Aspiring Bakers #8 : Bread Seduction (June 2011)

ASPIRING BAKERS #8 : BREAD SEDUCTION (JUNE 2011)

Bake or steam Bread, Buns or Pau. To join, post it on your blog between 1 June to 30 June.
Click here for details.

The closing date is 30 June 2011.
All entries will be compiled and posted on 1 July 2011.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

durian cream puff (:

HELLO! (: i didnt went MIA. instead i was busy baking (: i read everyone's blog but i didnt comment. NOW i'll do that :D

didnt take photos of what i baked yesterday. but i got craving for choc chip cookies. so i baked it yesterday. then went on shopping hunt for baking stuffs. at night, went for durian hunt (: THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO WEN for her kind sharing. found this really NICE durian (jean, must go get yours :D ) bought it at GEYLANG LOR 36 and the stall name is FRUIT TOP 1 (: help jess to buy it too (: deliver it to her and she gave me really yummy piping hot apple cake! SUPERB! love her (:

back to my post (: cannot wait to try out baking those durian. so, get my hands on it. baked durian cream puff and durian cheesecake (: blog about the cake another time coz i'll take photos tmr :D

is my FIRST attempt baking cream puff and there'll be many more attempts. i always thought is super difficult to bake it. i was soooo WRONG! 

im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess


piped it out using the rosette piping tip (:


 

Monday, March 28, 2011

banana day (:

last friday (if i didnt remember wrongly), jess asked me to go over to "help" her to bake cake. i think is more like help her to mess up and finish the food :D
i baked kek lapis! non cny season i baked kek lapis. WHY? coz i want egg whites for macarons! hahah. this is my third time baking it. I double the recipe and use an 8 inch ROUND tin instead coz jess's square tin is GIGANTIC. taste nice but look wise . . . hahah. then we baked banana cake and vegan choc cake. left her house at 1:30am! is so fun! (:




TODAY is a BANANA DAY! baked banana cake. the cake is amazingly soft, moist, fragrance and YUMMY! thank you wen for sharing this wonderful recipe (:  i baked it with using two 8 inch tin. the cake is quite tall (: and i sprinkle it with some chopped almond. those photos are not very well taken. hop over to wen's blog and see hers (:




BANANA CAKE

Ingredients:5 Eggs (large size, 65-70g w/shell)
250 180g Sugar
350-400 500g Banana (Ripe & cut into small pcs)
300g Cake flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
200 180g Sunflower oil (or any vegetable oil except olive oil)

Method:Preheat oven at 160 degree C.
Grease & line a 2 x 8" round tin (or 1 x 10" square tin) base with baking paper.
1. Sieve flour, baking powder & soda together. Sieve twice & set aside.
2. Whisk eggs, sugar & sliced banana at max. speed till stiff/ribbon stage. (For Kenwood Chef - approx 10-13mins)
3. Fold in sifted flour & mix well. (Can use spatular or hand to mix)
4. Add in oil & mix well till batter is shiny & flowing.
5. Pour into baking tin & bake for 40 - 45mins.


then i baked MORE banana stuffs. my bro request banana oreo muffin for breakfast tmr and to bring to work for his colleagues. since i've got A LOT of banana at home, double the recipe and yield 17 cups (:


 
NOW, there's so many containers that's full filled, lying on the table. feels like there's a party going on! :D

Friday, March 25, 2011

Berry Cheese Tart and MACARONS (:

is TARTS again (: never get tired of it coz my family and friends LOVE it! this time round, i baked berry cheese tarts and recipe is from hearty bakes. look at hers and compared it with mine, her's look so much nicer! anyways, the taste was GREAT! 24 tarts was finished by my family, aunt and friends (who only got 3 of it) . . they are bugging me to bake it AGAIN!

since strawberry and blueberry is in season and not exp at all, i make the jam myself (: as usual, i forgot to take photo of it ): next time i MUST remember!! however, hop over to HHB's blog to see hers. i use her recipe (half it) to make this. is NICE! (:




BERRY CHEESE TART

SWEET TART DOUGH (HALF THE RECIPE to yield 24 tarts which is just enough for the cream cheese)

(recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, written by Dorie Greenspan)

NOTE:
- Make this at least 1 day in advance because you need to chill and rest the dough for a minimum 4 hours or up to 2 days, before rolling and baking;
- You are encouraged to make the full quantity because lessening the measurements may not yield the best results.
- Unused dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Frozen disks of dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at average room temperature to reach a good rolling-out consistency. Baked crusts can be kept uncovered at room temperature for about 8 hours.

- 2 1/2 sticks (10ozs; 285g) 270g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup (lightly packed) (3 1/4ozs; 100g) finely ground almond powder
- 1/2 tsp pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean pulp or pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 3 1/2 cups (490g) all-purpose flour

To make the dough in a mixer:

Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar, almond powder, salt, vanilla and eggs and, still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough may look curdled – that’s alright. With the machine on low, add the flour in three or four additions and mix only until the mixture comes together to form a soft, moist dough – a matter of seconds. Don’t overdo it.

Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into 3 or 4 pieces: 3 pieces for 10-inch (26cm) tarts, 4 for 9-inch (24cm) tarts. (Of course you can press the dough into one large disk and cut off as much as you need at the time that you need it.) Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or for up to 2 days, before rolling and baking. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month.)

To roll and bake:
1. For each tart, place a buttered tart ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet and keep close at hand. Work with one piece of dough at a time; keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator.

2. Working on a lightly floured surface (marble is ideal), roll the dough to a thickness of between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (2 and 4mm), lifting the dough often and making certain that the work surface and dough are amply floured at all times. (Because this dough is so rich, it can be difficult to roll, but a well-floured surface makes the job easier. If you are a novice at rolling, you might find it easier to tape a large piece of plastic wrap to the counter and to roll the dough between that and another piece of plastic. If you do this, make sure to lift the top sheet of plastic wrap from time to time so that it doesn't crease and get rolled into the dough.) Roll the dough up around your rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart ring. Fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the ring, then run your rolling pin across the top of the ring to cut off the excess. If the dough cracks or splits as you work, don’t worry – patch the cracks with scraps (moisten the edges with water to "glue" them in place) and just make certain not to stretch the dough that’s in the pan. (What you stretch now will shrink later). Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork (unless the tart will be filled with a runny custard or other loose filling) and chill it for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. When you are ready to bake the crust(s), preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Fit a circle of parchment or foil into the crust and fill with dried beans or rice. (i did not blind my tart)
4. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes (this case, i bake it for 12 mins) , just until it is very lightly coloured. If the crust needs to be fully baked, remove the parchment and beans and bake the crust for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.
Keeping: The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Frozen disks of dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at average room temperature to reach a good rolling-out consistency. Baked crusts can be kept uncovered at room temperature for about 8 hours.

Cream Cheese

250g Cream Cheese
80 50g Sugar
3 Yolks
50g Whipping cream
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
2tbsp Corn Flour
Method:
To make cream cheese filling, beat cream cheese and caster sugar until soft and smooth. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon some berry jam into half-baked tartlets. Top with some cream cheese.

Top a little berry jam on cream cheese and use a toothpick to draw marble pattern on it. Bake in oven at 180 160deg C for another 10-15minutes. (BEWARE! not to overbake it like mine that happened to the first batch. otherwise, the surface of the tart will have "wrinkles" and wouldnt be pretty! so the next batch, i reduce the temp)
Double Berry Jam (half the recipe for this and the rest, they use it to spread on bread)

200g fresh strawberries
200g fresh blueberries
120g granulated sugar*
2 tablespoons lemon juice**

Method:
  1. Wash and remove the stems from strawberries, cut into halves or quarters(for bigger ones), leave whole for small berries. Wash and drain blueberries.
  2. Mix strawberries, blueberries and sugar in a bowl. Cover and leave in fridge over night, or let it sit for at least 30mins.
  3. Transfer the mixture (including whatever juice that was drawn out from the berries) in the bowl to a stainless steel pot or a large saucepan. (Note: use non-reactive pots made with stainless steel, glass or enamel, avoid pots made with copper, aluminum or cast iron which would react with acid).
  4. On medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula or a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (when the bubbles do not stop or lessen when you stir it). Once the mixture starts to boil, skim away any excessive foams or bubbles, stirring constantly all the time.
  5. Keep at a slow rolling boil for another 5 ~ 10 mins, stirring constantly till the mixture thickens, becomes clearer and transparent (no more foams).
  6. Drizzle in the lemon juice and cook for a further 2~3 mins.
  7. Remove from heat. The jam will be a little runny when hot but the consistency will be just right after it has cool off.
  8. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilised jars, fill to the brim. Secure lids. Let cool. Once opened, store in fridge and best consumed within 1~2 weeks***.

how to sterilise glass jars and bottles:
Wash glass jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse well. Place jars and lids in a pot. Fill with enough cold water to cover the jars. Place over high heat and bring water to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently for 10 minutes. Remove jars and lids from boiling water and drain upside down over a clean tea towel. Preheat oven to 110 degC. Place jars and lids upside down on a baking tray. Place in the oven and heat for 15 minutes. Proceed to make the jam while the jars are in the oven. Do use glass jars with lids that come with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.

Note:
*Do not reduce the sugar, as the amount is required to preserve the jam.
** Do not omit the lemon juice as it help to hold the jam together and enhances the flavour.
*** For safe eating practices, do examine the jam frequently for signs of spoilage.


im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess

FINALLY, MACARONS!! bought lemon to use it for the jam. leftover? LEMON MACARONS! so lucky to get it right BUT i always fail when it comes to chocolate macarons ): now, im cracking my head and i need recommendation of recipe that uses egg yolk so that i can use egg white for macarons :D
is there anything to buy from japan for baking? matcha powder? i was thinking of what to ask my mum's friend to help me buy :D



Sunday, March 20, 2011

APPLE CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE TART and award (:

i've got CRAVINGS for tarts! this is one of the many variety that i plan to bake. more tarts coming! (:

i baked APPLE CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE TART! sounds good? taste good too (: does it look lovely? pls say yes :D
you've got to believe that the recipe for the tart is a KEEPER! for the filling, it goes extremely well with the tart. my family LOVE IT (:





Sweet Tart Dough

(recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, written by Dorie Greenspan)

NOTE:
- Make this at least 1 day in advance because you need to chill and rest the dough for a minimum 4 hours or up to 2 days, before rolling and baking;
- You are encouraged to make the full quantity because lessening the measurements may not yield the best results.
- Unused dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Frozen disks of dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at average room temperature to reach a good rolling-out consistency. Baked crusts can be kept uncovered at room temperature for about 8 hours.


- 2 1/2 sticks (10ozs; 285g) 270g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup (lightly packed) (3 1/4ozs; 100g) finely ground almond powder
- 1/2 tsp pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean pulp or pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 3 1/2 cups (490g) all-purpose flour

To make the dough in a mixer:


Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar, almond powder, salt, vanilla and eggs and, still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough may look curdled – that’s alright. With the machine on low, add the flour in three or four additions and mix only until the mixture comes together to form a soft, moist dough – a matter of seconds. Don’t overdo it.

Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into 3 or 4 pieces: 3 pieces for 10-inch (26cm) tarts, 4 for 9-inch (24cm) tarts. (Of course you can press the dough into one large disk and cut off as much as you need at the time that you need it.) Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or for up to 2 days, before rolling and baking. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month.)

To roll and bake:
1. For each tart, place a buttered tart ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet and keep close at hand. Work with one piece of dough at a time; keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator.

2. Working on a lightly floured surface (marble is ideal), roll the dough to a thickness of between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (2 and 4mm), lifting the dough often and making certain that the work surface and dough are amply floured at all times. (Because this dough is so rich, it can be difficult to roll, but a well-floured surface makes the job easier. If you are a novice at rolling, you might find it easier to tape a large piece of plastic wrap to the counter and to roll the dough between that and another piece of plastic. If you do this, make sure to lift the top sheet of plastic wrap from time to time so that it doesn't crease and get rolled into the dough.) Roll the dough up around your rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart ring. Fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the ring, then run your rolling pin across the top of the ring to cut off the excess. If the dough cracks or splits as you work, don’t worry – patch the cracks with scraps (moisten the edges with water to "glue" them in place) and just make certain not to stretch the dough that’s in the pan. (What you stretch now will shrink later). Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork (unless the tart will be filled with a runny custard or other loose filling) and chill it for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. When you are ready to bake the crust(s), preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Fit a circle of parchment or foil into the crust and fill with dried beans or rice. (i did not blind my tart)
4. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes (this case, i bake it for 12 mins) , just until it is very lightly coloured. If the crust needs to be fully baked, remove the parchment and beans and bake the crust for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.
Keeping: The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Frozen disks of dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at average room temperature to reach a good rolling-out consistency. Baked crusts can be kept uncovered at room temperature for about 8 hours.

Crumble:
50g unsalted butter (soften)
50g sugar
50g chopped almond
80g plain flour

Mix all ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs & refrigerate before use.

Apple & chocolate filling:
2 apples
50g dark chocolate

Peel, core & chop the apples.
Chop chocolate into pieces.

Assembling:
Fill the apple dices on the tart shells, spread chocolate over it (i do it the other way. that is to lay the base with choc first then the apple dices and top with some choc to fill the space)
Spread the crumble mixture to cover the top, bake in preheated oven at 180'C for 30-40 min (until golden colour).
im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess

NEXT, i want to thank lena for giving me the award (: i appreciate her kind gesture! is my very first award and i feel so happy! (:





Here are the rules to abide in order to accept this award and they are:
1. Post linking back to the person that gave you the award
2. Share 7 random things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered blogs
4. Drop them a note and tell them about it.


Here's the random things:

  1. my family and i dont eat pork, beef and mutton. i dislike fish as well. BUT im a chinese (:
  2. NEVER eaten nuggets since 5 yrs ago due to bad experience (vomitted till i almost need to go for drip) after eating it
  3. ppl always tell me that my name is suitable coz i DONT drink jasmine green tea or green tea stuffs (psst, that means not eating  "my kind")
  4. i LOVE twinstar! google it if you dont know.
  5. roses, butterfly and ribbon stuffs are my favourite esp in PINK.
  6. love taking polaroid photots!
  7. hope that my mum will skip cooking dinner for a day so that i can cook instant noodles! not because the food is not nice but i seize all opportunity to eat instant noodles!
From here, i would like to forward these awards to the following bloggers, do visit their lovely blog (:
  1. Roz from Home Kreation 
  2. Spear from My Baking Milestone
  3. Quizzine from Baking on Cloud 9
  4. Lina from Crustabakes
  5. Ah Tze from Away of Mind
  6. Weng from I Heart My Bakes
  7. Vivian from Vivian Pang Kitchen
  8. Jen from My Cooking Experiments
  9. Janine from Not the Kitchen Sink
  10. Alan from Travelling foodies
  11. Joyce from Chuncky Cooky
  12. Cheah from No Frills Recipe
  13. Nancy from Bake for a Queen 
  14. Jane from Jane's Corner
  15. 茄子 from 袅袅烘焙香

Thursday, March 17, 2011

DONUTS!

HELLO! im back! (: i saw soooo many nice bakes that i've missed!! x(( anyways, i must thank JESS for spending her time helping me to change my comments to disqus as i have prob with intense debate. love her!

next, let me rant about my busy day! if you know, im helping out to take care of  my 3 nephews who is 6 yrs old, 1 yrs old and 2 months old. my 6 yrs old nephew was sent home from childcare as his teacher suspect he've got HFMD due to ulcers in his throat. he've been at home since mon due to fever. after it subside, he've got ulcers in his throat. but i brought him to doct yesterday to make sure is not HFMD. plus, his hands and legs are perfectly alright! the childcare insist that we must bring him to a specific clinic and refuse to let us send him to our family doct which i find it unneccessary and irritating. so, i brought him there. the doct say is another form of HFMD! i was sooo unhappy coz yesterday our doct diagnose that is just some virus after the fever that cause the ulcers. he wrote a note for us to pass it to the school. feeling unconvinced, i brought him to our family clinic again but this time is another doct, he said how can that doct be 100% sure? if he recover by mon, is not HFMD! went back to the school feeling unhappy, i found out that there's already 5 cases of CONFIRMED HFMD! so i didnt bother if my nephew is a confirmed case or not, i do not want him in the school and get affected!

enough of that, hope he'll be fine. now, im back with my DONUT post! (: there's so many recipe out there, which to choose? i found this and i will stick to it for sure!! is FAST and EASY to bake (:

 that day after baking, if is unfinished, FRIDGE it! the donut will remain soft (:
this time round, the deco i something simple. partly coz im lazy! :D


the first time when i attempted, the recipe calls for plain yoghurt. instead of finishing this yoghurt that i bought for my nephew, he finished the plain ones as he added fresh mango to it! no choice, i used this and is EXTREMELY GREAT!! there's this sweet and fruity aroma when you open the oven door! love it! (:

fill the donut pan to 3/4 full (:

filling he batter just right will yield a nice perfect shape (:

if you fill it almost to the brim . . .

TADA! incorrect filling will yield donut that does not have a "nice hollow circle"

but i used that to "hold the fruits"



without further ado, the recipe is adapted and modified:

BAKED DONUT

Ingredients :

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 80g sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tub (150 gm ) plain yogurt (any flavour of your choice)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tsp confectioners' sugar, dividedMethod :
  1. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Combine the egg, yogurt, oil, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well.
  3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX!
  4. Coat the tube pans with nonstick cooking spray (i just LIGHTLY grease it with some canola oil) and dust with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar. Divide batter among pans.
  5. Bake at 200 170°C for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  7. Dust with remaining confectioners' sugar OR glaze of any flavour you like.
HOPE YOU TRY IT! is really easy (:

im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess
is my mum's birthday yesterday. she requested for tiramisu! so, here it is (: no fanciful ribbons coz im really lazy! :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY! (:

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

baked donut

i wish im like the monkey god SUN WUKONG! then i can babysit nephews, use comp, go market, bake and cook. i hurry my way to the kitchen when the kids are asleep! but when one waky, the other waky too! *shake head*

anyways, i wanted to make something not just for tmr's breakfast but for my darlings tmr (: you know who you are (; something fast and easy? baked donut! im going to bake this again and i'll share the recipe and experience the next post which will be next week! this week, i've got work! so, stay tune (: really yummy donut! anyways, now i got to run! need to go and check out those steamed beans and brew red date soup! that's to make TAU SUAN (a chinese dessert). is all for tomorrow. EXCITED! ;D



melted chocolate for glazing


hope you like this colourful donut from me (: have an enjoyable week ahead! (:

mango mousse cake

NO, not tiramisu! im just in love with using sponge finger (: it helps to cover up the ugly sides. i made this for my dad's birthday (: all using FRESH mango and puree it (: mango season! and i still have mango at home . . more mango bakes to go? ;D

i realise that adding mango for baking, despite adding more mango, it only brings out fragrance and not so much of taste unless you topped it with mango and eat it. however, adding mango essence is a no no to me. this cake have a nice fragrance of mango but not a strong taste of it. i would add a bit more sugar to enhance the flavour. overall, is still yummy (:

btw, the banana oreo muffins are really yummy! it was finished and the next time i see banana, i'll bake this for sure. my mum request for it too (:

recipe adapted from HHB and i modified it (:

im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess

is quite blur but can you spot the many layers (:

MANGO MOUSSE CAKE

SPONGE CAKE
 (makes one 7 inch sponge cake)

100g cake flour
3 eggs, room temperature
90g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Sift cake flour, set aside. Line bottom and sides of an 18cm (7 inch) round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.
  2. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter double in volume and is ribbon-like (the beater should leave a ribbon-like texture when the batter is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.
  3. Add sifted cake flour into the batter. With a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter. (To ensure proper folding in of the flour, you can add the flour in three separate additions.)
  4. Add the melted butter, fold with spatula until well blended
  5. Add in fresh milk, vanilla extract and fold in gently with spatula.
  6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30~35 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely. Slice into 2 pieces.

MOUSSE FILLING

Whipping cream 350ml + 3 tbsp icing sugar
Mango Puree 300 350g

Diced mango cubes 200 300g
Gelatin Sheet /powder 17g
Rum 1 tbsp

Method

1. Dissolve gelatin in 60ml hot water. Keep warm for use later.
2. Whip cream till 70% stiff or mousse state.
3. Add gelatin solution into mango puree and mix well.
4. Add mango gelatin mixture into whipped cream and combine well.



Mango puree topping

150g mango puree (bring to room temperature)
1 Tbsp gelatin
4-1/2 Tbsp boiling water

Method

  1. In a mixing bowl, whip whipping cream with icing sugar to mousse state. Refrigerate to chill.
  2. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatine powder in hot water. When the gelatine powder is fully dissolved, add to mango puree. Mix well.
ASSEMBLE CAKE
  1. Lay 8 inch cake pan with sponge fingers
  2. Put 1 layer of cake on to cake pan and top it with mango mousse filling.
  3. Add in the mango cubes and top it with some mousse just enough to cover the mango cubes.
  4. Put in the other cake layer and pour all the mousse over it.
  5. Wait till the mousse is set and the topping is cooled, arrange sliced fruits, if using, pour in the topping carefully. Let the cake chill for at least 3 hours before removing the cake ring and decorate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY! (:

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

BANANA OREO MUFFINS

end up, i didnt really take a break. baking is too addictive and using the comp to check out everyone's lovely bakes! baked mango mousse cake for my dad's birthday which is tmr. im left with the topping which i'll do it tmr. so, i'll post about it tmr (: then i saw leftover bananas! fight between cake, muffins and ice cream. freezer is quite packed and i want something "bite size". so, muffins is my choice! banana muffins? choc with banana? then flip through this file of mine for quick and easy muffins. decided on this as there's oreo at home. as i was preparing, my nephew was "stealing" the oreos!

i modified the recipe. since im no butter lover, the first thing is to reduce butter! reduce sugar as banana is really sweet. then i change condensed milk to fresh milk since i dont want it to be too sweet plus, i reduce the amount of butter, i think fresh milk can make up to maintain the soft and moist texture of the muffins (: and, increase the banana a little.


is so soft and springy when i took it out from the cup. the cup is rather clean too (:


closer look at the soft and fluffy muffins
you've got to believe me that this is definitely a keeper! kids love it and i love it too! the fragrance of banana and oreo even after is cooled! PLUS, is really soft and moist. yummy! (:

im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Tiramisu (:

went market shopping with my mum and bought 20 over fresh, sweet, big, quality and cheap mango! plus longan, guava, banana, papaya, strawberry and blueberry. yes, we LOVE fruits! (:

yesterday was my bro-in-law's birthday. my sis told me he love tiramisu. so i search for recipe. OMG, there's so many yummy recipe out there. which to choose? i choose the simplest one yet recommended by the person (: decided on HHB's recipe and i modified it and topped it off with FRESH fruits that we bought.

big THANK YOU to jess and cathy for their help and suggestions! love you lots (:

so, im submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March hosted by Jess

presenting to you, TIRAMISU (:




because it tasted soooo DELICIOUS and it was finished right on the spot after singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY song, my mum request to make another one for my aunt! so i made another one today (: im sure i'll keep this recipe and my mum request this for her upcoming birthday!

TIRAMISU, attempt 2 (:

fresh longan that's fleshy, sweet and juicy!

this is the sponge fingers that i used


TIRAMISU

Ingredients:(makes a 8" cake)

Espresso Syrup:
1 tablespoon instant espresso/ strong coffee powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
1 tablespoon Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream) 50ml Kahlua

Filling:
250g mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream) Rum
1 cup (250 ml) heavy/whipping cream

about 1 1/2 pack of sponge fingers
50g dark chocolate Valrhona dark choc crunchy pearls

cocoa powder, to dust
dark and white chocolate shavings (optional)
fruits for decoration

Method:

To make the Espresso Syrup:
Dissolve instant espresso coffee powder in boiling water. Stir in 50ml Kahlua. Set aside.

To make the Filling:In a mixing bowl, with a manual whisk, whisk mascarpone cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, rum and 1 tablespoons of the espresso syrup until blended.

With an electric mixer whisk the whipping cream until soft peak (do not over whip). With a spatula, fold in 1/4 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture.

To assemble the cake:
Cut off one end of the sponge fingers so that each one is about 3" in length. Line the sides of a 8" round baking pan* (with a removable base or use a springform pan) with the sponge fingers (do not dip them in the espresso syrup). If the last sponge finger cannot fit in nicely, trim away part of it to fit it in. Save the leftover small pieces.

One at a time, gently dip (do not soak) sponge fingers in the espresso syrup and use them to line the base of the pan. Cut the sponge fingers into shorter lengths if necessary. Use the leftover pieces to fill the gaps.

Spoon over one third of the filling. Spread evenly. Repeat with another layer of sponge fingers and spoon over filling. Sprinkle crunchy choc pearls (gives the tiramisu bit of crunch that's nice) generously then put a layer of sponge and spread remaining filling. Spread and smooth the top. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, best left overnight.

Just before serving, unmold the cake and dust the top with cocoa powder. Decorate with dark and white chocolate shavings and strawberries (as desired).

(*Note: If you do not have a springform pan or a pan with a removable base, you can improvise by lining a normal round pan with a large sheet of aluminium foil. Give allowance of about 1~2 inches for the foil to hang over the rim of the pan. Place a cake board inside the lined pan. Follow the steps above. To unmold, simply lift up the cake from the pan by gripping the foil. Transfer the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the foil. )

dear all, i'll be taking a short break to think about and decide on stuffs. thank you for your concern, im fine (: after sorting out and thinking about it, actually it isnt too bad? that's how i console myself . . let's just hope for the best that can happen. yours till is decided . .