Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Petits Fours

Finally spring has arrived here in Germany. It's about time, I don't remember when we still had snow in April. Within 2 weeks the landscape changed from grey and white to pretty greens and spring colors. Trees are starting to bloom and we can finally sit outside to have a nice cup of tea. Inspired by the starting blossoms I made some cherry blossom petits fours.

I was lucky to find some Cherry Blossom (Sakura) extract, when I was traveling to Japan last year. It was not that easy to get as you might think. I got offered many things, when asking for sakura, like pickled sakura, sakura drinks, or sakura candies, before I got the right thing. The taste is very subtle, maybe a little bit like almond.

I used the same butter-cream I made here as macaron filling, which was really good. Please go ahead and share your sakura desserts, if you have made some.

Mini Angel Food Cakes topped with Advocaat

Something that is very popular in Germany around Easter is "Advocaat". It is a liqueur made with egg yolks, and is often used in cakes and desserts. People also drink it straight, usually in chocolate shot glasses.

It is widely available in Germany in supermarkets or from Artisan manufactures. Many people also make their own. I have never tried it, but I found a recipe for homemade Advocaat, in case you want to try.

I don't make angel food cake often, because you need so many egg whites, but those little ones are perfect for just using up a few. For me angel food cake always needs some kind of topping, and this is really the easiest cake dress up you can do. Just pour as much on the ready baked cakes as you like, and you are done. The advocaat is pretty thick, so no need for adding anything else to it. I think the color is really pretty for any Easter table.

White Chocolate - Raspberry Mousse Cakes

I made those little cakes for Valentine's Day. They have a very silky texture and every bite tastes like a kiss.  My husband loves white chocolate and I love raspberries, so it was the perfect pairing.

Both mousses taste very good together, one sweet and creamy, and the other more tart and fruity. I wish I would have made some more, but I just made two this time.

To make the decorative strip I used chocolate transfer sheets, which are acetate sheets embossed with cocoa butter and powdered food coloring. They are a great and easy way to really dress up your cakes. Read more: How to Use Chocolate Transfer Sheets.

Linzer Tartlets for Valentine's Day

Are you in search for something cute to bake for Valentines Day. Then maybe these little Linzer tartlets are for you. The dough is really flavorful with lots of hazelnuts and a good amount of Kirsch. They are filled with raspberry preserves, but fell free to use any jam your sweetheart favors.

The tartlets can be baked a few days before, as they store well. So, how about slipping some of them in a pretty package in your sweethearts work-bag. I am sure that makes a nice surprise.

Cappuccino-Mascarpone Cakes

French patisserie, especially entremets always hold a fascination for me. They are so delicate, so elegant, so perfect. When you run your dessert fork through it, you can see those different layers, each with a unique taste and texture. They take some time to make, but it's well worth it. In the end even the serving temperature can affect the tasting experience. So I have decided to try making these beauties more often, starting with some cappuccino mousse cakes.

The cakes consist of four parts: a coffee flavored sponge, a mascarpone mousse, cappuccino core, and a coffee glaze.  It flavors are similar to tiramisu. I had some problems with putting the glaze on the cakes. It was either too thick, or too hot, that the cakes started to melt right away. I didn't really like how they looked. Well, they still tasted great, and so I hope to be able to make them look better next time. If you have any tips how to perfectly apply a thin glaze, I would be very happy to hear them.