Tag: Dessert

Cake in a Cup
Maryjane, a locally owned little café on a side street in Wonju, looks innocent enough. It has a quaint, tiny terrace out front, glass doors that fold back to welcome spring breezes and summer sunshine, and a dreamy décor that makes having a nap after your coffee seem like the best idea you’ve had all day. But dear coffee sippers and chocolate lovers: do not be fooled. Maryjane’s menu will grab you by your taste buds and refuse to let go.
For a small town, family run joint, Maryjane has an ambitiously diverse menu, offering coffees, teas, beer, hot dogs, fried rice, and cupcakes all fresh from their kitchen. And although I could probably jot down a few thousand words praising each menu item, I’d rather spend that time eating and drinking at Maryjane. So today I am going to focus on my favorite offering: the Just Baked Chocolate Cupcake.
I miss cake and cupcakes. Most of the cake I have tried in Korea, although possibly delicious on its own merits, fails to meet my Western cake/cupcake expectations. Also, Korean cake = glorified bread. So when I heard about the Maryjane cupcake from some friends, I knew I had to try it. And try it I did, about 6 or 7 times. This cupcake is not a cupcake, friends. It is everything a cupcake dreams of becoming when they grow up.
When I was young, my mother used to make brownies. For some reason, the brownies were always for other people. She did let me lick the brownie batter off the spatula though, and I have had a preference for batter over brownie ever since. The Maryjane cupcake reminds me of licking that spatula with every single bite.
The cupcake is actually served in a cup. It comes baked with a crusty layer of cake on top. Once you break through that layer, you dip your spoon into brownie batter’s half-baked cousin of heavenly proportions hiding out underneath. It is warm, rich, gooey, and almost too good to share. They’re made to order, so settle in with a cup of coffee or a relaxing herbal tea and wait for that chocolate cupcake to arrive piping hot from the oven.
The Just Baked Chocolate Cupcake, although personally believed to be the star of the show, is only one of many delicious options on the menu. I’ve also scarfed down my fair share of bulgogi hotdogs and tortilla pizzas. Maryjane is one of those little jewels you find in small towns like Wonju. They’re dedicated to excellent taste, kind service, and homemade goodies that make you want to move in next door. This café is a reason to hop on the bus, take a daytrip to Wonju, and eat some cake in a cup.
February 11, 2011
Pul-bbang Korean pancake dumplings
Jeff couldn’t wait to take a bite out of them. Here’s the proof. (Photo by Jeff Quackenbush)
I found a Danish Æbelskiver pancake pan at William-Sonoma some time ago. I kept staring at the catalog, scratching my head trying to figure out why the pan and its baked contents looked so familiar. Then I realized I was looking at the perfect pul-bbang pan.
Pul-bbang (풀빵) is a Korean pancake dumpling, usually stuffed with sweetened red bean paste (팥 앙금, patanggeum). You could call them Korean doughnut holes, if you want. Korean street vendors can make 20 or more at at time. My little skillet is puny in comparison.
The Japanese have their own version of pul-bbang, called takoyaki. It is stuffed with boiled, chopped octopus. Takoyaki batter also is more savory — featuring bonito flakes — than either pul-bbang or Æbelskiver batter.
Æbelskiver is traditionally filled with spiced, sauteed apples. However, filling options are limited only by your imagination and the contents of your pantry, such as yujacha (유자차), Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread or peanut butter.
Pul-bbang is sold on the street in most major Korean cities. But they’re a bit more difficult to find than their more famous cousins, boong-uh-bbang (붕어빵),which are a red bean–stuffed bread shaped like a fish. Pul-bbang sell for 1,000 to 2,000 won per seven dumplings.
Pul-bbang
I made the pul-bbang batter from rice flour, which is typical of what one would find in Korea. Rice flour is gluten-free. The mix can be dairy-free if you use rice or almond milk. This recipe make approximately 20 pul-bbang.
1 cup Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup 2% Milk, or you can substitute rice milk or almond milk
The basic recipe for pouring pul-bbang is:
2 tablespoons batter
1/2 teaspoon filling (red bean paste or other filling you’d like)
1. Set the pan on medium heat. You don’t want the pan too hot, otherwise the first side will cook too quickly and the pul-bbang won’t have a nice, round shape. They’ll be round on one side and flat on the other.
2. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each well of the pan.
I used a two spoon technique to scrape and drop the red bean paste into the batter. (Photo by Jeff Quackenbush)
3. After you have filled all the wells with batter, immediately start placing the 1/2 teaspoon of the filling of your choice in the middle.
4. Add another tablespoon or so of batter to the top to cover the filling. Let the dumplings cook for a couple of minutes.
The rounded, wooden, Chinese style chopsticks work perfectly to flip the pul-bbang over. (Photo by Jeff Quackenbush)
5. Turn each dumpling over after you notice bubbles in the batter and slight pulling away on the edges. Toothpicks or wooden chopsticks are best for this task. Flip them “early,” so they are gold-colored on the underside, rather than golden brown.
6. Cook for a few minutes more on the other side. From there, you can flip them alternating until they are golden brown on both sides.
This is what the finished product looked like before my husband/photographer tasted a sample of the finished product. (Photo by Jeff Quackenbush)
Pul-bbang don’t taste as good cold, so make and eat them fresh.
Traditional Korean street food
November 15, 2010
Saeng Cream Cake
Saeng cream cake (생크림 케이크) means fresh cream cake in Korean. It’s layers of sponge cake wrapped in layers of whipped cream frosting and fruit and topped with more frosting and fruit. This style of cake is ubiquitous throughout Korea, Japan and China. If you google the term “Chinese Bakery Cake,” you’ll see what I mean.
I used approximately 3 oz. of Vanilla extract in this recipe. If you don’t like vanilla, you can replace it with almond, orange, lemon, or rose water.
There are three parts to this recipe: simple syrup, cake batter and frosting.
First, make the simple syrup, which is simple to make yet has complex flavor.
Simple sugar syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 of a lemon
1 oz. (standard shot glass) of Madagascar vanilla extract (added separately)
1. Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon (remove the seeds) in a saucepan.
2. Heat to boiling.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Stir in Madagascar vanilla extract and set aside.
Second, bake your sponge cake. (Or buy one at the store. After all, most Koreans buy their sponge cakes at the store too. But if you want to bake your own, here’s a recipe for butter sponge cake to try. I ended up baking two so I’d have a two layer cake.
Butter sponge cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk, scalded
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1. Sift together flour and baking powder.
2. Add butter and vanilla to scalded milk and keep hot.
3. Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon colored; gradually beat in sugar.
4. Quickly add flour mixture; stir just till mixed.
5. Gently stir in the hot milk mixture.
6. Bake in a greased 9-inch-square, 2-inch-high pan in a moderate-heat oven (350 degrees F) for 30 to 35 minutes or till done.
7. Cool thoroughly. (Do not invert the pan.)
Third, make the frosting.
Whipped cream frosting
3 cups (750 cc) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (250 cc) granulated sugar (optional)
Madagascar vanilla extract to taste (approximately 2 ounces)
1. In a chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream on high speed with an electric mixer using a whisk attachment.
2. When cream begins to thicken, add vanilla extract and the optional 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar if desired.
3. Continue to beat on high speed until fully whipped.
Fourth, assemble the cake.
1. Trim off any brown bits from the sponge cake.
2. Slice the cake into three layers with a serrated knife.
3. Remove the two top layers and set them aside
4. Brush the surface of the bottom layer with the sugar syrup. This is for flavor and a little moisture. Do not make it sopping wet.
5. Frost the layer with some whipped topping and add a layer of your favorite fruit. (I used strawberries because they’re in season.)
6. Put the second layer on and brush it with the syrup, frosting and fruit.
7. Set the last layer at the top, brush it with the syrup then coat it with the frosting.
8. Frost around the edges of the cake to cover up those layers and any imperfections in baking or layer-cutting.
9. Top the cake with the remaining fruit.
10. Put the remaining frosting into a pastry bag (or a zip-seal bag with the corner snipped off) and decorate the cake with a flourish. Or you can do what I did and simply smear the frosting on the sides and cover it all the way around with diced fruit.
An easy way to hide your lackluster cake decorating skills is to cover the entire cake in fruit. My husband called this the Wall of Fruit.
A video of the recipe is available here. Don’t mind the Korean; you will pick up the gist of it by watching closely. The saeng cream cake is the second half of the video; the first half shows how to make pecan pie. Think of it as “two for the price of one.”
Posted by Tammy
Editor’s note: I double checked, and there are two ways to spell saeng 생 in hangeul. The most common form is “생,” or “saeng,” but it can also be spelled “쌩,” or “ssaeng.” But that latter spelling also means “whistling.”
June 3, 2010
5 minute Korean chocolate mug cake
Posted by Tammy
Many Korean apartments and condos do not have ovens (as many expats discover after moving to South Korea). Having to adjust to cooking without a major appliance can make it life in the “Land of the Morning Calm” difficult if you enjoy baking.
This is a cake recipe you can make in your microwave in a coffee mug. It’s very easy, since it makes only two servings. The touch of Korean pepper powder invokes chocolate’s ancient past as an elixir of Aztec royalty.
You can find the original version of this recipe here. Cut it in half if you’re making a solo treat.
Ingredients:
– 4 tbsp flour
– 5 tbsp sugar
– 2 tbsp cocoa (I used some powdered hot chocolate mix this time)
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp Korean pepper powder (or more), cinnamon or Chinese 5 spice powder
– A pinch of salt
– 1 egg
– 3 tbsp milk
– 3 tbsp oil (I used grapeseed oil)
– 3 tbsp chocolate chips or flakes plus 2 tablespoon extra
– A small splash of vanilla extract
– 2 microwave safe coffee mugs
Preparation:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Next, add in the milk, oil, vanilla extract, egg and mix well.
3. Pour mixture into mugs (at the halfway mark).
4. Sprinkle the top with the extra tablespoonful of chocolate chips or flakes .
5. Microwave one mug at a time. Cook for 1 minute on medium heat. It will bubble and rise as it cooks, so make sure you provide ample room for that. Leave it for a few seconds, then microwave for another 30 seconds on medium again. The mixture will solidify, but still look a little molten. That is fine because it will continue cooking on residual heat. Overcook it and you get a chocolate rubber ball.
6. Allow to cool a little before serving. The chocolate chips will sink to the bottom for a chocolate syrup treat. Think of it as the icing on the bottom instead of the top.
As you can see from the photos, the end product looks a little messy (after all, you’re serving it in the same dish you made it) but a generous scoop of your favorite ice-cream will hide that perfectly.
March 13, 2010