Let Them Eat Cake

Tuesdays With Dorie 51: Flaky Apple Turnovers

2009-09-15T21:19:00.005+10:00

Just reading that this week's recipe was going to be Flaky Apple Turnovers was enough to get me incredibly excited. Apple turnovers certainly aren't mainstream in Australia, but I just knew I would love them. To me they sounded like mini apple pies (and I love me some apple pie). In fact, I could happily eat apple pie everyday for the rest of my life.

I actually hadn't noticed this recipe before, so thanks to Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen for picking it this week! Like I said before, I just knew I would love this recipe so I made the whole batch (usually I half it at least) as I was planning on freezing them for a quick treat. Well, boy did these live up to my expectations- they are so flaky and so delicious it isn't funny. Truly, it is no laughing matter! Bake these as soon as humanly possible. The only problem is that the rest of the dough is in my fridge right now, waiting to be rolled out. How I loath rolling out this particular dough! It's a nightmare and I am avoiding it at all costs. These little turnovers are too good though, so I will no doubt endure the stickiness of the dough and give my biceps the workout of their life for these little pieces of heaven.

Tuesdays With Dorie 50: Chocolate Souffle

2009-09-15T21:09:00.003+10:00

Although most people would agree that souffle is one of the hardest desserts to perfect, I honestly don't find them that daunting. Actually... if you look back at one of my first posts it would appear I am having a momentary mind lapse. Well I have come a long way since I first started my little blog and it is safe to say that I wouldn't burst into tears if I were faced with the challenge of whipping up a souffle on the spot. I personally am not a souffle girl- yes, I am fascinated by them, but I hardly ever order one in a restaurant (S on the other hand is obsessed with them).

This recipe was chosen by Susan of She's Becoming DoughMessTic, and I have to say that I was very disappointed in it. I knew from reading the recipe that it wouldn't suit my tastes, but I really prefer to stick to the exact recipe where possible for TwD. The souffle was much too airy and puffy for my liking. I know some people love how a souffle will just disappear when in the mouth but I much prefer something of more substance. My preference is a souffle made a creme patisserie base... yum!

Daring Bakers 9: Dobos Torta

2009-08-27T08:00:00.000+10:00

Well I am sure a lot of you are asking the same thing I did when I saw this month's challenge, "what the heck is a Dobos Torta"? Whatever it was, I thought it sounded pretty exciting. Basically it consists of layers of sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, topped with thin wedges of caramel coated sponge cake.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

The sponge and buttercream were pretty simple, but I had never made that style of chocolate buttercream before. To be honest, the thought of whole eggs kind of freaked me out, but it turned out to be delicious. I will definitely make it again. As for the sponge... well I just am not a big lover of sponge cake. I just feel like I'm missing out on something when I eat it! Mind you, I can't really comment on the overall taste of the cake because I never tried it. I did have a lot of trouble with the caramel wedges- I don't think I cooked the caramel long enough and it didn't set very well.

Dobos Torta

Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt
Directions for the sponge layers:
NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.
1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)
4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)
Chocolate Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.
1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!
Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)
Directions for the caramel topping:
1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.
Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.
Finishing touches
a 7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts
Assembling the Dobos
1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.

Tuesdays With Dorie 49: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

2009-08-25T18:42:00.004+10:00

As the name implies, this is one creamy, delicious pie. Now there is nothing I love more than creamy desserts, however this would also be a great dessert for those of you who find creamy desserts too rich, because it is ladened with lime and ginger. I can just imagine bringing out this beautiful pie at the end of a nice BBQ on a hot Summer day- how well the lime cream would hold up in the humid Australian weather I am not too sure.

This pie is pretty much exactly the same as the Lemon Meringue Pie I have made a few times in the past (also from Dorie's book). Instead of either of the two pie crusts Dorie recommended, I went for the Sweet Tart Dough just because I love it so much. Honestly, call me boring, but I do prefer the lemon version. I did find the ginger a little confronting and I was glad that I held back from the recommended amount. Thanks to Linda of Tender Crumb for choosing this week's recipe- check out her blog for this delicious recipe!

Tuesdays With Dorie 48: Applesauce Spice Bars

2009-08-18T20:56:00.005+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Karen of Something Sweet by Karen. I decided to make mine into little cakes instead of bars because I was really excited to try out my new mini springform tins. In hindsight, I think these would have photographed much better as bars.

Putting looks beside, these cakes were really delicious. They were very moist and were the perfect sweetness. Apple and cinnamon are always a winning combination for me which is why I loved the cake sans glaze. The glaze is really yummy but there is something about an unadorned moist, spicy cake that I find irresistible.

Tuesdays With Dorie 47: Brownie Buttons

2009-08-11T17:56:00.005+10:00

I loved this week's recipe which was chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen. These little brownies really were as cute as a button! They were perfect little two bite morsels- a well portioned treat for those watching their waistlines.

The addition of the orange zest was just delicious. Usually I really dislike white chocolate, but I was pleasantly surprised by Green and Blacks white chocolate with Madagascan vanilla. I do think that the addition of vanilla really does the white chocolate justice. Having said that, I still can't see myself sitting down to munch on a block of white chocolate. I really cannot wait to make these again for a picnic or BBQ, they are just so adorable and really could be decorated to suit any occasion.

Tuesdays With Dorie 46: Classic Banana Bundt Cake

2009-08-04T16:59:00.004+10:00

When I first joined Tuesdays with Dorie, I noticed there was a whole section dedicated to bundt cakes. So not long after that, I went out and purchased my first bundt cake tin, and it has been sitting in my cupboard ever since! Naturally, I was quite excited when I saw that Mary of The Food Librarian had chosen a bundt cake this week. Now I realise that there isn't really a difference between a normal cake and a bundt cake, but something about that hole in the middle makes it look oh so spectacular!

I was also really glad that it was a banana bundt cake too. For me, banana cake is something I really love, but never make. I'm hoping I don't make this too often from now on either because it has so much butter and sugar, and I didn't even bother to use low fat sour cream! The recipe did produce the most luscious banana cake though- soft, moist and extremely flavoursome. I highly recommend you check out the recipe on Mary's blog.

Tuesdays With Dorie 45: Cinnamon Ice Cream

2009-07-28T18:45:00.003+10:00

If there is one thing our house is never out of, it's ice cream! Since there was always a strict 'no dessert' policy when I was growing up, I found it really strange to always have dessert when I moved in with S. Now, I can't imagine my life without it (yes it, not him!). In fact, I tend to get really cranky if I don't have my daily dose of sugar.

I suppose S's love of ice cream came from when he worked at an ice cream shop during high school. Somehow he managed to put on about 10kg while he worked there (a one for me, one for you mentality I'm sure). Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu chose vanilla ice cream this week, but I decided to 'play around' and try my hand at cinnamon. We have a constant supply of vanilla ice cream in our house which really doesn't need adding to. Well, the cinnamon is just delicious! It certainly packs a punch, so I would recommend reducing the amount of cinnamon if you would prefer it to be more subtle. The one mistake I made was not heating the custard to a high enough temperature. Usually I just eyeball it, but I recently got a laser thermometer and am quite addicted to taking everything and any thing's temperature. At a guess, my custard usually reaches about 82 degrees celsius- Dorie recommends at least 76, but not more than 82. I should have gone with my gut instinct because my ice cream turned out extremely icy. At least the flavour is delicious though and I can't wait to remake it properly.

Daring Bakers 8: Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

2009-07-27T08:00:00.003+10:00

Well it feels like forever since I completed a Daring Bakers challenge! Participating this month though just reminded me how much I love being a part of the group- always different and fun.

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

This challenge brings back a lot of childhood memories. I was never allowed junk food and I would salavate over all the delicious treats my friends would bring to school. If there was just one thing I used to wish I could eat, it was cookies! I loved iced-vovos, monte carlos, tim tams and especially tic-tocs! On my mum's days off from work, I'd beg her to have some freshly baked cookies for me when I got home. I had so much fun making these chocolate covered marshmallow cookies and they really did taste better than anything you can buy. I made mini cookies with plain marshmallow and I flavoured the others with raspberry coulis (which was really delicious). My only complaint is that the cookie itself wasn't sweet enough... next time I'd add just a touch more sugar.

Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies
• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows
1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.
Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.
Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.
Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil
1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Tuesdays With Dorie 44: Raspberry Blanc-Manger

2009-07-21T16:59:00.005+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy (got to love that blog name). I know I have been falling behind with blogging lately but I really am trying to get back into the swing of things. This Raspberry Blanc-Manger is the perfect dessert for those who are time poor (like me). It is literally a matter of minutes before you are putting this in the fridge. It can even be made the day before, so all you have to do is literally un-mould it and serve it with a little raspberry coulis.

I decided to halve the recipe and make little individual blanc-mangers which were really cute. The hardest part of making this dessert was definitely un-moulding it! I would really recommend a silicone mould, especially if you decide to make mini ones. I ended up having to blast my metal muffin tray with my blow torch to ease them out. I didn't have time to buy fresh raspberries unfortunately which is why my berries bled a little throughout the blanc-manger. I found the addition of ground almonds a little strange in terms of texture- maybe mine weren't fine enough?

Tuesdays With Dorie 43: Tribute To Katherine Hepburn Brownies

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Lisa of Surviving Oz. I am on the hunt for the perfect brownie recipe, so I was pretty happy they were chosen. I've now made three different brownie recipes from Baking: From my home to yours, and these are probably my favourite so far.

Most brownies I have made in the past are quite cake like and fudgy, however these were dense, chewy and fudgy- perfect! I usually don't like nuts or fruit in my brownies, but I opted to include pecans which turned out to be a wise decision. Next time I am actually thinking of adding candied pecans.

So far these are my favourite brownie recipe, closely followed by Dorie's French Chocolate Brownies. I wasn't a huge fan of her Classic Brownies. I'm sure you will see many more brownie recipes here in the future though as I am always on the search for perfection. Next up my sleeve to try are mascarpone chocolate brownies I think!

Tuesdays With Dorie 42: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

2009-06-24T20:57:00.001+10:00

Ok, so I am a little late this week... No excuse really, other than just life getting in the way! This week's recipe was chosen by Andrea of Andrea In The Kitchen. To be honest, I really dislike coconut, white chocolate and pineapple! So when I saw this recipe was chosen, I wasn't really thrilled at all. BUT, Tuesdays with Dorie is all about trying out new things (and many I thought I wouldn't like, I loved), so I really didn't want to miss this week. Unfortunately, I didn't end up loving this at all, but like I said before, it's because I don't like the core ingredients! I know my mum would have loved it though.

Tuesdays With Dorie Rewind- French Chocolate Brownies

2009-06-16T21:06:00.005+10:00

This week I am sitting out Tuesdays with Dorie due to seasonality. The majority of the group are from the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that our seasons are completely opposite! This week's recipe was chosen by Tommi of Brown Interior, which was Honey-Peach Ice Cream. I would have loved to make this recipe too, just because I love making ice cream (and I have an enormous amount of egg yolks in my fridge right now). I know I could have made the ice cream with tinned peaches, or chosen another fruit, but I decided to make a recipe from before my time with the group.

I have been on the hunt for a good brownie recipe for a while. I also love my brownies dense and chocolatey- no nuts or fruit for me thanks. These brownies turned out really delicious (obviously I omitted the sultanas) and I am sure I'll be baking these a lot in future. I have tried Dorie's Classic Brownie recipe before, but I prefer this one.

Tuesdays With Dorie 40: Parisian Apple Tartlet

2009-06-09T22:25:00.004+10:00

Yes... I am returning with my head hanging in shame. I've been extremely neglectful of my poor little blog! I know it's a cliche, but life has just been really full on lately. I did actually get to make the Cinnamon Squares last week, but had no time to take photos. I quite enjoyed them, but next time I would leave out the coffee. My granules (yes, I probably should have used powder) didn't dissolve properly which wasn't that pleasant! Even though the past few weeks have been really busy, it's actually only going to get worse for me in the next few as I enter exam block. I will really try to keep up blogging though, especially since I missed Daring Bakers last month.

This week's recipe was chosen by Jessica of My Baking Heart, and was perfect for easing me back into blogging. The recipe is incredibly simple, but oh so delicious. It is perfect for those times when you feel like something sweet as a snack. The tartlet is also very quick to make, so also ideal for those times when your other half is hassling you for a dessert (very frequently in my case).

Tuesdays With Dorie 39: Tartest Lemon Tart

2009-05-12T20:49:00.005+10:00

I'm so glad that we have a break from chocolate this week, and what better to have a break with than lemon? Not just any lemon either, it's a very tart lemon tart. You can find the recipe at Babette's blog, Babette Feasts.

This lemon tart is made from an entire lemon: rind, pith, pulp and juice. What? Yes, I too was afraid at first. I was extremely skeptical about including the pith, so naughtily, I omitted this. I simply zested my lemons, sliced the lemons into quarters, and cut away the pith and removed the seeds. So I know I didn't use the entire lemon, but honestly, I thought it was tart enough without it. Dorie recommends that you blitz the lemon into a smooth puree with a blender, but I randomly forgot I had one and attempted to do it with my food processor. It was clear that this simply wouldn't do, so I used my small blender attachment I usually use for spices. Even with this, I wasn't able to get the lemon really smooth, which ultimately affected my end results. I found the lemon to be quite stringy. It still tasted really delicious, but next time I'll know to keep on blitzing, blitzing, blitzing...

The Perfect Chocolate Mousse

2009-05-08T08:00:00.000+10:00

The dessert that I most commonly crave is by far chocolate mousse. Oh it is just so perfect and delicious and chocolately and rich and inviting. I could eat chocolate mousse for the rest of my life. While I would probably devour any type you put in front of me, this is my favourite recipe of all time. Thanks Gordon Ramsay!

Well, the best things in life certainly aren't free... or easy in this case. This mousse is time consuming but very worth it. You start by making a pate a bomb, to which you add some of your favourite melted chocolate (Valrhona Caraibe for me thanks). This is followed by folding in some Italian Meringue, and then finally you gently fold in whipped cream. The texture of this mousse is amazing and it is incredibly stable, meaning you can make it well in advance. I dolloped on a pile of vanilla cream and added some Valrhona crunchy pearls for texture. Delicious.

You can find the recipe in Gordon Ramsay's book Just Desserts.

Tuesdays With Dorie 38: Tiramisu Cake

2009-05-05T17:49:00.005+10:00

Strangely enough, I am pretty sure I have never had Tiramisu! How can that be? I am not entirely sure but I can only assume it is for the following reasons; 1) Coffee and me are certainly friends, but nothing more, and 2) I can't remember ever seeing it on a menu. I think this might be because it's more of a classic dessert that has been superseded by all these new fangled things. So thank you to Megan of My Baking Adventures for choosing this recipe.

When I think about it, what is there to be afraid of with Tiramisu? Tender cake soaked with a coffee flavoured simple syrup, billowing with luscious layers of coffee infused mascarpone and cream... I have more than once declared my love for creamy delicious desserts and this Tiramisu cake was perfect! It is incredibly dreamy and I am eagerly looking forward to devouring the rest of it after dinner. Dorie suggests a few different alcohols for the cake, but I went with Kahlua which was perfect.

Tuesdays With Dorie 37: Chocolate Cream Tart

2009-04-28T11:23:00.004+10:00

You cannot begin to imagine how excited I was when I found out this week's recipe was a chocolate cream tart. I love tarts, especially creamy ones, and anything chocolate, so this literally was my perfect dessert. I actually hadn't really noticed the recipe before, but I think that's mainly because it wasn't accompanied by a delicious looking photo. So a huge thanks to Kim of Scrumptious Photography for picking it- look what I could have been missing out on!

With the chocolate pastry cream, it is really important that you choose a chocolate that you really like. If you don't like dark chocolate for example, then don't use it. The pastry cream comes out tasting exactly like the chocolate you have chosen, which is why I'm so glad I went with my favourite Valrhona Caraibe. The pastry cream was unbelievably delicious! So impossibly rich and smooth. I am honestly going to be making it again, just to eat out of little pots for dessert by itself. S particularly loved the tart shell- it was so delicate, it just shattered in your mouth. Paired with a big dollop of vanilla flavoured whipped cream, it was superb! All three elements worked together harmoniously. I am missing it, just thinking about it.

Daring Bakers 7: Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

2009-04-26T20:14:00.004+10:00

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I am not new to baking cheesecake, however, I was excited to see that it was chosen for April's Daring Bakers challenge. I am always on the hunt for the perfect cheesecake, mainly because I don't seem to ever like any I taste. S on the other hand, thinks that cheesecake is the bee's knees. He ranks it in his top 5 favourite desserts of all time (yes, he has a top 5). And it can't be just any cheesecake, it has to be baked. I really dislike baked cheesecakes in particular as they often get that chalky, mouth coating thickness about them. The trick is to only just bake it- it should still wobble when jiggled. Believe me, it will set up nicely once cooled.

We were given quite a bit of freedom for this challenge so I opted for a chocolate Oreo base, a lemon flavoured cheesecake, topped with a lightly gelatin set lemon cream glaze. Oh my god. This cheesecake was amazing. AMAZING. This is coming from she who would rather pass on dessert than eat a cheesecake. I actually feel quite ripped off; where has this cheesecake been all my life? Needless to say, S is over the moon that I too have embraced cheesecake now.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

Oreo Crust

1 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (about 25 Oreo cookies, cream removed and finely chopped)
2 tablespoon melted butter

Cheesecake

3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)

Lemon Cream Glaze

1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons (21 tablespoons; 10 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
2 gelatin sheets for half of the lemon cream mixture

Lemon Cream Method

Getting ready: Have a thermometer, preferably an instant-read, a strainer and a blender (first choice) or food processor at the ready. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
1. Put the sugar and zest in a large metal bowl that can be fitted into the pan of simmering water. Off heat, work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs followed by the lemon juice.
2. Fit the bowl into the pan (make certain the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl) and cook, stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. You want to cook the cream until it reaches 180°F. As you whisk the cream over heat—and you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling—you’ll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as the cream is getting closer to 180°F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point—the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking and don’t stop checking the temperature. And have patience—depending on how much heat you’re giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.
3. As soon as you reach 180°F, pull the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of a blender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140°F, about 10 minutes.
4. Turn the blender to high and, with the machine going, add about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed while you’re incorporating the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going—to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to beat the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.
5. Split the lemon cream mixture in two. Add the softened gelatin sheets to one half, and keep the other half for another recipe.

Cheesecake Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter.

6. When the cheesecake is room temperature, pour the lemon cream glaze over the top. Refrigerate until set. It is best to serve this cheesecake at room temperature, not straight out of the fridge.

Lest We Forget

2009-04-25T11:35:00.007+10:00

Today in Australia, we honour those members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC's), who fought in World War I and II. For me, this particular ANZAC day is made all the more solemn, as it is the first since my Grandad passed away. For as long as I can remember, our family has spent the day watching him march with his batallion, medals hanging from his chest. This was always followed by drinks, lunch and laughs at the nearest RSL (Returned and Services League). While it was the same ritual every year, it was exactly that, a ritual. And now I find myself sitting here, missing every moment. My Grandad, Wally, fought in World War II at the tender age of 18. When I think back to when I was 18, I cannot fathom walking a mile in those soldiers' shoes. Bravery. Mateship. Lest we forget.

ANZAC biscuits are what childhood memories are made of. They are such an iconic Australian biscuit, that I wonder why they aren't more readily available. It only seems to be in recent years that they have slowly disappeared. When I was growing up, at the local cafe there would always be a jar of ANZAC biscuits next to the Smartie cookies and melting moments. The perfect ANZAC biscuit differs with each person; some like them chewy, while others like them crisp and crunchy. I fall into the latter category.

ANZAC biscuits were first invented during World War I. The soldiers were given 'biscuits' which fondly became known as 'tiles' because they were so hard and tasteless. Loved ones back home made it their number one priority to make a delicious biscuit that would withstand months travelling by ship and wouldn't spoil. The ANZAC biscuit is the end result.

ANZAC Biscuits
(recipe from Bills Sydney Food by Bill Grainger)
Makes 25 cookies

1 cup plain all-purpose flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
125g unsalted butter
1 Tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 Tbsp boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Place flour, coconut, sugar and oats in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Place butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and melt.

3. Place bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl and add hot water. Stir to combine. Add bicarbonate mixture to saucepan and stir. Pour over oat mixture and stir all ingredients together.

4. Roll teaspoons of biscuit mixture into balls and place on a greased and lined baking tray, leaving room for spreading. Flatten each ball gently with a fork.

5. Bake biscuits for 15 - 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown at the edges. The centers will be slightly soft but will harden when cooled. Allow biscuit to cool slightly on trays before transferring to a wire rack.

6. Store in air-tight containers.

Orange Berry Muffins

2009-04-23T17:19:00.005+10:00

For some reason, I have really bad luck with muffins. I can never seem to get them to be airy and fluffy like the ones you buy. I don't really understand where I am going wrong! My conclusion is that the ones you buy are actually just giant cupcakes, and that's why they are so soft and fluffy.

These muffins are from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Baking: From my home to yours. This was a Tuesdays with Dorie recipe that was chosen long before I joined. I had seen it a few times while flicking through the book and it caught my eye. I actually have the intention of baking all the recipes that were chosen before I joined, so this is another one under the belt. Like I said earlier, my muffins weren't overly light and fluffy, but they were still tasty. I love blueberries in anything, and combined with the fragrant orange zest batter, it was delicious!

Orange Berry Muffins
from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Baking: From my home, to yours

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
About ¾ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
⅓ cup (2.33 ounces) sugar
2 cups (9.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries - fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)
Decorating sugar, for topping (optional)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.
In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Brigadeiro

2009-04-16T14:41:00.008+10:00

I recently made a batch of Brigadeiro's for a Brazilian friend of S's. He has been living in Australia for 15 or so years now, and we thought it would be the perfect Easter present for him and his family. When I first started looking for Brazilian candy ideas, Brigadeiros were without a doubt the most popular in my searches. To me, they didn't really sound that appetising though- condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter? Tasty...

While I was not a huge fan of these little soft balls of sweetness, S thoroughly enjoyed them, as did his friend (thankfully). Since I had not made Brigadeiros before, I wasn't sure if the texture should still be soft, or more chewy like a toffee. I was told that I had made them perfectly though, and that they should still maintain a softness about them. My next project is to try making Dulche de Leche!

Brigadeiro, from GroupRecipes:
1 can of Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of powered chocolate
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Directions

Put the condensed milk into a sauce pan

Add the butter and the chocolate

Mix it all and turn on the fire to medium

Stir during the whole process

After about 7 minutes, it will start boiling

Stir the mixture constantly until it starts to lose contact with the pan

Stir for a couple minutes more and turn the fire off

Wait about 30 minutes for the mixture to cool

When it is cooled, put some butter on your hands and start making little balls with the mixture

After that roll them in the chocolate sprinkles and put in mini cupcake wrapers

Tuesdays With Dorie 36: 15 Minute Magic- Chocolate Amaretti Torte

2009-04-14T21:48:00.004+10:00

Well in the end, I would hardly call this cake '15 minute magic'. I searched high and low for Amaretti, to no avail. I thought it would be easy to find them, but after checking all of my regular foodie places (five or so of them), nothing! I really didn't want to skip this week's recipe though, so I ended up making my own. Understandably, this took a lot longer than 15 minutes! It proved to be a lot more work than I had bargained for, but thanks to Holly of Phe/MOM/enon for choosing this week's recipe.

I found the recipe for my Amaretti at Amanda's Cookin'. She too decided to make her own, so I really appreciate her help! I wouldn't exactly call my cookies authentic though, as I didn't have any almond extract or Amaretto on hand. The cookies still had a distinct almond taste though from the almond meal, which worked well in the torte. I had read Amanda's concern about the cookies being too chewy for the torte, so I dried mine out in the oven a little longer.

With Easter just gone, the last thing I felt like baking/eating was more chocolate! This cake was really tasty though, so I'm not complaining. It was definitely very rich though, so as Dorie recommends, serve small slices.

Tuesdays With Dorie 35: Banana Cream Pie

2009-04-07T15:05:00.007+10:00

Firstly I just need to get off my chest that yes, I am feeling extremely guilty about deserting my poor blog for the past couple of weeks. Funnily enough, this is technically my 36th week of participating in Tuesdays with Dorie, because I actually did make last week's recipe (Coconut Butter Thins) but I just didn't get time to photograph them. In the past couple of weeks I have also made brownies, scones with jam and cream, panacotta with pomegranate jelly, lemon mousse pots... the list goes on really- it's just finding the time to photograph them. I (or should I say S) relies on natural lighting only, and we are often not home during the day. I really want to get a Lowel Ego Light, but in Australia they are just so expensive (if you can find one). Anyway, enough whining.

I can honestly say that I have never had a Banana Cream Pie before, which is the recipe that was chosen this week by Amy of Sing for Your Supper. I was very apprehensive about making it too, believing that I would hate it. Bananas really aren't a favourite food of mine, and until I was making the recipe, I didn't realise the bananas weren't cooked! For some reason, I had imagined this pile of warm mushy cooked banana sitting in a pie! I actually avoided cooking this for my boyfriend's mum as she has a particular dislike for cooked banana. When I finally realised it didn't contain cooked banana, my whole perception of the pie changed. All of a sudden, all I could think about was the cool, aromatic pastry cream enveloping perfectly ripe banana slices, and the shattering crunch of the pie shell, all melding with the superbly tangy cream topping. A 180 I know. I can't tell you if my imagination was accurate just yet, as I have not eaten the pie fully assembled (hence no innards shots). From tasting each component though, I can tell it will be just perfect. My first Banana Cream Pie (and certainly not the last)!

Tuesdays With Dorie 34: Blueberry Crumb Cake

2009-03-24T22:57:00.003+10:00

I usually steer clear of any desserts that contain fruit- such a health freak, I know. One fruit I absolutely love in baked goods though is blueberries. I can sit and eat a punnet of blueberries very easily, but this can prove to be an expensive habit. The great thing about Tuesdays with Dorie, is that there are so many recipes that call for blueberries (or can be replaced with blueberries). At the moment, we haven't got the best tasting blueberries, which is a shame. You can find this week's recipe at Sihan's blog- Befuddlement (thanks for choosing a great recipe).

Well, as you probably guessed, I loved this cake. I knew that it would be a hit in our house, so I even made the whole recipe (shock horror). Even though this cake would have looked ridiculously cute in my mini springform tins, I resisted temptation. I found that baking it in a pyrex square dish resulted in much more cake to crumble ratio, which worked perfectly together.

I did find the cake a little on the dry side, but I think coffee cakes usually are. Either that or I slightly over baked it- which I am absolutely anal about NOT doing. So this cake would be perfect for morning or afternoon tea. Or as a snack. Or for breakfast. Or for dessert in our case. Heck, this cake would be good anytime of day. Please bake it. For your own good.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-03-19T14:14:00.006+10:00

Recently I've begun to love using my Kitchenaid ice cream attachment once again. This newly reclaimed love is a little out of season, as we have just entered Autumn. I absolutely love ice cream though, so no matter the season, I'm always eating it.

Strawberry Ice Cream
adapted from Tartlette

4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
1 punnet of strawberries, hulled and quartered

1. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and one cup of sugar until thick and pale yellow. In a saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a simmer- do not let boil.

2. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture while whisking, to temper the egg yolks. Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream coats the back of a spoon. The mixture should reach 170F on a candy thermometer. Let cool completely, strain and refrigerate until cold.

3. While the custard is cooling, prepare the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a food processor and process until relatively smooth. If you don't want any strawberry chunks, process until smooth. I left it so that there were still some small chunks, however, next time I will process until smooth as the chunks of strawberries were a little icy.

4. Fold the strawberry puree through the cooled custard and process the custard mixture according to your ice cream maker's manufacturing instructions.

Tuesdays With Dorie 33: French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

2009-03-17T21:49:00.003+10:00

This is a recipe I have been looking forward to baking for a long time. Honestly, I didn't have much clue about what the cake would be like, but the name just sounded delicious to me. Luckily, Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction chose it for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.

This is the type of cake that you can just keep eating and eating. There's a savouryness to it that comes from the yogurt, but it is still sweet enough to satisfy those cravings. It is also incredibly moist- due to the addition of oil, and also from the glaze. Dorie recommends a Lemon Marmalade glaze, however I just used Orange Marmalade, as that is what I had on hand. This cake would be really good with a dollop of Lemon Cream on top too.

Traditionally, this cake is meant to be baked in a loaf tin, however I have been dying to try out my new mini bundt pan and this has been the first chance I've had to use it so I couldn't resist! They turned out really cute, and they are the perfect size for a quick snack. Next on my list is a mini loaf tin.

Lemon Custard Cakes

2009-03-13T14:45:00.007+10:00

While browsing on Martha Stewart the other day, I found a section on lemon desserts. Since lemon is one of S's favourite flavours, I decided to make him a nice treat.

I've never heard of a 'custard cake' before, but to me, it seemed similar to a self saucing pudding- which I love. Anyway, the thought of lemon cake and lemon custard together sounded delicious.

And I was right. These lemon custard cakes were really yummy. The cake itself has a souffle like quality, and hidden underneath is a deliciously creamy lemon custard. It is suggested to eat these warm or at room temperature, but we couldn't help ourselves and devoured one not long out of the oven. The next day I ate one straight from the fridge too. Either way, they were both good. I can see this becoming a staple in our house for not only its taste, but its ease as well.

Lemon Custard Cakes

from Martha Stewart

serves 6

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for buttering custard cups

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2-3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)

1/4 fresh lemon juice

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6 ounce custard cups and place in a tea towel-lined baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, which egg yolks and sugar until light, whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently (batter will be quite liquid).

4. Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach half way up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Tuesdays With Dorie 32: La Palette's Strawberry Tart

2009-03-10T22:37:00.003+10:00

"La Palette's Strawberry Tart"? you may be asking. You're not going crazy... yes this recipe has already been completed by Tuesdays with Dorie, and yes, this week's recipe was actually Lemon Custard Cups (chosen by Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles). Firstly, I just want to say that I hope I don't seem like a piker, and I certainly hope I haven't offended Dorie. After various comments on the Tuesdays with Dorie blog, I just felt that I really wouldn't enjoy this week's recipe, as many had commented on its 'eggyness'. Now I usually wouldn't let such an excuse stop me from baking something, as that's what I love about this baking group- I've made so many things that I would never have done so on my own. So, I am certainly open to try just about anything. To me, eggyness really is my worst nightmare... I can't even stand those Asian egg custard tarts. Instead of wasting ingredients on something I was sure I wouldn't enjoy, I thought I would do a rewind. Might I just add that I didn't get authorisation to do a rewind, this is out of my own accord, therefore this week's post will not count toward my Tuesdays with Dorie participation.

The La Palette's Strawberry Tart was chosen not long before I started Tuesdays with Dorie, and what a real shame it would have been if I'd never got the chance to make this. The tart is simply delicious. Actually, that's exactly what I love about it- its simplicity. Sweet tart crust, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries macerated in sugar, finished with a dollop of sweetened cream- perfection. I could eat this everyday.

Baking this has made me realise that I have probably missed out on a lot of other delicious treats that were baked before my time with the group. So, I am hoping to slowly work my way through them so that I can officially say that I have baked every recipe in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours. Oh, one problem there... I'll have to complete the Lemon Custard Cup...

Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon

2009-03-07T13:08:00.007+10:00

S and I used to be the type of people that loved going out to breakfast with friends on the weekends, but after many years, it finally sunk in that it's very hard to find a place that does good breakfast. Although it seems like breakfast would be one of the easiest meals to prepare, I actually think it's one of the hardest. Preparing breakfast for 50 or so diners would be my worst nightmare- I struggle with just S and I. So we have given up on eating out for breakfast, and now opt for delicious home made delights.

When we used to go out for breakfast, S would always be tempted by the words 'pancakes' or 'waffles' or 'french toast with maple syrup', only to order it, then complain for the next few hours about how sick he felt. I am definitely a savoury person, especially when it comes to breakfast. It takes a lot for me to eat something sweet at breakfast... but these pancakes suck me in. Paired with some salty, smokey bacon, I find I can handle the sweetness.

These pancakes are the best I've ever had. They are so light and fluffy, due to the incorporation of whipped egg whites. There is also the slightest amount of cinnamon, which really elevates these pancakes to a new level. I'm not fussed on adding blueberries, but S insists.

Scotch Pancakes

from Marcus Wareing's, How to cook the perfect...

Makes about 12 pancakes (depending on how big you make them)

225g plain white flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

60g caster sugar

4 large egg yolks

500ml milk

90g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 large egg whites

vegetable oil for frying

Sift the flour into a large bowl with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the sugar, keeping back 1 tablespoon for later.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thickened, then gradually whisk in the milk and melted butter.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to make a smooth batter.

Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk to soft peaks, adding the reserved sugar halfway through. Fold into the batter.

Set a large, non stick frying pan over a medium heat. Splash a little oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat until hot. Spoon the batter into the pan. Cook for 2-2.5 minutes until the underside is golden brown, then turn the pancakes over and cook for 1.5 -2 minutes to lightly brown the other side.

Serve straight away with maple syrup. If you want to add blueberries, after you have poured the batter into the pan, scatter some over the top. Be careful when you flip the pancake that the blueberries don't fall out.

Tuesdays With Dorie 31: Chocolate Cointreau Cake- The cake that got Dorie fired

2009-03-03T18:22:00.009+10:00

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Lyb of And then I do the dishes. In fact, it is meant to be a Chocolate Armagnac Cake. I certainly don't have a handy bottle of Armagnac lying around, so I opted for Cointreau. Chocolate + Orange = Deliciousness. As well as providing the recipe, I'm sure if you head over to Lyb's blog, she will further explain the title of the recipe (the cake that got Dorie fired), so I won't be a broken record.

Is it just me or have I been baking an excessive amount of cakes recently... chocolate ones too. Quite frankly, I'll be glad if I don't bake another chocolate cake for a few months. It really isn't a good idea to have full size cakes every week at our house, so I have been halving recipes.

If you read my last post, you will remember that I have a terrible habit of skimming through recipes far too quickly. My achilles heel got the better of me this week again- I forgot to add the sugar to the egg yolks! S was furious! I wish I hadn't told him in fact... the only reason I did was because he brought it to my attention. Upon tasting the cake, he told me that it wasn't very sweet. This was true... I really need to get on top of this awful habit- starting next week.

Daring Bakers 6: Chocolate Valentino

2009-02-28T08:00:00.005+10:00

Well it's that time of the month again- Daring Bakers. I am eternally grateful that this month's challenge was not overly daring. This recipe was chosen, I believe, with Valentines Day in mind, as traditionally the cake is made in a heart shaped tin. While I do have a (very underused) heart shaped tin, I did not end up making this cake for Valentines Day.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We 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.

Of course we couldn't get out of it that easy! Along with the Chocolate Valentino cake (a flourless chocolate cake) we also needed to make home made ice cream. I'm really glad they included this component as I always seem to forget how much I love making ice cream (and how easy it is). We have recently discovered an ice cream place called Movenpick. It's a Swiss ice cream company and it has the best ice cream! I've fallen head over heels for their Stracciatella ice cream, so I thought I should attempt my own at home. I have this bad habit of not completely reading a recipe before I start- this I can assure you, maddens S like nothing else. I am forever making mistakes or forgetting ingredients or steps due to skimming through the recipe. Well, this occasion was no exception... I had been wondering how I would achieve those flaky waves of chocolate that run through Straciatella, and had decided in my own mind to simply hand shave each piece of chocolate with a potato peeler. While I wasn't particularly happy with enduring such a long process, I really wanted the get the texture right. Wrong! If I had bothered to read the whole recipe properly, I would have seen that the chocolate needs to be melted and simply poured into the churning ice cream mixture! Once the warm chocolate hits the freezing ice cream, it hardens instantly, creating those ribbons of chocolate. How simple. How stupid of me. I'm happy with the end result of the ice cream and I'll definitely make it again.

Now, the Chocolate Valentino. Boy was this rich. The recipe clearly stated that you should choose your chocolate wisely, as whatever you chose, this would be exactly what the cake tasted like. I am a big fan of Valrhona Caraibe, so I went with that. Wrong! It really was too bitter of a chocolate for this recipe. I'm glad that we made ice cream to go with it, because it was just so richly bitter.

Chocolate Valentino

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
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

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.

Tuesdays With Dorie 30: Caramel Crunch Bars

2009-02-24T08:00:00.000+10:00

I've never really thought of myself as a caramel lover. My mum and S on the other hand, start salivating just hearing the word. I certainly wouldn't say that I dislike caramel- I do actually really like it, but to me it's not an attention grabber. So when Whitney of What's left on the table? chose this week's recipe, I wasn't all that fussed on it. Their name is a little deceiving though- there isn't that much caramel involved, and if need be, it can easily be withheld.

Since joining Tuesdays with Dorie, I have come across many ingredients that I have never heard of (whoppers etc), so it came as no surprise that I had no idea what Heath Toffee Bits were. I ended up just making up a batch of my own English Toffee, and chopping it into small pieces. Unfortunately I didn't boil the toffee long enough, and while it had a nice crunch to begin with, by the end it was a little too tacky to chew. I'm not sure what Heath Toffee Bits taste like, but if I were to make these again, I would definitely leave out the toffee bits on top and would maybe replace them with some Valrhona crunchy pearls instead.

The biscuit base is absolutely delicious. It is sinfully good. It's hard to believe that a biscuit could be so buttery. I ended up cutting the biscuit slab into tiny squares, just because it really is that rich. I've become quite fond of my freezer lately, so I've popped them all in there to take out as I need. I found a chocolate and gingerbread cake in my freezer the other day (from a previous Tuesdays with Dorie), defrosted it, and it was as good as new. A real revelation as now S has no excuse to eat an entire cake within 2 days.

Vanilla Bean Panacotta

2009-02-20T10:44:00.005+10:00

I've mentioned before that S is the savoury cook in our house, while I take care of all things sweet. One of his specialities is his Spaghetti Bolognese. The recipe is very time consuming, so he only tends to make it a couple of times a year. Lately I have been craving lasagna- funnily enough, neither of us has ever made one before. Since we love S's Bolognese sauce so much, we decided to use it in the lasagna. Well, let me say that S started cooking at around 12 pm, and the lasagna wasn't eaten until 7 pm. The whole process was just so time consuming! Mind you, S is a perfectionist. This is usually a good thing, but when it comes to cooking savoury food, I like to be a little more efficient! I think he finds something quite therapeutic in hand dicing vegetables into tiny little squares (that's what food processors are for, no?) I admit that I nagged a bit during the day with the usual 'when's dinner ready'? and 'how come it's taking so long'? Suffice to say that it really was worth the wait. Absolutely delicious. Not that I will be asking him to make lasagna again anytime soon...

Unintentionally, it ended up being quite the Italian theme for food that night. We served the lasagna with a big leafy green salad in a balsamic dressing, and for dessert I served a Vanilla Bean Panacotta. Honestly, it wasn't planned at all! Just a coincidence. It wasn't until after, that we put all the pieces together. Panacotta is one of those desserts that I just love- so simple, but just perfect. Unless I remind myself that I literally am eating cooked cream, I would probably want to eat it everyday.

Vanilla Bean Panacotta

from Neil Perry's 'The Food I Love'

Serves 4

125 ml milk

250 ml pure whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped out

2 tablespoons caster sugar

8 g leaf gelatin (I used 5 g)

125 ml double cream

1. Put the milk, whipping cream, vanilla bean and seeds and half the sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then gently simmer for 1 minute. Soften the leaf gelatin in a little cold water, then squeeze out. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining sugar and softened leaf gelatin.

2. Strain the mixture into a bowl and chill over ice. As it sets, keep stirring- this will help keep an even distribution of the vanilla seeds. When the mixture reaches a gelatinous appearance, similar to the thickness of thick cream, remove the bowl from the ice.

3. Stir some of the mixture into the double cream to break it down, then add back to the remaining mixture. Strain again and pour into the dariole moulds to set. Leave in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

4. To release the panacotta, pour some boiling water into a bowl and submerge the moulds half way down in the water for about 10 seconds. Gently place a small knife down the inside edge to create an air pocket and separate the panacotta from the mould. Turn the panacotta onto a plate and serve with fresh berries. Serve immediately.

Tuesdays With Dorie 29: Devils Food White Out Cake

2009-02-17T17:21:00.004+10:00

Thanks to Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater for choosing this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. I've mentioned before, that S was really eager for me to bake him this cake for his birthday last year. His birthday is in the midst of exams mind you, so I never got around to it. It's a shame that I didn't have an occasion to make this for this week, because it would have looked really spectacular full size. My soft spot for anything miniature won out and I am sure my thighs will thank me.

It seems to me that like myself, Dorie is a bit of a chocolate cake nut, having provided many different recipes throughout her book Baking: from my home to yours. I love her chocolate cupcake recipe, as do I love her cocoa buttermilk birthday cake recipe. Now I have yet another chocolate cake recipe to add to the list because I really loved this cake. Mind you, I did forget to stir through chocolate chips into the batter at the very end, but I honestly don't think it mattered. This cake is densely chocolatey, yet very light at the same time. My favourite way to eat chocolate cake is simple by itself- no frosting, no ice cream, no whipped cream. I didn't particularly care for the frosting that Dorie pairs with this cake. And not just with this cake- I can't really see myself ever using this recipe again. To me, if I choose to use frosting, it has to be smooth and buttery (Italian meringue buttercream anyone?), yet this one was incredibly light and simply puffed away in to oblivion the second it touched your mouth.

I'm glad that S finally gets to eat this cake. He's waited long enough that I just hope it lives up to his expectations. Check out Stephanie's blog for this week's recipe.

Valentines Day 2009

2009-02-16T23:33:00.008+10:00

As some of you know, S has been away for work for the past six weeks. Luckily for me though, he was scheduled to come home on Valentines Day! What better present than that? I had planned an elaborate dessert buffet for his arrival, but I was so busy leading up to the day that it simply just couldn't be done. I did manage to bake some chocolate cupcakes with strawberry Italian meringue buttercream though, much to S's delight.

The day didn't go without some hiccups though; S was supposed to catch a 9am flight, but due to late night work celebrations, he missed his flight by 4 minutes! I was really upset that he might not make it home that day. The next flight he could catch was 11am, however, after boarding the plane, the baggage people went on strike half way through loading the plane! The day really was turning out to be one disaster after another- so stressful! After a few more hours, he finally got home- sans luggage. This was rather inconvenient since all he had were the clothes on his back, and we had planned on going out to dinner that night. S's Valentines present to me was also in his luggage so he was a little upset that I wouldn't be able to open it that day. I really wasn't too concerned as I already had my present (him). In the end, everything worked out fine and we got his luggage the next day. Just goes to show how one little thing (missing a plane by 4 minutes) can escalate into something quite inconvenient!

I used Dorie's chocolate cupcake recipe, which I might add, makes for a delicious cupcake. I added fresh strawberry puree to the Italian meringue which was just perfect. I was really concerned that the buttercream wouldn't turn out and that it would be too sloppy from adding the puree, but it was fine. Nothing beats the taste of fresh strawberries!

Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream

For 24 cupcakes or 1 cake

1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup water

8 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

680 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup strawberry puree

1. Place the 1 1/4 cups of caster sugar and water into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Turn down the heat while you whip the egg whites. You want to be able to bring it back to the boil quickly.

2. Whip egg whites on low speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium high. When soft peaks form, gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to whip to stiff peaks. This is the meringue part of the buttercream.

3. Bring the sugar and water mixture back to the boil and heat until it reaches 120 degrees Celsius. Pour in a steady stream into the meringue mixture, which should be on medium-high speed. Continue whipping the meringue mixture until it cools.

4. Add the pieces of butter into the cooled meringue mixture, a few at a time. Continue beating the butter into the meringue mixture until it is smooth and creamy.

5. Beat in the strawberry puree. Add food colour if desired. Use buttercream immediately, or refrigerated for one week, or freeze for one month.

Tuesdays With Dorie 28: World Peace Cookies

2009-02-03T15:27:00.005+10:00

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Jessica of cookbookhabit, but I am sure that most people couldn't help themselves, and baked these long before this week's challenge. These World Peace Cookies have to be one of the more famous recipes in Baking: from my home, to yours. Heck, I baked these week's ago, and that was restraining myself! I try not to bake too often, because quite frankly, S and I have put on weight these past few months! BUT, I really couldn't help myself with these cookies- I just had to try them. Who knew when they would be chosen? I'm surprised it took this long actually.

In Dorie's cookbook, she says that a neighbour came up with the name for these cookies- according to him, if everyone got a dose of these cookies each day, there would be world peace. I'm not sure if I would go as far as to say that- these cookies are really yummy and a bit different from the usual type, but, I can't say they are my favourite ever. S would disagree, but as some of you know by now, everything becomes his new favourite. This week, World Peace Cookies are the new Gingerbread cake to S, if you know what I mean?

The first time I made these cookies I had a bit of trouble with the dough. I was extremely cautious not to overmix the dough, but I think this resulted in undermixed dough. It was virtually impossible to form the dough into a log. Cutting it into cookies was even worse! Each cookie I attempted to slice, shattered into a thousand pieces. I gave up, and ended up rolling little balls of dough then flattening them. While these turned out fine, I just love the look of sliced cookies and I really think it plays an important part in these cookies' texture. Luckily, this time I had learnt from that experience, and made sure I didn't undermix the dough. This resulted in me being able to slice off nice cookies. I admit that it was still difficult, but not impossible. I read some suggestions that you should freeze the dough in a log shape, take it out of the freezer for about 10 minutes, then slice. I'll try this next time for sure.

While they weren't my favourite cookies ever (I'm not a cookie kind of girl though), they are undeniably delicious. They are intensly chocolatey, thanks to the pieces of chopped chocolate throughout. Belonging to the sable family, the texture is amazing- I think I'm obsessed with the texture more than anything else. Particularly this most recent batch. To the most important part, fleur de sel. I am an absolute salt nut. I love it. I am not really a sweet person, but put anything salty and savoury in front of me, and I'm in trouble. Salt... mmm. Anyway, the salt definitely lifts this cookie to another level. As I said before, the cookie is very chocolately, so the salt really balances this out with a hit of savouryness. I have only used fleur de sel in these cookies, so I can comment on the use of regular salt.

'The Wiggles' Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake

2009-01-31T08:00:00.000+10:00

S and I's nephew recently celebrated his 2nd birthday (which I can't believe mind you- time flies). The party had a Wiggle theme, since he is absolutely obsessed with them. It's rather cute watching him 'sing' and dance. The birthday boy dressed up as Captain Feathersword which was really adorable as well. Even one of the adults came as Dorothy the Dinosaur!

Ideally, I would have loved to make him a 3D Big Red Car cake, but to be honest, I don't think my skills on 3D cakes are up there enough to pull it off. I ended up going with a simple chocolate cake with a vanilla frosting. I also bought a Wiggles edible cake topper and made coloured musical notes (the colours of the Wiggles) from royal icing to decorate.

In the past I haven't had much success making cakes that impress children, as I opt to use an Italian meringue buttercream. Mostly I get comments from children such as 'I hate this icing' or 'This is gross'! So lesson learnt- I went with an extremely simple (and extremely sweet might I add) frosting made from icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and milk. I was actually very happy with how easy it was to work with. It was a good option too since it was extremely hot and humid that day. Needless to say, the kids loved the cake with that frosting, so I was happy.

Next year it's the big 3!

Daring Bakers 5: Tuiles

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000+10:00

Surprised? Yes! I did manage to complete this month's Daring Bakers challenge. What with these new rules and all- the pressure is on! Especially since each month's recipe tends to either be: simple, but time consuming, or, the most torturous day of your life. I am surprised that the group still has such a strong membership, but really, that's what we love about it right?

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Tuiles eh? I never really thought of them as a dessert as such. A decorative component, yes, but certainly not the highlight. Maybe I just haven't encountered enough tuiles to really see their full potential? I certainly never thought to make them at home- then I am not really the decorative type. I like my desserts simple and clean. Occasionally I will embellish them, but rarely. I suppose it could be seen as a sign of laziness, but honestly, it's not! I really like the focus to be on the main components of the dessert. I also avoid decorating with items that aren't edible, or that don't really 'add' anything to the dish, other than visually. Well, I suppose it's good luck that we made tuiles this month as they are both an edible decoration, as well as one that can add to the flavour.

This month's challenge actually reminded me of a dessert in Gordon Ramsay's Three Star Chef cookbook. I had admired it from afar, but hadn't planned on attempting it anytime soon... anytime in my life actually. Part of the challenge was to pair the tuiles with something light. Right. Another arrow pointing to Gordon Ramsay's tuile dessert. His chocolate tuiles are paired with a lemon and basil mousse, and also a raspberry mousse, which is presented as a millefeuille. This fit the challenge perfectly, but in the end, I had to compromise. I decided to go with chocolate tuiles and pair them with a lemon mousse recipe I found over at Tartlette. Simple and delicious. I would have loved to use the mousse flavours in Gordon Ramsay's recipe, but I was only making such a small portion (as S is away) that it seemed a little extravagent. Maybe next time.

The tuile making itself, I found, came under the categorie of 'the most torturous day of your life'. The actual preparation of the batter was a breeze, but shaping it was another story. I had planned on using the same shape Gordon Ramsay's recipe used, but do you think it worked? Hell no! First my batter wasn't cooked enough so it never turned crispy enough to hold its shape. Then I baked them too much, that when I tried to shape them, they had already set before I could blink. This really wasn't looking good for me and my batter was starting to run out. So, I ended up going with a vary simple shape... a circle! As soon as the batter came out of the oven, I cut out circles with a glass. Unfortunately, these did not bake long enough either and they never turned crispy. So I ended up with a slightly chewy tuile. Not good. At least a tuile's crispness cannot be determined through a lense.

Tuiles

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

Lemon Mousse:
from Tartlette

1 1/2 teaspoons (3 sheets) gelatin
2 tablespoons (30ml) cold water
1 1/4 (310ml) whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (throw the seeds in the pot with the milk)
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 grams)sugar
1/4 cup (40 gr)cornstarch
1/4 cup (62.5ml) lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream

In a ramekin, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until you prepare the cream. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together, add the cornstarch mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile in a saucepan combine the milk and vanilla bean on medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling, (pour through a strainer if this happens). Remove vanilla bean. Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice and zest, cook another 30 seconds and remove from the heat. Immediately add in the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cream so that it does not develop a skin as it cools to room temperature.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the pastry cream. Pipe or spoon the mousse immediately in the cake rings, level the top with an offset spatula and refrigerate. If you have any leftover, spoon into dessert dishes or glasses for quick snack.

Tuesdays With Dorie 27: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

2009-01-27T18:41:00.003+10:00

I must say that it feels great to be back on track with Tuesdays with Dorie. While technically I only missed one week, it feels like forever since I've posted on here. Hopefully in the next few months I can really get on track and post much more frequently. I seem to always be baking something of some sort, but taking the time out to photograph them, then blog, is quite another story.

This week's recipe, chosen by Heather of Sherry Trifle, was the perfect way for me to ease myself back in. It is simple, but more importantly, delicious. Ginger is not something I really look for in a dessert, so I was a little apprehensive about this cake. I had actually planned on baking this early and giving it to my mum since she absolutely loves ginger, but I didn't get time (due to an upcoming post). Luckily, Dorie says that this cake freezes well, even after being iced. My mum has a nice little surprise when she next visits... unless I can't help myself.

I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this cake. It is incredibly soft and moist, and the spices add a subtle warmth. The cake itself is so spectacular that in future, I will probably skip the icing all together. Icings made mostly from icing sugar do not really do much for me- besides, by itself, this cake tricks you into thinking it's not that bad for the hips.

Tuesdays With Dorie

2009-01-21T13:30:00.002+10:00

Melbourne, Australia

I know, I know! I am so naughty for missing the last TWO Tuesdays with Dorie. In my defense, I actually did bake the Savoury Corn Muffins, I just didn't get to photograph them because I was in Melbourne. Going on a holiday always throws Tuesdays with Dorie out of whack for me. I usually like to plan ahead, but this time I didn't. I really do want to make the Berry Surprise Cake, so hopefully I'll get around to it one of these days. I will definitely be back with the group next week!

Tuesdays With Dorie 26: French Pear Tart

2009-01-06T13:54:00.003+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by America's Queen of baking herself: Dorie Greenspan! How fantastic to bake one of Dorie's personal favourites. I have to say, that within our little baking community, Dorie has been an amazing support to all of us. I think it's safe to say, that seeing Dorie comment on your blog makes you squeal with happiness (actually I was literally stunned... STUNNED!). A few text messages to friends later, and I had settled down (slightly). She is also very interactive on the Tuesdays with Dorie website, offering help if we have questions or don't quite understand something about the recipes. Fabulous.

After baking this tart, I know why it is a favourite. It really is delicious. Rich, buttery, chewy, soft and sweet goodness. Personally, I served mine with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, which helped with the butteryness of the tart. I opted for mini tarts, but can only imagine how stunning this tart would look in a 9-inch pan.

S is away for six weeks at the moment, and I feel bad that he couldn't eat this tart! I know he would have absolutely loved it, so I will have to make it again when he comes back. For now though, the photos can taunt him! Speaking of photos, as some of you know, S takes all of the photos on my blog... but this time it was up to me. Very intimidating since I really have no idea how to work the camera. Actually, to be honest, S was freaking out about it! Well I hope I didn't disappoint him.

A Graduation Cake

2009-01-04T13:11:00.003+10:00

Oh how I wish it were me that had graduated and received a cake (tune in, in one years time), but it was in fact S. I try not to think about how quickly the years fly by. It wasn't long ago that we both ventured to the 'big smoke', away from the safety and comfort of our childhood homes, to start our first year at University. Thinking back over the past five years is like watching your life flash before your eyes. So much has happened, yet it seems as though so little has changed. I can't believe it has taken us five years to sort out where our lives are headed. Luckily for S, he happened to stumble into his chosen career (which turned out to be so different that he had thought it would be), and loved it. As for me, well, after a few changes here and there, I too feel as though I have finally steered onto the right course. Such a milestone surely deserves a grand reward (S takes payment in cakes and pastries of course), and what could be more grand (and time consuming and aggravating- in a good way) than a Pierre Herme recipe!? I had actually intended on baking S a cake he had chosen from Dorie Greenspans book; Baking: from my home to yours, for his birthday, but that never happened. Then I decided all was not lost and I would make it for his graduation (only a couple of weeks after his birthday), but I thought that I really needed to utilise special occasions for really special recipes. Poor S though- I'm not sure when he will ever get to eat the Dorie Greenspan cake, even though he requested it months ago. I guess we will have to wait for someone to choose it for Tuesdays with Dorie.

On to the cake! Really, the cake was not hard to make. There are quite a few elements and it is quite time consuming, but if you organise everything in advance, it should be relatively stress free. The cake I chose was a Blueberry and Marscarpone Mousse Charlotte. I adore the look of Charlottes, but was never quite sure what all the different elements of the cake consisted of. From what I gather, the lady finger borders are usually filled with a mousse of some sort. Either way, this cake was magnificent! It consisted of lady finger biscuits, a mascarpone mousse filling with fresh blueberries layered inside, italian meringue for the topping, and also a dollop of blueberry compote. I can only imagine the possibilities, flavour wise.

After his graduation ceremony, we were all supposed to come back to our house to have a piece of cake with coffee. Unfortunately we ran out of time and had to rush immediately to the restaurant we had booked at. We decided to skip dessert, so that we could have a piece of cake instead. By that time, it was well and truly night time, so it was difficult to take photos.

S is jumping for joy, not because he graduated, but because he will be taking up post graduate studies this year- yes, that means another grand cake for S at the end of the year... not to mention mine as well.

Tuesdays With Dorie 25: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

2009-01-01T17:50:00.005+10:00

Ahhh, yes- I missed last week's Tuesdays with Dorie (Real Butterscotch Pudding), but to be honest, I just didn't have the time! It really upsets me when I have to miss a Tuesdays with Dorie (or Daring Bakers), but as you all know, this time of year is just insane.

To top it off... I am posting this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, two days late! Obviously, this time of year really affects my organisational skills. I actually made this recipe weeks ago, so it wasn't a case of not having the goods to show. We went away for a few days, for New Years Eve celebrations, and I didn't bother to bring my laptop. It wasn't until the Wednesday that I realised I had forgotten (by realised, I mean that I saw heaps of tall and creamy cheesecakes pop up on tastespotting). Well, it's a new year, and I hope to be a little more organised for it.

I'm personally not a fan of cheesecake. I'm not really into cream cheese frosting either. So I really avoid making them at all costs- even though S absolutely loves himself a good baked cheesecake. The one cheesecake I quite liked was one that I made from Marcus Wareing's How to Cook the Perfect... After making Dorie's, I still prefer the one from Marcus' book. I actually quite liked the taste of Dorie's (I made a lemon cheesecake, in an effort to conceal the 'cheese' flavour), but I really disliked the texture. It gives me the chills just thinking about it... Also my other complaint is that there is not enough base- I would double the recipe for the base next time. I also found that the biscuit sides did not get crunchy- it was a soggy mess. S really loved this cheesecake though, so I would feel slightly evil if I denied him from ever eating it again. Maybe with some minor adjustments, I too would like it.

Thanks to Anne of AnneStrawberry for choosing this week's recipe. You can find the recipe on her website. Don't forget to check out all the other TWD gang too.

Daring Bakers: French Yule Log

2008-12-29T13:35:00.005+10:00

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

As I casually clicked on this month's Daring Bakers challenge thread, I wasn't too concerned about what it would be. All the previous recipes that have been chosen have been a heap of fun and have proven to be a great learning experience for me, but not overtly challenging in my opinion. Well, you can imagine I nearly fell out of my chair when I read this month's challenge- French Yule Log. I was familiar with a Yule Log, but had no clue where the 'French' part came in. Basically, a French Yule Log differs to a regular Yule Log in that it is a frozen dessert, rather than a cake. Fair enough. At least being frozen, it could be made in advance- my heart palpitations slowed. That is, until I read on... six elements, never ending flavour choices, rhodoid- WHAT!? After reading all of the extremely long recipe, I freaked out. Not only because it was slightly (hell, extremely) more complicated than previous recipes, but also, I had enough on my plate with Tuesdays with Dorie and Christmas coming up. For those of you who read my previous post about Christmas 2008, you now know what the fourth dessert was that day.

The first free day I had off, I set aside for this challenge. I wanted an entire day clear to focus on this mammoth challenge. Individually, I guess each element wasn't too hard to make. Actually, who am I kidding... I can't recall how many times I swore that day. The first element I made was the dark chocolate mousse, which was relatively simple. I made a big mistake by storing the mousse in the fridge for quite a number of hours before I assembled my log, and it got quite firm, making it impossible to pipe into the mould nicely. I kind of poked and prodded it in, hoping for the best. Also, I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't have nearly enough mousse. I barely had enough for the first two layers so I had to make another batch at the last minute. The creme brulee insert was easy enough, though I was concerned about it being too frozen when served. Now... a word I never want to hear again for the rest of my life- gavottes. Naive me decided it would be 'fun' to make my own gavottes, since it seemed simple enough- wrong! Oh how those gavottes drove me insane. My first batch of batter appeared to be too thick. I tried to smear it as thin as possible, but after about 10 minutes in the oven, the outsides were black and the centre was stodgy and wet. Since it said that gavottes were oven dried crepes, I thought that my batter must have been too thick. I tried the recipe once more, leaving out some of the flour. FAIL. This did not work. Again, the outsides were black and the centre didn't get crispy. Also, it stuck to the oiled baking sheet horribly. I tried the gavottes a few times more (I was so full of rage by then, I couldn't make any rational decisions... like opting to use rice bubbles instead!). From the several batches I attempted, I was able to salvage about 30g of gavottes to use. I topped them up with lightly crushed Special K. So besides that little set back, the praline feuilette was relatively straightforward. The number one thing with this recipe is that it is incredibly time consuming. I was quite relieved when I finally got to icing the log. It came out easily from the mould and it was relatively smooth, which I was happy about. Icing it however was a nightmare... Since the icing had gelatin in it, it set quite quickly when it hit the frozen log. My first attempt at drizzling it on turned out horribly, so I smoothed it as much as I could, froze it again, and coated it with another batch of icing. It still didn't turn out very smooth but by this point in time I had been making the log for hours, so I pretended that it looked fabulous.

For my French Yule Log, I ended up doing an almond dacquoise biscuit base, dark chocolate ganache insert, dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate praline feuilette, vanilla creme brulee insert and a milk chocolate icing. I decided to dust some gold luster dust over the whole log to give it a bit of a Christmas-y feel and a nice sheen. Unfortunately, in the heat, the condensation mixed with the luster dust and it turned more into a sheen of shimmery water all over the log. I topped the log with some Valrhona crunchy pearls. Overall, it was quite delicious and I am glad I made it. Can't say it will be making an appearance next year though...

FRENCH YULE LOG OR ENTREMETS RECIPE by Flore of Florilège Gourmand

Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper

Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible.

Ingredients:
2.8 oz (3/4cup + 1Tbsp / 80g) almond meal
1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar
2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

1. Finely mix the almond meal and the confectioner's sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds).
2. Sift the flour into the mix.
3. Beat the eggs whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.
4. Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.
5. Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it.
6. Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inches (8mm).
7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven), until golden.
8. Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse

Preparation time: 20mn

Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula

Note: You will see that a Pate a Bombe is mentioned in this recipe. A Pate a Bombe is a term used for egg yolks beaten with a sugar syrup, then aerated. It is the base used for many mousse and buttercream recipes. It makes mousses and buttercreams more stable, particularly if they are to be frozen, so that they do not melt as quickly or collapse under the weight of heavier items such as the crème brulee insert.
In the Vanilla Mousse variation, pastry cream is made to the same effect.
In the Mango Mousse variation, Italian meringue is made to the same effect. Italian meringue is a simple syrup added to egg whites as they are beaten until stiff. It has the same consistency as Swiss meringue (thick and glossy) which we have used before in challenge recipes as a base for buttercream.
The Whipped Cream option contains no gelatin, so beware of how fast it may melt.
Gelatin is the gelifying agent in all of the following recipes, but if you would like to use agar-agar, here are the equivalencies: 8g powdered gelatin = 1 (0.25 oz) envelope powdered gelatin = 1 Tbsp powdered gelatin = 1 Tbsp Agar-Agar.
1 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes is equal to 1 tsp. of agar-agar powder.

Ingredients:
2.5 sheets gelatin or 5g / 1 + 1/4 tsp powdered gelatin
1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp (10g) glucose or thick corn syrup
0.5 oz (15g) water
50g egg yolks (about 3 medium)
6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water. (If using powdered gelatin, follow the directions on the package.)
2. Make a Pate a Bombe: Beat the egg yolks until very light in colour (approximately 5 minutes until almost white).
2a. Cook the sugar, glucose syrup and water on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 244°F (118°C). If you do not have a candy thermometer, test the sugar temperature by dipping the tip of a knife into the syrup then into a bowl of ice water, if it forms a soft ball in the water then you have reached the correct temperature.
2b. Add the sugar syrup to the beaten yolks carefully by pouring it into the mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat the yolks. You can do this by hand but it’s easier to do this with an electric mixer.
2c. Continue beating until cool (approximately 5 minutes). The batter should become thick and foamy.
3. In a double boiler or equivalent, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
4. Whip the remainder of the cream until stiff.
5. Pour the melted chocolate over the softened gelatin, mixing well. Let the gelatin and chocolate cool slightly and then stir in ½ cup (100g) of WHIPPED cream to temper. Add the Pate a Bombe.
6. Add in the rest of the WHIPPED cream (220g) mixing gently with a spatula.

Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert

Preparation time: 10mn

Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have plunging mixer (a vertical hand mixer used to make soups and other liquids), it comes in handy.

Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).
2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.
3. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).
Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or I use an empty bottle of olive oil).

Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. Special note: If you use one of the substitutes for the gavottes, you should halve the quantity stated, as in use 1oz of any of these cereals instead of 2.1oz.
If you want to make your own praline, please refer back to the Daring Baker Challenge Recipe from July 2008.

To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes (lace crepes - recipe by Ferich Mounia):
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
2/3 Tbsp (8g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup – 2tsp (35g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp / 0.5 oz (15g) beaten egg
1 tsp (3.5g) granulated sugar
½ tsp vegetable oil
1. Heat the milk and butter together until butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps.
3. Grease a baking sheet and spread batter thinly over it.
4. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.

Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete:
3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate
1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter
2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline
2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.
3. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper

Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
½ cup (115g) whole milk
4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks
0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

1. Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour.
2. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white).
3. Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.
4. Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center.
Tartelette says: You can bake it without a water bath since it is going to go inside the log (the aesthetics of it won't matter as much since it will be covered with other things)....BUT I would recommend a water bath for the following reasons:
- you will get a much nicer mouth feel when it is done
- you will be able to control its baking point and desired consistency much better
- it bakes for such a long time that I fear it will get overdone without a water bath
Now...since it is baked in a pan and it is sometimes difficult to find another large pan to set it in for a water bath, even a small amount of water in your water bath will help the heat be distributed evenly in the baking process. Even as little as 1 inch will help.
5. Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.

Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25 minutes (10mn if you don’t count softening the gelatin)

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

Note: Because the icing gelifies quickly, you should make it at the last minute.
For other gelatin equivalencies or gelatin to agar-agar equivalencies, look at the notes for the mousse component.

Ingredients:
4g / ½ Tbsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets gelatin
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) water
1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.
2. Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling.
3. Add gelatin to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble your French Yule Log

Depending on whether your mold is going to hold the assembly upside down until you unmold it or right side up, this order will be different.
THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP.
You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop after each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR plastic film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.

You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.
3A) Pipe one third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.
4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
5A) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.
9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight eidge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

OR

2B) Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.
3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
4B) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.
8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
9B) Close with the Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is:
1) Dacquoise
2) Mousse
3) Creme Brulee Insert
4) Mousse
5) Praline/Crisp Insert
6) Mousse
7) Ganache Insert
8) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is:
1) Mousse
2) Creme Brulee Insert
3) Mousse
4) Praline/Crisp Insert
5) Mousse
6) Ganache Insert
7) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly RIGHT SIDE UP in a springform pan the order is:
1) Dacquoise
2) Ganache Insert
3) Mousse
4) Praline/Crisp Insert
5) Mousse
6) Creme Brulee Insert
7) Mousse
8 OPTIONAL) Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY...
Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.
Cover the cake with the icing.
Let set. Return to the freezer.
You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...
Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T21:58:00.010+10:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone for another year... time is really flying. I absolutely love Christmas. It's such a happy time of year... though somewhat stressful! This year was S and I's debut, hosting our first Christmas. Now, I may be giving us more credit than we deserve since it was just a very small Christmas- us and both of our mums. Well, it's a start isn't it?

In hindsight, we went completely over the top just for four people. We had (and still have) so much food it's not funny. Let me just say, I had four desserts lined up for the day... I know, I'm crazy! I suppose I was just so set on having a variety of different foods, which is easy to do when catering for large numbers. By the end of the night, we were all completely stuffed. The bad type of being so stuffed you just don't know if you can continue to breathe without rupturing your stomach.

I am so glad we had the chance to host Christmas though. I would definitely be up for it again, though now I have learned a few things for next time. S and I alternate each Christmas between our families- this year being my families turn (though really it turned out to be with both of our families in a way). Next year I really hope we can get a bigger crowd together. Oh and also a Christmas tree!

Christmas Day 2008

Mini caramelised onion and goats cheese tarts.
I make sour cream pastry shells for these, which is just delicious. I could seriously live off these tarts for the rest of my life.

Home made bread rolls with Lescure sea salt flake butter.
Unfortunately we didn't end up eating these because they just weren't right. My bad.

Goose with pear and cranberry stuffing.
Since watching Heston Blumenthal's Christmas special on TV, S was absolutely set on making goose this year- a very uncommon meat in Australia. I have to say that it was quite delicious, even though I am not a huge fan of gamey meats.

Goose leg with garlic string beans, maple roasted parsnips, roast potatoes and goose gravy.

Absolutely perfect roast potatoes.
My god these were delicious! I like to think of myself as a bit of a potato connoisseur. Though, if you have high cholesterol, give these a miss. They were cooked in a dish of goose fat!

Washed down with a bottle of champagne.

Trifle.

S and I came up with this trifle recipe together. I made lady finger biscuits for the base, which we broke into small pieces and tossed with a sugar syrup mixed with Pedro Ximenez sherry. Next we had a layer of home made raspberry jelly I made from raspberry compote and gelatin sheets. Then we put strawberries around the sides of the glass and filled the middle with a mixture of blueberries, boysenberries and blackberries. This was topped with home made vanilla bean custard. For texture, we placed a circle of crispy puff pastry on the custard and topped it with a mascarpone mousse. Finally we dusted on some cocoa powder and stuck in a lady finger.

Home made chocolate truffles.
I had issues with the ganache, but in the end they turned out nicely. I will be making home made truffles more often from now on. I rolled some plain dark chocolate truffles in pistachios and some in hazelnuts. The last truffle is dark chocolate with Cointreau, and I dusted these in Valrhona cocoa powder.

My first Christmas pudding with home made vanilla bean custard.

8 hours cooking time in total seemed excessive to me, but the end result is worth it. This pudding is so deliciously rich it scares me.

Tuesdays With Dorie 23: Buttery Jam Cookies

2008-12-16T18:32:00.003+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. I know they have the words 'buttery' and 'jam' in their name, but to be honest, they were neither of these! I really enjoyed them, but found the name of the cookie misleading. I was expecting something quite crispy, with a meltingly delicious butteryness to them. I also thought the jam would be a more prominent flavour.

I think these cookies would be perfect for afternoon tea- they are almost like little tea cakes, texture wise. They aren't too sweet or to flavoursome- I could get really carried away eating too many of them before I knew it. Lookswise, they are quite bland. They need an extra something to make them look more appetising. Once I had beaten the jam (I used raspberry) into the batter, I could tell the flavour would be very subtle, so I swirled a big dollop of raspberry jam through the batter with a knife at the very end. Next time I might swirl in a bit more jam so that the cookies have a nice jam ripple through them.

Overall, I did like these cookies and I will be making them again with different flavours. My biggest concern in using other jams is that the cookie takes on the colour very easily. I know some have mentioned that they used blackberry jam and were left with grey coloured cookies. They would look really cute stored in a glass jar, as when they bake, they form little domes that look like soft pillows.

Have a look at the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie gang for more flavour inspirations!

Tuesdays With Dorie 22: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

2008-12-09T19:31:00.003+10:00

I know the sugar cookie is a classic American cookie, but to be honest, here in Australia it isn't very prominent. I'd like to think that we all know what a sugar cookie is though. This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Ulrike of Kuchenlatein; perfect for the Christmas season.

Of course I had all these grand plans of making batches of home made goods for family and friends, but I'm running a bit behind. I know it isn't too late to start now, but I just feel so frazzled about everything that needs to be done for Christmas that I don't know where to start! For instance, today I went searching for a Santa cookie cutter, but do you think I could find one? I thought it was a common shape. Anyway, my current cookie cutter collection only consists of a star, a christmas tree, a flower (see previous post about Linzer Sables) and various sizes of hearts. You can probably tell that I don't do cut out cookies very often. But there is something about the Christmas season that calls for decorated cookies.

For this batch of sugar cookies, I decided to go with a simple heart shape, decorated with plain sugar and also cinnamon sugar. I wasn't too sure if sugar cookies were meant to be really crispy, or slightly chewy. Mine were slightly chewy, but I think i'll cook them a little longer next time to get more of a crispy texture that won't go too soft once iced. It was good to trial the recipe before I start baking them for Christmas though.

A Birthday Treat For S...

2008-12-05T17:40:00.004+10:00

The funny thing about S, is that each time I bake something, he declares it his new favourite treat. It doesn't matter whether it's an elaborate cake or a simple cookie, it always seems to outshine the last in his eyes. For his birthday last month, I had all intentions of baking him this spectacular looking birthday cake he had chosen months ago. Unfortunate for S, his birthday falls in exam block every year. Even more unfortunate this year, his birthday fell on an exam day... at 8am! So a combination of the fact we were both in exams, we left for our holiday the day after exams finished, I had 3 Tuesdays with Dorie recipes to bake and also a Daring Bakers one... well, needless to say his birthday cake kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list of things to do.

Now, I can hear little gasps of horror. Of course I didn't let the poor thing go without! I managed to make him miniature versions of his all time favourite dessert (note above paragraph). When I hear S exclaim he has a new favourite treat, I always know that he means a second favourite treat. If faced with the (horrifying) decision of choosing one dessert to eat for the rest of his life, I'm sure S wouldn't hesitate.

Unfortunate for me, the process of making lemon meringue tart is extremely long, yet S always requests it in a 'surely you can just whip one up' tone. Happy Birthday S.

Tuesdays With Dorie 21: Linzer Sables

2008-12-02T19:31:00.003+10:00

Noskos of Living the Life chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, and I'm so glad! After the cookie onslaught a few months ago, I was quite sick of baking them, but it was great to get into it again- especially with Christmas around the corner.

I've always known what a linzer sable was, but I don't think I have ever tasted one. Cookies sandwiched with jam sounded very promising though. I actually only got back from my holiday yesterday and one of the first things I did (even before unpacking) was make my linzer sables! After 3 weeks of not baking, I was starting to feel the itch. Now, I didn't have a linzer cookie cutter, so we quickly rushed to the shops before they closed to buy one. Once I got there, there were 2 cookie cutters that were quite similar and I got confused which one it was. As it were, I chose the wrong one! Now I think about it, it is quite obviously a flower! My cookie cutter had 6 petals whereas the linzer one had 7. I still think they turned out cute though and funnily enough, I don't have a flower cookie cutter so I'm sure it will come in handy.

My first batch got terribly burnt! I didn't even forget about them or anything... my dough must have been rolled thinner than Dorie recommended. All the proceeding batches cooked in 9-10 minutes. I'm a bit unsure on whether I like the texture of the sable. I guess I'll have to eat another one just to make sure...

Tuesdays With Dorie 20: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

2008-11-25T10:16:00.003+10:00

What the?

That was my initial reaction when I found out this weeks recipe! Of course I know what Thanksgiving is, but what is a twofer pie? To be honest I'm still not 100% sure... Just a pumpkin pie with pecans? I know that pecan pie and pumpkin pie are quite popular for Thanksgiving, so maybe someone created this super pie by combing the two? Anyway, thanks to Vibi of La casserole carree for choosing this recipe; both for its relevance to the current season and also for expanding my knowledge!

Pretty much this pie turned out to be a disaster for me. I am currently on a 3 week holiday, so before I left, I was rushing around baking like a mad woman. Unfortunately I didn't get to time to complete Daring Bakers which is a shame. I managed to do all the upcoming Tuesdays with Dorie (plus a birthday treat for S- more to come on that later), so overall I was pretty impressed with myself as I had also just finished exams and was also packing for the trip! I decided to post this weeks recipe anyway, even though it is quite an eyesore... I can't stand to miss a week. I'm not even sure what a twofer pie is supposed to look like, but I assume it's nothing like mine turned out! I was even so pressed for time that I half baked the pie and finished off baking it later that night (don't think that was a very good idea...). S also had to take the photos at about midnight, so there wasn't any light. Luckily for him, I've bought him a flash for his birthday!

I am in a bit of a rush this morning, so you'll just have to trust me that it was a nightmare to make! Don't forget to check out the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie gang.

Tuesdays With Dorie 19: Arborio Rice Pudding (Black and White)

2008-11-18T12:22:00.004+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Isabelle of Les gourmandises d'Isa, and what a great week it was! I have always thought I didn't like rice pudding, but it turns out I do! The rice puddings I have eaten before have usually been hot ones, but I really loved eating this cold. It reminded me of those Le Rice puddings I used to eat when I was little.

I found I had to cook the pudding for quite a bit longer than Dorie suggested in order to thicken it. Then, since I had decided to do half chocolate and half vanilla, I divided the pudding between two bowls. Unfortunately I wasn't paying much attention and the first bowl had most of the liquid in it, while the second just had rice with no liquid. Hence one of my puddings (the vanilla) turned out quite liquidy, while the chocolate was quite stodgy! Lesson learnt and I look forward to trying this recipe again. Next time I think I will use vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract though. I found the chocolate one quite rich too so I might even reduced the amount of chocolate next time.

Don't forget to have a look at the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie gang!

Tuesdays With Dorie 18: Kugelhopf

2008-11-11T23:31:00.003+10:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Yolanda of The All-purpose Girl, so don't forget to check out her blog for the recipe.

I'll start by saying that this recipe was a real pain! From what I have read on the Tuesdays with Dorie blog, a lot of people had trouble with it- including myself. I actually ended up making this twice because I really wasn't satisfied with the first one; it didn't rise at all, didn't really pick up the shape of the mould and was almost black on the outside! Poor S was freaking out a bit because I left the baking part all up to him. I had to go to work and left him detailed instructions on what to do, including the time he had to do them. Of course you would all know that time is really just a reference in baking since there are so many factors that can affect it. Anyway it really wasn't S's fault- I blame the overnight rest in the fridge. The next morning when I took the dough out, it was extremely firm (but had been almost runny the day before), making it difficult to fill the mould with it. The dough also didn't rise enough, due to being so cold straight out of the fridge. I told S to let it rise for 2-3 hours but of course, you really need to see it to know when it was ready, which I couldn't do being at work and all. So consequently, my first Kugelhopf was quite stubby.

After the first disaster I was determined to try it again with some modifications. Instead of resting the dough in the fridge for 2 hours (deflating it every half hour), I probably only left it in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes, deflating it once. Then I put it into the mould and let it rise near the warm oven for about 2 hours. By this time it was extremely puffy and had risen almost to the top of the mould. S told me that when he did it, it did not rise that high, so I felt I had started on a high note. Well, everything went so smoothly and the Kugelhopf turned out perfect! Needless to say I was extremely relieved because I really didn't feel like making it again (and I only made it this morning so I was pressed for time). The Kugelhopf is only slightly sweet, but it is delicious. It is unbelievably soft. I used raisins as Dorie suggested, which add a touch more sweetness.

Unfortunately the cake doesn't last long as it dries out quickly- but I am looking forward to eating this toasted with jam for breakfast tomorrow. Don't forget to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie crew. Oh, forgot to mention that I bought a Kugelhopf tin especially for today's post!

Tuesdays With Dorie 17: Rugelach

2008-11-06T21:54:00.004+10:00

Well, here's my Tuesdays with Dorie post... finally! I feel really guilty about not posting on time, but life has been hectic, and don't get me started on the weather! Thanks to Piggy of Piggy's Cooking Journal for choosing this weeks recipe.

I had seen the picture of these in Baking: from my home to yours, but I could never quite figure out what they were- except that they looked like little croissants! That's what I love about this book; I keep learning about all these bakery goods I never knew existed. I had so much fun making these too. Dorie recommends quite a bit of chocolate in the recipe, but I probably almost halved it as I could just picture these melted pools of chocolate sitting on my baking tray. I'm glad I did too because it was just the right amount of chocolate for me. I was also sparing with the jam for the same reasons. I know it seems like I reduced everything, but I would actually increase the amount of pecans next time. These are the types of cookies you always want to have in your freezer for unexpected guests.

I am also eager to try these with different fillings, including savoury ones! I've already thought up a bunch of ideas. They would be great as finger food for a party; make them ahead of time and freeze them, then all you need to do is bake them as you need. I'm thinking of making these for Christmas this year as to me, they were quite reminiscent of fruit mince pies... (kind of).

Tuesdays With Dorie...

2008-11-05T16:37:00.002+10:00

I just wanted to say that I did do this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie challenge. Unfortunately it has been so rainy and dreary here, it would be impossible to take any photos... damn rainy season. Anyway, I plan to have my post up in the next couple of days hopefully, but definitely before next Tuesday. I'm not too sure the Rugelach will last long enough for the photos though... S will be happy if I have to make more.

Tuesdays With Dorie 16: Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

2008-10-28T18:31:00.003+10:00

Chocolate-Chocolate cupcakes? A fantastic choice of recipe by Clara of I Heart Food 4 Thought. I suppose you're thinking 'chocolate cupcakes? boring!', but it's such a perfect morsel to eat. I love a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate frosting- no fancy mixes of flavours; just pure chocolatey goodness. I'm one of those people who never find a chocolate cake too rich- not that this cupcake was rich, it was actually quite light with a fine crumb. I didn't have very high expectations for this cupcake recipe as I had read a lot of bad reviews on it. Maybe it's got something to do with being on the other side of the world, but this recipe worked for me- in a big way. S was over the moon with the results. He has even gone as far as to say that this is the best cupcake he has ever eaten. While I'm not sure I agree with him, it is delicious.

This cupcake recipe called for a ganache style topping, which is something I don't really ever use. I am an Italian buttercream girl through and through (though I have been having trouble with it lately?). I do think that this topping (melted chocolate, butter and icing sugar) works well with the cupcake- nice and simple. Some people said their cupcakes turned out really dry, so I kept a close eye on my cupcakes while they were baking. I can't be certain, but I think I took them out about 5-8 minutes earlier than Dorie recommends. I suppose it depends on so many factors: oven temperature differences, how much you fill up the case, how much your flour absorbs liquids... I'm quite relieved mine turned out so well on the first go. The recipe made 12 cupcakes exactly and I froze 6 (with topping on), so I will be VERY interested to see how that goes. I am aprehensive, but Dorie said it was fine so I guess we will see. One thing I found is that the cupcake does dry out quite quickly- they are definitely best eaten on the day they are made (didn't stop S though did it?).

When I first started Tuesdays with Dorie, I could never wait until it was time to bake the next recipe. These days it's hard to find the time! I'm going on holidays soon so i'll be baking like mad in the next week or so, so that I can still post on Tuesdays while I'm away.

Don't forget to check out all the other Tuesdays with Dorie posts!

Tuesdays With Dorie 15: Pumpkin Muffins

2008-10-21T11:00:00.003+10:00

Even though I love pumpkin scones, I was completely uninterested in this weeks recipe. I had it in my mind that they were going to be too 'healthy' tasting to be nice. How wrong I was! This is probably one of my favourite recipes yet from Baking: from my home to yours.

To me, the pecans took it to that next level. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much without them. Instead of golden raisins, I just used normal ones as that's all I had. In Australia, it doesn't seem we have canned pumpkin puree. I looked at both of our major supermarkets and found nothing. We pretty much have everything else under the sun canned, but not pumpkin! I was actually surprised at some of the things available. The only reason I went looking for the canned pumpkin, is that I liked to stick as close to the original recipe as possible. I know Dorie encourages us to 'play around' but I always like to make the original recipe first, then tweak it the next time. In the end, I just made my own pumpkin puree. I don't think it was as smooth as the kind you could get in a tin, but it really didn't make a difference. I expected my muffins to not have quite as orange a colour as those made with the tinned pumpkin variety, but mine came out so very yellow/orange.

I only made a half batch because since there is only two of us, the muffins would be stale before we got to eat them all. In hindesight, I think I could have made the whole batch because these muffins are so moist (from the addition of the pumpkin). I was really surprised at how moist they were- so I could see these muffins lasting a few days really. I'm not a big breakfast person, but I could happily eat one of these everyday for breakfast and be very happy. I think that because they are pumpkin muffins, I assume they are healthier... they are relatively healthy compared to other baked goods I guess. I would love it if the recipes had all the nutritional information and kilojoule content included.

Anyway, I will definitely be making these again- on a frequent basis actually! A really big thanks to Kelly of Sounding my Barbaric Gulp- I probably would never have baked these otherwise. Also check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie members too.