Coffee Float

Last week, I was watching you tube videos on how to make tiramisu.

At the back of my mind, there’s always this thought that i was due to make caramel pudding or leche flan to bring to two consecutive parties that we’ll be attending.

Then it suddenly occured to me, why not incorporate the two?

So, here’s the experiment.

Sponge cake, sliced
1 can condensed milk
1 can all purpose cream
2 cups coffee/ espresso
Cocoa powder

- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the condensed milk and the cream. You use a blender.

- Dip the sponge cake to the coffee. Drain the excess coffee.

- Line the sponge cake side by side in a medium size serving pan.

- Pour the milk and cream mixture until its fully covered.

- Sprinkle cocoa powder all over.

- Repeat steps 2 to 5.

-Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

ENJOY!

( will post photos soon )

Almond Raisin Scones

I love scones! Whenever i have the time to sit and relax i’d definitely find a coffeeshop that serves the best scones or at least a delectable one.

The day before my birthday, i had the luxury of time to see my sfc household members. We spent the afternoon at Foster’s English Cafe at Holland Village. And My, my do they serve the best tasting (so far) scones in Singapore. Hot off the grill at that! They even serve it together with devon creme. So far of that..

I’ve been wanting to make one myself and luckily, after so much procrastination, we’ve finally baked scones over one afternoon at my friend’s place.

I was a bit late when i arrived cause i had a meeting with another friend prior to that. *whew*

They were almost done with the almond cake when i arrived. They were just finishing off the icing/ glaze.

I didn’t have much time to laze around cause i’ll be meeting with another friend that evening. Oh yes!

So here goes:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 salt
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds

• Preheat the oven to 375 F
• Line the pan with parchment paper
• In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Fold the mixture.
• Add the butter. Mix thoroughly. It will look coarse or crumbs will form.
• In another mixing bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg and vanila.
• Pour the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix thoroughly.
• Sprinkle the Raisins.

Molding
• You may use a cookie cutter or an ice cream scoop to do this
• cookie cutter. On a dry counter top, sprinkle some flour and put dough over it.
• Flatten it evenly by using a rolling pin.
• Mold them by using a cookie cutter and arrange then on the tray.
• Ice cream scoop. Scoop a dough from bowl and arrange it on the tray.

• Once done, place a few slices of almonds on top.
• You may opt to brushe the top of the batter with egg white.
• Place the tray in the oven and bake it for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

New York Cheesecake

I helped my friend, Ate Anna make this delectable dessert – a fine New York Cheesecake.

I was our first, and we were both happy that it turned out well.

We got the ingredients from the website of The Joy of Baking. We studied the recipe and we even watched the video on how to make it.

For me, these are the most essential things to do before baking – because you get to at least visualize it first before the execution.

Here are the ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups (200 grams) of graham cracker crumbs or finely crushed Digestive biscuits
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

32 ounces (1 kg) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons (35 grams) all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream (double cream)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.

For Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling: In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 60 – 90 minutes or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. (The baking time can vary due to the differences in ovens, so make sure to check that the cheesecake is firm with only the center being a little wet and wobbly.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours, preferably overnight. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.

Makes one – 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html#ixzz1M0R3cdoE

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html#ixzz1M0QlJ3y1

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html#ixzz1M0Pp0dNR

New York Cheesecake

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Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel

I’ve always loved Auntie Anne’s cinnamon sugar pretzel. I just can’t wait to make one on my own.

I was watching the how-to videos on how to make one by the Auntie Anne’s staff themselves.

Prepare

1 1/4 cup water at 105 degrees
1 tbsp dry active yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
pretzel salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

In a medium sized bowl add water and sprinkle the dry yeast. Stir and wait to dissolve for 2-5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt.

Pour the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix using your clean hands. Add the vegetable oil.

Lightly knead. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 45 mins until it’s size is doubled.

Bowl C: Whilst waiting, in a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and water.

Bowl D: Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat then set aside.

Bowl E: Mix sugar and cinnamon then set aside.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

Cut a fist size portion of the dough. On a clean counter, using your hands, roll the dough while flattening it on opposite direction.

It will look similar to a stick or a rope in a meter length. Make a ‘u’ shape holding both ends of the dough. With left end over right end, twist the dough twice and place both ends at the bottom part of the ‘u’ shape. Set aside.

One by one, dip the pretzel in bowl C and place it on the greased baking pan.

You may sprinkle kosher salt on some of the pretzels.

Bake the pretzels for 5 mins on one side and 3 mins on the other side, switching it 180 degrees from original position.

When it’s done, piece by piece dip the pretzel in bowl D followed by bowl E and place on the serving dish.

Serve whilst hot and with coffee.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

I love dark chocolates! I love the bitter-sweet taste of it (70%)! It’s like caressing me to sleep!

Dark chocolates made from high-grade quality of cocoa are divine. It’s smooth silky, creamy melts-in-your-mouth texture is to-die for, although most of it are quite expensive than the regular ones!

There are a lot of good health benefits from dark chocolates (lower blood cholesterol, for one) and I’m not saying that you have to binge on it, from now on. Moderation is still the life-long key on almost all aspects.

There are also a lot of varieties of cocoa or cacao (which pretty much where chocolate is from) and it varies from region to region, how it’s fermented and cooked!

I could go on and on, but id rather want you to do the research.

so, back to original topic, to make one of your own, here’s what you’ll need:

(2:1)
500 g dark chocolate bar – 70% is ideal
250 ml whipping cream or heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter

choices of coating
cocoa powder
chopped nuts (pistachio, almonds, walnuts)
confectionery sugar

small paper cups

1. Cut the chocolate bar into small cubes and place them in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Using a sauce pan on a medium heat, bring to a boil the whipping cream and butter.
3. Give it 10 secs more to boil then immediately pour the mixture into the bowl of chopped chocolates.
4. Stir. Mix well. For a thicker ganache, stir more to bring in more oxygen.
5. Cover and put in the fridge for 2 hours until its hard enough to mould.
6. With clean hands, scoop chocolate ganache and roll them in between your palms to make a ball.
7. Roll the ganache ball into your choice of coating. I personally love cocoa powder.
8. Place them in the paper cups or any container you wish to use.
9. Store truffles in the fridge to harden them. You can keep truffles in the fridge for a week.
10. Take them out 5 mins from the fridge prior to serving them.

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