Our questions for this week are from bakers who are wondering how certain flavors of ingredients can shine and come out in baked products. There are even others who asked why some flavors should be added, even if you don’t taste them in the finished dessert or pastry. Here are their questions:

Q: In a past article, you suggested rubbing the grated rind of citrus fruits into the sugar for better flavor exchange, how about other fruits like apple, banana and strawberry? (Cynthia of Pasig)

Jun Jun: Citrus fruits have oils present in their skin and when rubbed with sugar, immediately permeates, giving it a lot of taste that is unlike the juices which has a bit of acidity. With regards to apples, bananas, and strawberries, it is best to cook these for some time with lemon juice so that color change will not occur. Reducing the fruits to a bit of a paste will be the best way to add it to any mixture. Be careful not to add much of it, for it will make your baked product too soft or take longer than usual to bake.

Adoree: It depends on how you will use these fruits, Cynthia. If you are pureeing them, you can actually cook the fruit to let the water in them evaporate; this will make the flavor more concentrated. If you are adding chopped fruits or chunks of fruits, then you can just add them straight into the batter or dough. Lemon juice can be added into apples and bananas, especially if you are not baking them or very minimal baking will be done to prevent the fruits from browning or oxidizing.

Q: How do you impart the flavor of green tea into a cheesecake or custard? I have such a hard time to the point that I don’t try to do it anymore. (Ines of Quezon City)

Jun Jun: Green tea is available in both tea bag and powder form, which is known as mancha green tea and is quite expensive. If using green tea bags, steep more than your usual number of tea bags in warm water.Taste it. If not yet strong, add more or steep longer. With mancha green tea powder, add a tablespoon of it to three tablespoons of warm water, mix it vigorously to dissolve it. Add this to whatever baked product you are making. Remember to take notes of your recipe for this, so you don’t have to guess the next time you make it.

Adoree: You can steep green tea bags into the cream or milk as stated in the recipe, and then discard the tea bags after. If you are using mancha powder, just add more powder into the mixture until you get the desired taste. There is no need to strain out the powder for it will be dissolved into the liquid.

Q: How do you properly infuse flavors in a baked product for them to be tasted? I want to make cakes with certain teas for my coffee shop, as well as certain coffee varieties, please let me know. (Agatha of San Juan)

Jun Jun: Agatha, just add the flavor you want to the liquid proportion in your recipe or let it steep in it. Resting it for a few hours will make sure that the flavor is absorbed by the liquid. Make sure that your flavoring is strong since you still have other ingredients to add on to the mixture.

Adoree: Flavoring one product can be done either by the process of infusion or addition. Infusion is done by steeping the source of flavor into the liquid called for in the recipe. Common flavor sources would be fruits, nuts, tea leaves, herbs, and whole spices. The flavor source is strained out after sufficient time of infusing. The process of addition is done by merely including the flavor source into the product. Extracts, flavorings, liqueurs, and pureed fruits are some of the most common examples for this. For you to decide which process you want to use, you have to consider the texture the flavor source will impart to your baked product.

Q: I want to make a natural and unprocessed vanilla extract, since vanilla bean is now found in most gourmet stores. Can you tell me how this is done? (Marina of Quezon City)

Jun Jun: Thanks, Marina. It would be best to use your vanilla bean in a custard first, so the leftover pod can be infused in liquor like a reasonably priced vodka. The more pods the better; remember to slice open the pod to release the flavor. This takes a while, so store in a dark place for a week.

Adoree: Marina, just soak the vanilla bean in vodka, keep in an airtight container, and store for a couple of months.

Q: Hi Jun Jun and Adoree, I just got myself an ice cream maker, I want to make different flavored frozen goods. How do I get the best tasting ice cream with the different flavors I want? (Leila of Paranaque City)

Jun Jun: Leila, of course, you need a very good recipe. Most ice cream machines have a manual with them, and the recipes on it are quite good. Always add the flavor to the liquid part of your recipe and read the preceding questions and our answers to it, it will be helpful in making your ice cream. Enjoy!

Adoree: The secret to a very good ice cream is a very good ice cream base recipe. The ice cream base should use good quality dairy products to help give the ice cream a creamy consistency. Flavor should be infused or added well to give adequate flavor.