Tag: Dessert

Pasteis de Nata

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in other words. Portuguese custard tarts. (: Yes! I tried making them again using another recipe (: hehe This time I had to cook the custard to make it thicker before filling the tarts up. I prefer this one as compared to the other. But this one doesn’t seem to caramelise the top as much so I cheated and used a blow torch! haha

The only thing I wasn’t able to do is to keep the pastry crispy long enough. After a few days in an air tight container, the tart goes all soft! So the only solution : finish all of them up within 2 days! haha

This recipe used puff pastry like I did before, and I still do prefer using puff pastry. I think it makes the tarts taste nicer. All the buttery goodness (:

so here’s the recipe! Let me know which you prefer!

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Chocolate Macarons with Chilli Chocolate Ganache ♥

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Macarons has always been my down fall. haha I’ve tried twice but failed twice, miserably. I didn’t have the courage to try it again. But after talking to Clara and Felicia, I decided to give it one more shot! (:

SUCCESS!

I got the “feet” that I’ve been waiting for! (: WHEEEEE! I was super happy and even happier that I got it though I baked it at 9pm at night! haha. Thanks again Clara for sharing with me your recipe! (:

But as it’s Clara’s recipe, I won’t be posting the recipe but will let you feast on some photos!

I bought myself a new present : an Silpat mat! (: I was a happy girl hehe

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Portuguese Egg Tarts ; Baby’s Favourite

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Been watching the Gem of Life, a Hong Kong tv serial and they started talking about egg tarts. Although what they had are birds’ nest egg tarts, and of course I can’t afford getting birds’ nest here. haha I decided to do baby’s favourite – Portuguese egg tarts ! (:

who could resist this hot custard tart with a caramelised top ? I have been wanting to make these for the longest time. The last time I had a really good tart was at KFC in Guangzhou. hehe Sadly, mine didn’t turn out the same way. But I will be doing alot of trail and error to try and get it as close as possible! hehe

When I decided to make these tarts, I went around looking for a recipe and found one on Rasa Malaysia. They used pie crust as their tart base, but I decided to use puff pastry instead cause I wanted the buttery and flaky texture of the tart. It’s a pity my aluminium tart mould is too shallow, the amount of custard that could fill the tarts wasn’t enough! hehe so will try and find moulds that are slightly deeper (:

alrightie. Enough talking! Here’s the recipe of the egg tarts I’ve made! Hope you will enjoy it as much we did!

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Tiramisu

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at a house warming, what kind of dessert would you serve a whole group of very good friends?

of course something everyone would enjoy and something you know your guest would enjoy.

at my own mini house warming. I decided to make tiramisu.

not a sophisticated dessert, but what’s better than the combination of coffee, kahlua and mascarpone?

NOTHING!

haha no I kid. I’m sure there are other combinations that might just be better than this. but for that night, I think that would be a perfect combination for a after burger dessert. (: Not just any burger. It’s baby’s special burger stuffed with cheese!

I learnt this yummy dessert from Vanessa (thanks for the recipe though I know you’ve got to attend to something more urgent, hope you’re doing okay) at a cooking class I attended a couple of years ago. and to me, this recipe is simple and the result is better than those store bought ones! But because it’s her recipe, I won’t be posting the recipe on my blog. Sorry about that!

I’m glad that everyone enjoyed the dessert as well as the burgers! (: Thanks for coming everyone! It’s a pity we didn’t take pictures of that night as well as more food pictures. I shall attempt to steal some photos from Queenie haha.

and just for Cheok and my baby at home, I made a secret second one in the fridge! haha Just in case we have those sugar cravings through the week!

want a bite ? hehe

A Cupcake That Brings Back Memories

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What is your favourite snack when you were little?

I had many : sweets, chocolates, cookies, ice cream, jellies, chocolate, sweets, cookies. haha

but one of my favourites and also one that I still love now (but keeping it in control) is the oreo cookie! (:

so how do you eat your oreo?

Do you…

1) Twist it gently, lick off the cream and enjoy the chocolate cookie after

2) Dip into cold milk and allow it to soften 9doesnt take long!) and put it in your mouth, allowing it to dissolve slowly.

3) Just throw it in whole!

Well. I’m a number two! haha my favourite is dipping it in cold milk. Absolutely divine. hehe

the only way I will have my oreo whole. haha (: love it!

but I decided to do something else with the oreo cookie today

Decided to use it to make cupcakes!

I searched and searched and chance upon this blog that had the most yummy looking cupcake so I decided to use her recipe. Thanks Lucy!

just so happen I broke it and left the whole word there! (: love it!

I had alot of fun crushing the oreos. it was kinda therapeutic! hehe and I used more than what the recipe asked for. Just cause. (:

so here’s the recipe!

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chocolate salted-caramel mini cupcakes

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I promised myself that once all the school madness is over.
I will bake something to unwind (:
and I did! hehe
been wanted to try this recipe for ages.
and i did.
mine didn’t turn out as yummy as I thought it would be.
though it looks pretty haha.

i think the icing just taste of butter, sadly.
and my salted caramel didn’t stay in the middle of the cupcake.
it got absorbed by the cupcake for some reason
maybe it was too thin haha.

ah wells. (:
it’s still quite good.
baby said he likes it.
hopefully it taste better when it’s been put in the fridge!

so here’s the recipe!
(adapted from Bake or Break)

Cupcake

1 1/2 cups of plain flour
3/4 cups dutch cocoa
1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup warm water

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 350° (175 C°).
Line mini muffin pans with paper liners.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and water. Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix until smooth.

3. Fill muffin pans about 2/3 full.
Bake about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to wire racks to let cool completely.

4. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.

Salted-Caramel Filling

2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1tbs light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tsp sea salt

Steps :

1. Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high heat.
Stir occasionally until syrup is clear. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan.
Stop stirring, and cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed.

2. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and temperature just reaches 360°.

3. Remove from heat. Slowly pour in cream and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in sea salt. Use immediately. If caramel begins to harden, reheat gently until pourable.

4. Use a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece, about 1/2-inch deep, from the center of each cupcake.
Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of warm filling into each cupcake. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.



Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 & 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Steps :

1. Combine cocoa and boiling water. Stir until cocoa has dissolved.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar,
and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate.
Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture.

3. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month.
Bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.

4. Fit a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip (Wilton #18).
Fill pastry bag with frosting. Pipe onto cupcakes, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak.
Garnish with a pinch of sea salt.

5. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted.
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

i think it’s the prettiest I’ve made.
just wish it was yummier and made me go WOW. haha
but it was still good! (:

Pavlova : First Attempt !

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Instead on working on my thesis
(which i really should haha just so tired of it)
I decided t try making a pavlova
which baby has been craving for.
so it’s a win-win. kinda. hehe.

found a recipe on Joy of Baking and it looks really good! hehe
so I decided to give it a shot.
well. it didn’t turn out as well as I hoped for.
it was flat. haha
and not high and thick like how it looked on the website.
but it still tasted pretty good i must say
baby had 2 servings! haha
so it must not be that bad. hehe

the center was chewy and it was crispy on the outside.
just like how a pavlova is suppose to be.
now I just need to try and get it to be thick and not spread out after being placed on the parchment paper.
any hints or suggestions?
would love to hear from your past experiences!

so here’s the recipe.
hopefully, the next time I try it
would be better! hehe

ingredients :

Meringue Cake
120g egg whites (from 4 eggs)
100 grams of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of corn starch

Topping
240ml thickened cream
1 1/2 tablespoon of caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Fresh fruit of our choice (I used mango and passionfruit)

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment,
beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks.
Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.
(Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger.
The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty.
If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers).
Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in.

3. Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper,
smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center.
(You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)

4. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color.
Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven.
(The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed,
but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)

5. Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate.
Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form.
Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue.

6. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream.
Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

ENJOY!

Japanese Cheesecake

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Saw this on Maria’s blog a while ago
and I have been wanting to make this for the longest time (:
and since I wanted to take a break from the typing of essays. haha.
(rather. just wanted to slack off a little)
I decided to bake it!
and I’m so glad I did. it turned out pretty good besides the cake sinking in a little.
but it still remained fluffy and light!

My mum use to get these on weekends when i was young
cause it was a family favourite! haha
I guess now we don’t have to buy it anymore.
I can bake for them to enjoy! (:
SUPER awesome!

so if you’re craving for cheesecake
but want to have it kinda guilt free (without the buttery base)
give this a try! I think it’s something everyone would like!


Ingredients :

7 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, seperated
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Boiling water

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius and spray a 9-inch cake tin with cooking oil spray.

2. Beat cream cheese with milk to soften.
Add half of the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice.
Beat till smooth.

3. Beat egg whites in a seperate bowl until foamy.
Gradually add remaining sugar and cream of tartar,
beating on high speed until soft peaks form.
(About 8-10mins)

4.Gradually fold beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently.

5. Pour into the cake pan and smooth the surface.
Place the cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place in lower rack of oven.
Pour enough water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the cake pan.

6. Bake for 35-40mins, until a pick inserted in the middle of the center comes out clean.

can you see the wrinkles? haha
the cake sunk in a little. oopsie.

but still nice and fluffy and light on the inside! (:

i couldn’t stop at one slice. haha i needed to have 2!

YUMMY! (:

jelly hearts ♥

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♥  on a plate. made with love.

I’ve made these a few times now.
but Baby never had a chance to try them
cos I made them last year when we were a million km away from each other. hehe
so i decided to make some for him to try!
and since I bought strawberries from our visit to Costco that day.
it was the perfect timing to make it! (:

see the HUGE box of Philly cream cheese and the HUGE block of unsalted butter?
I got them at Costco! hehe
I LOVE THE PLACE!
cos it’s buying in bulk and buying them at a cheaper price!
and the strawberries were cheap and super sweet.
just awesome (:


(pic stolen from Peggy’s album haha sorry babe!)

see the block of butter in comparison to Peggy’s face?
haha. SUPER huge right?
yes. I wasn’t overemphasizing the HUGE at all. haha

the cream cheese and the butter were bigger than the box of digestives for the first time!

now that I got the “logistics” explained. haha
here is the recipe so you all can enjoy!

Ingredients :

Base
320g digestive biscuits
160g melted butter

Filling
250g cream cheese
2 1/4 tsp gelatine powder
70g sugar
150ml hot water
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
20 medium sized strawberries

Topping (Jelly)
1 packet (170g) strawberry flavoured Jell’o
1 1/2 cups hot watr
1 1/2 cold water

Steps :

Base

1. Crush biscuits and stir in melted butter
2. Divide and press onto the base of the try. Chill for 15mins or until needed.

3. Prick base with the back of a skewer (I used a fork) before pouring in the filling.

Filling

1. Using a small heart shaped cutter (1″) and cut hearts out of the strawberry halves.
Place on a plate lined with paper towel.


(and don’t worry. the left over strawberries are not wasted! you can use it in your smoothies!)

2. Place gelatine and sugar in a bowl.
Pour boiling water over and stir until gelatine has dissolved.
If it doesn’t dissolve completely, place this bowl over a bigger bowl filled with boiling hot water.

3. Cream the cream cheese and vanilla essence together.
Add the gelatine syrup gradually and cream until smooth.
Pour into tray(s).

4. Place 20 hearts on each try, partially submerged in the cheese.
(I refrigerate the cream cheese for 15 mins before submerging the strawberries.
Just so they don’t sink in all the way).
Refrigerate until firm about 2 hours.

Topping

1. Dissolve Jell’O in boiling water. Add cold water and stir well.

2. Cool completely before pouring over the cheese filling.
(Try and pour really slowly and over the strawberries instead of the cheese so that the jelly stays clear)

3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

a row of ♥s. (:

we have a bit to last us for the week!

Baby’s verdict : it’s damn good la! haha. WHEEEE!

Apple Crumble

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Made apple crumble for the first time today. and I am really happy with how it turned out! (:
I have always been buying apple crumble from thie yoghurt stall in QV
but the price for the amount I get is actually quite little! so i decided to go look for a good recipe.
It’s not the same as the other crumbles you might have tried.
This one has rolled oats in it. so there is a bit more bite to it than usual.
and we absolutely loved it!

the crumble is nice and dry.
not soggy at all! (: hehe so I really really like it!
being a crumble fan and all.

so here is the recipe! (:
hope you all will enjoy it too!

(Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Website)

Ingredients :

For the crumble:
35g rolled oats
35g wholemeal flour (I used 55g cause my crumble felt a bit too wet)
20g caster sugar (I used brown sugar)
35g margarine or butter

For the filling:
400g cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered (I used Granny Smith apples)
50g sugar, to sweeten (I used brown sugar)
1 tablespoon water

Steps :

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
Peel and core the apples, quarter and cut in to chunks.

2. Put the apples in to a pan with the sugar and water.
Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes and place in a small oven proof dish.

3. Place the flour and oats in a bowl and mix well.
Cut the margarine or butter in to small cubes and add this to the oats and flour.
Mix with your fingertips until it resembles an even crumb texture. Add the sugar and mix through.

4. Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the crumble is golden and the apple hot.

Can’t get enough! (: