madeira cake

madeira cake. why did i bake this cake? and what is the madeira that this cake is talking about? what?? why??? *hihihi*

 

well, according to the book from where i got the recipe from, this cake is traditionally served with a glass of madeira wine in the nineteenth century. so, there is nothing madeira IN the cake. it is madeira because of the accompaniment of it. am i makin' any sense? *when have i ever made any sense??* HAHA!!

 

why did i bake this cake? well, first off, i had lemons in the fridge and i was itching to bake something that is really easy with really basic ingredients. so, there. plus, mrG was studying for his base check and i wanted to make a little santing2 for him to eat while studying. *baiknyaaaa tetiba...*

 

 

the cake itself, once out of the oven and after having it cooled in the tin for about 10 minutes or so, has the texture and softness of a japanese cheesecake. heck, i broke the dayum loaf in half while trying ton transfer the cake onto the cutting board...but, with some magic, hehehe....it somehow did not show in all of my photos. ngeeeeeeee...

 

taste wise, sans the madeira, it's just like a softer version of a lemon pound cake. and...i missed the last step of the recipe. prior to baking the cake, i was supposed to sprinkle the top of the cake batter with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, but i forgot. i don't know if it makes any difference...but if anyone gives this a go and do sprinkle the top with sugar, please share okay? okay!

 

ready for the recipe?

 

let's go!!

 

you will need:

220g (8 oz) butter, at room temperature

140g (5 oz) caster sugar, plus 1-2 tbsp for sprinkling

3 large eggs

170g (6 oz) cups self-raising flour

30g (1 oz) plain flour

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

 

the how to:

1)  preheat oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas mark 3).

2)  grease a 22 x 12cm (8½ x 4½ in) loaf tin, and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

3)  beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

4)  sift the flour over the mixture, then fold it in.

5)  fold in the lemon zest and juice.

6)  spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon.

7)  sprinkle the top with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar (!!!!)

8)  bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean

9)  leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 

i like this cake because of its simplicity. the taste is just direct to the point (if you can call it that) and there's nothing complicated about it. better with a cuppa joe to go along with this cake. so...why don't you guys give it a go...and in the meantime, i'll cut myself a(nother) slice and enjoy it with my cup of kwafi.

have a wonderful weekend folks!!

recipe source:  500 cakes by susannah blake



banana cranberry loaf

 

what do you do when you have like 1kg of cranberries in the fridge, waiting...wailing...crying...begging...(okay, okay...a little too much of drama)..to be used? what do you do? huh? huh? huh? what? what??? (more drama???)

 

well, what you do is, you take 'em out of the fridge and then send them to the naughty corner  bake something!!

 

i made the banana cranberry loaf yesterday and by the end of the day, i was left with only 3 slices. Now, now....before you start to roll your eyes in disgust because maybe you thought i gobbled up the whole thing..think again. i did notlah! i shared. really. honestly. we had a get together with mr.G's family yesterday and i brought some. before that, mr.G came back from work and had some with tea and waaaaaaaayyyy before that, i might've had a slice or two...okay, okay...i had 2.5 slices of this. hey, you can't blame me. who can resist a loaf of anything warm and fresh out of the oven, right?

 

 



this is a pretty straightforward recipe. really easy. REALLY, REALLY easy. you know, combining the wet and the dry...bla bla bla...into the baking tin...okay, okay...maybe not that easylah. you need to chop the cranberries. aaaand also make some buttermilk first, because i don't have buttermilk all the time in the fridge. d-uh. who does? unless if you bake everyday...

 

so, apart from chopping the cranberries and making the buttermilk...everything else was easy. EASY. so? are you ready for the recipe? let's go!!

 

you will need:

75g (3 oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

125g (4 oz) caster sugar

175g (6 oz) plain flour

25g (1 oz) wholewheat flour

½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 medium size bananas (2 very ripe)
50ml (2fl.oz) buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
75g (3 oz) chopped dried cranberries

the how to:
1)  preheat oven to 175° C (350°F/gas mark 4).

2)  grease a 450g (1lb) loaf tin and dust with flour.

3)  beat the butter and sugar till creamy.

4)  combine all the dry ingredients.

5)  in another bowl, mash the 2 ripe bananas with the buttermilk.

6)  gradually add the beaten eggs gradually to the creamed butter and sugar.

7)  in goes the mashed bananas and the dry ingredients. mix lightly until combined. do not overmix.

8)  slice the third banana and add it to the batter with the cranberries, just stir til combined

9)  pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean

10) leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

taste wise this banana cranberry loaf is just so-so on the sweetness level, because you get the sweetness from the ripe bananas and also from the dried cranberries. the texture is more like densed cake. and, believe you me, it tastes REALLY good with a dollop of butter on it. especially while it's still warm...or, you can even toast the slice and then butter it.

i think it's perfect for tea...or even breakfast!

well? go on...go get your cranberries out of the fridge and start!!

luck luck!!

recipe taken from '500 Breakfast & Brunch Dishes' by Carol Beckerman.

poppy seed cupcakes with lemon drizzle

 

okay, okay...why come this poppy seed cupcake looks like a mini bundt, yes? wondering of this you must. yes? *motif tetiba nak jadi yoda?*

 

well, i bought this mini bundt pan yonks ago and haven't gotten around to using it. today, i decided to be a tad adventurous...ooooo....adventurous ler sesangat. haha!

 

i've been wanting to bake santing with lemon and poppy seed for the longest time. especially lemon poppy seed muffins, but i am too lazy to google the recipe. so, i went to my best friend, this book by fergal connolly, 500 cupcakes and muffins . this is a fantastic book and has yet to fail me. aiyork! i might just jinx the whole thing now that i've announced my love for this book. *crossing fingers*

 





aneehoo, as with all the recipes in this book it starts off with the basic cupcake recipe (the vanilla cupcake) and then you add on a few other stuff to make it different and in this case, you add on the poppy seed and some lemon zest. one thing i like about the recipes from this book is, you get to pop everything into the mixing bowl and beat away!

 

 

taste wise, i think this is the perfect cupcake you would want to have for tea on a hot day. the addition of the lemon zest somehow gives the cupcakes, or mini bundts in my case, a very refreshing twist compared to the normal vanilla ones. i also made the drizzle. the drizzle in my opinion compliments the cupcake. the tang from the lemon juice sort of balances the taste of the cupcake, which has a more mild lemon taste. i halved the drizzle recipe though because i don't think i would want to have each cupcake with the drizzle.

 

so, are we ready for the recipe? yes? let's go!!

 

you will need:

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened

225g (8 oz) caster sugar

225g (8 oz) self-raising flour

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

 

the how to:

1)  preheat oven to 175°C (350°F/gas mark 4)

2)  line your muffin pans, or don't line them, or just use a mini bundt pan, like yours truly.

3)  *this is the best part* combine the butter, sugar, flour and eggs in your mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until smooth and pale, say for about 2-3 minutes

4)  stir in the vanilla, lemon zest and poppy seeds until well combined.

5)  spoon the batter into the cases.

6)  bake for 20 minutes. (baking time may vary, so be sure to check once in a while)

7)  once done, remove the baking tin from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes, or if you can't wait that long, just take a bite already!!

for the drizzle:

125g (4 ½ oz) icing sugar
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp poppy seed *oopsie, i forgot to put this for the drizzle* :-p

the how to:
1)  sieve icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice until it resembles the consistency of double cream.

2)  stir in the poppy seeds and drizzle over the cupcakes.

 

you can also freeze these cupcakes or mini bundts for up to 3 months...but why would you wanna do that?? they are delicious and should be eaten immediately!! IMMEDIATELY!!

well, what are you waiting for? go get some lemons and poppy seeds!!

luck luck!!

recipe taken from: 500 cupcakes and muffins by fergal connolly
book image taken from: sella.co.nz via every one's best friend, mr. google

 

peanut butter cupcakes

there is something about peanut butter that you cannot resist. i don't know, maybe i am the only one who has this 'thing' about peanut butter, be it smooth or crunchy. even my  ex robot likes her 'dose' of peanut butter. hehehe...

i made these today. simply because it's friday, and since every friday is 'experimental (more on the mental side) friday' i thought why not give this recipe a go.

again, i took this recipe from my favorite 'kitab' the 500 series. a really, REALLY easy recipe (my kinda recipe) where you just dump everything in the mixer bowl and whisk away. you'd be crazy to not give this a try. believe you me.

the cupcake itself has a very mild peanut butter taste, and it is complimented by the frosting. i think without the frosting it will be a tad on the bland side. i added crushed (more like beaten to death, HAHA) toasted peanuts on top. just for fun!

ready for the recipe? let's go!

you will need:

for the cupcake,

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened

225g (8 oz) caster sugar

225g (8 oz) self-raising flour

4 eggs

115g (4 oz) crunchy peanut butter

for the frosting,

60g (2½ oz) crunchy peanut butter

50g (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla essence

115g (4 oz) icing sugar, sieved

2 tbsp milk

the how to:

for the cupcakes,

1)  preheat oven to 175°C (350°F/Gas mark 4).

2)  line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.

3)  combine the butter, sugar, flour and eggs your mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

4)  stir in the peanut butter until well combined.

5)  spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. *i used a 4cm ice-cream scoop

6)  bake for 20 minutes. **this really depends on your oven, i baked mine for 15 minutes.

7)  remove muffin tin from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then cool on cooling rack.

for the frosting,

1)  combine the peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl, beat till light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

2)  add the icing sugar along with the milk, and beat till well combined.

3)  swirl the icing onto the cooled cupcakes.

You can store these, sans icing, in airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

***if you use a 4cm ice-cream scoop, you'll get about 28 cupcakes.

try them homies!!! :-))) 

M.I.S-S.I.S-S.I.P.P.I mud cake

M.I.S-S.I.S-S.I.P.P.I (please use the Mickey Mouse Club theme song melody when you spell). hehehe...it is only befitting that i dedicate this cake i made today, to the friend who taught me how to spell Mississippi. (i still use the melody when i spell it okay...haha). Puan Ave Haryati, thank you so much. because of you, i can spell mississippi (still, with the melody in my head)

and also to a very special friend whose birthday is today. ita, happy birthday! i wish you could enjoy a slice of this cake with me...tapi, i'm sure you're enjoying yourself even more, wherever you are. Muahhh!!

my mum came over today, with my future sister-in-law...sporting kan mak-mak sekarang...siap boleh berjalan dengan future daughter-in-law lagi. jaman den dulu...jangan harap dot com dot my.

roomie and i have been feeling a bit under the weather for the past week now, but since i have HannaH with me...under the weather or not, antidott still needs to put up a brave front and make sure that our precious niece is happy and well entertained. but, this post is not about that. it's about my baking mojo. it disappeared about a month ago. seriously. i don't know where it went to. i just don't feel like baking anything. but today, since my mum came with ain (the future sister-in-law) i decided to jumpstart my baking mood. what better way to do it, than to bake something with chocolate in it. yes? yes!!

i got the recipe from the 500 Chocolate Delights book...for those of you who know me, you'd know i really swear by this book, because most of the time, the recipes in these books will never fail you.

needless to say, the cake was a hit! it is super chocolatey, super moist and super yummy. it's not too sweet. it's just nice. half of the cake 'disappeared' minutes after it came out of the oven. *i obviously didn't take the instruction to cool the cake for 10 minutes before serving advice seriously.* i mean, seriously? who could resist a slice or, two or three of warm chocolate cake on a cool rainy day, right?

i am very happy that the cake turned out exactly like i imagined it to be. what a way to coax my baking mojo to come back. kan? *eh, banyak pulak orang sakit ni mengomel*

anyways, you guys ready for the recipe?

ready? set? go!!

you will need:

250g (9 oz) unsalted butter

175g (6 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces

340g (12 oz) light brown sugar

300ml (10 fl oz) hot water

1 tbsp instant coffee, i used a sachet of Nescafe Gold

200g (7 oz) plain flour*

55g (2 oz) self-raising flour*

55g (2oz) Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 eggs, beaten

icing sugar to dust

the how to:

1)  preheat oven to 160°C (325°F/gas mark 3).

2)  grease a 23cm (9 in) square cake tin and line with parchment paper. i didn't have a 9 in bla bla bla, so i used a round 8 in cake tin.

3)  place the butter, chocolate, sugar, water and coffee in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted. stir until the mixture is smooth, then cool for 15 minutes.

4)  transfer the cooled chocolate mixture to a bowl, sift in the flour and cocoa and stir in the eggs.

5)  using an electric whisk, beat until smooth. (i used the help of Giant for this)

6)  pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours

7)  transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (sorry, didn't exactly follow this)
:-p

8)  dust with icing sugar and slice to serve.

9)  store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (i don't think the cake will last this long because it is SO sedap!)

*i didn't have any self-raising flour, so what i did was i used 255g of plain flour, but added 1 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of baking soda.

this recipe is definitely a keeper. it's delish and easy to make. aaaand will taste even better with a scope of vanilla ice cream or even some whipped cream. but, i didn't have any. so, i served the cake just as it is and it's just as good. if you guys don't believe me, then...get crackin'!!!

till next time. have a fantastic weekend!!!

recipe source: 500 Chocolate Delights by lauren floodgate
mickey mouse theme song taken from youtube. thanz horrr...

chocolate chip and raisin brioches

ahhhh...bread. bread bread bread bread bread. i can say this word once, or i can say it a million times...and still not be tired of it.

bread you always turn my frown upside down,

makes me wanna smile instead;

i love you bread.

HAAAAHAHAHAHA!! looks like someone's high on yeast, huh? *hic*

who doesn't like bread, right? show me a person who hates bread and i will show that person my yeast collection...okay, THAT does not sound right. okay, let's try again, show me a person who does not like bread and i will show that person my sachets of dry yeast (?). no? okaylah...let's get on to the recipe then.

this wonderful muffin looking bread is really nice if served once it comes out of the oven, you can either do it one better by slathering it with your favorite butter...or you can have it on it's own. also sedap.

so, i shall now share with you the recipe. ready? let's go!

you will need:

½ tbsp active dried yeast*

115ml (4 fl oz) warm water

1 tsp sugar

275g (10 oz) plain flour

4 eggs

60g (2½ oz) caster sugar
pinch of salt
115g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
90g (3¼ oz) raisins
115g (4 oz) plain chocolate chips
1 beaten egg, poor egg :-p

the how to:
1)  combine the yeast, water and the tsp of  sugar in a large bowl. stir well and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes.

2)  stir in 100g (3½ oz) of the flour until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

3)  beat the eggs and add them to the yeast mixture. add the sugar and salt.

4)  stir in the remaining flour, and mix until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. leave in a warm place, covered with cling film, for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

5)  preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas mark 6).

6)  grease 12 mini brioche or muffin moulds.

7)  beat in the butter, raisins and chocolate chips.

8)  fill the moulds halfway, leave in a warm place to rise for about 20 minutes, until the dough has risen to fill about two-thirds each mould.

9)  brush each brioche with a little of the beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes. cool in mould for 5 minutes, remove and cool on a rack.

*see? have yeast, will bread. NOW do you want to see my collection???

you can store these in an airtight container for up to 2 days. but then again, who is crazy enough to not devour these freshly baked brioches, kan? who?? who???

for variation, you can also make:

a)  saffron, chocolate chips & raisin brioches
~  prepare the basic recipe, adding a pinch of saffron to the dry ingredients.

b)  white chocolate and macadamia nut brioches
~  prepare the basic recipe, substituting 90g (3¼ oz) white chocolate chips and 115g (4 oz) chopped macadamia nuts for the chocolate chips and raisins. or,

c)  chocolate and cinnamon brioches
~  prepare the basic recipe, adding 2 tsps cinnamon to the flour.

well folks, what are you waiting for? giddy-up and get baking!!!

recipe taken from: 500 cupcakes and muffins by fergal connolly

polenta crescents

raya cookies project
recipe #3

okay, if you like lemons and crunchy cookies, then this is the one for you. i particularly like the lemony taste the cookies have, it's somewhat refreshing, because i usually associate cookies with something chocolatey and sweet...but this one, has a very mild sugar taste nothing too overpowering.

will i make it again? good question, hmmm...i don't think so. why? mainly because the dough is a little bit of a challenge to handle. as you know polenta is really, really gooey, like mush and even after refrigerating the dough for 24 hours, you are still left with sticky fingers. in the end, i had to fill the dough into a piping bag, pipe it into a straight line before making the shape. lots of work = me no like. heheheh...

but i might do it again for the taste...and let the robot handle all the difficult bits. hehehe...or i'll try to figure out on how to make it easier. well, you guys try it and lemme know kay?

here's the recipe.
ingredients:
115g (4 oz) unsalted butter
100g (3½ oz) icing sugar
2 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tsp)
2 tsp vanilla essence
150g (5 oz) plain flour
pinch of baking powder
50g (2 oz) finely ground polenta/cornmeal

the how to:
1)  pre-heat oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3).

2)  grease two baking sheets.

3)  beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4)  add egg yolks, lemon zest and vanilla essence.

5)  in a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together and mix in the polenta, add to the butter mixture and mix to a smooth dough.

6)  roll the dough into 1cm (½in) thick lengths and cut into 10cm (4in) pieces. *alaaaaa...ni yang tak syok ni!!!* shape them into crescents and space them 5cm (2in) apart on the baking sheets.**

7)  bake for 15 minutes until pale in color.

8)  cool on wire racks.

**because it was too gooey, i decided to refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. tu pun tak boleh gak... :-s

recipe source: 500 cookies by philippa vanstone

peanut butter cookies, anyone?

raya cookies project
recipe #2

wow! is all i can say. the taste of these cookies reminds me of my childhood, back when my mum used to make cookies for hari raya. this particular one reminds me of biskut kacang mazola. i don't know if people still make them, but i can remember it has peanuts and corn oil. these cookies taste similar to that but with a more 'peanut butter-ry' taste in them. *duh...nama pun peanut butter cookies, right?

i know you guys are dying to know how 'easy' it is to make these right? well, lemme just tell you, it IS easy...if you minus the part about shaping the dough into balls and then pressing them with the back of a fork. i *ehem* actually went the extra mile (read: OCD, takde keroje, cari keroje) and weighed each ball. so that they are all uniformly sized. la la la la la laaaa..

aneeways, here is the recipe.

ingredients:

200g (7oz) plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
115g (4oz) unsalted butter
100g (3½ oz) caster sugar
100g (3½ oz) unrefined light brown sugar
1 egg
225g (8oz) crunchy peanut butter
pinch of salt

the how to:
1)  sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together.

2)  in a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars until soft and creamy.

3)  combine the egg, flour mixture, peanut butter and salt.

4)  add the butter and sugar mixture, and mix until smooth.

5)  wrap the dough in foil or parchment and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight. *groaaan*

6)  pre-heat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3).

7)  shape the dough into a 3cm (1¼in) balls and place them 5cm (2in) apart on baking sheets.*

8)  flatten slightly with a fork.

9)  bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.**

10) remove from oven and allow to cool.

*i am about to get all OCD here, so consider yourselves warned, okaaayyy? haha!! at first i used the smallest ice cream scoop i have to scoop out the dough but the end product turned out to be a bit too big to my liking, so i decided to weigh the dough. using the smallest ice cream scoop, with the dough weighing 14g the diameter of the cookies came up to 7cm (2½in). then i weighed each dough to 12g/ball and the diameter reduced to 5cm (2in)...still a bit too big to my liking. so, i reduced the dough to 8g/ball and the diameter came out to 4cm (1½in). okaylah kot? bite size, right? (told ya, OCD...haha!)

** i also had to increase the baking time, you know how it is, right? different oven, different attitude. i increased my baking time to 20 minutes.

happiness is having some cookies with a glass of cold milk. *sigh*

recipe source:  500 cookies by philippa vanstone

butter cookies

raya cookies project
recipe #1

hell-o!! raya cookies project? really??? i know, this is a VERY ambitious project i'm about to embark on...for all you know, after the 2nd recipe, i would've already given up! haha! but, let's hope not. because we all LOVE cookies, right? what better timing than to have entries about baking cookies now, with ramadhan being a month away and all.

okay, i'm sharing this recipe with you guys because i made this for hari raya last year and it was a hit! it's quite easy to make and since i like things to be super easy, i even skipped the 'shape dough in a log of about 4cm thick and wrap in foil and refrigerate for two hours' bit. to be fair, i tried. but the dough stuck to the foil and let's face it, with soft cookie dough, it aint easy getting them to co-operate and let them be shaped into a log. i tell you. seriously! so, i skipped that part. still, it's up to you. hehehe...

here's the recipe.

ingredients:

225g (8oz) unsalted butter*

150g (5oz) caster sugar

1½ tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp salt
300g (10oz) plain flour

the how to:
1)  pre-heat your oven to 175°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4).

2)  beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy, but not fluffy.

3)  add the salt and flour and mix to a smooth paste.

4)  shape the dough into a log about 4cm (1½ in) thick, wrap in foil and refrigerate for two hours until the dough is firm. ***i skipped this part, la la la la laaaa***

5)  when ready to bake the cookies, cut the log into 6mm (¼ in) thick slices. ***too much numbers!! ohhhhh my headddd...my heaaadddd!!*** since i skipped (4), what i did was to stuff the dough in my mum's vintage (read: my years old...) SAWA cookie press and immediately start to make them.

6)  place the slices 4cm (1½in) apart on a non-stick baking sheet or use parchment paper on a standard baking sheet.

7)  bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

8)  cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

*use good quality butter because for this one, it's ALL about the butter.

have fun making these babies, guys!

come back okay?

recipe source:  500 cookies by philippa vanstone
SAWA Cookie Press image taken from : www.lulushop.co.za **thank you lulushop!!**

chocolate meringue cupcakes

okay, if you look at the watermark in the picture, you can see that it was taken waaaaay back in 2009. that was the first time i tried this vanderful, VANDERFUL recipe. i was, as usual, very skeptical about recipe books, but, i was bored that day and decided to do something else for a change. let it be known that it was my first ever meringue anything. and to my surprise, it turned out great. there...you see? what your parents told you is *ehem* sometimes true, 'you never know until you try'.

okaylah, i share with you this recipe taken from here. a brilliant book and one that has yet to fail me. ready? let's go!!

ingredients:

for the cupcake

225g unsalted butter, softened

225g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

for the filling

100g plain chocolate chips

for the meringue

3 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

75g granulated sugar

the how to:

1)  preheat oven to 175°C (350°F/Gas mark 4). line muffin tin with cups.

2)  place all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and pale, about 2 -3 minutes.  spoon batter into the muffin tin. bake for 20 minutes.

3)  remove tin from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. then, remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

4)  for the filling, melt the chocolate in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water and cool slightly. (i sometimes cheat and 'nuke' the chocolate in the microwave).

5)  remove the top from each cupcake and hollow out a small hole. spoon the filling into the hole and replace the top. refrigerate until set.

6)  for the meringue, beat the eggs and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

7)  add one-third of the sugar and beat for 1 minute. repeat until all the sugar has been added.

8)  increase the oven temperature to 230°C (450°F/Gas mark 8).

9)  spoon or pipe the meringue on top of the cupcakes. bake for 5 minutes or until golden.

10) store for no more than 1 day in an airtight container.

voila!

okay, okay...quite a lot of steps to follow for this particular one...but! it is ALL worth it. i'm tellin' ya.

i shall leave you to now so that you can pencil this recipe in your calendar.

come back soon, aight?

recipe source: 500 cupcake and muffins by fergal connolly
book image taken from: amazon.com.uk *thank you!*

brownie tart

the family (minus the brother) came over for lunch yesterday and for dessert, instead of baking the normal chocolate cake, i decided to go for something different. lo and behold! my first ever any kind of tart, that turned out to be a 'tart' because i started the day on the wrong side of the kitchen (read: robot malfunction) and wasn't in the mood to do anything anyways, but, since i woke up with every intention to bake, i cannot disappoint myself. *to hell with the robot!*

so, here, my first ever any kind of tart, called the brownie tart, served with freshly whipped, whipped cream...if you can call it that. i think i might have overbeaten the cream a tad because i found that it had somewhat separated, but tastewise, it was the samelah. only thing i should've stopped when i saw the soft peaks coming out...but, i didn't because i was angry...bla bla bla...lesson learnt, (a) don't whip any kind of cream when angry, (b) don't bake and (c) try to minimise on the anger. haha...!!

i took the recipe from one of my 500 series book called 500 pies and tarts, by rebecca baugniet.

alright friends, i shall now give you guys the recipe:

ingredients:
70g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
85g unsweetened chocolate
85g unsalted butter
225g granulated sugar, i used castor sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
115g fresh raspberries (seriously? i didn't put any...)

the how to:
1)  preheat oven to 175°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

2)  in a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.

3)  in a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring to combine, remove from heat and stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.

4)  add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. turn them mixture into a greased 24cm (9½ in) tart tin and bake for 20 minutes.

5)  transfer to wire ract to cool.

6)  garnish with fresh (fresh? seriously???) raspberries and serve with whipped cream.

here's the recipe for the whipped cream...

basic whipped cream
what you'll need:

235ml whipping cream, i had a 200ml box of whipping cream meant for *ehem* macarons waiting in the fridge and i used that one. :-p

1 tbsp icing sugar, i had to add a bit more

the how to:
1)  with an electric whisk, beat the cream in a large bowl until frothy.

2)  add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form and the cream has double in volume. (this is when you STOP!)

3)  do not overbeat. (o-kaaaayyy)

4)  whipped cream can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance.

there you have it ladies and gentlemen, my first ever any kind of tart.

enjoy!

i took the recipe book image from: www.cook-books.com.au

triple chocolate cookies



dah nak raya dah ke? hehehehe...well, it's been a long time since i've put up something sweet here, kan? well, here it is...the triple chocolate cookies. if you love, love, LOVE chocolate, then, this is the one for you. i took the recipe from this '500 series' book aaaand as usual, it will never fail. :-) happy, happy, happy joy!!!

ready for the recipe?

ingredients:

150g (5 oz) plain flour

50g (2 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
115g (4 oz) unsalted butter
100g (3½ oz) granulated sugar
100g (3½ oz) brown sugar, i used all brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g (3½ oz) plain chocolate chips
100g (3½ oz) white chocolate chips

the how to:

1)  pre-heat oven to 160°C (350°F/Gas mark 4).

2)  sift together flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. set aside.

3)  beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy and bet in the egg and vanilla essence.

4)  add the flour mixture and mix until almost blended. 

5)  add the chocolate chips and mix - i do this manually.

6)  scoop the dough onto a baking sheet 5cm (2 in) apart. 

7)  bake for 12 to 14 minutes, longer if you want the cookies to be crunchy.

8)  transfer to a wire rack to cool and it can be stored in an airtight container for five to seven days.

~this recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies, and of course it also depends on the size.

*if you are preparing the dough ahead, roll the dough into a log 4cm (1½ in) thick, wrap in foil and refrigerate for two hours. before baking, cut the log into 6mm (¼ in) slices and place the slices 4cm (1½ in) apart on a non-stick baking sheet.

try it. you will LOVE it!! :-)

ta!

book image found here. thank you!!

a personal favorite...

revisited.

if you look at the watermark on the picture above, it says 2009. well, i think that's how long i've been using this recipe. (macam dah seratus tahun. hahahahaha)  i could've taken another picture of the freshly baked biscottis from today. i did, i took it because of an experiment that i tried on the biscotti dough. hehehehe...



Exhibit A

you see, if you make it according to the recipe, you will have to shape it into two flat loaves before baking it. once done, you need to slice the loaves so that you can bake the sliced biscottis again. todaaaaay, i thought maybe i should put the dough in a loaf pan and see if, when i cut them up, they will all be the same shape and not have the tapered bits at the end.

so i did that. the best part about putting the dough in the loaf pan is that when i cut them up, they all have the same size. the not so best part about it is that, my roomate does not like it. he says it's untraditional. haha! to show you guys what he means, please refer to exhibit A. the top image is from the loaf that i put in the loaf pan and the bottom one is made the traditional way. he doesn't like the straight untraditional looking biscotti. okaylah tartle...i will  make 'em traditional for you from now on, okesss?

oh, before that, aeons ago i made a step-by-step pictorial on how to make these. here's where.

right, shall we?

ingredients:

300g (10oz) plain flour

200g (7 oz) caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs - i use grade A

2 tsp vanilla essence

100g (3½ oz) whole blanched almonds

the how to
1)  pre-heat oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas mark 2).
2)  grease and flour two baking sheets - i just use parchment paper.

3)  mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

4)  whisk the eggs and vanilla essence together then stir into the dry ingredients and then add almonds.

5)  the dough WILL BE sticky. don't worry.

6)  divide the dough between the baking sheets and shape into two flat loaves about 25cm (10in) long and 5cm (2in) wide.

7)  bake for 35-40 minutes until pale golden brown.  remove from oven onto a chopping board and immediately slice into thin pieces about 1cm (½ in) wide.

8)  lay the slices back onto the baking sheets and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  once done, turn over each slice and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until the slices are golden brown.

9)  remove from oven and allow to cool.

10) store in an airtight container. the biscottis will keep for a couple of weeks...if not devoured immediately. hehehe...

there are also variations for this recipe.

a)  you can make lemon & pistachio biscotti, by substituting the vanilla essence with the grated zest of a lemon (2 to 3 teaspoons) and pistachios for the almonds. - have yet to try.

b)  chocolate chip & raisin biscotti - with the basic dough, substitute the almonds with 75g (3 oz) raisins and 75g (3 oz) plain chocolate chips. - tried this once, but not a favorite.

c)  fig & fennel biscotti - same thing, prepare the basic dough and substitute half the almonds with 75g (3 oz) chopped dried figs and the vanilla essence with 2 tsp of fennel seeds. - also haven't tried.

well? anyone game to try any of the variations? awww...come on! take the challenge. yes?

recipe source: 500 cookies by philippa vanstone

focaccia, i love

you!

i love bread. period. anyone who knows me would know how much i love bread. i simply love them. i don't know...there's something about bread fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter and jam (if you want)...it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. and not to mention, the house. the whole house will be smelling of bread. *sigh*

i decided to make focaccia yesterday. surprisingly, it was really easy to make. you don't have to spend half a day waiting for the dough to rise. i guess the hardest part would be when you need to knead (har har...need to knead....get it? no? cheh!) the bread. since i can no longer knead my own bread (i think something wrong's with my right hand...okay, i know something's wrong with my right hand...i think might be developing carpal tunnel syndrom, but i don't want to go there just yet), i used the help of my Giant (stand mixer, i call him Giant). so, when you have Giant to do all the kneading for you...it's pretty easy. yes? yes!

once again i got the recipe from yet another 500 series book this one to be exact. yes, yes...i have about 10 of these 500 series books. why? blame it on my 'condition'. haha!

okay everyone, shall we now go on to the recipe?

ingredients
5 ml (1 tsp) sugar
7g. (¼ oz) sachet active dried yeast
75ml (5 tbsp) warm water *
225g (8 oz) plain flour
30ml (2 tbs) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
5ml (1 tsp) sea salt

the how to
1) dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. set aside for 10 minutes.

2) in the bowl of stand mixer, combine yeast mixture with flour. mix until all flour is incorporated. change to dough hook attachment and knead for 1 to 2 minutes until dough is smooth.

3) place dough in lightly oiled bowl, turning ball over to lightly coat with oil. cover with damp cloth (i used cling wrap) and set aside in a warm spot for 30 to 40 minutes, until dough has doubled in volume.

4) preheat oven to 240°C (475°F/Gas Mark 9). place dough on a lightly floured board and knock back once.

5) knead briefly, then shape the dough into a long flat rectangle with rounded corners, about 23x28cm (9x11 in). brush olive oil over surface and sprinkle with sea salt.

6) place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or use pizza peel to transfer to preheated baking stone in bottom of oven. bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.

*i had to add about 10 tbsp of warm water because the dough was starting to look like breadcrumbs and it didn't look as if it was forming a dough.

give it a try, okay?

recipe source: 500 pizzas & flatbreads by rebecca baugniet