bakersavenue:

Muchas Leches Cake with Sugared Almonds

heretogeneva:

Bubbleology, London

A slurpy/chewy taste of Taiwan in London’s West End.

On a pedestrian street just north of Leicester Square in London’s Soho area, behind an unassuming facade is a cafe with a unique offering. Well, unique for London that is. Though bubble tea is massively popular across Asia, particularly Taiwan where it was conceived, ask most Britons what a tapioca pearl is and you’ll be met with a frown.

They, of course, don’t know what they’re missing. And if you’ve never had bubble tea, neither do you. Served either hot of cold, Bubble Tea consists of either a green or black tea base with shots of additional flavour. The list of flavours are endless and can be mixed together according to personal preference. Lying at the bottom of a cup of Bubble Tea are the things to which it owes its name. The bubbles. While even these come in a variety of forms, most commonly found are small black, chewy balls of tapioca that are sucked up the fatter-than-normal straw along with the tea.

The decor inside of Bubbleology is made out to look like a laboratory, while the staff all wear long white coats. The focus here is on experimenting by mixing the flavours together. On my most recent visit, I mixed vanilla with almond and added some lychee flavoured popping boba. Delicious! On previous visits, I’ve enjoyed mixing a variety of exotic fruit flavours together whilst adding pieces of fruit jelly. Fun and tasty!

Not everyone quite gets the concept. While I was chewing away on a mouthful of pearls last Sunday, a man walked in and asked for a latte. He was politely told they didn’t do coffee, though they did do a coffee flavoured bubble tea. He shrugged and gave it a go.

Next time you’re in London’s West End, do as he did and give Bubbleology a try. It’s the variety of flavours and the weirdness of having chewy lumps of stuff in the tea that keeps me going back.

blackkbird-fly:

Blackberry Goat Cheese Tart 
Inspired by Always With Butter

Yields 1 9-inch tart (or 8 tartlets)

Basil Infused Tart Crust 
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature 
1/2 cup powdered sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 egg 
1 sprig (5-6 large leaves) fresh basil, shredded 
1 cup whole wheat flour 
1 cup all purpose flour

In a food processor, blend the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and process until well mixed. Add in the salt, vanilla extract, and egg and process again. Throw in the basil leaves. Scrape around the bowl if necessary. Add the flours and pulse just until the dough forms a ball. The dough will be the consistency of very soft and sticky cookie dough.

Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight to firm up the dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

When chilled until firm, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick (you may have to wait a few minutes for the dough to soften). Cut out rounds of dough to fit the tartlet pans (alternatively, if you are making a large, single tart, roll out the dough and cut a large circle to fit the tart pan). Press the dough carefully into the pans and mend any breaks or tears with excess dough. Stab the bottom several times with a fork so the dough will not rise in the oven.

Bake the tart shells for 15-18 minutes, or until they are lightly colored and the shell feels dry to the touch.

Goat Cheese Filling 
5 ounces goat cheese, softened 
1/3 cup sour cream 
1 large egg 
1/4 cup honey

In a small bowl, stir together the goat cheese, sour cream, egg, and honey until absolutely smooth. Pour mixture into large tart shell or divide evenly between individual tart shells. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden. Allow tarts to cool completely.

Topping 
12 ounces fresh blackberries 
2-3 tablespoons honey, warmed 
Fresh basil leaves, shredded

Once tarts are cooled, top with blackberries and drizzle with warm honey. Garnish with shredded basil leaves, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

To store, chill tarts in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

(via timelord-prodigy)

beautifulpicturesofhealthyfood:

Incredible food carvings

thecasualdiner:

My first dining experience at Hundred Rox with the fam tonight, and definitely not my last. The food was so beautiful and delicious! It was such a treat! =)