【Sunday Slow Time】Zakkazoo&Button Button Workshop, Baking Class in a Grocery Store

On a warm afternoon, we joined Instructor Tony for a fun-filled tiramisu class. With his humorous explanations, making desserts didn’t seem difficult at all. Before the class, the instructor prepared the gelatin that would be used later. The work surface, made of two joined wooden tables, was covered with essential baking tools such as whisks, spatulas, mixing bowls, an electronic scale, and Mascarpone cheese that had returned to room temperature.

 

Today’s dessert class was fully booked. Due to the limited space, the eight students were divided into two groups, working in pairs. Instructor Tony started with making the ladyfingers. “Do you know why ladyfingers are called Lady Finger? Because their shape resembles the slender fingers of a lady.” Unlike the crispy texture found in stores, his method doesn’t use cornstarch, resulting in a softer, cake-like texture. They absorb coffee liqueur more easily too.

 

This recipe uses the separated egg method, dividing the egg whites and yolks of two whole eggs. Fine sugar is added to the yolks in batches and whipped quickly until they turn a pale yellow. As he demonstrated, the instructor shared the little tricks and nuances of each step. For example, “When making tiramisu, start with the yolk part because whipped yolks can be set aside, but egg whites can’t (they’ll deflate).” Or, “Don’t add too much sugar at once, or the foam volume will be reduced.”

The instructor explained each step in detail, while students gathered around the wooden table, occasionally jotting down notes in their recipe booklets. But while the instructor made everything look effortless, when it was the students’ turn, there were always a few “accidents.” However, that’s precisely what makes baking cakes so fun. You hold the mixer, I carefully sift the flour into the bowl—we all work together to create a cake whose sweet taste is accompanied by the wonderful memories of the class.

 

Although the instructor simplified the steps, the class still took about four hours. But the students didn’t mind at all, eagerly signing up for next week’s homemade truffle pizza class. Yi?, who has attended five of Tony’s baking classes, said that because Tony’s dessert recipes are simple and the results are delicious, she uploads photos of her homemade versions to the class’s exclusive Facebook group after trying them at home. Any questions can also be asked directly on the page. So far, she has learned how to make lemon yogurt, pine nut cake, bread pudding, and English scones. The praise from friends gives her a great sense of accomplishment, which is why she keeps coming back for more classes.

“I see this place as a sharing platform,” said Tony. While working at a cake shop in Japan, he noticed that the chefs there were very open and freely shared their dessert recipes. “They weren’t afraid for you to learn.” Tony also strongly agrees with this philosophy, because the “nuances” of making great desserts rely entirely on accumulated experience and personal insight—things others simply can’t learn.

 

Due to the strict standards required in hotel pastry production, which differ greatly from the fun-focused approach of handmade baking, Tony always practices his recipes several times before teaching to develop simplified methods that are “easy for students to replicate at home,” avoiding reliance on machines wherever possible and favoring hand techniques. For example, the five jars of handmade cookies on the kitchen counter on the second floor were all whisked by Tony using a hand mixer—and these cookies have all been highlights of past baking classes.