Month: July 2011

Bandung Macarons

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For those of you who are not familiar with the flavour bandung, it’s basically a drink that consists of rose syrup and carnation milk! How delicious does that sound? Imagine that in a macaron – a whole mouthful or two of yumminous. Like a mini explosion in your mouth!

I have been in a baking macaron frenzy lately. And I am addicted to using the Italian meringue method. The macarons just turn out much smoother and shinier. And I just wanted to create a flavour that I miss and love. One flavour came to my mind : bandung. I love ordering this drink while eating prata. Just one of the best combinations besides teh cino. haha Maybe that would be my next flavour. hmm..

okie back to this macaron post! I wanted to also create a storng intense rose flavour when you bite into the macaron. So my solution is to make an intense rose syrup jelly to put in the middle! The deep red against the pink macaron shell and faint pink buttercream was a really good contrast! (: I was a happy girl. hehe

So it is basically a rose macaron shell filled with a rose syrup and carnation milk buttercream with a rose syrup jelly! One bite and you can really taste the rose. Not so much the carnation milk which I was hoping it would. Well, we always need to improve don’t we? But still yummy and everyone loved it!

so here’s the recipe of my bandung macaron. Have a go! Especially if you miss having bandung like me!

Rose Macaron (A Pierre Herme’s recipe from The Boy Who Bakes)

300g Ground Almonds

300g Icing Sugar

110g Egg Whites, aged

5g Red Food Colouring

300g Granulated Sugar

75g Water

110 Egg Whites, aged

Steps :

1. For the TPT : Mix the almond meal and the powdered sugar and put it int a blender to make the mixture finer. Sieve the almond mixture to make sure there are no big bits or lumps.

2. Place the egg white in a clean mixing bowl, add in the red food coloring then stir to mix. Add the almond flour mixture, using a rubber spatula, and fold until it forms into a sticky ball, cover with food wrap, set aside.

3. For the Italian merigue : Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan and swirl together. Add the second portion of egg whites to a mixer fitted with the whisk. Cook the syrup to 118C. Once the mixture reaches 115C start the mixer on high. Once the syrup reaches 118C take straight of the heat and pour in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl continuing to whisk on high.

3. Continue to whisk the meringue on high until the side of the bowl is no longer hot. You still want it a little warm, around 50C. Add the meringue to the bowl with the almond sugar mixture in 3 portions.

4. Using a large spatula fold the mixture together until it starts to shine and forms a ribbon that stays visible for about 30 seconds.

5. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe the batter from the center of the drawn circle onto the baking sheets. Let dry at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to allow skins to form. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F/150°C, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

6. Once the batter is dry to the touch, place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to cool on the cooling rack. Once cooled, slide a knife (fragile, must be careful) underneath the macarons to remove from the parchment paper.

Rose Syrup Jelly

3 tbs gelatine

75g rose syrup

250ml water

Steps :

1. Place 3 tbsn. cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit while you do the next step.

2. Mix the rose syrup with the water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a container that is wide enough so that the liquid will be spread thinly (1/2 cm). Allow it to chill in fridge for at least 3 hours or until you need to use it.

 Bandung Buttercream

200g sugar

75g water

150g eggs

90g egg yolks

400g butter, softened

4g rose water

30g rose syrup

20g carnation milk

Steps :

1. Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and cook over medium heat to 120C. Whilst the syrup is coming to temperature add the eggs and egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk and whisk until the thicken and lighten in colour.

2. With the mixer still on slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl and continue to whisk until cooled.

3. Switch to the beater, begin to beat in the butter at medium/high speed one or two pieces at a time. Once all the butter is beaten in and the buttercream is smooth beat in the rose syrup, carnation milk and rose water.

4. Pair two macaron shells of the same size together, pipe the rose buttercream on the flat side of one of the shell and top with a small piece of rose syrup jelly, then sandwich them.

PS : if you are making this in winter, don’t panic if your buttercream looks like scrambled eggs, heat it over a water bath and continue to beat it until it becomes smooth!

So what is your favourite drink that you think could be made into a macaron?  (:

Fish Roulade

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On our recent trip to Costco, we found a good deal on fish! It’s $4 a kilo and sold in a 3kg box! (:

I know it seems a little crazy haha. But you see, we try to maximise our marketing money. So we tend to get the cheapest cut of meat which usually ends up being mince pork. haha So seafood is usually a rare treat! And since the mr needs to cut weight before his competition this Saturday, fish was a really good idea for our meals this week.

So one of the first things I decided to try was to do my own version of fish roulade! But just the simplest of roulades. haha Not sure if it should even be called that. I was trying to make it as healthy as possible. But I couldn’t resist putting a small slice of bacon, to add more flavour. Oops. haha

The subtle flavour of the fish, with the richness of the bacon and the texture of the crispy-ness of the fish was just perfect. Everything just went well with a side of salad and bread sticks covered with homemade eggplant dip! (:

healthy (most of it is! haha) and quick to cook ! You can have it from the oven to your plate in 20 mins ! Give it a try, and gain the goodness of eating fish too!

Fish Roulade (Makes 2)

2 slices of basa fillets

2 slices of streaky bacon

3 tbs bread crumbs

2 tbs dried herbs

2 tbs parmesan

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 small cubes of chilled butter

Salad, to serve

Avocado, slices (optional)

Steps :

1. Mix the bread crumbs, herbs, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl and set a side.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Place a slice of bacon on top of the fish fillet and roll it tight. Do the same for the other fish fillet.

3. Roll the fish in the bread crumbs mixture. Place it on a roasting rack and place a cube of butter on each roulade.

4. Bake the fish roulade for 20 mins. Slice it into half diagonally and serve with the salad.

A quick and easy meal is served! ENJOY! (:

For The Love Of Mushrooms

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The Mr and I are mushroom lovers. But when you live with a housemate who doesn’t eat mushrooms, we don’t get to eat it much. Until he heads home for his winter/summer breaks, do we get to have mushrooms. And we have HEAPS. haha

One of my favourite ways to have mushrooms is baking them, especially the huge portobello mushies. Don’t you love them too? Stuff them with bacon and top them with cheese. The juiciness of the mushroom, the saltiness of the stuffing and topping has just one word to describe it – AWESOME .

Really. Try it. You won’t regret it (:

Stuffed Portobello Mushies

2 Portobello Mushrooms

1 slice of bacon, cute into small pieces

1/2 big onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, baked in the oven for 20 mins and mashed with a fork

2 tbs breadcrumbs

1 tbs tomato paste

2 tsp chopped parsley

25g butter

Cheddar cheese, enough to top the mushies (I like to have more ! haha)

salt and pepper, to taste

Steps :

1) Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celcius. Heat a non-stick pan, add the onion and bacon. fry till soft and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and fry till well combined.

2) Pour into a bowl, mix with the bread crumbs, garlic and parsley.

3) Put stuffing into the mushrooms and make sure you pack in well. Top with the cheese and bake for 10-15mins.

Eat it while it’s hot! (:

Homemade Garlic Bread

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Do you love garlic bread? Do you often find yourself walking the aisle where the garlic bread is and cannot resist getting a loaf when you see it? Especially when it’s on sale? Or when you order pizza, you would not miss ordering garlic bread?

Then you are exactly like me! (: If you love it so much, why not make it? So let’s go!

Homemade Garlic Bread

3 handfuls parsley, chopped

50g butter, melted

pinch of salt

whole bulb of garlic

3 tbs parmesan

A loaf of baguette, sliced 1-inch thick

Steps :

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius. Bake the whole bulb of garlic for 20 mins.

2. Remove the garlic from the skin and mash it with a fork. Mix the garlic, parsely, melted butter, salt and parmesan in a bowl until well combined.

2. Spread it on the bread and bake for 10-15mins.

ENJOYYYY!

ps : I’m very sure you will.

pss : I’m very sure you will always make this and not buy store bought ones anymore! (: