tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49123040863982650282024-03-13T04:45:55.587-07:00Gourmet BakingBerthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-5804803880227797692020-10-07T21:49:00.007-07:002020-10-07T21:54:03.313-07:00Best Nachos Supreme<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div class="ptext"> </div>
<div class="ptext">
Who doesn't like nachos? It is easy, you can make it for one person or a
crowd, and each person can tailor it to what toppings they like too, and it
tastes great! A real crowd pleaser!
</div>
<div class="ptext">
It's one of those food that if it's on the table, you can't stop munching on
it. Very popular during game time too!
</div>
<a name='more'></a>
<div class="ptext">
It barely needs any recipe, except for the meat part, which is very quick and
easy. In my family, we use ground beef taco meat or the fancier barbacoa. You
can of course use whatever you like, chicken, turkey, or even pulled pork!
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
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<br />
<div class="ptext">
I always deep-fry my own tortilla chips using fresh corn tortillas from local
store here, or use extra thin corn tortillas. It does take some of the "easy"
part away from nachos, but feel free to use store-bought corn tortilla chips.
For me, the thinner, the better.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
As for the meat part, I use lean ground beef, 90% lean and above. If you are
using a fattier beef, drain the excess oil while cooking. Some people add
beans to the meat too, but since we are not big on beans, we never use it for
our nachos. I make my own taco seasoning because I have quite a bit of spice
collection in my pantry. I don't have anything against store-bought taco
seasoning mix though and would use it quite often too.
</div>
<p></p>
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The toppings, I mean, really, there is no right or wrong for this. From simple
cheese to fancy cheese, beans, diced tomatoes or pico de gallo, red onion,
lime, jalapeƱos, cilantro, olives, sour cream, guacamole, anything you fancy
would fit, making it a great choice for family who has different
preferences.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div><div class="ptext">
As for our family, it's no Mexican night without guacamole! The least it has
to have cheese, sour cream, and guac, anything else is just secondary. My
oldest daughter seems to think that chips and guac are a complete meal on its
own :).
</div>
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<div class="ptext"><span style="font-size: large;">Nachos Supreme</span></div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<b><i><u>Tortilla chips</u></i></b>, store-bought or homemade
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<b><i><u>Taco Meat:</u></i></b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">1lb ground beef. I use at least 85% lean and above</div>
<div class="ptext">1/2 onion, chopped</div>
<div class="ptext">3 garlic, minced</div>
<div class="ptext">1 packet of taco seasoning (or homemade below)</div>
<div class="ptext">3/4 cup water</div>
<div class="ptext">
1 tsp cornstarch (no need if you use store-bought seasoning)
</div>
<div class="ptext">Oil, to cook the meat</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Put a little bit of oil in a pan and add the chopped onion. Cook on on
medium high heat until slightly brown on the edges
</li>
<li>
Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or so, taking care not
to burn the garlic
</li>
<li>
Add the ground beef and break it up as it cooks. Continue cooking until
the beef is brown
</li>
<li>
Add the taco seasoning, water and cornstarch (if using homemade
seasoning). If using cornstarch, dissolve it in the water before adding it
to the pan
</li>
<li>
Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the liquid is reduced
and it has a thick wet consistency (not soupy wet).
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<b><i><u>Toppings:</u></i></b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
Shredded cheese. Monterey Jack or Mexican blend would work well
</div>
<div class="ptext">Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo or salsa</div>
<div class="ptext">Fresh or pickled jalapeƱos </div>
<div class="ptext">Black olives</div>
<div class="ptext">Refried beans or black beans</div>
<div class="ptext">Red onion, finely minced</div>
<div class="ptext">Limes</div>
<div class="ptext">Cilantro</div>
<div class="ptext">Sour cream</div>
<div class="ptext">Guacamole</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<b><i><u>Homemade Taco Seasoning:</u></i></b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">2 tsp chili powder</div>
<div class="ptext">1/2 tsp paprika (regular or smoked)</div>
<div class="ptext">1/4 tsp garlic powder</div>
<div class="ptext">1/4 tsp onion powder</div>
<div class="ptext">1/4 tsp oregano (regular or Mexican)</div>
<div class="ptext">1.5 tsp ground cumin</div>
<div class="ptext">1/2 tsp kosher salt</div>
<div class="ptext">1/4 tsp black peepper</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<b><i><u>To Assemble:</u></i></b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
In a plate or baking sheet (if using oven), arrange the tortilla chips
then spoon some taco meat on top.
</li>
<li>Add shredded cheese all over the meat</li>
<li>
Microwave (if using plate) or put it in the oven under broiler (if using
sheet pan) until the cheese has melted
</li>
<li>Put the additional topping on top and enjoy!</li>
</ul>
</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-61525859769102573952020-08-21T23:25:00.006-07:002020-09-06T10:16:18.637-07:00Shokupan Summarized (Read This!)
<div class="ptext">
With a few of different methods and all the pros and cons of each, I thought
it would be so much easier to find the summary and key aspects of each method
in one place.
</div>
<div class="ptext">
If you are wondering which method to choose, please read this first.
</div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Pre-Ferment (Poolish Method)</span>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
Making a starter consisted of part of flour, water, and yeast and let it
ferment overnight before incorporating it with the main dough.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
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</a>
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext"><b>Pros:</b></div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Less kneading time</li>
<li>Great complex flavor</li>
<li>Very soft, light, and fluffy</li>
<li>
The bread develops more sweetness and will be sweeter compared to
straight-dough method with the same amount of sugar.
</li>
<li>Bread stays soft and fresh longer</li>
</ul>
<div><b>Cons:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Needs planning. The poolish needs to be made the night before you plan
to use it.
</li>
<li>
Takes longer time overall from start to finish as it also uses very
little yeast, which means much longer time to proof.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yudane</span></div>
<div>
Developed by Japanese Chef, involves making a dough consisting of part of
flour and boiling water and let it rest for some time.
</div>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
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</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<div><b>Pros:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Bread is very soft and fluffy and lasts for days</li>
<li>
Bread has chewy texture due to the gelatinizing effect of mixing boiling
water and flour
</li>
<li>
Bread is also more sweet compared to straight-dough with the same amount
of sugar
</li>
<li>
Have more flexibility in terms of time compared to pre-ferment, as you
can refrigerate the dough if you are not ready to use it.
</li>
</ul>
<div><b>Cons:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Needs prep work, though it only takes 5 minutes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Straight-Dough</span>
<div>No prep-work, mix everything on the same day.</div>
<div><br /></div>
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</a>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div><b>Pros:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Fast. No need planning. Generally uses more yeast so it rises faster.
</li>
<li>Easy. Mix everything together without any prep work.</li>
</ul>
<div><b>Cons:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Longer kneading time</li>
<li>Lack of taste</li>
<li>Bread will start to dry out faster</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Straight-Dough with Autolyse</span>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
An improved version of standard straight-dough with very little effort
needed
</div>
<div><br /></div>
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</a>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div class="ptext"><b>Pros:</b></div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Better taste and texture compared to standard straight-dough
</li>
<li>Less kneading time compared to standard straight-dough</li>
</ul>
<div><b>Cons:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Requires 30 minutes-60 minutes of extra time with no extra effort.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Uses</span></div>
<div>
This recipe can be used to make all kinds of bread. Buns, Japanese milk
buns, pull-apart bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, hamburger buns,
regular white bread.
</div>
<div>
For hamburger buns and regular white bread, substitute some of the milk
with water as it will be too rich for sandwiches and such (but each to
their own).
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Baking Time</span></div>
<div>
Each oven might be slightly different and some adjustment might be
needed.
</div>
<div>
The temperature and time listed on the recipe is for my oven and for
non-stick Pullman-loaf pan (450g dough).</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
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</a>
</div>
<div><br /></div><div>Note that different material and thickness of the pan will affect the baking time. I have two pans, one non-stick (left) and one silver aluminum (right) and
the silver one has difficulty to brown on the sides. Using the same baking time (350F for 30 minutes), the sides are still rather pale and it would collapse on its own weight after being unmolded.</div><div><br /></div><div>The time listed on the recipe is for the standard non-stick pan (left pan). If you are using the aluminum silver one (I sould say mine is the same thickness as the non-stick), bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes (until the top is brown), then cover the top with aluminum foil, lower the temperature to 300F and continue baking with the foil on for another 30-35 minutes. </div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">How To Shape</span></div>
<div>
Follow the step by step below. I like to divide my dough in 3 portions,
but you can do 1 or two or as you like.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
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</a>
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<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amount of Yeast</span></div>
<div>
This would apply to yudane, straight-dough, and straight-dough with
autolyse method. I generally use less yeast than normal for these,
because I try to minimize the yeasty flavor on the bread, but this will result in longer proofing time. You can
increase this up to 3g per recipe. Proofing time is going to be faster
but still minimal yeast smell. Here's a guidelines:
</div><div><br /></div>
<div>1.5g ~ 2-2.5 hours each proofing time</div>
<div>2g ~ 1.5-2 hours each proofing time</div>
<div>3g ~ -1-1.5 hours each proofing time</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
Note that this is a guideline only. Time will depend on temperature and
humidity. On hotter days, it might take longer. Likewise, on a colder days, it might take longer.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">When Do I Know The Dough Is Ready To Bake?</span>
</div>
<div>
For Pullman-style loaf pan with no lid, I generally let it rise until
the dough almost reaches the top, maybe 1-2cm below the rim. The bread
will rise a lot more in the oven.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
For Pullman-style with lid on (square version), resize the dough to be
smaller. I put the conversion on some of the earlier method and same can
be applied to the straight-dough method. Let the dough rise until about
1" below the rim.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>Please let me know if you have other questions I can help with.</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
If you make any of this, I would love to see it on instagram at
@gourmetbakingblog
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-26843729366329741752020-08-21T23:17:00.003-07:002020-08-22T23:20:11.547-07:00Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) with Autolyse Method<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</a>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
Last part of the Shokupan series, straight-dough with autolyse. What is autolyse? It simply means
combining water and flour in the dough and let it sit to fully let the flour
to hydrate and let magic happens. Who knew that flour can take a long time to
fully absorbs the water when you mix it? I have a post dedicated for
explaining what happens during autolyse and what benefits it has.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
If you don't have the time or the patience to use pre-ferment (Poolish method
from previous post) or Yudane, but still want the bread to have great texture
and more flavor, autolyse is the answer. I would say it is an improved
straight dough method with very little extra time and no extra work.</div>
<a name='more'></a>
<div class="ptext">
I wasn't planning on making this bread using autolyse method really, as I
thought not much can change with this, until I made pizza dough using this
method. After just about an hour, it changed the texture of the flour mixture
completely and making it stretchy!
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
That night, I stayed up very very late, reading everything I could find to
learn about it. What happened during the process and what benefits it has, and
how. I made my husband listen to my autolyse lecture and preferment talk,
diagrams and all, until it was unacceptable time to be awake :). He still made
fun of me after and won't stop, but hey, he made me listen to his steam engine
and telescope findings ;P.
</div>
<br />
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
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</a>
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<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">I let the flour/milk mixture to set for an hour, and the dough after autolyse becomes so much stretchier! A sign that gluten
is developing and extensibility is reached!</div>
<div class="ptext">
What I want to find out is, how is the taste and texture different from
preferment, yudane, and straight-dough method? Does it make any difference at
all in the final result?
</div>
<br />
<div class="ptext">What I found out is that the dough with this method takes less kneading time to reach the windowpane
test (where you can stretch the dough into thin membrane without tearing it),
compared to straight-dough method, though I would say based on my personal
experience, the dough with Poolish was faster.
</div>
<div class="ptext">
Bulk fermentation seems to be the same, about 2 hours each proofing time with
the same amount of yeast as the yudane and straight-dough method. </div><div class="ptext"><br /></div><div class="ptext">Autolyse is not a substitute for preferment or other methods. In fact, it can be combined with any method! I chose to do it based on the basic straight-dough method because I wanted to be able to observe the difference without the effects of additional method. </div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
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</a>
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
With all of four methods I tried (poolish, yudane, autolyse, and straight
dough), the texture on all four of them came out GREAT! Each one of them has
long strands, very soft and fluffy too, especially fresh from the oven (fresh bread is the best!).
</div>
<div class="ptext">
The noticeable differences I could find with each method are the flavor and
sweetness. I made the autolyse and the straight-dough method right after the
other so I could taste them side-by-side. I don't have a sensitive tastebud
and would easily forget how the previous one was if I don't compare it
directly.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
The flavor with this method is improved, better than straight-dough method,
but still less complex than preferment method. I used the same amount of sugar
in all methods and it is interesting to find that the end result has different
sweetness level. Bread with this method tasted sweeter than straight-dough,
but still less sweet than preferment and yudane. This agrees with the theory
that the enzyme in the flour has more time to break down the sugar in the
preferment method, making it sweeter.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
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<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
Overall, while this method is to improve the bread's texture, I find them all
to be very similar, very soft and fluffy. Flavor is definitely more developed,
as well as the increased sweetness level. If you want to make bread faster,
but wants to make it better, let the water and flour sit for an hour (given
you have the time). Even if you only do it for only 15-30 minutes, the dough still
benefits from it.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
No matter which method you choose, this recipe makes a GREAT basic eggless
bread recipe. You can make individual buns, dinner rolls, pull-apart bread,
cinnamon roll, Japanese milk buns, anything at all!
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
Now that the series have ended, I will have a post summarizing the pros and
cons of each so you can decide which one to make without having to read all
four series.
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div><div class="ptext">
<div class="ptext">
I used the same recipe as the other method for the sake of comparison. I
changed the recipe slightly by increasing the amount of liquid and yeast.
The original amount also works great. I increased the sugar a little bit by
50g because we normally eat this as is or as sweet toast. Adjust the sugar
accordingly
</div>
<div><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shokupan (Autolyse Method)</span>
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">285g bread flour</div>
<div class="ptext">
180ml milk</div>
<div class="ptext">
20g heavy cream (can be substituted with milk)</div>
<div class="ptext">15g milk powder (optional)</div>
<div class="ptext">
40g sugar </div>
<div class="ptext">
2g instant yeast </div>
<div class="ptext">30g unsalted butter, room temperature</div>
<div class="ptext">3g (1/2 tsp) salt</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Mix the bread flour, milk, and heavy cream in a bowl and mix well with a
spoon or hand. Try not to knead it. It will look like a shaggy mass, don't
worry to make it smooth. You just want the flour to be wet. Let it sit for
an hour, covered, in room temperature. This is the autolyse process. You
will notice the dough is now stretchier and more hydrated.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Mix the flour/milk mixture with milk powder, sugar and yeast and using
stand mixer or bread maker (you can also do this by hand), knead it until
it comes together and the dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Add the butter and salt. The dough might looked curdled at first, but
continue kneading and it will come together beautifully in a few minutes.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, and has reached
windowpane stage.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Take the dough out, form a ball, let it rise in a bowl, covered with
plastic wrap or kitchen towel until it has risen 2x original volume </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Punch the dough down, knead it slightly, and divide it into portion. I
divide mine into three portions, but you can do as many as you want. Make
a ball with each dough (rounding), and let it rest on the counter for
15-20 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel. This is called bench rest.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Roll each ball and shape it. Put them inside a buttered
loaf pan.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Let it rise again (2nd proofing) until the dough is slightly below the top
of the pan (about 80% tall)</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Bake it preheated oven at 350F for 25-30 minutes. If the top is too brown
before the time ended, cover the top with aluminum foil 10-15 minutes before
it is done.
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Let it sit in the pan for a few minutes before taking it out onto cooling
rack.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-72530703689763339622020-08-13T15:26:00.004-07:002020-08-21T23:22:34.329-07:00Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) With Straight Dough Method
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<div class="ptext">
It is only fitting to include this one in the series, as this is the most common method that is used by many home bakers and bakeries, including me, for an obvious reason. It is fast, no-fuss method. No need planning, no need preparation the night before or waiting for starter, and it uses more yeast which means faster rising.
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This was supposed to be the last version of methods I tried, but there is one more coming ;P.
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<div class="ptext">
Bread purist swears on preferment as it develops best flavor and better texture. This is especially important if you make ciabatta, sourdough, baguette, french bread, or bread that you eat plain (or toasted), or slathered with butter, and for my husband, white bread falls on this too.
<br />
<br />
What is straight-dough method? This method is combining all of the ingredients in a mixer, bread machine or kneading by hand. Usually flour, sugar, and yeast with the liquid, then butter and salt come last. No need starter or let any dough sit beforehand. This straight-dough is definitely popular for it's straight forward process (hence the name), but how does the result compared to the ones that take a long time to make?
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<div class="ptext">
To get a fair comparison, I take the same recipe as the previous methods for the same bread. This method is proven to yield equally beautiful rise and soft texture (if you follow the process right), especially when it is fresh. It rose beautifully just like the other method I tried, but things are a bit different of course.
<br />
<br />
First thing I noticed when I took the first bite was the taste, it lacks flavor. It is totally expected. It didn't have the complex flavor as <a href="https://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2020/06/shokupan-japanese-milk-bread-with.html">preferment</a> and was rather flat and plain in terms of taste. Second, it wasn't as sweet. It was expected though I didn't expect that it would be that noticeable. Third, the bread didn't stay soft as long. With the preferment method, the bread was still soft at day 4 though definitely not as fresh as first day (I have a post coming up explaining why), but you can notice the bread is starting to dry out a bit on the next day, especially when it was sliced.
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<div class="ptext">
In all honesty though, if you eat bread maybe daily for breakfast, toasted and slathered with nutella (my kids' preference), jam, peanut butter, or even dipped in coffee, you won't notice any difference as the subtle taste of the bread is completely masked by the other flavor. I am simply using this bread recipe to learn about the differences between different methods, and the result would be the same for different kind of bread too.
<br />
<br />
If you are new to bread-baking, try this one first or <a href="https://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2020/08/shokupan-japanese-milk-bread-with_21.html">the improved method with autolyse</a> and go up from there, which I should probably have done. Or, if you feel adventurous, try the <a href="https://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2020/06/shokupan-japanese-milk-bread-with.html">preferment</a> or <a href="https://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2020/07/shokupan-japanese-milk-bread-with.html">yudane</a> method. They are not difficult, but need some planning. </div><div>
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<div class="ptext">
As usual, this recipe can be used for any kinds of bread, Japanese milk bun, individual-filled buns, dinner rolls, pull-apart bread, etc. If you'd like it to be less milky, substitute some milk with water and omit the milk powder.
</div>
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<div class="ptext">
Please let me know if you try any of the method and tag me on instagram @gourmetbakingblog!
</div>
<div class="ptext"><br /></div><div class="ptext">I used the same recipe as the other method for the sake of comparison. I changed the recipe slightly by increasing the amount of liquid and yeast. See post on the Shokupan summary in regards to the amount of yeast.</div><div class="ptext"><br /></div>
<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) - Straight Dough Method</span>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
Yield: one Pullman-style loaf pan with no lid 450g</div>
<div class="ptext">
<br />
</div>
<div class="ptext">
285g bread flour
</div>
<div class="ptext">
15g milk powder (optional)
</div>
<div class="ptext">
40g sugar
</div>
<div class="ptext">
2g instant yeast (see note)
</div>
<div class="ptext">
180g milk</div>
<div class="ptext">
20g heavy cream (can be substituted with milk)</div>
<div class="ptext">
30g unsalted butter, room temperature
</div>
<div class="ptext">
3g fine salt (1/2 tsp)
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mix bread flour, milk powder (if using), sugar, and instant yeast in a heavy-duty mixer bowl or bread machine (dough/knead setting only)</li>
<li>Mix the milk and heavy cream together, and gradually pour into the flour mixer with the mixer running</li>
<li>Knead until the dough comes together and not sticky anymore, about 10 minutes or so</li>
<li>Add the unsalted butter and salt and continue kneading until the dough is elastic</li>
<li>Gather the dough and form a ball. Put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or kitchen towel</li>
<li>Set is aside on a warm place until at doubled in size. For 1.5g yeast, it took me ~2 hours, 2g yeast - 1.5 hours, 3g yeast ~1 hour. Timing will vary on temperature and humidity.</li>
<li>Punch down the dough and knead to get rid of air bubbles and divide into portions. You can make one big loaf, or however portion you want. I divided mine into three.</li>
<li>Shape the dough (see picture), and put it inside buttered pan</li>
<li>Cover with plastic/kitchen towel and let it rise the 2nd time until it is 2-2.5x in size, maybe about 1" shorter than the edge of the pan. Overproofing may cause holes in the final bread.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven at 350F for about 30 minutes (more or less).</li>
<li>If the top gets brown too fast, cover it with aluminum foil after 15-20 minutes.</li>
<li>Let it cool on the cooling rack.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<b>Note:</b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>You can increase the instant yeast up to 3g for faster rising. Do not overproof as it will develop stronger yeast smell.</li>
<li>Using standard loaf pan (not Pullman) or Pullman with lid will require you to resize the recipe into smaller one.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-13299928519579648792020-07-17T14:50:00.000-07:002020-07-17T14:50:26.106-07:00Caprese Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="ptext">
This marks my first post for a non-dessert type of food. When I first made this blog many moons ago, I was single, living with my brother, and LOVES to bake. I did cook, not intensively, but never thought about making it pretty or put it in a blog.<br />
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That changed when I first had a kid and since then, especially now, I cook more than ever, sometimes 3-4 meals in a day, everyday, and I don't see that changing in the near future. I enjoy it the same way I enjoy baking, trying to always perfect it. I have a dream that someday I want to make my own personal cookbook of every single dish and dessert/cake I created for my family and am proud of, that I can pass down to my kids, from American food, Italian, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, Middle-Estern, you name it. So I thought, why not trying to share them for other people to enjoy too. We can use some meal ideas, especially now that people are cooking more at home. I know I do.</div>
<div class="ptext">
<br />
I'll start with a simple dish. This dish doesn't require an introduction. Pasta is a universally-loved dish and I don't know anyone who dislike pasta in any kind. This Caprese Pasta is a regular in my household and I make it frequently especially during warm months.</div>
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<div class="ptext">
As with the name "Caprese", it will always have tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese. This is my version, the one my family loves. A very simple dish that's ready in 15 minutes. If you have a vegetable garden, this dish is also perfect to use up the tomatoes and basil from the garden. I buy a couple of basil plant every year for my garden, mostly to make this dish, pizza, and long-simmered marinara sauce.</div>
<br />
<div class="ptext">
It's a no-sauce pasta dish and best served immediately. Start sauteeing the garlic and tomatoes when the pasta is boiling so it will be done exactly the same time your veggies are ready.<br />
Our family is partial to angel hair for this pasta, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.<br />
My 2-year old calls this dish "cheese" and always gets giddy whenever she saw me making this "yayyy cheese!"<br />
<br />
You can easily adapt it to your liking. Use different pasta, use more garlic, use heirloom tomatoes, add pesto, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, add olives, sky is the limit.</div>
<br />
<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: large;">Caprese Pasta</span><br />
Yield: 2 servings<br />
<br />
4-oz angel hair pasta (or any pasta you like)<br />
Olive oil (for sauteeing)<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
8 cherry tomatoes, halved (you can use heirloom, grape tomatoes, etc, add more for smaller tomatoes)<br />
Handful of fresh Italian basil, chiffonade<br />
Salt and pepper (to taste)<br />
10-12 Marinated fresh mozzarella balls, halved/whole (use as much as you like) (See note)<br />
1-2 tsp/serving from the cheese marinade (See note)<br />
<br />
<b>Optional add on:</b> pesto (See note)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.</li>
<li>Put the pasta in and start heating a saute pan for the veggies.</li>
<li>Heat olive oil in a medium heat and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant about 1 minute (don't let it burn), then add the tomato halves.</li>
<li>Continue sauteeing for a few minutes until it is cooked through. I like to put the tomatoes cut-side down and press it with the wooden spoon/tongs (whatever you use to cook this with. I use tongs) to release the juice. This becomes the "sauce".</li>
<li>At this point, the pasta should be ready (4 minutes for my angel hair, adjust accordingly for different shapes), add them directly into the pan. Mix them together.</li>
<li>Lower the heat slightly and add salt and pepper.</li>
<li>If you use pesto, add it at this step</li>
<li>Add the basil chiffonade right before you turn off the heat. The basil should be slightly wilted</li>
<li>Divide them between two plates. Arrange fresh mozzarella balls on top.</li>
<li>Drizzle each plate with 1-2 tsp of the marinade from the cheese (herbs and all)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Note:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>If you add pesto, omit the fresh basil leaves</li>
<li>You can use regular non-marinated fresh mozzarella balls, but make a drizzling sauce from extra-virgin olive oil, herbs (basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, etc). Without this, it can be a little "dry"</li>
<li>I don't normally use up the whole juice from the marinade. You can buy a regular non-marinated ones the second time and use the previous marinade, adding more herbs if necessary.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br />
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-79164648357584585642020-07-14T14:53:00.002-07:002020-08-07T19:42:53.266-07:00Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) with Yudane Method<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="ptext">
The second method I tried in making this Shokupan is yudane method. This method is similar to its more popular relative, Tangzhong. Tangzhong requires the flour and liquid to be boiled until it forms a paste that is then cooled to room temperature before using. The ratio of flour and water is typically 1:5.<br />
<br />
With Yudane, the ratio varies a bit, but at most I've seen 1:1.5 and instead of boiling the two together, the water for yudane has to be boiling and you pour it on the flour and mix it to form a dough. The dough is then refrigerated overnight or at least set aside for a few hours. The longer it sits, the more flavor it will develop. The idea behind these two method is to create a gelatinized mixture from the gluten as you mix it with boiling water, creating a chewy bread.</div>
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Yudane is not a pre-ferment, and hence, does not use yeast in the starter dough. The yeast is added in the main dough . Technically, you can use regular amount of yeast as the straight-dough method, but in this recipe, the yeast used is much less (still more than poolish since it doesn't require pre-fermenting). Less yeast means longer fermenting and proofing time, but less (if any) yeasty flavor, better texture and flavor. By any means, you could increase the amount of yeast a bit to make the process faster.</div>
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I experimented with different bakers' percentage of the yudane to see what works best. The final recipe I post here is very similar to the poolish one. The difference is just the hydration level of the starter dough. The dough made with yudane is just like the dough from straight-dough method, whereas poolish is a bit wet. And since there is no pre-fermenting involved, it will take slightly longer to reach the elastic stage compared to poolish. This dough can be adapted easily for regular buns (with or without egg) since it is very pliable.</div>
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<div class="ptext">
The first time I made the yudane, I honestly could not tell the difference from the previous poolish method since I made it two days after. This week, I made them back to back four days in a row to test the theory of the final result, making it total of 8 loaves :D. I am happy to say that the two methods indeed resulted in different texture, proving the theory right. Poolish is lighter, fluffy and while yudane is equally soft and fluffy, it is as predicted, has chewy texture when you bite into it, in a pleasant way. Another thing to mention is that, the bread with yudane method, with the same amount of sugar, is slightly sweeter than poolish as the boiling water convert some of the starch into sugar. My husband prefers the chewiness, but I prefer the lighter version, though I must say they are both VERY good and it is very hard to pick one or the other.<br />
<br />
I encourage you to try both methods to see which one you like better. I promise, no matter which version you make, it will be really good no matter what. </div><div class="ptext">You can also use this recipe with this method for any kind of bread; dinner rolls, buns, pull-apart bread, either plain or filled.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shokupan (Yudane Method)</span><br />
Yield: One loaf pan (Pullman) 7.3x4x4.3" or 18.6x10x11cm<br />
For square Pullman with a lid or standard loaf pan, use the amount in (.)<br />
<br />
<b>Yudane:</b><br />
85g bread flour (75g)<br />
70g boiling water (60g)<br />
<ul>
<li>Pour the boiling water in the bowl of flour, mix it to form a dough. Cover the bowl, then refrigerate overnight (about 12 hours)</li>
<li>The yudane dough should smell "sweet" and more elastic</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Main Dough:</b></div>
<div>
200g bread flour (175g)</div>
<div>
15g milk powder (optional) (13g)</div>
<div>
40g sugar (35)</div>
<div>
1.5g instant yeast or 1/2 tsp (1.25g)</div>
<div>
110g milk (96g)</div>
<div>
20g heavy cream (can be substituted with milk) (18g)</div>
<div>
30g unsalted butter (25g)</div>
<div>
3g fine salt (1/2 tsp) (3g)</div>
<ul>
<li>Mix bread flour, milk powder (if using), sugar, and instant yeast in the bowl of a mixer or bread maker.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pour the milk and heavy cream slowly.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Once it is incorporated and forms a dough, add the yudane dough. (See Note 1)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Continue kneading until both dough are well-incorporated and smooth (about 10-15minutes)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Add unsalted butter and salt and continue kneading until windowpane stage. This could take additional 20-30 minutes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Take the dough out, and put it in a bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it ferment until at least doubled in size about 2-3 hours (mine takes about 2.5 hours). </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Punch the dough down to release all the gas bubbles, divide it in portions (or just one big round).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Round the dough and let it rest for 15-20 minutes (bench rest), covered with kitchen towel</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Flatten each dough with rolling pin, roll it to make it rectangular-ish vertically. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fold the two left and right side, slightly overlapping the seam in the middle</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Roll the dough from the bottom to the top and pinch to seal the end.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Place it inside a buttered-loaf pan</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cover it with kitchen towel and let it proof another 2-3 hours until it rises to the rim of the pan (See note 2)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Brush the top with milk (for rounded top, no need for the square version)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. If the top gets too brown, cover with foil after 20 minutes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Take it out of the oven and unmold. Let it cool on a cooling rack</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Wait 1-2 hours before slicing.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Note:</b><br />
1. Yudane dough can be difficult to mix with the main dough. I use bread machine and it has no problem mixing the two directly, but alternatively, you can break the yudane into small pieces and mix it with the milk and cream first before adding the rest of the ingredients<br />
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2. To make the square version using pullman-loaf pan with the lid, use the amount in (), proof until it is about 1.5-2cm lower than the rim to give it room to rise in the oven<br />
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3. If you're using standard loaf pan, also use the amount in (), proof until it is to same height as the rim</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-78152475345207764562020-06-05T20:15:00.001-07:002020-09-06T10:17:47.479-07:00Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) with Poolish Method<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been baking bread quite often, really often in fact, with most of them being Asian buns with assorted fillings. Two or three years ago, I even made bread a few times per week for months during Summer to test out different methods, recipes, experimenting different proportions. This time, I made something different. Basic white bread. Not just any white bread, but Japanese milk bread. </div>
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As flours, yeast, and a lot of baking ingredients becoming scarce in the midst of quarantine, I saw more and more posts about bread, this Shokupan being one of them (aside from sourdough of course). I wasn't interested at first and actually skipped reading about them as our family is not big on bread, which is weird considering how much I love making bread, but I was finally intrigued. So when I saw that we are having a heatwave for a few days, bread is the first thing that came to mind (every heatwave actually).<br />
<br />
Shokupan is a term for Japanese milk bread or pretty much Japanese white bread. The more common term is Hokkaido Milk Bread. They are soft, fluffy, and milky. The most popular method for this type of bread is Tangzhong and the less popular cousin is Yudane (more on this on the next post)<br />
<br />
Seeing many sourdough posts on instagram and blogsphere, I was curious to learn other pre-ferment method. So I started reading a lot about different ways pre-fermenting bread dough (poolish, biga, sponge dough). I won't go much about pre-fermenting method in this post but I was set to try out a recipe for Shokupan with poolish method to begin with after seeing it in a couple of posts. It may not be the traditional way to make the Japanese milk bread, but it makes such a soft and fluffy bread!<br />
<br />
Poolish is one type or pre-ferment that has 100% hydration (1:1 flour:water ratio), it is known to increase the dough's extensibility. Biga (dryer version of poolish), is another one and increase the dough's strength, while other pre-ferment type has their own pros. I will write the summary on different post.</div>
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The original recipe for this bread was taken from @moucup. I modified it and made this poolish Shokupan a total of 5x with different bakers' percentage everytime to find the best one, as well as the baking temperature. So the recipe below is the final recipe that I now use.<br />
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Please note that with pre-ferment method, you would need to set aside more time than straight-dough method. The purpose of using any per-ferment method is to let the yeast ferment slowly. The amount of yeast used is very little (about 0.2%-0.3% bakers' percentage-wise), which is about 0.8 grams in this recipe. You would need 12 hours of pre-fermenting, and about 2-3 hours for each bulk ferment and proofing time (plus bench rest). So if you are pressed for time, using the straight dough method is probably best, or add more instant yeast in the final dough. It would still yield a very fluffy bread.<br />
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Since we are dealing with pre-ferment dough, which means part of the yeast work has been done overnight, it was faster to achieve the windowpane stage (the stage where you can stretch the dough to become a really thin membrane without tearing it easily), which was a delight. You will need to dust your workspace and hand with flour as you work with them to prevent them from sticking. Once they rise, it was SO pillowy soft! I asked Mike to touch it to feel the texture and he was obsessed!<br />
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After making so many of these, I finally caved in and bought a pullman-loaf bread pan with a lid so I have the option to make a square one or the rounded top. It looks so much better and fluffier!<br />
Note that if you are making the square version with the lid on, you would need to resize the recipe to be using 250g flour total (instead of 285g in this recipe below). But if you like a tall bread without the lid, the amount below is good. I calculate mine using bakers' percentage, let me know if you need it.<br />
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<div class="ptext">
I highly recommend making this recipe if you love those tall Asian sweet fluffy white bread that is perfect for any kind of toasts, or sandwich. In fact, there has been more than one occasion that my lunch/dinner consisted of a few slices of these bread plain or toasted and slathered with salted butter, no kidding. I would say though, I think this type of bread is best for the sweet kind of sandwich or toasts than savory one. We used it to make my famous pesto grilled cheese sandwich and found that the bread was too rich for it (is that even possible?).<br />
<br />
This bread stays soft at room temperature for 4-5 days (I didnāt try keeping it longer than that) when kept in an airtight container, even better when toasted.</div>
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I will be writing about the different method for this bread that's equally great!<br />
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<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) - Poolish Method</span><br />
Yield: One loaf of Pullman bread pan 7.3x4x4.3" or 18.6x10x11cm<br />
For square Pullman with a lid, or standard loaf pan, use the amount in ()<br />
<br />
<b>Poolish:</b><br />
85g bread flour (75g)<br />
85g water (75g)<br />
A pinch of instant yeast (approximately 0.15-0.25g)<br />
<ul>
<li>Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit in room temperature for about 12 hours. </li>
<li>The next morning, the poolish should be at least doubled in size, bubbly, smell yeasty (but not very strong), and definitely not sour. When it is at the peak, it should start to recede, but not collapse.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Main Dough:</b></div>
<div>
200g bread flour (175g)</div>
<div>
15g milk powder (optional) (13g)</div>
<div>
40g sugar (35g)<br />
1.5g instant yeast (optional, see note) (1.3g) </div>
<div>
110g whole milk (96g)</div>
<div>
20g heavy cream (you can substitute it with more milk) (18g)</div>
<div>
30g unsalted butter, softened (25g)</div>
<div>
3-4g salt (about 1/2 tsp fine salt) (3g)</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Using bread machine (dough or knead setting) or mixer with dough attachment, mix the flour, milk powder (if using), sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, and the poolish mixture and knead for about 10 minutes or so.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Add the softened butter and salt and continue kneading until it is completely elastic and can pass a windowpane test (take a little bit of dough and stretch it carefully with your fingers to make a thin membrane without easily tearing it). This can take another 20-30 minutes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Gather the dough (might need to cover your hand in flour to prevent sticking) and put it in a bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Let it rise in a warm place until it rises 2-3x original volume (this can take 2-3 hours )</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Punch the dough down, put it on a slightly-floured workspace</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Divide it into three equal portion. You can make two equal portion or even one, it is just for aesthetic purpose. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Round it and let it rest for 15-20 minutes (bench rest), covered with kitchen towel on the counter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Roll each dough into oval, fold the left and right side, slightly overlaping in the middle. Then roll it from one end to the other, pinching the end</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Place them in a buttered-loaf pan. I lined the sides with parchment paper for easier removal and to help the dough "climbed" if it rises much higher than the sides of the loaf pan. You don't need to use this if you are using pullman loaf pan. You just need to lightly coat it with butter</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cover and let it proof the second time until they double or triple in size (mine takes another 2 hours). See before and after pictures. It should rise as tall as the height of the pan</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350F, brush the top of the bread with milk. If you are making the square version, you can skip this</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes. For the rounded top version, if the top becomes too brown, cover it with foil after 20 minutes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Let cool on cooling rack.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Note:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The time needed for the poolish to reach its peak varies from amount of yeast used and temperature.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>If you are short in time, add 1.5g of instant yeast in the final dough (mix it together with the flour), it will make the dough rise faster, but still have that softness from poolish. I don't normally add this, only when I want it to proof a little faster because I like my bread with no yeast flavor.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You can reduce the sugar for a less-sweet bread. Personally, I use this bread for sweet toasts so I would prefer a sweeter one. Sometimes I would even increase the sugar to 50g since my husband likes it a bit sweet.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Let the bread completely cooled maybe an hour or two before slicing it as it is VERY soft. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> To make the square version using pullman-loaf pan with the lid, use the amount in (), proof until it is about 1.5-2cm lower than the rim to give it room to rise in the oven</li></ul><div>
<ul>
<li>If you're using standard loaf pan, also use the amount in (), proof until it is to same height as the rim</li>
</ul>
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-34118849633719890462019-10-15T13:08:00.000-07:002019-10-15T13:08:59.863-07:00Double Fromage Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello and Happy Fall!<br />
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Thought I'd pop in here while the baby is napping to do a quick update.<br />
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We've had a routine now (yay!) after maybe months of scrambling around with different things. Sophie is now in Kindergarten and Kathryn is now (very) mobile! She is hilarious and definitely has an attitude! Stubborn and very strong-willed (I'm sure she gets this from her father :D).<br />
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I haven't been actually completely hiatus from baking. In fact, I have been actually making more cakes, less entremet this time.<br />
One thing doesn't change is that I have been cooking non stop. With each person in the family having different appetite, I try to make different things that they would eat. This is killing me and I am trying hard to simplify this, but we'll take a step at a time. With that many cooking, the positive side is that I get to develop more and more recipes, branching out to other cuisines, perfected it to my taste, took a picture of the final products, hoping someday I will be able to make it into a cookbook for my girls when they grow up.<br />
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Now, let's talk dessert. I made this a while ago and meant to post it for you guys since this is one of those winning desserts. The pictures don't do this cake justice as it was really dark and cloudy when I took this, but trust me, you'll love this.</div>
<a name='more'></a>I first came across this cake called "Double Fromage Cake" on Instagram maybe a few years ago. There was no explanation of what's inside, let alone the recipe, it just said "Cheesecake", but I was very intrigued with the all-white cake picture. So I did a little search and found that this cake was originated and made famous by a Japanese bakery called LeTao. It consists of a thin sponge cake in the bottom, baked cheesecake, and mascarpone mousse. The whole cake is then covered with the cake crumbs.<br />
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So I decided to make my own recipe using the same components as the original.<br />
I have had a layer of 6" round soft sponge cake that I froze from previous cake, so it was actually a breeze to make. It is very doable to make this whole cake in one day though, even if you have to bake the cake.<br />
The resulting cake is very very light, despite having a baked cheesecake in the middle. One can easily eat 2 slices without feeling too heavy. It's got different texture on each layer, a light mascarpone mousse, creamy baked cheesecake, and airy sponge<br />
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One thing I love most about this cake, aside from the taste and texture, is that you can make it into many other flavors! Once I was done making this cake, I immediately thought the possibility of different flavors you can make. This would be GREAT with matcha (which is what I plan to make next)! Think red velvet, chocolate, coffee, anything tickles your imagination, it's very versatile! I get excited just thinking about it.<br />
<br />
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Double Fromage Cake</span><br />
Yield: One 6" round cake<br />
<br />
One 6" round sponge cake (use any recipe you'd like), plus more for the crumb decor<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Place the cake inside a 6" round parchment paper-lined pan (bottom and edge). Other option would be to use cake ring that has been wrapped with aluminum foil in the bottom and halfway up the sides (double wrap it)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Baked cheesecake</b><br />
175g cream cheese (room temperature)<br />
50g sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
30g heavy cream<br />
4g flour<br />
Vanilla bean seeds (about maybe 1/4 pod)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean until creamy and smooth</li>
<li>Add egg and heavy cream and beat until mixed well</li>
<li>Add the flour, mix well</li>
<li>Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the sponge cake</li>
<li>Bake in a waterbath at 300F for about 35-40 minutes. Until the edges are set and the middle still a bit soft.</li>
<li>Take it out of the oven and let it cool.</li>
<li>Refrigerate</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Mascarpone mousse</b><br />
1 egg yolk<br />
30g sugar<br />
25ml water<br />
3g gelatin sheet (soaked in water until soft) or 3/4 tsp gelatin powder + 1 Tbs water to bloom<br />
60g mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)<br />
140g heavy cream, whipped to soft peak<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>On a double-boiler, mix egg yolk, sugar, and water.</li>
<li>Whisk until the mixture is warm, foamy and thick</li>
<li>Melt the gelatin over microwave for a few seconds (if using powdered) and mix it in the egg mixture, or mix the soften gelatin sheet inside. Mix until melted.</li>
<li>Add the mascarpone cheese and mix well until smooth</li>
<li>Fold in the whipped cream</li>
<li>Pour this mixture on top of the cooled cheesecake (you might not need all of them, refrigerate the rest)</li>
<li>Refrigerate until set or freeze for a few hours for easier removal.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>To decorate</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Trim all of the brown edge from the extra sponge and rub it on the sifter to get really fine crumbs</li>
<li>Take the whole cake out of the pan/ring.</li>
<li>Spread the leftover mousse on the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer so that the crumbs would adhere to the cake. </li>
<li>Cover the entire cake with the crumbs</li>
<li>Refrigerate </li>
<li>Note: you don't need to freeze the cake before taking out of the mold. I like to do this to make it easy removal. If you decided to just refrigerate this, you can just adhere the cake directly, or use a thin layer of whipped cream instead of the mousse.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-78392536196572251752019-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:002019-05-10T10:02:55.596-07:00Blueberry Streusel Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For as long as I remember, I am not a muffin person, except for my trusty banana muffins (which I am still making in regular basis, a lot). Nothing is really wrong with it, I just thought that they are usually firm and dense, and it makes me want to chug a glass of water after.<br />
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But here I am posting another muffin recipe, the second muffin recipe I've ever posted since I've started baking. This muffin recipe was created as a result of desperation. Sophie attends a Christian program every Wednesday night, and it was her turn to bring snacks that week for 20 kids. It was a busy time and with me preparing the upcoming international trip for the whole family, the snack duty got forgotten, until the night before, when I see an empty snack bucket that she brought home the week before.<br />
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I thought oh, I'll just go to the store in the morning to get something. You see, we only have one car, so during the day weekday, I don't have a car unless I have somewhere important I need to go to and so I will take Michael to work bringing the two kids. It's not ideal because I don't actually prefer going anywhere with the two kids by myself, and it has never caused a big problem before, just inconvenient sometimes.<br />
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Well, either I woke up not early enough, or Mike has a morning meeting I didn't know about, or whatever it was, I couldn't make it to the store, and Sophie will get picked up before Mike gets home. I had to come up with something, because showing up with empty snack bucket was clearly not an option. I don't normally keep many store-bought snacks in the house, and even if I do, not for 20 kids.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P80j6Rq8VPA/XKmfocSon4I/AAAAAAAAXCI/CA_1gam2X20fcNKrkTB6FndTAcONoM3-gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Muffins_Inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img class="bimg" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P80j6Rq8VPA/XKmfocSon4I/AAAAAAAAXCI/CA_1gam2X20fcNKrkTB6FndTAcONoM3-gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Muffins_Inside.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I opened my fridge, scanning what I had on hand. I probably kept opening and closing it 5x-10x within a span of 30 minutes, I don't know why, maybe hoping that somehow, something different magically appeared. I saw a carton of buttermilk I bought the other day to make chicken tenders, and I always have eggs on hand. I thought I surely can make something with it. I opened the freezer and saw that I had a couple different fruits I froze during summer, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Then I had the brightest idea to make blueberry muffins! I made banana chocolate muffins for the previous snack duty and received raved feedback from the happy kids and helpers, so hopefully they will appreciate this too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now the problem is, the last time I made blueberry muffins was probably 10 years ago, using Ina Garten's recipe. And while it's good while it's warm, I remember not so fond of it after it cooled down because again, I found it too dense for my liking. So I started writing down a recipe from scratch on a piece of paper to see if I can come up with something better.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYj-drxsyik/XKmhF-KCpKI/AAAAAAAAXCU/-DcRIKKpe2sTkyCbPTdJcgpQ5b2iI2ixQCLcBGAs/s1600/crumble.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img class="bimg" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYj-drxsyik/XKmhF-KCpKI/AAAAAAAAXCU/-DcRIKKpe2sTkyCbPTdJcgpQ5b2iI2ixQCLcBGAs/s1600/crumble.jpg" /></a><br />
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I decided to put streusel on top, as I remember bakery-style muffins normally has streusel on top (?) and plus, I am a big fan of crunchy texture!<br />
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It made exactly 20 muffins! and when I checked the tag again on the snack bucket, it said "Please bring snacks for 20 people"! So no, I couldn't take one to try. All I care was, was it still moist and soft when it cooled? The muffins came out of the oven literally 20 minutes before Sophie was picked up so I hurried and woke her up, bathed, and got her ready, and into the box the muffins went, warm and all. I only sampled the crumbs. So, I sent Sophie with them anyway. She was so proud of them, kept saying how she was going to tell her friends that my mom made it (HAHA.. talking about pressure).<br />
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I was anxious waiting for her to come back (more like scared honestly), hoping they were at least decent. She came back and said "Mama, the muffins were a hit!" (not sure where she learned that word from and not sure if she actually knows what it meant), but I was a bit relieved. She actually came back with her half-eaten muffin that she couldn't finish, so I took a bite or two and I was pleasantly surprised.<br />
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I made them again in the morning because I was so curious, tweaking the proportions slightly based on my taste-test the night before and I came up with what I thought was the perfect blueberry muffins (in my humble opinion at least)! Granted, I am not an expert at all in the muffin area, nor I have tried a lot of blueberry muffin to compare, so take it with a grain of salt, but if it passes my picky taste for muffins, then it is good.<br />
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I shared the second batch with the rest of the family and they gave two thumbs up. One of my nieces is actually a helper in Sophie's class so she was there when Sophie brought the muffins. She told me that one of the other helpers asked her if she could ask me for the recipe because she said it was the best blueberry muffin she's ever had! Well, if that's not enough to make my head slightly bigger, I don't know what is. So here it is.<br />
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You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. I used frozen because that's what I had on hand, no need to thaw them first and don't fold them too much as the purple color will bleed into the batter. I used maybe about 1 1/4 cups of blueberries, but you can use more or less depending on your taste. Hope you like it! Feel free to tag me on @the.bs.life if you make any of my recipes, I would LOVE to see them!</div>
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<b>Blueberry Streusel Muffins</b><br />
Yield: 20 muffins or so<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dry Ingredients:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">260g all-purpose flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">25g whole milk powder (I like milky taste in my baked goods, but you can substitute it with more flour or even cornstarch to make the cake lighter, or even use cake flour for the whole 285g)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.5 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">0.5 tsp baking soda</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ā¼ tsp kosher salt</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">150g sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 lemon zest (optional)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wet Ingredients:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 eggs</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup buttermilk</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ā½ cup vegetable oil</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1.5 tsp vanilla extract</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1-1.5 cups blueberries + a bit of flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Streusel:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 stick of butter</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ā¼ cup sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ā¼ cup brown sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup all-purpose flour</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">optional add-on: cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Combine the wet and dry ingredients separately. <br /><i>Note: I like to mix the wet ingredients first in a bowl. Add sugar, then put a sieve on top and put all of the dry ingredients on top and sift it right in the wet ingredients. Saves me a bowl to wash. I do this with my banana muffin too.</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, do not overmix.</span></li>
<li>Toss the fresh/frozen blueberries with a little bit of flour, coating them. Then add it to the muffin mixture (just the blueberries, leave out the leftover flour)</li>
<li>Fold it gently as not to bruise the blueberries too much, and again, don't overmix</li>
<li>Fill muffin liners/pans 2/3rd full and add heaping mounds of streusel (I like a lot of it). Don't be skimpy on this. As the muffins bake and rises, the surface area of the muffin will get larger and the butter in the streusel will melt</li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bake at 400F 20-25mnts (mine took about 23 minutes).
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Best served immediately because the streusel is still crunchy, but it will still be as good and moist even after a few days covered in airtight container or zip-top bags. </span></span></li>
</ul>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-88256339264109624712019-04-22T16:55:00.000-07:002019-04-22T16:55:07.577-07:00Meyer Lemon Tart with Lemon Macaron<div>
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I am finally writing a new post! Life with two babes are definitely not something one would take lightly. The only way I could write this post is when the two kids miraculously nap at the same time, and I am pumping while writing this post before they wake up (sorry for TMI).<br />
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I am not baking as much since Kathryn was born, but I cook way way more. She is almost a year old now, and ever since she was 6 months, I have been cooking four different meals! So to say that there isn't enough time in one day or enough energy on one's body, is not an understatement.</div>
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Anyhow, I thought I'd begin by posting something you are probably very familiar with, Meyer Lemon Tart. I have been making this dessert yearly, a few times per year and usually starts in Spring time. For some reason, every year, I always end up with bag after bag of meyer lemons, given by family or friends. This is my husband's favorite dessert that I made and now Sophie loves it too, she couldn't stop licking the spatula! I told her that the smell of meyer lemons being zested or juiced, is one of my favorite smells of all time.<br />
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I made different variation of this over the years, such as <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/10/lemon-tart-with-white-chocolate-cream.html">strawberry white chocolate</a>, <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2009/03/meyer-lemon-meringue-tart.html">meringue</a>, with <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2014/04/meyer-lemon-tart-with-candied-lemon-and.html">candied lemons</a>, or <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2011/08/meyer-lemon-tart.html">plain glaze</a>, even <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/02/welcoming-early-spring-with-bright.html">paired with chocolate</a>, and many others I didn't photograph because there were too many. This time, I decided to make lemon macaron to go with it.<br />
The inside of the macaron is white chocolate lemon buttercream which has the same lemon curd as the one in the tart.<br />
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I can't recommend enough of the lemon cream. Other than to make lemon tart, I used this lemon cream to make macarons (as shown here), cheesecake, cake filling, and many others, even plainly licked directly from the bowl!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sJSWdBaXd4U/XKmmoYvPoeI/AAAAAAAAXC8/oQJ2GiKnB3AtLY8Ahb_57YN9dPeJLrFXQCLcBGAs/s1600/Macaron.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img class="bimg" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sJSWdBaXd4U/XKmmoYvPoeI/AAAAAAAAXC8/oQJ2GiKnB3AtLY8Ahb_57YN9dPeJLrFXQCLcBGAs/s1600/Macaron.jpg" /></a><br />
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Before this, I had not made macarons in probably more than a year, my oven is also new. So I didn't really have much confidence in how good they would turn out. I'd be happy if I got 5 pairs just for the photos, but surprisingly, this was actually the first time they all came out 100% perfect! No crack on top, no "feet-less" macaron, no spreading, no loop-sided macaron.<br />
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I used the same macaron recipe that I've been faithfully using for a few years now, which comes from Pierre Herme. In his book "Macaron", he actually has a recipe for lemon macaron, in which he used the same lemon curd mixed with almond flour. As for me, I made white chocolate buttercream, then I mixed in some of the lemon curd. I love love how it turned out!<br />
Here's the recipe again for the tart and the macaron<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Meyer Lemon Tart</span><br />
<br />
<b>Pate Sucree</b><br />
yield: three 101/2-in crusts or four 8-in crusts<br />
<br />
300g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature<br />
190g powdered sugar<br />
60g ground almonds<br />
1 vanilla bean, scrapped<br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
500g all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Put the butter in a mixer bowl and cream until smooth and creamy using a paddle attachment.</li>
<li>Add the sugar, ground almonds, and vanilla bean seeds. Mix until combined.</li>
<li>Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the previous one before adding the next one (the dough might look curdled at this point but don't worry, it'll come together once you add the flour)</li>
<li>Combine the flour and salt. Add to the dough in about three addition. Mix until just it comes together. Do not overwork! Like Pierre said, "it's better to have lumps of butter rather than to have an overworked dough".</li>
<li>Divide the dough in the portions you need. Form each one into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight (you can also freeze the dough at this point and thaw it in the fridge overnight).</li>
<li>Remove one disk from the fridge, and roll it either between two sheets of parchment paper, or just well-floured surface. You need to move quickly though. You don't want the dough to be soft and overworked.</li>
<li>Line your tart pan with the dough and put it back in the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs to rest.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350 F.</li>
<li>When you're ready to bake, put a parchment paper on top of the dough and fill the bottom with either rice or beans. (Note: I used to always do this but not anymore as my shell doesn't bubble up anymore everytime I make it)</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes. Take the parchment paper and the beans/rice off, then continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes until it's golden brown.</li>
<li>Let cool in the ring.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Lemon Cream</b><br />
<br />
200 g whole eggs (4 eggs)<br />
240 g granulated sugar<br />
160 g fresh Meyer lemon juice<br />
zest from the lemons<br />
300 g unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Rub the zest with the sugar using your finger until the sugar is moistened with lemon oil.</li>
<li>* On a double boiler, combine the sugar, eggs and juice.</li>
<li>* Whisk/stir constantly until the mixture reaches 85-86 C.</li>
<li>* Strain the mixture and let cool to about 55-60 C and put it in a blender (if you don't have a hand-held blender)</li>
<li>Add the butter a couple of pieces at a time, to make an emulsion. The mixture will lighten in color. Continue running the blender for a few minutes after all of the butter has been added to ensure the airy and light cream. Make sure stop and run the blender a few times to avoid over-heating.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into prepared crust and refrigerate.</li>
<li>Consume within the same day if possible. The crust would get soggy if it stays too long.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Macarons</b><br />
<br />
150 g almond powder<br />
150 g confectioners' sugar<br />
55 g old or "aged" egg whites, room temperature<br />
150 g granulated sugar<br />
40 ml water<br />
55 g old or "aged" egg whites, room temperature<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sift the almond powder and confectioners' sugar together. Set aside.</li>
<li>Combine the granulated sugar and the water in a saucepan and cook until it reaches 245F. Don't stir the syrup as you will end up with crystallized mass.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, while the sugar is cooking and has reached 239F, start whipping the aged egg white on medium speed until it forms a soft peak.</li>
<li>When the sugar is ready, pour the cooked syrup in a steady stream over the meringue with the mixer running on slow. It will splatter, but don't try to scrape them into the meringue as you would get lumps.</li>
<li>Increase the speed to high and continue beating until you have a stiff glossy meringue.</li>
<li>Mix the first egg white with the almond-sugar mixture and blend together.</li>
<li>Fold in the meringue into this almond mixture in addition.</li>
<li>Add about a third of the meringue and fold progressively, then proceed with another third of the meringue and fold it in.</li>
<li>Don't overfold the batter as you would have a gloppy mess. Consistency is really important at this point, some people say that it should flow like a lava (I don't know how lava flows though). If you're not sure, try piping a little dollop and see if it leaves a peak that will not spread or if it spreads too fast. You should still see a little peak after you pipe, but the peak should disappear or almost disappear after you pipe a row of them.</li>
<li>Put the batter in a piping bag with round tip (I used a tip with approximately 9mm in diameter) and pipe the macaron batter on top of silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.</li>
<li>Bake at 325F for about 14-15 minutes. (Note: this varies on the oven. This time, I baked it in confection oven at 275F for 14 minutes)</li>
<li>Once baked, slide the silpat or parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Peel each macaron shell carefully.</li>
<li>Fill the macarons.</li>
</ul>
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<div>
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<b>White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream</b><br />
<br /></div>
1 stick (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
45g white chocolate<br />
1 Tbs (15g) heavy cream<br />
200g lemon cream<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Melt the white chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave, let cool</li>
<li>Beat the butter in the mixer until light and creamy and add in the white chocolate mixture. mix until well-blended</li>
<li>Add the lemon cream</li>
</ul>
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-15711083874988425862018-02-13T22:36:00.001-08:002018-02-14T10:13:07.986-08:00Valentine Cake Idea - Raspberry Rose Lychee Cake<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ni-agQQwXa4/WoPQs699dGI/AAAAAAAAU-c/9hsKU4-_QussrsBwvOBrN1bChUxt4yhjQCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart3.png">
<img class="bimg" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ni-agQQwXa4/WoPQs699dGI/AAAAAAAAU-c/9hsKU4-_QussrsBwvOBrN1bChUxt4yhjQCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart3.png" />
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<div class="ptext">
It's Valentine's day today and while it might be too late for anyone looking for Valentine cake idea, at least this can be an inspiration for other occasion, whether it's the decor idea, or the cake idea. You can change up the shape as you'd like, such as numbers, circles, alphabets, or anything at all.
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My husband and I have never been into Valentine. In fact, we always opt not to go anywhere during Valentine's day as restaurants are all booked and everywhere is so crowded. If anything, we'd try to schedule it maybe the day after as there is no line to get into our favorite restaurants #notafanwaitinginline. I think if I remember correctly, he gave me flowers on the first year of dating, and even then, it was delivered by the flower company as he was on a business trip.
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<img class="bimg" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zBOA3aPezKs/WoPQ0Qa7oxI/AAAAAAAAU-k/geEToqTS4F81IJDeT38GF0jbOU8v5y_GgCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart4.png" />
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<img class="bimg" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xYUcL3faMU/WoPQ1xJOcmI/AAAAAAAAU-o/aXe52zqpro0zDmzxKzqbby8LB1MP2RI9wCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart5.png" />
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<div class="ptext">
<br />
So why did I make this cake you might ask? I don't know exactly. My husband is not a big cake eater and we both know that we'd rather stuff our face with taco or ramen instead of a pretty cake or a box of chocolate wrapped in a bow anytime. It might be all the pretty pink stuff I kept seeing on the instagram or blogs. I'm a sucker for anything pink and even though we don't celebrate Valentine, I have always loved seeing and making anything Valentine-inspired, they're all so pretty and so delicious-sounding! Just think how good all these desserts are, raspberry sorbet and champagne or prosecco, creme brulee, molten lava cake, even just plain ol' brownies excite me!
</div>
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<div class="ptext">
This cake is more of an idea than a recipe. Lately, I have been seeing this kind of cake decor, shaped in mainly numbers or alphabets. I was so intrigued by the pretty decor that I was willing to make all the different components for the decoration, and that's not usually my favorite thing to do. You can of course change up the decor on the top of the cake or the color scheme, depending on the flavor or occasion. I saw people used all chocolate decor instead (think kit kat, Reese's, Ferrero, etc.), a good use of those leftover Thanksgiving candies.
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<table style="width: 100%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6HD58iIV7E/WoPQteXXC1I/AAAAAAAAU-g/OAlEg62tzAI2iiNoctDlHI5BXnhKuhkDwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart1.png">
<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W6HD58iIV7E/WoPQteXXC1I/AAAAAAAAU-g/OAlEg62tzAI2iiNoctDlHI5BXnhKuhkDwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart1.png" style="margin-right: 0.25em; max-height: auto; width: 98%;" />
</a>
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<th><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CtHaKeOEIE/WoPQsTXsn6I/AAAAAAAAU-Y/fCDqHWYb3Qohm36BgUu_GlwuPo6CUak-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart2.png">
<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CtHaKeOEIE/WoPQsTXsn6I/AAAAAAAAU-Y/fCDqHWYb3Qohm36BgUu_GlwuPo6CUak-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart2.png" style="margin-left: 0.25em; max-height: auto; width: 98%;" />
</a>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
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</tbody></table>
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<div class="ptext">
I love how it turned out, it was so pretty (if I can say so myself)! It is so different than the entremets I have been making, in which my motto has always been "less is more". This cake has flowers, meringue cookies, macarons, raspberries, the more the merrier. If it wasn't for all the different decorations, I would say this cake is pretty straight-forward to make. The inside of the cake is raspberry jelly that I spread on top of the cake, followed by dollops of rose-flavored mascarpone cream, topped with lychee pieces.
</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_j_AdzZ9JM/WoPQ9qI5ZyI/AAAAAAAAU-0/EWhJOxOhPTskQpEJCyIhYEmYwePsdSZuwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart8.png">
<img class="bimg" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_j_AdzZ9JM/WoPQ9qI5ZyI/AAAAAAAAU-0/EWhJOxOhPTskQpEJCyIhYEmYwePsdSZuwCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart8.png" />
</a>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3LF370bmZQ/WoPQ90tZ8aI/AAAAAAAAU-4/pA74-ZiVs4cioD-UOHUdYBOqhvHkJbI5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart9.png">
<img class="bimg" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3LF370bmZQ/WoPQ90tZ8aI/AAAAAAAAU-4/pA74-ZiVs4cioD-UOHUdYBOqhvHkJbI5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart9.png" />
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
I took the middle heart cut-out and do the same with the filling without the 2nd layer of cake on top, decorated simply with raspberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. It would look super glam with red roses all over the top of the cake too! It's one of my favorite look for romantic cake, though sadly I don't have any roses in hand (except the tiny ones I used to decorate the big cake).
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<div class="ptext">
For a simpler idea, you can also do strawberry shortcake this way. Either use the same mascarpone cream or just plain heavy cream (I love orange flavored cream with strawberries), topped with strawberry slices. Then you can decorate the top with strawberries instead of raspberry. Or how about the chocolate version with chocolate cake, chocolate cream/ganache topped with chocolate shavings maybe? Endless possibilities.
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-svLa9qWFulk/WoPQ2DIi8xI/AAAAAAAAU-s/fq1oyRnU6Z071BJlkKDTCtRiYfCWBVwQgCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart6.png">
<img class="bimg" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-svLa9qWFulk/WoPQ2DIi8xI/AAAAAAAAU-s/fq1oyRnU6Z071BJlkKDTCtRiYfCWBVwQgCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart6.png" />
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
Off topic here, if you're wondering why I took a few month-break right after I said I was back? Well, it turned out that baby #2 is coming! It was a surprise (at least timing-wise), and I began feeling the nauseous feeling while making a wedding cake a few months ago. I haven't posted it here yet, but you can follow my instagram @the.bs.life for a sneak peak. The day after the wedding, I was pretty much a dead meat. I couldn't stand up, walk, eat, or anything at all! I have never been the best at pregnancy, I was bed-ridden for both pregnancy for about 3-4 months. This pregnancy took longer, about 20 weeks before I can start feeling like a person again.
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<div class="ptext">
I am in the middle of my 2nd trimester and while I have been cooking up a storm almost daily in my kitchen, things I baked have been mostly comfort cake, childhood desserts. But as Spring is coming, I am itching for strawberry dessert, lemon, anything bright. In fact, my aunt-in-law just sent us a huge bag of gorgeous meyer lemons, now sitting prettily on my counter. The infamous lemon tart might be coming soon from my kitchen.
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<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: large;">Raspberry Rose and Lychee Cake</span><br />
<br />
<i><b><u>Sponge cake</u></b></i> - (use any of your favorite sponge or chiffon cake)<br />
<br />
<i><b><u>Mascarpone Cream</u></b></i><br />
8-oz mascarpone cheese<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
5 tsp. rose water<br />
<ul>
<li>Combine everything in a mixer bowl and whisk until stiff</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i><b><u>Raspberry Jelly</u></b></i> - refer to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/a-remake-of-ambroisie.html">this recipe</a>, or use store-bought jam for a shortcut, though the overall flavor will be much sweeter
</div>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<i><b><u>Lychee</u></b></i> - I used canned lychee that I chopped up, squeezed out the juice
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<div class="ptext">
<i><b><u>Decoration Ideas:</u></b></i>
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<div class="ptext">
<b>Macarons</b> - refer to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2011/01/assorted-and-colorful-macarons-for.html">this recipe</a>
</div>
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<div class="ptext">
<b>Meringue Cookies</b>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
1 egg white
</div>
<div class="ptext">
50g sugar
</div>
<div class="ptext">
1/8 tsp. of cream tartar
</div>
<div class="ptext">
vanilla or other flavoring (optional)
</div>
<div class="ptext">
pink food coloring (optional)
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul>
<li>Whisk the white in a bowl of electric mixer until foamy</li>
<li>Add cream of tartar and continue beating until foamy</li>
<li>Add sugar a little at a time while the mixer still running</li>
<li>Add your flavoring/coloring at this point</li>
<li>Continue beating until it is stiff and glossy</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 225F</li>
<li>Pipe the meringue on a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper</li>
<li>Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and leave it in the oven for another hour</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<i><b><u>To Assemble:</u></b></i>
</div>
<div class="ptext">
<ul>
<li>Place one layer of sponge cake on a plate or cake board</li>
<li>Spread raspberry jam on top</li>
<li>Pipe dollops of mascarpone cream on top of the jam</li>
<li>Scatter the lychee pieces on top of the cream</li>
<li>Top with the 2nd layer of sponge cake</li>
<li>Pipe second layer of dollops of mascarpone cream on top</li>
<li>Decorate to your heart content</li>
</ul>
</div>
Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-10044178229328986632017-10-09T00:43:00.001-07:002017-10-09T00:43:31.332-07:00Rouge Entremet<div>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsrFH4z1Qjc/WdHptzMf8II/AAAAAAAAT2Y/q5giVs3OpLcRaVlvwgb_Jb05xnQ_CBkowCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0100%2Bcopy.jpg">
<img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsrFH4z1Qjc/WdHptzMf8II/AAAAAAAAT2Y/q5giVs3OpLcRaVlvwgb_Jb05xnQ_CBkowCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0100%2Bcopy.jpg" class='bimg'/>
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
Hi there! I just survived a busy 2-week! I was neck-deep buried in pounds of fondant, raspberries, white chocolate, gallons of cream, you name it, all for the wedding of sweet couple friends (sneak peak on Instagram @the.bs.life). Post and tutorial coming soon.<br />
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Today I want to share this red hot cake I made a few weeks back for sis-in-law's Big 4-0 birthday celebration.
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I was told that it was only a family celebration, so I wanted to go crazy with new flavor combination at first (your family makes the best people to experiment with - new cake that is) . Think caramel, mango, passionfruit, hazelnut, all in one cake. But I learned later on that they have some family members visiting from Hongkong and London, in time for the birthday celebration, so I quickly changed the original plan as nothing is worse than serving a failed experiment cake on new people. It sets the standard, you know.
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7labZ1Jldw/WdHpuFRC9qI/AAAAAAAAT2c/9HSALPQ7D4USeQkL0xFIDE1NPuAfbG7ygCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0103%2Bcopy.jpg">
<img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7labZ1Jldw/WdHpuFRC9qI/AAAAAAAAT2c/9HSALPQ7D4USeQkL0xFIDE1NPuAfbG7ygCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0103%2Bcopy.jpg" class="bimg"/>
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
I was perusing one of my favorite cake sites and I gotta be honest, I like looking at the pictures, reading the recipe to find out what components they're made of, rather than actually wanting to try the recipe most of the time, though I did try some of them in the past. I decided to try this one called <a href="http://cakechef.info/special/seiichirou_hara/rouge/index.html">Rouge</a>. It consists of crunchy almond praline, chocolate joconde, chocolate mousse, pistachio cream, and raspberry glaze. It reminds me so much of the infamous <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/a-remake-of-ambroisie.html">Ambroisie</a> by Hidemi Sugino, which is one of my all time favorite cake to make. So in one hand, it is new because it is new recipe, but on the other hand, I sorta knew what to expect since chocolate and pistachio is a failed-proof combo.
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<div class="ptext">
To be honest, what drew me in at first was the red color. I've always wanted to try making a red glaze and most of them are using fondant. This one is the standard translucent glaze and raspberry puree, which I have done a lot in the past with mango and other flavors
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rh4wY-K_aI/WdHpw1LEHyI/AAAAAAAAT20/sPoIXrQL5qYbhldcjvfXG7fpAeLr_oNGACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0143%2Bcopy.jpg">
<img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rh4wY-K_aI/WdHpw1LEHyI/AAAAAAAAT20/sPoIXrQL5qYbhldcjvfXG7fpAeLr_oNGACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0143%2Bcopy.jpg" class="bimg"/>
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<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFyU8oE_U-Q/WdHpxZtRjkI/AAAAAAAAT20/9F5YuyUvTjE0uEWipFUHq2ZQijkzFm1wACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0148%2Bcopy.jpg" class="bimg"/>
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
I made my own almond praline this time. Not trying to be fancy or anything, but it is literally caused by lack of planning. I thought my fancy Walmart had it (hey, they carry Escargot!), but they didn't and it was too late to order it through Amazon prime. I will do a separate post on how I did this, but it is pretty straight forward, just needs a little patience
</div>
</br>
<div class="ptext">
While making the cake, I had the urge to put a layer of raspberry confiture on top of the joconde, as I thought it would definitely benefit from it, but I resisted and followed the recipe instead.<br />
I didn't have raspberry extract, so I put a tiny bit of gel red food coloring to make the color more vivid.
</div>
<br />
<div class="ptext">
I would say the raspberry glaze is there only for the look, I like using the chocolate glaze better just like Mr. Sugino did, but this cake was also a winner! What makes it different than Ambroisie is that this has a crunchy layer underneath, that itself makes the cake tasted different than the former.
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zNozMT68UXM/WdHpw3LBYUI/AAAAAAAAT20/GGcCZp_t4Wwy4ZnDt4v8a5WO5eVNDuZIgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0140%2Bcopy.jpg">
<img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zNozMT68UXM/WdHpw3LBYUI/AAAAAAAAT20/GGcCZp_t4Wwy4ZnDt4v8a5WO5eVNDuZIgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0140%2Bcopy.jpg" class="bimg"/>
</a>
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<div class="ptext">
The recipe below has been adapted to the method I am familiar with and with ingredients that's easily accessible. The recipe calls for two kinds of pistachio paste, roasted and fresh, but I only have the roasted one, so that's all I used. The brand I used is Sevarome and it is quite potent, so I didn't feel the need to add the fresh one. The chocolate mousse recipe is creme anglaise based, and using both bittersweet and milk chocolate, resulting in smooth and not-so-bitter mousse. It doesn't use any gelatin to stabilize it, which I prefer, but it stands up beautifully after it sets.
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<div class="ptext">
Since I am making the cake into a big cake instead of individual serving like the site did, I used two layers of the joconde instead of one. I also made a raspberry soaking syrup to brush onto the joconde, which the original recipe didn't call for.
</div>
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<div class="ptext">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Rouge</span><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://cakechef.info/special/seiichirou_hara/rouge/index.html">cakechef</a><span id="goog_1553208116"></span><br />
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<i><b>Chocolate Joconde</b></i><br />
110g almond powder (I use the fine kind, the same one to make macarons, such as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLLV2D0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00CLLV2D0&linkId=a1df2c608ac7da305299a3c56764ca62">this one</a>)<br />
110g powdered sugar<br />
110g egg yolks<br />
50g egg whites<br />
210g egg whites<br />
65g sugar<br />
85g all-purpose flour<br />
30g cocoa powder (this is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLTNL4Q/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00BLTNL4Q&linkId=2f331587fa6511c63b60b52d49fc6617">the brand</a> I have been using for glaze, cake, and everything)<br />
40g butter, melted<br />
<ul>
<li>Sift the almond powder and powdered sugar together and put it in a mixer bowl</li>
<li>Add egg yolks and the 50g egg whites</li>
<li>Mix until thick and pale yellow</li>
<li>In a separate mixer bowl, make meringue with 210g egg whites and sugar</li>
<li>Fold the meringue into the almond mixture in additions</li>
<li>Then fold in the melted butter</li>
<li>Bake in a half-sheet pan at 220C (425F) until done (my oven went error at this point, turning off the timer and the heat altogether, but I would say it was around 8-10 mnts.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>30Ā°B Sugar Syrup</b> </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">20g sugar </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">15g water</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Boil together and let cool</li>
</ul>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Sirop d'imbibage</b></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">20g 30Ā°B Sugar Syrup</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">15g water</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">15g eau-de-vie de framboise</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Mix all the ingredients together<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Crunchy Almond Praline</b></i><br />
88g feuilletine<br />
64g bittersweet chocolate, (I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5UZ1RE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I5UZ1RE&linkId=17c92dfb9dc4c65fd8627dbee6c2ecc4">Valrhona Alpaco</a>, use any good bittersweet chocolate)<br />
40g almond praline paste<br />
<ul>
<li>Melt the chocolate and mix it with almond praline</li>
<li>Fold in the feuilletine</li>
<li>Spread it in the bottom of 8 3/4" cake ring or any mold of your choice</li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Pistachio Cream</b></i><br />
140g milk<br />
40g egg yolks<br />
35g sugar<br />
3.3g gelatin plate or 1 tsp. powdered gelatin<br />
100g heavy cream<br />
50g pistachio paste (thinned out a bit with tiny bit of water)<br />
<ul>
<li>Make bavarian cream by heating the milk in a saucepan until it boils</li>
<li>Whisk the yolks, sugar, and pistachio paste</li>
<li>Temper the yolk with the boiling milk and put the whole thing back in the saucepan</li>
<li>On a low heat and continuous stirring, bring the mixture to 84C</li>
<li>Add the soften gelatin plate (you need to soak it in cold water first), or the powdered gelatin (add a little bit of water to dissolve it, then melt it for a few seconds in the microwave)</li>
<li>Strain it and cool in an icebath</li>
<li>Whip the heavy cream until soft peak and fold it into the cooled egg mixture</li>
<li>Pour into 8" round mold or cake pan that has been lined with plastic wrap (for easy removal) and put it in the freezer.</li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Chocolate Mousse</b></i><br />
110g heavy cream<br />
110g milk<br />
60g egg yolk<br />
18g sugar<br />
195g bittersweet chocolate, (I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5UZ1RE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I5UZ1RE&linkId=17c92dfb9dc4c65fd8627dbee6c2ecc4">Valrhona Alpaco</a>, use any good bittersweet chocolate)<br />
65g milk chocolate (I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5UZFO8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I5UZFO8&linkId=5068a27b864c8c65e2c9472d47c21dde">Valrhona Jivara</a>, but you can use any good milk chocolate)<br />
455g heavy cream<br />
<ul>
<li>Mix the 110g heavy cream and milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil</li>
<li>Whisk the egg yolk and sugar until the sugar dissolves</li>
<li>Temper the boiled cream to the egg yolk mixture and put it back in a saucepan</li>
<li>Bring the mixture to 84C, stirring constantly, on a low heat</li>
<li>Combine both chocolate and melt it</li>
<li>Pour the hot creme anglaise on the chocolate and mix well</li>
<li>Whip the rest of the heavy cream until soft peak and fold it into the chocolate mixture</li>
<li>Use immediately</li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Red Raspberry Glaze</b></i><br />
<i>Enough for 8 3/4" round cake</i><br />
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3 cups translucent glaze, use the recipe in <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/passion-fruit-and-raspberry-tart.html#more">this post</a><br />
180g raspberry puree<br />
red food coloring<br />
<ul>
<li>Heat the translucent glaze and add the raspberry puree and red coloring. Mix well</li>
<li>You can also make this in advance. Just heat it in the microwave and stir well. Avoid creating air bubbles</li>
</ul>
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<i><b>To Assemble</b></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Cut the joconde smaller than the cake mold. I used 8 3/4" cake ring to assemble, and cut the cake into 8" round</li>
<li>Assembling everything in the cake ring, assemble in the following order: crunchy almond layer, chocolate joconde, soaking syrup, chocolate mousse, cake, syrup, thin chocolate mousse, frozen pistachio cream, chocolate mousse</li>
<li>Freeze everything at least 4 hours or overnight.</li>
<li>Unmold the ring by heating the outside with a torch or hair dryer. Put it back in the freezer while getting the glaze ready</li>
<li>Heat the glaze and let it cool to 38C</li>
<li>Pour the glaze on the frozen cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving to let everything thaw.</li>
</ul>
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</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-42443457357500494332017-09-04T12:55:00.000-07:002017-09-04T18:53:55.099-07:00Pistache Noisette Entremet (Pistachio Hazelnut Entremet)<div>
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Hi there!<br />
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Boy, has it really been 2.5 years? A lot sure happened during that time and this little page of mine been forgotten.<br />
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Well, let's start with this blog. I took time off for 2.5 years focusing on my (not so) baby in the beginning and one thing led to another, this blog did not get any attention.<br />
My daughter just turned 3 last week. Yup, how we went from newborn to a whole three years in just a blink of an eye is beyond me, but now she has become a little tiny lady who loves exploring and socializing, though quite a handful at times. </div>
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During my hiatus, I regularly received email almost daily. Many asked why I didn't update the blog anymore and if I am going to go back doing it again (and I really appreciate it). I knew I wanted to continue growing this blog to something I originally intended to do, which was to share my love for all things baking, and who knows, it might turn into something more.<br />
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The older readers might noticed that the blog looks a bit different now. A few months before Sophie (my daughter) turned three, I toyed with the idea of writing again, especially since I have also been back to baking quite a bit. I decided to do it after the 3rd birthday celebration with the help of my husband. He helped me giving a little facelift for the blog and making it not so ancient-looking (though he didn't admit it, I think he secretly enjoys doing it). It might still look like it is all over the place but it is slowly coming along and (hopefully) better than before. Changes are still gonna happen a little at a time, but for the better.
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To start this new chapter, I am sharing an entremet I made this summer for a birthday, also marked the first entremet of the year.
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For this cake, I wanted to try new pairing but still familiar flavors and decided on hazelnut and pistachio (maybe keep those Szechuan pepper flavor for some other time). Normally, I like to pair pistachio with anything berries and hazelnut with chocolate, whisky, or coffee!, so this is somewhat new but also not completely strange flavor.<br />
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This cake consists of hazelnut dacquoise, crunchy hazelnut and pistachio praline, chocolate hazelnut mousse, chocolate joconde, and pistachio bavaroise. I know I tried to make life more complicated by using two different types of cake (dacquoise and joconde), you don't have to and can only use either one for both layers, but I love playing with textures and always try to make something that has different texture for each component.
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Chocolate and hazelnut are both strong flavors and would easily overpower other flavors, so I wanted to make sure the pistachio is noticeable, not something in the background, or worse, an aftertaste. I have been using Sevarome pistachio paste for years now and the price is not for the faint of heart, but I am not sure if I can go back to using other brands now. I used a bit more than what I normally would if I were to pair it with fruits to make sure the flavor is not lost.<br />
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This recipe is enough to make 8" square cake, 2" high and I think the proportion is perfect. I prefer a cake to be shorter for richer cakes to avoid feeling too much, but you can adjust the proportion according to your cake mold.<br />
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Enjoy!
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<b>Pistache Noisette Entremet (Pistachio Hazelnut Entremet)</b><br />
Makes one 8" square, 2"high cake<br />
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<i><b>Chocolate Joconde</b></i><br />
55g almond powder<br />
55g powdered sugar<br />
55g egg yolks<br />
25g egg whites<br />
105g egg whites<br />
30g sugar<br />
40g all-purpose flour<br />
15g cocoa powder<br />
20g butter, melted<br />
<ul>
<li>Sift together the cake flour and the cocoa powder. Set aside.</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Combine the almond powder, powdered sugar, egg yolks, and 25g egg whites together and whisk until thick and pale</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">On a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy and add the sugar a little at a time until it forms firm peak</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Fold some of the meringue into the yolk mixture to lighten it.</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Add in the sifted flour mixture, and fold well.</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Fold in the rest of the meringue</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Fold in the melted butter</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Spread the batter into 9x13" pan</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Bake in the oven at 220C for 5-6 minutes</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Cut to size</li>
</ul>
<i><b><br />Crunchy Hazelnut Praline</b></i><br />
65g <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OWYERM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B007OWYERM&linkId=3d92ba3a3747fa0f2d4ac656dc8e0b91">feuilletine</a><br />
25g chopped pistachio<br />
40g <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5UZ1RE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I5UZ1RE&linkId=48bb7487d64d5cf83b45ccac251d2e06">dark chocolate</a> (I used Valrhona 66% Alpaco, but you can use any bittersweet chocolate)<br />
40g <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">hazelnut praline</a><br />
<ul>
<li>Melt the chocolate and mix with the rest of the ingredients</li>
<li>Spread the mixture on top of chocolate joconde inside a cake ring</li>
</ul>
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<i><b><br />Hazelnut Dacquoise</b></i></div>
<div>
100g egg whites</div>
<div>
35g sugar</div>
<div>
70g hazelnut powder</div>
<div>
25g powdered sugar</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Sift the hazelnut powder and powdered sugar together. Set aside</li>
<li>Make a meringue with the egg whites and the sugar</li>
<li>Fold in the sifted hazelnut powder mixture</li>
<li>Spread on top of 9" square cake ring/cake pan</li>
<li>Bake at 350F for 20 minutes</li>
<li>Cut to 8" square</li>
</ul>
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<i><b><br />Pistachio Bavaroise</b></i></div>
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80g whole milk</div>
<div>
40g egg yolks</div>
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15g sugar</div>
<div>
30g pistachio paste (I use Sevarome pistachio paste)</div>
<div>
2 sheets gelatin, soften in water (or use 3/4 tsp. powdered gelatin dissolved in 1 Tbs. water)</div>
<div>
150g heavy cream, whisk to soft peak</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Heat the milk in a saucepan</li>
<li>Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and pistachio paste</li>
<li>Temper the hot milk into the yolk mixture and put it back in the pan</li>
<li>Bring the mixture to 84C on a low heat, stirring constantly to avoid the egg being scrambled</li>
<li>Turn off the heat and put the gelatin sheet in (or powdered gelatin that has been melted in a microwave). Mix well</li>
<li>Strain into a bowl and cool on an ice bath</li>
<li>Once cooled, fold the heavy cream in</li>
</ul>
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<i><b><br />Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse</b></i></div>
<div>
30g <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DGXLH7S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00DGXLH7S&linkId=c4364a76873a71a587711fc07e05ceee">milk chocolate</a>, (I used Valrhona Jivara, but you can use any good milk chocolate)</div>
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40g <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5UZ1RE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I5UZ1RE&linkId=48bb7487d64d5cf83b45ccac251d2e06">dark chocolate</a>, (I used Valrhona 66% Alpaco, but you can use any bittersweet chocolate)</div>
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10g gianduja paste</div>
<div>
30g egg yolks</div>
<div>
15g water</div>
<div>
25g sugar</div>
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10g <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VD40HE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gourmetbaking-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B006VD40HE&linkId=080dd308958f5431f59e73a006435eb2">trimoline</a>, or glucose, (this is to prevent caramelization and to make things moist in general. Can be skipped)</div>
<div>
2 sheets gelatin, soften in water (or use 3/4 tsp. powdered gelatin dissolved in 1 Tbs. water)</div>
<div>
180g heavy cream, whisk to soft peak</div>
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<ul>
<li>Make pate a bombe with the yolk, water, sugar, and trimoline.</li>
<li>Add the gelatin while the pate a bombe is still hot</li>
<li>Keep whisking the mixture until cooled</li>
<li>Melt both chocolate and mix in the gianduja paste, let it cool a bit and add it to pate a bombe mixture</li>
<li>Fold the heavy cream</li>
</ul>
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-44752912252112269902015-02-05T21:58:00.000-08:002017-08-18T19:39:49.010-07:00Banana, Caramel and Hazelnut Entremet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been making lots of entremet lately since it takes quite some time to make and time is very precious to me lately. I went back to work last December after my 4-month maternity leave, and I am busier than ever.
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Before I was back to work, I managed to make this banana, caramel, and hazelnut entremet for my nephew's birthday. I wasn't actually in the mood of spending a great deal in the kitchen since sleep was always my preferred action whenever I have any time, but I had some leftover cake components in the freezer that I wanted to use up before they go bad. And I am glad I did because the cake turned out to be delicious! One of the cake I am proud of.</div>
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I've always loved the combination of banana and caramel, I love banana in a cake in general, but I have been curious how it might be if I combine it with hazelnut. I've seen some people did it, and in my mind, it would taste great. So what's a better occasion to experiment than your own family's birthday :). When people heard caramel, the first thing they think (at least me) is sweet, sweet, sweet. It is true, caramel is sweet but you can balance it out with salt (LOVE salted caramel!) or make it into a mousse where you can adjust the amount of caramel goes in there.</div>
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I had a couple layers of chocolate layer cake available in the freezer, as well as a layer of chocolate hazelnut mousse, so that's going to be the base of my cake. I made a crunchy feuilletine layer (this is a must for me everytime I make any kind of chocolate or hazelnut cake), then I made caramelized bananas and rum raisin filling from<a href="http://vintagetrinkets.blogspot.com/2010/12/ailette.html">this recipe</a> as well as the caramel mousse. I had to adjust the caramel mousse to my liking. I used less caramel in the mousse, and added vanilla bean sea salt in it.
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Everyone who ate the cake really liked it. It wasn't too sweet, it was very aromatic with banana, and the feuilletine added a perfect crunch which is always great in a cake. Sadly, I didn't write down the adjustment I made to the caramel mousse. I was just keep adding the caramel and tasting it at the same time until it reached my desired sweetness. Same thing with the salt. Next time I make this (which I will), I will make everything again from the beginning, no leftover stuff so that I can really write down the recipe.
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I broke the leftover feuilletine into pieces and used it as decoration. For the top, I put some caramel randomly, pour some clear glaze, and smear it with a metal spatula. I really liked how it turned out.
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Since then, I have made a couple more but not too many. I am mostly making a simple cake that I can enjoy as a snack these days.
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-48616514722442515862014-11-21T12:03:00.002-08:002017-08-18T21:14:30.563-07:00Product Review: Silicon Baking Cups<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hello,<br />
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I thought I would pop in to let you guys know that I am still here. This blog has been abandoned for so long (for a good reason), but I want to try to go back posting more often.<br />
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As some of you may know from the last post that I was pregnant and I gave birth to my precious daughter last August. Time has surely flown by since then. It wasn't easy for sure, there were tears, there were a lot of hospital visits, lack of sleeps, and everything else. Now that the baby is a bit older (she just turned 3 months), I am so lucky that she could sleep through the night (mostly), and she is such a good baby. But still, I feel like I need more time every day. I am enjoying being a stay-home mom, but I have to go back to work in three weeks and I am dreading leaving my baby alone :(.
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Anyways, enough about that. Now let me tell you about this silicon baking cups.<br />
I was contacted by the New York Baking Company representative a few weeks before my baby arrived to see if I wanted to review their silicon baking cups. I don't use silicon mold often but hey why not. It's a good opportunity to finally get my hands on them. I was going to do that before my due date, but we were in the middle of finalizing the purchase of our house, moving in a rush before baby arrived, and the coming of the baby earlier than predicted, it was a pretty stressful time for sure. Long story short, I didn't get to bake anything with it until recently.</div>
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I baked with it a few times already to make sure that my review is solid (this is my first time doing review), but I thought it would be best to do the review it using the recipe I make thousands of times to see what difference does it make.
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One of the recipes I made was <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2011/06/old-fashioned-banana-and-chocolate-chip.html">banana muffins</a>. I can make this with my eyes closed probably, and it is so fast too. I used both silicon baking cups and the regular paper baking cups just to compare. There are pros and cons about this cups. The first impression when I opened it was that it was very flimsy, I wouldn't use it without a muffin tin, so, no pro in that area since it is the same as paper baking cups.
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I filled both silicon and paper cups with the same amount of batter but the ones in the silicon cups don't rise as much as the ones in the paper cups, which I thought would make the cake denser. It also takes longer to bake (to brown) compared to the paper cups.
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I baked another recipe before this and it didn't rise as much either. I thought it was the recipe's fault because it was a new one, but I guess it is the silicon cups
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Then the true and final test, the tasting. I depend a lot of my hubby for this. He is real picky about what he eats. This banana muffin is one of the few things he would devour regularly, so he might be the best judge. I warned him that it might be denser since it doesn't rise as much. Lo and behold, he came back to me and said that, too bad that I said so many negative reviews about it because the muffins that were baked in it are so much more moist!!!!
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These muffins are moist to begin with, but hearing that it is more moist, that's definitely the biggest pro toward these cups. The ones in the paper cups are dryer on the edges, which is expected since it is the outer part of the muffin and would be exposed the most to the heat. While the ones in the silicon cups baked evenly, no dry edges.<br />
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So here's the summary of my review:
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<b>Pros:</b><br />
- Make the cake more moist!<br />
- Very easy to unmold, just slide right off <br />
- Great to have around since it is reuseable, especially when you are out of paper cups<br />
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<b>Cons:</b><br />
- Still needs a muffin pan since the material is thin<br />
- The cake doesn't rise as much<br />
- Takes a bit longer to bake<br />
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- Washing is a bit of a pain since there are a lot of ridges, compared to paper cups which you can just throw away.<br />
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Despite having more cons than pros, I would use this baking cups for my muffins from now on since my biggest and pickiest customer (read: my husband) loves the result much more. So that's definitely a win for the silicon cups. <br />
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Here's where you can find it at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rated-Silicone-Baking-Cupcake-Liners/dp/B00HG95V52/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1416600269&sr=1-1&keywords=silicone+baking+cups">Amazon</a>, along with my review.<br />
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On a different topic, I find myself baking quite a bit lately, mostly simple cake though. Since I am at home all day everyday, I need some kind of snack I could munch on. I did bake a couple entremets though, hopefully I could post that soon.
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-24521834215235734342014-05-27T17:45:00.000-07:002017-08-18T21:15:25.222-07:00Japanese Cheesecake with Green Tea Swirls
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I didn't do much on Memorial Day weekend yesterday. M left to Korea for a business trip, and I went to work on Monday while everyone else was in the pool or BBQ enjoying the sun. I was planning on doing a lot of baking but I didn't do as much as I wanted too. In fact, I only made different components for this and that, but no finished dessert yet. My long-time friend came to visit from Indonesia so we hung out for quite a bit. He was here when I started my early baking life so he got to taste some of my first cakes. I am making some of them while he's here, along with some other desserts like lemon tart.
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That aside, I want to post a very simple cake that I made a while ago. I had a tiny bit of cream cheese left after making the cheesecakes and the raspberry white chocolate and I didn't want it to go to waste. I decided to make this Japanese Cheesecake that I haven't made in years. This is also one of the cakes that I used to make a lot when I started baking. it is very simple, not quite like NY cheesecake, more like cheese-flavored sponge cake, but creamier, and lemony from the lemon zests. I decided to add green tea swirl to it as I think they will go really well together.
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It only makes three 4" round cheesecakes but it was perfect for anytime dessert, with tea or coffee. This cake used to be one of my favorite cakes to make as it was easy and it pleases people, back when Japanese cheesecake was really popular among Asian community.
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I made other variations before, but Japanese Cheesecakes are usually topped with fresh fruits. Here are some of the ones I made in the past, <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2008/08/japanese-cheesecake.html">plain with apricot glaze</a>, <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2007/12/japanese-cheesecake-with-fresh-fruits.html">strawberries and decorated with cream for bday</a>, and <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2008/04/mini-japanese-cheesecake-jcc.html">the latest one was topped with different kinds of fruits</a>
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If you put it in the fridge, then the texture will be denser and creamier. If you leave it at room temperature, it will be much lighter.
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<b>Japanese Cheesecake</b>
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Taken from "Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake" from <a href="http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/2312/Recipe.cfm">Diana's Dessert</a><br />
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140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
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6 egg whites
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6 egg yolks
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1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
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50g/2 oz. butter
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250g/9 oz. cream cheese
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100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
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1 tbsp. lemon juice
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60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
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20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
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1/4 tsp. salt
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<b>Instructions</b>:
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1. Melt cream cheese, butter and
milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the
cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well. <br />
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2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. <br />
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3.
Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well. Pour into
a 8-inch round cake pan (Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides
of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper).
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4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). <br />
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Makes 1 (8-inch) cheesecake, 12 servings. <br />
<b>Note:</b> To make the green tea swirl, take a little bit of the batter and add a mixture of matcha powder+a few drops of water to make a thick paste. Combine the two mixture and spoon it on top of the white cheesecake batter. Using a toothpick or chopstick, make a swirl pattern
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-74737432221981451052014-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:002017-08-18T21:16:54.673-07:00White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was one of my brother's birthday about a month ago. We didn't actually have any plan to celebrate it as his wife took him to a weekend getaway to Napa for his birthday.
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The week after, the wife had a last-minute plan to have a gathering with LOTS of cajun-style shrimp among friends (there is this one place that we wanted to try) and a surprise celebration for my brother's birthday, which means that there had to be a cake. It was only two days before the gathering so I didn't have much time to make any fancy cake, not even to think about what cake to make.
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After looking at what I had in my fridge, I decided to make this white chocolate and raspberry cake. This was one of a more complicated cakes I make during my early baking time and it was popular back then. I had some cream cheese left from the cheesecake, and I still have quite a bit of homemade raspberry jam that I made for the wedding cake.
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Normally, I make the raspberry jelly using raspberry puree and gelatin, but I decided to use up the raspberry jam that I thinned out with a little bit of water so that I can pipe it.
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It seems like my decorating skill has improved if you compare it to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2008/11/raspberry-white-chocolate-cream-cheese.html">this</a> and <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2008/03/there-were-no-special-occasion-when-i.html">this</a>, and <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2009/08/black-raspberry-white-chocolate-and.html">this</a> <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2008/10/black-raspberry-and-white-chocolate.html">this</a>, don't you think? at least in my humble opinion :). It was quite fast to make it too, even decorating it. Since I didn't have a square cake ring that's tall enough, I didn't use any mold to assemble this, which makes it difficult to make the top layer super smooth. So I decided to make a pattern just by using spatula, and I think it turned out quite well. This cake is light and perfect for summery weather like this.
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The shrimp was delicious! I think we have a new favorite because it is much closer to where we live. It was the kind of dinner where we used all of our ten fingers to eat, cajun style! and I think there was some martini and tequila involved too :). At the end, I think people left with a happy and full stomach :)
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-13149455054136976382014-04-29T22:31:00.000-07:002017-08-18T23:33:23.545-07:00Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Mango Glaze for A Birthday
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Ah. whether has gotten so nice lately and I've also been baking up a storm in my kitchen. I am excited! I guess I should make use of this time as much as I can to bake as I don't think I can bake often enough (or at all) after the baby is born.
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So I made this cheesecake about a month ago or so.
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After the wedding, I had a lot of roses left from the decoration and I was looking for idea to use it up in a cake, as they are really pretty. A few days after, there was a 42nd wedding anniversary for one of our family members and the birthday of one of them. I was planning to make something romantic for the anniversary cake, something heart-shaped, covered in rose petals, so that I can use up the roses, but the plan got changed. They went out that day and decided to celebrate it the next day, on the birthday.
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I was planning to make a cheesecake from the beginning as it takes no time to make and I know that they both like cheesecake. Since it is no longer to celebrate the anniversary, I decided to top the cake with mango glaze, leftover from the wedding cake, also because they told me that they like the mango better than the chocolate one on the wedding. So, it was a snap to make.
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Nothing different with the cheesecake. I used Alain Ducasse's recipe for this cheesecake with almond crust. The only thing I made differently than last time is that I baked it at higher temperature 275F for a shorter time (I think it took almost 2.5hrs) because I started making this pretty late already and I didn't want to stay up till 2am waiting for this cheesecake to be done.
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I made one big one for the couple celebrating, and one small one for M. He likes his cheesecake plain or with fresh strawberries, so I didn't put anything on top. But we were also sharing some of the smaller cheesecake with someone at work, so I decided to put three different toppings on the cheesecake to make it not-so-plain, chocolate (leftover from chocolate glaze for the wedding cake), mango glaze (also from the wedding) and raspberry. For the raspberry, I simple mixed a bit of the raspberry jam that I made for the wedding with a bit of water to thin it out. It is not as smooth, but it works well.
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Refer <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/08/vanilla-bean-cheesecake-with-jellied.html">here</a> for the recipe
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-65966552872704976562014-04-23T21:00:00.002-07:002017-08-19T16:46:06.895-07:00The Making of A Wedding Cake
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I had the privileged to make a wedding cake for my friends' wedding, H and C about a month ago. They asked me if I could make their wedding cake many months prior to the wedding, before I found out I was pregnant. Their request was pretty specific, they wanted a fondant-decorated dummy cake, and fancier cakes for the actual cake. The wife, C, had a specific cake in mind, that I would make my chocolate-hazelnut cake as one of them. I had made this cake countless time <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/series-of-chocolate-hazelnut-mousse.html">here</a> and <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/10/welcoming-back-cake-chocolate-and.html">here</a> and <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/display-cake-wedding-cakes-and-favors.html">here</a> (and many more not posted since it is the same cake) and each time, I changed it a bit. She wanted two kinds, so I suggested a fruity one. I came up with mango-passion and raspberry cake, similar to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2014/03/mango-and-raspberry-entremet.html">this cake</a>, but with a bit of passion fruit added.
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Then I found out I was pregnant and that I was in bed for 2 months, literally could not get up. I got worried and there was no way I could cancel this since there was not much time, but thankfully, I started to gain my strength back as the wedding got closer. I had to do a whole lot of prep work and tried to start planning, finishing up the design, budgeting, bought materials and everything way before as I could not stand for too long or do much at one time.
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Thank God everything went well, I also had my super DH helping me throughout the whole thing from giving opinions to the design to helping me on site. H and C are also very easy to work with, they pretty much left the design of the tiered cake to me, they just supplied the topper, which makes it easier for me. All I needed was to try to find out what kind of design they like and don't like, the rest is up to me. The theme color was white and brown, which is a bit dark in my opinion, but good thing she had a pink bouquet, so I could incorporate that. Last minute, they told me that they also had royal blue on their decor. After much going back and forth between one design to the other, I decided that I am going to stick with white (mostly), brown, and a bit of pink flowers, and not incorporate royal blue to the wedding cake at all as the colors clash. The royal blue would just be on the cake tablecloth.
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This is the final design that I decided on. I especially wanted to try to put separation between the top two tiers and put flowers in between. I saw many wedding cake design with this flower separation on each tier and I am not a huge fan, but I love the idea of using only one. It adds height, color, and feminine side to the cake, and I am so glad that I did it! I would say the most challenging part of this wedding cake is rolling the fondant. the top two tier was easy peasy but the bottom two was a struggle. With my then-limited energy, I had to knead and roll 10lbs of fondant alone for the bottom tier!
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Now that the tiered cake design is done, I had to concentrate on the real cake. I needed to make enough for a bout 180 people. I made about 2.5 half-sheet cakes for each flavor, totaling in 5 sheet-cake size. Everything went smoothly, but I don't think I can manage if I had to make one more as I was out of freezer and refrigeration space. I think I did better this time compared to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/12/display-cake-wedding-cakes-and-favors.html">my previous one</a> as I have more experience making multi-layer cakes doing time management.
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In summary, it was a very tiring but yet rewarding experience. I love that everyone loved the cake. I liked that the chef in the kitchen (where the wedding was held) kept taking pictures of the cakes when I was prepping them. Even though worrisome that we might not have enough cake, but I like hearing the waiter/waitresses coming back to the kitchen saying that they could not stop people fighting to grab the cake from the tray they are carrying and a lot of them were taking two instead of one :)
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I was very relieved that it was all done. I also made a big version of each cake for the bride and groom and their family based on their request. I think after making this cake, that's when I started the baking frenzy that I am currently experiencing :)
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-43999740256394536492014-04-13T23:07:00.001-07:002017-08-19T17:12:59.866-07:00Meyer Lemon Tart with Candied Lemon and Peel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring is here! It came a month ago already but it seems like California got a late Winter this year. We had cold, rainy, and windy days last week, which is good since we are in severe drought. I even saw some snow on the top of the mountain on my way to work last week. I also saw rainbows, a few times! Despite being thankful for the rain, I have to say that I still LOVE the California sunny warm days, which what we have been getting the past few days after all that cold. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of the year, I open the windows all day, I try to have lunch outdoor, getting ice creams, it also makes me in the mood of baking!
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I baked a lot for these past few weeks, M said that I produce desserts more than he could ever consumed it. Among them are a couple entremets, brownies, cheesecakes, and of course lemon tarts! I got these lemons from M's boss' boss. He got a big meyer lemon tree (and regular tree) and he gave me a bucket full of them. I made them into tarts and cheesecakes a few months ago, but he kept giving me more! and of course I gladly accept it. So I made more and more of this tart. M would never complain as he could eat this everyday literally, it is his absolute favorite dessert that I make. Another coworker also offered me a big bag of meyer lemons from his tree, how lucky!
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I made and posted this tart many times before <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2011/07/meyer-lemon-tart.html">plain</a> and with meringue <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2010/02/welcoming-early-spring-with-bright.html">here</a>, with <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/10/lemon-tart-with-white-chocolate-cream.html">white chocolate strawberry</a> (inspired by Hidemi Sugino's lemon tart spring edition), meringue, but I am posting it again this time because I finally found my personal favorite, which is using candied lemon peels! So I think I will stick to this from now on, unless M requested his other favorite with strawberry and white choc. cream occasionally.
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I never made candied lemons or candied lemon peels before. I tried my hand on candied lemons a few months ago and found that it enhances the lemon flavor of the tart. Then, I remember that Pierre Herme uses candied lemon peels in the bottom of his lemon tart, as well as on the top and I want to try that one too. There are many recipes for candied lemon peels, which have basically the same method, blanching it a few times, then boil it in sugar water until it becomes translucent. What is different is some of them uses the pith, the other uses just the yellow part.
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I followed Pierre Herme's recipe for his spiced candied citrus peel, except that I used no spices (except sugar and vanilla bean) and using just lemon. His recipe says to include the pith, even including some of the inside of the lemons. After they are done, I tasted it and found that it was really bitter. I don't know where I did wrong, maybe because I didn't blanch it long enough? But I drained all the sugar syrup, scraped the pith out, and reboil it again. It became softer than I wanted it but that's ok as long as it is not bitter. I kept it in mason jar with the syrup and it keeps for months. I have been using this baby everytime I make lemon tarts now. Sometimes I would put it in the bottom of the tart, and sometimes just the top, and then brushed it with translucent glaze to make it shiny. I really like the simplicity of the look, and not to mention that it intensify the lemon flavor without it being tart.
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This tart is so perfect to make this season, it has that bright and summery flavor, although sadly, it was cloudy when I took picture of this tart. <br />
Ah, many cakes to make, I am excited to try something new! I still have lots of bright orange meyer lemons in my fridge and I am thinking to make them into entremet for once. We will see!
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-84127679208458779712014-03-30T23:59:00.000-07:002017-08-20T10:38:43.227-07:00Mango and Raspberry Entremet
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Things have been busy lately, very busy. I am on my 2nd trimester and the nausea and vomiting are definitely much better, though it is coming back now and then. My belly is growing fast too! Having some of the energy back, puts me in the mood of baking. Nevertheless, I baked a lot since the last time I posted. I had wedding cake to make, bridal shower, multiple birthday cakes, wedding anniversary cake, and other simple cakes for snacks.
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I went through my cake folder today and I didn't realize how many cakes I made that I had forgotten! Which means, they didn't appear on the blog either. I spent some time to sort them through for blog posts, so you will see some of my old cake pictures (by old, I mean about 1 year ago).
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This one cake was one of them, maybe about 6 months back or so. I made this cake for my friend, D (her real name starts with A but we call her D). Her boyfriend had booked my time to make a cake for her way in advance just to make sure that my schedule was still empty at that time. He requested a very simple cake, a nostalgic Indonesian Cheese Cake, which was not a problem at all for me because I could make it in no time. No need a few nights of making different components and many refrigerating times between each layer.
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Only a few days before, he told me that D didn't want Indonesian Cheese Cake as she just had had it a month before (also made by me, requested by someone for a birthday too that she attended). Err... I hate last minute change as it usually takes me some time to figure out the new cake flavor and combination, and shopping for ingredients. Even though he was kind enough and tell me that it didn't have to be anything fancy as long as I am the one who made the cake (talking about sweet-talking here :D). So I said okay but I can't promised anything super fancy and he understood.
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I only had two nights to do it so not much time to brainstorm and all. I just opened my fridge/freezer to see what I had on hand and decided to make this mango and raspberry cake. Most if not all my friends and family LOVE mango, so I didn't have to guess whether she would like the flavor or not.<br />
I didn't have mango puree, but that's the only thing I needed to buy (and fresh raspberry for decor) as I had raspberry garniture, milk, heavy cream, and base cake. All I needed to make was bavarian cream, mango mousse, and mango glaze. Not bad.
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I used raspberry garniture from Hidemi Sugino's recipe that I still had left, Kirsch bavarian cream from Hidemi Sugino as well. I don't remember what I used for the base cakes, but judging from close-up picture, I am pretty sure it was a joconde in the bottom, and dacquoise in the middle layer. I brushed the cake with Kirsch simple syrup as well.
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I couldn't attend the birthday party but I heard that she loved it!
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I needed to make another birthday cake for my brother's MIL just days after. She did say that she didn't want a cake or anything but since we were coming over to their house anyway to celebrate it, there had to be a cake! Since I was again in a hurry, I decided to make similar cake. I had frozen mango mousse leftover from D's cake so I just switched the layering, making mango mousse in the middle layer, and the bavarian cream on top and covered the whole thing with whipped cream. I wasn't very satisfied with the overall look, but I seriously only had one day to make everything.
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For someone who didn't want a birthday cake, she raved about it and told me that everyone fought for the leftover and that I should make this cake again. I told you mango is the foolproof flavor :)
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I ended up making this cake as one of the wedding cake flavors I made a few weeks ago. Stay tuned for the post.
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<b>Mango Raspberry Cake</b>
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Make: one 8" square cake
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<u><i><b>2 layers of base cake</b></i></u> (you can use chiffon, sponge cake, dacquoise, joconde, etc)
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<u><i><b>Raspberry Jam</b></i></u> - refer to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/remake-of-ambroisie.html">this recipe</a>
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<u><i><b>Kirsch simple syrup</b></i></u> - refer to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/remake-of-ambroisie.html">this recipe</a> (change the framboise to kirsch)
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<u><i><b>Kirsch Bavarian Cream</b></i></u>
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180ml milk
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1/4 vanilla bean (scrape the seeds)
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60g egg yolk
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60g sugar
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5g gelatin leaves (or 1.25tsp gelatin powder dissolved in 1 Tbs. water)
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160g heavy cream, whip to soft peak, refrigerate until needed
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15ml Kirsch liqueur
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<li> Make creme anglaise with above ingredients. You can see the instruction for pistachio mousse <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/remake-of-ambroisie.html">here</a> if you are not familiar with the process </li>
<li>Use immediately</li>
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<u><i><b>Mango mousse</b></i></u>
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150g mango pulp
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20g sugar
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5g gelatin leaves (or 1.25tsp gelatin powder dissolved in 1 Tbs. water)
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150g heavy cream, whip to soft peak
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<li>Boil the mango pulp and sugar</li>
<li>Melt the gelatin in a microwave for a few seconds (probably 5-7 seconds) and mix it with the mango mixture</li>
<li>Cool in an ice bath until cool</li>
<li>Fold in the heavy cream</li>
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To Assemble
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<ul>
<li>Layer one cake in an 8" square cake ring, moistened with kirsch simple syrup</li>
<li>Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam</li>
<li>Pour the kirch cream on top </li>
<li>Layer the 2nd cake layer, moistened with the syrup (you can refrigerate it at this point while making the mango mousse)</li>
<li>Pour the mango mousse on top</li>
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Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-69127955866961826422014-02-15T14:45:00.001-08:002017-08-20T11:01:24.946-07:00Exotic Orange Cake<div>
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First off, Happy Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, I didn't bake or cook anything as much as I wanted to. We just had dinner at Sweet Tomatoes with my brothers' and their family. DH surprised me with flowers though (and a dozen donut later on though this is not a surprise). It might be normal for others, but not for him. He is not the romantic kind usually, so I was surprised.
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I had a lot of plans, a lot. But very few goes to reality lately.
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Take this for example. We were planing to go back to M's family place in Louisiana. We made plans, booked our flights, bought this and that, planned to visit my sister and her husband as well. Eeverything seems to fall into place, until the two days before the departure date. I felt so sick to the point the I couldn't move from bed. Then I found out that it was because I am pregnant! I felt worse and worse and had to cancel the flight hours before the departure time. Thank God for understanding hubby. Poor him, trying to take care of me and everything else. He made his own quesadillas, made me instant noodle for the first time (not that I could eat), trying to encourage me when I cried, and all that. This happened for 6 weeks. I was finally able to start going to work two weeks ago and hopefully, things will get better from here.
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So there you go, we spent Christmas at home, we celebrated my birthday (in January), very low key. No cakes or foods have come out from my kitchen (except one last week), but I will post the cakes I made before all this happened.
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This cake was for my nephew's birthday from last September. I had bookmarked this recipe for a long time when I was looking for a cake which has a combination of orange and caramel. This came about a few months before, where I was making either a caramel creme brulee or salted caramel ice cream or something, and someone cut up some oranges next to me. The smell of both of them together were so good and I could not believe that I didn't think of that combination before. Well, I actually know why, it's because I don't generally like orange-flavored cake. So I started to browse if people had made this combination before and <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/topic/48772-exotic-orange-cake/">this recipe</a> came up. I read the whole forum. And though I didn't find many pictures online, the forum convinced me enough and the fact that it has mango and passion fruit, it's a go.
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My nephew's birthday was the perfect time to try this, since the cake will be consumed by my family only (they are usually the toughest critics). Many people said that the orange flavor was very subtle and that it could use a stronger one. So following the suggestion, I rubbed the orange zest with the sugar to release all the oil from the zest, just like how I make lemon tarts. This is where all the flavor comes from. They also said that the recipe doesn't make enough of the orange bavarian cream, but I followed the recipe anyway and it turned out fine, as long as you are using the correct size for your cake. I didn't have any leftover at all, but I prefer it this way. I hate when I had to waste anything.
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This cake requires a bit of assembly (the forum explains this) to get the top of the cake hollowed so that you can pour the mango passion jelly on top. I followed the suggestion on how-to and although I had some difficulty removing the "prop", it turned out fine. I only made half of the jelly recipe as I think from the photo, the jelly layer is way too thick. I still think it is a bit too thick. I used more mango puree than specified, just because passionfruit is very sour and strong. It still turned out more on the tart side that I would have liked for my taste. Some of my family who dislike sour, it was too sour for them, but the other half of my family who loves lemon-flavored anything, they loved it.
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Overall, it was a success although I want to tweak it next time to suit more to my liking. By itself, the orange bavarian cream is not strong at all. In fact, I was afraid that after combining everything that the orange taste is going to get lost among the other strong flavors, but it wasn't. Since the orange cream is the major components of the cake, it definitely tastes like an orange. A bit too much for me who doesn't normally like orange cake, so I will cut down a bit next time, leaving just a subtle flavor.
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The mango passion jelly was still on the sour side, so I will add more of the mango puree and less passion fruit next time. I love the way it looks though and I love that this cake is different than any other cakes I made. Definitely a positive variation.
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Here's the recipe as written in the forum:
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<b class="bbc">Exotic Orange Cake</b>
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Taken from <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/topic/48772-exotic-orange-cake/" id="docs-internal-guid-2a66d79c-379d-2346-4bf6-3ff42a557390" style="text-decoration: none;">http://forums.egullet.org/topic/48772-exotic-orange-cake/</a>
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There are five components to this cake and they are: An orange vanilla bavaroise, a vanilla cremeux, a honey cake layer, a passion fruit gelee, and a white chocolate spray.
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<b class="bbc">Honey Cake.</b>
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60 gm of sugar
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60 gm of honey
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60 gm of egg whites
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115 gm of almond flour
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90 gm of egg yolks
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210 gm of egg whites
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75 gm of sugar
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95 gm of cake flour
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DIRECTIONS: Mix the sugar, honey, 1st amount of egg whites and the almond flour until smooth, then gradually and the yolks. Using the 2nd amount of whites and sugar make a meringue and fold in along with the flour into the batter. The cake can be baked in a thin layer in a sheet pan or piped into 8inch rounds on a sheet pan. You will have to end up with 2 thin (1/4 to 3/8 inch thick) 8 inch disks. Bake at about 350 until done. Set aside
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<b class="bbc">Orange vanilla bavaroise.</b>
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330 gm whole milk
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66 gm of sugar
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66 gm of egg yolks
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seeds from 1 vanilla bean
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10 gm of gelatin
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400 gm of whipped cream
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orange zest of 3 oranges
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DIRECTIONS: Bring milk to a boil, add orange zest and steep for 15 minutes, strain. Using the milk make a creme anglase with the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Add the melted gelatin, and cool. When cool fold in the whipped cream. Set aside
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<b class="bbc">Vanilla cremeux </b><span style="color: red;"><span class="bbc">(more like a caramel cremeux)</span></span>
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60 gm of sugar for a dry caramel
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360 gm of heavy cream (HOT)
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seed from 4 vanilla beans <span style="color: red;">(I used only 1/2 vanilla bean as mine is super moist)</span>
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120 gm yolks
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3 gm of gelatin
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DIRECTIONS: Caramelize the sugar, add vanilla seeds, and hot heavy cream. Cool slightly and add to the egg yolks and finish with the gelatin. Cool and set aside.
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<b class="bbc">Passion fruit gelee</b> <span style="color: red;">(I only made 1/2 the recipe)</span>
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150 gm of passion fruit puree
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350 gm of mango puree
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25 gm of glucose
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seeds of 1 vanilla bean
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75 gm of sugar
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10 gm of gelatin
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DIRECTIONS: Heat puree's, glucose, vanilla , and sugar until hot. Mixture should be uniform and sugar dissolved. Add melted gelatin and set aside.
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ASSEMBLY: Cover one end of a 9 X 2 inch cake ring with plastic wrap and secure with rubber bands. Place on a sheet pan wrapped side down. (This cake is assembled up side down.) Make a 8 in by 3/8 inch solid mold. (I used 2 sheets of foam board cut into 8 inch circles taped together and covered with plastic wrap) This solid mold is centered inside the cake ring on top of the plastic wrap. It will create a space (to be filled later with gelee) in the top of the cake. Place a layer of bavaroise around the solid mold, and up the sides of the ring to the top and a thin layer over the solid mold. Position a layer of cake on top of the bavaroise. Place a thick layer of the vanilla cremeux on top of the cake. Cover the cremeux with a layer of bavaroise and another layer of cake. By this time the last layer of cake should be at the top of the ring. Finish off the top layer around the edge with bavarois. Make sure it is level and flat as this will become the bottom of the cake. Freeze until solid. When frozen ( about 4 hours) warm ring and remove. Turn up side down. The solid mold is now on top. Carefully remove the mold. Spray the outside of the cake with white chocolate <span style="color: red;">(I didn't do this as I don't have it)</span>. Fill the space in the top of the cake with the passion fruit gelee and chill. Refrigerate until serving.
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-72996804270094588452013-10-31T20:48:00.000-07:002017-08-20T11:10:48.316-07:00Kids' Birthday and Welcoming Fall
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I don't know where the time has gone, but it has been flying by so fast. I think the birthday season for my family just ended. It started in July (right after I got back from honeymoon) and continued to October. You see, I have two brothers and their family living nearby and that includes five nieces and nephews. All of their birthdays, their parents, their grandma, and DH's birthday are one after the other. That is seven birthdays in about two and half months!!! I've been baking up a storm and I will post them one by one, but here's a glimpse of our changing season.
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Some people get really excited that Fall/Winter is coming, especially those who live in Texas because they can now get a crisp weather, but not me. I love the warm 75F weather and crisp morning everyday in California and not looking forward to have to wear jacket all the time. But I have to admit that I love seeing the change of feeling that comes with it. Pumpkins are everywhere! All different sizes and shape, colors, it is exciting. The leaves are turning from green to yellow, then red, it is pretty!
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Anyways, with mostly kids birthday, I don't have many exciting cake story to tell because some of them are very similar cake, just different shape. It is funny how excited kids are over a custom-shaped birthday cake. So even when some of them might be similar cake underneath, it still never failed to impress them.
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Here's a combined birthday for my nieces from early August, V and Z, they are the cutest!! The inside is blueberry sponge cake filled with cream cheese buttercream and blueberry preserve. I got the blueberry paste and preserve from my previous Indonesia trip and they smell (and taste) like candy! The theme was ship, ocean, under the sea creatures and such. I got the inspiration of the colorful waves online (I didn't save the link :( ) and I think it is very suitable for kids as they are very colorful. DH made the figurines, and although they looked a little "chubby", I think he was really creative by using the cocktail umbrella, I thought he was a genius for coming up with such an idea!
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We saved the top tier for a second birthday dinner with family only.
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The next birthday was Tobias' birthday. I made a cake for him every year (and for my other nieces and nephews too). He is super obsessed with cars (after Thomas the Tank Engine craze last year). His current favorites are lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks car. We decided to make the lightning mcQueen car because it is more popular, easier to decorate, and this was the original plan before he got obsessed with chick hicks a week before. As usual, DH was in charge of the carving and decorating it, he enjoys doing it and I think he is really good at it! Maybe one day we can team up and open up our custom cake bakery, haha. I was in charge of making the base cake, coloring the fondant, and drape the fondant over the cake, then it was all his.
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It took us the whole weekend to do this, we were so dead tired by the end, but after seeing the birthday boy excitement over it, it was worth it. He was literally running when he got home to see the cake. The inside of the cake is "lapis surabaya" (Indonesian vanilla and chocolate cake alternating, made only/mostly with egg yolks and butter) with blueberry preserve and shredded Indonesian cheese (a classic favorite). I need to find an alternative cake for carving maybe soon or else we will all be gaining weight during this kids birthday month considering the amount of egg yolks and butter that goes into it. Oh well, soon enough, they will be big and hopefully get over the children cakes and start appreciating French pastries :).
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I have made a lot of cakes lately too and I finally made my first pumpkin pie! I will blog about it soon.
</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-59578357781249264912013-09-29T22:32:00.000-07:002017-08-20T11:34:56.237-07:00Back to Blogging and Classic New York Style Cheesecake
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Yup! Another very long break for me after almost five months of not updating this blog, but for a good reason.
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2013 has been the most eventful year for me, the busiest, and very exciting! If you read my previous post, you will know that I got engaged, was going to get married, was planning to go back to Indonesia for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and my own wedding, honeymoon, etc. Well, I am back, have been back for about 2.5 months and still couldn't believe that all those really happened.
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<u>Our wedding chapel overlooking the Indian ocean</u>
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A few months before I went back to Indonesia, it was one of the most stressful time in my life. Planning both my parents' anniversary (thankfully, I got help from my family) and my wedding from the other side of the world, was indeed a challenge. There were so many things, big things, little things, needed to be planned and done, especially when it involved 60 of your family members. Looking back, I don't know how I did it all.
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<u>Our wedding venue is on the clifftop overlooking the ocean</u>
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I don't even know where to begin now, so many things have happened, but in short, we LOVE our wedding! To be honest, we didn't know what to expect, the venue didn't seem to have many questions or prepared at all, they just winged stuff and I was really worried. Not much communication with them and being a planner, it really worried me. But it turned out great! They had an army of professionals who were always ready with anything we need. We had the best photographers who happened to be my friend who is now living in Indo. I have been a huge fan of her (now with her husband) work and we got the privileged to have our pre-wed and wedding photographed by them. The food was the best wedding food I've ever had, it was 6 course meal and I wish I had bigger stomach to fit them all in. I love the wedding cake, LOVE the venue, it was everything I could hope and wish for.
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We went to France for our honeymoon, and although we didn't love the country as much as we expected, but I absolutely love all the pastries. It was like a pastry heaven for me. I went to Pierre Herme 6x, Laduree 5x, and many many others (though it might not be good for the wallet).
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<u>My most frequent breakfast is at Pierre Herme boutique, the infamous Ispahan Croissant. So.. good!</u>
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<u>My Sadaharu Aoki breakfast, only 2 minute walk from our hotel</u>
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Anyways, back with dessert. I am still baking although I have been much busier with work and home decorating ever since I got back from the trip. I made vanilla bean ice cream and some sorbets, marbled cake, multiple Indonesian cheesecakes, Laduree eclairs, some macarons and many more. Unfortunately, it didn't get photographed as there was no time at all. I want to remake the eclairs though as I think it was really good and I want to make sure I don't make it in a rush like last time (it was for our casual wedding party) and photograph it.
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This cheesecake is nothing fancy, not that I try to make it fancy (the hub likes it traditional and plain). I happen to have some cream cheese leftover from a different cake I made previously and the easiest thing to do with it is to make a cheesecake. I don't normally eat cheesecake but the DH is a big fan. He can eat 3 big slices in a day, which would be odd considering his sexy petite figure, but he does. All of the cheesecakes I made for him before were mostly from French chef, which I like better because they are not so dense and lighter. He keeps saying that he likes Sara Lee cheesecake better because it was denser. I decided to make this NY style cheesecake, although it is really not that different than other cheesecake recipe. The only thing different, I would say is the use of sour cream, which coincidentally, I happen to have some leftover of as well.
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NY cheesecake is usually tall, but I decided to make it shorter in a cake ring that I rarely used, also because so that I can have a little bit of cream cheese left to make another cheesecake I want to experiment with. I used hazelnut shortbread base to use up the ones I had in the freezer as well and DH likes the flavor of it. He still thinks it wasn't dense enough and I was a little disappointed, until he told me that he ate Sara Lee cheesecake frozen! Well, no matter how dry I cook my cheesecake, it still won't be as dense as frozen cheesecake! Duh! Now I feel better about my cheesecake-making skill :)
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Enjoy this for now and I will be back with more posts to come.
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<b>Classic New York Style Cheesecake</b>
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Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's recipe
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Yield: one 9" round cheesecake (with springform pan)
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<i><b>Hazelnut shortbread crust</b></i> -- refer to <a href="http://gourmetbaking.blogspot.com/2013/01/lemon-frenzy-cheese-cake-citronne-two.html">this</a>
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<i><b>Cheesecake batter </b></i>
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2.5lbs cream cheese, softened
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1 1/4 cups sugar
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1 lemon, zested
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1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
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3 Tbs. all purpose flour
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5 eggs
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2 egg yolks
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1/2 cup sour cream
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<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F</li>
<li>Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix until light and creamy</li>
<li>Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.</li>
<li>Add the sour cream and mix until smooth.</li>
<li>Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 1.5hrs in waterbath (or until done)</li>
<li>Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely</li>
<li>Refrigerate overnight before serving</li>
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</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912304086398265028.post-64622073001244722542013-05-08T18:20:00.000-07:002017-08-20T12:10:35.352-07:00A Long Break and Fermented Cassava Balls
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As you have probably noticed, I have not been updating this blog for about four months! I couldn't believe it has been that long. Many things had happened since I wrote my last post and life couldn't be busier. It doesn't seem to slow down anytime soon.
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Well, as a start, I got engaged! We got engaged mid January after coming back from vacation. With M being in Korea for business trip most of the time, it is really hard to plan. We are planning to wed this July in Bali, mostly due to practical reason since my family is there and we are having a reunion too for my family at that time, but Bali is also very pretty! Other than my wedding, I am also planning my parents' 50th wedding anniversary just two weeks before my wedding. Crazy!
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When things couldn't be busier with the wedding planning (I had to rush through everything), I was also sent to Korea as well for business trip for a month. Things were not easy with at least 12hr workday everyday with no weekends, causing the wedding planning to be on hold. It is not easy when we are going to leave to Indonesia for the wedding in about 1.5 months (time flies really fast).
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Now that we are finally both back in the US, we have been very busy with the new apartment too. We found an apartment that we love so much! It has the perfect kitchen for me, with an island! M has been living there for about a month now and I will be joining him in July after we are married. I found that wedding planning is not really my passion :), maybe because I am planning a destination wedding where internet and credit cards are not so commonly used as here. On the other hand, house decorating is exciting!
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Enough rambling. I managed to bake quite a bit though, although mostly fondant cakes and classic Indonesian cake that is not fancy enough to write about (like marble cakes and chiffon cakes). I think I had January off because of how overwhelming it was. February was full of fondant cakes mostly. Never thought that I would do fondant cake 1-2 cakes per week but I did. I used just about 200 eggs just during that month, and lots of late nights. Here are some of them:
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I made this deep-fried fermented cassava balls a month ago. I had the chance to stop by Indonesia before going back to the US a few weeks ago and I brought back fermented cassava. I love this snack but I never can eat a lot in one sitting. I decided to make this deep fried fermented cassava balls and even though it was a bit oily, I like them! It definitely tastes best fresh out of the fryer, dusted with powdered sugar, it tastes like beignets, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with fermented cassava flavor. As with any deep-fried food, cold ones will not be as good.
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I have been baking other things too lately but I didn't have a chance to snap photos for some of them, but hopefully I will get back in making entremets and post it soon!
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In the meantime, I will leave you with this deep-fried cassava balls recipe and I will go back to wedding planning, honeymoon planning, house decorating, and dance lesson. Can't wait till this is over :)
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<b>Deep-Fried Fermented Cassava Balls (Bola-Bola Tape)</b>
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400-450g sweet fermented cassava
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100g flour
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1 tsp. baking powder
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1 Tbs. granulated sugar
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pinch of salt
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1 egg
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100ml milk
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<i><b>Topping: </b></i>
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powdered sugar
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<ul>
<li>Mash the fermented cassava with the back of a fork. Set aside</li>
<li>Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.</li>
<li>Add the egg and the milk a little at a time while whisking to avoid lumps</li>
<li>Add the mashed cassava.</li>
<li>Deep fry with medium-low heat, using two spoons to help shape the balls until golden brown. </li>
<li>Make sure the inside is fully-cooked.</li>
<li>Dust with powdered sugar</li>
<li>Best served hot</li>
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</div>Berthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17476612651848560216noreply@blogger.com20