Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Soft, Moist, Chocolatey Brownie


I felt like eating brownie since like last week... Wanted to buy one from Mrs Fields.. but it's so hard to find the outlet nowadays.. My favourite is Triple Fudge Brownie.. But I think my sweet tooth has mellowed down.. I can't take stuffs that are too sweet anymore.. I don't know..

Anywaayyy.... I saw this recipe yesterday and I saw the pictures and straight away I knew I wanted to make it.. I couldn't wait any longer.. I know I stated somewhere in my previous brownie recipe that it was THE BROWNIE recipe BUT I think this is THE BROWNIE RECIPE.. hahahah.. Im fickle..

I've always wanted to buy those 70% or more dark chocolate and make into something but Im scared.. But this recipe provides me an opportunity to use it.. And that is partly the reason why I wanted to do it.. I advice you to use the best dark chocolate you can get cos the brownie is just awesome to me.. *I'm thinking Guanaja*... It's not that sweet but it taste strongly of chocolate with a hint of bitterness.. On top of it, it was soft and moist and makes it taste kinda fudgey... Just the way I like it... Annndd the aroma of it was just incredible as it was baking... When I open the container full of it.. Gosh~ This is a must try recipe... I kinda knew it would be a bit bitter and so I topped it with Butterscotch Chips to neutralise the bitterness.. It was just perfect.. Sweet and bitter in harmony... I think it would be very very good with ice cream too.. It kinda reminds me of Flourless Cake but better.. :P

I baked it in a 9-inch square tray but found it kinda too big unless you are going for thin brownies..I'm gonna make it again very very soon cos I have to finish my butterscotch chip.. And what better way than this...

Spiced Brownies with Cocoa Nibs (taken from http://www.vanilla garlic.com)
(my notes in red)

8 oz of 70% cacao chocolate
6 tbsp / 3.03oz / 86.1g  unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp cinnamon (optional) (I omitted)
1/2 tsp ground ancho chilli powder (I omitted)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup cocoa nibs (I replaced with Butterscotch Chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (170 C) and line a springform pan with parchment paper (a simple 8 or 9 inch square or cicle will just be fine). Light Grease and dust the parchment line pan with butter and flour.

2. Place chocolate, butter, cinnamon and chilli powder over simmering water (double boil). Stir together and until melted, smooth and warm.

3. In another bowl, place eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla together and whisk on high speed for 2 minutes. It should be thick and light coloured.

4. Add the warm chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk together.

5. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.

6. Scrape the bater into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. remove springform rim. Dist with cocoa powder and serve. Great with whipped cream, mint ice cream, or chilled cream poured over it.

~If you're happy and you know
You clap your hands~

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Strawberry Shortcake


I have like 2 bottles of mascarpone cheese in hand and I had to do something with it.. I bought it some time ago to make cheesecake but I have't done it because Im worried it won't taste nice and nobody's gonna eat it.. I know I'm paranoid.. The funny thing is, I bought it the first time and then I misplaced it and thought I didn't buy it.. After a few days, I bought it again and found the misplaced bottle.. -_- So loser right? ahaha.. That is why I have excess mascarpone cheese..

I've been wanting to make this Strawberry Shortcake recipe since the day I saw the strawberry shortcake at Rive Gauche and the Chantilly cake at Bread Talk.. Mentioning Rive Gauche will always remind me of Guanaja.. The best chocolate cake ever!!

So finally, I got around to making it this recipe that I've been wanting to make.. The recipe comes from a book I borrowed at the National Library.. The cake is sweet, soft, nice buuut... I can't really get used to the chantilly cream.. It smells and taste strongly of heavy cream.. too strong.. Maybe I could put more cheese.. I don't know.. But it does not taste that bad when eaten with the sponge cake and strawberries.. It's lovely actually.. But I do wish I could find a better cream recipe.. Oh yeah.. I was too lazy to decorate either.. :)

Strawberry Shortcake (taken from Just Desserts and Other Baked Treats by Daniel Tay)
(makes one 20cm/8 inch cake)

1 kg Strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced (I used around 250g without any decorations though)

Genoise Sponge
110g/4oz egg yolks
175g/6 1/5oz eggs
170g/6oz sugar
110g/4oz light cake flour, sifted
55g/2oz unsalted butter, melted

Chantilly Cream
1ltr/32 fl oz/4 cups whipping cream (I used heavy cream)
100g/3 1/2oz sugar
100g/3 1/2oz mascarpone cheese

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line cake tin with wax paper.

2. Prepare genoise sponge. Combine egg yolks, eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and whisk for another 10 minutes or until fine air bubbles form.

3. Pour the batter into a lined 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin. Level batter with a spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes or until top of the cake is firm to touch. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool.

4. Unmould cake and remove paper. Peel skin off top of cake and discard. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Genoise sponge can keep for up to 6 weeks, frozen and 3 days, refrigerated.

5. Prepare chatilly cream. Combine cream, sugar and mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and whisk at medium speed for 3 minutes. Increase to high speed and continue to whisk until light and smooth. (Don't mix too long as the cream will curdle easily). Set aside.

Cake assembly
7. Horizontally slice genoise sponge into 2 equal layers. Place one layer on a cake board and place a 22.5cm (9in) cake ring over (I didn't use a cake ring cos the cake shrank and I didn't want to use to much cream all over..wished I had an 8 in cake ring). Spoon half of chantilly cream over a around sides of sponge cake layer and level with an angle palette knife. Arrange some strawberries on top of cream, then place second sponge layer over. Spoon remaining cream over and around sides of cake and level again. Refrigerate cake until slightly firm.

8. Gently ease cake ring from cake and remove. Coat sides of cake with ground almonds if desired. Decorate cake as desired and serve chilled.

~Let's make our world the most
beautiful home~

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sausage Roll (Bread Roulade)


I made my bread again after a long time staying away from it.. I have been doing several cinnamon roll recipe but I can never get it right.. The taste is there, the looks not really there.. Something with the way I do is just wrong.. But I shall practice again... Cos I just love cinnamon roll or sticky buns.. I hope I can make one as nice at the Sticky Buns I love at B Bakery at Bussorah Street.. You guys should try those Sticky Buns there!! It's the best!! *boomz* haha..

Back to my baking.. I felt like working with yeast the other weekend and I made these cos somebody requested for it.. I learned to make these at some Bread workshop that my workplace was having.. It was really enjoyable and I learned a few new stuffs and got to know new places.. The chef told us the Bread Roulade is just a sophisticated name for Bread Roll.. It is not really that difficult or tough making breads.. just strength and patience.. :)

I didn't use any machine at all because I wanted to see whether I can successfully make bread with just my bare hands.. Hehe.. And anyway.. machine does not help much cos bread dough tends to be very very heavy and  you would still need to knead it yourself.. aaannndd. I do not want to risk spoiling my beloved KitchenAid.. While I was doing this, I totally missed out the butter until I added all the dry and wet ingredients and was mixing it with my hands.. I quickly took out the butter from the fridge and cut it into small pieces and pinch it together with all the ingredients in.. I was quite worried by then whether my actions would result in a failure.. But thank god everything went well... I was really drained by the end of 25 minutes or so kneading the dough.. haha.. I kept kneading and kneading because the dough wasn't smooth and I couldn't get a stretchable 'gluten window'.. (I will take a picture of the 'gluten window' one day to show you was it is). This gluten window shows that the dough is ready to rest and let the yeast do its work. I was wondering why the dough wasn't that smooth.. Was it because I added the butter late and the butter didn't have time to react and melt with the dry ingredients.. Hmm.. *wonders*   

My only condition for the person who requested me to make this was to buy the sausages.. He bought Cheesy Onion sausage.. The sausages were awesome.. I looovve it.. I  got really full eating the bread roll.. Really really full.. Hahaha..

I apologize that I can't share the recipe because I the chef states "Not to be reproduced" at the end of the recipe. So, i'm not quite sure whether I can actually share the recipe.

~See you later elevator~

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Orange Muffins with Brown Sugar Topping


I've been so quiet.. A lot of things happening.. Nothing great actually.. All sad stuffs.. But I shall not dampen your mood anymore.. I've been doing a number of muffins.. Here's a new one..

I've always loved citrus flavoured cakes.. They're always refreshing and feels kinda healthy.. hehe.. I did Orange Muffins with Brown Sugar Topping.. It nice.. Soft, refreshing and somehow bland BUT the Brown Sugar Topping made it SUPERB for me.. haha.. I wanted to bite into something when eating it.. Hence, dried cranberries were my number one choice when pairing with orange.. I would double the topping for one recipe of muffins the next time I make it

I enjoy doing muffins cos its simpler as I don't have to use any machines.. You should try this, really..


Orange Muffins (taken from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Orange-Muffins/Detail.aspx)
makes 12 regular size muffins (my notes in red)

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (I added more zest)
2/3 cup orange juice (I added a bit more)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup ground walnuts (optional) (excluded)

Brown Sugar topping

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar and grated orange peel. Stir in orange juice, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs and chopped nuts.

2. Pour into 12 muffin cups.

3. Blend 1 tablespoon melted margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top of each muffin. (I wouldn't say sprinkle but just drop some on top of the batter)

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

~Yesterday.. You ask me something I thought you knew
So I told you with a smile..it's all about you..~