Chinese Pastry2026-10-20

Black Sesame Rice CakesThis black-looking thing packs a lot of calcium — steam it once and it works

black sesame powder and glutinous rice flour with milk, steamed 15 minutes and finished with osmanthus. No oven, no kneading.

VivianRead the recipe → Chinese Pastry2026-10-18

Yam & Black Sesame Rolls with Sweet Potato and JujubeThe little buns older generations swear by — simple to make, and the whole family loves them

Chinese yam and black sesame rolls filled with mashed sweet potato and chopped jujube: no sugar at all, just the natural sweetness of sweet potato and red dates. Clean, gentle carbs with nothing heavy about them.

VivianRead the recipe → Chinese Pastry2026-10-17

Black Sesame Custard & Purple Rice RollsThree days in a row and nobody's tired of them — rich, milky, chewy-sweet, and one steam is all it takes!

Pillowy steamed dough wrapped around fragrant milk custard and chewy purple rice — one trip to the steamer and they're done.

VivianRead the recipe → Chinese Pastry2026-10-16

Pumpkin & Jujube Blossom BunsStraight into a hot steamer — fragrant and soft, no baking powder, and they still puff right up

no baking soda, not a drop of water, and it works the first time. Every one bursts open on top, soft and fine-crumbed, with the sweetness of pumpkin and the richness of red dates.

VivianRead the recipe → Chinese Pastry2026-10-12

Chestnut-Shaped BunsA breakfast I could eat every day for a week — soft, fragrant, and cheaper made at home

cocoa's slight bitterness against the sweetness of pumpkin, wrapped around a dense, sweet chestnut filling. Round and plump, just like the real thing.

VivianRead the recipe → Chinese Pastry2026-10-10

Earl Grey, Osmanthus & Chestnut BunsThe one to make once the weather cools — steam them soft and sweet, better than anything from a bakery

Earl Grey tea leaves kneaded straight into the dough, wrapped around crushed chestnuts sweetened with osmanthus honey. The whole kitchen smells incredible while they steam, and they come out soft, sweet, and better than bread.

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Baked Treats2026-10-23

Jujube & Walnut CakeA perfect copy of the Costco favorite — jujube and walnut cake, a shelf-stable loaf with deep date flavor

date paste with egg and flour, folded with chopped dates and walnuts, baked at 350°F for 1 hour. A copy of the warehouse-store loaf, full of date aroma.

VivianRead the recipe → Baked Treats2026-10-15

Milky Yam CakesA breakfast that's low in fat and full of potassium — make a batch and warm one up whenever

dough made with mashed Chinese yam, egg, and milk powder. No water, no oil needed, cooked slowly in a skillet over the lowest heat. Soft, dense, and full of dairy flavor.

VivianRead the recipe → Baked Treats2026-10-14

Sweet Potato Mochi SquaresThe ones my mom makes… are ridiculously good!!

mashed sweet potato worked into glutinous rice flour, brushed with water and sprinkled with sesame, then air-fried until the outside is thin and crisp and the inside is dense and sweet. Chewy and deeply comforting.

VivianRead the recipe → Baked Treats2026-10-04

Cheesy Sweet Potato Pastry BitesYou have to make these this season!! Crisp outside, soft inside, and the cheese pulls — the kids swarm them

frozen flatbread wrapped around sweet mashed sweet potato and mozzarella, air-fried until crisp outside and soft inside with a long cheese pull.

VivianRead the recipe → Baked Treats2026-09-26

Butter-Roasted PumpkinUnreasonably fragrant! A whole tray for about three dollars! No deep-frying, and the butter is incredible

chunks of mature pumpkin tossed in cornstarch, honey, sesame salt, and butter, air-fried at 400°F for 20 minutes. Crisp outside, creamy inside, no deep-frying.

VivianRead the recipe → Baked Treats2026-09-04

Japanese Milk Bread RollsJapanese milk rolls that look too good — soft to the point of disbelief, tender and sweet

a high-hydration dough kneaded to a thin membrane, shaped into rolls after rising, baked at 350°F for 20 minutes. Soft as a cloud, with a big dairy aroma.

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No-Bake Treats2026-10-01

Taro Mochi Pancake SandwichesAll that chew, and one skillet does the whole thing. Delicious, low in fat, and filling

steamed taro paste and stretchy mochi sandwiched between skillet pancakes. Three textures, one pan.

VivianRead the recipe → No-Bake Treats2026-09-28

Taro Mochi CakeWhoever came up with this… low in calories and so good!

taro paste layered into chewy mochi, finished with coconut flakes and dried osmanthus. No oven — stir, steam 20 minutes, done. Low in calories, soft and chewy.

VivianRead the recipe → No-Bake Treats2026-09-14

Purple Sweet Potato Cheese CakesThese are explode-level good — one bite and it's fragrant, and you keep going. One after another

dumpling wrappers filled with sweet mashed purple sweet potato and mozzarella, pan-fried over low heat until lightly charred on both sides. Crisp outside, chewy inside, with a cheese pull.

VivianRead the recipe → No-Bake Treats2026-08-25

Honey Red Bean BunsNo oven! One pan, soft squishy little cakes — my kid ate three and wanted more

no oven, just a skillet, and they come out soft enough to spring back. Buttery dough wrapped around dense honeyed red beans, and they don't go hard as they cool.

VivianRead the recipe → No-Bake Treats2026-08-14

Multigrain Pancake Wraps with MochiThe recipe a reader sent me is the real thing — this new way of eating it is SO good!!!

thin crisp pancakes wrapped around smooth red bean paste, stretchy mochi, and savory cheese, pan-fried over low heat until golden. Crisp and chewy at once.

VivianRead the recipe → No-Bake Treats2026-08-10

Red Bean & Cream Cheese BunsMy mom took one bite and told me to set up a stall at the school gate

the bakery bestseller, made at home. No oven, no perfect windowpane — just a skillet over low heat. Lightly crisp outside, soft inside, with honeyed red beans and a creamy cheese center.

VivianRead the recipe →

Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-10-30

Taro Mochi Sago in Coconut MilkThis is SO good!!! I could eat this one all summer long!

soft taro kept both in cubes and mashed, springy sago, and stretchy coconut mochi layered over cold coconut milk. Four textures in one bowl, and it costs a few dollars.

VivianRead the recipe → Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-10-30

Steamed Rice Wine Milk CustardA carton of milk for pennies, one trick, and the dessert shop charges $30 for it! It melts on the tongue, so silky!

milk warmed with sugar and cooled, stirred with strained fermented rice juice, steamed 20 minutes and chilled, then finished with honey and osmanthus. Melts in the mouth, silkier than double-skin milk.

VivianRead the recipe → Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-10-30

Osmanthus Rice Wine JellyThis is so good I could sell it! One big pot for about $3, and everyone at home loves it!

instant jelly powder simmered with dried osmanthus and chilled until firm, cut into cubes and served with chewy mini rice balls, spoonfuls of sweet fermented rice, and a drizzle of honey. Cold, floral and light.

VivianRead the recipe → Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-10-30

Peach Boba in Coconut MilkThe viral one for about $2! Springy, slippery, and honestly better than milk tea

peach skins simmered into rosy syrup, scalded into tapioca starch and rolled into boba, then served with fresh peach cubes and iced coconut milk. Springy, fruity and cooling.

VivianRead the recipe → Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-10-30

Mango Milk with Rice BallsTwo big bowls for what one costs at the shop — learn this one now!

glutinous rice flour kneaded into little balls, boiled and rinsed cold, then served with fresh mango cubes in a mango-milk smoothie. Chilled, refreshing, and wildly good value.

VivianRead the recipe → Sweet Soups & Drinks2026-09-22

Taro Balls in Coconut MilkWho IS eating this?!! No wonder it's so popular

taro and glutinous rice flour rolled into chewy balls, served with tapioca pearls and coconut milk. Soft, chewy, and milky — a recreation of the southern Fujian dessert soup that's all over the internet.

VivianRead the recipe →