Chocolate Sour Cream Cheesecake

(1 x 9" cheesecake)

This dense chocolate cheesecake is very nice with raspberries, raspberry sauce and whipped cream, and I served this one with all three.

Bringing the ingredients to room temperature first, using a paddle instead of the whisk attachment for your mixer and baking it at a low temperature seems to result in a cheesecake with an even smooth surface; at least most of the time.

I brought this cake to the office for Amanda's birthday!

Preheat the oven to 400°F

crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted

Combine the crumbs and butter and press firmly into the bottom of an 9" spring-form, and a little more than an inch up the sides. Bake for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and turn down temperature to 220°F.

filling
1 1/2 lbs neufchatel or cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder, (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

*If you have a flat paddle for your mixer, use that because it tends to aerate the mixture less. Less air means less of a chance for a cracked surface.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and sour cream and beat until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Scrape down the sides.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat only long enough until they are combined, being careful not to over beat. Again scrape down the sides.

Add about 1 cup of the cheese mixture slowly to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined. Return the chocolate mixture to the remaining cheese mixture and stir until the colour is uniform.

Pour this mixture into the spring-form. Bake for 1 hr and 45 min. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven; about 4 hours.

topping
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips work well)

Heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake and allow to set.

raspberry sauce, (optional)

1 10 oz bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, to taste
1 -2 tbsp Framboise liqueur, optional

Place the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and allow to come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve. Stir in the Framboise liqueur, if using. Cool.

serve with (optional)
fresh raspberries
whipped cream

Daring Baker Challenge, August 2010; Baked Alaska

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alasa or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I really enjoyed this challenge. I had never made a Baked Alaska before. The cake was delicious!

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

3. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

4. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake,
19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) (See “Note” section for cake flour substitution)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.

2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.

5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.

6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.


Meringue (For the Baked Alaska)
8 large egg whites
½ teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
1 cup (220g) sugar

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.

Assembly Instructions – Baked Alaska
1. Line four 4” (10cm) diameter tea cups with plastic wrap, so that plastic wrap covers all the sides and hangs over the edge. Fill to the top with ice cream. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until solid.

2. Level the top of the brown butter pound cake with a serrated knife or with a cake leveler. Cut out four 4” (10cm) diameter circles from the cake. Discard the scraps or use for another purpose.

3. Make the meringue (see above.)

4. Unwrap the ice cream “cups” and invert on top of a cake round. Trim any extra cake if necessary.

5. Pipe the meringue over the ice cream and cake, or smooth it over with a spatula, so that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.

6. Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaskas on a rimmed baking sheet in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Moist Yellow Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

(12 standard cupcakes)

I have been experimenting a bit with my cupcake recipe to try to get it closer to the cupcakes which are sold at Whole Foods. I like their cupcakes because they seem very moist to me, but I suspect that has a lot to do with the amount of oil in them. My first batch turned out closer to theirs, but I wanted to try them with less oil.

I made a few more adjustments to my recipe the second time around; a bit less oil than the previous batch, more sugar (yikes), a mixture of flours, and I liked the results. The cupcakes do seem moister to me, and they aren't as oily as those at Whole Foods - however, they also don't keep for a week and are best eaten within a day or two.

What I found interesting with this experiment, was the change in texture, (it seemed moister) when I melted and browned the butter first, rather than beating it with sugar until fluffy.

Not too long ago I was grocery shopping with a friend who managed to get the last banana cake with browned butter frosting. She told me later the frosting was "divine", so I've had browned butter frosting on the brain since then. I made some for these cupcakes.

cupcake batter
1 cup unsalted butter, (half of this amount will be used in the frosting)
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12 muffin tin with baking papers.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Pour 1/2 cup butter into a bowl, reserving the other half for the frosting. Add the canola oil, sugar and buttermilk, then whisk them until well combined.  Whisk in one egg at a time.

Whisk in the vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the flours until they are well combined.

Spoon/pour the batter, dividing equally among the 12 lined baking cups. Bake for about 13-16 minutes or until done. Be careful not to over-bake them; I began to watch them closely after 13 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool.

frosting
1/2 cup browned butter, (the reserved amount from earlier)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 - 2 1/2 cups icing sugar

Beat the butter, sour cream, vanilla extract and 2 cups icing sugar, together in a bowl. Keep adding more icing sugar until the frosting has the right consistency. Decorate the cooled cupcakes.

Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake

(1x 1 1/2 quart sized cake)

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Mandatory

•You must make the Swiss rolls, a filling for them, two ice creams and a fudge sauce, from scratch.
•You must set the dessert in a bowl/pan etc in the order given in the recipe-Swiss roll, first ice-cream, the fudge topping and, finally, the second ice cream.

I liked this challenge a lot, and as you can see we were given quite a bit of freedom in regard to recipes. I used my own.

The chocolate fudge ended up as both a layer between the ice cream and frozen yogurt as well as the filling for my swiss roll. I had a bit of fun by colouring parts of the batter.

I revisited a dulce de leche ice cream I made a few years ago and loved, as well as a raspberry frozen yogurt.

This dessert was soooo goood! I will make it again. :) I'm not sure I will make it with a fudge sauce though, that really depends on the ice cream I use. I'd be inclined to try a vanilla sauce or something fruity in the future.

swiss roll
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
a few drops of food colouring (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour

Preheat the oven to 375°

Prepare a 10"x15" jelly roll pan by spraying it with Baker's Joy, or use softened butter. Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit, and spray the top of that as well, or butter that. Set aside.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks into a larger bowl. Let them come to room temperature, which takes about 15-20 minutes if you had just removed them from the refrigerator.

Beat the whites, gradually adding 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue beating until you have stiff peaks.

Beat the egg yolks until they thicken. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar gradually. When the yolks have become very thick and a pale yellow colour, beat in the vanilla extract. Sift the cake flour evenly over the yolks and carefully fold in.

Carefully fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture.

If using the food colour, then divide the batter, and add a few drops of food colouring to the portions and gently fold in. Don't worry if it's not entirely even.

Spread the batter or batters evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cake is done.

Spread a clean cloth towel over a flat surface and sprinkle with icing sugar. Invert the cake onto the towel and carefully peel away the parchment paper. Carefully roll the hot cake into a jelly roll using the towel and allow to cool that way.

* I thought the chocolate was a bit overwhelming for the rest of this dessert. I'd be inclined to either make a vanilla or fruity type sauce, or to half the amount here and use it more sparingly.

Chocolate filling/fudge
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the cream until it just starts to simmer; remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips and continue to stir until they have melted. Cool slightly.

dulce de leche ice cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 13.4 oz can dulce de leche
1 tbsp coffee liqueur

Heat the milk until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Stir in the dulche de leche and coffee liqueur. Whisk until well combined. Cool in a refrigerator for about an hour.

Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

raspberry frozen yogurt
1 1/2 cups greek style yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups frozen raspberries

Stir together the yogurt and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in 1 cup raspberries. I reserve about 2/3 cup and add those towards the end, (for texture).

Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

assembly

Carefully unroll the swiss roll and spread about half of the chocolate filling onto it. If the filling has become too stiff, then heat it carefully for a few seconds in a microwave.

Roll up the swiss roll. Place the roll into the freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove and slice.

Place the slices in a single layer into the bottom of a bowl which has been lined with plastic wrap. Spread the raspberry frozen yogurt over the swiss roll layer. Spread the remaining chocolate filling over the frozen yogurt and finish, by filling the remaining bowl with the dulce de leche ice cream. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and freeze the "bombe".

When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Sour Cream Berry Pie with Crumb Topping

(1  9" pie)

I was organising my freezer and came across a bag of frozen berries I forgot I had. I also had some sour cream in my refrigerator which was due to expire by the end of the week, so I combined those two items with a few more things and made a pie.

crumb topping
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 stick butter

Place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is combined and resembles crumbs. Set aside.

pie filling
1 cup sour cream
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 egg
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
2 1/2 cups mixed frozen berries, defrosted and drained in a sieve

1  9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, egg, flour and almond extract in a bowl until well mixed. Stir in the berries.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the custard is firm and the crumb mixture on top has browned.

Cool completely before serving. This pie is best the day it's made.

Pecan Butter Tarts

(12 large tarts)

I made these for the July 4th festivities; was thinking of making a pie, but am bringing these instead. I Americanized a Canadian favourite, and I'm very pleased with the results!

1 pkg ready made pie crust (2x 9")

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar, very lightly packed
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract, or bourbon
a pinch or two of salt, (optional)
1 egg
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut out 6 circles from each pie crust, (12 total) and line a 12 standard cup muffin tin with them. I allow the crust to rise slightly above the top to accommodate the large amount of filling. Set aside.

Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract (or bourbon) and salt, (if using) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until well combined. Add the egg and continue to process until smooth.

Divide the pecans evenly among the "tarts" and spoon the filling over them. Most recipes tell you to fill them 2/3 full.. I would say these end up being closer to almost full.

Bake for about 12- 14 minutes or until bubbly and browned. The longer you bake these, the firmer they will be.

Cool them in the tins long enough to be able to run a knife around the edges to remove them for further cooling (about 10 minutes). If you can't get them out for fear of breaking them, then make sure they aren't sticking to the pan (I keep running a knife around them as they cool) and remove them when they have cooled completely.

Daring Baker Challenge, June 2010; Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

(about 8 servings)

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Recipe 1: Chocolate Meringue (for the chocolate Pavlova):
3 large egg whites
½ cup plus 1 tbsp (110 grams) white granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 grams) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder

Directions:
1.Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200º F (95º C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.

2.Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)

3.Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder over the egg whites and fold the dry ingredients into the white. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)

4.Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could just free form your shapes and level them a bit with the back of a spoon. (Class made rounds, hearts, diamonds and an attempt at a clover was made!)

5.Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe 2: Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse (for the top of the Pavlova base):
1 ½ cups (355 mls) heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent)
grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces (255 grams) 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups (390 mls) mascarpone
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp (30 mls) Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

Directions:
1.Put ½ cup (120 mls) of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.

2.Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.)

3.Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse. Again, you could just free form mousse on top of the pavlova.

Recipe 3: Mascarpone Cream (for drizzling):
1 recipe crème anglaise
½ cup (120 mls) mascarpone
2 tbsp (30 mls) Sambucca (optional)
½ cup (120 mls) heavy cream

Directions:
1.Prepare the crème anglaise. Slowly whisk in the mascarpone and the Sambucca and let the mixture cool. Put the cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Recipe 4: Crème Anglaise (a component of the Mascarpone Cream above):
1 cup (235 mls) whole milk
1 cup (235 mls) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp (75 grams) sugar

Directions:
1.In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.

2.Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat.

3.Pour about ½ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

4.Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

Assembly:

Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.

Milk Flan

(about 6 servings)

This flan isn't as sweet or rich as some of the flans I've had at Mexican restaurants. I usually make this dessert with 1% milk and it seems just right to me, however if you prefer something richer then just swap out part of the milk for cream, or use whole milk instead. I also add a bit of cornstarch because I use less eggs than the traditional recipes call for.

1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tbsp water


3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp sugar, to taste
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk, heated

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the bottom of a small (1 qt.) souffle dish. Sprinkle the water over the sugar until the sugar is soaked evenly. Place the dish into a microwave and microwave about 2 minutes to start and then about 40 sec. at a time on high until the sugar becomes a nice medium brown colour. Remove and swirl the sugar mixture in the dish so it coats the entire bottom and  sides as well. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl until they become creamy. Continue beating and add the cornstarch, sugar and vanilla. Slowly beat in the heated milk.

Pour the mixture carefully into the souffle dish. Cover the top with a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper cut to fit.

Place the souffle dish into a larger pot or baking dish and fill with hot water about 1/2 way up the side of the souffle dish. Place into oven and bake/steam for about 60-75 minutes or until the flan has set.

Allow to cool. Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, then carefully invert the flan onto a serving platter.

Breakfast & Dessert : Banana Cake

How lucky Malaysians are with so many types of bananas to choose from. The unforgetable Rastali and Pisang Emas are a must to eat when you are in Malaysia. Pisang Emas is more friendly than Rastali, which is best eaten when it is perfectly ripened. Here in the States, bananas in the regular supermarkets are of the 'Sweet William/Cavendish' variety - one and only - no choice. But, now and then, Baby Bananas which is Pisang Emas is being sold. When i see them on the shelf, i will not hesitate to get a bunch, no matter how much it will cost. The asian stores in Chinatown Denver, do sell Baby Bananas, but they don't seem to look good at all. I have always wondered if there is a difference in the taste of the cake made with Cavendish bananas compared to a cake made with Baby Bananas/Piisang Emars. Since i have several baby bananas which were over-riped, i decided to try out this recipe of Florence from Do What I like, and thank you Florence, this recipe is a keeper and the pisang emas does make a difference to the taste of the cake.



Ingredients:

200g cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda)Friends from sea-level, use 3/4 tsp)
50g unsalted butter at room temperature
25ml corn oil
80g - 100g sugar(i use 80 g and it is just the right sweetness)
2 eggs lightly beaten
210g banana puree with 10ml lemon juice
60ml milk
A pinch of salt
A drop of banana essence
60g walnuts (optional)





Method:

Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Cream butter, corn oil and sugar till smooth and creamy.

Add in the lightly beaten eggs 1/4 at a time till well blended.

Add in the banana puree and the essence.

Add in the 1/3 of the sieved flour and half the milk. Repeat and end with the last third of the sieved flour..

Stir in the walnuts if you are using.
Bake in a lined loaf pan or 2 small lined loaf pans at a preheated oven of 350f for 45 - 60 minutes

Serves

Asian Sesame Balls (Onde-Onde)

It is the most delightful moment when a recipe is successful and i can't wait to share. This will not be possible if i do not have generous friends who have shared many of their tested recipes and tt from Playing With My Food is my 'sifu' who so graciously emailed me this recipe. Thank you, tt, they were the best, with all the tips provided by you, these balls puffed up so well and they tasted umpteen times better than the dim sum restaurants. The family prefers the red bean filling and the restaurants strangely make them with either lotus or mung bean paste, so i had to make red bean filling.

Ingredients:


454 g glutinious rice flour
3 tbsp rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
200 g sugar
450 g water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup potato flakes (the kind used to make mashed potatoes)

Filling:

1 cup red bean
1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar
a pinch of salt

Method:

To prepare the filling:

Wash the red beans and put in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beans.

Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then drain away the water.
Put the drained parboiled red beans back into the pressure cooker and add in 3 cups water.

Close the lid and pressurized for 30 minutes. Release pressure before opening the lid.

Using a sieve or a slotted spoon, remove the beans into a large microwave-safe bowl.

Add sugar and cook in the microwave on high until mixture is paste. Start with 5 mins at a time, stirring after every interval. Reduce the time as the mixture gets drier.

Cool before using.

To prepare the dough:

Mix together glutinious flour, rice flour and baking powder.

Bring water with sugar, oil and salt to the boil, add potato flakes. Stir to dissolve the potato. Immediately pour the hot mixture into the flour and mix until the flour absorbs all of the water.

Rest dough until it's cool enough to handle, then knead to make a smooth dough.(Dough is less pliable if it is kept for later use, perhaps it is only a problem for me cos of where i am - no humidity and i would advice that all the dough should be wrapped)

To make the balls:

wet your hands with water and take a piece of dough.

Wrap the filling and roll in sesame seeds.

Fry until golden, The frying time should take at least 15-20 mins, if it cooks faster then that the oil is too hot and your balls will not be hollow and will be soft as soon as you take it out of the oil. Press the balls against the wok with the ladle and it will puff up and keep stirring the balls for even browning.

Serves

Daring Baker Challenge, May 2010, Piece Montée, aka Croquembouche

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

I adjusted the recipe for the pastry cream somewhat (to make it caramel-rum) which I have noted below, and I also added a bit of food colouring to the hard caramel glaze. I have copied the recipes we were given:

Preparation time: You will want to use your puff pastry batter and chocolate glaze or caramel as soon as it has been prepared and as close to serving time as possible. This is not a dessert that stores well and it may be a bit temperamental in humid areas as the glaze needs to harden to hold the choux together. The crème patissiere can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

You will need approximately 10 minutes to prepare the puff pastry, 10 minutes to pipe and about 30 minutes to bake each batch. The crème patissiere should take about 10 minutes to cook and then will need to be cooled for at least 6 hours or overnight. The glazes take about 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

*For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

*For Caramel-Rum Pastry Cream. I used brown sugar instead of white which I reduced to 4 tbsp. I added a tbsp of water to the sugar and cooked it until it caramelized.

Then I slowly whisked in the butter and 3/4 of the milk (with 3 tbsp of cornstarch mixed in). I beat the egg yolks into the last 1/4 cup of the milk and cornstarch mixture, (I omitted the whole egg). Then I beat in a few tbsp of the hot custard mixture, and then whisked the egg mixture back into the custard.

Once the mixture had come to a simmer and thickened nicely, I removed it from the heat and whisked in 2 tbsp of dark rum.

For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:

Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets, ( I placed parchment paper over my baking sheets first). Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:

Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:

When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:

You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place – see video #4 below).

When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Additional Information: Here are some videos you may want to take a look at before you get started on your piece montée.

1) Martha Stewart Assembles a Croquembouche:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-famous-croquembouche
2) Assembling croquembouche using the interior of a cylinder:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq-UgMxe0Y4
3) Asembling Free-standing Croquembouche with Chocolate Glaze:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrIanD5pi9E&feature=related
4) Assembling a Croquembouche with Toothpicks and Cone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIGaidsM-NI&feature=related
See this google images search of Croquembouche for inspiration:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=croquembouche&btnG=Sea...
Here’s a link to a dairy-free pate a choux and crème patisserie recipe:
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsbeverages/r/creampuffs.htm

Vanilla and Cardamon Risotto with Berries

(about 4 servings)

This is a creamy rice pudding I make using the same method for making risotto. As always, I count on a ratio of about 1 rice to 4 parts liquid.

2 tsp butter
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1 tsp ground cardamon
*3 - 3 1/2 cups milk, heated
1-2 tbsp honey, to taste
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 pint (or more) fresh berries



Melt the butter in a non stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice and stir until it's coated with the butter. Stir in the cardamon.

Stir the honey into the warmed milk. Begin adding the milk to the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the milk has absorbed into the rice.

*When you get to the last 1/2 cup or so of milk, add the vanilla  to the risotto as well. I sometimes end up using a bit extra milk at this point, depending on how much "bite" is left to the rice. Stir to combine everything well. Turn off the heat and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes.

Stir and serve warm or allow to cool completely. Top with the berries.

Mocha Ice Cream

(less than 1 quart)

I usually make frozen yogurt in my ice cream machine, but every once in a blue moon I make real ice cream.

The last time I made some was a couple of years ago, and that was a delicious dulce de leche ice cream. This time I decided to combine two things I love; coffee and chocolate. The grated chocolate added last, gives this an interesting texture.

*I used a bit of coffee liqueur because the alcohol lowers the freezing temperature, resulting in a smoother and creamier consistency.

1/4 cup freshly ground dark coffee beans, very fine
1/3 cup boiling water

4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
*2-3 tbsp coffee liqueur

3 oz semisweet chocolate, grated

Pour the hot water over the coffee grounds, stir and set aside overnight, up to 24 hours. Strain and set aside.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Combine the cream and milk and heat until it just begins to simmer. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Turn on the heat to low and cook carefully while whisking, until the mixture thickens and the custard looks like it wants to simmer; don't allow it to come to a boil - otherwise it might curdle. Remove from heat.

Stir in the coffee liqueur and the coffee.  Cover with plastic, smoothing over the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.

Stir in the grated chocolate and pour into an ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer's directions.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

(12 cupcakes)

cupcake batter
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12 muffin tin with baking papers.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the the oil, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Beat in the vanilla, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in all of the flour, cornstarch and buttermilk, then beat until well combined; less than a minute.

Spoon the batter, dividing equally among the 12. Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until done. Remove from oven immediately and cool completely before frosting. Be careful not to  leave them in the oven too long otherwise they might dry out and won't be moist.

chocolate sour cream frosting
6 oz good quality semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups sour cream, give or take a tablespoon or two.

sprinkles for decorating

Carefully melt the chocolate chips. Whisk in the sour cream until well combined. Frost the cupcakes immediately. Top with sprinkles.

These are best eaten the day they are made.

Mango Pudding

(4 servings)

I'm not entirely sure if this is still considered a Chinese dessert if I swap out the evaporated milk for coconut milk. In any case, the coconut milk compliments the mango very nicely.

1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
5-6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
2 small mangoes, peeled, chopped, then pureed
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, (12 oz can)

1 small mango, peeled and cubed or sliced

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break it into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover them with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Heat the water and sugar. Add the agar agar and simmer until the agar agar has dissolved; about 5-9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mango puree and the coconut milk.

Pour into  serving bowls and let stand until it sets. Serve with sliced or cubed mango.

Rosace à l'Orange, Upside-down Orange Cake

(1 x 8" cake)

Last month while I was making the Orange Tian for Daring Bakers, I kept thinking of this cake. This adaptation of a French dessert is also assembled upside-down. When inverted onto a serving plate it's a lovely looking cake topped with slices of fruit.

It's been a number of years since I made one and thought it would be nice to revisit.

I make a custard with cornstarch rather than the traditional pastry cream made with flour, and I make a buttermilk cake instead of spongecake; (I really dislike beating all those eggs over hot water). The fruit combination below is my personal preference. I imagine you could use mango, peaches, pineapple; really any fruit which slices well.

custard (can be made a day or two ahead)
2 egg yolks, (reserve the egg whites for the cake)
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in the milk. Turn on the heat to medium and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue to boil for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from burning.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into a bowl  and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools; smooth it across the surface with your hands to remove any air pockets.

This custard will keep refrigerated for a couple of days.

buttermilk cake
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare an 8" cake pan by coating it with a thin layer of butter and cutting a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan. Set aside

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Beat the butter as you slowly add the sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy looking. Beat in the egg whites, and when those are well incorporated, beat in the remaining egg.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Add half the buttermilk and the lemon juice and stir that in. Keep alternating with the flour and buttermilk until they are used up and everything is well combined. Beat for about a minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared 8" cake pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes in the centre of the oven, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan.

fruit
2 large navel oranges
1 kiwi
2 large strawberries
1/4 cup orange liqueur

Remove the peels from the oranges and slice them into thin rounds. Peel the kiwi fruit and slice those into thin rounds too. Slice the strawberries. Carefully place the sliced fruit (picking out the nicest pieces) into a shallow dish. Sprinkle the orange liqueur evenly over the fruit and and set aside.

Chop up any leftover/remaining bits of fruit and set aside.

to finish the custard
2 tsp gelatin
2 tbsp hot water
1 cup heavy cream, cooled

Combine the gelatin and water, stir until the gelatin is dissolved and set aside.

Beat the heavy cream until it starts to stiffen. Slowly pour in the gelatin mixture as you continue to beat.

Fold in the custard and up to 2/3 cup of the chopped fruit.

to prepare the cake mold
almond or canola oil
sugar

Oil and then sugar a 7-8 cup round mold. I used a glass mixing bowl. Starting from then centre, place the fruit slices, forming a pleasing pattern, reserving the orange liqueur the fruit sat in. You can overlap the slices slightly if you wish.

Cover the fruit carefully with about half of the custard mixture.

Slice the cool cake horizontally and brush both cut sides generously with the orange liqueur mixture.

Place one cake layer over the custard; I like to place the cut side facing the custard mixture to make it easier for it to absorb some of the juices. Cover that with the remaining custard and then place the other cake layer (liqueur side facing the custard) down.

Find a plate which fits slightly inside the mold and weigh it down with a few full cans. Place in the refrigerator overnight, up to about 24 hours.

When it's ready to serve, fill a larger bowl with hot water and carefully dip the mold into it to warm up the bottom (to loosen the cake a bit) being careful not to allow any of the water to get into the top and onto the cake itself.

Carefully unmold onto a serving plate.

Gajar Ka Halwa, Carrot Halwa

(about 20-24 pieces)

I used to live near Coxwell and Gerrard in Toronto (home to one of the largest East Indian communities in North America). Walking towards the end of my street in the summer, I would often encounter heavenly scents from the spice shops and restaurants on Gerrard.

Carrot Halwa was available at several shops and restaurants where it often had a thin layer of edible silver on it. I don't bother looking for the silver when I make these, way too much driving I imagine.

2 tbsp ghee, or clarified butter (or regular butter )
2 lb carrots, grated
3 cups evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped and toasted

extra cashew nuts, chopped and toasted for garnishing

Heat the ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until they soften. Add the milk, sugar and cardamon and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the cashew nuts and continue to cook, stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and resembles a soft dough.

Pack into an oiled (ghee) 8" or 9" baking pan, sprinkle the top with cashew nuts. Cool and cut into squares.

Daring Baker Challenge, March 2010, Orange Tian

(8-10 servings)

Last month I became a member of the Daring Kitchen, and by the end of the month I signed up for Daring Bakers. I may sign up for Daring Cooks as well at some point.

Each month recipes are revealed and then over 2000 bakers/cooks from around the world create one of those recipes in their kitchens. Substitutions are only allowed for such things as food allergies/intolerances or ingredients which are unavailable in certain regions.

Looking through the photos and comments members send in of their resulting recipe is quite intriguing; so many interpretations of the same thing. It's really quite wonderful, and what prompted me to join and give it a try.

This month's baker challenge was hosted by Jennifer from Chocolate Shavings and she proposed an Orange Tian, a dessert she had made for the first time a few months earlier at a cooking school in France.
We made everything from scratch, including the marmalade, and the finished dessert was quite tasty.

I decided not to mess around with cookie cutters because I don't have enough. I used a 9" spring-form instead which turned out to be a challenge. Although I left the dessert in the freezer for twice the amount of time, it clearly wasn't enough. After I carefully loosened the edges and inverted it onto the cake plate, it didn't hold it's shape. I nearly died laughing. If I make this again, I might increase the amount of gelatin to 2 teaspoons and I'll definitely leave it in the freezer longer.

The only changes I made (I also used one grapefruit for colour) was for the marmalade. I didn't bother with the pectin and the mixture gelled just fine without it. It was so delicious I regretted not making more of it. The recipe calls for the peel of 1 orange, and I used 3 (for a little extra) when I should have used up the peels from all of the oranges. There's always a next time.

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the next challenge.

Below, I have copied the recipes we were given:

Recipe Source: Recipe slightly adapted from Alain Ducasse‘s Cooking School in Paris, France

For the Pate Sablee:
Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients
2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams
vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams
All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams
baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Directions:

Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:
Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients
Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
pectin 5 grams
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:
For this step you will need 8 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

[See YouTube video in the References section below for additional information on segmenting oranges.]

For the Caramel:
Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:
Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Resources:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tian.htm (An article about the dessert known as tian.)
YouTube link on how to segment an orange: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG5mcEEBlcI
To learn more about Pectin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin
What to substitute for Pectin: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/P/Pectin-6222.aspx

Pecan Pralines

(about 20)

The original southern pecan pralines just contained sugar, water, butter and pecans. At some point milk was introduced, often evaporated or condensed.

I decided to experiment a bit with these. I used heavy cream because I had some. I toasted the pecans beforehand as I often do because I like how that intensifies the flavour. Finally I decided to stir in a bit of baking soda at the end hoping to lighten the caramel somewhat even though I didn't cook it long enough as you would a brittle. I'm not sure if that made much difference although it did slightly foam up the caramel, and perhaps changed the texture somewhat.

1 tsp butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup broken up pecans, lightly toasted

Butter the insides of a saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from traveling up. Turn on the heat to medium and add the brown sugar, cream and salt. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and let the mixture come to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce reaches softball stage, about 235° F; 5-8 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. Mix well and stir in the pecans.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto waxed paper or buttered cookie sheets and allow to cool and harden.

Almond Jelly with Fruit Cocktail

(6 servings)

This light and refreshing dessert was always one of my favourite dim sum dishes in Toronto. Sadly, I haven't seen it here in Dallas, so I end up making it once in a while.

I imagine it would be very good with fresh fruit, but I get a bit nostalgic for the way it was served at dim sum with the canned fruit. In recent years I have bought the fruit cocktail in the refrigerator section; it seems to be better quality.

This dessert should be made with agar agar, not gelatin as the texture between the two is quite different. I buy agar agar in bars. Every few months I drive to a large asian supermarket (Hong Kong Market) in the northeastern part of Dallas to stock up on stuff, and that's where I'm able to find it.

2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

2 1/2 cups fruit cocktail
3/4 cup evaporated milk

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Combine the water, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the agar agar has dissolved; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the evaporated milk and almond extract.

Pour into a 9" square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

Cut into cubes and combine with the fruit cocktail. Serve with evaporated milk.