hopes.dreams.aspirations

Vietnamese Beef Pho (broth recipe)

We are a pho-loving family. I don’t think there is ever a time we would reject one – hottest day of the year maybe, but it rarely gets extreme here in Auckland. Pho is the best antidote to the coldness of a crisp Autumn night. Squeeze of lime, tears of vietnamese mint, rings of picked…

Crunchy and fluffy Belgian waffles

These are by far the crunchiest waffles I have ever made. The key was the yeast and also the prolonged rising time – resulting in a crisp surface and fluffy centre. They stayed crunchy for a long time too. Perfect for freezing and reheating in the toaster. This portion is good for making 6 large…

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Cassis Sorbet

There are times when you want a fancier dessert for a special occasion. Think entremets but no time to make mousse, sponge, crispy layer and mirror glaze? This is where you need joint forces of best quality products. Make a delicious chocolate tart with handmade pastry (Paneton Bakery) and ganache with good quality chocolate. Dress it up…

Chewy fudgey perfect chocolate brownies

After years of trial and error, I’ve finally got a fail proof chocolate brownie that appears to satisfy the fussiest and hardest-to-please of all critics (aka Miss 8). These brownies are fudgey and chewy, just how we like it. Importantly, these produce the smoothest crisply thin layer, flakey, like dried meringue shells. The key is…

Authentic Bánh Mì – Vietnamese Sandwich recipe

On our recent trip to Melbourne, Australia, we came across many bakeries and stores selling traditional Vietnamese sandwiches – Bánh Mì. These are the result of French and Vietnamese cuisines coming together, and boy, what a glorious effort. Bánh mì sandwiches are different to the normal western sandwiches. The bread is crunchy on the outside…