Saturday, May 26, 2012

What is this?

Keeping up with a blog is a big challenge. I am trying my best to write all my posts in chronological order, but it doesn't seem to be going smoothly. The food I've baked (and started a draft post of) since last year July is starting to pile up.. and I am getting old.

I thought it would be easy since I like to copy all the recipes I am using onto my handy notebook. But hey, I left out the part where I get lazy copying the recipe and just take my whole laptop into the kitchen.. and also how the pages in my notebook fall apart. Great!

Here's a problem that is bugging me so muchhhh! What is this that I made?



I am suspecting.. a cheesecake? or.. is it? Blegh. I DON't KNOW.
But what I remembered is that it was yummy. HAHAHA ;)

Choux Pastry





Choux Pastry
recipe halved from Table for 2
- makes around 55 minis

125ml water
45g salted butter
75g flour
5g sugar
2 large eggs

1. Sift flour and mix with sugar, set aside.
2. Bring water and butter to a boil on low heat.
3. When butter has fully melted, dump (1) in at one go. Stir immediately with a wooden spoon, and continue to stir until a dough is formed, and it leaves the sides of the pot.
4. Remove pot from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Beat in eggs one by one, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Beat mixture until it is smooth and glossy.
6. Pipe or spoon mixture onto baking trays 2 inches apart from each other. Bake in a preheated oven of 374F/190C for 10 mins and 338F/170C for another 15 mins.
7. Cut a small slit immediately upon removal from oven to release steam from inside the puff. (I skipped this step)
8. Leave to cool down totally before piping in the filling.

Note: For larger puffs, extend the 2nd baking time.

what a sight 8)

The feeling of making a large batch of anything makes me feel powerful! I feel as if I am working as a pastry chef in some kind of fancy hotels. Yeah yeah.. keep dreaming and one day it will be true (;

Anyways, baking the choux pastry was a really spontaneous thought. I just wanted to rekindle my love for making them. The simple ingredients and process always amaze me. How the ingredients interact and create that nice little puff.. Ahh.

I decided to test another recipe I came across. These choux pastry puffed up with no problem. The problem I realize though is I need bigger pipping tips! And also how I was too lazy to make any kind of cream/ filling to go inside. I ate them plain. I didn't mind too much though, but it would've been nice if I added a bit more sugar and maybe some flavoring in them to give them a twist.

oddly spiraly shaped puffs

Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5 (lack of flavor with no cream added)
Texture: 3.5 stars out of 5 (nice puff, dry inside, soft outside) I prefer.. the beard papa's crunchy outside more :p

Friday, May 25, 2012

Green Tea Chocolate Chip Biscotti- No Butter/Oil Needed!

No Butter and OIL?!!? I was doubtful about how these biscotti would turn out. As of now, I have been using my other biscotti recipe which uses olive oil. But wow! These taste just as great! If not.. better!


Compared to my old recipe, this no butter/oil one yields a more crisp and hard bite. But not hard to the point that you are in fear of your tooth chipping when biting into them. I love the crispness. And it tastes fresh and light in a way. Maybe it's the green tea element in them. However, I do think the chocolate chip masked the mild green tea flavor. Next time, I ma need to add more green tea powder for that fragrance/bitterness to come out more.



And one thing I noted about these biscotti is that they are easier and cleaner to cut. The edges would not crumble as much like my other ones! This may be due to the fact that I chopped up my chocolate chips into fine pieces and gave ample time to cool before cutting.



This biscotti recipe will definitely come in handy when you run out of butter/oil in your pantry! But for me, I like to come back to this recipe for that crisp and refreshing bite(:

Green Tea Chocolate Chip Biscotti
recipe adapted and HALVED from cake tree
-makes around 18 cookies

60g sugar
1 egg
115g flour
7.5g matcha (green tea powder)
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp baking powder
1/8tsp salt
35g chopped chocolate chips (or any other nuts you prefer)

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees.
2. Beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and thick, about 8-10minutes.
3. Then add the vanilla.
4. Sift and whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
5. On low speed, pour in the ingredients until well combined.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Roll into a log on your baking tray and bake for 20-25minutes.
8. Remove from oven and cool enough to handle.
9. Lower oven temperature to 325degrees .
10. Cut using a serrated knife diagonally and place them on baking tray.
*I had cut mine straight across..
11. Bake for 10minutes, then flip the downside up, and bake another 10minutes until completely dry.

Tip: cut the biscotti to as equal thinness as you can get for a even baking during the second round

(Note to self: for next time, add more green tea powder and cut them thinner and diagonally)

Taste: 4 stars out of 5 (green tea flavor was too mild)
Texture: 4 stars out of 5