Happy Easter and a Sweet Gift of Chocolate Truffles

I am one who is bad at sending greeting cards on time. More often than not, my friends receive birthday cards and presents from me long after their actual birthdays. And my Christmas cards only arrive in January!

So I just want to quickly sneak in and wishes everyone who celebrate Easter a blessed Easter!

I haven't eaten a single chocolate egg yet since they make their debut on 15 Feb, a day after all valentine merchandises were off the shelves. Simply because I am a cheapskate who rather wait for massive clearance sale after Easter! I wonder if any of you will go for the after holiday sale for more chocolate eggs? Hopefully not, that means there will be more left for me! :)

Meanwhile, here's a sweet little something I made for OCT's colleagues this week,as a gesture of appreciation for the fantastic farewell party they threw us. (ok, his PI, Prof RK paid and hosted us, but still everyone made an effort to turn up and the company was great!)This truffle recipe which I saved since Christmas from Warda of 64 sq ft kitchen makes a perfect edible gifts. I made them with the leftover egg yolks from another recipe and they were delicious.

This truffle recipe from Chef Jacques Pepin is different from the one that I am accustomed to, in which heavy cream is used insteads of egg yolks. However, upon reading Christine's rave review after making the truffles, I know I need to try it when the right occasion arises. I ended up making 2 flavors- Irish Cream and Grand Marnier. Some modifications were adopted to utilise what I had on hand. For instant,Bailey Irish Cream was used instead of espresso because I love Bailey in everything and was simply too lazy to brew espresso at that point. I also omitted orange zest that the original recipe suggested, because guess what? I had run out of orange. On hindsight, I should have added some meyer lemon zest into it. Because the flavor of the grand marnier truffles was milder than what I like. Maybe a little more booze would help. I need to try that again later this week.

I am also sending these bittersweet gifts over to Danielle of Habeas Brulee who is hosting this month's Sugar High Friday. Be sure to check back her on 28 March to read about the sweet gifts other bloggers have whipped up for the event!

Delicious truffles from other blogs:
Matcha White Chocolate Pralines with Pistachios
Orange Truffles
Marble Swirl Truffles

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How to Decorate Chiffon Cake for Dinner Party- Vanilla Beans Chiffon Cake

Frosting a cake is hard! Especially when you are a left-handed and have a serious lack of imagination. I know how that feels like, when I tried to decorate the banana cake with caramel espresso frosting. I am contemplating of enrolling myself for the Wilton Cake Decorating classes once I move to Atlanta. I guess I need some help in the decorating department.

Meanwhile, I have found some pretty simple ways to go about the dreadful decorating task when the "I need to bring a presentable dessert to a dinner party" situation arises. Here's what works for me:

1. Keep it Simple. Use one piping tip that can do the job of simple decoration. In my case, it's the Wilton decorating tip #199.
2. Use lots of fruits to disguise the uneven frosting. Berries are natural beauty, sprinkle them however you like, they will turn out pretty. I used blueberries here because they were on sale in the market. As you may already know, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are suitable candidates too.

Voila, 2 simple steps to a dinner party worthy dessert! I hope you find the simple tips useful. :) So, what is your decorating secret?

Vanilla Bean Chiffon Cake
adapted from The Cake Book

2.5 cups sifted cake flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggwhites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and cut out a hole in the middle to fit the center tube of the pan. This cake is baked in an ungreased pan because greasing the pan would keep the batter from rising and gripping the sides of the pan as the cake bakes.

Using a spoon, scrape the small seeds out of the vanilla bean in to a large measuring cup or bowl.Mix in the water, lemon zest, oil and eggyolks. Whisk until well combined.

Over a large piece of parchment paper or bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 1 1/4 cups of sugar and salt and stir together.

Make a well in the center of the mixture by pushing the dry ingredients towards the side of the bowl. Add the water + oil + egg yolk + lemon zest mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir together until thoroughly combined.

Place the egg whites in the grease free bowl of an electric mixer or in a large grease free bowl. Using the wire whip attachment or a hand held mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the egg whites hold glossy and firm but not stiff, peaks, about 5 minutes.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in 3 to 4 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Mine took 45-50 minutes).

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet or over a funnel or a thin necked bottle. Let the cake hang to cool completely. Don't set the pan on a cooling rack on its base. This will cause the cake to collapse onto itself.

Don't shake the cake out of the pan before it is cool. Once the cake is cool. use a thin blade knife or flexible blade spatula to run across the outer edge and the inside tube to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack, then reinvert onto a serving plate.

Place the cake on a rack over a lined baking sheet.Decorate with any buttercream you like.

Related entry:
How to decorate a Chocolate Cake for dinner party

Hungry for more chiffon cake recipes?
Espresso Chiffon Cake with Caramel/Chocolate Glaze
Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake
Banana Chiffon Cake

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Cleaning the Freezer Part 1: Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting

As anyone who have moved before can attest, moving to a new place is a hassle. It often involves lots of packing and cleaning.All the clothes,books and other stuffs that one may have well forgotten their existence until being confronted in the most unlikely places. I have to confess that we haven't done much on the packing part. Mostly because we think (1) We still have time (2)We don't have many things to pack (3) I may still need to use that pan/book/CD or wear that jeans/sweather/coat/shirt.

However, I have certainly made some progress with the cleaning part. Cleaning out the freezer that is. There was some scone dough that I baked for OCT to munch on during his busy lab day, and chocolate hazelnut sables dough that I sliced and baked to bring to a dinner party. As I reached deeper into the freezer, there was a bag of bananas. I know I am going to make a batch of my favorite banana bread to bring with us to Atlanta. And the rest would have to be used in other recipes.

Like the banana cake with caramel espresso frosting from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book . I have made so many recipes from this book that makes the purchase worthwhile! If you may kindly divert your eyesight from my horrible frosting, I would love to tell you more about this cake.

Moistened with 3 large bananas and 1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt, and flavored with ground cardamom and ground cinnamon, this banana cake is wholesome on its own, without the frosting.

Having said that, the frosting is definitely one not to be missed! Imagine caramel made from scratch, combined with espresso powder and lots of butter using the french buttercream method. I was full of anticipation as I watched eagerly at the candy thermometer as the temperature rose to the desired degree. And then the caramel was slowly poured into the egg mixture in the mixer. A few seconds of mixing, followed by more caramel pouring, and more mixing later, the kitchen smells like a candy store. Some sticks of butter later, it turned out to be a luscious caramel espresso buttercream that gild right down one's throat.

Honestly, although the cake is great, I think the buttercream is the reason one should give this cake a try. Unfortunately, for the same reason, I decided to use as much buttercream on the cake as possible. Hence explains the catastrophic appearance of the cake. Can you tell from the piping that I was trying to squeeze in all the buttercream onto the cake?

I was really happy when I learned from one of the tasters that the cake was devored within 5 minutes when it made its appearance in the meeting. That shows I am not the only one who doesn't care about the apperance of food, as long as it tastes nice! :D

Want more recipes with bananas?

Banana Chiffon Cake
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
Hummingbird Cake

Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting
adapted from The Cake Book

for the banana cake:
2.5 cups cake flour
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
0.25 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
1.5 cups mashed bananas, from about 3 large bananas
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (the original recipe uses sour cream)
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
0.5 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnut/pecan (i used walnut)

Caramel Espresso Buttercream:
(This recipe yields 5 cups of buttercream, I halved it to save some calories and it has enough frosting to cover the cake)

1.25 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown, because that's what I have on hand)
1.25 cups (300ml)heavy cream
0.5 cup light corn syrup
0.25 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

To make the banana cakes:
Position a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pan, and dust with flour.

Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom into a medium bowl, whish to combine and set aside.

Combine the yogurt and mashed banana in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, and add in the oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat at high speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. At medium speed, add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the banana mixture, and mixing until blended.

Stir in the walnut/pecan by hand and divide the batter into two prepared pans. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Note: The cake can be made in advanced and store unfrosted at room temperature, covered with foil for up to 5 days.

To make the caramel espresso buttercream:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and salt to cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high.

Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with te whisk attachment, begin beating the eggs at medium speed. When the sugar syrup reaches 225F on a candy thermometer, increase the speed of the mixer to high. Continue to cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 238F.

Remove the pan from the heat and with the mixer off, immediately pour about 1/4 cup of the hot syrup over the beaten eggs. Beat at high speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Turn the mixer off and add another 1/4 cup syrup. Beat at high speed for another 10 seconds. Repeat this process until all the syrup is used. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat at medium high speed until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes. When you touch the mixing bowl, it should be cold.

At medium speed, beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla extract and coffee mixture, increase the speed to medium high and beat the buttercream until it is smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes.

The buttercream can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 hours, or refrigerate for up to a week; bring to room temperature before using.

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25 Things about myself

I was tagged by Medena, My cooking hut, Aran, Ginny and Happy Home Baking for the 5 things meme. Does that mean I have to tell you 5x5 things about myself? Alright, here it goes:

Prawns in Sabah, my hometown is cheap and good

About my photographs,
1. I am currently using a pentax K100D with SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 and am loving every minute of it.
2. Yes, I photoshop all the photos you see in my blog.
3. The few functions of photoshop that I know how to use, include auto level, contrast and auto color.
4. I try to take most of the photos under natural light. Normally around 10-11a.m or 3-5p.m, the time when there's enough natural light .
5. I use the aperture priority setting with aperture set between 2.8-3.5 most of the time.

Laksa, in the hawker store near OCT's

About baking,
1. I don't use a timer when cooking/baking...and always forget how long my cakes/cookies have been baking. But I make sure I keep a close watch on them.
2. I can never level a cake nicely. As a result, the layer cakes always turn out tilted like the Tower of Pisa.
3. I lack the imagination required for cake decoration. So I opt for simple chocolate glaze most of the time.
4. I believe that a layer of chocolate glaze make everything taste better.
5. I have never made custard before. Probably because it is not something that I like in particular.

Crab, must eat seafood in Sabah.

About myself,
1. I love to sing. I went karaoke with my friends frequently when I was in Singapore.
2. I don't believe you have to spend a lot of money to get delicious food. Food prepared with tender loving care from our loved ones is the best.
3. I like to seek out where the locals go for unpretentious, delicious food whenever I travel.
4. I wanted to learn photography and photoshops from books, but that never materializes.
5. I am the eldest child and my brother is 2 years younger.

Random shot, on the rare occasion that I eat lunch.

6. My favorite person in the entire world is my grandpa Jimmy. Sadly, he passed away when I was 1o years old.
7. When I was 4-5 years old, I asked my grandpa to get me a star in the sky. I thought all he needed was a stair in our store room.
8. I am my grandpa's favorite grandchild. He used to shower me with gifts when he returned from travel.
9. The local food I love to eat include: laksa, prawn noodle and "kou rou" (pork belly) when they are done right. But chocolate remains my absolute favorite, the darker the better.
10. I don't care about the presentation of food, as long as it's tasty.

Vegetarian meal, prepared by one of my best friends- Khim, for her birthday

11. I am not an adventurous eater, I don't mind eating the same dish in the same restaurant over and over again.
12. I love to cook for others. Hopefully, I can turn this into a career one day.
13. I would rather not read a book or watch a movie with sad ending.
14. I love cheerful colors and OCT says I am easily satisfied.
15. I am planning to go to pastry school in 2 years' time once I save enough money.

My first year eating Chinese New Year Eve dinner at OCT's. They have steamboat every year

I hope I don't miss anyone who has tagged me for the same meme. I am really not good at keeping track of the tagging game. I am not tagging anyone for this. But if you feel like telling your readers a little bit more about yourself, feel free to do so. And consider yourself tagged. :)

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Chocolate Matcha Loaf Cake

Has Spring arrived in your neck of the woods yet? This morning when I looked out from the window, there's still no sign of its arrival yet. I feel cheated when seeing my contacts on Flickr posted their Spring inspired photos, of flowers blooming and people smiling, on a presumably happy Spring day.

Old man winter seems to overstay his welcome here. And I am grumpy, with the view of depressingly barren trees, and the prospect of hunting an apartment which we can call home in Atlanta. We are moving in 2 weeks time, but not a single detail of the move has been finalized.

For a complete lack of wit, allow me to leave you with this chocolate matcha loaf I made, using my favorite low fat recipe from Alice Medrich, which never fails to make me feel better and comforted after a slice.

I am going out for a walk now, hoping to find the slightest hint of Spring's arrival.

For recipe, see here.

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Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake

p/s: if you are reading this via feed, will you drop by my blog and check out my new layout? Although it's still a work in progress, I am happy that it's now cleaner and load faster than before.

Before I was 5 years old, orange was the only fruit I ate. And when being offered the colorful gummy bears or other fruity sweets, I wouldn't hesitate to pick only those with orange flavor. In fact, I would rather being offered Smarties, Kitkat or the Cadbury Chocolate, especially the one with hazelnut. That was my absolute favorite.

I couldn't remember how I outgrew the orange phrase, or rather what mum did to coax me to give other fruits a chance, but orange remains one of my favorite fruits. Even though nowaday I have also added lemon, mango, durian, cherry, apple, pear and grape to my favorite fruit list too.
I love eating oranges out of hand, and would usually choose to peel them by hand. I simply enjoy the process of peeling oranges. I love how after the vitamin C packed fruit is devored, its fragrant aroma lingers on the fingers.

As much as I love oranges, I seldom bake with them. My partner, who declared that he had eaten enough orange cake for a lifetime during his National Service forbid the presence of such cake in the house. Honestly I could hardly picture anyone eating orange cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner for one whole month! So OCT is an orange cake phobic. Everytime when I suggest to make an orange cake, he would wince and ask me to reconsider.

But I want to bake something with the beautiful oranges that I have just bought. In an attempt to make myself feel less guilty, I shall proceed and name this cake- Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake. Even though the batter has only 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier, and as much as 3/4 cup of orange juice. No, the mention of orange chiffon cake will not be accepted in this household. But Grand Marnier chiffon cake is a totally different matter. It is soon being fully endorsed by my partner who is averse to orange cake! So you see, naming the food is as important as the food itself, if not more in this hiffon cake case.

You can omit the Grand Marnier if you don't have it on hand, but I love how it enhances the flavor of the chiffon cake. We eat the cake as it is without any frosting or glaze. But feel free to use the bittersweet gananche that accompany the recipe, should you need something more elaborate for a dinner party.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake (a.k.a Orange Chiffon Cake)

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (I used juices from 3 oranges and top up the volume with water)
1/2 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, separated ( I used 1 1/4 cup of sugar)
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
confectioner sugar, for dusting

For Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache (optional):
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 72% chocolate), finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325F.

Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and cut out a hole in the middle to fit the center tube of the pan. This cake is baked in an ungreased pan because greasing the pan would keep the batter from rising and gripping the sides of the pan as the cake bakes.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the orange juice, grand marnier, orange zest, oil,vanilla and eggyolks. Whisk until well combined.

Over a large piece of parchment paper or bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and salt and stir together.

Make a well in the center of the mixture by pushing the dry ingredients towards the side of the bowl. Add the orange juice mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir together until thoroughly combined.

Place the egg whites in the grease free bowl of an electric mixer or in a large grease free bowl. Using the wire whip attachment or a hand held mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whipping until the egg whites hold glossy and firm but not stiff, peaks, about 5 minutes.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter in 3 to 4 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Transfer the batter to the tube pan. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.(Mine took 45-50 minutes).

Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet or over a funnel or a thin necked bottle. Let the cake hanf to cook completely. Don't set the pan on a cooling rack on its base. This will cause the cake to collapse onto itself.

Don't shake the cake out of the pan before it is cool. Once the cake is cool. use a thin blade knife or flexible blade spatula to run across the outer edge and the inside tube to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a rack, then reinvert onto a serving plate.

Place the cake on a rack over a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if using.

*optional*
Making Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
Heat cream, sugar, rum in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers and bubbles forming on the sides of saucepan. Remove from heat and pour cream over chopped chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, stir to melt chocolate with hot cream until the mixture turns glossy and smooth. Let the chocolate ganache cool to pouring consistency. Pour over the chiffon cake.

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Chinese Beef Stew with Daikon

It was only last Sunday when we put on our shorts and flip-fops to welcome the apparent arrival of spring. And then late last night came the snowstorm that brings the temperature down from the 70's to 20's, together with 12 inches of snow. Throughout the day, the incessant snow that resembled sifted flour had me wonder if the angels have been busy baking for somebody's birthday.

Seems like the season for comfort stews is far from over. For a wintry night like this, I love having a pot of hearty beef stew simmering on top of the stove to welcome OCT home. Because I still have some beautiful daikons left from making my favorite Crispy Daikon Cake, I decided to make an Asian inspired beef stew. There's a kind of Chinese beef stew which has daikon in it which my friend E used to rave about. She said that her grandma made the best Chinese beef stew with daikon in the entire world. Growing up in a family that doesn't eat beef, I have unfortunately not tasted this form of beef stew before. Neither have I met up with E's legendary grandma who makes the mean pot of chinese beef stew. So this is my take on the chinese beef stew with daikon. The way I envision it to be.In my humble opinion, I wouldn't think it resembles the original version in anyway, but this version is delicious nonetheless.

To inject some chinese flavor in this beef stew, I use some whole unpeel garlic cloves, star anises and five spice powder to season the broth. Instead of fresh cremini and white button mushrooms, dried shiitakes are reconstituted and used. Then I decided to incorporate some of my favorite elements of a classic American beef stew, such as red wine, swanson's low sodium beef broth and carrot into the pot.

You can call it the Americanized Chinese Beef Stew if you must, since I don't make the beef broth from scratch using beef bones, and traded the Chinese Shaoxing wine (which I obviously have in the pantry) for the bottle of leftover red in my fridge. Whatever. Wait. Let's call it......MAC BeST. (Mandy's Americanized Chinese Beef Stew, get it? :))

I know. It's lame. Just humor me by pretending that it's funny for a second, ok?

I am submitting this recipe for the Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Anna of Morsels and Musings this week. The rest of the world deserve to know that daikon tastes great in beef stew. :)


MAC BeST (Mandy's Americanized Chinese Beef Stew)

1.5 pounds sirloin tip roast,trimmed and cubed
2 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 large daikon, ( about 12-14 oz) peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1.5 cups chopped carrot
2 cups of low sodium beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 cups water
10-15 dried shiitake mushroom, reconstituted in warm water for 1 hour until soft, halved or quartered, depending on how big the shiitake mushrooms are
1/2 tsp five spice powder
2 star anise
5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp salt
white pepper


Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Remove to a plate.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil + 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to onion. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Add 1 cup wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add star anise, five spice powder, broth, sugar, mushrooms and garlic cloves; bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for one hour or until beef is tender.

Stir in daikon and carrot. Simmer for one and a half hour to two hour or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If time allows, increase the total cooking time to 3 hours, so that all the ingredients have more time to meld together.

p/s: The beef stew tastes better the next day!

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