East Meets West

Classic western pastries with an Asian twist fresh from the ovens of these homegrown bakeries

Classic western pastries with an Asian twist fresh from the ovens of these homegrown bakeries

CLASSIC REMAKE

She’s known for her acting chops but local actress Jeanette Aw made a serious name for herself in the pastry scene with the May opening of her patisserie Once Upon a Time. The Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef offers her signature pineapple financier, which she created during Chinese New Year. It’s a hybrid of the quintessential financier “fashioned like gold bars” and is one of her favourite festive snacks. Though Aw is understandably cagey about the recipe, she reveals that she uses “good-quality butter” that is browned to release a beautiful and nutty aroma. Soft inside and crisp outside, the almond cake perfectly complements the “surprise element” of pineapple jam at its core made from scratch and mixed with ground almonds to offset the sweetness with some nuttiness.