Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake - introducing the Kenwood Chef Sense Mixer
Labels:
advertorial,
cakes,
kenwood mixer,
recipes,
strawberry
·
The long story short, I made cake... It's not that I don't usually do (in actual fact, the struggle to churn out stuff amidst a busy schedule is truly daunting) - BUT I make exceptions. And when someone delivers a spanking new Kenwood Chef Sense KVC5000T to your doorstep, you whip it out from its box with the enthusiasm of a thousand horses before a chariot, and proceed to test out its speed control with the simplest of ingredients such as cream and eggs. The smooth whirring of the motor as it fluffs up billowy mounds of cream, the epitome of true ecstasy.
[RECIPE]: Cookie Dough Brownie
Here's how this is going down, my dear-hearts, fudgy cookie dough wrestled into a pan and baked to sweet submission, then an eggless brown sugared dough spread over the top, all this with a huge amount of discipline and hell load of self denial in tow, and finally, Valrhona crunchy pearls sprinkled and pushed into place.
It's cruel. Every step of the way. so many reasons to pick up the mixing bowl and spoon the batter shamelessly. But no, I soldiered on to produce these babies. And trust me, it's all worth it.
You're thinking movie scenes, sweat pants, bundles of tissue strewed all over and a wailing female lead stuffing her face with cookie dough ice cream in an effort to put an end to her misery. Neh... we all know it doesn't work. But hey, these brownies will definitely work its magic on even the grouchiest pants in the office.
Did I mention they make terrific cheerleaders too? Pyramid formation, boo-yah.
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Cookie Dough Brownies
adapted from Bakerita
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 110g Unsalted Butter, melted
- 150g White Sugar
- 160g Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs (120g)
- 96g all purpose flour
- 64g cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the cookie dough
- 55g butter, softened
- 52g brown sugar
- 50g white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tblspoon milk
- 128g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 75g chocolate chips/shaved chocolate (I used Valrhona dulcey crunchy pearls)
for the brownies
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- Combine the melted butter, sugars and vanilla in a mixing bowl. On slow speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, sieve the flour and cocoa powder. Put in the salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended. Making sure there are no lumps of dry ingredients and pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Lick the spoon.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30mins or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool before frosting.
For the Cookie Dough layer
- In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon and mix the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Make sure that your butter is well softened before doing this otherwise you'll have to suffer a really painful process when spreading it out. Whisk in the vanilla and milk. Mix in the flour until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips; I used Valrhona Dulcey Crunchy Pearls here (because I'm so ghetto) but regular chocolate chips will work just fine.
- Spread cookie dough in an even layer on top of the cooled brownies. Refrigerate for about 1 hour until firmed up before removing it from the pan and cutting into your desired shape.
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{Cooking for 2}: Burger Nights
The years have fleeted by since my last attempt at a recipe post. However, due a change of circumstances, cooking has become more a viable option for me due to my 'dietary restrictions' (preferences more likely), and in order to make ends meet, sometimes one has to pick up the ole' whisk and ladle and get down and dirty.
In this edition of #SSkitchendisasters, S and I made our first attempt at our most critical subject, the ultimate burger, making everything from scratch in our tiny and insanely steamy kitchen. And this is what we came up with: Beef patty, caramelised onions, rocket, blue cheese sauce on homemade brioche buns. All this flanked by a side serve of chunky crisp spam fries and Sriracha mayonnaise.
Raising our bottles of Aspall's Imperial Cider to our lips, we ate like kings, lavishing in all the love on the plates. Then we tucked into the Hokkaido Cheesecake that I had slaved over earlier and peace was restored.
Recipe for the Brioche Burger buns are below in the case you want to go the extra mile in recreating your own Burger Night. Give it a go!
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Brioche Burger Buns
makes 12
2tsp (7g) Dried Yeast
1/3 cup (80ml) Warm Milk
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
2 Cups Strong Plain Bread Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
3 eggs, lightly whisked
120g Butter, softened, cut into 2 cm pieces
1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tsp milk
1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Whisk together the dried yeast, warm milk and 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Set aside for 5 minutes till light and frothy
- Combine the flour, salt, remaining sugar in a mixing bowl and mix properly
- Pour in the yeast mixture with the flour mixture in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix well.
- Make a well and in the center and pour in the whisked eggs in the center.
- Work the dough for 5 minutes at low speed till gluten develops.
- Incorporate the butter cubes slowly.
- Place the dough in a well oiled bowl. Cover and place in a draft free zone and allow to proof for 1.5hrs or till it double in size.
- Preheat the Oven to 190 Degrees Celsius.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces (approx 50g each).
- Roll out and shape the dough on a floured surface and place on baking tray.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1hr or till double in size.
- Egg wash with yolk and milk mixture and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 15 minutes till golden brown and a tapping on the bottom of the bun reveals a hollow sound
P.S. there might be new in the pipelines soon about baking classes held by your truly. So stay tuned for finalised plans!
Till then. Happy Hump Day Folks!
Guacamole 101 (as promised)
Well, it could be the grinch at the end of the movie or possibly the hulk for some. But for me, it would definitely have to be guacamole. (p.s. I promised it earlier in another post, so here goes!)
Here's my end of the year post for your guys as well so I'm praying this recipe cuts it. A big bang for the end of a rather strange year.
Dismantle the avocado, de-seed it and scoop out its tender flesh. Mash it with a fork. Work it.
Add in some chopped tomato, finely chopped onions and garlic.
For the heat-seekers, toss in some chopped jalapenos. Seeds intact for the daring only.
Squeeze a lemon. Lime works wonders as well.
Round up a bunch of fresh coriander and chop it up. Look, its a party in there.
Here's a secret, a good cupful of grated Parmesan cheese in the mixture does magic.
So there you go peeps. A quick fire way to avoid paying throngs of money at a mexican joint.
It's the new year in a bit. For me, it means new beginnings. Settling into a new home, a warm nestling of the heart, adventurous placings in foreign kitchens. All a little emotional to say the least.
That's enough naggy talk from me now.
Party hard and I'll catch you on the flip side.
Tonight, we are young.
So let's set the world on fire.
We can burn brighter
than the sun.
Birthday sunrises and coffee machines
I'm hoping you wouldn't notice the increment in the number above. But i'm very sure you would have by now.
I'm suffering from mid-20s crisis and the reality hits me like the hidden immensity of sunken icebergs.
G and I decided to bake a birthday cake (albeit a delayed one) to ease me into the 'upgrade'. The boy even threw in a Nespresso machine to sweeten the deal. as quoted in the latest express christmas episode of Modern Family, "everyday is December 16th.". we should impose that as a royal decree.
The cake, a royal spectacle of toppling and slip shod layers of thin crepe and vanilla bean custard, a mixture of creme patisserie and whipped cream. After the assembly, I sighed in deep acknowledgement and understanding of the cake's hefty price tag in bakeries and boutique patisseries. Sure enough, a dedicated crepe pan (*ka-ching*) would help a great deal. A controlled flame (something we're short of in the hostels) would certainly eliminate the prospects of missing finger prints. After 12 crepes and 2 fizzled attempts, we were ready to assemble the cake only to be met with runny creme pat, I can't even imagine the shame that ensues. Perhaps the recipe could use a little revision.
Anyhow, the cake was right up my alley. Peeling back the layers just like you would a rainbow kueh lapis cake. Right, now we've sparked off a new craving. Buggers.
Gâteau de Crêpes
batter from ”Joy of Cooking” and the pastry cream from ”Desserts,” by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan.
For the crepe batter:
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
7 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
For the vanilla pastry cream:
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
For assembly:
Corn oil
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar or more
3 tablespoons Kirsch
Confectioners’ sugar.
1. The day before, make the crepe batter and the pastry cream. Batter: In a small pan, cook the butter until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Pastry cream: Bring the milk with the vanilla bean (and scrapings) to a boil, then set aside for 10 minutes; remove bean. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.
3. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.
4. Assemble the cake the next day: Bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crepe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crepes.
5. Pass the pastry cream through a sieve once more. Whip the heavy cream with the tablespoon sugar and the Kirsch. It won’t hold peaks. Fold it into the pastry cream.
6. Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about 1/4 cup). Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving. If you have a blowtorch for creme brulee, sprinkle the top crepe with 2 tablespoons sugar and caramelize with the torch; otherwise, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice like a cake.
Did I mention that G and I made an impossibly early trip to Manly beach just cause I insisted on it being on my birthday wish list? What a sweetie pie.
Some photos after the jump.
Watching Sunrise from the Manly Ferry.
fabulous croque monsieur from three beans cafe @ Manly Beach
Let me be honest
It's a good thing you're not here tonight. Especially YOU. You know who you are.
If you were here, you would bear witness to some really painful and juvenile night wear choices. My glistening face, from the sweat that peeled from my pores. Humidity... such a drag. The glamorous piling of dishes in the sink. You would have seen my dorky dance moves as the song 'give me everything tonight' blasted through the headphones. I have bras all over my bed. My table... let's not even go there.It's a good thing you're not here.
But after the emergence of the this beauty from the oven. I wish you were here to share it with me.
Frozen blueberries from way way back and sour cream from a recent baking endeavor. I just had to get down to clearing the fridge before my eventual move.
So a 'Wake-up-cake' was what it called for. A magnanimous and down-to-earth butter cake with flakes of vanilla beans sprinkled through. Like fairy dust. Did I tell you that I love polka dots. Those blueberry patterns certainly made my night.
Berry blasts, spurts of rich purple. A crunchy crust.
Having you here is better of course. I'm thankful.
Sour Cream Butter Cake
recipe inspired by Bourke Street Bakery cookbook
makes a 8inch cake
125g unsalted butter
180g caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 eggs
100g sour cream
150g self raising flour, sifted
65g blueberries
1) preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius
2) Grease and line an 8 inch removable base tin.
3) Whisk the room temperature butter, caster sugar and vanilla bean till it is creamy and pale
4) Add one egg at a time, whisking for 20 seconds after each addition.
5) Add the flour and sour cream alternately in 2 batches. Starting and ending with flour.
6) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the blueberries over the top.
7) Bake for 45 mins and remove from the oven onto a cooling rack once the cake is golden brown.
8) Cool completely and flip the cake over to serve!
pucker your lips for me
Dear family and friends,
I'll be headed to Melbourne for the next 10 days for my dearest older brother's graduation. Needless to say, I'm ultra proud of his accomplishments as we all know of it's level of difficulty and amount of commitment required. That being said... I'm so looking forward to the 10 days of fun filled activities, trekking, visits to the hot springs and so on and so forth, not to mention the feasting and the wonderful coffee there! *shudders in excitement*.
Before I depart, I shall leave you all with a sunshine recipe for a Lemon lemon loaf, recipe adapted from BAKED new frontiers in baking which produces a moist and slightly dense lemon cake filled with puckery goodness in the form of lemon juice, zest and sipped in lemon syrup. A sure keeper if you're a big chaser of the lemon.
Lemon lemon loaf
recipe adapted from baked
makes one 9x5x3inch loaf
lemon cake3/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/8 cup grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
220 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
lemon syrup1/6 cup fresh lemon juice
1/6 cup sugar
lemon glaze1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
2-3 tblspoon fresh lemon juice
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Oil and line the loaf pan with parchment.
2) Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
3) Puse sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until combined. With motor running, drizzle the butter in through the feed tube.
4) add sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
5) Sprinkle in flour mixture, a third at a time, fold in gently. Do not overmix.
6) Bake for 20mins. Reduce temperature to 170 degree celsius and bake for another 30-35 mins until toothpick comes out clean.
7) Let cool for 15mins. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon syrup by cooking the sugar and fresh lemon juice till dissolved then cook for another 3 mins more. Poke holes on top and sides of the cake and brush lemon syrup over the cake. Wait for 5 mins then brush again and let cakes cool completely.
Nuts for tarts
Previously on fundamentally-flawed, the Swiss rolls took the reigns with it's tender and soft hearted centers. In this episode of 'bake it off', I decided on a macadamia nut tart, an ode to my secret love for chocolate coated macadamia nuts. Yes, I do suck on the rich coating of chocolate before chewing on the toasted macadamia nut within. Isn't that the best way of eating it? Some of you may beg to differ, but give me a box of chocolate macadamias anytime, with that oh-so-familiar Hawaiian prints on the box and I would happily suck and chew my way through it.
Back to the star of the show, the macadamia nut tart; cinnamon tart crust with a lovely rum infused custard and rich, creamy toasted macadamia nuts sprinkled throughout. I loved it thoroughly, especially the crunch of the roughly chopped nuts complemented with the sweet custard filling, the addition of malibu white rum responsible for the slight insertion of a tropical punch into the assemble. Best eaten hot, this tart could have used the help of a scoop of earl grey ice cream to really 'POP'. Pity...
on a more personal note, the heart is feeling a little sore from a recent spate of emotional rollercoaster rides. To whoever it may concern, let me remind you that what goes around comes around. Let the heavens be the witness to my sincere intentions only to be met with cruel redemption. But let me hold my peace, and leave unsaid unspoken.
Macademia Nut Tart
makes a 9 inch tart
tart crustadapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe
partially baked
filling
3 tbsp unsalted butter (40g)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup corn syrup
135g firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp rum
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups macademia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
to make filling:
1) melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Brown butter for 10mins.
2) Strain browned butter and mix in the rest of the ingredients except the macademia nuts.
3) Preheat oven to 150°C and place tart pan on a foil lined baking sheet. Spread nuts over the bottom of the tart shell and pour filling over.
4) Bake until filling is set and golden brown on top about 45mins - 55mins.
This is how i roll
A chocolate mousse cake that eventually evolved into Swiss roll. What are the odds?
Yes, it was a swift change of direction once a perfect sponge cake emerged from the oven. Given the temperaments of my rusty old machine, I was elated to see the emergence of an evenly browned surface from its realms. What better way to showcase this than in a Swiss roll?
Okay, so I admit I got lazy in the midst respite blooming ideas of mocha buttercream and toasted walnuts mingling in between. Instead I settled for a quick vanilla whipped cream filling with a generous drizzle of sweet sweet caramel sauce all over. A quick trip to the fridge before slicing a piece for a bit of saccharine satisfaction; thus the rough edges... This is how I roll.
see the bits of brown caramel sticking out. those are the best parts!!!
Caramel Swiss Roll
Swiss Roll Sponge Cake
adapted from Everyday Treats by Anita & Sanny @ Jam Bakery
Meringue | egg white -- 120g
| Granulated sugar -- 60g
Egg yolk -- 80g
Granulated sugar -- 20g
Vegetable oil -- 60g
Milk -- 60g
Plain flour -- 80g
Baking powder -- 1/2tsp
Baking soda -- 1/4tsp
1) Whisk egg whites with electric mixer till foamy. Add in the granulated sugar gradually and whisk until soft peaks are formed.
2)Whisk egg yolks with electric mixer at medium speed till foamy. Add granulated sugar gradually and whisk until pale yellow and stiff.
3)Pour in milk and vegetable oil and whisk well.
4)Sift in plain flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well with mixer.
5)Add in 1/3 meringue mixture and fold well with a spatula.
6)Add in the remaining meringue mixture and fold in gently to incorporate.
7)Pour the mixture into a baking mould (13x8 inch tray lined with parchment) and smooth the surface with a scraper. Bake for 12-15 mins at 180°C.
8)When its baked and cooled, lift the cake up and peel off the baking mat.
9)Fill the roll with any flavored cream you want!
Caramel CreamBrown Sugar 50g
Whipping Cream 50g
1) Make Caramel Cream. Place sugar and cream in saucepan and bring to a boil at high heat for 3mins, constantly stirring. Lower the heat and simmer for another 2mins. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Whipped CreamWhipping cream 120g
castor sugar 1tbsp
1) Whip cream and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl until stiff peaks form
Assembly
To assemble Swiss Roll, turn cooled sponge onto a clean work surface. Peel off parchment paper from bottom of sponge. Spread an even layer of whipped cream over one side of the sponge.
Drizzle the caramel sauce over the whipped cream layer. Making sure to reach every edge of the cake. Gently roll up the sponge to make a Swiss roll. Chill in the freezer to set. Slice into even pieces before serving.
TWD: Coffee-Break Muffins
Coffee, an indispensable drink in my endless list of consumables. Provocative yet affable at the same time, this darling keeps me on a tight leash. Recently, I have heard that if a coffee addict were to abstain from coffee for 6 days at least before having his first cup; the effects - pleasure derived would come ten fold! As much as I would like to execute this plan, resistance has been futile and the lure of coffee remains my greatest enemy.
For this week's edition of Tuesday's with Dorie, the tribe has spoken and the torch for Coffee-Break Muffins has been lit. An ode to coffee, these muffins are moistened by the addition of black coffee instead of the usual milk. With the addition of espresso powder to the batter as well, these tiny babies pack quite a punch; much to my delight of course.
Coffee-Break Muffins
makes 6 muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tblspoon sugar
1/2 tblspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 tblspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 tblspoon light brown sugar
1/2 cup strong coffee, cooled
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 large egg
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Butter/spray the 6 moulds in a regular size muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugars, espresso powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. In a large measuring glass, whisk the coffee, melted butter,egg and vanilla together until combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and with a whisk, stir to blend quickly. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 20mins, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a pan to rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing from its mould.
Open Sesame!
At the mention of sesame seeds, my brain (which has fully recovered from my recent unfortunate spate of events with an infection) launches into a tussle between it's Chinese and Arabic relations. Not that I'm shunning the American version with sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on bagels and freshly grilled burger buns leaking the lovely aroma of butter. Yes.. everything is better with a stick of butter; a mantra of Southern cooking kitchen goddess, Paula. Wait... let's focus on the sesame seeds. So, when I think sesame seeds, Chinese stylised, I envision a king's worth spread of assorted dim sum; imagine a platter of crispy sesame balls, a mould of sweet green bean filling underneath it's shattery sesame coated exterior shielding a spongy inner layer. Bliss in every bite. Then, my mind jumps the fence to the Arabic usage of sesame seeds in their cuisine; a thick, luscious curd like tahini; a ground sesame seed paste used in main middle eastern dishes such as my favourite hommus.
In all aspects, the sesame seed played a pivotal part in many of my favourite foods and I lusted after the chance to use it in a western baked item. So without further ado, here's presenting to you the sesame seed pound cake in adoration of the unassuming flowering plant! A moist and slightly under baked version; the cake carried the dominant kick of sesame supplemented by the addition of not only tahini paste but sesame oil and pan-roasted sesame seeds as well! A fusion of chinese and western cooking ingredients, this recipe called for intriguing results with an even bolder dash of flavor.
Sesame Seed Pound Cake
recipe adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp oriental sesame oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup well stirred tahini
1 cup sugar
6 tblspoon sesame seeds, pan roasted
- Preheat the oven to 170 degree celsius. Butter the inside of a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
- Combine the eggs, vanilla, and sesame oil in a glass measuring cup and lightly beat. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Combine the butter, tahini, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 mins, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. With the mixer on medium low, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, scrapping down the bowl once or twice. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. After the last addition, mix on medium speed for 1 min. Stir in sesame seeds.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tblspoon sesame seeds on top. Bake until cake is golden brown and skewer comes out clean, about 1 hr and 20min. tenting the cake with foil after about 1 hr to prevent it from overbrowning. Let the cake cool in pan for about 10mins, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn in right side up to cool completely.
- Store for up to 3 days or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Somewhere out there
A love that transcends space and time. I've got my hopes up and running as though on a constant dosage of steroids. Soon... very soon. All I can do now is cast a occasional glance at the moon and bask in it's transferable source of energy. Somehow, you are nearer.
Speaking of the moon, these are my first batch of traditional baked mooncakes. 3 days after the bake session, they were ready for the taste test. The verdict, I reckon the mooncake skin needs a little work, though I can't actually place my finger on the error. The hazelnut honey lotus paste proved to be quite a tease on the taste buds with an intriguing musky sweetness to it. For those interested in trying the recipe, I have posted it below!
Baked Mini Mooncakes
recipe adapted from Do What I Like.
Ingredients: (makes 6 mini mooncakes)
100g plain flour
30g peanut oil
65g golden syrup (Abram Lyles)
1/2 tsp alkaline water
Filling:
2 tblspoon of Hazelnut Honey
180g lotus paste
Method:
1. Mix peanut oil, golden syrup and alkaline water together in a big cup and sit this cup in a bowl of boiling water. Stir till mixture is well combine. Remove and leave aside to cool till warm state but not cold.
2. Sieve plain flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the warm syrup. Mix till a dough is formed. Cover the mixing bowl with a wet towel and rest the dough for 30 - 45 minutes.
3. Divide dough and filling according to the size of your mould. Shape the dough into a round flat sheet with sides thinner than the centre.
4. Wrap in the filling and mould it into a ball shape. Coat it with flour.
5. Dredge wooden mooncake mould with flour and put the mooncake into the mould. Flatten it with your floured palms and make sure that the mooncake fills up the mould nicely.
6. To dislodge the mooncake, bang the mould on a hard surface with equal force in the north, south, east and west direction.
7. Place mooncakes on a lined pan and spray the mooncakes with some water. Bake at 180C - 190C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cool the cakes for 5 - 10 minutes then apply egg glace and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes or till golden brown. As every oven varies, please standby to check on your mooncakes. If you are doing standard size mooncakes, the baking time might be longer.
8. Store cooled mooncakes in an airtight container and serve only after 3 days when the mooncakes have 回油.
TWD: Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
Having half the mind to infuse a spoonful of lavender for that whiff of floral scent or perhaps throw in a cinnamon stick together with a few rounds of crushed black peppercorns for a kick of subtle heat in the otherwise indulgent concoction, I gathered my devices and did the required contemplation. In the end, I hailed to the urge to stick to the original. Patronise the simple.
And it was rewarding, in the most lucid manner. One spoonful of this brings back memories of the tubs of wall brand ice cream safely tucked away at the back of the freezer awaiting a rare treat on night where our parents deemed me and my brothers exhibitors of good behavior during the day. We would then proceed to curl up on the leather couch in front of the tele scooping eagerly at the chilled dessert while laughing uproariously at the screened program. This ice cream, as simple as it was, had a feel good factor to it. I smile, sigh and lingered.
Chosen by Katrina of Baking And Boys for this week's TWD. Try this recipe for a sumptuous and neat treat!
Updates: I'm about to enter my first Ramadan in an Islamic State. With so many stringent rules ahead and threats of heavy penalties and jail sentences, I am anxious to the max.
Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
- Put the chocolate in a 2-quart liquid measuring cup or a large heatproof bowl. Bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit a minute, then using a rubber spatula and starting in the center of the mixture, slowly stir the cream into the chocolate in ever-widening concentric circles. When the ganache is smooth, set it aside.
- Bring the milk and the remaining ¾ cup cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid—this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and slowly and gently stir the custard into the ganache.
- Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream.
- Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the ice cream into the container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop. Makes about 1 quart.
Nibble on this TWD: Gingered Carrot Cookie
With carrots being a constant stock item in our pantry; this recipe was a breeze to pull off. Bless my laziness that comes hand in hand with summer, heading out in the heat of day to round up ingredients at the supermarket isn't exactly first thing on my list of agendas. Hence I'm grateful for this round. Easy breezy Carrot cake cookies (omitted the ginger hence the revamped name)
These cookies came out crunchy with the occasional surprise of smokey bursts of flavor from the toasted pecans within. However, they didn't stay that way very long perhaps because of the moistness of the plumped raisins. So my advice would be to make a small batch and consume it hot and fresh off the rack! For carrot cake lovers, this cookie is a great substitute for the real deal itself and constantly tickles it's consumer with the sneaky bits of bright orange that peeks out from underneath its brown surface.
Carrot Cake Cookies
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Gingered Carrot Cookie recipe
makes 25 cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
82g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/6 cup white sugar
1/2 large egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup moist plump raisins
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius, line baking trays with baking parchment or silicon baking sheets.
- Cream the butter till creamy and light. Add in sugars and beat for 2 mins.
- Add in the egg and beat for 2 mins.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture just till flour mixture is no longer visible.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients. Make sure not to over mix.
- Scoop out your cookie dough onto the baking sheets and bake for 14-16mins.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the tray for a good 10mins before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy your lovely carrot cake cookies with a good glass of fresh milk!
And one more shot of the cookies, just because I can't resist it.
drown in chocolate, not love.
Here's my last installment for the chocolate series! So let's keep this short and simple.
Why the separatist movement? Well, let's just say the onset of summer in full blast just makes chocolate a very daunting ingredient to work with. We're talking about 46 degree Celsius heats here yar? *drats*
So here you guys go. My grand finale of Hazelnut Mocha Cake. Do spare a moment to read this if you've got hazelnuts and chocolate lying around dormant in your pantry. This might just entice you. And a note for you guys, this cake definitely taste better the next day!
Mocha Hazelnut Cake
makes one 8-inch cake
150g plain chocolate
4 tbsp strong black coffee
175g softened butter
175 g caster sugar
5 eggs lightly beaten
100g ground hazelnuts
100g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
- Butter and line a 6 inch cake pan and preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
- Melt the chocolate and black coffee in a double boiler till completely melted.
- Beat the softened butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mixing well in between each addition.
- Fold in the ground hazelnuts.
- Sift the self raising flour and baking powder in a bowl and fold it into the mixture.
- Lastly, fold in the chocolate into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45-50mins.
100g plain chocolate
50g butter
3 tbsp strong black coffee
4 tbsp double cream
50g icing sugar
50g toasted hazelnut, toasted and chopped (optional)
Melt all the ingredients above ( apart from the hazelnuts) in a double boiler and cool before spreading it on to the cake. Hazelnuts can be used for garnishing purposes.
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