Pink Raspberry & Geranium Cheesecake

Jane's corner

Lucy here looked up; but Elinor was careful in guarding her countenance from every expression that could give her words a suspicious tendency.

"Edward's love for me," said Lucy, "has been pretty well put to the rest, by our long, very long absence since we were first engaged, and it has stood the trial so well, that I should be unpardonable to doubt it now. I can safely say that he has never gave me one moment's alarm on that account from the first."

Elinor hardly knew whether to smile or sigh at this assertion.

Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austen (1811)

 Dahlias from my garden.

Cider Chicken

Another recipe from my good friend Lily . Easy & comforting meal using apple & cider ....YUM

Cider Chicken
Ingredients:
1 chicken
1 onion (cut into 4)
1 shallot sliced
2 Granny Smith apple ( peeled, cored & diced into huge pieces)
1/2 liter of cider
1 tsp of Calvados or cognac
70g ginger (sliced)
20g butter
salt & pepper

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C . Sprinkle salt & pepper all over the chicken . Stuffed the chicken with  chopped onion, 1 cut apple & sliced  ginger . Place the chicken on a cooking pan .

2) Add sliced shallot around the chicken & pour over the chicken half of the cider . Place the chicken in the oven & cook for 1 hour .

3) After 1 hour of cooking time , remove the chicken from the oven , add the rest of the cut apples around the chicken & spread the butter on the it . Then pour the rest of the cider & calvados over it & cook for another 30 mins  .  Bon appetit

A moment with Jane 

With this inspiring notion, her questions increased in number and meaning; and she particularly led Harriet to talk more of Mr. Martin, and there was evidently no dislike to it. Harriet was very ready to speak of the share he had in their moonlight walks and merry evening games; and dwelt a good deal upon his being so very good- humoured and obliging. "He had gone three miles round one day, in order to bring her some walnuts, because she had said how fond she was of them- and in every thing else he was so obliging! He had his shepherd's son into the parlour one night on purpose to sing to her. She was very fond of singing. She believed he was very clever, and understood every thing.

Emma - Jane Austen ( 1816)

 Our last batch of sunflowers from our garden .

Grape muffin

Jane's corner

On their return from the park they found Willoughby's curricle and servant in waiting at the cottage, and Mrs. Dashwood was convinced that her conjecture had been just. So far it was all as she had foreseen; but on entering the house she beheld what no foresight had taught her to expect. They were no sooner in the passage than Marianne came hastily out of the parlour apparently in violent affliction, with her handkerchief at her eyes; and without noticing them ran up stairs. Surprised and alarmed they proceeded directly into the room she had just quitted, where they found only Willoughby, who was leaning against the mantelpiece with his back towards them. He turned round on their coming in, and his countenance shewed that he strongly partook of the emotion which overpowered Marianne.

Sense &² Sensibility - Jane Austen (1811)

Apple & Black Berry Crumble

 

According to the calendar today is the first day of Autumn  & what a lovely season. I love autumn with all those beautiful colours of the leaves on the trees. Showing their most elegant colours which mother nature reminding us that life is full of colours even they begin hibernation.

Apple season is finally here, & it's time for a simple dessert that will not take too much time after a hectic day . Why not an easy apple crumble with black berries top with a delicious vanilla ice-cream . We are harvesting our last black berries in our garden.

 
Apple & Black Berry Crumble
Recipe from my good friend Lily 

Ingredients serve 4
140g flour (I used 70g flour + 70g ground almond)
75g sugar (I used light brown sugar)
75g butter ( cut into cubes / diced)
4 apples ( pelled, cored & diced into 2 cm )
10g black berries

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C . In a large bowl combine flour, sugar & butter . Rub the mixture till resembles  crumbs . 

2) Grease 4 ramekins & add in diced apples & black berries . Topped with crimble mixture . Bake for 20 mins till light golden brown . Serve with ice-cream . YUM 

 Emma - Jane Austen ( 1816)

And the bell was rung, and the carriages spoken for. A few minutes more, and Emma hoped to see one troublesome companion deposited in his own house. to get sober and cool, and the other recover his temper and happiness when this visit of hardship were over.

The carriage came: and Mr. Woodhouse, always the first object on such occasions, was carefully attended to his own by Mr. Knighley and Mr. Weston; but not all that either could prevent some renewal of alarm at the sight of the snow which had actually fallen, and the discovery of a much darker night than he had been prepared for.

 

Flowers from my garden

Chocolate and Macadamia Mooncake

This mooncake is specially made for my boys who loves chocolates. Happy Mid Autumn Festival.

Chocolate & Macadamia Mooncake

 

 

Miss Dashwood had a delicate complexion, regular features, and a remarkably pretty figure. Marianne was still handsomer. Her form, though not so correct as her sister's, in having the advantage of height, was more striking; and her face was so lovely, that when in the common cant of praise she was called a beaytiful girl, truth was less violently outraged than usually happens. her skin was very brown, but from its transperency was uncommonly brilliant; her features were all good; her smile was sweet and attractive, and in her eyes, which were very dark, there was a life, a spirit, an eagerness which could hardly be seen without delight. From Willoughby thier expression was at first held back, by the embarrassment which the remembrance of his assistance created. But when this passed away, when her spirits become collected, when she saw that to the perfect good-breeding of the gentlemen, he united frankness and vivacity, and above all, when she heard him declare that of music and dancing he was passionately fond, she gave him such a look of approbation as secured the largest share of his discourse to herself for the rest of his stay.

Sense & Sensibility -Jane Austen (1811)

Dates and Pistachio Mooncake

After doing the first batch of snowskin mooncakes, now I am really inspire to do my interpretation of mooncakes. Using all the ingredients that I can find over here in France. I have lots of idea but because lack of time, I have only done few of it. Who know may be next year I might try to do the traditional mooncake.

Fanny watched him with never- failing solicitude, and sometimes catching his eyes, received an affectionate smile, which comforted her, but the first day's journey passed without her hearing a word from him on the subjects that were weighing him down. The next morning produced a little more. Just before their setting out from Oxford, while Susan was stationed at a window, in eager observation of the departure of a large family from the inn, the two were standing by the fire; and Edmund, particularly struck by the alteration in Fanny's looks, and from his ignorance of the daily evils of her father's house, attributing an undue share of the change, attributing all to the recent event, took her hand, and said in a low, but very expressive tone, "No wonder---you must feel it--- you must suffer. How a man who had once loved, could desert you! But yours--- your regard was new compared with--- Fanny, think of me!"

Mansfield Park - Jane Austen (1814)

Chocolate & Walnut mooncake

 

Chestnut & red bean mooncake

Plum or Prune mooncake. I have made a huge mistake by placing it in the freezer.

 Green bean & Physalis mooncake

Chocolate Cherry- Cognac mooncake

 

The moulds that I use for making my mooncakes

My first mooncakes

 

When one of my sister's friend asked us to do our own interpretation of mooncake, I was quite hesitated to do. I have never done any before and the notion of doing our own way is very interesting. I was very enthusiast but I don't have any mooncake mould. So I just grab whatever mould that I can find in my kitchen that might do mooncake. Well, first of all I have to get all the main ingredients to make the Peng-Pei  which means  snowskin. Unfortunately I can't find shortening so I've replace it with oil. My inspiration went wild for this intriguing yet fascinating project.

 Fanny could not wonder that Edmund was at the parsonage every morning; she would gladly have been there too, might she have gone in uninvited and unnoticed to hear the harp; neither could she wonder, that when the evening stroll was over, and the two families parted again, he should think it right to attend Mrs. Grant and her sister to their home, while Mr. Crawford was devoted to the ladies of the park; but she thought it a very bad exchange, and if Edmund were not there to mix the wine and water for her, would rather go without it than not. She was a little surprised that he could spend hours with Miss Crawford, and not see more the sort of fault which he had already observed, and of which she was almost always reminded by a something of the same nature whenever she was in her company; but so it was. Edmund was fond of speaking to her of Miss Crawford, but he seemed to think it enough that the admiral had since been spared; and she scrupled to point out her own remarks to him, lest it should appear like ill-nature.

Mansfield Park - Jane Austen (1814)

 

This is my first snowskin (Peng-pei) mooncakes with red bean paste & green bean paste .

Lavender Crème Brûlée

I was never  a big fan of lavender but the only recipe that I will use it is when I'm doing my Lavender Crème Brûlée. Most of the recipes will add essence or infusion of lavender but for my recipe I just add a sprig of lavender. Just to have a little taste of it it's more than enough without tasting like soap.

"My dear Fanny, you feel these things a great deal too much. I am most happy that you like the chain, and that it should be here in time for tomorrow:  but your thanks are far beyond the occasion. Believe me, I have no pleasure in the world superior to that of contributing to yours. No, I can safely say, I have no pleasure so complete, so unalloyed.  It is without a drawback."

Mansfield Park - Jane Austen ( 1814)