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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My first madeleine!

Remember I mentioned how excited I was about my new madeleine pan yesterday? Well, I forgot to tell you that I had whipped up a batch of madeleine at midnight too.



OCT went back to work after dinner and I suddenly had a few hours to kill. After I made a batch of lemon poppy seed muffins for his lab meeting, I decided that I had to make madeleines. Nevermind that it was almost 10p.m and the batter had to be chilled for at least 3 hours, and the author strongly advises consuming the madeleine on the same day that it is baked. I am an impulsive baker, and I know when I want something done, I want it done now. Housework however, is exception, which I always find excuses to do it later.



I chose the traditional madeleine from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours to commemorate my foray in madeleine baking. It was a wise choice! Eventhough I had never tasted the real thing before, but I must say mine was pretty decent.



The adorable madeleines were tender, fluffy and light, with a hint of lemon flavor. They were really delicious while eaten warm. The originally plan was to let OCT brought some for the lab meeting. But the glutton promptly gobbled a few pieces when he learnt that it was best eaten fresh. There were very few left over after that, and we decided it would be best for us to keep them for our own consumptions.



I ate some this morning after the photo shoot, and I think they still taste reasonably good. Strictly speaking, I am still eating these madeleines on the day they are baked. So there should not be any surprise here. I wonder how they will taste tomorrow. For the interest of experiment, I keep some aside for tomorrow. If they get too dry by then, I can always soak them in my coffee. That's another way of eating madeleine according to Dorie Greenspan!


I think I may even bake a batch this Sunday for breakfast and tea!

Traditional Madeleines
adapted fromDorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours

2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs. at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 tbsp)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
confectioner sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

working in a mixer bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar and eggs together on medium high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. (You can also spoon the batter into the greased and floured madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the madeleines directly from the fridge.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Butter and flour the madeleine mold and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake the madeleines for 11-13 mins, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and release the madeleines from the mold by rapping the edge of the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the madeleines to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch, make certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.

makes 12 large or 36 mini madeleines

note: although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they are better on day1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they will keep for 2 months.

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Shrimp and Scallop Arrabbiata

I was surprised to see OCT at home when I got back from grocery shopping. Normally we would go shopping together on weekend, but I had a dream last night. A dream about the madeleine pan I didn't buy last week, and how happy I was in the dream making madeleines using that madeleine pan. I take it as a sign, a sign that I MUST go and buy the pan today. No, I can't wait until weekend. There was only 3 pans left when I saw it last week, what if 3 other people had the same dream went to buy all the pans? Then there will be none left for me..

Luckily, when I finally reached Bed Bath Beyond today, there were exactly 3 madeleine pans left on the shelf. Apparently, nobody dreamt or obsessed about madeleines except me. It must be this book that I am currently reading- Baking: From my home to yours, by Dorie Greenspan. There are a few madeleine recipes that sounds pretty promising. I can't wait to try the one with lavender, earl grey tea and chocolate filled madeleine. Actually that's pretty much almost all of the madeleine recipes in the book....It's funny that I have never eaten a madeleine in my life and hold such a high hope on madeleine.

I think I digress. I was going to talk about tonight's dinner actually. OCT was home early today to take a nap. Poor him got up really early today to work on his dissertation. Unfortunately, before he could fall asleep, his wife came back and insisted that he must eat an early dinner before he went back to work again.

I needed something that can come in a flash. And what could be more convenience that pasta! (no, instant noodle doesn't count, although we will eat it when we need something in a blink) In the spirit of trying something new, I opted for the Shrimp and Scallop Arrabbiata.



It's definitely one of the nice pastas I have eaten in a long time. But maybe I am biased, there's nothing much with seafood in it that I don't adore. So, this recipe scored pretty well in my book. I reckon this is also a good recipe for winter because all the ingredients could be found in the pantry and freezer. I hardly used any fresh produce in this recipe. More importantly, the bright colour of this pasta would sweep away whatever bad mood you may have on a gloomy, cold winter day. And on happy day like today, when I become the proud owner of a madeleine pan, the dish is scrumptious enough to commemorate the event. (I am easily satisfied!)


Shrimp and Scallop Arrabbiata

adapted from Cookinglight, for original recipe, seehere

1 (9-ounce) package fresh linguine
1 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
8 ounces bay scallops
black pepper and salt
1 cup chopped onion
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ounce pancetta, chopped (I used bacon)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, set aside and keep warm. Keep some of the bacon fat to saute onion and garlic. Add fennel seeds and red pepper to the skillet when the onion garlic mixture gives out fragrant aroma. Add shrimp and scallops to pan; sprinkle with black pepper. Sauté 3 minutes or until almost done. Add bacon back to the skillet.

Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil.Remove from heat. Serve shrimp mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 2 hungry men.

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Pizza mess

Not too long ago, I promised myself to try another pizza dough recipe in search for the perfect pizza dough. I had my eyes on the one from Food and Wine Magazine. Afterall, it was also their staff's favorite for March issue.

I don't know what I did wrong, but the dough turned out to be very bland. I have even kept it in the fridge for a full 3 days before baking. It was supposed to have a complex flavor when the yeast was given enough time to develop. It's frustrating when a highly commended recipe turned out just the opposite in my hands. More so when I can't figure what went wrong.

I used to think that the pizza dough was simply a vehicle for the great toppings. Now I know that I was wrong! Anyway, we had seafood and roasted veggies for toppings. They were nice, but the dinner would be nicer if the dough turned out as it promised...

Instead of lamenting incessantly, I better focus my energy in trying another pizza dough recipe. Hopefully the next time I blog about pizza, it will be good news...

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Asparagus Melt with Pesto Spread

I have been a happy girl lately. Maybe it's the pleasant weather. Maybe it's the blooming trees everywhere given that it's officially Spring now. Or maybe because I have been eating asparagus almost every single night last week!

Just when I thought I have run out of ideas of using the asparagus, I saw this recipe. In which, asparagus are piled up on sourdough bread, together with pesto spread, tomato, deli ham and mozzarella.

Still in my creativity mode, I swapped the smoke salmon for deli ham, and provolone for mozzarella. They turned out great! I even made one without smoke salmon just to see if it would make the sandwich less enticing. But I found that it was equally nice! While munching on these cheerful looking sandwiches, OCT and I started to plan for our coming picnic, and agreed that these sandwiches will be a nice addition to our picnic spread. I can hardly wait to resume our Spring picnics! But that has to wait until OCT meet the various important deadlines!

I told OCT that I am going to be a vegetarian one day! I think I am quite sure that I could live on veggie alone. For the meantime, in order to eat healthier, we are going to eat vegetarian meal once a week. Guess that's OCT limit for now....

However health conscious this may sound, I am not ready to give up desserts yet, not anytime soon, especially chocolate!

Asparagus Melt with Pesto Spread

A bunch of asparagus spears (about a pound)
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise (I used 2 tbsp)
1 tablespoon commercial pesto
6 slices sourdough bread, toasted
about 4 oz sliced Smoke salmon
2 tomatoes, sliced
3 slices Provolone cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Steam, covered, 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Preheat broiler.

Combine mayonnaise and pesto in a bowl, and stir with a whisk. Spread a thin layer of pesto mixture onto 1 side of each bread slice. Layer each slice with asparagus spears, smoke salmon, 2 tomato slices, and 1/2 cheese slice. Place on a baking sheet; broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with pepper.

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Lemon Espresso Bites Mishap

Once again I find myself scrambling for a treat idea last Thurday for OCT's Friday lab meeting. I turned to my cookbook collections for ideas, but those that met my eyes were either too time consuming (certainly not for last minute baking) or required special ingredients that I didn't have on hand. So, I resorted to the ever resourceful cooking websites, and settled for a Lemon Espresso Bites recipe. Partly also because I am partial to anything with caffeine or lemon in it. After congratulating myself for finding the recipe with this great flavors combo, I started to work on it.

I must have been mesmerised by the name and the picture of the cookies that I forgot to look at the instructions. After everything was assembled, I faced the first impossible task of grinding the almond to fine powder, without the help of a food processor. It was really a mission impossible. I tried to ground them the best i could with a meat mallet. The end result wasn't very impressive, but I decided to proceed nonetheless.

And everything seems fine until I realised that the cookies were supposed to be piped out through a 1.5 inch round tip into 2 inch rounds. Obviously there's no such decoration tools lying around in my very primitive kitchen, so I scooped out the delicate dough into a large ziplock bag and tried my best to cut a 1.5 inch slit at one of the corners. I remembered seeing someone did that before, so that trick should work. After carefully piped out the 2 inches cookies dough on my baking sheet, I happily returned to the laptop to admire the desired end products. It was at that point that I realised something was not right with my cookies' appearance. The one featured on the website was much flatter than my meringue looking cookies. Actually, these are meringue cookies, but the one on the recipe was a thin meringue cookies. Not the bulky ones like those already baking away in the oven.....



I was worry that so many mishap would eventually destroy my cookies. Hence, I decided to swap the espresso filling with one of the ready made, hard to beat secret ingredient that everybody likes- Nutella! Yes, it's true. Nutella can fix anything! From horrible tasting ice-cream to tasteless bread. Nutella always works. And Nutella is going to save my day! I spread a thin layer of Nutella in between my fat meringue cookies, and secretly hope that OCT's labmates would at least have one, for the sack of Nutella....


Because these cookies are associated with too many unhappy memories, I decided to skip the recipe. Eventhough I know none of you out there would be interested in baking them too. Right?

But if you really must know, or simply curious of how the cookies should turn out, click here

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Sushi for One

I had a sushi dinner on Wednesday night when OCT had to rush for some work. I suddenly like the idea of eating dinner alone. I can cook whatever I want, or just eat a bar of kitkat for dinner!

But Wednesday night, I opted for sushi, and while I was at it, I decided to add my favorite pork floss to it. It may not be everybody's cup of tea and certainly was not how the authentic sushi should be made. But I was in my creativity mode. So here's my pork floss sushi. I think it tastes pretty good, if you like pork floss. :) I wonder what unconventional ingredient can I add to my sushi next time...

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