Happy Easter and a Sweet Gift of Chocolate Truffles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vanilla Bean Chiffon Cake
adapted from The Cake Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want more recipes with bananas?

Banana Chiffon Cake
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
Hummingbird Cake

Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting
adapted from The Cake Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To make the caramel espresso buttercream:

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

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

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

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

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

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25 Things about myself

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

Prawns in Sabah, my hometown is cheap and good

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

Laksa, in the hawker store near OCT's

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

Crab, must eat seafood in Sabah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chocolate Matcha Loaf Cake

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

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

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

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

For recipe, see here.

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Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chinese Beef Stew with Daikon

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

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

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

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

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

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


MAC BeST (Mandy's Americanized Chinese Beef Stew)

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


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

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

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

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

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

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The Daring Bakers Bake French Breads

This month's Daring Bakers challenge is perfect for me. Ever since the weather turns cold, I have been wanting to horn my skill at bread baking. Of course I occasionally bake dinner rolls, but I am mostly grounded in my comfort zone. Making something like French Bread that takes 7-9 hours has certainly never crossed my mind.

I am really glad that the past challenges have pushed me to bake some cool stuffs that my normal lazy self won't have attempted on my own.

Our hostesses for this month- Sara of I Like to Cook and Mary of The Sour Dough have picked Julia Child's French Bread as this month challenge. It has been a challenge indeed from the very beginning. Even before I dip my measuring cup into the flour. Reading through the looooong recipe, had me feeling exhausted, before I get started.

But once I got over the reading part, everything else was a breeze. Ok, maybe not as easy as I had envisioned, but hey, after two attempts, I got these batards you see here!

Did I just mentioned I made this recipe twice? Oh yes, that's right. When I first made the recipe on Monday, my dough was unbelievably sticky and the little petits pains that I baked turned out looking anemic. Even though they tasted great, I was quite sure that something wasn't quite right, so I repeated the recipe again on Thursday. Learning from my first experience, I adhered to the recipe more closely, and shaped my dough into batards, like many of my fellow Daring Bakers do.

Although there are many areas that my french bread can be improved on, I think it will be awhile before I bake french bread again. Don't get me wrong, I love this recipe, and the flavor of this bread is quite addictive. I can eat it without anything topping or spread. It's merely because I have 2 batches of these in the freezer now.

We are going to reheat some petit pains and spread withNutella for breakfast, and the batards, with smoked salmon, apple, spinach and cheese for our weekend dinner and lunch. I wonder how my fellow Daring Bakers are going to eat their French Bread? :)

For the recipe of Julia Child's French Bread, see Mary's entry with nice step-by-step photos here

To read about the other Daring Bakers takes on the French Bread Challenge, head over to the Daring Bakers Blogroll.

The past Daring Bakers Challenges:
Tender Potato Bread
Yule Log
Lemon Meringue Pie

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Pork floss buns for the home sick

*Update: Metric Measurements are now included for the pork floss buns. Enjoy!*

I think I am sick. Ever since I came back from Asia, I have been dreaming about my friends and family every night. Last night, my dream was about me eating packed lunch in my secondary school canteen when some guys came in for extermination. I stood up and told the guys that they should do that after our lunch. But the rest of my friends just continued to eat their food and couldn't seem to care less.

I find it weird that most of the time, my dreams are so absurd and mean absolutely nothing. OCT on the other hand, says he always see whoever he misses in his dream. But his dreams are always filled with wars or other natural disaters he is trying to run away.

So why am I talking about dreams? Oh, I remember. I am telling you about my sickness. One that I call home sick. I can hardly believe that it will be another 11 months (or longer) before we can head home again. What more with the imminent move to a new city in April, I can't be all optimistic for a longer than 2 weeks stay in Asia next year.

Whenever I am in Singapore, I like to check out one of the 25 outlets of Breadtalk, and get one of their signature pork floss buns. It is nothing fancy but a sweet bun filled with a secret mayo-like cream and pork floss topping. Upon its induction, many of the local bakeries try to imitate the famous bun and introduce a similar version of their own. All of a sudden, pork floss buns seem to take over the whole island, and became a must have item in all the bakeries. The hype when the pork floss buns were first introduced was only like yesterday. I remember myself joining the beeline of people queuing for the freshly made pork floss buns, choosing one with the most floss on top of the bun, and wouldn't mind eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, oblivious to the amount of calories one pork floss bun actually packs. Those were the days. I miss the convenience of having a breadtalk (or other equally good bakeries, for that matter) at every corner I turn.

This is my version of the pork floss bun. It is by no means comparable to the real deal. But they will work for my craving and oh, the home sick for now.

Hungry for more bread?

French Bread
Chocolate Babka
Onion Mustard Monkey Bread
Tender Potato Bread

Pork Floss Bun

basic sweet bun dough:(In cups measurement)
3 cups bread flour
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature

in metric measurement:
480g bread flour
120g all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
110g caster sugar
20g dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature

pork floss
mayonaise

Add yeast to warm water in a medium bowl, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Next, add the bread flour, all purpose flour, granulated sugar and dry milk powder into a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the water + yeast mixture with the help of a scraper.

Add in egg and softened butter. Mix well and knead to form a smooth and elastic dough. Because I know it will be easier to show you how to knead in a video, so I asked my boy friend to do just that. Enjoy!

(Ok,so you know he really can't be my boyfriend. But isn't he cute?)

After kneading, leave the dough to prove for 1 hour, or till it doubles in size.

Try pressing a finger into the dough, it should leave a clear mark when it's ready. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

For pork floss bun,
Divide the dough into 60g portion, shape into balls and leave them to rest for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into oblong shape and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Or you can grease the baking sheet without using parchment. Leave the dough to prove for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Brush with egg wash and bake on the middle of the oven at 375F for 12-15 minutes.

When the buns are cooled, spread a thin layer of mayonaise on top of the buns and coat generously with pork floss.

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Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I have been wanting to tell you about the last cheesecake I made from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook before we left for vacation. It was the best vanilla bean cheesecake I have tasted in a long time. I have the recipe neatly typed and saved in the draft but never gotten around posting it. Mostly because the only photo I have taken of the cheesecake was a poorly lit and hideous one. It simply doesn't do the cake justice, let alone convincing you, my friends, that it's the best vanilla bean cheesecake one could ever ask for.

So, upon returning from vacation, I took this mission of capturing the beauty of the best vanilla bean cheesecake upon myself. This cheesecake entry deserves a better photo than the first hideous one I took!But really, if you know me well, you know that this is only half the truth. The bigger motivation for repeating the recipe, I am afraid, is the imminent expiring dates printed on the few bars of cream cheese I overbought on discount. OCT said I am so predictable.

As a trademark of the famous Junior's Cheesecakes, this cake has a sponge cake crust. Although it takes a few more steps to prepare the sponge cake, I find the outcome more than worth the effort it demands. Even if you are a hardcore cookies crust fan, I encourage you to give it a shot. Either way, the real star here is the cheesecake filling speckled with vanilla beans. The original recipe has the vanilla flavor infused by sticking the vanilla pod in the sugar overnight, and uses vanilla extract in the filling. I pumped up the vanilla flavor by scraping out the morsels and added them into the batter after the overnight infusion.

If you love cheesecake, I am sure you will like this one. In fact, all the cheesecake recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook have garniered nothing but rave reviews from my tasters. I have to wait until Easter for another round of cheesecake baking. Meanwhile, be prepared to see some bread posts ahead!

Have a great weekend and stay warm, y'all!

You may also like:
Apple Cheesecake
Mango Cheesecake
Tropical Cheesecake

Other cheesecake recipes from the same book:
Little Fellas Raspberry Swirl
Little Fellas Cappuccino
Little Fellas Chocolate Swirl

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook

four 8-ounce packages Philidaphia Cream Cheese (I use 3 packages of 1/3 less fat Neufchtel and 1 package of original cream cheese), at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean (about 7 inches long)
1 recipe 9-inch Junior's Sponge Cake Crust, recipe below
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs ( 3 large eggs are fine too)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
one half pint fresh raspberries (about 6 ounces) (optional)
confectioners's sugar

The night before you plan to make this cake, put the granulated sugar in a small bowl and bury the vanilla bean in it, covering it completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight to flavor the sugar. When you are ready to make the cake, set the vanilla bean for later use.

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F)Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springformpan. Wrap the outside with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of vanilla flavored sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3cups vanilla sugar, then the scraped vanilla beans and vanilla extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake on a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch u the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let the cake cool for 2 hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.

Wash and drain the raspberries and place them on paper towels to dry, if using. Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Put some confectioners' sugar in a tea stainer and sift enough over the top of the cake to evenly cover it with a fine dusting. Decorate the top with raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate, or remove the decorations, wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Junior's sponge cake crust

for one 9-inch cake crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (or zest of half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

for one 8-inch cake crust:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I used zest from half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outsde with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Beat the eggyolks in large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.

Now wash the bowl and beaters really well (even a little fat is left, this can cause the eggwhite not to whip). Put the eggwhites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remainining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. It's ok if you see a few white specks, they will disappear during baking.

Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet and sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.

Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Crust
Use the above recipe and technique, except you stir in 2 ounces of melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate when you add the extracts.

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Vanilla Shortbread & The Simple Pleasure in Life

Not long before I went on vacation, I chanced upon Claire Clark's Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts on the library's new arrival shelf. I was immediately attracted by the luscious chocolate cake on the cover and had to add it to my avalanche of checkout books.

It was only after reading the foreword, by the much celebrated and revered chef, which also happens to be Clark's employer, Chef Thomas Keller, had I known that Claire Clark is the pastry chef of the extraordinary, award winning, and the best restaurant in the United State- French Laundry.I am so ignorant!

Flipping through the brilliantly written book have me craving to conquer each and everyone one of the gorgeous creations in my tiny kitchen. I wanted to make the Red Wine and Chocolate Cake, Green tea Tiramisu, Rich chocolate ganache tart with salted caramel and candied peanuts, Opera and basically all the rest of the recipes.

But there's a technical problem. All the recipes in the book are written in weight measurement. Clark explains that it is the most accurate way to measure and I couldn't agree more. But an accurate weighing scale is one of the appliance that my tiny kitchen lacks. I was going to buy one months ago, but was promptly distracted to make other purchases and totally forgot about the scale!

With that, all the ambitious attempts have to put on a hold. But I hate to return the book without making a recipe from it. Especially a great book like this. So, I make the first recipe on the book- the Shortbread, which according to Chef Thomas Keller, is what he craves upon returning the restaurant from a trip.

An endorsement like that is undoubtedly assuring. I did a not-too-accurate weght to cup conversion of the recipe and proceeded gingerly. The Shortbread recipe from Clark's mum is simple yet wonderful. As I rubbed the butter with my fingertips into the dry ingredients, my hands were perfumed with the sweet scene of vanilla beans, an aromatic yet satisfying process. All one needs to make the shortbread is just a mixing bowl, a pair of willing hands and a weighing scale (or measuring cups in my case). I am once again reminded that my hands are my most adaptable and flexible tool I have.

The Shortbread was nice when it was fresh from the oven, but I am happy to report that it tasted better after 1 to 2 days of sitting. That is definitely a desirable property in my book. The Shortbread is indeed indulgence in its simplest form.

I packed half of the shortbread with the cookies bag my friend- Happy Home Baking sent me. I wish I could send the cookies to her, but I doubt the delicate shortbread could make it to Singapore un-crumbled. So, they were given to a friend who dropped by my place one night.


Shortbread
adapted from Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts

225g/8 oz all purpose flour
75g/2 3/4 oz confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla pod
150g/ 5 1/2 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g/1 3/4oz granulated sugar , for dusting

(my not very accurate ingredient list in cup measurement)
1 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla pod
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
granulated sugar , for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the confectioners' sugar. Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife. Add the seeds to the bowl, along with the butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredient. As the mixture begins to come together, use your hands to help it form a dough (alternatively, you could use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on a low speed to make the dough.)

Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm/1/2 inch thick. Cut into 15 oblongs and place them on abaking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around and continue baking for 10 minutes, until the shortbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and dust with an even coating of granulated sugar. Leave on the baking sheet to cool.

Make 15-16 shortbread fingers.

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Time flies faster in KK and the Pineapple Tarts recipe

Seriously, I don't feel like I have spent enough time in KK, my hometown, surrounded myself with mum and dad, my aunties, best friends and my parents' friends. The day before I left for Singapore, to spend the Chinese New Year with OCT's family, mum and I tried to recount the stuff we have done for the past 10 days, to recall if we have wasted any seconds.

But we couldn't think of anything! We were busy baking, cooking, chatting, eating and meeting up with friends, and watching the TVB series on Astro when the clock struck 8:30p.m! The only reason I could think of, is time flies faster when one is having a good time. I made plans to meet up with more friends and wanted to show OCT some places during his short stay in KK but nothing was materialised. Poor OCT didn't even see the beautiful beaches my hometown is known for! He was flooded by enthuasiastic friends and my extended family with many dinner invites.

I am feeling a bit sad that I couldn't spend my new year eve at home, eating the reunion dinner with my folks this year. Reunion dinner on the Chinese New Year eve is a big deal in the eastern culture, and family members, no matter where they are;will usually come back for a sit down feast together. Depending on different dialect groups, the food that are served on the reunion dinner can be quite different. However, most often than not, there will be different dishes that signify good health, longevity and prosperity.

Mandarin orange/clementines 柑, that sounds like gold in Chinese is a "must have" item during Chinese New Year. There are quite a few varieties, including sweet tangerines but I am no expert in this clementine/mandarin/tangerine business. I would trade the clementine for orange (or better yet-meyer lemon!) anytime. I look uninterested when mum raved about a certain variety of clementines and much less when she bought boxes after boxes of them to give away.

One of the Chinese New Year item that I actually enjoy eating is the steamed brown sugar cake, which is more well known as nian gao 年糕. It is a combination of brown sugar, water and glutinous rice flour being steamed to perfection in a container made of banana leaves. When done right, the final product should have the right amount of sweetness and just a tad of stickness when one bite into it. I love mum's version of nian gao, where she coated the sliced nian gao in egg batter and panfry them to a light golden hue. It was to my disappointment that OCT's family doesn't eat nian gao during Chinese New Year! Instead, different food are served for breakfast on the first day of Chinese New Year. I would have bought some nice nian gao from KK had I known it earlier..

On top of the homemade cookies we baked, mum also stocked up with some indispensable snacks we love to eat during Chinese New Year. Among them are a certain well-known Hong Kong brand almond cookies that melt-in-your-mouth and egg rolls. Of course, Chinese New Year will not be complete without the prawn crackers. A snack that even the most resolved dieter couldn't resist a second helping.

And now, without further ado, is the recipe for the pineapple rolls/tarts many of you have requested. I like how buttery the rolls turned out and believe the use of a better quality butter does make a difference. As for the filling, we are using the ready-made variety comes from Thailand instead of sweating over the real stuff. Usually,we stick with whichever supplier we have tried instead of switching from one to another. When in US, I used the canned crushed pineapple, drained and cooked down to the desired consistency, with sugar to taste.

Pineapple Rolls/Tarts

for the pastry:
220g unsalted butter, at room temperature
375g all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
50g confectioners' sugar/icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk, for egg wash

for the pineapple filling (from scratch):
250g grated pineapple
150g sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2-1 teaspoon cornstarch

for the pineapple filling (from canned crushed pineapple)
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste)
1-1.5 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

To prepare the pineapple filling,
(from scratch):
Bring to a boil grated pineapple, sugar and lemon juice. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until it thickens.Taste to see if it has achieved the desired sweetness. Add more sugar when necessary. Sieve in half a teaspoon of cornflour.

Let the pineapple filling cool to room temperature before using. It can also be kept in refrigerator for 1 week.

Pineapple filling from canned crushed pineapple:
Using low to medium heat, cook the drained crushed pineapple and sugar until most liquid has evaporated, and the mixture turned golden. Stirring constantly using a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Taste, and add more sugar when needed. Add in 1 to 1.5teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken the mixture.

Let cool to room temperature before using.

For the pastry:
Sieve all purpose flour, corn flour, salt and icing sugar into a medium bowl. Beat butter in a mixer until it turns light in color and fluffy.Add in egg yolks until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

To assemble:
Roll pineapple filling into small individual rounds. Turn dough out and roll into small rounds.Flatten the rounds and use it to cover the prepared filling.

Brush the unbaked rolls with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180ºC for 10 to 15 minutes or till lightly brown.

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