Fish Trip Cafe

Nectarine is in season and so delicious right now.

This is a cute rustic nectarine tart, very easy to make!

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— Nectarine Tart (7 inch round)—

100g apricot jam

50g unsalted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

300g shortcrust pastry

3 tablespoons ground almond

3 large nectarines (550g)

1 tablespoon melted butter (for brush)

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Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the apricot jam, butter, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan, melt together over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface board into a round about 8 inch diameter.

Place pastry round on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the ground almond evenly over the pastry, leaving 1.2 inch border.

Cut the nectarines (no need to peel), arrange the nectarine in ring on the pastry, leaving 1.2 inch rim around the outside. Roll the rim up around the nectarine.

Brash the rim with melted butter. Drizzle the apricot jam mixture on the nectarine evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Sweet cigars for me.

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— Brandy Snap Cigars (makes 20) —

100g butter

100g granulated sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 tablespoons honey

100g plain flour

A pinch of salt

3 tablespoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon brandy

50g dark chocolate

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Preheat oven to 340F.

Put the butter, granulated sugar, golden syrup and honey in a pan and heat gently until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, salt , ground ginger, lemon juice and brandy and mix well.

Drop small spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, spaced well apart each one as they will spread out.

Bake for about 8 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minutes before rolling.

Roll them carefully around the handle of the wooden spoon and leave on a rack to cool.

Melt the dark chocolate in a small cup and dip the brandy snaps, leave them on a baking sheet until they are set.

Store in an airtight container.

Biscotti is a perfect little treat with a cup of coffee.

The mushed banana gives enough moisture to the dough instead of butter and too much oil. So it’s good for your diet too.

I used dark rum and brown sugar in this recipe for extra depth of flavour.

I can’t wait to have a coffee time.

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— Banana Walnut Biscotti (makes around 20) —

250g plain flour

50g brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 banana (ripe), mashed

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

60g walnuts, chopped

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Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the flour, salt and baking power in a bowl and stir to mix well.

Lightly beat the egg in another bowl, add the sugar, mashed banana, dark rum and vegetable oil, mix well. Add the flour mixture into the bowl and mix to form a dough. Knead in the chopped walnuts.

Transfer the sough to a lightly floured surface board, knead for about 2-3 minutes with floured hands. Form the dough into 2 rolls about 7 inch long, place them onto baking sheet and fatten to 3/4 inch high.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove form the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

Cut the baking dough diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices with serrated knife. Place, cut-side down on baking sheet, Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn and bake for further 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to coo and harden.

“Marusei butter sandwich” is the best and long-seller sweet product in Hokkaido where I was born.

I was fascinated with the delicious rum & raisin cream even when I was a little child.

I tried to remember the flovour and made the similar cookies.

Yes, I think it’s close enough.

But I miss my hometown after I’ve eaten few cookies.

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— Rum Raisin Cream Sandwich Cookies —

100g plain flour

30g almond powder

60g unsalted butter, softened

40g sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg yolk

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— for the rum raisin cream filling —

80g raisins

4 tablespoons dark rum

60g unsalted butter, softened

70g white chocolate

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— to make the cookie dough —

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolk.

Sift together the flour, almond powder and baking powder into the butter mixture and mix everything until combined.

Shape the cookie dough into a log, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate about 2 hours.

Unwrap the dough, slices into 0.2 inch thick and place on a baking try lined with baking paper.

Bake in a preheated 180C/356F for about 15 minutes until golden. Leave to cool the cookies.

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— to make the rum raisin cream filling —

Place the raisins in a bowl, pour in the rum and cover with cling film, leave to soak at room temperature for about 2 hours.

Set a bowl on top of hot water and melt the white chocolate. Let it cool down a bit.

Place the butter in another bowl, beat until light and smooth.

Add the melted white chocolate into the butter, mix them well.

Add the rum-raisin into the bowl, mix everything together and leave the cream mixture until a little bit harder.

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Spread the rum raisin cream filling over half the cookies and top with the remainder.

Refrigerate them for few hours until chilled.

Brownies & a cup of tea, and chatting with my sister.

It’s a nice Sunday afternoon.

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—Walnut Brownies (10 x 8 inch square baking tin) —

150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

150g plain flour

280g sugar

3 eggs

150g butter

100g walnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

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Cut the butter into small cubes and chopped the chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl, whisk them until thick and creamy.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the egg mixture, gently mix together.

Place the four, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in another bowl and mix together.

Hold a sieve over the bowl of egg & chocolate mixture and sift the flour mixture, add the chopped walnuts. Gently fold until almost even mixture (do not over-mixing).

Pour the mixture into a baking tin lined with baking parchment.

Bake in a preheated 180C/360F oven for about 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Cut into squares to serve.

London gets ready for the Royal Wedding and The Union Jack flags are hanging everywhere in town.

I think, that’s the reason why I wanted to make a very British dish today.

Cream tea.

This is such a lovely afternoon treat : )

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— Classic Scones with Cream and Jam (makes 10 scones) —

220g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

50g butter

150g plain yogurt

1 egg york, beaten

Some icing sugar (option)

Clotted cream

Strawberry jam

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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well and lightly rub in the butter.

Add the yogurt into the flour mixture to make the dough soft and easy to knead.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board, put the dough out to thickness of about 2cm/3/4inch, cut out the scones with 5cm/2inch round cutter and place on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the scones with the beaten egg.

Bake for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with the icing sugar, serve with some clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Green tea powder – also known as Matcha – is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony and a popular sweets ingredient in Japan now.

This is a chilled dessert custard that has rich and mildly bitter green tea flavour and creamy in texture.

The beautiful natural green colour and the scent of Matcha make me calm.

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— Green Tea Crème (serves 4-5)—

1&1/2 tablespoon green tea powder

100ml milk

150ml single cream

50g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 egg york

whipped cream, to serve (optional)

green tea powder, to serve (optional)

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Preheat the oven 160C/320F.

Mix the green tea powder with 3 tablespoons of warm water until dissolved. Set aside.

Place the milk, single cream in a small saucepan oven medium heat until just comes to the boil. Add the dissolved green tea and mix.

Place the eggs, egg york and sugar in a bowl and mix until well combined. Gradually add the milk mixture, mix to combine.

Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer and pour into the cups.

Place in a deep baking dish and pour in enough hot water.

Bake for about 30 minutes until set.

Remove from the baking dish and refrigerate until cool.

Serve topped with the whipped cream and green tea powder if desired.

Light up Japan recipe –No.6

Chocolate can boost your mood and makes you happy.

This is a sweet little treat for the weekend.

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— Chocolate Mousse (6 cups) —

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

25g unsalted butter

3 tablespoons dark rum

120ml double cream

3 egg whites

1 tablespoon caster sugar

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60g dark chocolate (for decoration)

18 raspberries (for decoration)

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— Chocolate cups —

Cut out baking paper 12 inch x 2 inch, 6 strips.

Roll up one strip of the paper and place inside a 2&1/2 inch pastry cutter. Open out the paper and lines the cutter.

Set a bowl on top of hot water and melt the 60g chocolate, leave the melted chocolate until a little bit harder.

Holding the cutter with one hand, spoon the chocolate and put into the cutter, brush the chocolate up the side of the paper to make the top of cup irregular edge.

Carefully lift away the cutter and repeat to make 6 cups. Chill until set and peel the baking paper.

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— Chocolate Mousse —

Set a bowl on top of hot water and melt the chocolate, then stir in the butter until melted and add the rum. Stir gently until smooth.

Whip the double cream in a bowl.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until peaking, and whisk in the sugar.

Fold the cream, then egg whites into melted chocolate mixture until evenly combined.

Pour the mousse into the chocolate cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Topping some raspberries.

This is my pancake day recipe.

I added blueberries and mushed tofu in the pancake butter for my diet, because I decided to eat a lot of pancakes today (it’s pancake day!).

The pancakes are fluty and fluffy, not overly sweet and I love the fragrant of maple syrup.

It was a great afternoon treat.

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— Tofu and Blueberry Pancakes (about 5 pancakes, 4 inch size) —

150g blueberry (keep some berries for garnish)

200g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

150g tofu (soft)

200ml milk

3 tablespoon sugar

A pinch of salt

Some butter for frying

Some maple syrup

Some vanilla ice cream

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Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.

Mush the tofu in a separate bowl, add the egg and milk, whisk together.

Add the flour mixture in the egg mixture, and whisk just until combined. Add the blueberry and gently mix with the butter.

Heat the frying-pan, melt a little butter over low heat, pour the butter onto the pan spacing the pancake a few inches from each other. Cook them until the bottom of the pancakes are golden and bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces, then turn and cook another 3 minute until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with the maple syrup, garnish with the rest of blueberry and vanilla ice cream.

This is a very easy & tasty exotic dessert. It takes less than 10 minutes to make.

The banana skin is not edible, but I like to keep this cute natural banana skin plate for serving.

A little bit of rum add an elegant flavour to this simple dessert.

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— Pan-fried Banana with Coconut Sauce —

2 bananas

150ml coconut milk

1 tablespoon rum

1 tablespoon butter

1 & 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Some almond flakes

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Cut the banana in half lengthwise.

Heat a frying-pan, melt the butter and fry the bananas (cut side down) over medium-high heat about 3 minutes until golden brown on cut side.

Sprinkle the rum over the banana, and then pour the coconut milk, sprinkle the sugar in the frying-pan.

Simmer the banana with the coconut sauce until the sauce has reduced by half.

Sprinkle almond flakes. Serve warm.