Green Tea Cocoa Puff

One of the staff was leaving the office for another job and, on her last day, she brought in boxes and boxes of goodies, pastries, manapua, and combinations thereof.  It's a funny, but nice, thing that, in Hawaii, people who leave will bring in things as thank you's to those they are leaving.  But, in an office of any size at all, there are always comings and goings, and the snack counter can get to be formidable!

This particular goodie happens to be a Green Tea Cocoa Puff from Liliha Bakery.  Umami's grandmother lived near Liliha Bakery, so the family would get pastries there, or eat there occasionally.  Now, the only contact he has with it is when people bring in Cocoa Puffs.

This, however, isn't a Cocoa Puff; the Green Tea version has the same basic choux puff, but instead of the chocolate pudding filling and chantilly frosting, it has a green tea flavored chantilly frosting and filling!  Note:  Hawaii Chantilly frosting is not the same thing as Chantilly creme, which is vanilla sweetened whipped cream.  No.  Hawaii Chantilly frosting is basically a German Chocolate Cake frosting minus the coconut and nuts, and plus lots and lots of egg yolks and butter!

It so happens that Ms. D loves the combination of butter and sugar, so a Chantilly (HI) frosting is possibly her most perfect food.  But, she also loves green tea flavorings!  So, suffice to say, she loves these puffs!

Umami, on the other hand, likes the cocoa puffs for the chocolate pudding, not the chantilly, which is odd since he does like buttercream.  Go figure!  He also thinks green tea as a flavor is kind of played, like li hing flavoring is.  So a green tea flavored chantilly frosting and filling is a bit too much for him.  Which is not to say that he dislikes the puff, it's fine.  He just likes the chocolate version better!  Fortunately, Liliha Bakery makes both kinds!

P.S.  their pancakes are sensational . . . !

Liliha Bakery

515 North Kuakini Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-1651