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Lamb Cupcakes

September 30, 2010 4 comments

I was about to type in the title of this post when i realized that i didn’t exactly know the meanings of “Lamb” and “Sheep”.

I know, I know, a kindergartener could probably put me to shame on this, but then again, in my (rather weak) attempt at defence, English is technically not my first language.

I knew that Mary had a lil’ LAMB, but i also knew that Baa Baa was a black SHEEP. And from what i can remember, both of them feature the woolly four legged animals though of different colours.

I then thought of LAMB CHOPS, and wonder why i have never had SHEEP CHOPS. And how a few days ago, how my leather expert of a friend said my wallet is “lamb-skinned” instead of “sheep skinned”.

Anyways, lets not digress too far, so is this a Lamb marshmallow cupcake, or a sheep marshmallow cupcake?

I typed in “Lamb Vs Sheep” into google and got my answer on the first item that showed up.

Lambs are baby sheeps. Lamb chops are baby sheeps served on a plate (is that tragic or wad?), and when adult sheeps are prepared, they are called mutton chops.

AAaaah. we learn something new each day, or at least i did!

I followed Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book for this, but fortunately, she has it on her site too. Here is the online version

Baa-Baah for now!

Categories: Cakes Tags: , , ,

Beetle Bug for the Lil’ Bug

September 28, 2010 5 comments

It’s my nephew’s first Birthday! Happy Bday Brian!

Categories: Cakes Tags:

Homemade Graham Crackers

September 27, 2010 4 comments

These homemade graham crackers kick store bought ones in the ass. Hard.

They taste like rich butter cookies, except more flavourful, with the brown sugar, honey and a dash of cinnamon.

I rolled the dough pretty thinly as i wanted a nice crisp snap to it. I also cookie cutted (yes, i know i just invented this word) them into circles as i was too lazy to measure and slice them into their traditional rectangular shapes.

Try this, i promise that you won’t reach for the prepackaged stuff no more. Not when it’s super urgent at least.

Graham Crackers  Recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventure who adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco (Thanks Tracey for sharing the recipe!)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey

In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. In two additions, add the dry ingredients, letting the first fully incorporate before you add the second.

Turn the dough out and flatten it into a rectangular shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a ruler and a pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3-by-3-inch squares; use a spatula to transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets as you go. Reroll the scraps of dough once, and cut out more cookies. Using a paring kninfe, gently score each square to create a line down the middle, taking care not to cut all the way through the dough. Using a fork, pierce each rectangle with two rows of six to eight marks.

Bake the graham crackers, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until they are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

The graham crackers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Categories: Cookies Tags: , ,

Rocky Road Brownies

September 26, 2010 Leave a comment

U know those dark, fudgy, ooey gooey brownies with a shiny top? Well, these are those, except with topped with a generous sprinkling of walnuts, sliced almonds (i added this myself), chocolate chips and toasted marshmallow. Le sigh, isn’t it a sweet life?

As with most brownies, these are really a no-brainer. All u have to do is just sprinkle your delicious mess of a topping over the baked brownies, and pop it back into the oven for a quick 5 mins ( 10 for me, as i wanted my marshmallow to have that toasted crispy shell )

Amanda of Fake Ginger used these brownies to bribe her little boy to get a haircut. That is one happy boy right there. I didn’t have these to bribe me to get a haircut as a kid. I had to sulk with my lower lip pouting into the salon mirrors.

Rocky Road Brownies Adapted from Fake Ginger (Thanks for sharing the recipe!)
from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper.

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine butter and 1 cup chocolate chips. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat; stir in sugars and salt, then eggs, and finally flour, stirring just until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven, and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, then marshmallows and nuts. Bake until chocolate is shiny and marshmallows are puffed, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares.

Categories: Brownies Tags: , , ,

Dispensing a lil Nutella Happiness

September 24, 2010 2 comments

U know how some things don’t need introduction? That there is a general global knowledge and quite possibly a universal love toward it? I might be exaggerating, but that’s how i feel about Nutella.

I grew up with spooning Nutella straight from the jar and into my mouth, careful to always change my spoon and not double dip because i didnt want my pristine jar of Nutella contaminated.

As for these cupcakes, good generous dollops of Nutella on each was in order.

Because I didn’t say that i stopped licking Nutella off my spoon,

Because adults also need that occasional burst of sheer heaven.

And sheer heaven is what i was trying to deliver with these cupcakes.

Recipe from Khas –> She was my school mate a long long long time ago!!

If u are reading this, HI KHAS! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

Nutella Frosted Cupcake (taken from http://novice-baker.blogspot.com/)

10 tbsp (140 grams) butter, softened

3/4 cupwhite sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella (1 tsp for each cupakes)
1. Preheat oven to 175 degree celcius (325F). Line muffins tins with paper liners.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fluffy and incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

3. Using an ice-cream scoop or spoon, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you’re not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick (I used 2 toothpicks), making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella. (do not swirl too much as you do not want to turn it to become ‘Nutella batter’.. Just a few rounds so that you can still bite into those delicious nutella)
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
5. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Categories: Cakes Tags: , ,

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!

September 20, 2010 4 comments

I can’t think of a better way to welcome Christmas than by baking cookies!

12 different cookie recipes to scout, bake and share! Boy, am i psyched!

Thanks Abbey Sweets for letting me join the fun in this bake along.

Categories: Uncategorized

Churros Con Chocolate

September 20, 2010 2 comments


Still on a choux pastry roll, i decided to take a lil walk on the wild side. Instead of baking, i decided to deep fry these choux pastries. I was pleased when i saw Baking Bites featured a churros recipe on her blog as her recipes are usually clear and work for me. (Thank You Baking Bites!!)

While these mexican delights are tasty doused with a lil cinammon sugar, they are absolutely divine when dipped in chocolate sauce.

The consistency of the chocolate was on the thin side, as it serves a dual purpose. One is of course to dip your churros into, but once you have reached the end of your churros stick, or second churros stick,  this chocolate sauce can also be drunk the way you nurse a cup of hot chocolate. Oh yeah baby.

On a side note, i think i might have goofed up a bit on the deep frying tho. As typical of me, i totally disregarded the part of the recipe which called for measuring the temperature of the oil. I jumped straight into pipping my dough into the hot oil, marvelling at how pretty they turn out to be when they puff up into golden brown crispness.

But i guess u can’t fool the law of choux pastry of never opening the oven door before the pastries are cooked, cause some of my casualties came out deflated, with soggy centers after they have been left to drain.

Good thing i discovered the mistake early, and worked on my subsequent batches by lowering the heat, and making sure that each of them were a deep golden brown before i fished them out of the oil.

These churros are crispy when served immeadiately, they tend to get soggy in a bit… and when they do, just pop them into the oven for a bit of a refresher, and voila, fresh churros all over again.

Churros con Chocolate
Adapted from Bakingbites who adapted from Chocolateria San Gines
Churros
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil. When mixture is boiling, add in flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look wet before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form.
Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium or large star tip.
Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 365F.

Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.
Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.

Pipe 5 to 6-inch pieces of churro dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the second side (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove from oil and set on some paper towels to drain, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve churros with small cups of chocolate sauce.

Makes about 20 churros.

Categories: Cookies Tags: , ,

Holey Moley Macaron-ey

September 19, 2010 Leave a comment

So much has been said about Macarons. From reviews to how addictive they are, to how difficult they are to make.

I am agreeing to both parties. These macarons are indeed delicious. I have sandwiched chocolate filing onto mine to kinda offset the sweetness of the cookies.

As for how they are made, well, as u can see from the shapes of my not so perfect macaron, i am really in no position to comment or offer any advices or link u to any recipes.Making macarons isn’t rocket science, but it sure ain’t easy.

Go on, take the challenge, your worse situation will be to end up with a pile of unsightly macaron shells, which is not exactly a bad thing cause no matter how they turn out, they will still be absolutely delish!

Eclairs

September 18, 2010 1 comment



After my bout with choquettes, i was kind of excited to make these eclairs, since they are both made of choux pastries.

I decided to try on a different recipe instead of sticking to the choquette recipe, as i am not really in the habit of repeating recipes, unless i am absolutely certain that that was the best recipe.For other times, i like to experiment.

After a brief search, i discovered that making eclair was a Daring Baker’s challenge, with Pierre Hermes’ choux recipe. I settled on that, since many daring bakers have had success with the recipe. And boy, was i impressed. This version of the choux pastry tastes way richer than the choquettes. It has a strong “eggy” aroma to it, which oddly speaking is kinda pleasant (well to me at least).

The steps in the both recipes were pretty much the same and executed in the same orders. However, i totally dissed the part on wedging ur oven door open with a wooden spoon in Pierre’s recipe. No harm done deviating there it seemed.

The DB challenge also requires a chocolate pastry cream to be filled into the eclairs. I chose to make a vanilla version, as i happen to have vanilla beans on hand, and plus, i didnt want to get a chocolate overload.

Eileen from Living Tastefully happened to have similar ideas with the pastry cream issues. She has a vanilla pastry cream version (also from Pierre) on her blog instead. I chose to follow that instead.

The pastry cream came really easily despite the part that called for a thermometer. Dont worry, i totally skipped that part (too!) and my pastry cream came out perfect.

The last part to the challenge was to create a chocolate glaze.Again, i threw caution to the wind and totally went on my own on that. The recipe just seemed to fussy, requiring a two step process. I just stuck to my  trusted dark cocoa plus shortening combination.

As you can see, i went astray from the recipe in quite a number of ways and in quite a number of times. But i guess i got lucky today since nothing major went wrong. (phew!)

For me, this recipe is definitely for keeps. I just loved the contrast of the crispy shells against the soft pastry cream. It’s also a good thing that all of the components of this eclair can be done in advance as they have to be served immediately after assembly, to prevent the crust from getting soggy.
Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Eclairs ( Taken From Living Tastefully)
recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 éclairs)

CREAM PUFF DOUGH (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Divide the oven into thirds by positioning racks in the upper and lower half of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.  Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in 4-inch lengths.  Leave about 2 inches between each dough strip to allow room to puff.  The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs (I got about 18).
3.  Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes.  After 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep it ajar.  When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back.  Continue baking for another 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and FIRM.  The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes (I did not open the door after 7 minutes, and after 20 minutes I turned my oven off, but left the éclairs in the oven for another 5 minutes.  It’s probably just my oven).
NOTES:  The éclairs can be kept in a cook, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:
• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)
• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1.  Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion.  Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.
2.  The glaze should be barely warm to the touch.  Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula.  Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream.
3.  Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs.  Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry.  Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1.  In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the boil.
2.  Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon.  The dough comes together very quickly.  You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough.  After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.
3.  Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.  You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate.  Do not worry.  As you keep working the dough, it will come back together by the time you have added the third egg.  In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.
4.  The dough should be still warm.  It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

NOTES:
1.  Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.
2.  You can pipe the dough and then freeze it.  Simply pipe the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and slide the sheet into the freezer.  Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags.  They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 plump, moist vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (slightly rounded) sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1.  In a small saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean (pulp and pod) to a boil over medium heat.  Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes, time enough for the liquids to be infused with the warm flavor of vanilla.
2.  Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished cream and be placed in this ice bath.
3.  Whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan.  Whisking all the while, very slowly drizzle a quarter of the ot milk into the yolks.  Still whisking, add the rest of the liquid to the tempered yolks in a steady stream.  Remove and discard the pod.
4.  Place the saucepan over high heat and, whisking vigorously and without stop, bring the mixture to the boil.  Keep at the boil, whisking energetically, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.  Pour the cream into the reserved small bowl.  Set the bowl in the ice bath (you can add some cold water to the cubes now) and, stirring frequently so that the mixture remains smooth, cool the cream to 140 degrees F, as measure on an instant-read thermometer.  Stir in the butter in three or four additions.  Keep the cream over ice, stirring occasionally, until it is completely cool.  The cream can be used now or refrigerated.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tablespoons Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1.  In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil.  Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon.
2.  Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar

1.  Place all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly.  Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.
2.  It may take 10-15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Caramel Frenzy

September 17, 2010 Leave a comment

I don’t know what came over me when i chose to embark on making these cupcakes. Baking projects like this should only be for the master bakers like Sprinkle Bakes, who probably feels that caramel making is as easy as eating them. I guess curiosity got the better of me, after my somewhat mini success with caramel on a previous incident.


But even with that as a boost, this recipe is still not for the faint hearted, as it requires you to make caramel THREE times. I don’t know how lucky you are generally in life, but for me, there is no way that i can get lucky three times in consecutive.

So making these cupcakes mean one thing, I gotta stop mucking around and pay attention to what’s going on. That’s pretty much the most important rule in the game of caramel making i guess – watching the whole process with vigilant eyes.

Triple salted caramel cupcakes ( does that sounds damn good or wad?), for the triple caramel components that make up the cake. the filling, the topping and the sugar spun decorations.

And thanks to Sprinkle Bakes’ comprehensive and detailed instructions, i think i did pretty okay. THANKS Sprinkle Bakes!

But having said that, i know i still have a long way to go. I wouldn’t exactly call that blob of candied caramel an art, and plus i guess the filling was just a tad over done judging from its colour and its slight bitter taste. For better pictures, head down to Sprinkle Bakes. Her cupcakes and pictures are nothing short of perfect!

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes    (Recipe from Sprinkle Bakes)
Makes 15 Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full.  Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
Salted Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter cubed
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
Melt the sugar over medium  high heat in a large pot.  Whisk the sugar as it melts and cook until it becomes a deep amber color. Add the butter and stir it in until melted. Pour in the heavy cream (mixture will foam) and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. You may have some lumps but keep stirring until they have melted.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Cut a small round piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake and pour in 1 teaspoon of caramel.  Replace the cake piece and set cupcakes aside.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.
Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Top caramel-filled cupcakes with frosting.

Candied Salted Caramel Rounds

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup water
2-4 tablespoons of large-crystal sugar

Lay out a large piece of parchment on your work surface and spray with cooking oil (such as canola). Fill a large tub (or your sink) partially full of ice water.

Put sugar, salt and cold water in a heavy pan; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat and bring syrup to a boil.  Lower heat slightly and swirl the pan once or twice as the syrup caramelizes so it will color evenly; do not stir.  When the caramel is deep amber, plunge the base of the pan into ice water for about 2 seconds to stop further cooking.

Working quickly, dip a spoon in the caramel and let it fall onto the parchment paper in a drizzle.  Move the spoon in a circular motion as the syrup falls from the spoon. Repeat 15 times.  When caramel has hardened (it will still be sticky) sprinkle on the large-crystal sugar.  Remove from paper and adorn cupcakes.

Categories: Cakes Tags: , , , ,

It all started with a set of weird looking biscottis

September 16, 2010 Leave a comment

These biscottis are looking a lil bit odd and i have no one to blame for that but my inability to follow instructions.

You see, the recipe called to shape the dough into a log measuring 1.5 inch wide. However, me, being simply ME, decided to throw caution to the wind and popped 2.5 inches logs into the oven.

What i didn’t know was how these cookies would spread, making logs of dough look like the bottoms of upturned salad bowls.

As a result, I had rows of flat biscottis, without the characteristical bump in the middle of each cookie. I am glad that the taste weren’t affected though, they were kinda like the harder version of chocolate chip cookies, which of course, is a universal favourite. And unlike most biscottis out there, these cookies are good enough to be eaten on its own. Thanks PheMOMenon for the wonderful recipe.

Or of course, if you want to soften them a bit, u can dunk it in your fave cuppa coffee.

Or, if u needed to distract people from the ugly shape of your biscotti, and what else could be so versatile than

to dip it in chocolate?

It seems to become a very predictable pattern around this blog to dip everything in chocolate isn’t it?

I apologize for the lack of creativity. I will brainstorm for other ideas. But for now, chocolate it is.

The original plan was to dip the ends of these cookies into chocolate, but my poor judgement skills made me melt waaaaay too much chocolate than what is necessary really. So i double and triple dipped both ends, and did a drizzle, making absolutely the most delicious mess.

Try it!

Almond Chocolate Chunk Biscotti (adapted from Phe.Mom.enon)

2 cups all-purpose flour1

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, soft

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center position.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (preferably a stand mixer with paddle attachment) beat the softened butter, brown sugar and sugar together at medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes until very light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes more, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to make sure everything is well beaten.  Add the almond extract and vanilla and beat till combined.
Turn the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Add the sliced almonds and chocolate chunks and mix till just combined.
Scrape half the dough out onto one side of the lined baking sheet.  Using your hands and a rubber spatula, shape the dough into a log about 12-inches long and about 1 ½ inches wide.  The dough will be very sticky and should be more of a bumpy rectangle.  Repeat the process with the second half of the dough down the other side of the baking sheet.
Bake the logs for 15 minutes, or until light golden but still soft to the touch.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting and baking the cookies the second time.
Use a wide metal spatula to move the logs to a cutting board.  Cut the logs into 1-inch thick slices and place the slices back on the lined baking sheet.  Bake the cookies another 15 minutes, until golden and firm.  Transfer them to a rack to cool completely.  Store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them more chewy

Categories: Cookies Tags: , , , ,

Choquettes with Pearl Sugar

September 15, 2010 1 comment



I have always shy-ed away from making choux pastry as i have heard uninspiring failures from others who have tried their hands on it.
The stories were revolved around collapsing outer shells, uncooked centers, and generally soggy pastries.

I knew it was a pastry that i wanted to learn and master ( come to think of it, what isn’t? ), but so far, nothing gave me the sufficient kick in my butt to get started.

Not until yesterday, when i was watching a TV show called ” Sugar” by Anna Olson. She was making them eclairs, which are choux pastries filled with pastry cream and glazed with chocolate coating.( Well, if that isn’t motivating enough, i don’t know what is).

So i looked over the many different websites, each with their own sets of do’s and don’ts, and settled on David Lebovits choquette.

Why choquettes?! u ask, there are so plain, none of the fancy pastry cream and chocolate coating that motivated u in the start!

Well… u see, i wasn’t so convinced that i would succeed making these pastries. And i definitely do not want to get stuck with a huge bowl of pastry cream, or chocolate glaze with no pastries.

I am kinda regretting that though. Looking at the beautiful hollow within each pastry, i wished i had something to fill them up with. Well, maybe next time, but for now, i shall be contented with eating my pearl sugared choux pastry with a victory dance.

Chouquettes adapted from David lebovitz
About 25 Puffs

From The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway Books)

Shaping the mounds of dough is easiest to do with a pastry bag, although you can use two spoons or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop.

1 cup (250ml) water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup (135g) flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Glaze: 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon milk
Crystal sugar (Coarse sugar is available in the US from King Arthur and in some Ikea stores. In Paris, I buy mine at G. Detou.)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (220 C.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Heat the water, salt, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan, stirring, until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and dump all the flour in at once. Stir rapidly until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

3. Allow dough to cool for two minutes, then briskly beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny.

4. Using two spoons, scoop up a mound of dough with one spoon roughly the size of an unshelled walnut, and scrape it off with the other spoon onto the baking sheet.

5. Place the mounds evenly-spaced apart on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each mound with some of the egg glaze then press coarse sugar crystals over the top and sides of each mound. Use a lot. Once the puffs expand rise, you’ll appreciate the extra effort (and sugar.)

6. Bake the cream puffs for 35 minutes, or until puffed and well-browned.

(If you want to make them crispier, you can poke a hole in the side with a knife after you take them out of the oven to let the steam escape.)

The cream puffs are best eaten the same day they’re made. Once cooled, they can be frozen in a zip-top freezer bag for up to one month. Defrost at room temperature, then warm briefly on a baking sheet in a moderate oven, until crisp.

A New Twist on Red Velvet Cookies

September 14, 2010 Leave a comment



These cookies took a lil twist from its more famous sibling, the red velvet sandwich cookies.

Of course, i don’t have to tell you that the red velvet family line goes a long long way. We have red velvet cupcakes, red velvet cake pops, red velvet ice cream etc.

Each of these family members are distinguished by it’s unique duo colour combination, red and white.

And for these cookies to be enter that exalted family lineage, i whipped out my brightest red food colouring to counter the darkness of the cocoa powder. I was surprised at how much it took to get that gorgeous red. I finished about 3/4of my tub of colouring. which i am guessing is about 2 TBS.. Oh well, so much for being away from the world of synthesized and unnatural food ingredients.

But colouring issues aside, these cookies, were just aiight. Don’t get me wrong, they are not bad, just not too fantastic.

Thank goodness for white chocolate coating to save the day. With the white chocolate, the taste of the cookies shot up from a 6 to a 9, in my humble opinion that is.

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies
adapted from : The culinary chronicles

Ingredients:

1¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
¼ Teaspoon  Salt
½ Cup Unsalted Butter, cut up
1 Tablespoon Red Food Coloring
3 Ounces White Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1½ Teaspoons Shortening
Finely Chopped Pistachios or Rainbow Nonpareils (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Cover and process with on/off turns until combined. Add butter and red food coloring. Process with on/off turns until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Process until mixture just forms a ball.*

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough lightly until nearly smooth. Roll or pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 1-1/2-inch round cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press scraps together and reroll.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until centers are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

In a heavy small saucepan, melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. If desired, sprinkle with pistachios or nonpareils. Let stand on waxed paper until set. Makes about 24 cookies.

Caramel Filled Cookies. Oh yes pls.

September 13, 2010 Leave a comment



These cookies may look plain and boring on the outside, but bite into it, and u find magic inside.

Yes, I am talking about molten, ooey-gooey, stretchy caramel.

Chocolate and caramel. I don’t have to convince you what a perfect pair they are right?

These cookies were also so ridiculously easy to make, well at least for this version, because i chose to buy store bought caramel candies. The candies come in  uniform sized balls which made it so convenient to be pushed into the awaiting cookie dough.

But take extra care to make sure that the surface is all smooth with no visible cracks though. The molten caramel has a way of leaking through these cracks.

Trust me. I have had a couple of casualties.

Other than that, we’re good to go!

Caramel Filled Cookies, adapted from Culinary in the Desert
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (preferably white whole wheat)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (my favorite is King Arthur’s Double Dutch)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
48 Rolos (or substitute peanut butter cups or plain caramels)

Sift together the flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bow. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars, beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first before adding the second. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated (I recommend doing this by hand with a big wooden spoon; the dough is pretty soft so it shouldn’t be too hard on your arms). Scrape dough into a plastic bag and chill for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Divide the dough into quarters, and work with one section at a time. Divide a quarter into 12 equal pieces of dough and roll into balls. Make sure you have unwrapped all the foil from your Rolos! Seriously!! Poke a hole in the center of each dough ball and insert a Rolo; shape the dough around the candy so that it is completely covered, and then roll between your palms back into a ball. Dip the top of each cookie in additional granulated sugar, if desired, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, sugared side up. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until the tops are firm and cookies are set, approximately 12 minutes. If you feel like the cookies are a bit too puffy looking you can press them down a bit right after they come out of the oven, but don’t push too hard! You don’t want to squish the caramel out. Let sit on the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Blondes have more fun Blondies

September 12, 2010 Leave a comment



I came across this blondie recipe and was immediately enchanted by its whimsical charm.

They just look so fun and happy, kinda like eating a McDonald’s happy meal on a bright Sunday morning when you were 5.

These blondies however, were on the thin side. They were almost bar cookie like, but they still have that dense fudgy characteristic of most brownies.

My only complaint is that i live in a houseful of adults, with no kids to pack these into their lunchboxes.

But, if u happen to have a kid in handy, here goes:

8 TBS unsalted butter, melted ( 1 stick)
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 C dark chocolate chips
1C colour coated candies

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush an 8×8 inch square baking pan with butter. Line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides. Grease paper

2. In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt, mix until just moistened ( do not overmix ). Fold in 1/2 C each of the chocolate chips and colour coated candies. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and candies.

3. Bake 40- 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set pan on wire rack and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift the brownies from the pan and transfer to a cutting board, Cut into 16 squares. Store bars in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Best Cinnamon Rolls. Ever.

September 11, 2010 1 comment



You will probably do a jiggle as you bite into your first bun. After a couple more, your body may start to jiggle.

I don’t exactly know the calorific content of these babies. The buns are probably quite harmless, with only a scant amount of butter. Adapted from  HHB’s recipe, these buns were really soft and fluffy, just like she promised. Definitely a recipe for keeps.

As for the glaze, they are to-die-for.

As you can see from the picture, the glaze seemed pretty thin, and it spreads out quite a bit.. But i don’t think i could have added any more sugar to help thicken it out.

You see, i have added half a kilo into that glaze. Yes, half a kilo. That’s quite a lot for about a cup full of glaze.

But boy, are they good. When i was making the glaze, it took some massive willpower for me not to just drink the mixture and call it a day. There is maple, coffee, butter and sugar in the glaze. All agreeable ingredients in my book.

Try these buns, give them to your friends and family, and bask in the glory of their praises.

Amen.

Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from happy home baking)
(makes 9)

tang zhong (water-roux)

25g bread flour
125ml water

bread dough:

210g bread flour
56g cake flour
20g milk powder
42g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6g instant yeast

30g egg, lightly beaten (about half an egg, reserve the leftover for egg wash)
85g water
84g tang zhong (water-roux)*

22g unsalted butter

filling:

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (this amount is just right for my kids, use more if desired)
30g sugar (I used raw sugar)
25g unsalted butter, melted

Method:

to make tang zhong (yields about 90g tang zhong):

Place 25g bread flour in a saucepan. Add 125ml water, mix till smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent it from burning. Within 1 to 2 mins, the mixture will start to thicken, stop when you see traces in the mixture for every stir you make with the hand whisk. (Take a look at the video clip here. ) The 65degC tang zhong is ready. Immediately transfer the hot tang zhong into a bowl and cover it with a cling wrap, making sure the cling wrap sticks onto the surface of the mixture. This is to prevent a film from forming on the surface. Leave to cool completely before using it.


to make dough:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add in the egg, water and tang zhong. Mix to form a rough dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough till smooth. This should take about 10mins. The dough is quite wet and sticky, it helps to have a dough scraper on hand to scape up the dough as your knead.

Knead in the butter. Continue to knead the dough until it no longer sticks to your hand, becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about another 20 to 30 mins. Do the window pane test: pinch a piece of the dough, pull and stretch it. It should be elastic, and can be pulled away into a thin membrane without tearing/breaking apart easily.

Place dough in a lightly greased (use vegetable oil or butter) mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof in room temperature (around 28 to 30 degC) for about one hour, or until double in bulk.

Mix cinnamon powder and sugar together. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the mixture.

Remove the dough from the bowl and give a few light kneading to press out the gas in the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 30cm by 25cm, 1/2 inch thick. Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the dough surface. Roll over the surface with a rolling pin, this is to make sure the fillings will stick onto the dough.

From the longer end (30cm), roll up the dough to form a long log (ie 30cm in lengh). Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam side down, trim off the two ends. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 9 equal pieces, about 3cm each. (To get even rolls, use a dental floss to slice the log. Position a long string of dental floss under the log, hold the two free ends, criss-cross over the top of the log, pull the two ends to cut the roll. Tip from cookbook, 天然麵包香, Natural Bread Made Easy.)

Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased (or lined with parchment paper) 20cm square pan or any suitable baking tray. Leave some space in between the rolls to allow them to expand. Cover with damp cloth or cling wrap and leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 45mins, or until double in size.

Brush top with egg wash (mix leftover egg with 1 tbs water) and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 deg C for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven and once cool store immediately in an airtight container.

  • MAPLE FROSTING: (Adapted from Pioneer Woman )
  • 1 bag Powdered Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
  • ½ cups Milk
  • ¼ cups Melted Butter
  • ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
  • ⅛ teaspoons Salt

mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Strawberry Deluge

September 10, 2010 2 comments

I know i have been baking too much with strawberries lately, but that’s what you do when u bought a gorgeous bucket of strawberries right?

You see, strawberries aren’t exactly the kind of fruit that you could leave chilling for weeks. You are lucky if you can get away with one week, before all the mildew starts to attack and firm supple-ness turns to .. squishy.

So here is a strawberry shortcake, which is made of a sliced cream scone sandwiching macerated strawberries and softly whipped cream.

The scones were somewhat crispy on the edges and soft and bread-like within the middle, making it a great vehicle to soak up all that sweetened juice from the macerated strawberry.

And the whipped cream?
It just went so well with the scone, cause sometimes, eating a scone alone might be a bit on the dry side.

A winning combination, really.

Recipe adapted from Joy of baking

Scones:

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (76 grams) cold unsalted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) light whipping cream or half and half (12 – 18% butterfat)

Egg Wash:

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon cream

Filling:

2 pounds (900 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup – 1/3 cup (50 – 65 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar

Scones: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Whisk together the egg, cream and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat or roll the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. With a 3 inch (7 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon cream and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack.

Filling: Wash and slice the strawberries. Place about one third of the strawberries in a large bowl and crush them with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining sliced strawberries, along with the sugar. (The amount of sugar used will depend on how sweet the berries are.) Set aside to macerate at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes.

Whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream will hold for several hours in the refrigerator.

To serve: Cut the scones in half and place the bottom half of the scone (soft side up) on a dessert plate. Top with some of the strawberries and whipped cream. Place the top half of the scone on the strawberries. Top with whipped cream and a few more strawberries. If there is any juice from the strawberries, drizzle a little over the top of the scone. Serve immediately.

Serves about 8 people.

Taste like the Sunshine

September 9, 2010 Leave a comment



With fresh strawberries and lemon juice as its filling, these bars have a refreshing burst of sweet, and tangy-ness with each bite.

Top that with a mix of almonds, oats and brown sugar for a streusel, and you are ready to welcome that sunsrise with a complete breakfast bar in your hands.

Of course, i am not saying that it should only be eaten for breakfast. U can have it for lunch too, or dinner.

Or after dinner, which is what i am having while i am typing this. Yums!

Also,the bottom dough is a press-in dough. None of that chilling and rolling, which is something u don’t wanna do in the morning.

Oh, but please do make and eat these on the day itself though, as they tend to go soggy over time, but apart from that, these bars deserve a thumb up.

Recipe adapted from : The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

2 1/2 Cups AP flour

2/3 Cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 18 pieces and softened

1/2 Cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 Cups pecans, toasted and chopped fine —> I used silvered almonds

1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 Cup raspberry jam —-> I used strawberry jam

3/4 Cup fresh raspberries —> I used fresh strawberries

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 F. Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil

2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Beat in 16 tablespoons of the butter with an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Reserve the 1 1/4 cups of the mixture for the topping.

3. Sprinkle the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust till fragrant and the edges begin to brown, 14 to 18 minutes

4. Mix the reserved flour mixture, oats, nuts and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pinch the mixture between your fingers into hazelnut sized clumps of streusel. In a small bowl, mash the jam, raspberries, and lemon juice together with a fork until just some of the berry pieces remain.

5. Spread the berry mixture evenly over the hot crust, and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake the bars until the filling is bubbling and the topping is a deep golden brown, 22-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking

6. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil and cut into squares and serve.

100% Natural Strawberry Chiffon Cake

September 7, 2010 2 comments

I used natural pureed strawberries for this chiffon cake, and i feel really good about that.

It’s baked in my own little kitchen, away from the world of synthesized and unnatural food ingredients.

Just for this once.

Maybe this cake felt the love coming from all that goodness decided to stand tall with pride.

It’s quite an improvement from its stouter, denser predecessor.

I was beaming with pride when it didn’t sink, well, not that much anyway, when it was removed from the oven.

I had to remind myself, it is just cake, not exactly rocket science and promptly instructed my elevated spirit to come back down.

Tomorrow, i will rejoin the world in its commercialized, preserved, chemical-ful food circulation, cause i am realistic, and i am painfully aware of the impossibility, and the financial burden of using organic, natural products all the time.

So until i start my own farm or strike the lottery, i will still gladly eat SPAM off its can.

Recipe adapted from bakingbites:

Strawberry Chiffon Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pureed fresh strawberries (about 1 heaping cup berries)
7 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 large egg yolks
7 large egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325F. Take out a 10-inch tube pan, but do not grease it.
In a very large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar (reserving 1/4 cup), baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the strawberry puree, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg yolks until well combined, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until just smooth and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar as you go.
Once the egg whites have reached stiff peaks (better to be a bit softer than to overbeat them), gently whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the strawberry batter to lighten it. Gently, working in two or three additions, fold the remaining beaten whites into the strawberry batter, folding until no streaks of egg white foam remain visible and the batter is a uniform color. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.
Pour into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Invert cake over a bottle (or onto a wire rack if your pan has “feet” to hold it up) and let cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife around the edges and turn cake out onto a serving platter. Store in an airtight container.

Serve plain or with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Makes 1 cake; Serves 12-14



Pandan Sponge Cake

September 6, 2010 1 comment



This is supposed to be a chiffon cake, but i wouldn’t go so far so as call it that.

See, this cake is a little bit height challenged, it doesnt reach out for the skies the way chiffons do.

A bummer really… i wanted to just pass it on to whoever would eat it and forget about the whole cake.

But, it is such a pretty colour.

And despite it being slightly on the denser side, it is quite counsellingly soft and moist.

So i picked up my spirit (which kinda sank along with the cake), and my camera and let the cake gave me its last best shot, literally.

As for me, i guess it’s time to really dissect the arts of making chiffon.

Categories: Cakes Tags: , , ,

Peanut Butter and Bacon (yes bacon!) Cookies

September 4, 2010 2 comments



Don’t get weirded out yet by these cookies, i think combining sweet and savoury is a pretty common thing to do.

Look at Mcgriddles, with the maple syrup sweetened pancakes and the savoury patty.

and the new hype with salted caramel whatever.

Or how we used to dip our fries in our sundaes as kids  (well, maybe that’s just me? )

Besides the eccentric take on taste, these cookies are also flourless. After years of baking, this is my first time baking a cookie without flour.

I was doubtful at first, worrying about how these cookies will stand without the help of the flour to build its structure. My worries were unfounded, as somehow, as if magically, the batter sort of firmed up after the addition of baking soda and egg. I am definitely gonna look up how that managed to happen.

Nevertheless, science aside, i urge u to get a sensory overload with these delightful sweet and savoury cookies!

Recipe from Joy the baker ( She is quirky and really fun).  HERE

Categories: Cookies

Mini Cakelets

September 3, 2010 Leave a comment



If i could describe a characteristic for these cakelets, it would be unpretentious.
Their simple and honest goodness is a fresh change from all the jazzed up cupcakes of today.
I feel like i have somewhat travelled back to a time where things were waaay more simpler, where recipes don’t run to a couple of pages long, or when women from the movie stepford wives would don on their floral aprons to bake these cakes..

Okay, that was totally random, but it’s just a thought.

If you have got a couple of minutes to spare, give this cake a try.. i promise, this cake would bake out in record time!

Try it! Recipe from Here

Categories: Cakes Tags: , , ,

Papi’s Birthday

September 2, 2010 1 comment



Papi. That’s how we call our dad.

I don’t exactly know which language it derived from, but from young, it has always papi.

And on this special day, it’s papi’s birthday. It’s special, and i wasn’t about to show up with a birthday cake to showcase my inferior piping skills.

This cake is pretty ingenious. It doesn’t condemn you for having retarded piping skills and yet somehow, it still manages to look somewhat gorgeous.

Happy birthday papi, i know i don’t make the prettiest cakes, but i still demand an “A” for the effort.

Categories: Cakes

We taste like the rainbow too!

September 1, 2010 Leave a comment



These buns are baked. Not fried…

That means you can eat another one. Or another four or five..

Then u would want to pack them up to bring to the office. Because you want to share the love with your co- workers.

Or because you couln’t trust yourself with the remaining buns.

Besides being inherently yummy, these buns are also a breakthrough. If u’ve ever baked bread before, you would know about the direct relationship between the  yeast lifespan and the flavour from the final bread.The longer u let the little organisms thrive, the yummier ur bread gets.

But with these buns, i experimented with yogurt. The slightly sour taste from yogurt seems to emulate the flavour that comes from aged yeasts. As u can guess, no overnight sponge was needed for this buns. Definitely for a spur- of- the- moment baking itch!

Try it:

300 gr Bread Flour

100 gr AP

20 gr milk powder

75 gr sugar

8 g instant yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

50 gr yoghurt

150 ml cold water

75 gr butter

1 tsp salt

For Glazing:

Evaporated milk

1. Mix the flours,  milk powder, sugar and instant yeast

2. Add egg, youghurt, and water gradually while mixing. Knead till u get a shaggy dough. Add in butter and salt. Knead till elastic. Let proof for 30 minutes.

3. Punch down dough and scale it to 30 gr pieces. Shape it round.

4. Proof for 70 mins, glaze with milk

5. Bake at 190 degree C for 12 mins