating, golden aroma fills the room and brings me right back to early memories of the first thing I ever baked. this version (based off a recipe from reid’s mom) is extra fibrous and filled with lots of good stuff for when you’ve been eating too much take-out and need a gut cleansing. perfect for an on-the-go breakfast, or as a snack, any time of day. we sometimes sub the bananas with pumpkin or chestnut purée to mix it up a bit. serve with a knob of butter for extra unctuousness.
for not being a celiac myself, it says a lot when I say that these are my favourite chocolate chip cookies ever. they’re crispy on the outside, chewy and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside, and perfect with a glass of milk. store them in an airtight container at room temp for a couple days and they’ll go like hot cakes. I always microwave them for 20 seconds to get them back to their freshly-baked-out-of-the-oven state. my microwave sucks though, so adjust your seconds accordingly or you’ll have a melty mess. still a melty delicious mess, but not what you want. this recipe makes 36 cookies, but we always divide the dough into 3rds and freeze 2 portions in ziplock bags. whenever we’re craving some fresh baked cookies, we just defrost a bag, ball up the dough and pop them in the oven! efficiency for the win!
Coconut chia pudding is excellent either as a delicious dessert to cap off a nice meal, or as a beautiful breakfast to start your day. You can even use it as a dairy free yogurt to top off some granola if you reduce the chia seeds to 3 tbsp! This recipe is super easy, but that doesn't mean you won't be blown away by the results. It's sweet and rich, pairing perfectly with fresh seasonal fruit.
