Archive for February, 2009

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Yogurt Homemade Ice-Cream

flcc2

Chocolate and Vanilla , I think is one of the best flavor pairing ever…  No doubt I was so excited to make this month  DB’s challenge.

Very intense chocolate, need to be balance with some lightness, that’s why I choose yogurt  ice-cream or frozen yogurt (whatever you call them) to accompany the cake.

The result was irresistible, even my 1,5 year old daughter couldn’t keep her hand off the plate while I took pictures, and the food fairy couldn’t stop staring at them 😉

I made the ice cream without ice cream machine (the David le Bovitz’s methode)

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of wmpesblog(Arizona) and Dharm at Dad – Baker and Chef(Malaysia). They have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

flcc5

Chocolate Valentino

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
  • 5 large eggs separated

Directions 

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

flcc

Vanilla Yogurt Homemade Ice-Cream

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Preparation

In a bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and eggs. In a heavy saucepan heat milk just to boiling and add to egg mixture in a stream, whisking. In pan cook custard over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a simmer and simmer, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla s and chill custard until cold.

Stir in yogurt and freeze ice cream in an ice-cream maker.  Ice cream may be made 3 days ahead.

2009
02/28
CATEGORY
Daring Bakers Challenges
Dessert
Ice Cream
TAGS


22 comments

Pomegranate White Chocolate Cup Cakes

pwccc5

A new  post, for a new layout, but not necessarily  a new event.

Every time this guy bugged informed me with a new pairing for ITB event, I just can help just  wondering “where could I go” with those ingredients. This time, for me  the flavor combination screams for dessert all the way.

Pomegranate, Passion fruits and white chocolate, only thinking about it  already made me drool… unfortunately passion fruits are too expensive here and very rare are they  in good condition, I would opted with the juice, but it only has like 25% of the fruit essence, so it’s better to skip.

Speaking of pomegranate… In the middle east, some say that it was pomegranate that Adam ate in the garden of Eden, not apple…(I can’t imagine if the whole world says the same myth, than all the men would have Adam’s pomegranates instead of Adam’s apples 😉 )

 Anyway,  here is then my entry, something simple as usual but with intense flavors.

pwccc3

Pomegranate White Chocolate Cup Cakes

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 large egg whites

Frosting

  • 4 1/2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
  • 6 ounces (3/4 of 8-ounce package) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

Fresh Pomegranate

 

pomme

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line three 6-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Add hot white chocolate to sugar mixture; stir to combine. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with coconut milk in 2 additions, beating batter just to combine between additions.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter in 3 additions.

Divide batter among muffin cups (about 1/4 cup each). Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

For frosting:
Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, pomegranate molasses and salt in medium bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate. Let cool until thickened to spreadable consistency.

Spread frosting over cupcakes. Top cupcakes with fresh pomegranate.

 (Can be assembled 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

pwccc4

2009
02/25
CATEGORY
Dessert
ITB
TAGS


13 comments

Fudgy-Wudgy Chocolate Cookies

 

fwco

My children are my biggest baking supporters,and the best part is that I don’t always have to bake with complicated  methode or make sophisticated  looking baking product, but even the little simple thing  will do for them.  What kind of simple little things?  Mmmm…. cookies 😛

Their  (mine as well) favorite cookies are the fudgy wudgy chocolate cookies.

fwc31

Fudgy-Wudgy Chocolate Cookies

Recipe Adapted from The Australian Women’s Weekly Everyday Cakes & Cookies

Ingredients

  • 125g butter, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1/4 cup self raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup raisin
  • 1/2 cup pistachio
  • 1/2 cup dark choc chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180′ C. Line 3 oven trays with baking paper
  2. Beat butter, sugar, egg and extract in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in combined sifted flours, soda and cocoa., stir in raisins, nuts and choc chips
  3. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture onto prepares trays about 4 cm apart, press each with a fork to flatten slightly
  4. Bake cookies for 10 mins.  Stand cookies on trays for 5 mins, before transferring to wire rack to cool.

marib

2009
02/18
CATEGORY
Snacks
TAGS



9 comments

Avocado Mousse with Coconut Milk Agar-Agar

avomo1

I just adore avocado… sweet or savory,  from spicy guacamole to sweet dessert mousse,  just anything avocado  then I’m in.

This picture is my entry to the (OPEN) Food Photography Challenge # 10 “DARK BACKGROUND”,  I’m not the biggest fan of dark (monochrome) background for food photography, because… it doesn’t match my web page layout…hehe… no just kidding… Playing with natural light it’s more my thing, less exhibitionist more to the casual side,  but also I  sometimes like to do what I normally don’t do…  get my point?…probably not… 😛

Ok, anyway enough with my rambling, let’s move on to the recipe,

Avocado mousse recipe was taken from here, except I omit  the lemon juice.

Coconut Milk Agar-Agar

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/3 cup caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons agar-agar powder
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Coffee powder for garnish

Directions

  1. Place the water and sugar in a small pan
  2. Sprinkle over the agar-agar powder.
  3. Bring the mixture to the boil
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the coconut milk and salt
  5. Pour the mixture into a pan to set.
  6. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  7. Add the mousse on top and sprinkle with coffee powder.

avomo2

2009
02/14
CATEGORY
Dessert
TAGS

8 comments

Sweet Bread Dumplings / Ba-Pao

bp4

 

In the dreary winter time like this, I just love to have my  breakfast warm, from crepes, pannekoek, french toast to the breakfast from far east: Ba-pao.

Ba-pao is simply a sweet bread dumpling  fillled with soya sauted meat or chicken.

In the Netherlands, Ba-pao is also an all time of the day snack introduce by the Vietnamese immigrants along side with loempia, there you can find them everywhere, from the street vendors to the frozen isle in the supermarket.

In the middle east as far as I know they are no where to be found but in my kitchen 😉 .

I’m sending this to “waiter there’s something in my… hot puds”  host by the passionate cook.

bp1

Beef  Ba-Pao Recipe

Beef  fillings

Ingredients

  • 250 gr minced beef
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 big clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oil, saute the onion and garlic until they turn their colours
  2. Add the meat and and the soya sauce, stir, cover the pan and cook for +/- 8 mins
  3. Remove from the heat and set aside

bp2

Dough

Ingredients

  • 500 gr bread flour
  • 2,5 tsp dry instant yeast
  • 250 ml cold water
  • 50 gr butter, softened
  • 125 gr  fine sugar
  • parchment paper, cut into square with 5 cm diameter.

Directions

  1. Mix flour, sugar and yeast in a food processor, add water little by little while it’s still mixing, add the butter in, mix again until it form a big ball.
  2. Knead for -/+ 10 mins until the dough become soft and shiny
  3. Divide the dough into small balls,  roll it out and put the filling in the middle, close the dough and form it into a ball again.
  4. Place the dough on to the ready cut parchment paper, let it rest for +/- 15 mins
  5. Steam the dough for 10 mins
  6. Serve it warm

bp3

2009
02/10
CATEGORY
Bread
Breakfast
Side dish
Snacks
WTSIM
TAGS

8 comments
"I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food." ~ Erma Bombeck

Click

jun09

The Daring Kitchen

kitchen_w150x125

Copy Right

All recipes and pictures are mine, unless linked, mentioned and given credit. Creative Commons License
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence/>.