Red Bean Pot de Creme Recipe

To me, Vietnamese desserts taste delicious. My husband Lulu, however, is not a big fan of either their taste or their aesthetics. Lulu has a serious sweet tooth, so for him, the very subtle use of sugar in Vietnamese desserts is not nearly satisfying enough. I love the flavors though, so I decided to make a French and Asian fusion dessert that would make us both smile.

After much deliberation, I decided to make red bean pots de crème. Red bean, in case you don’t know, is often found in Asian desserts. To incorporate the ingredient, I used the same technique as for making traditional pots de crème, but I also added mashed sweetened red beans. In addition, I substituted coconut milk for regular cow's milk. To make the dessert more attractive, I added a dollop of matcha-flavored whipped cream and garnished with green-colored sugar.

The visual is nice and the flavors and texture are intense and rich. Mission accomplished!

Chocolate Red Bean Pie Recipe

I love Vietnamese bean desserts, but my husband Lulu's not a huge fan. Vietnamese desserts aren't sweet enough to his taste. So in the spirit of compromise, I created a pie inspired by Asian red bean desserts, but to an American's tastes.

First, I baked the pie crust, then spread in a generous amount of chocolate spread, and finally completed the dessert with a layer of sweetened red beans. 

The ration in this recipe is very easy to remember: 1 can sweetened red beans, 1 can of evaporated milk, 2 eggs, sugar and a little grated ginger. It's not your standard pie, but it's absolutely delicious.