Pour over unbaked crust.Bake at 160°C (320°F)for 70 minutes. (I set the cake pan in a glass pie dish, and poured boiling water into the oven plate,) Cool and chill. Served with strawberries and strawberry sauce.
Sauce: Mix 2/3 cup strawberry jam with 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice, Add cut berries.
These are scrumptious, rich chocolaty brownies! Now my favorite brownie recipe!
1/2 cup soft butter or marg, (100g)
1cup sugar (180-190g)
2 eggs
1/2teas vanilla
45 g cocoa (unsweetened) (1/3 cup)
60 g flour (1/2 cup)
1/2teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
Beat butter and sugar, gradually add eggs, stir in vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, add to the batter. Add chopped walnuts if desired.
Spread in a lined 8×8 cake pan. Bake at 180℃(350 °F) for 36-40 minutes. Cool and cut into bars or squares. Keeps in a tightly-covered container for up to a week.
Hinoki Gallery of Dye and Weaving, Katsuyama, Maniwa
Last week we visited Yunogo Hot Springs (湯郷温泉）in Mimasaka, Okayama prefecture. We stayed at the Chikutei Inn. There is a toy museum with a large collection of vintage music boxes there. There is a Music Box Concert once every 90 minutes. WE enjoyed that part of the museum most of all so be sure not to miss it!
We drove back into town for an unremarkable lunch. We parked by the City office and walked along a back street trying to find some Showa-era shops. We finally gave up but saw an old sign for the Mimasaka Historical Museum. The problem is, no one in the town had ever heard of it!
Former HIstorical Museum in Mimasaka (old bank bldg)
Finally we got directions and started off. We got to the general area and dropped into a ceramics shop to inquire. The owner, Nakayama-san was very friendly and showed us where the Museum used to be!
Nakayama-san insisted on serving us tea. We had coffee and Chinese tea, which she studies, in an old warehouse converted into an event hall. There was even a baby grand piano for concerts. She says there are classes in English, pilates, Chinese tea and singing.
After this nice break, we went to our inn. Unfortunately, the dinner was not so great. Our room was lovely. The most remarkable thing, however was the outdoor bath. In Japan, the outdoor bath is shut off from view of others but usually has a beautiful view of mountains or sea. This time, we had to climb steep uneven stone steps, winding up the side of a hill. It isn’t easy at my age!
Outdoor Bath at Chikutei, Yunogo Hot Springs
Still, this was an exciting experience for me. I nicknamed this the “ObakeYashiki Bath!” (Haunted House Bath)
The next day, we started off early, taking the Yonago Road to the first exit at Kuse. The old Senkyo Elementary School, completed in 1907, still stands and has been used as a location in many films. (八墓村 蛍の墓 など）
Senkyo Junjo Shogako, ManiwaOpening Ceremony, 1907(Metal Prongs on roof were removed during WWII as part of the iron drive in war effort)
The curator, Mr. Nisshu, showed us some interesting things, then left us to wander around the building. I definitely recommend you stop here! It brings back a forgotten era!
Quaint Old Katsuyama: Town of Noren Banners
The beautiful banners, or noren, at the front of each shop on this street are the creation of Yoko Kano, dyer and weaver. Her gallery, Hinoki, is located here. we were able to meet and talk with her. If you call a week in advance, you can participate in a dying workshop. The shop is open from 10:00 to 17:00, closed Wednesdays.(0867-44-2013)
Hinoki Gallery, Artist and master dyer and weaver, Yoko Kano（加納 蓉子）
I purchased some coasters, but there were many lovely bags, noren and other items on sale. I hope to visit here again. Another interesting feature for me is that she has a “used book corner” in the shop!
We were getting hungry and didn’t feel like soba ..and just then saw a menu board for a cafe that had ice cream too! So we climbed many stone steps to reach the Hishio kissa Coffee Shop. It was worth it! We really enjoyed the Hashed Beef plate and our ice cream, too!
Hashed Beef at Hishio (ひしお喫茶 0867-44-5880)
Katsuyama is are about 2 and a half hours from Hiroshima on the Chugoku expressway. Last year we stayed at the Yubara Hot Springs just north of here. We loved the inn called Hana Yashiki (花やしき）as everyone was so kind and there is a great rooftop bath which you can reserve for private use for 50 minutes!
We met and talked with Mr. Hatsumoto at his souvenir shop.He and his wife take part in the local festival, she dancing and he singing. So their noren banner features Japanese dancers! He was so nice to us!
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Alternately, add dry ingredients and milk. I use 3 small loaf pans, lined with waxed paper. Bake at 325° (170°C) for 45 minutes. (one lrg loaf pan-70minutes)
Cool thoroughly, drizzle on lemon glaze. Let harden.
Lemon Glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1Tbsp lemon zest, to make a slightly thick mixture.
It’s been a long time since I’d made this creamy chiffon pie, btt it was worth the trouble as everyone loved it!
1 baked pie shell
2teas gelatin(10g?)softened hn 2 T water, then melted in microwave
1/2 cup sugar
2Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 teas salt
Mix above dry ingredients in saucepan. Stir in
2 cups cold milk
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in 2beaten egg yolks.
Remove 1 cup of custard and blend in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate. Spread in baked pie shell, chill. To remaining custard, add 2 Tbsp golden rum and melted gelatin. Chill over ice water, stirring. When thickened slightly, gently blend into :
2 stiffly beaten egg whites
1/2cup sugar
(＋1/4 teas cream of tartar, if available)
Chill overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate!
Butter makes it so much better! I halve this for a single crust. To bake unfilled crust, prick with a fork, cover with circle of foil or waxed paper and pie weights. Bake at 210-220C (420F) for 10 minutes. Remove weights and paper, return to oven for 4-5 minutes.
Double Crust Pie
12T very cold butter(1 1/2 sticks)
3cups flour
1 teas salt
1/3 cup shortening
6-8 Tbsp ice water
Pulse dry in food processor, Add butter and shortening, pulse 8-10 times, till size of peas. With machine running, add ice water till it forms a ball. wrap and chill.
Make a butter crust: 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), 1/4cup ice water
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll into 9″circle, fit ito fluted quiche dish,
Saute 1/4 onion thinly-sliced, 1 clove of garlic, minced. Stir in 2 slices chopped bacon. Add bite-sized cooked broccoli, 1cup shredded cheese. Fresh mushrooms, if desired. Spread in the crust.
Beat 2 lrg eggs, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3cup milk, salt and pepper, Pour into the crust, top with additional cheese. Bake at 190 °C (375°F) for 35-40minutes, til set. Serve warm.
Today I used a frozen pie crust. Also, I usually partially bake the unfilled crust with pie weights, then fill and bake, though this isn’t necessary.
Experiment with using other vegetables, such as thinky-sliced kabocha squash, spinach or other greens!
Everyone loved it, especially the crispy crust! It is much easier than making pie crust. Just beat the first 3 ingredients together on the mixer, roll out or pat into a tart pan with removable bottom, spread waxed paper and pie weights inside. Bake at170C (325F) 18-22minutes, removing paper and weights for the last 5 minutes, In a lrg bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and corn starch until blended, pour into crust and bake for 18-22 minutes, till set. Cool on wire rack. It calls for a 11″ pan, but mine is only 9.5 so I cut the amts slightly. Here is the original recipe.
Cool and chill. Served with strawberries and strawberry sauce.
Baba's Kitchen 