January 7, 2013

• Auntie’s baked goods.

  My aunt Liza loves trying out new recipes and creating new things. She loves baked goods in particular, for she has a sweet tooth. Knowing me as a fellow foodie who appreciates baked goods and western food like she does, once in a while she would makes things and have me as her guinea pig. A responsibility that I never objected nor complaint about. Prior to my leave for Hong Kong, she baked more goodies and went all the way out in her ‘presentation’ effort to wow me. It must be the Christmas bug in her, for she didn’t place her creations in a regular plastic container like she often does. Here’s a peek at what she gave me.

  

  The cheese puff must have been wrapped while it was still warm, for it wasn’t as flaky as it should be. There was some kosher sea salt sprinkled on top of the puff pastry, along with some poppy seeds. The additional crunch and saltiness from the sea salt positively offset the lack of flakiness of the puff, and left me wondering if she should have left out the finely grated cheese stuffing altogether and substitute it with cottage cheese instead. The salt was a pleasant flavor and texture addition, though it made the cheese flavor weak. Still, I swear I could hear the sound of waves crashing into the shore with sea gulls above begging noisily, hoping to get a bite of the cheese puff.
  

  The peanut butter cookie topped with chocolate kiss candy was a pleasant surprise. I’m never been a fan of anything chocolate or peanuts, but the flavor of creamy peanut butter in a cookie with a dense cake-like softness, instead of chewy texture, was a welcoming guest in my mouth. There were no crunchy bits of peanuts that I often dislike. That’s a plus on my book. Even the chocolate was the perfect kiss to the sensuous flavor of peanut butter. I literally smiled to myself as I relished each chew. Yes, it was that good.
  

  The lemon cookie was a splash of spring to my palate. Mild and fragrant, yet so mellow it didn't quite take me to the summer season with each bite. It resembled more of spring, for I tasted lemon petals instead of the sunbath lemon peels that tend to wake one up into a middle of summer. I’m a great fan of all things citrusy and so naturally it was not as powerful and as sour as I would have liked the cookie flavor to be. However, the soft crunch and mild sweetness of the sugar cookie were able to calm me down and entranced me into the mellowness of the moment.
  

  Last but not least, the carrot cake cookie topped with cream cheese icing. Cake-like as all carrot cakes should have been, yet not as sticky and with an additional firmness to the texture. Flakes of bright orange carrots and deep dark raisins seem to mingle happily, hugged by a blanket of spices and brown sugar. It may not be a Christmas staple, but my mind wondered if it should be. Maybe a touch of rum to soak through the thick cookie would have made it perfect. Still, the windowpane seemed slightly frosted against the tropical sun from outside. I wished for snowflakes. A wishful thinking, I know. I licked the cream cheese off my fingers. In my mind, I’d settle for autumn. Yet, that too would be impossible. There is only one solution. Leave the city for Hong Kong winter. And just like that, I set my expectation high. Hong Kong better NOT let me down.
  

  • 4:16 am
  • 14 Comments