Eid Special: Peach Ravani and The Perfect Scoop giveaway winner announcement!

I can't believe a whole month of Ramadhan has actually passed and Eid is tomorrow!The big day of celebration and a table full of cookies, treats and savoury dishes. In our small household, we have already set a tradition. On those times that we don't go home to Malaysia or Kerala, we would bring those nostalgic memories of childhood treats to our little table instead. This year is rather a special celebration for us with the welcoming addition to our family, The little munchkin whom really brings the sunshine to our world. This afternoon, when The Husband took our baby out to town for more Eid shopping, leaving me to my own devices and possibly for a break, I sat on the sofa and reminisced. How days have gone by and soon the little munchkin will form her own memories of childhood, and it is up to us to give her the best that she deserves. I remembered having the best days of my life growing up, and now her turn to get the best, be the best of food, clothes, education, and most importantly, love. And celebrations.

In our household, celebration normally equates to food. Good food. Exceptionally good food, so much so that I usually trust my mother's recipes more than the google searches. Even though the first day of Eid is exclusively for family, the prospect of 'open house' whereby our friends and relatives could just pop by on subsequent days throughout this whole month of Syawal always excites me. It is a good excuse to cook celebratory meals, food that we have been yearning for the whole year to make it to the kitchen table. In my case, I have been meaning to make Ravani for years, since I first had a morsel of it in Istanbul many years back. This time, for the double celebration of Eid and the blog giveaway winner, the Ravani is finally here to tackle the tastebuds as it is one exceptional cake.

 I love peaches, and I am glad that the passion is inherited by The Baby too. This summer we bought at least a punnet every other day, and did so many things with them. Snack of its own, addition to Baby's morning porridge, peach cobblers, galette and even made them into jars of conserve! I might be biased then, but the addition of peaches was just a perfect twist to the traditional Ravani. This is also a perfect virtual serving for the blog giveaway winner; I was pleased when the name of the winner popped up on the random number generator as I know she is also a stone-fruit lover.

May I extend my heartiest congratulations to Deeba from Passionate About Baking  for winning the blog giveaway, The Perfect Scoop ice-cream book by David Lebovitz. Congrats Deeba, I'm sure you will like the book, and since you are miles away, I could only offer a virtual slice of the Peach Ravani,  If you are ever in town here, I shall bake for you in person!

For all dear readers, let's have a slice of Peach Ravani for Deeba, and for the special Eid celebrations. 

Wishing all my readers Eid Mubarak and may you have the best of times with your loved ones during this happy occasion. 

Peach Ravani

size around 7-8 inch cake pan

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup golden castor sugar

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup fine semolina

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

1 can of peach slices

For the syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp cinnamon powder

Method

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract. Gradually add in the eggs one by one and mix until well blended. Combine the plain flour, semolina, salt and baking pwoder. Add into the batter and mix well using a rubber spatula.

Preheat the oven at 170C. Grease a 7 inch cake pan and sprinkle some flour all over. Arrange the peach slices at the bottom of the pan and pour the batter over. Bake until light brown for around 25 minutes.

Whilst the cake is baking, add the sugar, honey, water and cinnamon into a milk pan and bring it to boil. Let the syrup thickens slightly.

Remove the cake from the oven once done, turn the cake upside down and pour the syrup all over.

Leave the cake to cool slightly so the syrup could be absorbed into the cake.

Eid Special: Almond Oatmeal Cookies

Growing up, the cookie jars in the house were never empty. Almost every week, we would bake something sweet, something savoury to have with tea, and cookies are my all-time favourite. When occasions called, the frequency of baking would increase exponentially, Eid being one of the most celebrated seasons of goodies. I remember those days waiting for the clock to strike 1 pm, so I could rush home and help my mom to bake cookies. The house would be so magical, with the aroma of flavours stretched far and beyond that I could smell what's cooking from a mile away. Cinnamon with hot cocoa, vanilla fresh from the pods, a whiff of citrus of candied peels in the fruit cake batter, the list goes on and the memories stay alive.

Those days feel like yesterday but it was a good twenty years ago. I would request my mother to let me do the chocolate tempering. Of course, I did not know then what 'tempering' means, I was only 10! What I knew was, the chocolate has to be melted until glossy and shiny, and I would dip the cookies filled with whole almonds into this molten heaven, and sprinkle the chocolated coated cookies with more almonds before they are tucked into their little pretty petit four cases. It was no surprise that I grew up liking almonds so much that whenever a recipe calls for almond, I would give it a try.

These cookies are one of my old time favourite. It is almost like Hobnobs, only tastier, crunchier and certainly not sickeningly sweet. I baked this on half batch the other day for The Baby to help with her teething, and before I knew it, the jar is almost empty! Stealing from a baby is a definite crime eh? 

 

As I was in the mood of decorating these days, some of the cookies were even piped with melted dark chocolate, a reminiscence of old time memories and the two decades of  life that have passed. 

Truth be told, I miss Ramadhan and Eid back home. Here, it gets quite lonely. The celebration is usually very low key, and certainly would not last the whole month like Eid in Malaysia. What with the open houses, the arrays of delicacies and jars filled with sweets, cookies, cakes, that one could even go into sugar coma! I am trying to relive the experience of Eid here by baking and cooking my childhood favourites, and for all of you to share too, hence you will see on the blog these new posts titled 'Eid Special' from now running up to Eid.

 

So here goes, ladies, the first of my Eid Special, something new for your cookie jar. Crunchy, nutty cookies that would break your diet, yet makes you feel good. Cookies and milk. Cookies and coffee. Cookies and tea. Cookies, for that special occasion.

 

 

Almond Oatmeal Cookies

250g unsalted butter-at room temperature

140g golden castor sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla

320g plain flour

a pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

130g rolled oats

50g almonds

Method

1.Grind the oats and almond until they become almost fine powder, set aside. Preheat the oven for 170C.

2. With electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until almost pale in colour. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla, blend well but do not beat too much.

3. Using wooden spatula, add in the flour, bakign pwoder, salt, and almond-oats mixture. Mix well until dough is formed. 

4. There are many ways to form the cookies:

 

i. With rolling pin, roll the dough onto a 1-inch thickness rectangle and cut into shapes using cookie  cutter.

 

ii. Form small 1/2 inch balls, flatten slightly with the back of fork, so cookies will have ridged top.

Take your pick, its your cookies! Bake these sweeties for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer onto wire rack to cool.

For decorative purposes, melt some good quality chocolates using bain-marie, add into piping bags and using roudn Nozzle no 2 (Wilton), pipe some chocolates on the cooled cookies.

 

Store in n air-tight container.

 

Potato Almond Brioche

 

My darling Husband can come up with gorgeous ideas at times. Like this brioche. We were sipping tea few days ago when he asked if I could bake him some buns. This took me by surprise as he dislikes bread, aversion at the very least. I, on the other hand, the eternal bread lover,  upon hearing this was more than delighted to even start proofing the yeast straight away. He specifically asked me to put some potato, oregano and almond in the bread, to make it more savoury as per his palate.  After some contemplation, I thought I could incorporate all his requests into a light brioche and experiment with it!

I love brioche, amongst all other breads out there. Buttery and soft as feather, I like it sweet and never had any savoury version of it. So this was a new challenge, as adding potatoes directly into the dough would only make it denser, which was not what I like. I usually prepare brioche dough the night before the actual serving day, so what I did was made the dough, let it rise in the fridge, and only then I added in The Husband's special order, before the second rise. 

The potatoes were diced, and cooked separately with a knob of butter and oregano. The aroma filled the house and we were salivating away, hours and hours to go before we broke the fast! 17 hours of summer fasting, we were literally counting the hours to have a bite of the brioche.

I managed to get the fluffy brioche that I had in mind, albeit savoury this time. It was delicious and The Husband was delighted. I even received a dozen of gorgeous roses with a lovely card that evening, very much to my own surprise..now, I don't mind baking this everyday for such a beautiful appreciation afterwards. I should really thank The Husband for coming up with such a creative idea, that we can all share here.

Care for a bite, anyone?

Potato Almond Brioche

280g bread flour 

7g instant yeast (1 sachet)

40ml warm milk

3 egg yolks

1 egg

125g butter-cubed

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

3 medium sized potatoes

a knob of butter

1 tsp oregano

a handful of almonds (10-12 pieces)-chopped coarsely

Method

Proof the yeast. In a glass, add the yeast, milk and sugar. Leave on the kitchen counter for at least 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (egg and the yolks). Add in the proofed yeast, salt and sugar. Knead wtih clean hands. Please note that dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl with tea towel and let the dough rise for around an hour.

After about an hour, add in the cubes of butter to the dough and start kneading by pulling and tugging, until all the butter is incorporated into the dough. Place the dough in an airtight container and chill it in the fridge overnight.

Next day:

Take out the dough from the fridge and keep it at room temperature whilst preparing the potatoes.

In a pan, sautee the diced potatoes with a knob of butter and sprinkle with oregano. Add in half of the chopped almonds. Cook for few minutes.

Mix the potatoes into the dough and form small balls. Place the dough balls in a baking pan and let them rise for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining chopped almonds on the top.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 200C. Once they turn almost golden brown, take them out from the oven and cool the brioche in a container and cover with tea towel for about 20 minutes to retain the softness. 

Note

Submitting this recipe to Monthly Mingle August with Yeasted Dough Theme, the brainchild of Meeta's Monthly Mingle.

Mama's Vanilla Genoise Cake..with strawberry surprise!

I like flamboyant cakes..with icing, fondant et al. I am currently dwelling on my love for Chantilly cream, as you can see from my last profiterole post, such decadent cream is enough excuse to make and bake, for as long as I can savour the Chantilly cream. Again and again.

We had no celebrations called for flamboyant cakes. Well, not at least until couple of weeks time (!), so maybe I should call this my 'rehearsal' cake, just to practice a bit of piping, a bit of decorating. Baking is sometimes just a reason to rejoice in itself. Or rejoicing in memories of childhood and those days of being my Mama's sous chef. I have seen her baked this genoise for as long as I can remember, famously for our tea time, and this recipe has also been made into my mother's ever varied, fanciful roulade creations. When I rejoiced in the pleasure of another successful Victoria sponge, she insists that nothing beats this recipe for a perfect sponge cake. I agree, this cake is as delicious on its own, and definitely a hit with surprised berries as the filling.

One time, I baked a mini version of this cake, and asked The Husband to come home for a 'surprise'. Although he was slightly disappointed that we were on a different planet for the 'surprise' that he had in mind, he stuffed the whole cake (albeit small version!) in less than 5 minutes!! Cream and all, with probably a forkful piece left for me, thanks a bunch. This time, I made a bigger version, with a teeny weeny portion for my lil sous-chef who insisted to be carried by Mommy to the local shop for my  double cream 'grocery shopping'.

The tip for a beautifully risen genoise lies in the freshness of the eggs; beat the eggs until pale and really fluffy in order to get a risen sponge. 

A few tips from my mom, The Baker,  that I have mastered over the years of genoise baking:

• Always use a metal bowl for whisking, and metal spoon for folding the flour and butter in the batter. This apparently helps 'trap the air bubbles' to create a sponge that does not turn flat!
• When you fold the flour, never mind if the mixture is not well mixed. Underfolding is better than overfolding.
• Make sure the melted butter is ever so slightly warm prior to folding it into the batter
• And, don't let the hassle of bain-marie put you off from the best sponge about to be created in your kitchen!

 So let's bake whilst summer is still fruitful with the berries...

Vanilla Genoise Cake with Strawberry Surprise

makes 2 x 8 inch sandwich pans

4 large eggs

160g sugar

160g plain flour-sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp melted butter

Filling

300ml double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

(Whip all above ingredients on high speed until soft peaks are formed)

200g strawberries-hulled and halved

Method

Preheat oven at 170C.

Prepare the bain-marie (water bath) on the hob until water is hot ( not boiling), and turn off the heat.  add the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and place the bowl over the hot water bath. Using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale, ribbony and fluffy.  Add the vanilla essence and beat again for few more minutes.

Add in the flour and quickly fold over the flour using a metal spoon. Do not overdo the folding. Drizzle in the melted butter, fold over few more times. Divide the batter equally into 2 sandwich pans and bake for 20 minutes at 170C.

Once the cake is almost golden colour, remove from the oven and DO NOT insert the skewer as this might deflate the sponge. Cool the cakes from the tin immediately onto the wire rack.

 

Et voila! You just bake a beautiful genoise..

Now comes the exciting part. As genoise can be dry, the best way to moisten it is with fruits, syrup, or cream. Lots and lots of cream.

Spread the Chantilly cream on the cake and arrange the strawberries on top. Then sandwich the other cake on top.

Now get your piping bags into action, and let's create something magical. Roses, lace borders, add a bit of red tinge, or even some cocoa in the cream for a bit of chocolatey flavour..the choice is yours.

 Time to enjoy the cake!

Toffee Profiteroles with Chantilly Cream

If you live in London and love a bit of window shopping, I bet you would have come across Caffe Concerto on Regent Street with its stunning window display. Every time I walk past this Italian Brasserie, I just had to stop, gawk and be stunned..the arrays of desserts with towers and towers of gold leaf decorated profiteroles, wedding cakes with fancy chocolate plastiques and bouquet of fresh flowers between the multiple tiers are such a showstopper. With upcoming loved ones' birthdays around the corner, I actually went in to the cafe recently to find out if they could do a mini profiteroles tower for me. No, not for weddings I say, just a small family function. 

I was quoted a £600 for a profiterole tower (!!!), in a very casual tone, "It comes with golden leaves, Madame".  This obviously took me aback and I had to decline placing an order on this occassion. All the  way back home, all I could think was how could such an easy choux pastry tower be that expensive, even with the fancy schmancy gold leaf? Better be a 24 carat leaf then, heh.

Few weeks later, engrossed in one of my baking moments, or shall I say pastry moments, I decided to make the profiteroles myself. Not with the fancy schmancy gold obvously, and not that towering either for just the two three of us, but fancy enough that I even made the Chantilly cream and toffee sauce to go with it. Usually profiteroles are drizzled with chocolate sauce but I thought,  let's do it differently this time.

They turned out nice, More than nice. Perfect! Soft, airy and hollow inside. So I get to keep my £600. (seriously, I wouldn't even dream of spending that much money on profiteroles even if I am a billionaire!). Anyways, few friends of mine are intimidated by choux pastry making. It is actually very do-able. The tip to perfect choux, in my humble opinion, lies on few important factors:

• Get a digital scale for accurate measurements of the ingredients
• Open the oven door few times whilst the puffs are being baked. 1 know it contradicts the ancient rule of baking of do not open the oven door until cake is cooked..but trust me, it works better on choux pastry if you let the steam out once in a while
• I always turn around my tray half way during baking to get an even temperature throughout on those lil balls, and I love my fan oven.
• Cool the choux immediately on rack before filling them with cream

If you fancy some pipings and too scared to practice on big celebratory cakes, now is the time to get those nozzles out and play around on this pastry, and trust me, you will be proud of yourself with the end results.

Toffee Profiteroles with Chantilly Cream

50g butter

70g plain flour

80 mls water

2 eggs

Chantilly Cream

300mls double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce

50g butter

50g brown sugar

2 tbsp double cream

1 tbsp golden syrup

Method

Whisk the eggs with a fork and take out a couple of tablespoon of the egg aside for egg wash later.

In a pan, boil the butter and water together. Once simmered, remove from heat and add in the flour and quickly form a ball using wooden spatula. Transfer to a bowl. On medium speed, using an electric mixer, beat the dough whilst gradually adding in the eggs. Keep beating until the batter is stringy.

Spoon all the batter into a piping bag and using a round nozzle, pipe the dough into 1 inch balls.  Mix the remaining egg with a couple of water, and brush the top of the dough balls with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes at 180C, turning the tray around half way during baking. Once golden, cool the profiteroles on wire rack.

Prepare the chantilly cream. Using electric mixer, beat the cream and gradually add in the icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Cool the cream in the fridge until just prior to use.

Prepare the toffee sauce. In a heavy bottomed pan, add all the ingredients and let it simmer and thicken slightly. Remove from heat and the sauce is ready to be drizzled.

Assembling the profiteroles

Once cooled, fill a piping back with cream and using round nozzle size no 2 (Wilton), inject the cream into the profiterole and stack the profiteroles on a plate. Drizzle with the toffee sauce.

Note: This recipe goes to Jabeen's Corner for Iftar Nights event.

MacAttack! Butterscotch and Praline Macaron Gelato

My recent blog-hopping discovery has been truly mind blowing when I discovered Deeba's baking anecdotes at Passionate About Baking. What makes me hooked even more to her site is her brainchild with another blogger, Jamie as they came up with MacAttack challenge where anyone can participate in the monthly macaron challenge and show off their success (or flop!). I could not help but succumb to more macaron baking as this month's challenge suits my household perfectly: Ice Cream Dreams!

Now, what better way to fill your macs than a homemade ice-cream eh? Lately I have been churning more and more ice cream, yogurt gelatos, and fresh fruit popsicles, almost on daily basis, all in the spirit of summer and the varieties of fresh fruits available henceforth. I have been toying with the idea of making butterscotch gelato, so MacAttack challenge was like a dream comes true. Only this time, the macarons has to complement the filling, instead of the other way round!

Alas, my quest on butterscotch macaron recipe was futile. In fact, come to think again, I never had any butterscotch flavours before. The closest to the taste was praline macs that I savoured each time I frequented Harrods' Laduree. As I gave up on my recipe search, my rusty brain did the Eureka! moment; let's create my own version of butterscotch-praline macs!

They turned out delicious, with crunchy praline sprinkles on the top of macaron shell that looked really pretty. Initially I was not sure how it would go with gelato, but the filling if anything, enhances the butterscotch yumminess even more. The butterscotch gelato was very easy to prepare, you could even pull it off without an ice-cream maker.

 After months of hiatus from macaron experiments, thanks to MacAttack, I am in actual fact preparing my second tray of macs, all in the space of a week. Let the flavour be a secret for now, but watch the space...if my macaronage is kind to me, I might even churn some ice cream to go with it!

There are three separate recipes below, which makes up the whole sundae combo, butterscotch macarons, almond praline and butterscotch gelato.

Butterscotch Macarons

 110g blanched almonds

200g icing sugar (powdered sugar)

90g egg whites-age for at least 48 hours

30g soft brown sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional to stabilise the meringue)

In a food processor, combine almond and icing sugar. Pulse until fine almond meal is formed. Keep aside.

In a large metal bowl, pour the egg whites which have been aged for at least 48 hours. If you store the egg whites in the fridge (can be stored for up to 5 days), make sure it is 'thawed' to room temperature prior to use. Using electric whisk, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy. Gradually add in the cream of tartar and brown sugar. Keep beating until glossy soft peaks are formed. Do not beat too much until it becomes stiff as mixture will be too dry.

Making the macaronage:
Add in the almond meals, and with initial vigorous mixing, mix until all is well blended. Keep folding minimally afterwards (less than 50 strokes) or until a ribbony batter is formed. 

Testing the consistency of macaronage:

Drop a spoonful of batter onto a plate. The batter should flatten out within 10 seconds. If dome peaks formed, fold the macaronage few times more.

Fill the piping bag with batter and using a round tip (I use Wilton 1A), pipe the cookies at approx 1inch diameter with gap between one another. Leave to rest at kitchen counter for at least 30-60 mins and meanwhile preheat the oven at 140C. 

After some rest, a thin film should be formed on the top of macaron shells. Sprinkle the top with some coarsely ground praline and bake the macs for 12 minutes. The macs should preferably be kept in the fridge for a day to 'mature' prior to filling and serving. As we are filling them with ice-cream, I strongly recommend filling the macs just immediately before serving as otherwise it will all melt away!

Almond Pralines

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp cold water

Roast the almonds for around 10 minutes at 180C. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and pour in the sugar. Swirl the pan gently until the sugar caramelises to a rich golden colour. Reduce the heat and add in the water. Let the caramel thicken slightly but careful not to burn it as the praline will then be bitter.

Remove the caramel off the hob and stir in the roasted almonds. Mix until well blended with a wooden spatula. Pour the mixture on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spread it over to 1 inch thick and let cool. 

Once cooled, chop half portion of  praline coarsely(for gelato) and pulse the other half into finer sprinkles for the top of macaron shells.

Butterscotch Gelato

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 cup whole milk

2 cups double cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 large egg yollks

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the butter with brown sugar and molasses to melt. Add in the milk and 1 cup of double cream. Let it simmer for few minutes. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks slightly. Whilst still whisking, pour in the sugar-cream mixture into the egg yolks, ensuring no clumps are formed. Pour the mixture back into the pan, and simmer until it thickens slightly. Add the vanilla and salt.

Once the mixture is thickened, add in the remaining cup of double cream, mix well and chill in the refrigerator.

Using ice cream maker: Add the chopped praline and churn the chilled mixture according to your ice cream maker's manual instruction. Usually thw churning is done in a pre-freezed bowl.

If not using ice-cream maker: After 3 hours, take the gelato out from the freezer , add the chopped praline and beat the mix using electric mixer. Freeze the gelato again for few hours. You should have achieved a frozen but creamy consistency at this stage, if not, beat the mix one more time and freeze for another couple of hours prior to serving.

Fill the macs with the gelato and serve immediately.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, my dear good friend sent me a text from Malaysia asking if I would be free for a 'Tour of England' as she was coming over for a 'de-stressing 10-day break'. I was ecstatic, and my mind was already racing with baking ideas and my hostess' duties to make sure that her stay was as memorable as possible. Since we have been really close since college days, which now seems like a century ago (!), it is almost inevitable that I knew her tastes really well. She has always been a big fan of red velvet cupcakes; come to think again, who wouldn't? It makes perfect sense  then to welcome her with a fanciful tray of her favourite cuppies. These red velvets have surely cured her jetlag instantly. So much so that her actual belated birthday gift, a cashmere beret that I handknitted exclusively for her, came second in preference to the cupcakes!

I have baked these cuppies several times now, all came out exceptionally good. What better way to complement the flavour than the frosting itself, this cream cheese frosting is my favourite as yet. The tang from the cheese goes really well with the exquisite taste of the cupcake. Someone asked me once, what's the difference of red velvet than a normal chocolate cupcake, as both contains cocoa with the addition of red colouring in the other. Well, it taste completely different! You must try these to know the difference yourself:-)

This recipe is adapted from the original version that I got from The Hummingbird Bakery, which has been sacredly kept in my 'recipe folder'. Yes, I love paper notes better than bookmarked web pages. It's silly, it's old fashioned yet there's something magical about flicking through sallow pages of recipes and recreating them in one's own kitchen.  This recipe has not disappointed me so far, and has certainly brought lots of joy on my kitchen table and smiley faces on my guests and family. It's time to spread the cuppy love here.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

makes around 12 cupcakes

 

80g unsalted butter

150g golden caster sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

2 tbsp red colouring ( I use Dr Oetker brand)

120ml buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp vinegar

Cream cheese frosting

200g icing sugar

50 g unsalted butter-kept at room temperature

150g cream cheese-keep in the fridge until just before using

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 170C.
2. With electric mixer, whisk the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg and beat for few more minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix in the vanilla extract, red food colouring and cocoa powder until it becomes a thick paste. Add into the butter mix.
4. Turn off the mixer. Add in the buttermilk alternating with flour until all is well incorporated. Finally, mix in the salt, vinegar and bicarbonate soda.
5. Spoon the batter into cupcake cases until 2/3 full, bake for 20 minutes or until skewer  inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. DO NOT overbake the cuppies as the sponginess will lose.
6. Leave the cupcakes to cool before frosting them.

Preparing the frosting
To get a nice, soft peaked frosting, ensure the cream cheese is really cold, so keep it in the fridge until just before using. For best results, use an electric mixer, and beat the butter and icing sugar together on medium speed. Add in the cream cheese and beat on high speed until soft peaks are formed.
Pour the mix into a piping bag and frost the cooled cupcakes.
Decorate with fruits or chocolate swirls. 

 

Note: I used fresh cherries, dark chocolate swirls and lemon rinds in my cuppies, as seen in the pics above. 

Best Naan in town

In my house, there were always three types of flour stocked up in the pantry; the plain, the self raising and the ever fanciful bread flour. That is, until recently. In my futile attempt to melt away the post-pregnancy weight, I deliberately omitted the bread flour from my grocery list-I thought that would be the only way possible to stop me from making more bread, buns, teacakes and the like. Later I realised that just like a junkie suffering from the withdrawal symptoms, my cravings for breads only became unbearable to a point that I had to buy the bread flour, and started scouring for a 'healthy' recipe albeit a carb-laden ones. I gave myself some good excuse to break the diet with a quick and easy Naan, which, not only is worth breaking the diet for, but is also ever popular with my food critic, The Husband.

 It turned out better than our favourite takeaway restaurant, so that is something to talk about. I kept relegating about it so much so that my food critic sarcastically said 'Maybe you should put it in your CV', whilst munching it away with some mutton curry. Hmmph. Well, I think I shall post it in the blog instead, like, pronto.

So, what makes this naan special? I personally like the addition of plain yogurt into the dough, as it not only makes the turned out naan softer, it also gives a tangy flavour to it. Add in some mashed garlic in a spoonful of ghee and brush away on the naan as you take it from the grill, what you get is an insanely gastronomic delight on a heightened level.

I obviously do not own a 'tandoor' (clay oven) at home but my pizza stone certainly took care of that to bring out an authentic look to the naan. If you don't have a pizza stone, I believe the same outcome can be achieved with a griddle, or place the naan on  parchment paper in a very hot oven-grill. Just a little tip for those using pizza stone: parchment paper is an ideal replacement of a pizza peel. Roll out the naan on the parchment paper and place it on a preheated stone, then slide out the paper easily within minutes.

So enough of my kitchen ramblings, shoot on straight to the recipe. Yes, in my book, it's the best in town, as yet.

Naans
yield around 10 tear-drop shaped pieces

3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 packet instant dry yeast
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg-beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp plain yogurt
3 tbsp milk
a pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic-mashed
ghee (clarified butter) for brushing

Method
1. Proof the yeast by placing it in the mug of warm water and add in the sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix in the egg, melted butter,  baking soda, plain yogurt, milk and salt. Add in the proofed yeast. Gradually add the bread flour and knead away until a thready consistency is achieved. Hand kneading is sufficient here without using the dough hook on mixer.
3. Leave the dough to rise until it doubles in bulk.
4. Once the dough is doubled, punch out the air and form small balls. At this point you can also add in any shredded coconut and spices or garlic if you like to flavour the naan, hence making peshwari or garlic naan respectively. Leave the dough balls to rise for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the pizza stone at 220C. Dust the parchment/baking paper with some flour. Roll out the balls into a tear drop shape naans.
6. Switch on the grill. Grill the naans on pizza stone for several minutes, flipping on the other side until golden brown bubble textures are formed.
7. Brush the grilled naans with mashed garlic-ghee mixture. Leave the naans to cool slightly in tea towel before serving.

Classic Hot Dog Bun

I shall dedicate this post to my first follower, Shab from Shab's Cuisine, thank you for the inspiration to join the blogwagon and I hope you shall also try out my time-tested recipe which is now a classic in the family..HotDoG Buns..!

Considering this blog is meant to be a fusion of East-meets-west-meets-Oriental-Indie foodies, I thought let's bring a twist and present a recipe that shall be welcomed by all, worldwide, across the age and gender. This bun can be customised to your favourite filling, soft but sturdy enough to hold almost anything, no matter how crampy you want to fill it. I know these buns are as cheap as peanuts to buy from your local tesco or Sainsbury's or Asda (or the new online milkandmore!), but ever since my baby is weaning, I am always a wee bit careful about what goes into our diet, as sometimes I give her a nibble of the adult food. So the last thing we need is for the preservatives to be laden in her system. I must admit that I was initially a bit apprehensive about making the dough without my trusted bread machine, but much to my surprise, the buns turned out nicer than the grocery-bought! And, NO preservatives! Now we even have a frozen batch ready to be thawed for a last-minute breakfast idea. The smell of freshly baked buns is such a divine complement to the espresso aroma that sometimes, that is a reason enough to bake this again and again, each morning without fail.

For this particular bun, I advise that you mix bread flour with plain flour to even out the gluten and protein ratio in the dough, hence creating the soft-but-sturdy, perfect buns. I have not tried my version on hamburger buns, but I don't see why not apart from changing the shape and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, just as you like it.

As the dough yields around 12 buns, and we are just a small family, I usually make a batch to be frozen as using thawed dough does not alter the fresh taste. My only housekeeping notes:

• Ensure the dough is refrigerated (from frozen) the night before baking so it will rise naturally
• If you do not have a bread machine, you can still knead it to a bread-machine quality by 'feeling' the elasticity of gluten in your hands as the dough will be less sticky the longer you knead it.
•  If you live in a high altitude climate like I used to, the quickest way to leave the dough to risen is by placing the dough in a well covered, cling filmed bowl and leave it in the oven set at 90C for around 30 minutes. The dough is guaranteed to be doubled by then!

As we have enjoyed it for numerous breakfasts, brunches, and weekend snacks, I hope this recipe shall be in your to-do menu too. It is definitely a satisfying bake and tastier treat than the store-bought ones.

 

Classic Hot Dog Bun Recipe

yields 12 large buns

4 cups unbleached bread flour  

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup warm milk

1 packet (7g) dry yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1 large egg

pinch of salt

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup melted butter

1 egg, whisked with 1 tbsp water to form egg wash

optional: sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Method

1. Proof the yeast by  mixing it with sugar and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes or until it bubbles up.

2. Mix the bread flour, pplain flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the melted butter, egg and milk together. Mix in the yeast into the liquid.

3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and knead until an elastic dough is formed. Dough should not be sticky.

4. Ferment the dough at room temperature (or as my tip above) until it doubles in size.

5. Punch out the air and knead the dough again. Divide into 12 balls.  (The dough can be frozen as dough balls at this point).

6. Form an oblong shaped bun and leave the dough to rise for 15 minutes. Set the oven at 170C.

7. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Transfer onto parchment paper or silpat and bake for 12-15 minutes until the top is crusty and golden.

8. Let the baked buns cool in kitchen towel. Fill with your favourite fancy and condiments;-)

Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Recently, the children centre that I frequent with my baby organised a fundraising day. It didn't take me long to think of what to bring from our house, as I know these delicious cupcakes would definitely worth the pounds! I decided to join the bandwagon of cuppies craze that has taken the food blogosphere by a storm and share my tweaked-many-a-time chocolate recipe here. It is originally a recipe for a moist chocolate cake, which can easily be divided into batches and definitely into the cupcake moulds. 

I must confess that this is not my favourite topping, alas, I decided to just go with the simple buttercream topping as I was not sure how people at the children centre would review swiss  meringue buttercream. I am always a fan of swiss meringue buttercream, difficult to make, yes, but it taste oh so buttery and delicious, and much much better than the typical buttercream. I shall post my version of swiss meringue buttercream in very near future, if the occasion arise for me to don the chef's apron again.

This cupcake recipe is classic and you can decorate it with anything that you like. I chose strawberry here as it is in season, and we had plenty at home for me to just use them on this adhoc baking occasions. I must say, those cuppies were an instant hit, and I was glad to contribute to the children's centre..it is definitely good to know that the cupcakes were most welcomed by the mothers and toddlers alike..and even the babies!

Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

 yields 24 pieces

3 oz good quality chocolate
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferrably dutch processed)
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
3 large eggs
1 cup espresso
1 cup oil (I used melted butter)
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt


Buttercream frosting
125g butter
300g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoon milk


Method
1. Mix the hot espresso with chopped chocolates; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda,  salt, cocoa powder and sugar together.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until they become pale and fluffy. Gradually add in the oil, buttermilk and melted chocolate until they are well blended. Add the dry ingredients(flour etc) until all is well incorporated.
4. Fill the batter into greased cupcake moulds and bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool the cuppies on the rack and prepare the frosting.


For frosting, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and forms soft peaks. Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and decorate the cuppies with sliced strawberry or any decorations that you fancy!

Gateaux aux Pommes..5 4 3 2 1

I always have a penchant for anything French..it stemmed from my teenage days studying French for a Diploma, which by chance took me further to learn the culture, the food and the country itself. My liking was further enhanced when I later had a chance to spend some real time living there and with further subsequent visits as I live just across the English Channel. It's amazing how now my forever love affair with France is reflected mostly on my bakings.

I think this gateaux aux pommes 54321 (apple cake in layman's term!) is famously known all over France thanks to the introduction by Tupperware company. I had this cake many years ago, on a rainy day when all I needed was a shade, hence I rushed into a boulangerie (bakery) nearby. Obviously, the apple cake looked more tempting than overpriced baguettes, so I decided to spend my pennies wisely on the dessert instead. Years later, I came across the recipe from one of the French websites, and after doing the translation slowly, I managed to recreate this for our tea time. It was also an occasion to savour as I was inaugurating my newly bought Le Creuset ramekins, so what better to fill them other than a French dessert, eh?

I chose green apples as I like the tartness than the red equivalent, although I have also tried it with Gala apples and they turned out just as amazing. I must confess, we have had this dessert for like, almost every day as it's the Husband's favourite, and it can be whipped up in a jiffy.

So what with this 5,4,3,2,1? It is actually the way how the ingredients are prepared..as you can see on the recipe below. Now there is no excuse on not making this cake as the recipe is easily remembered. My only modification to the authentic recipe is by using melted butter instead of oil as I think it tastes more buttery and rich.

And if you have a toddler or baby, I must say that the baked apple on its own is my fussy baby's favourite, so this cake could well be a real family treat across generations and age. Do give it a try.

5,4 3, 2,1...Apple Cake
yields 3-4 ramekins or a 6 inch cake pan

5 heaped tablespoon plain flour
4 heaped tablespoon granulated sugar
3 heaped tablespoon milk
2 heaped tablespoon melted butter (oil was used in the original recipe)
1 egg
1 green apple peeled and sliced finely
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Topping
5 tbsp butter-kept at room temperature
5 tbsp sugar
1 egg

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk the egg lightly with milk and melted butter. Pour into the bowl and mix until well blended.
2. FIll half of the ramekins with the batter. Arranged the sliced apples on top and bake these at 180C for 10 minutes.
DO NOT preheat the oven, as we want the apple not to be too caramelised.
3. In the meantime, prepare the topping by mixing the butter, sugar and egg together.
4. Remove the cakes from the oven at 10 minutes, and pour the 'custard' topping. Bake the cakes again for further 20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
4. Sprinkle some sifted icing sugar for decoration. These cakes with delicious crusty topping is best served warm, even with a side dollop of creme fraiche as you like it!

Orange Chiffon Cake

This is my mother's classic, a recipe that is guaranteed NOT to fail, and it rises each time. I have baked this several times now, without a fail, and always excellent to be devoured with a cuppa tea. I saw some  blog posts recently about Chiffon cake, and although I was keen to try out different versions out there, sometimes it's better to be on the safe side, hence here I am sharing this classic with you.

The secret of a beautifully risen chiffon lies in the freshness of the eggs, which should also be kept at room temperature. I must also add that cream of tartar is a must for a stiff meringue that does not fall flat in the oven whilst being baked. There are some theories out there on substituting cream of tartar with vinegar. Honestly I have not tried it, and I am not sure how it might change the taste. Another tip from my mom is using a stainless steel bundt pan, instead of a non-stick pan as the cake needs to 'climb' up and steel is better than non stick for this. 

Back home, we also have a different flavour called 'Pandan', which is actually my preferred flavour than orange. I don't think we can get the Pandan leaves (whereby you get the juice extract by squeezing the blended leaves through a sieve), so voila, we shall be contented with an orange chiffon instead, eh?

Note: You can also use different flavouring such as coffee by substituting orange rinds and juice with espresso powder instead.

Orange Chiffon Cake
pan size: 23 inch bundt pan

1 cup self raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar-divided into 2 portions
6 eggs-separate the yolks
1 tsp cream of tartar
6 tablespoons corn oil
1 orange-take the juice and the grate the rinds 
1 tbsp orange extract  (optional for stronger flavour)

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour,  orange rinds, salt and 1 portion (1/2 cup) of the sugar.  In a  separate bowl, whisk egg yolks lightly, add the orange juice,oil and mix this into the flour. Mix until the ingredients are well blended.

2. Whisk the egg whites on high speed. When the egg whites are fluffy, add in the cream of tartar and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar gradually. Whisk until it forms stiff peaks and when the bowl is turned upside down, the meringue does not fall.

3. Fold the meringue into the well blended ingredients using metal spoon. Prepare a bundt pan. Do not grease the pan, but only sprinkle plain flour throughout. Fold the mix into bundt pan.

4. Bake the chiffon at 175c for 30 minutes. DO NOT open the oven during the baking. Once skewer comes out clean, turn the bundt pan upside down and let the cake cool in the pan. This takes about an hour.

5. Once completely cool, serve the chiffon with optional icing sugar dusting on top.