sometimes i just want to give my oven a break and make something really really simple. i get the feeling quite often these days, like wanting to make something yet i just want to laze around and do nothing. this one is really zero fuss and yields spectacular results. so good that i was surprise myself, consider i didn't even have a recipe to begin with.

i know, you must be wondering whats up with the korean title. i recently watched this korean drama 'lie to me' and this korean cafe called a twosome place sponsored their cafe scenes and had the lead actress eating an ispahan-looking macaron in one of the scenes (episode 3, to be exact) and it made its appearance a few more times after that. being a self-confessed korean drama addict, i've not seen any mentions of macarons in the dramas so i was mildly surprised. yoon eun hye made it look so yummy i wanted to recreate it myself. basically, from the pic on the cafe's website, it looked like berries and whipped cream sandwiched between a pink and brown shell. to be frank, after all these years of macaron making, i've not tried sandwiching them with two different colored shells (i did KIV pierre herme's montebello macaron on my to-do list but i never got around making it), neither have i used whipped cream so i was really looking forward to it.

sometimes i think its nice to revisit some of the old recipes i made before. this is a japanese strawberry shortcake where the genoise sponge is colored pink and soaked with a rose-flavored syrup. the 1st time i made this cake was in 2007 when i was still pretty inexperienced and definitely less meticulous in baking. i remember using non-dairy whipped topping for the cake which is pretty shocking to come to think of it. i shudder at the thought of vegetable fat now so there's absolutely no yucky non-dairy cream, creamer, margarine or shortening in my desserts (actually i haven't been using them for many years).

ahh, just in time for some valentines day baking! i recently acquired yet another pierre herme's cookbook 'le livre des fours secs et moelleux de pierre herme'. its a chinese-translated japanese book which features some of the baked goods like madeleines, financiers and gateaux de voyages. of course, being a fan of the lychee, raspberry and rose combo, it goes without saying this would be the 1st thing i was gonna make from the book.

finally, the english version of the much-awaited pierre hermé's macaron book has hit the shelves and i was elated to get my hands on a copy. it features many of his classic and signature macaron recipes like mogador, infiniment vanille, montebello, olive oil vanilla and ispahan as well as the customized ones he did for his clients like jasmine, oolong and carrot orange. there's also a section where he uses exceptional ingredients like foie gras, black and white truffles and 25-year old balsamic vinegar to incorporate into his macarons so its really fantastic.

elated about the book aside, i was actually more excited to dabble with the italian meringue method, my FIRST after all these years of macaron making. macarons are known to be finicky therefore i just shyed away from anything that would make them even more complicated.

i seriously cant think of anything more delicious, pretty and feminine than this, the ispahan. unless you dislike rose, it would be a crime to skip this. with some red rose petals and raspberries leftover from the weekend, i just HAD to make these again.

i can't believe i've not heard of rose petal jam, or jelly until i saw this as one of the components of a verrine i intend to make. given my love for rose there was no way i could miss this out so i went ahead and bought the reddest rosiest red roses i could lay my hands on. i knew the color was gonna turn out pretty and striking and true enough, it was a blood red hue not unlike raspberry jam.

the moment i set my eyes on the recipe, i knew i had to make them rightaway. and to be honest, incorporating rose into cookies did not cross my mind even though i love them in mousses, cakes, puddings and even beverages. but once i tasted them, it was really no turning back.

i realize even as i began to eat light and go on a healthy eating regimen, i really don't hv to give up desserts totally. i just need to be selective thats all. like the ones i made lately, be it the ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi), japanese souffle cheesecake or spiced poached pears, they definitely satisfied the sweet tooth in me without adding a whole lot of calories. this rose chiffon cake is no exception. this cake is light and airy and lends a subtle hint of rose, which is my favorite flavor in desserts and remains soft even after refrigeration due to the fact it uses oil instead of butter.

i brought these to a dinner party last week and my friend, who reads my blog, has been bugging me to bring her an ispahan. since i was still very much tied up with orders and i didn't hv any raspberries on hand, i decided to make her some ispahan cupcakes instead. its been eons since i made my last cupcake and i wouldn't otherwise hv bothered if it wasn't for this particular flavor. i'm so over cupcakes anyway, and i can't stand swirls anymore coz they're so passe.

Happy Valentine's Day!

the coeur ispahan (ispahan heart), inspired by pierre herme's valentine's day series. made this for the fun of it, and this is the 1st time i tried my hands on heart-shaped macarons :D

happy v-day, people! ♥

Pierre Herme's Ispahan - Recreated

isnt this gorgeous? fresh raspberries & a lychee in the middle sit on rose scented italian meringue buttercream and sandwiched between two pink macaron shells. the name of this macaron is called ispahan - solely created by pierre herme, the picasso of pastry but i prefer to call him the gucci or LV in the pastry world :p like i mentioned, if you're on a macaron frenzy (both in making & eating), then you'll most probably heard of pierre herme. and if you know pierre herme, then you're most likely to know his world-famous ispahan - adored by fans around the world! you can read all about him here. anyway, i've been dying to make these eons ago but i couldnt find really good raspberries to begin with. so when i was out grocery shopping yesterday, i saw some really firm, ripe & fresh ones and quickly grabbed 3 punnets (despite them being so expensive)!

the innards. my first attempt had been satisfactory, coz its super easy to put it together. only thing is, i was a little worried coz this is the 1st time i make macaron shells THIS big. i mean, its almost double the size of the normal macarons. so i was really afraid they wouldnt develop feet or something. but i guess my fears were unfounded. only thing is, i find that the shells were a little too thin. anyhow i love it coz its a blast on the senses - looks good and tastes good (at least for me). the tartness of the raspberries really balance up the sweetness of the macarons. and the lychees were rinsed to take away more sweetness so i kinda like the fact that they're not overly sweet.