Hong Kong - Thanksgiving at Cafe Causette

Ooey gooey cheesy bread

San Daniele Ham, Burrata, Beetroot Crisps, Peach, Rye Croutons, Candied Walnuts

Warm Ricotta, Lavender, Honeycombs, Walnut, Wood Sorrel, Figs

Cured Beetroot Salmon, Salmon Caviar, Potato Crisp

Pumpkin Soup

 Classic Roasted Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce

Honey Glazed Ham, Roasted, Pumpkin, Potato

Slow Braised Pork Cheek, Mashed Pumpkin, Red Wine, Gravy

Roasted Potato, Creamed Brussels Sprout, Glazed Carrots
 

Salted Caramel Layer Chocolate Cake

Classic Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Tiramisu

Apple Pie, Ice Cream

Review: A non-traditional Thanksgiving meal with my girls - thanks Yuls for picking the restaurant! Thanksgiving isn't huge here in Hong Kong, but a lot of restaurants do have Thanksgiving-themed dinners during that week. Cafe Causette offered a buffet style multi-course meal, served tableside. You can order refills for any dish, which they will bring to your table. We started with warm cheesy bread with pesto dipping sauce. The appetizers arrived promptly. The classic combo of San Daniele ham and creamy burrata was elevated by the warm caramelised peaches and the crunch from the candied walnuts. The beetroot-cured salmon was beautifully presented alongside the ricotta, lavender, olive oil caviar and fresh figs - such pretty colours! All the flavours worked well together. We also had traditional Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, honey glazed ham and sweet potato mash. The turkey and ham arrived at our table pre-carved. The turkey was surprisingly moist, and the honey ham was tender and had well-balanced flavours of sweet and savoury. As for the desserts, I liked the pecan pie with its perfect buttery crust the most. Each serving was very generous and we were too stuffed to order any refills. The leftover turkey and ham (being el cheapo of course I took everything home) made a great breakfast sandwich the next morning. I am thankful for great friends and great meals, as always.

Cafe Causette
Address: M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2825-4005
Hours: Mon-Sun 6:30am-11:45pm

Hong Kong - Neighborhood

Wagyu Tartare

Buttered Tagliolini

Food photos are a must!

Bone Marrow Risotto

Potato Gnocchi with Iberico Ham and Parmesan

Cheese Selection

Chocolate Palette

Vanilla Ice Cream

Complimentary canelés to end the night

Review: For our first taste of Alba white truffles this year, Big and Small picked Neighborhood, a newly opened joint by Chef David Lai from Bistronomique and On Lot 10. The quaint and modern restaurant is situated next to a little park and quite hard to find at first. Once we were seated, we were presented with a bowl of "white diamonds" nestled on uncooked rice. We were like little kids at the candy store, so excited to pick our own truffle! Their truffles were HKD 26 a gram and weighed on a digital scale at the table. Our truffle was more than enough to go between the three of us. We were given a truffle shaver set to the thinnest setting and we shaved the truffle on everything except the cheese and chocolate dessert! I was recently told that white truffles are in fact very 熱氣 - you can actually get nose bleeds after consuming heavy white truffle meals! But I guess once a year won't do too much damage.

We liked the al-dente Buttered Tagliolini for its subtle flavours that let the white truffle shine. The Wagyu Tartare didn’t have an overly acidic dressing and the raw yolk brought a great texture to the dish. The Homemade Gnocchi with Iberico and Parmesan was light and fluffy but could’ve had more potato taste. The Bone Marrow Risotto had large chunks of delicious fatty marrow throughout and the herbs cut through the fattiness, but the rich flavours sadly overpowered the truffles. For desserts, we liked the intense and creamy dark Chocolate Pallete and we used the last bits of our truffle on Vanilla Ice Cream, so decadent! They also served a great Fourme d'Ambert.

Overall I think the addition of white truffles elevated the food, but without the icing on the cake these dishes would still be delicious. The portions are small but reasonably priced, great for trying many dishes at once. The vibe is perfect for dates and there’s also a full bar. Their menu changes every week, so I'm looking forward to see what they have in store after the truffle season ends.

I recommend: Buttered Tagliolini, Bone Marrow Risotto, Chocolate Palette

Neighborhood
Address: 61-63 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2617-0891
Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-1030pm

Classic Fudgy Brownies

Brownies were one of the first things I ever baked. Just add eggs and oil to Betty Crocker’s brownie mix (the red box!) and voila, the best fudgy brownies ever. I've tried to make brownies from scratch before but they turned out either too flat and hard or really cakey. But I've finally found a recipe that replicates the fudgy chewiness of Betty Crocker brownies, but richer in chocolate and made with real ingredients.

These brownies are super fudgy and so sinfully delicious with partially melted chocolate chips!

I used a mix of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips because I didn't want the brownies to be too sweet. 

Melt the butter with the chocolate chips, then whisk in the sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.

Add flour and cocoa powder.

Finally, fold in chocolate chips into the batter for more chocolatey richness.

Classic Fudgy Brownies

Makes 20- 25 brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips (or 1/2 cup semi sweet plus 1/2 cup bittersweet)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1/2 cup semi sweet plus 1/2 cup bittersweet)

Method

1. Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a large mixing bowl, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350F / 175C degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhand on all sides. Set aside.
3. Whisk the granulated and brown sugars into the cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done.
5. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the foil out of the pan and cut into squares.

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Salted Double Caramel Cupcakes

I’m a huge fan of salted caramel anything. There’s just something so wonderful about the addition of salt that elevates and deepens the caramel flavor. I’ve had salted caramel tarts, candies, ice cream, macarons and even popcorn before, but never salted caramel cupcakes. I jumped at the chance to make them for a friend’s birthday. Sometimes I just need an excuse to bake, and birthdays are the perfect occasion! These cupcakes came out fluffy and moist, and the creamy icing was rich and sweet with a savoury finish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a seperate bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.



Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing with the spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.

 

Stir in the milk.

 

Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter.



Bake until lightly golden, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.



Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.



While the cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting. Melt the salted butter in a small saucepan.

Add sugar and cream, and let it bubble for 3 minutes.

Let it cool for 15 minutes.



With an electric mixer, beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. I used 2.5 cups. Add a little cream if you want the frosting to be creamier, and add more salt if the frosting is too sweet.



The frosting will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Salted Double Caramel Cupcakes

Makes 14 cupcakes

Ingredients

Caramel Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Chocolate pieces for decorating, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a seperate medium bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until no flour remains. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
5. Slowly stir in the milk, mixing until just combined.
6. Filled the lined cupcake tin only halfway full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
7. While the cupcakes are cooling, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Add salt. Allow to bubble for 3 full minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
8. With an electric mixer, mix the salted caramel with the powdered sugar. Use 1 cup of sugar at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. I used 2.5 cups. Add a little cream if you want the frosting to be creamier, and add more salt if the frosting is too sweet.
9. Frost the cupcakes and decorate with chocolate.

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction