Sayonara August...Ohayo September!
Fond memories came flooding back... as I listened to this song today.
Its melody & lyric reflect life's inevitably changing seasons...as a sad breeze blew away cherry blossom flowers...leaving their branches behind...
Life is fleeting.
We are taking yesterday's inspirations to build tomorrow's dreams...
Recycle energy in the direction of healing and loving in creative ways.
Let go of emotional baggage and enjoy the peace we feel when we free ourselves of inner conflicts.
The past is ancient history that nothing can change...
and healing is in the form of the personal weeding and pruning that shows
old conditions have passed away in order to allow new things to grow.
...
We are free to open up to opportunities that are presenting themselves in front of us.
We are free to love, and love in all of its abundance.
We are free to feel as good as we want to and to grow in the ways that most suit us.
Fond memories came flooding back... as I listened to this song today.
Its melody & lyric reflect life's inevitably changing seasons...as a sad breeze blew away cherry blossom flowers...leaving their branches behind...
EverythingChange is part of life.
that we're
going through
is preparing us
for what
we asked for.
Life is fleeting.
We are taking yesterday's inspirations to build tomorrow's dreams...
Recycle energy in the direction of healing and loving in creative ways.
Let go of emotional baggage and enjoy the peace we feel when we free ourselves of inner conflicts.
The past is ancient history that nothing can change...
and healing is in the form of the personal weeding and pruning that shows
old conditions have passed away in order to allow new things to grow.
...
We are free to open up to opportunities that are presenting themselves in front of us.
We are free to love, and love in all of its abundance.
We are free to feel as good as we want to and to grow in the ways that most suit us.
Opportunity dances
with those who are
already on the dance floor.
--Jackson Browne
So I dedicated my Sakura-Matcha Cheesecake to the month of September,
with peace & love :)
It's layered cherry blossom & green tea cheesecake with Oreo-Coffee butter base and a Nutella Surprise!
Ingredients:
for Oreo Coffee-Butter Base
30 g Oreo biscuits
30 g Coffee-Butter biscuits
(or digestive biscuits of your choice)
75g butter, melted
for Cherry Blossom Cream cheese layer
1/3 Cream Cheese Blocks (or 85 g), softened
2 tablespoons sweet condensed milk
1 teaspoon gelatin powder,
dissolved in 1/2 coffee cup hot water
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 teaspoons Cherry Blossom Essence
for Nutella layer
85 g cream cheese block, softened
2 tablespoons Nutella
1 tablespoon condensed milk or Dulce de Leche
1.5 teaspoons gelatin powder,
dissolved in 3/4 coffee cup hot water
for Green Tea layer
80 g cream cheese block, softened
1-2 tablespoon(s) Matcha Green Tea,
1-2 tablespoon(s) Matcha Green Tea,
dissolved in 3/4 coffee cup hot water
1 teaspoon geletin powder
1 teaspoon geletin powder
2 tablespoons condensed milk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
How to:
- Using food processor or a rolling pin to make biscuits crumbs. Combine the biscuits crumbs and butter with a fork until well blended and press in the base of a 16-cm spring pan; chill for about 10-15 minutes.;
- Beat the cream cheese in a bowl using electric mixer until smooth. Beat in condensed milk, followed by gelatin mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the cream and cherry blossom essence and continue beating until smooth.
- Pour the mixture over the set Oreo base; refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.
- Combine Nutella and condensed milk in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the mixture has melted and is smooth; remove from heat. Leave to cool.
- Beat the cream cheese in a bowl using electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in Nutella mixture, continue beating until smooth, then followed by gelatin mixture until just combined.
- Pour the Nutella cream cheese on top of the set cherry blossom layer and refrigerate for another 3 hours or until set;
- Beat the cream cheese in a bowl using electric mixer until smooth. Beat in condensed milk, followed by green tea-gelatin mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the cream and continue beating until smooth.
- Pour the mixture on top of the set Nutella layer and refrigerate for another 3 hours or until set;
- Transfer the cheesecake onto the serving plate, decorated with preserved cherry blossom flowers, edible gold leaf and/or piped your favourite signature/words with dark chocolate ganache.