Cherryleader

Black Forest Cake: The Fairy Tale Ending

2007-04-27T23:38:00.000+10:00

I made my own birthday cake for the first time.

Yesterday was the 22nd birthday. It's also my first birthday I spent with the boyfriend. I remembered making a wish before blowing the last year's candles that he didn't have a girlfriend. Two months later, we started going out. So yes, the birthday wish will actually come true.

We spent the day like other normal working days, but had the time to wonder around in town for two hours. He bought me a white rose, wrapped in cellophane with a white bow, just the way I like it. So I walked around town with a thin, long, elegant white rose in one hand and him in the other. Never felt this special before.

My chemistry lab finished at 5 in the afternoon. We both got dressed up and went to this famous Italian restaurant for dinner. It was all very romantic. The window seat. The white tablecloth. The beautiful mussel and scallop. The two hands holding each other. We went to another place for tiramisu and Italian hot chocolate for dessert. Perfect.

One thing though, I didn't have time to bake a cake for myself. It's been a dream since I first started baking. And it has to be blask forest, probably because it's such a luxury treat that you can only indulge yourself with on a special occasion.

It was indeed luxury. I didn't add that much sugar but we still have to share 3/4 of the cake with my friends. It looked beautiful inside, the layer after layer of chocolaty cake, white Chantilly cream, and dark purple cherry.

Who doesn't love such a cake that reminds you of the beautiful fairy tales that might happen in the black forest. So let me just be a kid for one more time, believing in fairy tales that all had happy endings. Then I'll be a older and wiser adult, making a silent promise with myself that the fairy tale ending will one day happen to us.

Black Forest Cake

Adapted from Sensational Sweets

Chocolate Sponge
2/3 cup cake flour (I made my own: 2 tbsp of cornstarch + plain flour = 1 cup cake flour)
1/3 cup coca
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Sugar syrup
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark rum

Cheery filling
1 pound pitted sour cherries, drained if canned; reserving 3 tbsp liquid
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cornstarch

Chantilly cream
2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar, or to taste
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate coating
400 g chocolate, melted

Chocolate shavings, extra

Preheat the oven to 350F (185C). Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the pan bottom with waxed paper cup to fit and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.

To make the cake, on a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour with the cocoa. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the yolks until combined. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar a little at a time and heat the mixture falls in a thick ribbon when beater is lifted. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape the egg-yolk mixture into a large bowl. Wash the mixer bowl and beater. Add the egg whites to the mixer bowl and beat with the salt until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until whites form very soft peaks. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat the whites until they hold firm peaks. With a large rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the whites into the egg-yolk mixture. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in batches, until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto a rack, peal off the waxed paper, and let cool completely.

To make the sugar syrup, in a medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar and water and heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum and let cool.

To make the cherry filling, in a medium-size saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar to taste, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine reserved cherry liquid with the cornstarch and stir into the cherry mixture. Simmer, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl, let cool and chill, covered, until ready to use.

To make the chantilly cream, in a chilled bowl, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat with a chilled beater until it forms soft peaks.

To assemble the cake, with a long serrated knife, slice the cake into three layers and transfer the bottom layer, cut side up, to a piece of cardboard. Brush the cut side of the bottom layer with a third of the sugar syrup and spread with Chantilly cream. Spoon half the cherries over the mousse and top with another layer of the Chantilly cream. Repeat with second layer. Top with the last layer and cover the cake with the remaining cream. Chill cake.

To make the chocolate coating, melt the chocolate over boiling water. Spread the melted chocolate on a baking paper with the length that can surround the whole cake. Let a cool at room temperature for 20 min before coating it onto the cake. Chill for 10 min. Gently remove the baking paper when the coating is hardened.

Garnish the top with chocolate shavings.

Rosemary Bread Rolls: Practice Makes Perfect

2007-04-22T22:53:00.001+10:00

Another trial of my yeast bread baking.

The boyfriend is a big fan of bread. I, on the other hand, don't like it that much because of the carb load and, honestly, not much taste. But I still decided to challenge myself by choosing to bake this cute little bread rolls I came across in last Sunday's Sydney Telegraph Magazine.

The results? Hmmm... What's that saying again? Practice makes perfect (aka, I definitely need more practice :) !

Rosemary Bread Rolls

Adapted from Donna Hay, in Sydney Telegraph Sunday 22 April 2007

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp castor sugar
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
olive oil, extra for brushing
sea salt, extra
Rosemary leaves
Kalamata olives

Place the yeast, sugar and milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 min or until bubbles appears on the surface.

Place the flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture in a bowl and stir with a butter knife until a dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 min or until smooth and elastic.

Divide into 12 and roll into balls. Place the dough into 12 x 1/2-cup capacity lightly greased muffins tins. Brush the top with the extra oil, sprinkle with the extra salt and top with the rosemary and olives. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 45 min or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 160C. Bake for 15-20 min or until golden.

Makes 12.

The Twenty-second Birthday: White Chocolate Citrous Coconut Cake, again

2007-04-22T12:48:00.000+10:00

My friend Sonya's having her 22nd birthday today. Happy birthday to her!

This is the second time I made this cake. The boyfriend loved it last time and this time, he kept giving me this I'm-really-hurt-that-you-won't-let-me-eat-the-cake look. I didn't make any changes to the recipe this time, except for decorating it with three pieces of lime and some silver beads. This is such a simple birthday cake I know. But considering she's already got two (a strawberry cheesecake and a black forest cake), I know she'd appreciate my gift to her.

Full recipe here.

SHF#30 Flower Power: Matcha Cheesecake with Fondant Sakura

2007-04-17T13:29:00.000+10:00

I miss the cherry blossom in the Northern hemisphere at this time of year. It's not spring here in Canberra. Although during the time the sunshine makes it feel like spring very much. There are dandelions all over the hill. There are even newborn ducklings following mom and dad around.

But it's afterall not spring here. You also see trees getting maroon and red and you can never ride in the early morning again because it's too cold. Canberra has the most beautiful autumn I've ever seen. But, just at this moment, I miss the cherry blossom in the Northern hemisphere.

So I made this cheesecake, with matcha filling and pink fondant sakura petals because I couldn't find any real petals to decorate the cake with. It's all very Asian. The tinge of matcha flavour, the cotton-light texture, the could've-been-feather-light-if-it's-real-sakura petals. So we each had a slice of this, on a sunny afternoon, with a cup of green tea. That's probably the best you can have when you're trying to pretend it's spring when it's truely autumn.

Matcha Cheesecake with Fondant Sakura

Inspired by Kyoko's Japanese Souffle Cheesecake

9" springform pan

Crust
200 g Oatmeal cookies
1/4 cup butter

Filling
7 ounces (200 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cornstarch (don't use flour)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tsp matcha powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 1/2 cups boiling water

Topping
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease the side of a 9" springform pan.
2. For the crust, finely chop the cookies. Add melted butter and blend until they are well combines. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan and smooth it out. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
3. For the cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese with milk to soften.
4. Dissolve matcha powder in water and lemon juice mixture. Add half of the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and matcha mixture to the cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
5. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar and cream of tartar, beating on high speed until soft peaks form, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Gradually fold beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently.
7. Pour into cake pan and smooth the surface.
8. Place cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place in lower rack of oven. Pour enough water into the roasting pan to come half way up the side of the cake pan.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a pick inserted in the middle of the center comes out clean. If the surface becomes too dark while baking cover with a piece of tin foil, but be careful not to open the oven door until it has been in the oven for at least 20 minutes.
11. For the topping, whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 5 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep in the oven for the next hour with the oven door slightly open.
12. Refrigerate overnight.

Thanks Monisha from Coconut Chutney for coming up with such a great theme for this month's SHF! Also a big thank for the Domestic Goddess for initiating SHF.

HHDD#11 White Chocolate Mousse Cake with Little Red Gems (aka pomegranate seeds)

2007-04-14T23:15:00.000+10:00

When Helen from Tartelette won the last HHDD by that gorgeous pillow soft cheesecake of hers, I have been itchy to know what theme is she gonna come up with. And surprise! It's mousse! Cheers, Helen!

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of mousse. Previous attempts of mousse have all gone bad. I particular don't like the idea of adding gelatin to the mousse. Somehow it always gives the mousse a grainy rather than silky taste. Plus, mousse always gives me the impression of being thick and heavy. Think dark chocolate mousse. With many many egg yolks. Gosh.

Luckily I came across this recipe. No gelatin. No egg yolks. Simplely by whisking cream and white chocolate together. Almost the perfect mousse for me. It says in the recipe in particular that do not whisk the cream and white chocolate misture for too long. Stop as soon as it's thick enough to be spreaded. Take extra care not to make it grainy! I can taste a bit graininess in my mousse in the end, which was so disappointing that I almost decided I'd never make mousse again. But then the boyfriend, after nibbling on my leftover white chocolate buttons, told me that the chocolate itselft tasted quite rough in the first place. So, again, a big reminder for myself: always buy the best-quality chocolate I can find in the supermarket.

The choice of pomegranate to decorate the cake was easy. I just happen to have one sitting in the pantry. I was a bit surprised to find them a couple of days ago in the fresh food section of the supermarket. I haven't had pomegranate for, seriously, ages. My family used to have two pomegranate trees in the garden. And when it was in season, I always enjoyed the picking and eating under the tree. I still remembered this because I have seen such photos of me standing under the tree, holding a fresh pomegranate, grinning like an idiot. Then we moved out of that house and then my memories of pomegranate faded.

One day the boyfriend, holding a paper like he always does, told me that research has shown that pomegranate can dramatically reduce the chance of getting cancer, prostate cancer in particular. The next thing I know, I was standing in the supermarket, picking the best looking pomegranate. Maybe they are that good. Little red gems, full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. But for me, it is simply the taste of that sourness and sweetness that attracts me the most: a reminder of those carefree childhood days.

So I was experimenting on the cake flavour by adding a tablespoon of pomegranate juice into the cake batter. Result? I could barely taste anything remotely related to pomegranate. I was obviously vague about the idea of juice and essence. :p Anyways... the process of getting juice out of the seeds was really fun. Be careful though, do not wear whites while you are doing this, 'cos any spill (highly likely) will leave a red mark that looks like blood stain for sure. But, I'll definitely try to experiment with this again.

Overall, the cake was a hit. It was light and fluffy, both the sponge cake and the mousse. Definitely great combination.

White chocolate mousse cake with little red gems

Adapted from Gorgeous Cakes of Annie Bell

Mousse and Fruit
400 ml double cream
250g white chocolate, broken into pieces
1 pomegranate, taken seeds out

Sponge
100 g plain flour
pinch of sea salt
6 large eggs
150 g castor sugar
1 tbsp pomegranate juice

Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Pour half over the chocolate in a bowl, leave for 1-2 minutes to soften, stir until it is almost melted, then pour the rest over and stir until smooth. Leave to cool, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 180C and butter two 23 cm sandwich or deep cake tin with removable bases. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk for about 8-10 minutes using an electric mixer until the mixture is almost white and mousse-like. Lightly fold in the flour in two goes. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins, and give them a couple of sharp taps on the worktop to eliminate any large bubbles. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the sponge is light golden, springy to the touch, shrinking from the sides and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake on the lower shelf may need a few minutes longer. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them. Leave to cool, when the cake will sink a little.

Given the delicacy of the sponge, the cake is best assembled on the plate you want to serve it from. Loosen both sponges using a palette knife and put one on a plate. Using an electric mixer beat the mousse until it forms soft but firm peaks, taking care to stop whisking before it turns grainy. As long as it is thick enought to spread. It will firm up further on cooling. Spread one third of it over the surface of one sponge, sandwich with the second sponge and spread another third over the top. Use the remainder to coat the sides of the cake - you may need a small knife to do the bottom sponge. Clean the edges of the plate with kitchen paper. Chill the cake for a couple of hours for the mousse to set. If keeping it any longer than this, cover with clingfilm at this point.

Just before serving, scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top of the cake. Like a trifle, the cake itself should be served lightly chilled, but the fruit is nicest at room temperature.

Hot Cross Buns: Easter for Two

2007-04-06T13:32:00.000+10:00

I've never celebrated Easter before I came here. I got all my impression of Easter through many old American kid's movies. It mainly includes colourful eggs and cute little bunnies. I spent my first Easter here in Sydney, travelling with an American exchange students, hurrying to experience as much as we can of the city. We even went to the St Mary's on the Easter Sunday, and stayed for the whole mass. It was good to see the ray of sunshine coming through the stained glass windows but I'd have to say that's pretty much all I like about religious gatherings.

I spent the second Easter here hunting for chocolate eggs in the yard of my college. It was fun, during the game. But as soon as it finished, I felt even more lonely and left out. So what went back to my room and did my spectroscopy assignment.

This Easter, I've got this boyfriend who havr planned us a trip to Sydney. We're gonna stay at this apartment next to the Darling Harbour. We're gonna go to Bills for breakfast. And we're gonna go to the Easter Show, which - although sounds a bit silly - will be a lot of fun.

The boyfriend loves Easter. Hot cross buns the best. He started buying them for morning tea as soon as they showed up in the bakery's shelves a month before Easter. He was so excited to hear that I'll try baking them that he even told his folks. So when I was really getting ready to start this morning, he was smart enough to know to disappear for a couple of hours to give me some undisturbed baking time.

I have never baked bread before. The kind that you have to use some sort of yeast. When decided that I'm gonna do this, I really just wanted to see his happy face when he smells the fresh bread from the oven. It's such a simple and joyous moment in life.

The buns turned out alright. Not as bread-tasting as I thought. A bit denser. It could be that I didn't leave the dough to rise long enough, as I was in such a rush to see the end result. It was alright. The boyfriend liked it a lot though. But who knows if he was just saying this to comfort me. But then again, who cares. I've got a man who can appreciate my effort. What more can a gal ask for?

Hot Cross Buns

Adapted from Australian Table April 2007

4 cups plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice (I don't have it. So I mixed a tsp of cinnamon and about 1/8 tsp of nutmeg)
1 tsp salt
60g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
1/2 cup sultanas or currants (I used sultana)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk, plus extra to glaze
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cross
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup self raising flour

Sticky Glaze
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp gelatine

1. Sift plain flour, mixed spice, and salt into a bowl. Rub in butter using fingertips, just until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, yeast and sultanas or currants.

2. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Stir in warm warter, milk and egg, gradually incorporating flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Shape gently into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn over once so top of dough is greased.

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Set aside to rise in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hours, until double in size.

4. Lightly grease a baking tray, two 20 cm cake pans or a larger round cake pan. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat out to 3cm thick. Cut into 14 pieces and gently shape each into a ball, keeping tops smooth as you shape. Place on prepared tray or pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until double again.

5. Preheat oven to 200 C. Brush buns with extra milk or a beaten egg. Combine self-raising flour and water in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spoon into a plastic bag, snip corner off and pipe crosses on buns.

6. Bake buns for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, to make sticky glaze, stir together warm water, sugar and gelatine, until sugar dissolves. Brush hot buns with glaze and stand near open, turn-off oven for a few minutes, until the glaze dries. Serve warm or toasted.

Happy Easter!

White chocolate coconut citrus cake: Future undecided

2007-04-01T20:22:00.000+10:00

Was talking to a friend on the phone last night for over an hour. Talked about how we hated writing this immunology lab report that's due in three days, how we were frustrated by the vague standard set the examiners, and how we were not sure about the future. She asked me, are you gonna do your honours in chemistry? She's the only one who'd ever ask me that question, 'cos not many people know me that well to realise that I'm actually doing two majors, biology and chemistry. Although only of the few reasons that made me stick with chemistry is the friendly lecturers and the easy marks.

Her question really got me think. I've been predispose myself in the thought of doing biology honours so much that I even forgot I still have an alternative. Why can't I do my honours in chemistry. I've been enjoy it so much. I love drawing arrows of the moving electrons. I love the feeling of a chemistry lab full of clean glasswears. I've even done a research project in the research school and it turned out to be my best research experience ever. So yes, why can't I do my honours in chemistry?

The boyfriend's excited about the idea, 'cos it means if I ever decided to do a chemistry honours, most probably, I'll end up working in his lab. How good would that be.

That's what I kept thinking while I was making this cake. Is doing biology something I really like or something I thought I'd be really like? Can I take on the challenges in chemistry? What kind of job will I be doing after I graduate? Is this better for me? What exactly does the future hold for me?

In the end, the cake was ready, with a thick layer of beautiful coconut-flavoured icing, but I still hadn't got the answers to all those questions. I decided not to worry about it now. Afterall, problems will work themselves out and everthing will be just fine.

White Chocolate Coconut Citrus Cake

Adapted from Australian Women's Weekly March 2007

Cake
250g butter
180g white chocolate, chopped coarsely (I used Nestlé White Melts)
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tsp finely grated lime rind
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour

Coconut Ganache
140 ml can coconut cream
360g white chocolate, chopped finely
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tsp finely grated lime rind

For the cake, preheat the oven to 160 C. Grease a deep 22cm cake tin; line base with baking paper.

Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, milk and rinds in a medium saucepan; whisk over low heat until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool for 15 min.

Gradually whisk in eggs and sifted flours; pour mixture into prepare cake tin. Bake for about 1 h 20 min or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in tin.

For the ganache, bring coconut cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Combine chocolate and rinds in a medium bowl. Add hot coconut cream; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cover bowl; refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for about 30 min or until coconut ganache is spreadable.

Spread cocnut ganache over top and sides of the cake.

P.S. The cake was just-the-right-amount moist and mild, not as sugary as I thought it would be (which is great!). The coconut ganache was a beauty. I've mentally classified it as one of the "keeper recipes". Thinking of making some more for cupcakes!

The best scrambled eggs ever

2007-03-31T17:00:00.000+10:00

When Allen from Eating Out Loud announced the theme for the first Food Fight, I instantly thought of this one: the softest, creamest, melt-in-your-mouth-est scrambled eggs I've ever tasted.

The first time I came across this was a while ago when I was browsing the lovely Niki's Baking Sheet. Her list of Five Things to Eat Before You Die had an entry for Bill's scrambled eggs. Being an amateur foodie, I had no idea of who this Bill was at that time. But the location of the restaurant got my attention: Sydney. Three-hour bus trip from where I live. So maybe I can try this out next time I go to Sydney as a nice alternative of Chinatown food, I thought.

And then I really did, with the boyfriend, on our first trip together to Sydney. It was a nice, sunny Sunday mornig. The boyfriend asked me where I wanted to have breakfast. I told him I wanted to try this place called Bills in Darlinghurst that sells the allegedly best scrambled eggs. So we started walking, from Chinatown, central Sydney, where we stayed. It didn't look that far on the map I swear to god. But by the time we were both starving and tired, we were still wandering around in some quiet street in Darlinghurst, looking perplexed and thought where on earth was this place.

Finally we found it. Sitting right in front of our eyes. Little white house with big, clean windows and doors. Full of chirpy people. We got in. Sat at a table next to the window. It was such a magic place. White walls and wood floor. A big vase full of blossoming lilies. Everything was so clean and tidy, like no one had been around here before, and yet there were people sitting around at every single table, talking, eating, laughing.

We ordered THE scrambled eggs that Niki highly recommended. And it was GOOD. Unbelievably good. It melted in your mouth. It was so soft that you were even afraid of breaking then using the fork. And the combination of the creaminess of the eggs and the crispiness of a piece of toast was just everything you can ask for a breakfast.

The boyfriend told me later when we were walking away from Bills, that he was actually a bit cranky after a long walk on a Sunday morning, before breakfast, just in the vague hope of finding this allegedly best scrambled eggs. Who knows if this is just this Bill dude boasting himself? But after the brekky he told me, "it is unbelievable, oh my goodness, this definitely IS the best scrambled eggs ever." Apparently worth walking a couple of blocks on a Sunday morning too.

Bill is kind enough to put this recipe on his website. I've tried it a dozen of times, and although it didn't turn out to be as perfectly as it's supposed to be (because I was trying to avoid using too much butter, which, by the way, is something you should never do if you want the ultimate taste of this), it is still unbelievably cream, soft, and melt in your mouth.

Bill Granger's Scrambled Eggs

Per person
2 eggs
1/3 cup (2 fl oz) cream
a pinch of salt
10 g (1/4 oz) butter

1. Place eggs, cream and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
2. Melt butter in a non-stick frying pan over high heat, taking care not to burn the butter.
3. Pour in egg mixtureand cook for 20 seconds, or until gently set around the edge.
4. Stir the eggs with a wooden spoon, gentlybringing the egg mixture on the outside of the pan to the centre. The idea is to fold the eggs rather thanto scramble them.
5. Leave to cook for 20 seconds longer and repeat the folding process.
6. When the eggsare just set (remembering that they will continue cooking as they rest), turn out onto a plate and serve withhot toast.

Note 1: If you are making more than two serves of scrambled eggs, make sure you cook separate batches so as not to crowd the frying pan.

Note 2: Sometimes when I don't feel like 2 eggs per serve, I'd cook 3 eggs for 2 serves. Just change the recipe to 3 eggs and 1/2 cup cream.

Thanks Allen for initiating this interesting food blog event and letting me share this wonderful recipe.

HHDD#10 - Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

2007-03-17T10:29:00.000+11:00

Baked this cheesecake at the end of an eventful and exhausting week. Had coffee in a mug every morning just to wake myself up after 6-hour sleep. Stayed in the lab 1/3 of my day time of the whole week and nothing seems to go anywhere. And yet after I finally got motivated again on the last day of work, I made a terrible, terrible mistake such that the aim of the experiment had to change because of that. After being told that I've screwed up the whole experiment, I just couldn't hold on any more. Rushed to the bathroom and cried for 10 minutes.

It's amazing how everything can go wrong at the same time, and how much can one take before he/she finally breaks down. It is at this time that I really needed something to hold on to, something to comfort me, something to make me feel better. I then chose to bake this cheesecake, from a recipe I got a while ago at Epicurious. I fell in love with that cheesecake on the picture the first time I saw it. Very exquisite yet extremely decadent. What more can a gal ask for.

The conversion of the ingredients was a pain. Because I don't have a 10-inch springform pan, I had to convert everything into 2/3 of the amount to suit my 22cm (8.5 inch) cake tin. This might contribute to the extremely rich taste ("too sweet that I have to stop to take a break", said the boyfriend) in the end. Or maybe I should've left it for a whole day to let the flavours blend, according to the repcipe. But if you are a true sweet tooth, then the combination of the sweetness and the bitterness is just right. Otherwise go grab yourself a cup of cold milk to have the cheesecake with.

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

Adapted from Epicurious

22cm springform tin

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Crust
250g chocolate wafer cookies
120 g bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I omitted this one)
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar (can be omitted if you don't want it too sweet)
Pinch ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter

Ganache
1 cup whipping cream
400g bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/6 cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur

Filling
625 g cream cheese, room temperature
1 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (I used Kahlúa)
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee crystals
1 1/2 tablespoons ground whole espresso coffee beans (medium-coarse grind)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 large eggs

Topping
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Espresso coffee beans (optional)

For crust:
Finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in processor.
Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 1 minute.
Transfer crumbs to 22cm springform pan.
Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

For ganache:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in large saucepan.
Remove from heat; add chocolate and Kahlúa.
Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth.
Pour enough ganache just to the bottom of crust.
Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes.
Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for creating lattice pattern.

For filling:
Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 185 C.
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended.
Beat in flour.
Stir rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses in small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust.
Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and center 2 inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes.
Transfer cheesecake to rack.
Cool 15 minutes while preparing topping (top of cheesecake will fall slightly).
Maintain oven temperature.

For topping:
Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend.
Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely.
Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes.
Transfer cheesecake to rack.
Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about 3 hours.

Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.
Transfer cheesecake to platter.
Spoon reserved ganache into pastry bag fitted with small star tip.
Pipe diagonal lines atop cheesecake.
Repeat in opposite direction, making lattice.
Pipe rosettes of ganache around top edge of cake.
Garnish with coffee beans, if desired.
Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours.
(Can be made 4 days ahead. Wrap loosely in foil, forming dome over lattice; keep chilled.)

Makes 12 servings.

Thanks Peabody from Culinary Concoctions for hosting this HHDD.

Marguerite Shortbread

2007-03-11T23:10:00.001+11:00

Marguerite cookies, originally uploaded by cherryleader.

Baked this for my lab's weekly meeting. These shortbread gave amazing smell when they were still in the oven. The boyfriend said that these are actually what his mom used to bake when he was little, and they were called "melting moments". It's surprising for me to hear that, especially when I actually got this recipe from a chinese book forum. They call these "Lady Marguerite who lives in ... (insert some exotic name of Italian town here)".

I (still) don't have the kitchen scale. So I have to convert all the ingredients from grams to cups. Apparently the conversion was not that accurate, leaving the dough with a fairly dry texture, almost too dry to hold together. In fact I had to add extra melting butter just to roll out the dough. After the chilling time the dough was incredibly hard, but luckily when I knead them into small balls the dough was softened by the body temperature and much easier to manage. I particularly like the little cracks around the edge of the shortbread after I pressed downeach small ball with my measuring cup. Also because of the lack of butter, the centre cracked a bit after baking. But they still look cute, don't they?

Marguerite Shortbread

100g butter, room temperature
60g icing sugar
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
100g plain flour
100g cornflour

Cut the butter into small pieces. Beat the butter with icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Sift the egg yolks into the butter mixture. Mix well.
Mix and sift the flour into the butter mixture.
Knead into a dough. Chill in fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 170 C.
Divide and knead the dough into small portions. Press them down.
Bake for about 25 min.

Raspberry and ricotta muffins

2007-03-11T23:07:00.001+11:00

Raspberry and ricotta muffins, originally uploaded by cherryleader.

Trapped with uni work, I have not been able to enjoy the fun of experimenting different baking items or taking part in the many activities that are going on.

I baked this raspberry and ricotta muffins on Friday night, as one of the snacks for the picnic the day after. We've been planning on doing this for weeks. By "this" I mean a ridiculously long and relaxing picnic that started at 1pm and ended at 9pm together with this year's Sky Fire.

The end result was pleasant. They were these normal sized muffins of slight ricotta flavour. And if you happen to get the raspberry bit, the sharp, sourness of the berry leaves you with a unforgettable aftertaste.

Raspberry and Ricotta Muffins
Adapted from Ask Bill in 22/08/2006 The Sydney Morning Herald

2 1/2 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
165g (3/4 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
185ml (3/4 cup) butter milk
2 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 1/2 cups raspberries (frozen are fine)
Demerara sugar, to sprinkle (I omitted this one)

Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a 12-hole 80ml (1/3 cup) capacity muffin tin with paper cases.
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl.
Add the sugar and stir to combine.
Use a fork to whisk the butter milk, eggs, butter and vanilla until just combined.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined; do not overmix.
Add the berries and ricotta, stir until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases and sprinkle tops with demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Makes 12

Sugar High Friday #28: Sweet Seduction

2007-02-16T11:31:00.000+11:00

Valentine's Raspberry Flan, originally uploaded by cherryleader.

I got back from holiday on the Valentine's Day. The boyfriend and I had been apart from each other for three weeks and we've been missing each other so much that one more day of waiting would probably drive both of us nuts. I arrived at the coach interchange at 4:30pm. Before I even walked out of the coach, I could see him standing right there, holding a big bunch of flowers, looking anxiously. I jumped out of the coach and almost rudely ran through the people in between of us. Finally the both of us held each other in the arms tightly, grinning like idiots.

I've been planing making this flan weeks before the day. But I didn't get the chance to make it on that day. For dinner, we went to Tosolini's and sat at a table near the street, watching couples dressed nicely walking by. We each had a Roman style pizza square, and shared a piece of Tiramisu in the end. The weather was nice and cool, with a little of breeze once in a while to add a bit chill into the air. The night was almost perfect.

Except for a piece of Valentine's Day baking goods freshly out of the oven. So when I finally got the chance to bake, I made this Valentine's Raspberry Flan. I saw the recipe a few months ago in this website. I didn't do much changes to the original recipe, except for using all raspberries rather than raspberries and strawberries.

Valentine's Raspberry Flan, close-up, originally uploaded by cherryleader.

I told the boyfriend that I baked a Sweet Seduction for him in the kitchen. Half an hour later he texted me: I had a piece of the thingy, and I'm successfully seduced.

Valentine's Berry Flan

CRUST
1 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
FILLING
8 oz / 250g cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 cupsfresh red berries
GLAZE (optional)
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam (I used raspberry jam)
1 tbsp lemon juice

CRUST: Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Combine flour and icing sugar.Cream butterand gradually blend in flour mixture. Work with hands to form a smooth dough. Pressevenly on bottom and sides of 9" (23 cm) fluted pan with removable bottom; prick withfork and chill 15 minutes.Bake for 7-10 minutes or until light golden. Cool thoroughly in pan on rack.

FILLING: Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth.Whip creamuntil stiff peaks form and fold into cheese mixture. Spread evenly in baked crust andcover attractively with fruit, making a heart shape.

GLAZE (optional): If desired mix jam and lemon juice together until smooth and brushover fruit.

Serve flan immediately at room temperature for maximum flavour.

Big thanks to Jasmine at Confessions of a Cardamom Addict for hosting this SHF, and Jennifer at Domestic Goddess for creating the original SHF.

The reson to get up early on Sundays

2007-02-11T10:46:00.000+11:00

It's been a ritual for us not long after we started dating. Every Sunday morning at 8, we'll meet up and walk 20 minutes to this local bakery to have three pieces of toast and spread of your choice. The boyfriend usually has strawberry jam or honey, and I always have something different from last time. My recent favourite is a thick layer of vegemite.

The toast is seriously addictive. Freshly homemade giant bread sliced into pieces is evenly toasted and coated with a thin layer of melted butter. It smells absolutely fantastic. Have a plateful of these and a big glass of cold milk in summer (for a milk addict like me) is one of the best treats I could ever imagine.

A sidenote: among the large collection of pies and tarts that they also sell, the apple pie is the most popular of all. The pastry, the sugar coated apple dices inside, together with the whipped cream on top, have made this little pie disappear from the shelf every single day before everything else in the bakery.

Havn't had it for 3 weeks, I've already had my mind gone wild with all the memories there. Cannot wait to taste the yummy toast n vegemite again on a sunny Sunday morning.

Dobinsons
Bunda St
Canberra City 2601.
(02) 6257 5966

Banana cream cheesecake

2007-02-09T11:38:00.001+11:00

Banana cream cheesecake, shredded coconut, originally uploaded by milkandvanilla.

I came across this recipe when I was browsing Recipezaar as a means to kill time during this summer. The outcome was absolutely amazing. It has become our all time favourite. I've made it for his parents, for my supervisor's BBQ, and for his lab's group meeting. And single time the look on people's faces after they had a bite of the cheesecake just made me fall in love with baking a little bit more.

The original recipe is enough to make a 22cm (8.5in) cake. But I've halved the recipe to make a small 7in cake as a trial and it was still delicious. The small cheesecake's easily set, while for the big one, overnight chilling is absolutely necessary if you want a even texture across the whole cake.

BANANA CREAM CHEESECAKE

Banana cream cheesecake, desiccated coconut, originally uploaded by milkandvanilla.

CRUST

20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies (I use a package of oatmeal cookies, 200g)
1/4 cup margarine, melted

FILLING

24 ounces cream cheese, softened (I usually just use 2 x 250g)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (tighly packed brown sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large ones)
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
shredded coconut, for topping (optional)

Finely chop the cookies. Add margarine and blend until they are well combines.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan and smooth it out. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs (one at a time). Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
Pour mixture into crust. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350F/185C oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 200F/95C and bake an additional 75 minutes, or until center is almost set. Add coconut on the top and return to cheesecake to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before removing rim of pan. Before removing the pan, run warm water over a knife and slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate the cake from the pan cleanly.
Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, at least 6 hours. Overnight is highly recommended.

Cherry ripe cheesecake

2007-02-09T01:28:00.001+11:00

This is the very first post I'm making here. I'd like to start it with one of the best cheesecake I've ever made. It's also very special to me 'cos it'll always remind me of the first real Christmas in my life.

The recipe is from an old issue of Australian Women's Weekly.

CHERRY RIPE CHEESECAKE

Cherry ripe cheesecake, slice, originally uploaded by milkandvanilla.

CRUST

250g packet chocolate ripple biscuits, finely crushed
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
100g butter, melted
65g Cherry Ripe bar, chopped, to decorate

FILLING

4 x 65g Cherry Ripe bars, chopped
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup thickened cream
3 drops pink food colouring
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature

In a medium bowl, combine biscuit crumbs, coconut, condensed milk and butter.
Press mixture firmly onto base and sides of a 22cm springform pan, using a flat-bottomed glass. Chill 20 minutes, until firm.
FILLING. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt Cherry Ripe over low heat 4-5 minutes, until smooth. Add sugar, cream and colouring, stirring over heat until well combined. Cool.
In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in Cherry Ripe mixture until combined.
Pour mixture into prepared shell. Chill for 3 hours, or overnight, until firm. Serve topped with chopped Cherry Ripe bar.

New Year's Resolution

2007-02-08T20:04:00.001+11:00

It's been years like this, that I don't think a new year has started until the CNY has officially passed. This means it's still not too late to write down my resolutions for the coming new year.

So for 2007, I would like to

learn to relax, no matter how stressful the study becomes
look after my fragile spine and build up leg muscles by doing cardio every day for at least 30 min
be friendly and kind to everyone; always keep a smile on the face
be a good friend who writes emails constantly and remembers their birthdays
be the favorite girl of my boyfriend

And of course, most importantly, I would like to improve my baking skills, so that I can

relax by baking
reward myself for doing exercise by baking
be less cracky to others because I've baked what I want to
bake birthday cakes for my friends
bake all kinds of yummy goodies for my boyfriend

Basically, baking is the key to everything. So there you go. This little blog is gonna be the witness of all my adventures in the world of baking, in this coming, exciting new year.

Cheers!