Brownie

After baking this brownie.. I realize that my ideal brownie is more cakey with a bit of fudgey-ness in it.. For now.. I used to like chewy brownies.. I don't know why I stopped liking them too.. Haha.. Neway, I found this recipe from a book by Daniel Tay.. He's the owner Bakerzin if I'm not wrong.. I was searching for recipes for brownies and his recipe seems to appeal to me most of all the brownie recipes that I had collected... Why?? Cos his recipe was the first recipe I saw that had cream cheese in it.. Hmmm

Well, it turned out wonderful.. Cakey and kinda fudgey when it's hot.. I like my brownie plain.. Maybe with fudge on it.. But I don't like nuts in it, especially walnuts.. eugh.. Not that I don't eat it but I just don't like it.. But I think the next time I do this, I can add some white chocolate chips or even milk chocolate buttons inside.. I think it would be really nice and make the brownie fudgier.. Just the way I like it..

Reviews from my sis is that it's too cakey.. But I guess different people have different takes on it.. It's cakey but when I heat it up in the microwave before I eat it, it's a bit fudgey.. You just have to try it yourself.. The recipe makes good clean and neat brownie.. Haha.. Whatever that means.. Lol.. Nice eaten with Island Creamery ice-cream too.. Yummy!!
Chocolate Brownie (taken from just desserts and other baked treats by Daniel Tay)
(makes one 28-cm / 11" square cake) (my notes in red)
(I make one-third the recipe as I just wanted to make a small tray for myself.. hehe)

325g (11 1/2 oz) plain (all purpose) flour
5g (1/2 oz) baking powder
150g (5 1/3 oz) cocoa powder
225g (8 oz) cream cheese
860g (1 4/5 lb) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
10g (1/3 oz) salt
450g (16 oz) unsalted butter
400g (14 1/3 oz) eggs
300g (10 1/2 oz) walnuts
butter for greasing

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350 F)

2. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.

3. Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla essence, salt and butter in another mixing bowl and whisk until blended.

4. Fold eggs into cream cheese mixture, then gradually fold in flour mixture. Add walnuts and mix well. (I didn't fold.. Just added everything in my KitchenAid and Beat it~ haha.. ok.. lame)

5. Lightly grease a 28 cm / 11" square baking tin with butter. Level Batter into tin and bake for 20 minutes. (I baked in my 6" x 9" rectangle tray)

6. Unmould brownie and leave aside to cool. Slice before serving.

You might think that the ingredients list is a bit weird as all the quantity are in grams and ounces.. But from the baking books that I read, giving the quantities this way is the most accurate. This is because measurements in spoons and cups can vary in different countries.. Even the size of eggs can be different everywhere.. That should explain it.. But I must say it's more troublesome having the recipe in grams as I have to weigh everything.. And I guess it's time I invest in a good weighing machine..

~There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don't know how~

Fresh Apple Cupcake

My aunt loves this.. I guess it appeal more the older people cost it's not like those very sweet cupcake/cake? I had leftover apples that I don't really like because it's not those crunchy type... The apples were like more soft and fibrous though a bit crunchy.. If you know what I'm talking about.. I don't really know how to explain.. Hence, I knew I had to do something with it before it goes to the wastebin.. Hmm.. Thank you Wafi for helping me with this cupcake..

Fresh Apple Cake/Cupcake (taken from http://wowroses.blogspot.com/)
(one recipe can make a 9x13" cake and approx 16 cupcakes) (my comments in red)

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick /~110g)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I prefer light brown sugar so that the batter will not be so dark)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 cups peeled, cored and cubed apples (I usually used a bit more...)

Topping:
5 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (~170 deg cel). Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

2. Peel the apples and cut them into small cubes. Feel free to make them as big or small as you want.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugars.

4. Add the eggs, vanilla and milk. (The mixture will look a bit funky, like vomit but don't worry.. it will be okay once you add the flour).

5. Mix in the baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Then stir in the flour. ( I usually sift all the dry ingredients together first).

6. Fold in the apples. Pour into prepared pan. Try not to eat the batter with a spoon... (I don't know why but I never try it before..:P) (oh yeah.. only 2/3 fill the cupcake liners if you're doing cupcake version)

7. For the topping, in the same bowl.. or a clean one, add the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon. With a fork or pastry cutter, roughly cut it all together.

8. Evenly spread it over the cake batter.

9. Bake for 35-40 min, until a toothpick comes out clean. (~20-25 min for cupcake size)

~So.. Maybe...
Are you gonna be the one that saves me~

American Whisked Sponge Cake

I've got good news!!! Finally I got my very own KitchenAid!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha.. I bought a purple one cause it was love at first sight.. Although I love Red, the purple one still caught my eye.... Im like so ecstatic.. It's like so cool.. And pretty standing there.. looking shy and purple.. Hmm.. *grinz*.. And because of that, I've been like baking almost every other day.. Too excited I guess...

I tried a new recipe that I found in a book the other day.. Called American Whisked Sponge Cake.. Decided to make it because I had ingredients on hand and I just felt like doing something new and interesting and it looked really simple..

Well, it's easy to make.. A bit dense but it's nice.. A simple desert.. and it definitely taste better chilled and it's not so messy when it's eaten chilled..

American Whisked Sponge Cake (taken from Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett)

3 large eggs

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

100g plain flour, sifted

pinch of salt

300ml double cream

100g fresh stawberries

sifted icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel/350 deg F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and base line two 20cm round sandwich cake tins.

2. Using a had-held electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks and 50g of the caster sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is pale and creamy. Whisk the vailla extract. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together until they are stiff. Gradually whisk in the remaining caster sugar until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Sift the flour and salt over the egg yolk mixture and fold in with a quarter of the whisked egg whites. Fold in the remaining whisked egg whites.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tins, dividing it evenly. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

5. Whip the cream in a bowl to form soft peaks. Chop all but 1-2 strawberries. Sandwich the cakes together with the whipped cream and chopped strawberries. Dust the top of the cake with sifted icing sugar and decorate with small whole or halved strawberries.

Remarks: I made a 6 inch cake and halved all the ingredients.

~Here they come.. The beautiful ones

The Beautiful ones.. lalalala~