Love Gift

     On a Mother's Day several years ago, my younger sister, little brother and I decided to buy a special gift for our dear mom. Since she is a dessert lover just like me, we wanted to surprise her by choosing a unique one. Then we found one of the ice-cream cakes in COLD STONE creamery  to be a nearly perfect present. The name of the cake is Love Gift, which accurately describe its exquisite look.

The cake was so adorable~ All of our family members fell in love with it at the first sight. It was REALLY expensive, though. The six-inch cake cost nearly NT$1,000!

     If you ask me, I'll say that the price was the only drawback. The cake was covered with grape jam and was topped with some currants. It was a little bit hard to cut into pieces because of the ice-cream inside. After cut, the lateral amazed everyone again. It was divided into three layers: the top is strawberry ice-cream with raspberries, creamery ice-cream with OREO in the middle and chocolate flavor at the bottom. The three colors formed a harmonious view! 

     And how it taste? Of course the answer is AWESOME! Actually it was my first time tasting an ice-cream cake, and I totally loved it. It was so satisfying that I could eat three flavors at the same time~ The beautiful appearance made it even more wonderful. Mom loved it, too. It is believed that female loves beautiful things, and mom is obviously no exception^^. We children were so happy that we chose a right gift~ Thanks to the special ice-cream cake, we all had an unforgettable Mother's Day.

Japanese Custard Roll Cake

     Speaking of Japanese custard roll cake, most people immediately think of Nobel Cake. It's a very famous pastry shop in Yilan. Actually, this kind of delicious dessert is originated in Japan and have being famous for a long time before it was introduced to Taiwan. The shop founder, Chang Chi-chung was so amazed when he first tasted it that he decided to develop it in Taiwan. After doing numerous researches and developments for eight months, finally he succeeded in making the Japanese custard roll cake. He even made slight improvements to make it tastes better. Not surprisingly, the dessert immediately drew everyone's attention. The mania for Japanese custard roll cake last until today, and the founder continue creating new flavors to surprise people. Today, there are already twelve flavors in total.
     Among all flavors, two of them are my favorites. One is strawberry flavor. Fresh strawberries, creamy custard and soft sponge cake match perfectly, making it a special dessert to enjoy.

     Another one has a poetic name called "fresh fruit hidden in snow". Not only the name but its outlook is beautiful, just like an exquisite artwork. Pineapple, apricot, peach and passion fruit are used and forms a unique fragrant. 

     Japanese custard roll cake is indeed an amazing dessert to taste. Besides, the price is really reasonable and affordable. Never tried even one bite before? Then what are you waiting for?

Picture resources: http://www.pieart.com.tw/

   

Tiramisù

     Tiramisù is a famous dessert that most people have heard of or even tasted in person. It is basically made from mascarpone cheese, ladyfinger(a kind of sponge cake that roughly shaped like fingers) dipped in coffee, egg yolks, cream, sugar and cocoa powder. Although traditionally it is an Italian dessert, it is so popular that now we can buy it in many non-Italian restaurants.
     Although a lot of people love Tiramisù, few of them know about the story behind this Italian dessert. It is said that Tiramisù is related to a love story. During World War 2, an Italian soldier was forced to leave home and go to war. Although the family was very poor, the soldier's beloved wife still found everything she could and made them into a dessert for him. She named it  "Tiramisù", which means "pick me up". What she meant was that though I could not go with you, at least you could bring the cake and my love with you. And that is how the Italian dessert got the name. It is such a touching story that I was so moved! However, some said that the story is made up by businessmen. The reason why it named "Tiramisù" was simply because the caffeine in it makes people feel slightly excited. Personally, I prefer the former. No matter what the truth is, the romantic story does make Tiramisù a more precious and desirable dessert.
     Speaking of Tiramisù, there is one shop that I especially recommend, You Deserve The Best, Tiramisù. The shop founded in Hualian is very popular among people of all age because the cakes they sell are both cheap and delicious.

     Of course, Tiramisù is the best product they sell. The best way to taste it is to freeze it and later put it in room temperature for a short time. Then taste it in small scoops. The ice cream-like texture and rich flavor will undoubtedly surprise you. 

     Tiramisù is a must-eat dessert that you should not miss~ Try it and you will love it!

Nama Chocolate

     In this article, I would like to talk about something very unique---the nama chocolate.
     When you first hear about this term, you probably wonder what it is. In fact, "nama" is not an English word. It came from a Japanese word, which means "fresh". Nama chocolate is said to  originate from Japan. About twenty years ago, there was a Japanese royal wedding that prince Naruhito and princess Masako got married. After the wedding ceremony, the couple gave nama chocolate to guests as wedding candies. Then,  nama chocolate has become more and more popular ever since.
     The procedure of making nama chocolate is different from normal European-style chocolate. It is much easier to make because it skip the step named  "coating", which is the most difficult part in making common chocolate. "Ganache", a kind of chocolate that has been softened by adding dairy products, is coated in cocoa powder and then made into nama chocolate.

     Nama chocolate is my favorite kind of chocolate. It has smooth and soft texture. When I put it in my mouth, I can feel it slowly melts in my mouth and leaves a rich but a little bitter taste for quite a while. It is totally different from any other kinds of chocolate I have ever tasted before! There are many shops that sell nama chocolate in Taiwan, but I especially love Feeling eighteen~ Their products are really exquisite as well as delicious. Try the 85% one! I'm sure that you'll fall in love with it immediately.

   

Elate Pudding & Flan

     In my second post, I would like to talk about a special dessert brand. Speaking of elaborate desserts, we usually think about stores that located in booming area. However, Elate is a pudding store that goes beyond your imagination for that it was originated in Tainan. Besides, it has an interesting start. The founder's daughter was preparing for the college entrance exam and therefore under a lot of pressure. The founder, a caring father, perceived her tense emotion and decided to do something for his beloved daughter. Then, the tasty home-made milk pudding was created. This is how the whole story started.

     I got to know Elate and had the chance to taste its products when I was in junior high school. I was strongly curious about how they taste after I saw the slogan, "Not adding even one drop of water, we use milk to make our products instead." Needless to say, the puddings and flans were all amazing! Their soft texture and rich flavor were incredible. After I swallowed them, the wonderful taste was still left in my mouth for quite a while. It was indeed an unforgettable experience to me.

     There are four flavors in its classic series---milk, cocoa, mango and almond. It's difficult to say which is my favorite...because each has its unique characteristic and I love them all! In addition, new products come out once in a while. Of course, I'll continue to follow Elate's new desserts for a very long time. 

My 18th Birthday Cake

        

         Since I'm a passionate dessert lover, I've tasted various kinds of desserts in my life. Here, for my first post on this blog, I'd like to talk about this special made-to-order cake in celebration of my 18th birthday a few months ago.

        My birthday was on June 27th, just a few days before July 1st (when the College Entrance Exam taken place), so I was actually a little bit nervous about the coming-soon exam. My mom also knew about this, and she wanted to do something for me that both to congratulate my becoming an adult and to release my anxiety about the big exam. As a result, she went to a bakery nearby and ordered this special birthday cake for me.

        It was a HUGE SURPRISE when I opened the paper box and saw the cake. I was like, "OMG what's this in front of my eyes!!!" It was so beautiful and creative, like a work of art. 

        As you see in the picture, there was a slogan made of dark and white chocolate to cheer me up in both on the exam and in my future life.

        There were also something amazing on the top of the cake---two puffs shaped like swans! It was so elegant and exquisite that I fell in love with them at the first sight : ) My mom told me that these two swans symbolized a big change in my life---to become a grown-up! Just like the stage when the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan~

        When removing all the decorations on the cake, I found another surprise. There were various kinds of sliced fruits on the top, including strawberries, kiwis, peaches and pineapples! It was colorful, creating a joyful atmosphere of celebration. 

        I was really touched when receiving this precious birthday gift from my dear mom. She racked her brain for the cake merely to give me a special present on my 18th birthday. Needless to say, the cake tasted wonderful. It was indeed the most unique as well as unforgettable birthday cake I've ever had.