My first taste of cherry clafoutis

Over the weekend, I was lucky to find some cherries from our farmer's market even though the cherry season has long passed. It finally gave me a reason to try my hand on making cherry clafoutis, a recipe that I have been thinking a lot about, when cherries were abundant, but never got around to making it.

So, I took this as a sign that it's my time to make clafoutis. You see, I have been hesitant for a long time, because I am not really into custardy desserts. But seeing it popped up on lovely Bea's blog a couple of times, it made me suddenly craved for one! And this was how I finally decided to charter into the clafoutis land.

Being a timid and undecisive baker/blogger that I am, I did a bit of blog-hopping before I settled on a fool-proof clafoutis recipe. It's not one from Bea's though, because at 10p.m, I realised I had ran out of heavy cream, an ingredient required in her recipe. So, I settled for another great recipe. One that this blogger said it's a good clafoutis recipe and another blogger made it with stunning result too, that gave me enough assurance to dive right in!

Surprisingly the making of clafoutis was pretty easy. I beat everything by hand (without breaking a sweat), and within 30 minutes, they were sent into the oven. I was apphensive about the outcome, so with the little waiting time I had, I went to bake something else. You know, in case the cherry clafoutis turned out "not my cup of tea" I will have something comforting as backup.

I settled for plum galettes. Mainly because I had seen it not long ago on Martha Stewart's website and I had some gorgeous plums. Well, to tell you the truth, I have debated with myself on whether to bake the plum galettes. They are so sweet and perfect to be eaten on its own. What if there isn't anymore plums in the farmer's market when we return the next week? I asked OCT for his opinion, and even told him the pros and cons of baking up a batch of plum galettes. I don't remember whether he gave his seal of approval, but evidently a batch of galettes was made nonetheless.

Since there's a batch of pate brisee in the fridge, all I had to do was to slice the plums into pieces, mixed them with some sugar and cornstarch, and "tried" to arrange them decoratively on the pate brisee. The galettes were baked in the same temperature as the clafoutis which was great. They could keep one another company and discuss their fates once they were out of the oven. But they didn't stay together for long, as the time for the cherry clafoutis was up.

It gave me great joy to see the clafoutis rose to such heights even before I tasted one. They reminded me of souffle (even though I have never made one, but one can imagine right?)I asked OCT to check out the "fake souffles" too. They were quite stunning but I wasn't sure if that's how clafoutis should behave. At least I don't remember seeing them so puffed up on Bea's blog. I could have overwhipped the milk mixture or baked them slightly too long. But my worry was unfounded because the clafoutis collapsed once they cooled down.

Time for verdict! I tentatively took a small bite, and then another, and before I knew it, I almost finished one clafoutis by myself. OCT was summoned in for tasting and it was love at first bite for him too! However he complained about the trouble of having to spit out the cherry pits. "It imparts an almond flavor to the clafoutis!" I pretended to be knowledgable and knew what I was doing, while in fact I obtained the information from other fellow bloggers. Sometime I love to pretend I know more than OCT when it comes to food.ha!

The plum galettes however, turned out to be on the sourish side. I tried to sweetened them up with some powdered sugar, but the attempt was futile. After sitting forlornly in front of the sour plum galettes for about half an hour, a light bulb moment came. The idea was to make a sweetened apricot glaze and smothered on top of the galettes! This certainly worked and I was relieved that there won't be any sour plum galettes to haunt me in my dream!

The next morning, I packed a few galettes and a few clafoutis for our friends. The intended recipients however were not at church, so we passed them to another family. Little did I know that such simple act of giving would bring so much joy to that family! Their daughter was so excited when presented the box of clafoutis and asked if they were cookies. (She didn't see the content of the box initially)

I won't forget the smile and excitement on her face, as if it's her Christmas present on Christmas morning. I haven't felt so appreciated in a long time and almost forget how good it feels. It's totally worth the effort to make something for people who would appreciate what you have done, don't you think?

Plum Galettes

1 recipe Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 cups pitted plums, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 5 medium)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
apricot glaze

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle a lightly floured work surface with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Roll out dough into several 5-inch rounds, about 1/4-inch thick.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a large bowl gently toss together plums and zest. Sprinkle the flour mixture over plums; gently toss until evenly coated. carefully place a few pieces of plum on top of dough, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Fold border over plum mixture, overlapping where necessary and gently pressing to adhere the folds.Repeat with the rest of the dough rounds.

In a small bowl, beat together egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush edges of dough with egg mixture, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until crusts are golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pate Brisee

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Place flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine, about 30 seconds.

Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. While pulsing, slowly pour in 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water; process until dough begins to come together. Divide dough in half; shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour before using.

Note: I used a pastry cutter to make the dough with no problem.

Cherry Clafoutis
adapted from Ceres and Bacchus

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of cherries
some chopped pistachios (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. With a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with a wire whisk until they turn lighter in color. Gradually add in the melted butter, beating to incorporate. Add the flour all at once and whisk until the batter is a homogeneous mixture.

Slowly pour in the milk and vanilla,whisking to combine. The batter should be very smooth and shiny.

Distribute the cherries in 7 disposable aluminium dishes,(or you can also use a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet, as the original recipe suggests). Pour the batter over the fruit. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes (longer if you can using a bigger pan), until slightly browned and almost completely set in the middle. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold. (I baked them at night, had one before sleep and another one for breakfast the next morning.)

Top some chopped pistachio on the clafoutis before serving.

Make 7 individual size clafoutis for weekend breakfast.

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Happy Birthday M&M!

It's Malaysia's birthday today! 50 years ago, our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman declared our independent at the Stadium Merdeka with the resounding : "Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!" (independence!) I can't help but filled with emotion and pride everytime I see the clip as if I was there, 50 years ago.

Coincidentally, my birthday falls in the same month as Malaysia's Independence day. And my name starts with the letter "M" too! So, for our birthdays, I made a cake that starts with "M" too. Mango cheesecake, that is!




OCT was really sweet and offered to bake me a cake. After making so many birthday cakes for others, I felt rather pampered having someone made me one for my special day. We decided on something simple, yet special. What would be better than cheesecake right? That way, OCT doesn't have to worry about all the "beating, mixing, folding, icing, confusing" instructions an elaborate cake entails. I wanted a mango cake, because that reminds me of home. In the place I grow up, every household has at least one mango tree! Mango is such an indiscrimating fruit that it practically grows anywhere you throw the seed. Alright, I may be wrong on the second part. Or perhaps even the first part about every household having at least one mango tree. But for Sabahans, we are bound to have friends/relatives who have mango trees. And the mango from A's garden might taste different from B's garden. I beg not to pretend as an expert in this aspect, I can only assure you that I was a happy girl when a ripe, peeled, carefully cut mango landed on my lap.

So mango always conjure up happy memory. And it is fitting for a birthday celebration. After some research on potential recipes, we settled on a basic baked lemon cheesecake from Bon Appetit with pureed mango as topping. The initial plan of incorporating mango in the cheesecake batter was thwarted after many negative feedbacks on the changed texture and taste of mango after baking.

A mango mousse would be nice, but the cream added might dilute the mango flavor. Besides I wanted the mango flavor to be intense and unadulterated. In order to achieve this, I decided to do as little to the juicy sweet mango flesh as possible.



Maybe a mango mirror, I thought. With nothing more than a little gelatine powder, lots of mango pureed and sugar to taste. As little luck as I had with gelatin before, this actually worked! The mango mirror was firm when we cut the cake on my birthday!

Unlike other birthday cakes I made in the past, we left this cake unadorned. We didn't even bother to pipe "Happy Birthday" on top and the resulting cake, as you can see turned out to look pretty simple and unassuming.

The resulting cake, is a low fat tangy lemon cheesecake with a sweet mango topping. I like it for many reasons. One being it's a mango cake, and of course the fact that OCT was very involved in the whole baking process. He crushed the crumb manually and even attempted to beat the cream cheese by hand! The later was aborted after we found that task to be insurmountable. Why should we while we have the trustworthy Kitchen Aid by our side?

So here's a mango cheesecake for Mandy and Malaysia's birthday. Selamat Hari Merdeka to my fellow Malaysians.



Note: Oh, and my friend Adeline and Sean were so sweet to give me a surprise just before we cut my birthday cake. Guess what they brought? A huge and most delicious (also the first) ice cream birthday cake for me!



I was genuinely surprised when they turned up at our apartment. OCT did a great job by acting normal the whole night! I initially thought it would be a quiet night with simple dinner for my birthday like we always do on birthdays!



Thanks Adeline and Sean for giving me my first ice-cream birthday cake and spending my last "20-something" birthday with me!

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Give me something cold for dinner

I saw this simple recipe from the Southern Living magazine, and it immediately captured my attention. I have been wondering what to do with the fresh tomatoes I got from the farmer's market the past weekend. Normally, they would inevitably end up in pasta,my usual and not-so-creative salad or sandwiches. I mean, what else can you expect a humble tomato to do in spite of its many supportive roles in various cuisines.

Perhaps everyone deserves to be put under the spotlight once in awhile. And for the same reason, tomato was put on the spot, at the center of our dining table not many nights ago.The vines that bear all these tomatoes would be proud,if only they could see how pretty the bright, succulent tomatoes was, basking in the equally delicious peach and basil vinaigrette. And the smile and satisfaction they brought to their eaters' lips. It was a new taste to our palate, but a welcoming one. We ate simply that night, with only this salad and some sliced sourdough. The bread was the perfect vehicle to soak up all the remaining juice on the plate. Do we miss the meat? Not me. But I guess OCT probably thinks that another meat dish won't hurt...

I am submitting this anti-oxidant packed recipe to Cate's weekly ARF 5-A-Day. Be sure to check out the roundup later tonight!

Tomatoes with Fresh Peach and Basil Vinaigrette
adapted from Southernliving

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large peach, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Whisk together first 5 ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in olive oil. Stir in chopped peach and basil. Serve immediately.

Yield
Makes about 1 1/4 cups (serving size: 1 tbsp.)

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A very rough guide for making scones

Even since I learned how to make scones last year, I always keep an extra batch of scone dough in the freezer. It's something handy to have, especially for Saturday morning when we don't feel like eating pancakes (our weekend breakfast ritual).All we have to do, is simply to heat the oven to 425F and transfer the scone dough from freezer straight to the oven. It's our sort of "fast food".

This recipe which I adopted from Bon Appetit made the scones baking process even faster and simpler than my favorite standby recipe. I like to make a batch of the dough and bake it fresh whenever the scone craving hits.

While scone isn't exactly the hardest pastry to make, please allow me to share with you my experience in making scones, on what works for me, for the benefit of others who haven't chartered into the scones territory. Yes friends,I am talking about you!

Oh, one more good news to get you started: you don't need a mixer or even a food processor to make scones! All you need is a mixer bowl and a pastry cutter. IF you are not willing to invest $3 for that, you can use 2 forks to stand in for the cutter too.

Here goes my very rough guide of scone making:

Rule 1:
Start with everything COLD. You want to be able to cut the butter into the flour, to the size of coarsemeal.So that when they bake, all the butter will melt and form multiple pockets in the scones, and give them the flaky texture.

Rule 2:
Handle the dough with TLC and as little as possible. Obviously you want your scones to be tender and crumbly and not rock-like. So, minimum handling helps to do just that.

Rule 3:
Freeze the dough for at least half an hour before baking. Remember the dough is handled minimally? It will tend to crumble and fall apart if you attempt to bake it immediately. What works for me, is to freezer the dough after I formed it into a circle. After it firms up, I will simply cut them into equal parts of triangle. Of course you can cut it with round cookie cutter, but I am too lazy to wash one more item.

In this batch of scones, I used dried cranberries,raspberries chocolate chips and lemon zest. The original recipe used meyer lemon zest and dried blueberries. I figured this recipe is so flexible that you can use any citrus zests and other dried fruits with great result. If dried fruit is not your cup of tea, replace it with chocolate chips. A trick which works for the finicky eater in my household.

Because this recipe makes a lot of scones for just the two of us, I always halve the recipe.

Lemon and Dried Cranberries Scones with Raspberry Chocolate Chips
adapted from Dec 2006 Bon Appetit

3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
1/2 cup raspberry chocolate chips ( or semisweet/bittersweet chocolate chips)


Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using pastry cutter or 2 forks (or use your fingers) to cut the chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried cranberries and raspbeey chocolate chips and toss to coat. Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Freeze the dough for at least half and hour or up to a month.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425F and like baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the dough out from freezer and each disk into 6 wedges.

Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Note: Before I succumbed to the temptation of buying self rising flour, (which I don't use very often other than making these scones) I used all purpose flour to make half of the recipe. In place of 1.5 cups of self-rising flour,I used 1.5 cup of all purpose flour+ 2 tsp baking powder + approximately 1/2tsp baking soda + 1/4tsp salt.

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Recycling Idea

Remember I told you about the leftover cream cheese from my last batch of Matcha Brownie? After the brownie was baked, I decided to use the cream cheese mixture to make some mini tarts. Even though it was left with only a bit of leftover, I found myself getting 7 mini cheesecake tarts out of it. Wasn't too bad right?

Such is the beauty of recycling. Oh, and I must also mention that the tart dough was the leftover from another tart I made months ago. You can find its recipe here. I can't remember exactly when the tart dough was made, nor its initial purpose for existence. Anyway, I am certainly thankful that it's there at my disposal.

As far as I could recall, the tart dough had been used for a chocolate raspberry tart, a Nutella tart (which I wanted to blog, but keep forgetting)and now, in some mini matcha cream cheese tarts! Despite of making multiple appearances, there is still some remnant in the freezer which is enough for more than one tart shell!

Later this week, I used some for a little cookie project, which I shall keep the detail for another post. Because I am obsessed with everything green lately, please embrace yourself for some green posts ahead.

Now on these gems made from recycled stuff. They are pretty great on their own. The filling was tangy with a little hint of matcha. Not overly grassy, because I used very little matcha. I love the fact that it suffices the craving for a piece of cheesecake, without the guilt of ingesting 1000 calories.However, it took all my mental strength for not reaching out for seconds, even when no one was watching.

Most of the Matcha Cheese Tarts were given away, which made me sad, now that I think of it....I should have kept them all to myself. Well,I am not one who will deprive myself, so I made something else to fill up the void quite promptly. It certainly lifted my spirit.

Because the cream cheese batter were in two separate ziplock bags, I had fun piping them out in different patterns. It was quite therapeutic and made me forget about the August heat, well, for a short while. But as you can see, I wasn't exactly creative in the piping department. The patterns are all pretty boring. Maybe I should make another batch of these matcha cheese tarts, and endeavor to make some funky and creative tarts? Alright, I confess I only want an excuse to make another batch soon.

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Korean Enoki Pancakes

This is a recipe I chanced upon on a chinese blog. Not only is she talented in baking and cooking, this blogger has also stayed at some interesting foodie capitals like Paris, Seoul and Taiwan. As much as I enjoyed drooling at her delicious-looking creations, I never attempted any recipe from her blog.

This Korean Enoki Pancake is indeed the first recipe I made from her beautiful blog. Because I absolutely adore mushrooms of all kinds, I figure I would give this interesting pancake a try. The moment I took a bite of the addictive appetizer, I was sold. It is unfathomable on why the simple combination of enoki mushroom, minced carrot, green onion, egg and flour can be so tasty. And more importantly, why didn't I think of this myself? Although the recipe makes 4-6 serving, I almost finished eating the whole plate on my own! Because certain ingredients that she used are not readily available in US, I took the liberty to make some adjustments.

Over the weekend, I have bought a packet of enoki mushroom from the Asian grocery store again, and there will be no doubt of where it will end up.

Korean Enoki Pancakes

1 pack enoki mushroom
1-2 tbsp minced carrot
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2tbsps finely chopped green onion (or more)
2 tbsps all purpose flour
salt and pepper, to taste

Remove enoki mushroom from its packaging and cut off the root. Rinse under water and pat dry. Cut the mushroom into half, lengthwidth.

Add carrot and green onion to enoki mushroom in a wide, shallow bowl, and sprinkle flour on top of all ingredients. Pour in egg and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick pan and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Divide the batter into 6 parts, and pour one part into the pan. Spread it out, like a fan until it's as thin as a piece of paper. Fry till one side become golden yellow, then turn and fry the other side to the same color. Do the same with the rest of the batter.

Serve immediately with asian chilli sauce. Or tartar sauce. (I haven't tried this out yet but figure it should taste lovely).

makes 6 portions.

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In the name of browniebabe

There are many events in the food blog world that I truly enjoy. Especially those that are desserts related. The reasons are obvious : beautiful, drool-worthy pictures, fantastic recipes for bookmarking, and simply put, a feast for the eyes! Ironically, I keep missing on two events that mesmerized me for months. Maybe it's my lack of confidence, or just my procastination, or quite possibly a mixture of both!Since this is my birthday month, I feel invincible and decided to tackle both. One at a time, of course.

One of the food blog event that I enjoy immensely is no other that Myriam's Browniebabe of the month! It's simply mind-boggling to see how creative other bakers are when it comes to something as humbly as brownie. You will know what I mean seeing these two past browniebabes'creations here and here.

Seeing what they have made, it made me feel impossible for anyone to make something that can surpass their achievements. But then we are talking about dozens of talented bakers out there, and you have to see the roundup at Myriam's Once Upon a Tart to believe that nothing is insurmountable for these fearlessly creative people. In fact, I have seen a few favorites from my daily blog-hopping.

So what's the point of submitting yours if you don't think you stand a chance to be the next browniebabe, you ask. That's a good question. For a start, it's my birthday month and hence I am wishful that lady luck is on my side. Secondly, I need to use up some of the best cocoa I bought before we move.(lame excuse)Third and most importantly, it's one good brownie that I believe will make the first brownie baker (whoever that is) smile and nod for approval in her grave.

Without further ado, I present to you, my first ever browniebabe entry- The best Matcha Cocoa Brownie.

The recipe is adapted from none other than the chocolate queen Alice Medrich. I was very sceptical when I first saw the recipe a year ago. A brownie with no REAL chocolate? Are you kidding? The last brownie I made used almost a pound of chocolate, and here she is telling me that some cocoa powder will do the same wonder as those with a pound of chocolate, if not better. Of course I must admit I was pretty ignorance back then,haven't had my first taste of bakes from the best cocoa powder yet.

Here I am a year later, with more experience and faith with what wonder good cocoa powder can do. Hence I am ready to give Alice's Best Cocoa Brownie a try. No wonder people say, "a year older, a year wiser". I can certainly attest to that. Now, before we proceed, I must stress on the important of using the best cocoa powder you can get. For I am sure, disappointment would ensue had I used the same inferior stuff I used one year ago. SO, USE PREMIUM QUALITY COCOA POWDER in this brownie recipe. Period.

One thing I observed/learned from the past browniebabes is to be creative and come out with unusual but solidly great brownies/blondies. As good as Alice's recipe, I know it needs something more. I love marbled brownie, but there are lots of great versions out there, one being shared by Myriam .

A bite of the brownie reminds me of the fudgy toffee candy from childhood. I wasn't sure where the toffee candy were made of though. But the fudgy and chewy texture of this brownie reminds me of that. And the cocoa powder does a great job in packing lots of chocolate flavor in the brownie. It tastes almost as if I have melted a pound of real chocolate in the batter. Because the matcha cream cheese is not marbled in the brownie batter, it is seen prominently on top of the brownie. Inspite of its vivid color, the matcha flavor here is mild. And can only be tasted if you leave it on the tip of your tongue. Don't ask me why.(because we have sensory nerves for different taste at different parts of our tougue. see here). A good way to introduce matcha to the uninitiated, I figured.

The amount of matcha cream cheese batter is too much for the brownie, so I used it to make some cheese tarts. But that will be for another entry.

With this, I leave you the recipe for my first entry for Browniebabe of the month, and may the best brownie wins!

Best Matcha Cocoa Brownie
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

For brownie batter:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Special equipment: An 8-inch square baking pan

For Matcha cream cheese batter:

1 block (225g) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 tsp matcha powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 egg yolk (at room temperature)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

For brownie:
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

For cream cheese batter:
Beat cream cheese with granulated sugar until light and creamy.Add in the eggyolk and beat until well mixed. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of cream cheese into a small bowl and stir in matcha powder. Pour the matcha cream cheese mixture into a small ziplock bag. Add the lemon zest into the remaining cream cheese, and pour into another small ziplock bag.

Using a scissor, cut a small hole on the edge of the ziplock bags and pipe out whatever pattern that strike your fancy on top of the brownie dough.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Chocolate note: Any unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder works well here. Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes. I think it's more exciting. Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker brownie with a mellower, old-fashioned chocolate pudding flavor, pleasantly reminiscent of childhood.

p/s: I just realized that the best cocoa brownie recipe is also available on epicurious.com and it garnered 123 solid reviews from those who have baked it. :)

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Addicted to Salami

Yesterday,OCT's colleague dropped me an email requesting for a birthday cake tomorrow. Even though I have been volunteering cakes for friends' birthdays for some time now, having someone think of me as far as cake is concerned, is the first time. And you can imagine how flattered I am .

Of course, I graciously accept the honor. Even it's 100F out there, it's totally worth to turn on the oven. Well, I am not here to talk about the cake actually, since it's still in the making process.

Let's talk about dinner. Because I am going to put in 100% effort to make the brithday cake, we are going to have something simple for dinner. Yet something tasty to reward myself after the work. Giada De Laurentiis's Antipasto Salad comes to mind. We had it for dinner last week but OCT and I like it enough to bring it back to the dining table again. Besides, it will be in time to join Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights! One stones kills three birds, or rather one pasta satisfied many needs.

Whatever. These are only excuses for me to eat more salami. Besides butter, cream cheese and eggs, I now declare salami (or other form of cured meat) to be one of the "must have item" in our fridge. Well, I guess I am addicted to salami after eating some really good Genova Salami from the Italian neighborhood for the first time a few weeks back. Since then, I couldn't stop thinking about it, and week after week, we go back every Saturday to eat the shop's sandwich and salad. In which, there's a generous dose of salami involved.

When I first saw Giada's recipe, I know I am going to make it. And I tweaked it slightly by including some smoked salmon and omitting the green olive. A light and satisfying dinner for a hot summer night. This will be my contribution for Presto Pasta Nights .

Antipasto Salad
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis's "Everyday Italian"

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Vinaigrette:
In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

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For the love of lavender

I can't believe that it's August already. It wasn't too long ago when I welcomed the nasty hot and humid July with sweaty arms! Maybe I was too busy consuming the luscious summer berries, which we lugged back from the farmer's market every week. Or being distracted by the countless recipes I have bookmarked to try with the abundant fruits, but keep putting off by the heat.

Either way, 0707 has passed, and I am glad that I have read the 7th and the last book of Harry Potter too. Not that it is any form of achievement, but nonetheless, I am relieved to know the ending of the story.

Anyhow, I digress. Instead of keep complaining about the hot weather that nobody needs reminding, let's talk about what is to love about July. Perhaps the fleeting season of cherry? The first peach, nectarine and plum that hit the market? And the most charming, blooming lavender?

Yes, lavender is one of the reasons that makes July heat slightly bearable. I simply love the sight of lavender and its scent when rubbed between fingers. There are studies that supported the many beneficial properties of its essential oil. And for that reason, lots of products incorporated lavender into their ingredient list.

Unfortunately, I am no fan of such products, but I am guilty of being partial to any baked goods with lavender in it. So imagine how excited I am, when seeing a lavender sable recipe from this blog.

It is love at first sight, and I make it as soon as the temperature dropped a bit. As with the rest of the sables I made in the past, these lavender sables have a buttery and tender texture. If I were Hermione (my favorite character in Harry Potter books), I would gladly put a scent charm into this post, so that you get to smell the lavender sables when they first come out from the oven. The scent though heavenly, is difficult to put in words. I guess you have to bake some while I work on the scent charm.

I bake a few pieces to nibble with a cup of tea in the afternoon and freeze the rest of the dough. It proves to be a useful strategy. For one afternoon when OCT invites friends over at the last minutes, I effortlessly pull out the dough, slice it and bake under a 350F oven for less than 15 minutes. Not only that friends get to eat fresh from the oven lavender sables, our apartment is filled with the scent of lavender that lingers for quite a while.

Lavender Sable
Adapted from this blogandthis blog

1.5 cups and 1.5 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried lavender
7 oz (14 tablespoons)unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
zest from 1 lemon

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth, add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by salt, dried lavender and lemon zest.

On low speed, add the flour and cornstarch and mix just until flour is incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a counter, gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Chill dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill dough for 2 hours in refrigerator. (Dough logs can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in freezer for up to 1 month.)

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F.

Once the oven is ready, slice the log into 1/4-inch thick and place on a lined baking sheet with 1/2 inch interval.

Bake for 12- 14 minutes, or until the sables are set but not brown. Tranfer and cool the sables on the rack.

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Opposite Attraction

Remembering important dates has never been my forte. OCT used to tease me that his birthday is sometime between mid November to December because that's when he received his birthday presents and cards. Most of the time, it would be more than one month past the actual date.

After we were married, the situation improved tremendously. But that's probably because I can simply whisper "Happy Birthday Darling" without waiting for the postman to send my "overdue" well wishes across the pacific ocean. But I am still as bad at remembering date as I was. For instance, I didn't manage to send out a package of homemade biscottis in time for my best friend's birthday. Even though I have reminded myself countless time in the beginning of the month, that I must not forget the date (again!!). Thanks to Internet, I got to greet her a "wonderful birthday" before it's too late while the biscottis struggled its way to London.

And on another recent occasion, I forgot about our wedding anniversary until the day itself. Knowing what a sweet husband OCT is, I was almost sure he would have something special for me on this special day. That made me felt terribly guilty. What last minute trick could I pull off to camouflage my forgetfulness?



With time ticking away. there wasn't much time for deliberation. So I took a deep breath and decided to do what I do best. I would bake him a cake, preferably a healthy one too, because he wouldn't want to share his anniversary present with others (trust me, I know my husband!) With that in mind, I got my act together and made one of the low fat cakes I know we won't mind eating over and over again.

It is a recipe from Alice Medrich, from her out of print book- "Chocolate and The Art of Low Fat Desserts". The original recipe makes a beautiful marble cake. But I decided to make a constrasting black and white cake. Of which I think it symbolizes our union. We are two very different individuals whom when put together completed each other. Just like vanilla and chocolate. They just go well together.

Unlike some of the low fat recipes that are cloyingly sweet and suffer from rubbery texture, this cake has a moist texture with soft, fine crumbs. I especially like the chocolate layer, where instant espresso powder is added to the Dutch-processed cocoa powder to enhance its flavor.

A simple yet delicious cake to commemorate our second anniversary. And true enough, OCT kept the cake all to himself!


Black and White Chocolate Cake /Low Fat Chocolate Marbled Cake
Modified and adapted from Alice Medrich's "Chocolate and The Art of Low Fat Desserts"

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg white
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lower third of the oven. Arrange 10 heart shape silicon cupcake molds on a baking tray.

Use a whisk to combine four, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift together. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the espresso powder, cocoa and 1/3 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk whole egg with egg white. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces and place in an electric mixing bowl. Beat for 1 minute to soften. Gradually add remaining 1 cup of sugar and beat at high speed for about 3 minutes. Dribble eggs in slowly, about 1 T at a time, beating constantly for about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture. On medium-high speed, beat in half of the yogurt. On low speed, beat in half of the remaining flour. On high speed, beat in the rest of the yogurt and the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of yogurt batter and mix into the cocoa mixture. Set aside.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon of vanilla/ chocolate batter into each mold, and fill the molds up to 3/4 full with the rest of the other batter. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the molds and a toothpick inserted in comes out clean.

Cool for 10-15 minutes on a rack. Unmold the cake. Cool completely before serving or storing.

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Meet Tiramisu's Cousin

Before this dessert went totally buried from others that keep streaming out from the oven, I better share it with you now. It is in a way similar to the Tiramisu I made not long ago, but alcohol free. And with an extra dose of caffeine thrown into the cake.

I first saw the recipe of Coffee Walnut Cake with Coffee Mascarpone Cream in Jan 2007 issue of Bon Appetite magazine, and had bookmarked it since I know I would love this cake, simply judging from the list of its ingredients.

After holding the recipe on for so long, I am happy to report that my intuition was right.The reason that it wasn't made immediately was because of the lack of photograph on the magazine ( yes, I am a visual person) and several negative comments left on its website, which kept my enthusiasm at bay. Also I must confess that I was lured into making other desserts, mostly ones with stunning pictures that whet my appetite. Anyhow, I finally pluck up enough courage to make this cake after a recent success with its alcoholic cousin - Tiramisu. Both cakes are very similar in ingredients and preparations, so I guess it couldn't be as bad as other reviewers had rated.

Moreover, It's Dorie Greenspan's recipe. Having tried a few recipes with great success from her amazing book- Baking From My Home to Yours, I feel pretty positive about baking this cake. Truth be told, I have one tub of Mascarpone cheese waiting to be used before it get expires in the imminent future. So, with a sense of urgency, I started making the cake.

True to its name, this cake is full of walnut flavor. Part of the toasted walnut was grounded and added into the cake batter. A tablespoon of instant espresso powder is also added to the batter to impart a coffee flavor. As a result, I got a tender, fine crumb, nutty cake with great coffee aroma.

After making the coffee mascarpone cream, which is a coffee lover dream come true,I decided to add some finely chopped 72% chocolate on top of the cream. A trick that I learned from the Tiramisu which I believe will taste nice here too. And it did!

After frosting the cake, I cut a generous slice for myself and enjoyed it over a cup of coffee in the afternoon. The rest was passed to OCT's lab for the Friday lab meeting.

Although this is the kind of cake OCT and I like, I believe it may not be something that kids would enjoy. Neither would people who don't drink coffee nor dislike walnut. But if I ever ran a cafe one day, this will surely be on the menu!

hey, I am allowed to dream right?

Coffee Walnut Cake with Coffee Mascarpone Cream
Adapted from Jan 2007 Bon Appetite

1 cup walnuts (about 4 ounces), toasted, chopped, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

Coffee-mascarpone cream
4 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon water
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese*
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (my addition, optionally)
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

*Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets. preparation

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Blend 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon sugar, and espresso in processor until nuts are finely ground. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add remaining sugar (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon), beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then egg yolk. Add ground walnut mixture and vanilla; beat to blend. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup walnuts. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake cake layers until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.

For coffee-mascarpone cream:
Stir espresso and 1 tablespoon water in large bowl until coffee dissolves. Add cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until filling is thick and smooth (do not overbeat or filling may curdle).

Place 1 cake layer on platter, flat side up. Spread half of filling over cake. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top of filling. Place second layer, flat side down, on filling. Spread remaining filling over top. Mix walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over top of cake. Cover with cake dome. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Serves 10-12

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8 Random facts about me...

Thanks to lovely Deborah from Taste and Tell for tagging me for the "8 random facts about me" meme, I have the opportunity to tell you more about myself, aside from the food I make. Here goes the random facts:

1. I am left-handed. Knowing the challenge that lies ahead of a left-handed, my mum tried her very best to convert me. Too bad, it didn't work. I am destined for a challenging life.

2. I can't swim. Many people tried to teach me, but I just couldn't float. Maybe because I am aqua-phobic. I couldn't submerge myself because I am scare of having water enter my ears and eyes.

3. I don't like/eat white chocolate. And I don't think white chocolate should be considered chocolate at all. When I was much younger, I thought that was because white chocolate was not brown in colour, and hence it doesn't qualify for the name "Chocolate".

4. My favorite snack is Kit Kat. I used to eat Kit Kat for lunch and dinner when I was simply too lazy to cook. My favorite Kit Kats are made in UK and Japan. Got to give it to the Japanese for coming up with flavors like strawberry cheesecake, greentea, coffee and dark chocolate.

5. I am a Mickey fan. I have lots of Mickey T-shirts, with one vintage T passed down from mum. She got it while we went to the Japan's Disneyland 22 years ago! It was passed down to me since I was 12, and I am still wear it now. Although only occasionally. Like the time when we were in WDW last year.

6. I only started drinking coffee after I entered college. Mum believed that caffeine was not good for kids, and therefore banned us from consuming it. I am not entirely sure if it's a myth, but I was certainly brainier before I started drinking coffee. Excuses excuses....

7. Like most of the Malaysian Chinese, I can speak and write three languages: English, Chinese and Malay. I am interested to learn French and Japanese too, so that I can read their cookbooks. :)

8. My favorite color is PINK. Hmmm.... I know a lot of people can't stand the color, but it makes me happy whenever I see things in pink colour. Guess it's a cheerful color, very much like me.

I am not tagging anyone, since most of the bloggers I know have probably done this before. But feel free to tag yourself and tell me 8 random facts about yourself. I sure love to know you better. Yes, you who are reading this now!

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Cheesecake, the tropical way

It's no secret that cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. In fact, I love cheesecake so much that I dedicated one corner of my fridge as the permanent spot for blocks of cream cheese. I just have to have cream cheese at home at all time! It gives me "sense of security" and "empowerment", knowing that I can whip up a cheesecake whenever I feel like eating one.

Summer however, gives the cheesecake monster in me a hard time. Mostly because I am avoiding having any dealing with the oven. There's the option of buying store-bought cheesecake, but that would make me feel like betraying the dozen blocks of cream cheese I already have. My dilemma came to end, when I saw an impressive no-bake version from Ellena's blog.

Her version of no-bake cheesecake even included my favorite tropical fruit- Lychee! Blessed is the one who think of adding lychee in the cheesecake filling. The person should be given some sort of baking creativity award. I went on to ask the lovely Ellena for the recipe, and was given a detailed instructions couple of days later. Don't you just love generous food blogger?

Because my cheesecake came up a little too short, I took the liberty to add in another layer of Pierre Herme's Lemon Cream + whipped cream on top of the cream cheese filling. To further heighten the cake, I decorated the cake with some strawberries that I got from the farmer's market, together with the remaining lychee. For the lack of better decorating skill, I shaved some dark and white chocolate on top of the cake, and plucked some mint leaves to cover the spare space. The mint, which we later discovered, went well with the lychee cheesecake!

An icy cold lychee cheesecake is indeed a fitting dessert on a hot summer night. The smoothness of the cream cheese with the hint of lemon in the background balanced the sweetness from the lychee. I also like that there was lychee flesh in every bites of the cheesecake. I could taste the succelent juice from the lychee when they bursted in the cavity.

The canned Lychee I used in this recipe was from the Asian grocery. However, a similar version can now be bought from Trader's Joe too. I saw it just the other day and needless to say, I grabbed a can without hesitation, and couldn't wait to recreate another no-bake cheesecake in my kitchen some time real soon. Maybe I will incorporate mango in the cheesecake next time....

Because good thing is meant to be shared, I am submitting this Lychee Cheesecake for the SHF:Tropical Paradise hosted by a very talented baker-Mary. Lychee in the form of cold dessert is my ideal of Tropical Paradise.

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Still here....

hi friends, I am still here. Still cooking but certainly bake less. I really feel guilty about not updating my blog for more than a week now! But my little brain doesn't work well under the sweltering heat.

Can anyone think of a lamer excuse than this?!

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Cool Meal on Hot Day

There are days when I don't feel like standing in front of the stove. And there are days when produce threaten to spoil if I decided to turn a blind eye. What would I do if both unfortunate situations coincide?

The last time I had some very ripe tomatoes and romaine, I added them in the filling of a wrap together with some smoked salmon. Spreaded with a thick layer of jalapeno cheese spread on a spinach tortilla, it was a perfect way to clear up some fridge space for our coming farmer's market find. Not to mention, a good way to use up the cheese spreads which we always unable to finish before they expire.

A simple meal that doesn't require much effort but sufficient to satisfy the husband who is always hungry.

What do you do on days like these?

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What dessert are you serving on 4th of July?

What would you turn up in a 4th of July party if you are asked to bring a dessert? Not that I have such a request to fulfil, but I thought it would be fun to put myself in one's shoe. You know, in case we decide to throw a last minute party and need a fast idea on "what's for dessert".

Dessert is always the most important element of parties we throw. It's the only thing that friends seem to remember. Of course, I have my total lack of creativity for exciting dishes to blame. But I am pretty happy to focus on my strength now. Which brings us to the dessert.

Inspired by a tub of almost-expiring mascarpone cheese in the fridge, I decided to tackle a dessert that hasn't turned up on our household for a long time. Not because I dislike it, but simply because I couldn't find the right occasion to make it. The dessert, which I love so dearly and believe should only indulge on a super special occasion is none other than Tiramisu.

Tiramisu, which loosely translated to "pick me up" is a very special dessert to me. It was the first dessert I made from scratch. Of course, with the help of such quality ingredients, one could hardly mess this recipe up. I remembered the first Tiramisu I made used lady fingers as base and incorporated egg yolks in the filling. This Tiramisu however, is a cake version. And it has a cream base filling with no egg yolks involved.

To be perfectly honest, this was not my recipe of choice when I set out to make Tiramisu. I had set my sight on one with genoise as base, but for some unfathomable reasons the genoise didn't turn out well. So I threw it away and switched to this recipe for a change of luck. Sheer serendipity that I chanced upon this recipe and decided to give it a shot. And it is the best Tiramisu I have ever tasted.

In this recipe, the light yellow cakes are first drenched with boozed espresso syrup, then a layer of caffeinated heavenly mascarpone cream is liberally smothered on top, followed by handfuls of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, which then topped with another layer of cake and cream. It is a decadent dessert without any need of description. But for a 4th July party, it needs to be dressed up for the occasion.

The best answer to that would be some raspberries and blueberries on top of the cocoa dusting. Not only are the berries pleasing to the eyes, they are indeed delicious together. And this my friend, is what you can bring for a 4th of July party.

My slice of reward

Tiramisu cake
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the cake
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks(10 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Espresso Extract
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons boiling water

For the Espresso Syrup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, kahlua or brandy (or more to taste. I used 3.5 tablespoons of kahlua)

For the filling and frosting
1 8 ounce container mascarpone
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ameretto, kahlua or brandy (or more to taste. I used 3 tablespoons)
1 cup cold heavy cream
2.5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store bought mini chocolate chips (or more, to cover the layer completely)

cocoa powder for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 9x2 inch round cake pans, dust the inside with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pan with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on baking sheet.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.


Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in
a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, and then the yolk, beating for one minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alernately with the buttermilk. adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes,rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cook for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To make the extract: Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup: Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

To make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and liqueur in a large bowl and whish just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whish attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds form peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch. Add the remaining 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of espresso extract into the mascarpone cream. Taste to decided how much extract you want to add.

To assemble the cake:

If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer- use about 1 1/4 cups- and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake later on the counter and soak the topof it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

Use the remaining cream to frost the top of the cake. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread on the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.

With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. Decorate with chocolate covered espresso beans or blueberries and raspberries for a 4th of July party.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or up to one day) before serving, so that the elements have enough time to meld.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.

Serves 10.

~This article is written for Just Baking on Wellfed Network

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Good stuff

I am talking about the Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant we ate last week. It was our weekly vegetarian night, and I needed a substantial all- in-one vegetarian dish.

Flipping through my pile of "to try list", the stuffed eggplant recipe jumped to my attention and begged to be made. Since OCT and I love eggplant, I decided to grant eggplant its wish.

I must say that making the stuffed eggplant is quite a joy, if you have a lot of time on hand. For there are quite a number of steps to follow. Not to mention the hollowing, baking, cubing and stirfrying it required. Having said that the end result totally justified the effort. All the veggie goodness stuffed to the brim in the eggplant shell topped with feta and panko have us groaned in pleasure.

This is definitely a dish we will serve for our vegetarian guests in the near future.

Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
Adapted from Coookinglight

3 medium eggplants
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium summer squash, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell, and reserve pulp. Place eggplant halves, skin sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Chop the reserved eggplant pulp into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved eggplant to pan, and sauté 8 minutes or until eggplant begins to brown. Place eggplant in a bowl. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in red and green bell peppers and the next 7 ingredients (through squash); sauté 6 minutes. Return eggplant to pan. Stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and black pepper; sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in feta cheese and 1/4 cup panko. Cool slightly. Spoon about 1 cup eggplant mixture into each eggplant shell.

Combine remaining 1 cup panko, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over stuffed eggplants. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated and tops begin to brown. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)

note: I halved the recipe and used one huge (about 1 pound) eggplant. It served us well for 3 meals with other side dishes.

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A new favorite

Eventhough I am pretty sure I have found my favorite lemon cake recipe, but when there's a new one showing up in magazine and garnered the test kitchen's highest rating, I know I have to give it a try.

And I want to try it now. Not to chuck it away in my ever-increasing "to-try-list". For the chance of forget-it-all is too high for this forgetful baker. Afterall, I find many reasons to support my case. Such as the imminent Friday treat, and the overripe cherries in the fridge. More imporantly, I need a confident boost after a failed attempt at genoise in the morning (more on that later).

The pound cake is a fairly straightforward recipe, with the addition of an intriguing ingredient in the batter- chopped mint. I have certainly not thought of adding mint in lemon cake. In fact, it is hardly detectable in the cake. But there's a little something lingered on my tongue when I first bite into the cake which I can't put my finger to. I wonder if it's my imagination, since I know I have added mint to the batter. I shall try to omit mint the next time I bake this lemon cake.

Yes, I am telling you that I will be baking this lemon cake again! Because it is moist, tender, lemony and more importantly, has lower fat than my favorite lemon cake. It's pure joy when you step out of your comfort zone to try something new (and good for you), and find yourself loving it.

The cherry compote is a good accompaniment. But I don't think it is compulsory. The lemon cake itself has enough flavor to nudge me into baking it again soon. Although my friend A who ate almost half of the cherry compote on its own in one sitting may think otherwise....

Good things are meant to be shared. Other than with OCT's colleagues, I am going to submit this excellent recipe for ARF-5-A-Days. Check out the roundup on Tuesday night for more Anti-Oxidant-Rich ideas at Cate's blog. I hope all lemon lovers out there will give this recipe a try.

Lemon Pound Cake with Cherry Compote
Adapted from Cookinglight

Cake:
Cooking spray
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 13 2/3 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Compote:
4 cups pitted sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 tablespoons flour.

Lightly spoon remaining 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add rind, juice, and mint; beat just until blended.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; sharply tap the pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Cut cake into 16 slices.

To prepare compote, combine cherries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in extract. Cool. Serve with cake.

Yield: 16 servings

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Do you like tofu?

I was not a tofu lover until I came to St Louis. I ate tofu occasionally when someone offered to cook for me or when I dined out. Cooking tofu at home was a skill I acquired here. When I suddenly decided to take a liking to tofu.

I still remember the first time I cooked tofu at my old apartment. The moment the tofu touched the hot oil, the oil splattered every where. The floor, the stovetop and more painfully my hands; even though I had the cover of the wok as my shield. I was defeated by the seemingly harmless looking block of tofu. Ever since then, I convinced myself that cooking tofu at home was risky business and shall never be attempted again.

After I came to St Louis, I acquainted with tofu after my scientist husband told me the correct way to handle a block of tofu. He gently reminded me of the basic nature of the reaction between water and oil, and more importantly how to avoid splatter of oil when one cooks tofu.

The key, as he plainly pointed out is to drain the tofu, and make sure that the surface of the tofu is dry before adding them to the oil. I guess any experienced cooks have probably known this, but that was two years ago while I started to cook.

Like the ending of a fairy tale, I live a happy ever life cooking and eating tofu since then. Now, I cook tofu every week without worrying about the splattering. One trick that I learned and have never share with anybody though, is to wear an oven glove if you still worry about the splattering. The oil may dirty your glove but it will never kiss the delicate skin of your fingers!

Enough about the tips. I have a real good tofu recipe to share tonight. I woul call it seafood tofu with Gochujang sauce. It's a sweet and spicy recipe that comes together in a flash, and packed full of flavor. Making it suitable for week night dinner with a big bowl of rice.



Seafood Tofu with Gochujang Sauce

1 pack (12 oz)firm tofu, drained and blotted dry with several pieces of kitchen towels, cut into cubes
4 oz shrimps, shelled and deveined
5 fish balls, halved (optional)
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 bunch of scallion, cut into 2-inches pieces
3 gloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 heaping tablespoon Gochujang
4 tbsp chicken broth /water
1 tbsp mirin, or more to taste
1/2 tbsp sugar, or more to taste
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet until hot. Add in tofu cubes and make sure all the tofu cubes are in contact with the surface of the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes until one side of the tofu turned brown from searing. Add in garlic, zucchini, scallion and sesame oil. Stirfry until the zucchini turned soft. About 2 minutes.

Add shrimps and fish balls. Continue to cook until the shrimps turn pink. Add a heaping tablespoon of Gochujang to the tofu mixture followed by chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and add mirin, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

You can add more gochujang if you preferred a spicier dish. If the dish turned out spicier than you can handle, add more sugar to dilute the spiciness.

*Gochujang can be found at Asian grocery stores.

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The Pavlova from memory

I still remember the summer I first set foot in Perth. It was almost Christmas time and I felt like a melting scoop of ice-cream. The sweltering heat made me want to just stay in Uncle Michael's cosy house and not doing anything. Having said that, it was a memorable trip for many reasons, but one of the highlights, was the pavlova my aunt Kim served on Christmas morning.

I remembered how the faces of my little cousins lit up when they saw the pavlova. According to the very health conscious family, they ate pavlova (and bacon) only once a year on Christmas morning. Oh well, I wasn't in the position to comment on their habits, but I certainly didn't see what's the deal with this seemingly pale looking "fruit tart".

To be polite, I asked for a small slice not knowing what exactly lay ahead of me. And frankly, I wasn't exactly into anything that didn't have chocolate on it. But the first bite totally converted me! It was the most intriguing dessert I have ever eaten in my 19 years of life! How should I describe my first pavlova experience?

It was a generous stack of summer fruits on a bed of snowy white cream, supported by a sturdy meringue shell. Obviously, I had never heard of meringue at that time. So you can just imagine my excitement when I first put a tentatively small bite of pavlova into my mouth, and sensed the instant melting of meringue. It was a revealing moment. I quickly took a second bite, and the pillowy center of the meringue mixed with fruits reminded me of mashmellow with fruits. That was the coolest dessert I had ever eaten.

While I was having this revealing experience with my tiny slice of pavlova, the rest was promptly gobbled up by my relatives. It was quite sad that I couldn't have a second serving, and that pretty much sum up my pavlova experience. Pavlova is the kind of dessert that once tasted, one will never forget. At least, that is the case for me.

Many years have passed, and I never have another chance to taste pavlova again. I don't know why I didn't search for one the last time I was in Sydney. Perhaps I was scared of being disappointed by my memory. You know how sometime when you crave for something badly, it seems to be ten times more delicious than it actually is. So I didn't look for it.

Last week, while reading the Domestic Goddess Jeniffer's gorgeous blog, she asked other bloggers to post about their most craved, favorite desserts for the sweetest blog event that she is hosting. Naturally, pavlova came to mind. It was my most craved dessert that I couldn't believe I have waited so long to make!

Thank to the little nudge, I have finally reunited with my long lost love. And it didn't disappoint. I took the liberty to include Pierre Herme's lemon cream into the whipped cream, and used the berries I got from the farmer's market. It was a perfect ending for a dinner party we hosted last weekend. This is also my first entry to the Sugar High Fridays. Be sure to check out other food blogger's Sweetest Thing on Jennifer's blog on 29 June.

With the abundant of summer fruits, you shouldn't be surprised to see another pavlova popped up on my blog some time real soon!

p/s: sorry for the dull color of the photos. My batteries were low when I took these shots. :(

Pavlova with Mixed Berries

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
Chocolate curls (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and cornstarch, followed by the vanilla extract and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the outer side feel dry and hard when touched. Turn off the oven, keep the door ajar, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue.


Sweetened Whipped Cream:
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup lemon cream

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat! Fold in the lemon cream.

Yield: 1 cup

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