Vietnamese Coffee Canelé

These little treats will change your life...seriously!  I first heard of these three years ago from a coworker.  Sara who used to make these when she worked in San Francisco.  Her rave about canelés sent me on a quest.  After doing some research I found a bakery in Seattle that made them and decided to give it a try.  Unfortunately, it wasn't very tasty; it tasted like a burnt, sugar soaked stargazer lily.  Fortunately,...

Read More

Banh Tai Yen - Swallow's Nest Cakes

This is a very simple cake from the Mekong Delta.  Not just popular in southern Vietnam but also in Cambodia.  They're named for their resemblance to a swallow's nest (a.k.a. tổ yến).   A traditional recipe would likely call for cơm rượu for leavening.   As with bánh bò, a well made bánh tai yến should have rễ tre (the "honeycomb" texture").       Like all traditional Asian pastries, the ingredients...

Read More

Swallow's Nest Cakes

This is a very simple cake from the Mekong Delta.  Not just popular in southern Vietnam but also in Cambodia.  They're named for their resemblance to a swallow's nest (a.k.a. tổ yến).   A traditional recipe would likely call for cơm rượu for leavening.   As with bánh bò, a well made bánh tai yến should have rễ tre (the "honeycomb" texture").       Like all traditional Asian pastries, the ingredients...

Read More