Sugar-Free Chocolate Pistachio Hazelnut Cake with Fresh Berries

 This cake is so tasty you wouldn't know it's sugar-free! Young and old, diabetics and non-diabetics all love it, except maybe people who don't like chocolate 🤭.

I made two cakes this time because one is for a client and another for my uncle. I chose to frost the cake rustic-style because you don't have to be super neat. 

Look at the layers!

Here's a photo of some of the sugar-free or no sugar added products that I used.

You may watch this reel for the process of putting it together and foe the recipe:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeQK9DESxnr/?xtok=MTlsMG9oODZ3dGZ0Mw==

This cake tastes better after letting it rest overnight in the fridge when the sponge, compote and ganache have come together and the cake becomes more fudgy.

Scale the recipe up according to your preference/parts. I provided the smallest unit

Sugar-free chocolate pistachio sponge:

( Use chiffon method for fluffier sponge, simple mixing wet & dry ingredients for denser sponge)

1 large egg, separated for chiffon method

1/8 tsp cream of tartar (for chiffon method)

50g sugar replacement of choice*

20g natural cocoa powder

20g milk

1/8 tsp salt

40g oil

20g pure roasted pistachio butter

55g plain yoghurt

1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

30g cake flour 

1/2 tsp baking soda

Sugar-free chocolate hazelnut pistachio ganache:

100g sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spread

20g 99% or 100% dark chocolate

38g plain yoghurt 

38g milk

45g pistachio butter

Sugar-free pistachio crunch:

100g sugar-free white chocolate

50g pistachio butter

50g chopped roasted pistachios 

2-3 drops of pandan paste (optional but helps to elevate the pistachio flavour and add a little green)

Strawberry raspberry compote:

Frozen/fresh fruit blended, sieved. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Cooked & reduced to 60% original weight 

You may find the method in the pinned comments of my reel.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Clodsire Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallows

 I used to be unable to make fluffy, delicious chocolate character marshmallows due to the unavailability of defatted (ultra low fat at less than 1% fat) cocoa powder. Not anymore with Callebaut's low fat cocoa powder available at Redman now!

These Clodsires are 100% naturally coloured and flavoured. I used to need to add a lot more gel food colouring to get deeper shades of brown or a mix of chocolate paste (artificial chocolate flavour which isn't too yummy) and charcoal powder or black gel colouring. For this creation, only low fat cocoa powder and charcoal powder were used for colouring 

Piped marshmallows before dusting

The recipe below is just for the lighter shade of greyish brown for the main body of Clodsire so for a more intense chocolate flavour, you have to tweak the ingredients & process which I can't share here as it's in my class material.

Ingredients:
10g meringue powder*
10g sugar
36g warm water*

100g sugar
3g low fat cocoa powder
0.1g charcoal powder (or a pinch)
1/8 tsp salt
25g light corn syrup
35g water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

7g gelatin powder (bovine or porcine)
28g cold water to bloom gelatin

Cornstarch or a mix of cornstarch and icing sugar for dusting

* May replace with fresh egg whites

See the process of piping in the reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcfQmHsydvb/?igsi=MWo2cGFlZjAzNmZ2

Method:
1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in standmixer. Beat till soft peak

2. Make chocolate sugar syrup by mixing the next 7 ingredients in a small saucepan, whisking frequently. Heat till 116-118C. Remove from heat. Add bloomed gelatin. Mix well till gelatin is fully melted.

3. Pour 2. in a thin stream into 1. with mixer running at medium high speed. Continue whipping till peak shown in reel.

with love,
Phay Shing

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Bulldog and Poodle Dark Chocolate Pistachio Macarons

 My friend requested for bulldog macarons again for her dad's birthday after 10 years. This time round there are poodles joining them!

 

I filled the macarons with dairy-free tropical weather stable dark chocolate ganache and homemade pistachio butter lightened with some Swiss meringue buttercream. You may see this post to see the version I made 10 years ago.

This may seem like a routine character macaron bake for me but it's only the second time I am using a single oven to oven dry and bake complex character macarons at home because I had been super scared of cracking the shells after spending a long time piping! So glad to have figured out the drying and baking temperature settings to make it work with my new oven that I bought end of last year!

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe. Here's a picture of all the macaron shells with the dogs partially decorated finish with edible marker and paint for the shadows.

The round shells made from leftover batter were oven dried then baked too! Such a time saver!

Fully decorated macaron shells. I used a sprinkle for the medallion and a little royal icing for the collar and tongue

Close up views of the filled macarons...

The reel for the process of making these dog macarons:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbWxv69SpVy/?igsh=bzA2OHpwZnp0ejVj

Thank God they were very well received!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Yuzu Chocolate Cat Marshmallow Cones

 I love creating marshmallow treats with different levels of textures and flavours so I made these marshmallow cones!

Composition:

- Chocolate coated wafer cone with rainbow sprinkles

- Chocolate marshmallow with KitKat bite surprise

- Yuzu honey marshmallow cats 

I am teaching this as a studio and online class. Please refer to the respective links for more information or to register.

Studio class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/ice-cream-cone-marshmallow-cats-class-1

Online class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/product-page/ice-cream-cone-marshmallow-cats-class-ready-by-31st-aug-sgd-78-usd-60

Here's a peek at the squish and process of making these:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYCPvA8JH3j/?igsh=aDlrZ2s3NWFrejA3


with love,
Phay Shing

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"Happy Guinea Pig Village" Macarons

 I have a set of really cute guinea pig magnets that I have been wanting to create a bake with for some time. I finally had the bandwidth to play around with it and this was what I made!

Guinea pig macarons filled with smooth Biscoff spread and Nutella dark chocolate, along with a couple of 3D coffee macaron basket weave tunnels!

This project took place during a particularly rainy and humid spell so it was a little challenging to manage although making sure that the meringue was really stiff enough helped the batter to stay stable for a longer time.

I share the process of making the 3D tunnels along with some tips over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVhaegjkrXw/?igsh=Z21sN3UwcXRkbm05

Some photos of the process of making the 3D basket weave tunnel...

Freshly piped before transferring to the homemade foil arch

Transferred piped batter onto foil arch 

Baked coffee macaron tunnels!

I shared the process of making the guinea pig macarons along with some technical tips of working in humid conditions over here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVpI4G-kj3p/?igsh=ZTZtMTQ1ZjEwNGJw

Some photos of the process of making the guinea pig macarons...

Freshly baked macaron shells along with the original magnet references

Check out the awesome feet on the shells!

I added in the details with gel food coloring and edible black marker.

It's the first time I am testing out using gel food colouring instead of cake paint after a long time because it didn't work for me in the long past but since it works for some macaron bakers, I thought of giving it a shot again. It takes a much longer time to dry than cake paint but it still works.

Filling with Biscoff spread and Nutella dark chocolate

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe for both guinea pigs and tunnels but for the tunnel, I used the variation of the recipe where all the egg whites are used for making the Swiss meringue and folded until dry ingredients are just combined with the meringue.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Assorted Piped Butter Cookies

 Whether it's the upcoming Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or any day, an assortment of butter cookies is always a welcome 😊. I adapted the recipe from Buttermilk Pantry to make a more delicate cookie by increasing the butter to flour ratio.

Orange/vanilla:
65g Golden Churn butter
15g French butter of choice
26g icing sugar
4g milk powder (or replace with icing sugar)
Scant 1/8 tsp fine salt
30g cornstarch
65g cake flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract/bean paste (optional for orange)
3-4g orange zest (omit for plain/vanilla)

Chocolate:
65g Golden Churn butter (already salted)
15g French butter of choice (may replace with Golden Churn)
35g icing sugar
12g Dutch processed cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
20g cornstarch
63g cake flour
1/8 tsp fine salt

Matcha:
65g Golden Churn butter 
15g French butter of choice
35g icing sugar
6g Matcha powder (use high grade)
24g corn starch 
65g cake flour 
Scant 1/8 tsp salt

Method:
1. Whisk softened butter, sugar & salt until lightened in colour but not too fluffy.

2. Sift in cornstarch & milk powder/ cocoa/matcha. Whisk until smooth

3. Add orange zest &/or vanilla if using. whisk until combined 

4. Sift in cake flour & fold in using a spatula until no trace of flour is seen 

5. Transfer into large piping bag fitted with open star tip of choice. I used 1M but you may use others like #827. Double up your piping bags if it's thin to prevent it from bursting. Clip the end & separate the dough into two portions within the bag as shown in reel for ease of handling

6. Pipe rosettes onto lined tray. Freeze for at least 1h or overnight if you wish.

7. Bake in preheated oven from frozen according to your preferred cookie texture*. Start at a lower temperature, bake for a longer time & end off high for crispier texture. Start high & end off low, baking for an overall shorter time for a more tender melt-in-your-mouth texture. Use a perforated mat help to contain the spread of the cookie in the oven during baking. Cool on tray for 5min before transferring onto cooling rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

* The aim of the baking profile I used is to get a delicate texture throughout the cookie with a light crunchy bite & slight toasty notes. This cookie won't be so delicate that it crumbles too easily when stacked & stored, but also not so hard that you have to bite hard before it crumbles. The long baking time I used is for a thoroughly crisp cookie that crumbles when you bite softly. Bake in preheated oven at 140C fan mode/ 155C (as read by an accurate oven thermometer) for 10-12 min, rotate tray & bake for another 10 min. Increase temperature by 20C & bake for 1 min. Rotate tray & bake for 1 min. 

Please see the reel below for more visuals:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT6as78CQ9d/?igsh=YzdoZGE5eGlkZTJj

with love,
Phay Shing

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How To Create Two Different Fur Textures On Macarons

 There were some textured macaron techniques that I know of but didn't have the motivation to try as I didn't have the right subjects to test them on. When my friend requested for macarons of her two bear plushies, I took the chance to give it a go as they were the perfect subjects! 

A closer look at the feet from the sides.

I filled the macarons with a simple dairy-free dark chocolate ganache

Here are my real-life models!

Piped macaron batter with the two different fur textures: 1. Short velvety fur 2. woolly fur

The facial features and ribbons were added on after baking using royal icing.

You may refer to my reel below for the tutorial. Please read the captions for detailed explanation:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMU10xyJYJe/?igsh=MWs5aXdpOWJyOW4xaQ==

with love,

Phay Shing 

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Sugar-Free Halloween Marshmallow Surprise

 I am really excited to share an amazing sugar-free marshmallow creation for classes because it's so tasty you wouldn't think it's sugar-free!

These cuties are Hojicha sugar-free marshmallows with sugar-free chocolate hazelnut cakepop surprise inside.

 Although I shared sugar-free marshmallow recipes in my Deco Marshmallows book, this version uses a different type of sugar replacement that is more commonly available (hint: it's not Erythritol!) and I added prebiotic soluble fibres too! Soluble fibres help to lower the GI of the confection even more as well as provide benefits for gut health and cholesterol management without adversely affecting taste. My book provides the recipes using fresh egg whites but this one uses meringue powder so it eliminates the risk of salmonella. 

Here's a video of the piping work behind the scenes and the squish:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM7j9Auz9J9/?igsh=c2sxYXdpcXhwbzZh

Just to share some other views of this creation:

Piped marshmallows before dusting

A closer look at the cut cross section revealing the chocolate hazelnut cake inside

Please refer to this link for the studio class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/sugar-free-halloween-marshmallow

Please refer to this link for the online class:

https://www.bakersgym.com/product-page/sugar-free-halloween-marshmallow-ready-by-17-oct

All studio class participants will have access to online class material for free! There's no expiry date for the online class.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Sugar-Free Kirby Cherry Strawberry Marshmallow Coated Chocolate Hazelnut Cakepops

 I had to satisfy my curiosity to see if it works for my sugar-free version of marshmallow as well. So glad it works! Presenting Kirby as sugar-free marshmallow coated cakepops!

Two of the Kirbys in the picture are plastic figurines so don't be fooled 🤭

I used the same sugar-free recipe as my chick marshmallows over here, except that I used fresh chery puree that was reduced instead of passionfruit puree. I also added prebiotic soluble fibres in both cakepop and marshmallow in addition to using a sugar-replacement to further lower the GI of the confection. I added strawberry emulsion to the marshmallow batter to impart some colour in addition to the cherry puree as well as to increase the fruity taste. I adapted the sugar-free chocolate hazelnut cakepop from the one I used for my Christmas bear with present marshmallow class. You may sign up for the online class over here if you are interested! 

You may wonder if taste is compromised. I have various taste testers who love it and can't tell it's sugar-free! Main recipient was my hubby and he's glad to have a treat he can enjoy that's made in one of his favourite game characters!

I am not able to share this sugar-free recipe yet but I will have a studio and online class for a similar content in October so keep a lookout for it on my Instagram! For the time being, you may refer to my book Deco Marshmallows which has sugar-free recipes for both gelatin and agar based marshmallows where I use a different sugar replacement from the current one I am using.

You may refer to this reel for the video tutorial of making these adorable treats:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL9p9_Bpx8I/?igsh=MW81dng3OXdidmQzMQ==

Here are some works-in-progress pictures!

A shot of the Kirbys before I sliced one.

with lots of love,

Phay Shing

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Capybara Mint Chocolate Macarons (template included!)

 Chocolate macarons may be tricky to make. Let me share some important tips to show you how to make it work!

Featuring capybaras as the subject!

Check out the awesome feet!

Freshly baked shells!

You may use this template below to create the capybara macaron shells.

Recipe for mint chocolate macarons and video of the process can be found in the reel below:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJEQtCDptpb/?igsh=MWJvZG1taXpubXExcg==

When making chocolate macaron shells, choose the brand of cocoa powder that has the lowest fat content that you have access to. For me and many bakers, it's Hershey's with fat content at 10% compared to 20-25% for most other brands. If you would like your shells to have a deeper brown colour, choose the Dutch processed version. Make sure your almond flour is not too oily as well because it will cause the meringue to deflate prematurely.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Sea Otter Mocha Macaron Class

Do you love sea otters? Come and join me for this macaron class if you do!

The macaron shells are flavoured/coloured with coffee and cocoa powder, and the fillings are coffee vanilla white chocolate ganache, dark chocolate ganache and toasted chopped pecans. Here's a closer look at the fillings!

I will focus on techniques of achieving success in macaron making in Singapore's tropical climate so be assured that the tips that I share in this studio class are practical and useful. The fillings are all dairy-free and firm enough to hold up in non aircon conditions in Singapore so it's practical for gifting without worry about the fillings melting into a puddle or spoiling quickly due to the heat. I use decaf coffee so it's suitable for kids and non coffee drinkers too.

Not only are the macarons visually pleasing outside. The insides are beautifully full too!

A peek at the macaron shells before I added in the faces.

Please click on the link below to register for this studio class.

https://shop.redmanshop.com/collections/classes/products/sea-otter-mocha-macaron-class-phytsv00002?_pos=2&_fid=d5b32cb66&_ss=c

You get to enjoy a 15% discount for the sea otter marshmallow class if you sign up for both macaron and marshmallow classes. The link for the marshmallow class can be found in Redman's website above. Feel free to contact Redman directly if you have more queries about registration.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Pistachio Chocolate Dinosaur Macarons

 I bought some pistachio flour end of last year which I didn't use so I decided to make some macarons with it. Although many bakers advise against using only pistachio meal for making the shells, they don't mention what happens if you do. To satisfy my curiosity, I made some macarons without using any almond flour at all. Presenting my 100% pistachio macarons as cute dinosaurs!

If this design looks familiar, it's because I re-used my old dino design from some years ago. 

I did a 1:1 replacement of almond flour with pistachio flour by weight to see what happens. Before that, I dried the pistachio meal to pick up excess oil which can ruin the bake. To my surprise, the paper towels didn't pick up as much oil as almond flour. Surprised because some bakers warned about the oil from pistachios ruining the bake. 

I went ahead to make the batter and immediately realised what's different. Besides the obvious visible dark specks from the flour, the batter turns runny quickly despite taking care in making sure the meringue is tight and stable and the batter is not overfolded. I went ahead to pipe and bake the macarons thinking it's a failed bake but they turned out beautiful!  See the awesome feet and full interior! 

In conclusion, unlike what the other bakers warned against, I would say go ahead and make macaron shells out of pistachio flour alone because the aroma and taste is amazing. Just give more room for the batter to spread after piping and intricate shapes are not a good idea due to the runnier batter. Do make sure proper technique in preparing the batter is used and you are good to go!

Here's the reel of the process of making the dinosaur macarons:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHqI39JynMq/?igsh=MXBhc2k4YzhzNml3cg==

I re-used leftover dark chocolate ganache and coffee ganache from a test bake at a new studio as fillings so you may use pistachio ganache or buttercream instead to make the pistachio flavour pop, and pair it with milk chocolate or raspberries if you wish!

with love,

Phay Shing 

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Cute Piggy Dark Chocolate Macarons with Indented Features

I couldn't resist giving piggies different expressions, especially the sassy one 🤭

Simple pig macarons filled with dairy-free dark chocolate ganache and chocolate coated crispearls. What's unique about this creation is the use of the technique to create indented features on macaron shells. The nostrils and ear indents were created by waiting for a pliable membrane to form on the piped batter before using a Dresden tool to create the indents.

Pipe batter with indented features

Filling the macarons!

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe for these piggies, and edible marker and lustre dust for the eyes and cheeks. 

Please see the reel for the process of making this, especially the indents:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGAkYM7JdQg/?igsh=M2Y2YzdndndtdHFx

with love,

Phay Shing 

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