Friday Treats- Chocolate Hazelnut Sables

It was a rainy day yesterday. I was glad that the rain had cooled our apartment down a bit while I was preparing the Chocolate Hazelnut Sables. But it was certainly not cool enough for the dough. They had to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours before shaping and cutting.

This is the sable dough after resting, I keep them in the freezer instead of fridge, to shorten the resting time and also to prevent them from melting before I sliced all of them down into individual sables.


Quite unlike most of the cookies I baked in the past, these sables are delightfully tender,crumbly and buttery. Because this recipe used almost a pound of butter, they are hardly considered healthy. And since butter plays such an important role in this case, the quality of butter used really counts. I like how short the ingredients list is, eventhough the making process is a real pain.

But why should I be surprise? Most of the french pastries usually called for great attention for details and immaculate precision. And inevitably, such precision always lead to delightful results.

I will need this when I attend culinary school one day. But for now, more practices are needed. My sables didn't turn out as uniform as I wanted.

Since I was baking the sables, I decided to bake some nibby hazelnut cookies using the dough I left from last time. Surprisingly, the flavor improved a lot. There's a faint note of cocoa in the cookies which I didn't detect in the first batch. I hope it wasn't just my imagination.



Chocolate Hazelnut Sables
Adapted from Pierre Herme's Chocolate Desserts

2 cups (300g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (25g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
2 sticks plus 1.5 tbsp (8 3/4 ounces,250g) unsalted butter), at room temperature
1 cup (100g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (140g) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and halved or quartered
1/2 recipe sweet tart dough chilled and ready to roll (see recipe below)

Sift the flour and cocoa powder and set aside. Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is soft and smooth.Add sugar followed by salt, and continue to beat, scraping the bowl as needed for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is light, pale and creamy. Add 1 of the eggs and beat to incorporate. At this point, the mixture should be light and fluffy. Set the mixer to low, add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until they disappear into the dough. Take care not to overwork the dough. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts.
Turn the dough out onto a smooth working surface- marble is ideal- and shape it into a 6 x 7-inch (15 x 18cm) rectangle that's 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. Put the chocolate dough in the refrigerator while you work on the tart dough. (The dough can be made ahead,wrapped airtight, and keep refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for a month.)

Beat the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of cold water and keep this egg wash close at hand. Also have 2 sheets of parchment paper and a baking sheet nearby.

Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll each disc of tart dough into a rectangle, that's a scant 1/4 inch (7 mm) thick (the thickness is important here) and slightly larger than 6x7 inches (15x18 cm. Put one piece of the rolled out dough on one sheet of parchment and brush the surface with egg wash, the glue that will keep the multi layers together. Center the chocolate dough on the tart dough, then, using a sharp knife, cut away the excess tart dough. Brush the top of the chocolate dough with egg wash and place the second sheet of tart dough over the cookie dough. Top this setup with the second piece of parchment paper, flip everything over, and remove the top sheet of parchment. Trim the excess tart dough so that it's even with the two layers. Slide the package (still sitting in the parchment) onto a baking sheet, cover it well and chill for at least 4 hours. (wrapped airtight, the package can be frozen for up to a month, defrost in the refrigerator before baking.)

Preheat the oven to 325F (165C). Have another parchment-lined baking sheet at the ready. Using a sharp thin blade knife, working from one 7-inch (18cm) side of the dough package to the other, cut 6 even strips of dough, then cut each strip into 1/4-inch (7mm) wide cookies. Arrange the cookies on two baking sheets, leaving a 1/2-inch (1.5cm) between the cookies.

Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or untl the cookies are firm, and the tart dough is lightly browned, rotate the baking sheets half way, around 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.

The baked cookies can be kept at room temperaure for 3- 4 days in an airtight tin. The dough can be made ahead, wrapped airtight and keep refrigerated for 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.

Make about 150 cookies.

Sweet Tart Dough

2.5 sticks (10 ounces, 285g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1.5 cups (150g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (lightly packed)(3 1/4 ounces, 100g) finely ground almond powder or finely ground blanched almond
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanlla bean pulp or pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3.5 cups (490g) all purpose flour

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 loo cuddled- that's all right. 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. Or, press the dough into one big disk and cut off as much as you need at the time that you need it. gently press the dough into disks and wrap them in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days , before rolling and baking. Alternatively, the dough can be freeze for up to 1 month.

To roll and bake:
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.

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 4 cm), lifting the dough often and making certain that the work surface and the dough are amply floured at all times. (a well floured area makes rolling this rich dough easier) Roll the dough up around your rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart ring. Fir 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 abd just certain not to stretch the dough that's in the pan. Prick the dough all over with 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.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and fit a circle of parchment paper or foil into the crust and fill with dried beans or rice.

Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes, 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.

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Trying out another new to me ingredient- Cocoa Nibs

I know this is nothing new to the chocolate connoisseurs, but for some inexplicable reasons, I only bought my first pack of cocoa nibs last week. And that was because of my recent obsession with all chocolate related cookbooks.

Such is the magnitude of "advertisement". When you see something often enough, you will unconsciously crave for it. In my case, I started to crave for cocoa nibs. Or any pastries consists of cocoa nibs. So obsess till the point of taking a 40 minutes ride to the neareast Whole Food just to buy a packet of this.

Once home, I carefully scanned through the myriad of cocoa nibs related recipes, and decided to commemorate my first cocoa nib's experience with Alice Medrich's recipe called Nibby Hazelnut Cookies. The original recipe used pecan, but I like hazelnut better, so I went ahead to use just that.

The cookies turned up just the way the recipe promised, tender and crunchy. And the flavor of the cocoa beans developed and infused over time, according to the recipe. But apparently, cocoa nibs tasted just like toasted nuts. I didn't get the intense chocolate flavor that I anticipated. The flavor that I conjured in my mind. In fact, Alice Medrich has warned me in her book- Bittersweet that the cocoa nibs are "unsweetened and austere to a palate that expects chocolate". So all my expectation is totally unfounded.


I left the cookies out a few days to let the flavor melds. They are pleasant, but not memorable enough for me to dream about (like the World Peace Cookies). Now that I have a whole box of cocoa nibs, I guess I will continue to experiment with other recipes, hopefully the next one will be a better one.

Nibby Hazelnut Cookies
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

1 cup (3.5 ounces)toasted, skinned hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 pound ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa nibs
2 cups all purpose flour

Combine the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a electric mixer and beat until creamy and smooth but not fluffly (about 1 minute). Stir or beat in cocoa nibs and chopped nuts. Turn off the mixer and add all the flour at once. Beat on low speed until combine.

Form the dough into 12- inch log about 2 inches thick. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months).

Note: I baked some and left the rest of the dough in the freezer.

Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1.5 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until cookies are light golden brown at the edges. Let the cookies firm up on the pan for about 1 minute before transferring them to a rack and let cool completely.

For best flavor and texture, store the cookies in an airtight container for at least 24 hours before serving. (They can be stored airtight for at least 1 month).

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Chocolate Banana Cake

Last week, I found myself in a familiar situation of having a few deadlines to meet once again. This time, it was the buttermilk, yogurt, banana and peanut chocolate chips that I overbought on impulse. It was funny because I don't even like peanut chocolate chips and I still bought 2 bags that I knew was going to expire in less than a month time.

Well, that's the consequence of going grocery shopping alone. I tend to overbuy stuff that I vaguely know I am going to use, somehow , somewhere. But never get to use them soon enough before their expiring dates. For instant, I have two containers of mascarpone cheese in the fridge which have been sitting there for more than 2 weeks. They are just waiting for an opportunity to be transformed into a Tiramisu cake. I better make the cake before it's too late....

Coming back to meeting deadlines. Just a day before the expiring date of the buttermilk, I whipped up a batch of Alice Medrich's Chocolate Pound Cake. I was drawned to this cake for various reasons. Firstly, it's Alice Medrich's favorite pound cake recipe. Secondly, I had made the version with the raspberry puree with great success not too long ago. And thirdly and most importantly, I have 8 boxes of Valrhona Cocoa Powder. I am now convinced that anything that has been touched by these fabulous powder will be turned into gold. (well, the cocoa powder doesn't come cheap by the way. If it wasn't for the good fortune that led me to buy some at half price, I doubt I would buy any of them).

Enough said, I made a batch of the cake into cupcakes, dipped them into chocolate glaze and swirled some white and milk chocolate on top. They looked exactly like these. Even without the glaze, the pound cake was moist and chocolatey to be enjoyed on its own.


The lovely cupcakes were promptly deported from our apartment on the next morning as OCT's Friday meeting treats. Because I kept dreaming about them the next day, I whipped up another batch of the cake. This time, I make it in a 9-inch springform pan and slice it in half. On Saturday morning, they were topped with some very ripe banana slices and Alice's Whipped Chocolate Ganache. I even considered of covering the cake with another layer of chocolate ganache. But decided to take it easy, and simply dust it with a star stencil that OCT helped me to make.

And for the expiring yogurt and peanut chocolate chips, I made a batch of the usual banana bread and sent them away to OCT's lab too. If I get some yogurt again this week, I can forsee myself making another batch of the banana bread. ...

Chocolate Pound Cake
adapted from Alice Medrich's A Year in Chocolate

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
2 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softenend
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line the muffin tin with fluted paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, then sift onto a sheet of wax paper. Set aside.

Combine the buttermilk, instant espresso powder and vanilla in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium to large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for a few seconds, until creamy. Add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Break the eggs into a cup or small bowl and whisk to combine the whites and yolks. Take a full 2.5 to 3 minutes to dribble the eggs gradually into the butter mixture, beating constantly.

Stop the mixer and add one third of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed only until no flour is visible. Srop the mixture and add half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat only until absorbed. Repeat with half of the remaining flour, all of the remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally the remaining flour. Scrape the bowl as necessary and beat on low speed only enough to incorporate the ingredients after each addition.

Scrape the batter into the paper liners, and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on rack.

note: you can also make the cake in a 6-cup decorative tube pan, or a 9-inch springform pan, wrapped with aluminium foil. Just bake it for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Just dinners

I better blog about what we had for dinners before I totally forget about them. Not that any of them were memorable or spectacular, but I just want to leave a record of what we have been eating lately. And hopefully be able to trace the culprit/s of my recent weight gain!

With the abundance of asparagus this time of year, we couldn't resist another meal of asparagus pesto melts. It's a new favorite for us. OCT thought it's fancy enough to entertain friends with these. But I am not sure. It's always messy when we eat them. (Think asparagus rolling down from the sourdough everytime OCT had a bite) Maybe I should try to add more sauce or cheese to glue the fillings together. But I am hesistated to do that.



Our little endeavour to go meatless once a week went well. This week, we had pasta primevera on Tuesday night. It wasn't as nice as the meatless meal we had last week, but it was ok. With lots of broccoli (OCT's fave), asparagus (my fave), among other green veggies, we had a filling and guilt-free dinner.



Thai Shrimp Cakes, is one of the recipes I attempted as I am cooking through my Thai Cookbook. If it's not because these cakes had to be deep-fried, I would have made them ages ago. The perfect opportunity arose when we had friends over for dinner last week. I guess sometime I just need a little nudge to go the extra mile. I would never have the motivation to make this dish just for the two of us.


Coming back to the Shrimp Cakes. Eventhough I have never ordered this appertiser from Thai restaurants, I liked how it turned out nonetheless. The taste of curry and shrimp in every bite was just fantastic. However, OCT thought it was a waste of fresh shrimps, as the curry taste has overpowered the fresh shrimps. The shrimps could taste better in other dishes, he reasoned. Maybe he's right, I will just use smaller shrimps when I make these again.

Pasta Primavera
Adapted from Cookinglight

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 2 ounces)
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (omitted)
2/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (used flat leaf parsley)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook green beans in boiling water 1 minute. Add broccoli and asparagus; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Return water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add peas, and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes.

Combine half-and-half and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium. Add half-and-half mixture and salt to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

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Devil's Food White-Out Cake

To make up for the overly sweet yellow sheet cake I made for OCT's defense party, I made another cake for him. This time, a White-Out Devil's Food Cake, which is actually also the cake featured on the cover of Dorie Greenspan's latest book -Baking: From my home to yours.

Only mine wasn't as gorgeous looking as the one she made. And I only got 2 layers out of the recipe, instead of three. I must also confess that my mashmallow filling has somehow collapsed, making the cake looked pretty miserable on its cross section. Eventhough it has been 3 days since then, I haven't solved the mystery of what went wrong with the filling yet. I think I have to give mum a call later to find out what could possibly have contributed to the collapse.

Other than that, the cake itself is pretty tasty. How could it not be? With the most amazing Valrhona cocoa powder, melted 72% chocolate and lots of chopped milk chocolate. The cake is delicious even on its own.


To overcome its embarassing appearance, I chopped up some strawberries as accompaniment. It also make me feel better to eat something healthy together with something so sinfully delicious.


A great celebration cake, I am sure it will make an appearance when the right occassion arises. I hope I would have mustered enough courage to give it another try by then.

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Lasagna : Two ways

We had lasagna twice last week. First was a simple roll up version, recipe of Rachael Ray and the second one- Asparagus Lasagna, was devoured on our weekly vegetarian night.

Wanting the comfort of a lasagna but not the work of putting one together, I was delighted to find a short cut from Rachael Ray's website. Instead of the usual layering method, the filling was simply placed on top of individual lasagna noodle and rolled up before putting in a baking dish. The individual lasagna rolls were then baked with a simple pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese for less than 10 minutes. OCT thought it was a pretty good, all in one meal. He has the leftover all by himself (as usual).

The second lasagna was a vegetarian version, featuring my favorite Spring asparagus. It was a perfect vegetarian meal; satisfying without feeling guilty. Instead of Bechamel sauce, this recipe used a pesto white sauce. The end result was significantly lighter than its cream/milk counterpart but tasted much nicer. Maybe because I never really like milk anyway.

Actually, I was thinking of making a seafood lasagna when I first bought the lasagna noodle. Who knows I would end up with two totally random recipes than the one I have first set eyes on. Typing this out made me feel a bit guilty, I think I will try to make the seafood lasagna before it goes totally covered by other recipes on my to try list.

Here's the original recipe, but I added in some chopped Kielbasa, and used pasta sauce insteads of Gorgonzola cream sauce, to cut down on time and fat.

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
adapted from Rachael Ray

16 cremini caps, cleaned with a damp towel and finely chopped in food processor
1 small yellow-skinned onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or the equivalent of freshly grated
2 cups part skim ricotta
8 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (12 to 14 minutes)
1 cup fat free chicken broth
8 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

In a medium skillet over moderate heat, saute mushrooms, chopped onions, and garlic in oil until mushrooms give off their juices and darken and onions are tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; the salt will help draw water out of the vegetables as they cook.

Add dry chopped spinach to the pan and heat through for 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Add ricotta and stir into mixture to heat cheese through, 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat but leave in the warm skillet.

Heat broth in a small pan over moderate heat. Melt Gorgonzola into broth and bring liquid to a bubble. Stir in cream and thicken sauce 2 minutes.

Place cooked lasagna noodles on a large work surface or cutting board. Spread lasagna noodles with a layer of spinach-mushroom filling. Roll up pasta and arrange the 8 bundles in a shallow casserole dish. Pour warm sauce over roll-ups and top with mozzarella. Place casserole under broiler to melt cheese.

Asparagus Pesto Lasagna
adapted from Vegetarian Times ( I halved the recipe, and used a 9x9-inch baking dish)
serves 10

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
6 Tbs. pesto*, or more to taste
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish, optional
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
16 no-cook lasagna noodles (9 oz.)
2 cups shredded Fontina or part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), divided


Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk in saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup white sauce.

Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Coat 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place layer of noodles in dish, overlapping slightly. Layer with half of cooked asparagus, 3/4 cup Fontina and half of sauce. Add another layer of pasta, remaining sauce, remaining cooked asparagus and 3/4 cup Fontina. Top with layer of noodles, then with reserved 1 cup white sauce. Arrange reserved asparagus tips over top and sprinkle with remaining Fontina.

Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes; serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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OCT's big day

It is OCT's big day today. All he has done for the past 6 years is finally coming to a fruitful end today. Neither of us slept well last night. I was excited and he was a bit nervous. It was just like yesterday when he left home to come to St Louis, to pursue his dream. And now that everything has fallen into the right place just as we have anticipated, I can't wait to enter another stage of our adventure, hopefully in a more interesting place this time. We have even talked about the possiblity of me entering a pastry program, should the right opportunity arises.

But it's too early to talk about all these now. He only defended his dissertation today, and there are still lots of things needed to be done before we move on.

So for now, I would like to present to you what I made for OCT "After- Defense Party".

A tray of Mississippi Mud Cake and a simple yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting. Not the most impressive party cake, I made it last minute after we failed to order a proper one from the bakery.

Everybody likes the Mississippi Mud Cake, but we think the yellow sheet cake is too sweet for our liking...

Last but not least, Dr Ong himself, for a job well done! Congrats OCT!

Mississippi Mud Cake
adapted from Cookinglight
Cake:
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
Cooking spray
3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting:
1/4 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa
1/4 cup evaporated fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, combine 3/4 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cocoa, stirring until blended. Cool. Place granulated sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add cocoa mixture and egg substitute; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, stirring well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Top with marshmallows. Bake an additional 2 minutes or until marshmallows are soft.

To prepare frosting, combine 1/4 cup cocoa, evaporated milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Drizzle frosting over cake. Cool. Cut cake into squares.

Yield: 15 servings (serving size: 1 square)

Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
adapted from Cookinglight

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

Frosting:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 to 2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, coat bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan); line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup butter and sour cream in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute; beat 2 minutes or until well blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add cocoa, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat at low speed until well blended. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Place cake on a serving platter. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

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May there be peace...

Peace wasn't exactly the right word to describe everybody's mood last week. With the news of war, suicide bombers that killed hundreds in the middle east and something closer which impacted us more, the Virginia Tech Massacre. I wonder what it takes to have every habitatants of this earth to live peacefully with one another.

But actually, I don't have to look far. I myself sometime bear grudges for something that people did or said to me. Most of the time unintentionally. Maybe if I could be more forgiving and loving, I will make this a better place to stay for myself and those around me.

In light of all these conflicts going on around us, I pull out a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours, which was aptly named as World Peace cookies. According to Dorie's neighbour who has tried this cookies, a daily dose of these cookies everyday would ensure "planetary peace and happiness". Who knows, maybe chocolate and sugar could be the answer of tribal hatred, bitterness and loneliness?



World Peace Cookies
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch processed cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp baking soda
11 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed, light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together.

Working with a mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer, pour in the dry ingredients. Pulse the mixture at low speed for 5 times, with one to two seconds each time, until the flour disappear into the dough. Try to work the dough as little as possible for better texture. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of saran wrap, roughly shape it into a log, approximately 1.5 inch.

tip:For perfect round, I split the paper towel core to half in the center, and place the wrapped dough in the center. Tie the paper core on both ends and freeze the perfect round dough in the freezer until ready to bake.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch rounds, don't be concerned if the dough crack as you cut them, simply squeeze the bits back to the cookies.

Tip:To minimize crack, try to cut the chocolate chunks into smaller chips, that way the chocolate can disperse more evenly into the dough. Also, if you put the dough in freezer, wait about 5 minutes to let the dough soften a bit.

Bake at 325F for 12 minutes. They won't look done nor firm, but that's the way they should be. Transfer the cool.

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Orange Strawberry Muffins

Insteads of eating the leftover strawberries out of the container, I have turned them into fairly healthy breakfast treats for OCT.
Thanks to the pureed strawberries, the batter was in a romantic pink shade before baking. However, the pink colour quickly faded after they were baked. OCT who is not fond of strawberry actually like this muffin.



Strawberry Orange Muffins
adapted from Cookinglight

1 1/4 cups halved strawberries
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
2 teaspoons grated orange rind (I used meyer lemon peel)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar (used only 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender, and process just until blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pan immediately.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

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Strawberry Celebration Cake

We had a great time last Sunday celebrating the April birthdays with a fantastic outdoor cookout cum potluck dinner.

The hospitable host BP and her husband made most of the yummy food. Too bad I didn't bring a camera to capture the spread. But the grilled chicken and fish were excellent! That made me really envy those who have access to an outdoor grill when the weather turns warmer. OCT and I had fun tending the backup grill, and grilled some sweet potatoes and pork!(both were yummy too!)



Of course a birthday party gave me a perfectly good excuse to bake a cake! I was the usual ambitious self when it comes to celebration cake. I made a chocolate strawberry cake, which consists of chocolate genoise with chocolate mousse, whipped cream with strawberries sandwiched in the center and dark chocolate ganache. With my very limited skill, the genoise layers came out uneven and the eggs in the mousse scrambled, before the right temperature was achieved. I threw away the first batch, and started over again, but the texture didn't improved. Because the mousse tasted fine after straining, I decided to keep it and spread the thin mousse over the genoise. Another layer of whipped cream and strawberries was then added to help to heighten the cake, literally.



Without a proper cake ring, the appearance of the cake suffered. Look at the untidy edges! Not even the thick ganache can do its trick to camouflage that! The decoration on top was OCT's idea eventhough I was the one executed it. White chocolate and fresh fruits are really handy when a novice baker like myself needs to decorate (and camouflage all the flaws!) a cake.



Making this cake is a great learning process. Through the cake, I learned:
- how to make the chocolate genoise, finally. After procastinating for so long.
-the important of using the right instrument the task required. When the recipe required instant thermometer, DON'T use a candy thermometer. It detects temperature too slowly!
-Don't pester your husband when he is watching his favorite tv show, (eventhough he has watched it a dozen times before) or risk being reproached.
-Start planning and baking early and have backup plans in case the cake doesn't turn out the way it should.
-I need to buy an instant read thermometer and some cake rings!( hopefully some decorative tips too)

Though laborious, this is one cake that I don't mind making again and again, eventhough I have a really long to-try-list awaiting.

Here's the recipe of the genoise, a great building block for this yummy cake.

Chocolate Genoise:
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sifted (before measuring) all purpose flour
1/3 cup sifted (before measuring) Dutch processed cocoa powder
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper.

To clarify the butter: in a very small saucepan, or in a narrow glass jar in the microwave, heat the butter without stirring, until it mleted and very hot. The butter will separate into foam on top, clear yellow oil beneath, and water plus some milk solids on the bottom. Simply spoon off and discard the foam on the surface. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the clear yellow butter to a medium heatproof bowl. Add the vanilla to the bowl and set aside.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder three times, return to the sifter and set aside.

In a large heatproof bowl, preferably the bowl of your electric mixer, use a whisk to combine the eggs and sugar thoroughly. Place the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat the eggs to lukewarm (about 105F). With an electric mixer, beat the egg mixture at high speed until it has cooled , is tripled in volume, and resembled softly whipped cream. This may takes 3 to 5 minutes, or longer with a less powerful mixer.

Meanwhile, set the bowl of butter and vanilla mixture in the skillet of hot water, with the burner turned off to keep warm.

Sift about one third of the flour and cocoa over the whipped eggs. Use your largest rubber spatula to fold the mixture, quickly but gently, until combined. Fold in half the remaining flour, then fold in the rest. Remove the butter mixture from the skillet. Scoop about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl and fold together until completely combined. Fold the butter mixture into the remaining mixture. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and tilt to level.

Bake until the cake begins to shrink slighly around the edges and the top springs back when pressed with finger, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack.

To unmold, run a small knife or spatula around the inner edges of the pan to release the cake. Invert it onto a rack and remove the parchment liner. Turn the cake right side up, so that the skin on top of the cake does not stick to the rack. (The genoise can be wrapped and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.)

I used the chocolate ganache made here to cover the cake.

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Yong Tou Foo- The only way I know

Before I was 19, there's only one kind of yong tou foo that I have acquainted. The kind that stuffs tofu with minced meat. Afterall, that's what yong tou fu literally means.

Yong Tou Foo is one of mum's signature dish. She likes to cook it when she knows there's a big company coming for dinner. Her version is more laborious andhence, sumptuous where okra, eggplants, bittergound, mushroom and chilli are used, together with her homemade minced meat. It still amazes me that mum makes all the minced meat herself, using her trust-worthy Parang knife. My version is definitely simpler. I only used the fried toupok with ready made minced meat from the freezer section. But that's good enough for now. Paired with a bowl of steaming rice, and sambal belachan dipping sauce, it's one of my childhood comfort food memory.

I can't find the chinese fermeted yellow bean paste in my last chinese grocery shopping, so I substituted it with the Korean's Da Jiang (which the English translation stated that it's fermented yellow bean paste).

A simple dinner with some chinese stirfry veggie before we headed down for our free cones at Ben & Jerry!

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My latest obssesion

Hi there, sorry for disappearing for 2 weeks. I was in a baking slump ever since my failed attempt at making kueh lapis (layer cake) 2 weeks ago. I felt really dejected and defeated, after losing 15 eggs in the inedible mess. Not a comfort word came from OCT, instead he told me that I probably should give up the hope on making this high cholesterol, time consuming and highly unhealthy cake. There should be better use of the eggs and my time elsewhere.

So I was sad, sad that I failed once again, and there's no more eggs in the fridge to avenge. So sad that I didn't make any effort in baking, or cooking any new recipes. I simply went with the flow, and cooked whatever I feel like and know how, to slowly let my vulnerable heart heals.

Had it wasn't for the post-easter shopping that I did last Monday, I would still be sitting here, sulking and sighing. Instead of hunting and buying the past Easter goodies, I found myself something much better that made me feel Christmas comes early!

It all started when I spotted some Valrhona Cocoa Powder at 50% off on the clearance rack in World Market! I took a deep breath and reached out to grab three glorious boxes of Valrhona that I have never imagined I could afford. Well, I guess I could, if I insisted to buy, but living on a graduate stipend, splurging $9 for 8oz of cocoa powder may not be a wise investment. Not with the rate I finishes my baking supplies.



Upon reaching home, I felt really empowered and took out Pierre Herme's Chocolate Desserts to look for ideas to test my newly acquired cocoa powder. A cup of coffee and some pages flipping later, I decided on Viennese Chocolate Sables. According to Monsieur Herme, he learned to make these delectable sables from the source, none other than the famous Wittamer pastry shop in Vienna. Because the recipe uses lots of butter and confectioners' sugar, the sables have a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Pairing with the intense flavour of Valrhona Cocoa Powder, they are perfect anytime of the day, with a cup of tea or coffee.

I let OCT bring most of the sables to lab the next day, wanting to hear what others think of the cookies. One of his colleagues commented that they weren't sweet enough. The rest didn't comment but the box came back empty. Well, I personally like the sables as they are, not overly sweet, which allows the chocolate flavour to shine through.

Pierre Herme piped the dough out in the characteristic W shape, but I have an unfortunately small tip that the thick dough couldn't pass through. Instead, I simply piped them out in coin size. Despite of their regrettable appearances, the sables are everything they promised-delicate, light and chocolatey.



The success of the sables had one side effect on me though. I was deeply regret for only buying 3 boxes of the cocoa powder! I couldn't sleep without worrying that there would be no more left on the shelve when we returned on Saturday. So, it was pure joy when we found some boxes of Valrhona Cocoa Powder sitting on the shelf. They were being moved to another shelf since I last spotted them and there was obviously fewer boxes remained. I happily grabbed another 3 boxes and can't help smiling for the whole day eventhough the weather was really crappy (with rain and snow) on a spring weekend.

Update: I went back to buy another 2 boxes the next week, making my Valrhona Cocoa Powder collection a total of 8 boxes!

Viennese Chocolate Sables

1 3/4 cups plus 1.5 tbsp (260g) all purpose flour
5 tbsp (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
2 sticks plus 1.5 tbsp (8 3/4 ounces, 250g)unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (100g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
3 tbsp lightly beaten egg whites (lightly beaten 2 large egg whites, then measure out 3 tbsp)
confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line two baking sheets with parchment papers. Fit a pastry bag with a medium-sized open star tip and keep it close at hand.(The tip should be crenellated, but its piping hole should be open and somewhat straight, rather than curved and tightly rounded.)

Whisk together flour and cocoa. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a whisk until it is light and creamy- for the recipe to be successful, the butter must be very soft. Whisk in the sugar and salt, then stir in the egg whites. (Don't be concern if the mixture separates; it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.) Gradually add flour and cocoa until it is incorporated- don't overwork the dough once flour is added,a light touch is what gives these cookies their characteristic crumbliness.

Because the dough is thick and heavy, it's best to work wth it in batches. Spoon about a third of the dough into the pastry bag, Pipe the dough into W-shaped cookies, each about 2 inches (5 cm)long and 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) wide, 1 inch apart onto the baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes- no more- or until they are set but neither brown nor hard. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remaining dough. Dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar before serving.

The cookies will keep in a tightly covered tin at room temperature for a week. They can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Make about 65 cookies.

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Housewife has deadline to meet too!

Eventhough I really don't like to be called a housewife. Because I don't exactly do a lot of house work. And certainly not working and staying at home doesn't make me a "housewife" or "housefly" as one of my friends accidentally blurted out.

But if you must insist on calling me a housewife, then I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you. Just don't say that I am a boring housefly, and nobody gets hurt.

In case you think only people who are working or studying have deadlines to meet, then you are wrong. Housefly like myself have deadlines to meet too. It comes in the form of expiring dates of all kinds of dairy products. Like today. My buttermilk and heavy cream are expiring. My mission is to use up as much as I could, and keep wastage to the minimum.

Because of this, I have been baking frantically for the past two days. So far, I made a lemon cream cake, 1 batch of chocolate ganache for a birthday cake, some truffles and chocolate tarts. Despite of all the stuff that keep streaming out from my oven, I still have to throw away half a cup of heavy cream and one cup of buttermilk. Unless I stop typing now and get up to make a batch of scones, then maybe I can use up the buttermilk. But maybe not. I am too tired now.

Here's just some pictures of the truffles and chocolate tarts I made. It's my first time making truffles, and I believe this will not be the last time. Eventhough it isn't a complicated process, the end products are deeply and sinfully satisfying. I added 2 tablespoons of Caramel Bailey in mine but the flavor was too mild that it went undetectable. Guess I will have to add more next time. With some basic knowledge of truffle making, hopefully I can try some bold flavours in the future.

Actually truffles are nothing more than cream and chocolate. But the way a handmade truffle glides down the throat is unbelievably satisfying. No wonder they are alway associated with exobitant price tags.


The filling of the chocolate tarts used more or less the same ingredient as the truffles. Except that the percentage of chocolate used was different and it's alcohol free. I used the sweet tart dough recipe from the same book, the recipe is here.In fact after making 3 batches of chocolate ganache, I am a bit mixed up on what alterations I have made on different batches. I should have been more organized and recorded down all the alterations in different batches. Maybe next time.....



Truffles/ Chocolate ganache filling for chocolate tarts ( made 3 times in a day!)
adapted from Pierre Herme's Chocolate Desserts

9 ounces (260g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp liquor (rum / bailey etc) optional
3.5 tbsp (50g)unsalted butter, at room temperature,cut into 4 pieces
Dutch processed cocoa powder, for dusting

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl that can hold all the ingredients. Bring the cream (and liquor if you are using any) to a full boil in a saucepan to a full boil, then pour the hot cream into the center of the chocolate. Working with a spatula, gently stir the cream into the chocolate in ever widening concentric circle until the ganache is homogenous and smooth. Allow the ganache to rest on the counter for about a minute before adding the butter.

Add the butter 2 pieces at a time, stirring gently to blend. When all the butter is blended into the mixture, pour the ganache into a baking pan or bowl. Put the pan in the refrigerator and when the ganache is cool, cover it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. (or overnight)

note: you can use the soft ganache at this point to frost cake. Or put it in the fridge for later use. Just leave it out in the counter for it to soften before use.
Because I needed to use up my heavy cream, I made 3 batches, and kept one batch, covered in plastic wrap in the freezer.

When you are ready to shape the truffles, spoon a generous amount of cocoa powder into a bowl, and set out a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Remove the truffle mixture from the fridge and scoop up a scant tablespoonful of ganache for each truffle; put the dollops of ganache on the paper-lined pan. dust the palms of your hands with cocoa powder and, one by one, roll the mounds of ganache between your palms to form rounds. As you shape each truffle, drop it into the bowl of cocoa powder or whatever topping you want to use (I used some chopped pistachio).

The truffles can be served as soon as they are coated or they can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two, cover and away from foods with strong odors.

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For the love of lemon

I have been staring at my lemon cream tart pictures for almost half an hour, thinking of a suitable way to start this blog entry. But nothing came. I can't find a way to tell you how much I love lemon, and everything that has to do with lemon.


It has been awhile.I have absolutely zero resistant for any lemon recipes. And this one, is from Pierre Herme, the France's most acclaimed pastry chef. I got the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours, in which there are many recipes that caught my eyes and I can't wait to try them all. But I decided to make this promising lemon cream tart before everything else. One of the reasons is because Dorie Greenspan described the lemon cream as the "ne plus ultra of the lemon world". Trust me, no lemon lover can resist a description like this.


Usually, I am not a tart-person. I prefer cakes and cookies. I detest making tarts, because it is simply too much a hassle to make the dough without a food processor. It's always messy, with no guarantee of success. Still, I went ahead. I want to know what a "ne plus ultra" tastes like.


Instead of making one big tart, I used the tart recipe to make 7 tartlets. I thought it would be easier to give most away so that I won't overeat. My initial plan was to eat just ONE, but I couldn't contain myself! I finished half of the tarts within 2 days! And I am happy to report that the lemon tart is everything that it promised. A buttery tart with velvety smooth lemon cream. The only downside is the two and a half sticks of butter used in the cream. Isn't the amount of fat appalling? No wonder people say love is blind. I am entirely oblivious of my increasing waistline in the name of lemony love....


The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tartadapted from Dorie Greenspan's :Baking From My Home to Yours


Lemon Cream
1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp (10.5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces, at room temperature
sweet tart dough (see recipe below)

Have an instant read termometer, a strainer and a blender (first choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heat proof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is moist and fragrant.Whish the eggs, followed by lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180F. As you whisk, you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling- you see that the cream start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will gets bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180F, it starts to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at the point- the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience- depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender; discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high and with the machine running, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going- toget the perfect light, airy texture of lemon cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hous or overnight. (The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator)

When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon into the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

Sweet Tart Dough

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tbsp (9 tbsp) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put all the dry ingredients into the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in-you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some sizes of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break up, and add a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses- about 10 seconds each- until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg us added, forms clumps and curds. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change- heads up. Turn the dough out onto a working surface and very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (or 7-8 mini tart moulds). Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pans. Save a little piece of dough in the fridge to patch up any crack after the crusts are baked. Freeze crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To bake:
Center a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminium foil, and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. (if you are baking in a 9-inch tart pan) If the individual tart molds are used, simply cover with a layer of aluminium foil on top of the molds. Bake the crust for 25 minutes (shorter time for the small tarts). Remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of the spoon. Bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until the crust is firm and golden brown.

Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.

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