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Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

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Garlic Cheesy Monkey Bread

Nov 5 by Anita Leave a Comment

I first made this Garlic Cheesy Monkey Bread from Joanne Chang’s Pastry Love earlier this year when we started shelter in place and I was in serious need of some comfort food, and it turns out that comfort food craving continued as this year kept going. I’d never made a savory version of monkey bread […]...

Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: bread, cheesy monkey bread, monkey bread, pastry love

Chinese Cocktail Buns (Gai Mei Bau)

Mar 18 by Anita 14 Comments

I’m still getting comments on my Hokkaido milk bread post, and I’m really pleased that’s working out for so many bread lovers! I was feeling hungry for some of that bread myself, so fitting that my next baking challenge used the milk bread recipe to make another Chinese bakery classic: Cocktail buns, or coconut buns, […]...

Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: bread, chinese baking, cocktail bun, gai mei bau

Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao): A Hong Kong classic

Sep 9 by Anita 15 Comments

Do you have your standard “test” item when you visit a new restaurant or bakery? Whenever I check out a new bakeshop, I like to try out their croissants – and their tarts. If I love their puff pastry and their tart crust, I’m sure to make a return visit. Chinese bakeries have a different standard repertoire; I usually […]...

Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: asian, bolo bao, bread, chinese baking, pineapple buns

Chinese Steamed Buns at the SF Cooking School

Jun 16 by Anita 17 Comments

Soft, fluffy, cloudlike steamed buns are a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine. They form the pillowy base for all kinds of toppings and fillings both savory and sweet, or they can even be eaten alone. A visit to a Chinese bakery or dim sum house isn’t complete without seeing trays of piping-hot tennis-ball sized buns filled […]...

Filed Under: Breads, Pastry School, Recipes Tagged With: asian, bao, bread, bun, chinese, chinese baking, cooking class, nicole plue, SF Cooking School

Rabbit Bunny Buns for Easter

Mar 30 by Anita 21 Comments

  How’s the weather where you are? It’s positively spring in the Bay Area: sunny skies abound, pollen is everywhere, and everyone I know seems to be going on spring break (maybe to escape the pollen). Our own trip is coming up soon, plus we’ve got to get through Easter first!...

Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: bread, bunny, chinese baking, easter, soft roll

Hokkaido Milk Bread: The Tangzhong Method

Feb 4 by Anita 122 Comments

  One of my pastry goals for 2015 is to start making more Asian pastries. I grew up poring over the Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks on my mom’s shelf, but I also remember the red bean and sesame-filled buns, flaky egg custard tarts, and fluffy breads from the Chinese bakeries and […]...

Filed Under: Breads, Recipes Tagged With: asian, bread, chinese baking, hokkaido, milk bread, pastry, tangzhong, water roux

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best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai) for Mom


Tis the Season

A Better Brioche for World Bread Day


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Dan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

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about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, baby girl, and rescue cockapoo Snickerdoodle. More about pastrygirl

my latest cookbook


My newest cookbook, Lollipop Love, is now out!

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