Thank you! I’m just a firm believer that there are many more delicious flavours to be explored in cakes, cookies and other sweet treats than the classics of plain/vanilla, chocolate, lemon, ginger etc! Plus I like making the most of my well-stocked pantry!
Eleanor Ford also has a recipe for garam masala chocolate chip cookies in her book Whispers of Cardamom which are terrific!
Oh thanks for the recommendation - what an evocative title 😊. Love trying new flavour combos, especially using "savoury" spices and condiments in sweet bakes.
Hehe thought you'd get it ☺️. Most of my neighbours thought it was a bit odd.
Oh one combo they do like - thick starfruit slices grilled with red chilli and fermented black beans. We started making that years ago and we've been getting Xmas requests ever since.
The starfruit mustn't be fully ripe though, otherwise they turn to mush.
That is quite out there as well but also sounds delicious!
And I don't mind if not everyone likes my flavour combos. Taste is so subjective. E.g. I once brought some black sesame, miso and caramelised white chocolate cookies to work and while my colleagues loved them one also told me that she was dead certain her husband (who is a phenomenal cook from what I can tell) wouldn't like them as he isn't as adventurous when it comes to trying different flavours.
Same here! That’s basically what all my recipe development is about! Finding new delicious ways of using ingredients otherwise typically reserved for savoury dishes! Have you had any delicious discoveries recently?
Didn't think of this earlier - we've been playing with a sencha and neri goma sauce. Don't have an actual recipe yet cos we're still tinkering with the proportions, but here are the ingredients we're testing:
- Neri goma - we're grinding it ourselves in a suribachi cos we don't want it too fine, but pulsing in a blender should work too.
- Sencha - brew leaves for about 3 min, then steep for another 10 min. Need to be careful not to release the bitter notes. Didn't use matcha cos we find it a bit strong.
- Shiso leaves, minced. Basil or chives should be nice too.
- Garlic, minced.
- Ginger, grated.
- Lime juice and zest - we're using calamansi, but lemon might be better if you want a sharper bite.
What we've tried so far has worked well for saucing beef and chicken. Also had it with savoury scones, haven't tried with sweet bites yet.
Toasted some nori sheets, crushed them and tossed them into some pineapple muffins ☺️. But they were breakfast muffins, so I'm not sure if you could call that a sweet bake. The salty nori did go rather well with the tangy pineapple though.
Making these tonight!! Love this combination of flavors!!
They were GREAT!! Awesome flavors! Already all gone!!
If that is not the best compliment then I don’t know what is! So glad to hear you enjoyed these! ♥️
That makes me so happy!
Oh you always come up with the most intriguing pairings - definitely a must-try!
Thank you! I’m just a firm believer that there are many more delicious flavours to be explored in cakes, cookies and other sweet treats than the classics of plain/vanilla, chocolate, lemon, ginger etc! Plus I like making the most of my well-stocked pantry!
Eleanor Ford also has a recipe for garam masala chocolate chip cookies in her book Whispers of Cardamom which are terrific!
Oh thanks for the recommendation - what an evocative title 😊. Love trying new flavour combos, especially using "savoury" spices and condiments in sweet bakes.
I can imagine! I have only tried Nori to make some sweet and salty popcorn but also thought it was wider potential!
Hehe thought you'd get it ☺️. Most of my neighbours thought it was a bit odd.
Oh one combo they do like - thick starfruit slices grilled with red chilli and fermented black beans. We started making that years ago and we've been getting Xmas requests ever since.
The starfruit mustn't be fully ripe though, otherwise they turn to mush.
That is quite out there as well but also sounds delicious!
And I don't mind if not everyone likes my flavour combos. Taste is so subjective. E.g. I once brought some black sesame, miso and caramelised white chocolate cookies to work and while my colleagues loved them one also told me that she was dead certain her husband (who is a phenomenal cook from what I can tell) wouldn't like them as he isn't as adventurous when it comes to trying different flavours.
Yup, it's just fun to try out new flavours - no need to please anyone 😉
Same here! That’s basically what all my recipe development is about! Finding new delicious ways of using ingredients otherwise typically reserved for savoury dishes! Have you had any delicious discoveries recently?
Didn't think of this earlier - we've been playing with a sencha and neri goma sauce. Don't have an actual recipe yet cos we're still tinkering with the proportions, but here are the ingredients we're testing:
- Neri goma - we're grinding it ourselves in a suribachi cos we don't want it too fine, but pulsing in a blender should work too.
- Sencha - brew leaves for about 3 min, then steep for another 10 min. Need to be careful not to release the bitter notes. Didn't use matcha cos we find it a bit strong.
- Shiso leaves, minced. Basil or chives should be nice too.
- Garlic, minced.
- Ginger, grated.
- Lime juice and zest - we're using calamansi, but lemon might be better if you want a sharper bite.
What we've tried so far has worked well for saucing beef and chicken. Also had it with savoury scones, haven't tried with sweet bites yet.
That sounds tasty! And I can imagine it working well with beef or chicken and maybe rice or soba.
Toasted some nori sheets, crushed them and tossed them into some pineapple muffins ☺️. But they were breakfast muffins, so I'm not sure if you could call that a sweet bake. The salty nori did go rather well with the tangy pineapple though.