Lin-Chen's Sweets Portfolio

Lin-Chen's Sweets

2019 - 2024.

Contents Sweets Projects

'til the end of 2021 No.O

Sweets for Life

Sweets for Work

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Parfait!

the one & only cake

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Extra Ordinary Tea

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Sweets Projects

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'til the end of 2021 Dec. 2021 New Year Advent Calendar ｜ 'til the end of 2021 ｜ is a New Year advent calendar inspired by the traditional advent calendars of the Christmas season. Each day leading up to the New Year, a different sweet treat awaits, aiming to bring joy and anticipation to my family and friends. I hope this box of delight adds warmth to the hearts of my loved ones.

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A box of Joy and Expectation During my studies in the UK, my friend gifted me my first Christmas advent calendar from Monocle Magazine, and I instantly fell in love with the sense of anticipation it brought for Christmas. Every day, I opened the small grid with the date on it, took out the chocolate inside, and felt that I would have a fulfilling and happy day.Through this project, I aspire to share the joy and expectation I experienced during that time with my loved ones.

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'Til the End of 2021 Due to the ongoing pandemic, 2021 has been a year of unease and discouragement for most people. Therefore, I hope that ｜ 'til the end of 2021 ｜ will accompany everyone in bidding farewell to this challenging year and welcoming Christmas and the new year of 2022 with joy, warmth, and hope.

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The Countdown Sweets I carefully selected festive sweets that perfectly embody my love for Christmas, some with a unique story behind it.

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1/ [20] Chritmas snow balls 2/ [21 & 22] mulled wine spices 3/ [23] mini gingerbread house 4/ [24] choco peanut butter fudge cookies 5/ [25] red velvet cup cake

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1/ [26] Chritmas pudding 2/ [27] Christmas wreath shortbread 3/ [28] mini cinnamon roll 4/ [29] mini eggnog kouglof 5/ [30] orange chocolate brownie 6/ [31] orangette au chocolat

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Behind the Scene

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A Packaged Box of Experience The packaging design for this project deviates from the typical drawer and grid forms of advent calendars. Given the calendar's unique features, which demanded additional packaging materials, I opted for the use of reusable or recyclable materials like paper, glass, and cloth. My intension was to make some of the packaging reusable after the festive sweets were consumed. Despite being a time-consuming and complex endeavor involving both dessert-making and packaging, the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment upon sending the gift boxes to my friends makes this project one of my proudest achievements.

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No.O Sep. 2021 Mid-Autumn Gift Box Among all the traditional festivals in Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is my favourite.

People celebrate the day when the roundest and brightest moon of the year hangs high in the sky, symbolizing reunion. Based on the image of the full moon, and metaphorically symbolizing the starting point, I created my first gift box project | No. O |.

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The Very Starting Point The project name | No. O | serves as a metaphor for the full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival and marks a new beginning for me. It embodies both the "O" for "all" and "0" for "Lin/zero," symbolizing a perfect starting point. No.O was the first project I launched to the public, enabled me to witness the anticipation of many friends for my desserts. The enthusiastic support from everyone played a crucial role in turning my dream into a reality.

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Sweets for Autumn By seamlessly blending local ingredients with the enchanting atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival, | No.O | delivers a unique culinary journey. The creations feature exquisite elements like osmanthus sugar, candied golden pomelo peels, and French osmanthus jam. These premium ingredients find their way into delightful desserts, including Japanese cheesecake, British scones, and French sablé diamant. The result is a harmonious symphony of flavours, encapsulating the true essence of Taiwan's autumn in every bite.

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British Scones

Japanese Cheesecake

French Sablé Diamant

A unique scone selection evoking the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere includes Jinxuan tea scones flavored with candied pomelo peels, Parmesan scones infused with salted egg yolk, and the harmonious Earl Gray tea chocolate scones. These scones have rich layers and a crispy exterior with a soft, fluffy interior, making them irresistible and tempting for anyone who takes a bite!

The star ingredient of this cake is osmanthus blended into Japanese cream cheese. The combination of the dense and creamy cream cheese with a solid and crispy crust is classic and unbeatable. When tasted separately, you can distinctly taste the unique aroma of osmanthus; when eaten together, the rich and creamy flavor of the cheese is complemented by the delicate and subtle fragrance of osmanthus hidden deep within the crust.

These moon-shaped sablés are flavored with osmanthus red Oolong tea, orange chocolate and classic lemon. The small and shiny biscuits are coated with diamond-like sugar that gives an extra crispy texture. The rich and creamy aroma, combined with the elegant flavor profiles, leave behind a delightful and pleasant aftertaste.

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Behind the Scene

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My First Dessert Gift Box The outer box of | No.O | features hand-dented moons in champagne gold foil, each made individually. The knot of the box embodies a minimalistic yet elegant style that conveys a strong sense of handmade craftsmanship.

Along with the desserts, the set includes a 42 cm paper roll that carefully rolls up the creator's message to the first batch of supporters, an introduction to the desserts, and reheating instructions. | No.O | is my first official gift box project launched to the public. I feel fortunate to have received immediate support from my friends. Their encouragement serves as a driving force, inspiring me to continually enhance my baking skills and create even more unique and delightful desserts.

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Sweets for Life

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Parfait!

Oct. 2023 Birthday Parfait Set As the popularity of parfaits rapidly grows in the dessert market, I have always wanted to design one. By the time I had been working for the brand well-known for its seasonal parfait for 18 months, I finally realized this dream with the creation of my first parfait — a heartfelt dedication to my father. This special parfait was part of a celebration dessert set that included an apéritif and a pré-dessert, celebrating my father's 60th birthday.

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The First Parfait

Driven by my curiosity about the process of parfait creation, I started the journey of crafting a parfait for my father's 60th birthday. As he is one of the most supportive people on my way towards the dessert world, I wanted to express my gratitude through a special parfait set menu tailored to his preferences. The focal point of the menu was the harmonious combination of various cheese desserts infused with my dad's favourite osmanthus fragrance. Through this three-course menu including an apéritif, a pré-dessert and a dessert principal, I aimed to convey not only my appreciation for my father but my determination to crafting delicate and refined desserts.

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Dessert Principal - The Golden Moment Oct. 2023

Parfait | Fromage blanc, earl grey, osmanthus & pomelo

The Process & Outcome To bring "The Golden Moment" to life, I crafted 12 distinct elements, ranging from gelato and 38

cheesecakes to agar jelly balls, candied peels and sablé. An additional 5 elements were prepared separately for the apéritif and pré-dessert. One of the highlights for me was the satisfaction of successfully making the sablé float above the jelly ball during the parfait assembly.

Inspired primarily by my dad's preferences, this birthday set menu resulted in a symphony of rich and creamy cheese flavours, delicate osmanthus fragrance, and my personal favourite, Earl Grey. The outcome was a delightful culinary experience for my dad, and he could not resist indulging in another piece of cheesecake. Knowing that my creation brought joy to him was the ultimate reward for the effort and passion I poured into every element of this celebration dessert set!

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1/ Apéritif - Crystal Pomelo (osmanthus & pomelo) 2/ Pré-dessert - Fromage Platter (fromage blanc & cream cheese) 3/ The birthday parfiat set

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the one & only cake Since Jul. 2021 Birthday & Celebration Cakes I have a passion for creating custom cakes for my family and friends on their birthdays and special occasions. After obtaining my baking certificate, I started designing unique cakes that cater to each individual's taste, texture, and flavor preferences. My aim is to make exclusive, one-of-a-kind cakes that capture the essence of the person being celebrated.

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The First Cake

"Sea of Cloud in Mt. Hehuan" was the first "one & only cake" I made for my boyfriend's birthday.

Despite its seemingly simple and square appearance, it required several basic skills to accomplish.

The main character, Opéra Gâteau, is considered a necessary challenge for bakers. To make it more personalized, I replaced the classic chocolate mirror topping with my boyfriend's painting, and the flavour with rich hojicha paired with 72% bittersweet chocolate, showcasing the wabi-sabi aesthetics. Although "Sea of Cloud in Mt. Hehuan" is far from being a perfect Opéra, it is still a beautiful and unique work.

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Sea of Cloud in Mt. Hehuan Jul. 2021

Opéra Gâteau | Hojicha & chocolate

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Jardin de Printemps Mar. 2023

Paris-Brest | Strawberry & Earl Grey

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the plated version

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The Covent Garden Rose May. 2023

Mille-Crêpe | Peach & Covent Garden Blend

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Tutu

Mar. 2022 Saint-Honoré | Strawberry & amber Oolong

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On Our Island Jul. 2023

Basque & biscuitaux blancs d'œufs | Matcha & Chocolate

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LC2

Jul. 2022 Mille-feuille & gâteau au chocolat | Chocolate & peanut

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Mt. Chocolate Oct. 2022

Basque & gâteau au chocolat | Coffee & Chocolate

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The Silent Mountain Aug. 2023

Tart | Chocolate & pistachio

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Summer in Kyoto Aug. 2021

Cheesecake | Hojicha & osmanthus

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Taro Blossom May. 2022

Shortcake | Taro & lemon

Sweets for Work

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Extra Ordinary Tea Sep. 2019 - Jun.2020 Experience & Food Design “Extra Ordinary Tea" is the first food design exhibition in Play Design Salon, presenting a unique perspective on the diverse definition and understanding of "tea" in Taiwan. Beyond the conventional loose-leaf tea, beverages like "white gourd drink" and "apricot kernel drink" are also recognized as "tea" due to their plant-derived origins. In the exhibition, these varied tea drinks are reimagined as innovation desserts, inviting our guests to explore familiar flavours from a fresh perspective.

Our exhibition seamlessly intertwines design, culture, and service experiences, embarking on a multidisciplinary journey to reinterpret the commonplace aspects of Taiwanese life. Through the transformation of everyday foods and ingredients, we seek to offer a novel perspective that elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary.

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photo by/ fifi

The Counterattack of Pearl Barley

During the winter months, it's a common delight for Taiwanese to have hot Mesona (grass jelly) paired with different toppings. In a humorous twist, this dessert set introduces a playful role reversal between Mesona and its trusted companion, pearl barleys. “The Counterattack of Pearl Barley” features pearl barley gelato and scones, expertly complemented by Mesona caramel dressing and sauce. It flips the roles of Mesona and pearl barley, creating a harmonious blend in each bite and adding a playful twist to this beloved winter treat for the Taiwanese palate.

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photo by/ fifi

1/ The icy counterattack - pearl barley gelato with mesona caramel dressing 2/ The firey counterattack - pearl barley scones

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1/ cleansing the pearl barleys 2/ dicing the mesona jelly 3/ pearl barley gelato 4/ sifting the mesona dressing 5/ pearl barley scones

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The Heart-broken White Gourd

White gourd lemon drink is a traditional drink whose sweet and sour flavour may remind you of your first love. In the exhibition, the refreshing drink is transformed into warm lemon fudge cookies with chewy lemon white gourd caramel inside. Each cookie bears a unique "scar" resulting from temperature variations during baking. With its sweet and sour taste, coupled with the distinctive scars, these cookies embody the essence of heartbreak.

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1/ the lemon cookie dough 2/ making candied lemon slices 3/ air-dried candied lemon slices 4/ lemon white gourd caramel 5/ cookies with different scars

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Fried Dough Stick・Apricot Kernel

This dessert reinterprets Taiwan's classic winter street snack— apricot kernel drink with fried dough stick. The sweet porridge base is made of traditional blend of southern apricot kernel and rice, slow-stewed to achieve a dense and creamy consistency. The fried dough stick is slow-roasted at low temperature, coated with sugar and chopped apricot kernel. The resulting nutty and mellow flavours paired with the sweet crispiness of the stick, create a rich and heartwarming dessert.

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Good Medicine Tastes Bitter

Bitter tea is a traditional herbal drink that is well-known for its bitterness. However, it has miraculous effects in dispelling dampness and relieving heat, making it an ideal beverage for the summer in Taiwan. To counter the bitterness, a haw flake, made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn, is the perfect reliever. This creation transforms the ancient Chinese "medicine" into a cocktail-inspired dessert. Featuring a foam of bitter tea, a relieving hawthorn rose jelly base, and a sweet candied haw finish, this sweet aims to make the experience of traditional herbal treatment enjoyable by altering its texture.

These are just the beginnings.

I am enthusiastic about acquiring professional and comprehensive training in technical knowledge and essential techniques, paving my way into the world of pâtisserie!

Lin-Chen Lin 林 琳蓁

886 988093627 lcl.linchenlin@gmail.com