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The Lemon Apron - rustic, indulgent, healthy home cooking

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What's your favourite thing to stress-bake or procrasti-bake? Mine is biscuits or focaccia. Both are just so versatile, and easy to whip up.

Okay, biscuits are ready in a fraction of the time, so they win on the immediacy chart. But focaccia is just so fun to play with. The dough feels so good, and really, compared to most breads, it is ready relatively quickly. And it usually accompanies the best Italian pasta meals. Not to say it can't be a meal or snack in itself.

And the other thing I love about both bakes, is what can be added to them. Biscuits can be loaded (see my Everything Apple Bacon Breakfast Biscuits) or a simple biscuit like my Herb Kefir Biscuits. And anything in between. These can stand on their own, or become part of a fantastic brunch spread.

Same goes for focaccia. The toppings can be simple (or nothing at all, just a sprinkling of good salt) like some cherry tomatoes or onions, or how about something a bit more substantial like Potato Rosemary and Gorgonzola? Next to this version, I really love what happens when thinly sliced Meyer lemons are added to the top to crust up as the bread bakes. See my Lemon and Parmesan Focaccia)

This one today is no different. This time I decided to make it suitable for the cooler weather and the foods we may be serving the focaccia with. Plus, a bread like this one, is almost a quick meal unto itself, wouldn't you agree?

Enter Walnut, Olive and Rosemary Focaccia. It just evokes fireplaces, robust red wines, soup or a rich baked lamb ragu and rigatoni meal. The perfect bread to serve everyone after spending the day outside snowshoeing or skiing. Or how about on a great cheeseboard, or as an appetizer with a great dipping olive oil. Okay, I'm getting really hungry right now!

And unlike my other focaccia recipes which require a bit of kneading (by machine or hand) I decided to share a less strenuous version. There are so many no-knead recipes out there these days. For a sourdough version of no-knead focaccia, I stick to the one found in Emilie Raffa's book, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. Yes, I know I refer to this book a lot. But when you find something great, that never lets you down, you stick to it. I am not a bread baker by trade. But by using her recipes, my bread-making confidence has grown exponentially, and I thank her for the simple direct recipes that she has shared.

Emile also has a no-knead yeast version on her website. This one is a great little recipe to add to your repertoire. And like any good focaccia recipe, it can be totally customized. Which is what this recipe today is. See, I'm good at the customizing part! I seem to have the creative side that lets me put strange things together and have them work out. But the initial bread recipe had to come from somewhere else. I will admit my limitations!

After creating the dough and letting it rest (either on the counter for a couple of hours, or in the fridge overnight), it will be stretched out into an oiled baking sheet or pan. Then you will add your toppings. One of the fun things about making focaccia is the step where you take your fingers and poke holes all over the dough. This time around, you will be popping the olives, walnuts and rosemary into the holes as you go. Pushing them down into the holes will help keep them from popping out and off the dough as it bakes. Then you will let it rest another 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel.

Baking is a snap. It's only in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until it is golden brown and crisped at the edges. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool. I know, we all want to cut into it right away, the fragrance is totally beckoning us. But resist it. Giving it a chance to cool will ensure that the interior stays nice and fluffy.

Like I said at the outset, this comes together so easily. You can start this on a Saturday or Sunday after lunch, and it will be ready for dinner. And it has all the bounce and texture that a good yeasted bread will have, with minimal work.

As you can see by the photos, I used a cast iron gratin dish for this version. Like any baking pan or sheet that you want to use, just make sure that whatever you use is oiled well. This will ensure that the bottom gets a nice crust as it bakes.

Bread like this should keep in a sealed container for a couple of days. Unless of course you are like me, and will constantly sneak slices, in which case, I give it about 5 hours.

Love Jen

Walnut Olive and Rosemary No Knead Focaccia

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Walnut, Olive and Rosemary No Knead Focaccia | The Lemon Apron

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All the chewy, fluffy goodness of a wonderful focaccia bread, with the earthiness of walnuts, olives and rosemary. A perfect appetizer or as a side for pasta. No knead means less work!

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The Lemon Apron - rustic, indulgent, healthy home cooking

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Sour Cherry Cream Cheese Danish Braid | The Lemon Apron

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Tart sour cherries and a sweet cream cheese filing are encased in a lovely and easy puff pastry braid. Once cooled, a lemony glaze is drizzled over, and the braid can be sliced for snacking, dessert or even breakfast. Just add strong coffee!

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These buttery jasmine shortbread cookies are subtly flavored with ground jasmine tea leaves, making them the perfect complement for a hot cup of tea on a cold winter day.

Note: We partnered with Frontier Co-op to bring you this Jasmine Shortbread Cookie recipe. As always on The Woks of Life, all opinions are our own. Enjoy!

Let the cookie competition commence!

There are two types of people-the ones who compete to bake the best cookies during the holiday season, and the ones who simply sit back and eat said cookies.

We've been to some cookie exchanges in the past, and we take our cookie game very seriously! (No surprises here.) While many of our neighbors came with the same recipe each year (many of which we did look forward to), we've never made the same cookie twice.

Indeed, this time of year is great for trying out something different and unique to help you stand out amidst all the holiday sweets.

Consider this simple little shortbread cookie-elevated with the fragrance of jasmine tea-a contender for your cookie proceedings this year!

Honestly, though, these cookies aren't really a holiday cookie. They're an all-year-round-cookie. Perfect for an afternoon cup of tea. (Incidentally, they do go great with jasmine tea, though any cup of tea will suffice!)

A Unique, Yet Simple Cookie Recipe

If you're looking for a dessert that's not too sweet, but still rich and satisfying, then shortbread is your cookie. I love an all-butter plain shortbread, but adding ground tea leaves to the dough gives the cookies an extra delicious fragrance.

For some reason, jasmine tea is my favorite tea to go with desserts. It's floral-but not as strong as say, rose or lavender-and its delicate flavor has the perfect mellowing effect on sweets.

If you happen to be one of those people looking for a unique yet easy recipe to make for a neighborhood cookie exchange, this jasmine scented shortbread can be made in one bowl, with just 6 ingredients. And you definitely won't be bringing the same cookie as anyone else!

For the cookie pacifists out there, this is also a great recipe just for filling the cookie jar for cozy afternoon tea by the fire.

Find High Quality Jasmine Tea & Vanilla

Jasmine tea is actually green tea that has been scented with jasmine flowers. The actual potency of jasmine flavor can vary widely. To get good jasmine fragrance in your cookies, you'll need to find a high quality jasmine tea.

We used tea from Frontier Co-op, a member-owned company that makes high-quality spices, herbs, and teas in cooperation with organic growers. My mom smelled their jasmine tea, and proclaimed it very fragrant!

Other than butter, sugar, flour, and salt, the only remaining ingredient is vanilla extract. The vanilla and jasmine flavors go great together.

How to Make Cookies Taste Like Tea

To impart the flavor of the tea to the cookies, you'll need to grind the tea into a powder (in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder), and then mix it with the butter, allowing it to infuse overnight.

I got the idea from this Sugar and Soul recipe for Early Grey Shortbread. In my early tests of the recipe, I didn't grind the tea as finely. However, I realized that I prefer the texture of the cookies when the tea is ground into a fine powder.

Furthermore, because jasmine tea is more delicate than Earl Grey, I decided to add more of it and emphasize that the tea has to infuse the butter overnight (rather than a minimum of 2 hours, as described in the Sugar & Soul recipe).

After infusing the butter with the tea, you combine that mixture with the other ingredients in a bowl with a rubber spatula (no special equipment needed!), cut out cookies, and bake! That's it.

The recipe is also easy to scale up or down. Just click on the number of cookies in the recipe card and move the slider up or down to scale the ingredient amounts.

Recipe Instructions

Grind the jasmine tea leaves in a spice grinder or mortar & pestle until you get a fine powder (a few remaining bits of leaf is fine). Blend the butter and jasmine tea together with a rubber spatula, and allow to sit at room temperature overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the butter mixture with the vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl using a rubber spatula, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Then add the flour and salt. Continue mixing until a soft dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch (0.75cm) thickness. (The thinner the cookie, the less time it will take to bake).

Cut out cookies using a 2-inch (5cm) rectangle or round (or whatever shape you like) cookie cutter.

Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.

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Jasmine Shortbread Cookies

These buttery jasmine shortbread cookies are subtly flavored with ground jasmine tea leaves, making them the perfect complement for a hot cup of tea on a cold winter day.

Grind the jasmine tea leaves in a spice grinder or mortar & pestle until you get a fine powder (a few remaining bits of leaf is fine). Blend the butter and jasmine tea together with a rubber spatula, and allow to sit at room temperature overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the butter mixture with the vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl using a rubber spatula, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Then add the flour and salt. Continue mixing until a soft dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch (0.75cm) thickness. (The thinner the cookie, the less time it will take to bake). Cut out cookies using a 2-inch (5cm) rectangle or round (or whatever shape you like) cookie cutter.

Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, 3 cookies per serving.

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Buttery jasmine shortbread cookies are subtly flavored with ground jasmine tea. They're the perfect complement for a hot cup of tea!

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I love a good berry dessert. Those of you who've been following this blog for a while know this. I make a mean strawberry cheesecake, and I'm all about that fancy multi-tiered fresh berry cake life.

Plus, Monday is Memorial Day, and we (in Jersey/NYC) have already had a couple of 90 degree days, which means A. It's basically summer. (Yay!) And B. A berry dessert is practically obligatory at this point.

This berry cake recipe is my favorite ode to berries yet. Because (you read it right), there's basil in it. For those of you who haven't yet discovered how good basil goes with fruit like lemons and fresh berries, let this basil berry cake recipe be your introduction.

A Surprisingly Delightful Combination

The combination of the fresh basil leaves-which are pulverized into the sugar and basically dissolve into the cake-and the raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries just screams summer. It conjures images of outdoor barbecues, drinks by the pool, and vibrant summer herb gardens.

This berry cake isn't overly sweet or rich, making it the perfect end to a light (or not so light...) summer meal. There's a zing of citrus from the lemon zest, as well as the freshness of the basil and fruit. And the apricot jam glaze at the end gives the cake that lovely shine that dreams are made of.

(Side note: If you're the type of person who isn't all that fond of fresh berries, I won't hold it against you--weirdo. Just check out this Lemon Basil Cake recipe, which might be more up your alley).

Here's how to make it.

Basil Berry Cake Recipe Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F . Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.

In a food processor, add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest.

Turn on the food processor and continue to run until the basil and lemon zest is fully incorporated with the sugar, and there are no visible leaf pieces.

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar...

And add the rest to the bowl of a mixer, along with the softened butter, baking powder, and salt.

Beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla.

Stir in the flour on low speed, being careful not to overmix. You will end up with a smooth, thick batter.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan--it will be a fairly thin layer.

Sprinkle the berries over the cake, and lightly press into the batter.

Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly.

While the cake is cooling, warm up the apricot jam in the microwave or in a small saucepan until warm. Brush the top of the cake gently with the warm jam, giving the cake a nice shine.

Serve warm or at room temperature--either on its own, or with whipped cream and fresh berries.

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Basil Berry Cake

This berry cake is my favorite and shows how good basil goes with fruit like lemons and fresh berries, let this basil berry cake recipe be your introduction

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that matches the bottom of the pan, and place in the pan.

In a food processor, add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest. Turn on the food processor and continue to run until the basil and lemon zest is fully incorporated with the sugar, and there are no visible leaf pieces.

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and add the rest to the bowl of a mixer, along with the softened butter, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each time until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla.

Stir in the flour on low speed, being careful not to overmix. You will end up with a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan--it will be a fairly thin layer. Sprinkle the berries over the cake, and lightly press into the batter. Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly.

While the cake is cooling, warm up the apricot jam in the microwave or in a small saucepan until warm. Brush the top of the cake with the warm jam. Serve warm or at room temperature--either on its own, or with whipped cream and fresh berries.

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This berry cake is my favorite and shows how good basil goes with fruit like lemons and fresh berries, let this basil berry cake recipe be your introduction

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For dessert at the Indian Extravaganza posted a couple days ago: Honey Banana Cake!

I am of the opinion that one can never have enough banana dessert recipes. Our impulse to buy an entire bunch of bananas at the market has been a long and storied one (if, "We buy a crapload of cheap bananas and then we don't eat them and they turn brown," can be considered a rollicking good story).

Well, when they do inevitably get all soft and freckly on the countertop, it's helpful to have an arsenal of recipes like this to turn to. This honey banana cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans is a particularly good option. Moist, banana-y, subtly sweet, and tangy from the cream cheese. The perfect retro classic to cure all your brown banana dilemmas.

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix the mashed banana with the lemon juice and honey and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and add the vanilla. In a bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and yogurt. Gently fold in the flour mixture alternately with the milk/yogurt mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in the banana mixture. Don't overmix! Banana cake batters need to be treated with the utmost care.

Pour into prepared pan! All we have in the 9×13 variety here in China is this casserole dish. It'll get 'er done.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together to make a smooth frosting. Spread on top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans.

Yum.

Slice into squares and serve with lots of hot coffee (or some ice cold milk).

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Honey Banana Cake

This honey banana cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans is moist, banana-y, subtly sweet, and tangy. The perfect retro classic.

For the cake:

For the topping:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix the mashed banana with the lemon juice and honey and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and add the vanilla. In a bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and yogurt.

Gently fold in the flour mixture alternately with the milk/yogurt mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in the banana mixture.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together to make a smooth frosting. Spread on top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans.

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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This honey banana cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans is a particularly good recipe to use up overripe bananas!

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My love affair with matcha continues with these brown butter matcha brownies. I think I am on a crusade to matchify every classic dessert, and I am #notsorry about it! The reason I love adding matcha to desserts is not only for the vibrant green color or that smokey aroma of matcha. Some matcha desserts I've made in the past are matcha cookies, matcha blondies, and even a Christmas themed matcha peppermint bark. I love doing it because it helps balance out the sickening sweetness that exists in a lot of desserts. Case in point, brownies. Brownies are an amazing dessert, but most of the time, I can only have one piece because of how sweet most brownies are. Adding matcha to a classic brownie recipe balances out that sweetness, making it possible for you to have TWO instead of one. 🙂

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Unsalted butter - I used browned butter for these brownies for that extra nutty flavor. I would recommend using unsalted butter, so you can control the amount of salt in your brownies.

White chocolate - In a typical brownie recipe, you often see chocolate being used, but since I wanted that green matcha color to shine through, I decided to substitute that with white chocolate.

Matcha powder - Matcha powder provides the color and slightly bitter taste of matcha to these brownies. Make sure to use high quality culinary grade matcha powder to get that vibrant green color. As always, I use Aiya culinary grade matcha powder. Use cookingtherapy10 to get 10% off your purchase.

Granulated sugar - Adds sweetness to these brownies.

Light brown sugar - Adds sweetness to these brownies and a moisture. You can also use dark brown sugar for this recipe. Dark brown sugar will make these brownies more fudgy and sweeter.

Eggs - Adds richness to these brownies. I would highly recommend room temperature eggs because that makes it easier to incorporate with other ingredients.

Vanilla extract - Adds flavor to the brownies. Substitute with vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean.

Salt - Brings out the flavor of other ingredients.

All purpose flour - This is the main dry ingredient of the recipe. You can make this recipe gluten free by substituting with sweet rice flour. Keep in mind that this will change the texture of the brownie and make it more dry/less fudgy.

How to make brown butter matcha brownies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8 baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside. Next brown your butter. Heat unsalted butter over high heat until all the butter has melted. Then lower the heat to low and cook until brown bits start to appear. Remove from the heat. Next add white chocolate to a small bowl. Sift in the matcha powder. Pour the browned butter over the top and stir until a uniform green ganache appears. Set aside.

Combine granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to whisk the mixture until it is thick and cream (5-10 minutes). While mixing, stream in your matcha chocolate ganache. Whisk until a uniform green mixture appears. Lastly, sift your flour into the bowl. Using a spatula, gently fold the flour into the green mixture. Be careful not to deflate the batter too much. Mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake brownies for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes, take out the brownies and smack the pan onto a flat surface to get rid of some of the air bubbles. Sprinkle some flaky salt on top and put them back in the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let brownies cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Matcha Brownies Video

Tips on how to make the perfect matcha brownies

Use a light colored pan to brown butter

It is a lot easier to brown butter using a light colored pan because it helps you see the color of the butter as it cooks. You are less likely to burn the butter.

Sift matcha powder

Matcha powder tends to clump up easily, so it's best to sift it before using it in a recipe.

Beat sugar and eggs until thick and creamy

Beating the eggs and sugar incorporates air into the brownies, creating a lift in the final product. This helps provide lift without any type of leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder.

Smack the brownies on the counter

This helps get rid of air bubbles in the brownies and creates a more fudgy texture. This is method I learned from Tasty's 101 video on brownies.

Did you make these matcha brownies?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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Brown Butter Matcha Brownies

Becca Du

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Fudgy Brown Butter Matcha Brownies - Cooking Therapy

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A super easy-to-follow recipe for fudgy brown butter matcha brownies. The perfect recipe for weeknight baking.

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These old-fashioned almond cookies are a Chinese favorite, and can be served at the end of any meal or even given as gifts.

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Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Stephanie’s Sweet Treats

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These lemon blueberry cookies are chewy, full of lemon flavor, and uses frozen wild blueberries. They are easy to make and are no chill.

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It's a relatively rare occurrence when the sheer delight and originality of a new recipe totally and completely makes your day. Today is that day, my friends.

Okay, so at first glance this cake does kind of look like jalapeño cornbread or something with all those rand-o green specks in it. The cognitive dissonance caused by what looks like dried parsley floating in your cake batter can be difficult to get used to at first.

But you WILL get used to it, because this cake-it's genius. Of course, lemon and basil together isn't really a new combination. A world of pasta recipes and a plethora of over-priced hand soaps can attest to that.

But in a dessert? Oh man.

The main cause for this Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake was this huge basil plant that's thriving in our overheated, sun-pounded, south-facing apartment. There's really no gradual, pleasant transition to Spring in Beijing.

It just goes from really cold to really hot in the span of a couple weeks, and we've already had 80 degree weather here. Meanwhile, the state mandates that the air conditioning across the city won't be turned on until they say so. So we'll just have to sit here and melt until then.

The Basil: la-di-da! Happy times!

Us: Not the light! We're meltinggggg!! MELTING!!!! We might as well be this guy right now:

Ahem. While trawling the internet for interesting recipes in which basil plays a starring role, I came across a Trader's Joe's lemon basil cake, involving one of their boxed cake mixes.

Considering the closest Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake mix is probably approximately 7,456 miles away, I decided to adapt my own yogurt cake recipe. It's an incredibly moist, light, yogurt olive oil cake that will knock yo' socks off.

A few packs of yogurt with sketchy expiration dates in the fridge + a basil plant in need of pruning = TRIUMPH.

Recipe adapted from Trader Joe's Cake

Lemon Basil Cake: Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round pan or standard loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Using your fingers, mix the sugar with the lemon zest in a large bowl until the sugar has the texture of damp sand.

Add the yogurt and lemon juice, and mix well. Then add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and basil. Whisk until well-blended. Ignore the weirdness. You won't regret this!

Carefully fold in the dry mixture until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking time depends on what pan you used (it took around 45 minutes in an 8-inch round pan).

Make the glaze (we're not really "glaze" people, but we highly recommend you don't skip this one) by combining the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Stir. When the lemon basil cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over the top.

Slice and serve this refreshing Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake with a strong cup of coffee!

Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!

Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake

The impetus for this Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake was this huge basil plant that's thriving in our overheated, sun-pounded, south-facing apartment. There's really no gradual, pleasant transition to Spring in Beijing.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round pan or standard loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Using your fingers, mix the sugar with the lemon zest in a large bowl until the sugar has the texture of damp sand. Add the yogurt and lemon juice, and mix well. Then add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and basil. Whisk until well-blended.

Carefully fold in the dry mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes (adjust time according to the type of pan you used), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Stir. When the cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over the top.

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake Recipe - The Woks of Life

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This Lemon Basil Yogurt Cake is a unique dessert recipe featuring a surprisingly delicious sweet-savory combination.

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Gochujang, the fermented Korean chile paste, offers intrigue in this otherwise classic chewy sugar cookie A gentle amount of ground cinnamon lends snickerdoodle vibes, and the dough is raked through with ripples of clay-red gochujang “caramel,” in which brown sugar and butter mellow the chile’s heat Mixing this dough by hand is highly recommended for the most defined crinkles and the chewiest texture.

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Chocolate Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies (Brussels Cookies Recipe)

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This cookie recipe comes to you a little bit late, but juuuuuust in time for Christmas. Better late than never I always say! Every year, our neighborhood hosts a holiday cookie exchange, and I’m constantly on the hunt

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These cranberry orange cookies offer a different, festive holiday cookie recipe with a balance of tart and sweet.

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TESTED & PERFECTED RECIPE - Focaccia is a rich Italian flat bread baked in a sheet pan. It’s one of the easiest yeast breads to make.

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Matcha Black Sesame Rolls | Sift & Simmer

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These Matcha Black Sesame Rolls are a twist on classic cinnamon bun. It features soft matcha buns filled with black sesame, sugar and tahini.

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Matcha and Black Sesame Swirl Pound Cake

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Earthy matcha and toasty sesame batters are swirled to make a slightly sweet and denser loaf cake that is a perfect year-round baking project.

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This recipe is guaranteed not to disappoint any cookie connoisseur! These are crackly on the outside, moist and chewy when you bite into them, and all the best parts of a classic cookie are fired up by the nutty flavor of black sesame butter, as well as the gentle taste of matcha. These precious cookies are perfect to dip into a warm glass of oat milk. Did I mention how easy it is to make these? They only require 10 to 12 minutes of baking time, and you just need to mix the flour with the melted butter and sugars, chill the dough for a bit, shape it into small balls and then put these straight into the oven. Credit: Reprinted with permission from New Vegan Baking by Ana Rusu. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Ana Rusu.

Black Sesame Seed and Matcha Cookies [Vegan]

How to Prepare Black Sesame Seed and Matcha Cookies [Vegan]

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Black Sesame Seed and Matcha Cookies [Vegan] - One Green Planet

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This recipe is guaranteed not to disappoint any cookie connoisseur! These are crackly on the outside, moist and chewy when you bite into them, and all the be...

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Light and delicious, these Earl Grey cupcakes topped with fresh lavender buttercream give a unique spin to a classic recipe! Thank you so much-these are fantastic! In fact, my son and his fiancee have asked me to bake them for their wedding in August! Literally, everyone who has tried one says it's amazing. 🤗 ★★★★★
Okay, first of all, let's pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that this is the first cupcake recipe I've posted here on The Baker's Almanac. Say what?

Whenever people ask me what my favorite food is, I usually say cake.

I'm that person that could easily eat several slices of her own birthday cake without batting an eye, while simultaneously looking forward to even more leftover cake the next day. All that being said, how in the world is this the first cake recipe on TBA?

Well, if this is going to be the first, I am glad we are going in strong. Because guys: these Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes are so. freaking. good.

Earl Grey is by far my favorite kind of tea, and I knew I wanted to try and incorporate the flavor into a cupcake. Top that cupcake with fresh lavender buttercream, and you've got a winner!

What is Culinary Lavender?

Before making this recipe, I had never baked with culinary lavender before, and I'm guessing a lot of you have not either. The most common variety of lavender that is used for cooking is Lavandula angustifolia because of its sweet fragrance.

To prepare lavender for cooking, lavender farms or manufacturers will dry the lavender out by snipping the stems off after the flowers open and hanging them to dry. And when it comes to baking with lavender, you do want to make sure you buy the kind that is specifically labeled 'culinary lavender.'

I bought my culinary lavender from Lavender by the Bay at the Union Square Greenmarket. I would recommend checking out your local farmers' market to find fresh lavender, or you can pick some up online.

Tips for Making These Cupcakes

Here are a few tips to get perfect cupcakes every time:

After adding in each ingredient, make sure to scrape the bowl very well. This is especially important to do after adding in the eggs and dry ingredients. In order to get an even cupcake that rises well, you want to make sure all the ingredients are homogenous.

Once you add in the dry ingredients, don't overmix. When it comes to cupcakes, you always want to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can cause the cupcakes to taste tough, which nobody wants.

Use a toothpick to test if the cupcakes are done. To test if the cupcakes are done, insert a toothpick or cake tester directly into the center of one of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, it's done baking. If it comes out liquidy, continue to bake the cupcakes and check every two minutes or so. To learn more about testing if cupcakes are done, check out this article.

Common Questions About These Cupcakes

Can you make cupcakes ahead of time?

Yes, definitely! Once baked, you can store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. I would recommend frosting them right before serving to have the best flavor. Alternatively, you can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months-just thaw them completely before serving.

What is the best way to let cupcakes cool?

After removing these cupcakes from the oven, I recommend cooling them in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely at room temperature.

What is the best way to decorate these cupcakes?

I decorated these cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with a star tip. However, you can decorate them however you'd like! If you don't have a piping bag at home, you can always cut a hole in a Ziploc bag and use that instead.

Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to The Baker's Almanac for even more baking recipes and tips.

Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes

5 Stars

4.8 from 18 reviews

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Light and delicious, these Earl Grey cupcakes topped with fresh lavender buttercream give a unique spin to a classic recipe!

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Pineapple Buns: A Chinese Bakery Classic - The Woks of Life

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This recipe for pineapple buns is so easy and authentic, you’ll be making this Chinese bakery classic at home in no time!

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This lavender banana bread is a fresh, modern spring spin on the classic! The light flavor of lavender gives this banana bread a whimsical twist.

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Black Sesame Mochi Cheesecake | Provecho

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frankhubakes’s Black Sesame Mochi Cheesecake. Visit https://www.provecho.bio/@frankhubakes/ for more recipes from frankhubakes.

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These cookies were the result of a happy accident (The best things always are, aren't they?)

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If you're looking for a unique twist on brownies that aren't too sweet and don't actually contain any chocolate, you've come to the right place! These Black Sesame Matcha Brownies (or should we call them Greenies?) have a rich, nutty flavor from black sesame paste and a deep earthiness from matcha. They're soft, slightly chewy, and perfect for matcha lovers who prefer a more balanced dessert.

My other recipes are also really delicious! Check out the matcha cheesecake tart as well as my black sesame brownies.

Jump to:

What is Black Sesame Paste?

Black sesame paste is made from roasted black sesame seeds that are ground into a thick, slightly oily, and deeply nutty paste. It's commonly used in Asian desserts, adding a rich, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor that pairs exceptionally well with matcha. In this recipe, it brings an extra depth of flavor and a beautiful contrast to the green matcha base. It is sometimes referred to as black tahini.

I buy mine from the Asian supermarket.

How to make your own Black Sesame Paste

Black sesame paste is very simple to make at home. Here is how to do it:

1. Weigh out your black sesame seeds. This recipe will require roughly 50 grams.

2. In a large shallow pan, toast black sesame until fragrant (around 5 min). This will bring out and intensify the flavors. Allow to cool completely.

3. Add cooled black sesame to a food processor or a blender. Blend until very smooth. The sesame will release oils and the mixture will slowly come together. If it stays lumpy, try drizzling in a bit of sesame oil.

🍵What is Matcha?

Matcha is a Japanese finely ground green tea powder. I'll be honest, it's expensive! However, when it comes to baking, don't get too caught up in quality. I use the cheapest culinary grade matcha that I can get my hands on. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preference. There are different types of matcha:

1. Ceremonial-Grade Matcha

Purpose: Best for traditional tea preparation and drinking on its own.

Flavor: Smooth, umami-rich, with minimal bitterness.

Color: Vibrant, bright green.

Texture: Silky and fine, dissolves well in water.

Uses: Drinking as a hot or iced tea, whisked with water.

Features: Made from the youngest, tenderest tea leaves, often handpicked and stone-ground.

2. Culinary-Grade Matcha

Purpose: Designed for cooking and baking.

Flavor: Stronger and slightly more astringent than ceremonial-grade.

Color: Slightly darker green with less vibrancy.

Texture: Fine but less delicate than ceremonial-grade.

Uses: Incorporating into lattes, smoothies, desserts (like your matcha cheesecake tart), and savory dishes.

Features: A more affordable option made from slightly older tea leaves.

3. Premium-Grade Matcha

Purpose: A versatile middle ground between ceremonial and culinary-grade matcha.

Uses: Drinking (especially in lattes) or high-quality recipes that highlight matcha.

Flavor: Balanced with a hint of sweetness and some bitterness.

Color: Bright green, though not as vivid as ceremonial-grade.

Texture: Fine, dissolves well, suitable for both drinking and cooking.

🥣Ingredients

All-purpose flour - The base ingredient for structure

Baking powder - Helps the batter rise

A pinch of salt - Enhances flavor balance

Matcha powder - Adds earthy, green tea flavor

Butter, melted - Provides richness and moisture

Light brown sugar - Adds sweetness and slight caramel notes. Also makes the brownies chewy

Granulated sugar - Contributes sweetness and structure

Eggs - Binds ingredients and adds moisture

Black sesame paste - Brings a nutty, roasted depth

Powdered sugar - Used to thicken the black sesame paste

See recipe card for quantities.

📖Instructions

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 355F/180C and prepare a 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder. Set aside.

Step 2:
In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Crack in the eggs and whisk until the mixture is pale and lighter in color, around 3 minutes. Fold in the dry ingredients until there are no more traces of flour.

Step 3:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, mix together black sesame paste and powdered sugar. Transfer to a piping bag and snip off a small hole at the tip.

Step 4:
Pipe lines of black sesame paste in one direction. Then using a needle tool, skewer, or toothpick, drag perpendicularly in alternating directions to get a feathering effect. Bake for 33-35 minutes or until the edges are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Hint: Be careful with black sesame paste, it is very dark and can stain your clothes!

Substitutions and Variations

No Black Sesame Paste? Swap it for tahini, peanut butter, or almond butter for a slightly different nutty profile.

Want it Sweeter? Fold in chopped white chocolate into the batter.

Dairy-Free? Use a plant-based butter alternative.

Egg-Free? Try substituting each egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoon water per egg) or an egg replacer.

Extra Texture? Fold in white chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

Equipment

You do need some equipment for this recipe. Here is everything you need.

8x8 inch square baking pan

Parchment paper

Large mixing bowls

Whisk

Spatula

Sifter

Piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the tip snipped off)

Needle tool/skewer/toothpick for swirling

Storage

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Fridge: Keeps for up to a week in an airtight container.

Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.

Top Tip

For the best texture and flavor, let the brownies cool completely before slicing. This helps them set properly and makes cutting cleaner. If you love a fudgier texture, slightly underbake them and let them firm up in the fridge.

It is crucial to whip the eggs, sugar, and butter until it is very light in color. This will give you a beautiful shiny crust on top.

FAQ

Can I use a different sweetener?

Yes! You can swap out the light brown sugar for dark brown sugar, coconut sugar or maple sugar, but it may slightly change the texture.

Why isn't this brownie chocolaty?

These are matcha-based brownies, so they don't contain cocoa. Think of them as a cousin to blondies, just with matcha! Also I find that white chocolate based blondies are too sweet!

How do I know when they're done?

Insert a toothpick-if it comes out with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter), they're good to go!

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Delicate and soft classic French cookies flavored with matcha powder, these Green Tea Madeleines make the most delightful sweet treat. Invite your friends over and enjoy it with Japanese tea like sencha, hojicha, or genmaicha.
Calling all the matcha fans! The new green tea dessert recipe is (finally) in, and today I'm sharing a delicate and tasty Green Tea Madeleines (or Matcha Madeleines) recipe. If you love these delicious and soft classic French cookies and the unique flavor of matcha, then these delicious madeleines are definitely for you. Why Matcha? Well, it's my favorite ingredient for sweets and it's also becoming a popular ingredient here in the States.

The Classic Madeleines

Madeleine is a traditional small cake from Commercy and Liverdun in northeastern France. They are small sponge cakes with a shell-like shape, traditionally flavored with just vanilla, but some also include lemon zest, which is also one of my favorite.

I've been making these classic French Madeleines for some time. Most recipes you see are very similar as it's rather a simple recipe, and I have tested different recipes to see which one my family likes the most. When I tried the recipe from Julia Child's From Julia Child's Kitchen, I really liked how perfectly the Madeleines turned out. Since then, I always come back to this recipe, but I changed the ingredients and methods a little bit over time.

There's no reason to be intimidated by these French tea cakes. Madeleines are probably one of the easiest baking recipes I've made, and since my son loves them it's also one of the cakes that I make most frequently.

Helpful Tips for Making Green Tea Madeleines

Here are some tips that will help you make good Madeleines.

Use room-temperature eggs as they expand in volume when beaten. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, submerge chilled eggs in warm water for several minutes.

Rest the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour. I usually just refrigerate the batter overnight. By chilling the batter, it helps to give the madeleines their distinctive bumps (the bulging shape of the cookies).

Don't be shy about butter when coating the molds. It helps you take Madeleines out of the pan after baking as well as achieving nice golden color.

Use a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon to transfer the batter. It's the easiest way to measure the exact amount for each mold and not overfill.

Use good quality matcha. The good quality matcha should have a bright green color, not dull green. By the way, you can't grind regular "green tea leaves" to make matcha. More about matcha below.

Use metal pans as I think they conduct heat better than silicone molds, but I've seen some people make beautiful Madeleines with silicon molds, so it's up to you.

Where to Get Matcha for Green Tea Madeleines?

If there is a Japanese supermarket nearby, try checking their tea section for culinary use matcha. In my local Japanese supermarkets, they carry several grades of matcha powder including this Maeda-en brand matcha powder. In my local Asian supermarkets, I haven't found 100% matcha powder yet. Be aware of some packages that are labeled "matcha". Unfortunately, it's not real matcha and it's most likely a package for a cold drink that contains matcha and sugar. When it's 100% matcha, the price should be around $8-10 for 1 ounce (28 grams). Yes, matcha powder is considered very expensive even in Japan. And get a small bag because you will need to use it within 2-3 weeks.

How to Enjoy Green Tea Madeleines

From all my taste test for this recipe, I got to enjoy Green Tea Madeleines as the afternoon snack with my children. Instead of European tea, I recommend enjoying these madeleines with Japanese tea, like sencha (煎茶), hojicha (ほうじ茶), or genmaicha (玄米茶). The Japanese teas go much better with matcha flavored snacks and sweets. I am getting hungry just talking about this dish, time to go open my snack container and enjoy one before my family eats them all. Till next time...

Similar Recipes:

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Green Tea Madeleines

Delicate and soft classic French cookies flavored with matcha powder, these Green Tea Madeleines make the most delightful sweet treat. Invite your friends over and enjoy it with Japanese tea like sencha, hojicha, or genmaicha.

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 4 oz, 8 Tbsp; plus 1 Tbsp for coating the pans)

1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (plus 1 Tbsp for dusting the pans; If you use a measuring cup, follow this method: fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. Otherwise, your flour ends up with more than 120 g.)

1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar (optional for dusting)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

To Serve

The madeleines are ready to serve when they are slightly warm or at room temperature. Dust the tops with confectioner's sugar if desired. If you are storing/freezing the madeleines, do not dust with sugar until you are ready to serve.

To Store

Madeleines get dry rather fast and are best eaten within a few hours after they came out of the oven. To store them longer, let the madeleines cool COMPLETELY. Then you can freeze them (they'll keep for 2 months) or place them in a Ziplock bag (and enjoy within 48 hours). Defrost the madeleines at room temperature first before dusting with confectioner's sugar. The nice crunch they have right after being baked will slowly fade away and the madeleines will become soft.

All-purpose flour: The weight of 1 cup of all-purpose flour varies depends on how you measure it. A properly measured cup of flour weighs 120 g (4.25 oz). When you measure flour by volume, please follow the methods below. I've tested this method many times, and if you do it properly, 1 cup is VERY close to 120 g each time.

1. Fluff up the flour several times with a spoon.
2. Using the spoon, sprinkle the flour into your dry-cup measure (the one that measures exactly a cup at the top).
3. Scrape off the excess with a knife.

Recipe adapted from Julia Child's "From Julia Child's Kitchen". All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you'd like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.

©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

5 Secrets to Japanese Cooking: Simple Meals & Authentic Flavors!

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Delicate and soft classic French cookies flavored with matcha powder, these Green Tea Madeleines make the most delightful sweet treat. Invite your friends over and enjoy it with Japanese tea like sencha, hojicha, or genmaicha. Calling all the matcha fans!

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These lemon coconut white chocolate cookies are the perfect little bit tart, little bit sweet cookie that is so loved by all.

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The Chinese Hot Dog Bun. The Asian bakery classic, the food of my childhood, and the inevitable result of years of cultural assimilation.

As I got older, I came to realize how...actually disappointing these Chinese hot dog buns often are. After a long car ride from Chinatown, a cold hot dog of questionable origin wrapped in bread that has gone slightly soggy is not good eating. Very quickly, the hot dog bun went from being all I wanted from the Chinese bakery, to the last thing I wanted...replaced by the likes of the much more palatable coconut buns and pineapple buns.

Until this past weekend (when we baked these suckers), I hadn't had a hot dog bun in over 10 years. After my mother discovered her cousin's brilliantly easy Asian milk bread recipe, however, it was time to revisit this classic, and really do it up right.

As I see it, there are three main problems with the typical Chinatown hot dog bun:

1. The quality of the hot dog: not good.

2. The dough is usually wrapped around an uncooked hotdog before baking. The result? A total lack of flavor and a rubbery texture.

3. If they put them out in the morning, and you get there at 3:00 in the afternoon, you've already lost.

Alas, the Chinese hot dog bun was long overdue for redemption. In our version, you choose what brand of hot dogs you want to use. We sear them before they get wrapped in dough, and it makes all the difference. The result is a what I've always wanted a hot dog bun to be.

One can also get pretty creative with this concept, add some ingredients and make some cool hot dog recipes - maybe just some foreshadowing but for now, on with it!

Chinese Hot Dog Buns: Recipe Instructions

In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (add it in that order).

DON'T HAVE BREAD FLOUR OR CAKE FLOUR?

Feel free to substitute all-purpose flour for both! We have since extensively re-tested this recipe, and have not found that using 100% all-purpose flour in this recipe makes a meaningful difference to the result.

Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer to "stir." Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.

After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes. The dough will grow to double its original size. Check out our original milk bread recipe for photos of this process!

In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the hot dogs, and allow them to crisp slightly and get some color on them. Set aside on a plate to cool.

After the hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take each piece of dough and roll it into a 10-12 inch rope, keeping the middle thicker than the ends.

Roll the rope around a hot dog, tucking in the ends. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (keep the buns 2-3 inches apart).

Repeat until all the buns are assembled.

Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and allow the buns to rise in a warm place for another hour. The buns should close to double in size.

Brush with egg wash, and bake the buns for 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and immediately brush your Chinese hot dog buns with sugar water. This last step gives them that signature Chinese bakery shine.

Enjoy these Chinese Hot dog buns!

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Chinese Hot Dog Buns

An Asian bakery classic and the food of my childhood, these homemade Chinese Hot Dog Buns recipe is better than what you get in any Chinese bakery. Really!

In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (add it in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer to "stir." Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.

After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes, until the dough doubles in size.

In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the hot dogs, and allow them to crisp slightly and get some color on them. Set aside on a plate to cool.

After the hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take each piece of dough and roll it into a 10-12 inch rope, keeping the middle thicker than the ends. Roll the rope around a hot dog, tucking in the ends. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (keep the buns 2-3 inches apart). Repeat until all the buns are assembled.

Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and allow the buns to rise in a warm place for another hour. The buns should close to double in size. Brush with egg wash, and bake the buns for 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven and immediately brush the buns with sugar water. This last step gives them that signature Chinese bakery shine.

If you don't have cake flour and/or bread flour, feel free to substitute all purpose flour for both.

If kneading by hand, mix the dough ingredients together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, and then knead it by hand using floured hands. Extend the kneading time by 5 minutes for the first knead.

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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An Asian bakery classic and the food of my childhood, these homemade Chinese Hot Dog Buns recipe is better than what you get in any Chinese bakery. Really!

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Celebrate the magic of spring with these crispy and buttery Cherry Blossom Cookies. Topped with edible salt-pickled sakura buds, these cookies are infused with the heavenly fragrance and flavor of Japanese cherry blossoms.

Spring in Japan is so beautiful and magical. All the hills and parks are covered with pink and white cherry blossom trees, and many of them adorn city streets as well.

To celebrate the beauty of cherry blossoms, I shared my Cherry Blossom Milk Pudding recipe last week, and this week I want to share Cherry Blossom Cookies with you.

Cherry Blossom Cookies with Salt Pickled Sakura

Many of you probably didn't know that cherry blossoms ( sakura in Japanese) are actually edible. In Japan, we preserve them with salt so they can be used in various dishes. However, it's not as simple as just sprinkling salt over the blossoms. The whole preserving process takes place over several weeks.

Tender young buds are hand-picked, washed, and dried. They are then soaked in ume plum vinegar for several days before being dried completely. Finally, they are packed in jars or packages with salt.

These salt-pickled cherry blossoms are available from this Japanese online store that ships internationally (this company also sells them on Amazon), or another brand on Amazon. You might be able to find it at Japanese grocery stores when in season. You can also purchase it from Weee!

Buttery, Slightly Salty, Cherry Blossom Cookies

These cherry blossom cookies are butter cookies, or you may know them as shortbread cookies or sable cookies. They are unleavened cookies, which means that leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda are not used in the recipe.

They consist of just butter, sugar, and flour and are often flavored with vanilla. We use salt-pickled cherry blossoms in this recipe, so it adds just enough saltiness essence to the rich, buttery cookies. You can smell and taste the cherry blossoms, which is the highlight of these cookies.

The texture of the cookies is "crisp" rather than chewy or soft cookies. It is commonly necessary to chill the dough for easy handling. The chilled dough will give clean, sharp edges to the cookies and holds its shape better in the oven.

Usually, for this type of cookie, you roll the dough into a cylindrical shape, chill, and then slice it into rounds (or roll out the dough, chill, and cut it out).

Ingredients Substitution

Powder Sugar vs. Granulated Sugar

I've made butter cookies with both sugars and they both work, so you can experiment and decide. I used powdered sugar for this recipe because I read some articles that granulated sugar in butter cookies would not dissolve completely while being baked. Given that butter cookies don't contain liquid, the cookies would wind up with a rough texture.

Cake Flour vs. All Purpose Flour

Again, you can make butter cookies with flour. Butter cookies are meant to be somewhat crumbly because they have a high butter (fat) content. If you use all-purpose flour, they will be a little more sturdy than the ones made with cake flour (a mix of both would be best). Cake flour gives a light texture, and I think it fits better with this cherry blossom recipe. So I opted for cake flour for this recipe. In Japanese, we say this texture saku saku (サクサク).

Sparkling Sugar

White sparkling sugar can be replaced with granulated sugar. Sparkling sugar has larger grain so that it won't melt and disappear while being baked. It adds a particular look as well as a nice crunch when you bite into it.

Recipes Using Salt-Pickled Cherry Blossoms

Use salt-pickled cherry blossoms this spring to make these delicious and pretty recipes! Happy spring!

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Before You Start...

Please note that this recipe requires at least 2 hours of chilling time.

Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. For weights, click the Metric button at the top of the recipe to convert the measurements. If you're using a cup measurement, please follow the "fluff and sprinkle" method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.

To Prepare the Cherry Blossoms

Separate 1 oz salt-pickled cherry blossoms into two groups: 1) The good flowers for decorating the cookies; and 2) 1 Tbsp of the damaged flowers for blending into the cookie dough.

To remove the saltiness, soak the two groups of flowers in separate bowls of water for at least 30 minutes. Tip: Salt is used to preserve the sakura leaves and flowers, but it's too salty to consume them as is, so we always need to soak them in water to remove the excess salt.

To Mix the Dough

Sift 1 cup cake flour in a bowl and add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the same bowl. Set aside.

Add the minced cherry blossoms and blend well. Note: I've revised this recipe (3/4/23) to add the cherry blossoms to the dough before adding the flour; the video and the step-by-step pictures reflect the previous version of the recipe.

To Form the Cookies

Decorate the top of each cookie round with one or two reserved cherry blossoms, gently pressing them down so they adhere to the dough. Put the baking sheet with the cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes (or in the freezer for a short time) until firm and chilled. During this time, place the oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Tip: If you don't chill the cookie dough, the butter will melt too quickly in the oven and the cookie dough will spread and flatten.

To Store

You can keep the cookies in an airtight container and store in a cool place for at least 4 days. You can also freeze the unbaked logs of dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 months. Let the frozen logs sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before cutting and baking. Do not let the dough fully defrost.

Cake Flour: A properly measured cup of cake flour weighs 4.23 oz (120 g). The weight for 1 cup flour varies on how you measure it. When you measure flour by volume, please follow the methods below. I've tested this method many times, and if you do it properly, 1 cup is VERY close to 120 g each time:

1. Fluff up the flour several times with a spoon.

2. Using the spoon, sprinkle the flour into your dry measuring cup (the one that measures exactly a cup at the top).

3. Scrape off the excess with a knife.

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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Anna | Home Cafe on Instagram: "banana matcha cookies 

earthy and fragrant banana matcha cookies topped with banana pudding 

cookies recipe:
ingredients
- 200 gr all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 100 gr white sugar 
- 50 gr brown sugar
- 1 medium ripe banana

#bakingrecipes #matchacookies #bananamatcha #matcharecipes #egglessrecipe 
eggless cookies, banana pudding matcha latte"

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20K likes, 132 comments - feed.annna on April 7, 2025: "banana matcha cookies 

earthy and fragrant banana matcha cookies topped with banana pudding 

cookies recipe:
ingredients
- 200 gr all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 100 gr white sugar 
- 50 gr brown sugar
- 1 medium ripe banana

#bakingrecipes #matchacookies #bananamatcha #matcharecipes #egglessrecipe 
eggless cookies, banana pudding matcha latte". 

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