Sunday, 25 December 2011
Guest Appearance 2 by Penguinni - Mushroom Zucchini Pizza
Dear had made the pizza crust from scratch.. delizioso!
a home made lunch - wanton noodles
this was a simple dish created to use up the leftovers in the fridge.
it was well-received by Dear; he said it was even better than Pontien's.... but i could not believe him totally.... ;)
it was well-received by Dear; he said it was even better than Pontien's.... but i could not believe him totally.... ;)
though i think the pictures look quuuiiitteee gooooddd...
Guest Appearance 1 by Penguinni - Oven-Roasted Chicken & Grilled Potato Skins
one of the first meals prepared by Dear. More to come......
the potato skins (even those w/o cheese) were awesome.. i really think he makes a great chef!
Apple Pie - using a lattice structure crust
i'd finally realized one of Dear's request!
i'm glad i took an extra effort to make the pie crust from scratch instead of buying readymade frozen pie crust.
Apple Pie
Pie Crust (adapted from simplyrecipe.com) - for recipes that need double pie crusts
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups --------------- all-purpose flour
1 cup --------------------- unsalted butter, cubed, frozen
1 tsp ---------------------- salt
1 tsp ---------------------- sugar
6 tbsp -------------------- ice-water
Method:
1. in a large mixing bowl, mix well flour, sugar and salt
2. cut in butter. mix until mixture resembles coarse meal
3. add ice-water 1 tbsp at a time until mixture just begins to clump together. do not over add water
4. remove dough from the large bowl and place in a mould on a clean surface. gently shape the dough mixture into 2 disks, work the dough enough just to form the round disks; do not over-knead
5. sprinkle a little flour around the disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 2 days
6. remove one disk from refrigerator. let it sit at room temp for about 5-10mins and roll out on a well-flour surface into a 12-in circle (1/8-in thick).
7. carefully transfer the rolled-out dough onto a 9-in pie dish. gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of pie dish. using a pair of scissors, trim the dough to within 1/2-in of the edge of the pie dish
8. add pie filling
9. roll out the second dough, as before, gently place pie dough on top of filling. pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. design the sides as you wish. (after rolling out the second disk, i cut it into strips)
10. score top of the pie with four 2-in long cuts
Apple Pie Filling (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
115g --------------------- unsalted butter
2 tbsp -------------------- plain flour
60ml --------------------- water
100g --------------------- white sugar
110g --------------------- packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peel, cored and sliced
Method:
1. preheat oven to 220degC
2. melt butter in a saucepan. stir in flour to form a paste. add water, sugars, and bring it to a boil. reduce heat and simmer...
3. place the bottom crust in pie dish. fill with apples, mounted slightly. cover with a lattice work crust.
4. gently pour the sugar-butter liquid over the crust, very slowly so that it does not run off
5. bake in the preheat oven for 15min
6. reduce the temp to 175degC and continue baking for 45 min until apples are soft
i'm glad i took an extra effort to make the pie crust from scratch instead of buying readymade frozen pie crust.
Apple Pie
Pie Crust (adapted from simplyrecipe.com) - for recipes that need double pie crusts
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups --------------- all-purpose flour
1 cup --------------------- unsalted butter, cubed, frozen
1 tsp ---------------------- salt
1 tsp ---------------------- sugar
6 tbsp -------------------- ice-water
Method:
1. in a large mixing bowl, mix well flour, sugar and salt
2. cut in butter. mix until mixture resembles coarse meal
3. add ice-water 1 tbsp at a time until mixture just begins to clump together. do not over add water
4. remove dough from the large bowl and place in a mould on a clean surface. gently shape the dough mixture into 2 disks, work the dough enough just to form the round disks; do not over-knead
5. sprinkle a little flour around the disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 2 days
6. remove one disk from refrigerator. let it sit at room temp for about 5-10mins and roll out on a well-flour surface into a 12-in circle (1/8-in thick).
7. carefully transfer the rolled-out dough onto a 9-in pie dish. gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of pie dish. using a pair of scissors, trim the dough to within 1/2-in of the edge of the pie dish
8. add pie filling
9. roll out the second dough, as before, gently place pie dough on top of filling. pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. design the sides as you wish. (after rolling out the second disk, i cut it into strips)
10. score top of the pie with four 2-in long cuts
Apple Pie Filling (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
115g --------------------- unsalted butter
2 tbsp -------------------- plain flour
60ml --------------------- water
100g --------------------- white sugar
110g --------------------- packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peel, cored and sliced
Method:
1. preheat oven to 220degC
2. melt butter in a saucepan. stir in flour to form a paste. add water, sugars, and bring it to a boil. reduce heat and simmer...
3. place the bottom crust in pie dish. fill with apples, mounted slightly. cover with a lattice work crust.
4. gently pour the sugar-butter liquid over the crust, very slowly so that it does not run off
5. bake in the preheat oven for 15min
6. reduce the temp to 175degC and continue baking for 45 min until apples are soft
Christmas Cookies & Cards
the cookies here are the same sugar cookies in the earlier post. simple change the cookie cutters!
enjoy the photos!
christmas tree cookies.....
with guardian angels and christmas bells...
DIY packaging...
and finally DIY cards..
Teddy Bears for Jayden
for my girlfriend's baby bash for baby Jayden. splitting image of his papa.....
Teddy Bear Sugar Cookies (adapted from bisous a too)
Ingredients:
300g ------------------ unsalted butter
100g ------------------ caster sugar
4 egg yolks
500g ------------------ flour
1 tbsp ----------------- corn flour
1 tsp ------------------ vanilla
Method:
1. preheat oven to 160degC
2. whisk butter and sugar until soft - don't over mix
3. add in the egg yolks and vanilla essence and mix
4. add in sift flour and corn flour
5. roll it out on a well-floured surface
6. use your favorite cookie cutter and cut out cookies
7. bake in preheated over for about 1/2 hr
the recipe called for icing decorations on the cookies but i did not. on their own, the sugar cookies are not that sweet. mickey mouse cookie cutter was used to maximise usage of the cookie dough..
Teddy Bear Sugar Cookies (adapted from bisous a too)
Ingredients:
300g ------------------ unsalted butter
100g ------------------ caster sugar
4 egg yolks
500g ------------------ flour
1 tbsp ----------------- corn flour
1 tsp ------------------ vanilla
Method:
1. preheat oven to 160degC
2. whisk butter and sugar until soft - don't over mix
3. add in the egg yolks and vanilla essence and mix
4. add in sift flour and corn flour
5. roll it out on a well-floured surface
6. use your favorite cookie cutter and cut out cookies
7. bake in preheated over for about 1/2 hr
the recipe called for icing decorations on the cookies but i did not. on their own, the sugar cookies are not that sweet. mickey mouse cookie cutter was used to maximise usage of the cookie dough..
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Chocolate Bundt Cake
this is actually a pound cake in a bundt mold. wanted to try out something in preparation for Christmas! Hohoho!
sadly, the pictures cannot really show how great the cake actually tasted. most of the comments i gathered were really positive. to perfect it, go with vanilla/chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream..
to those who have tried it, i really hope you will crave for more, because i shall be baking more of it for others to try. one of my most satisfied bakes till date. ;)
Chocolate Bundt Cake (adapted from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book)
Ingredients:
181g ---------------------- all-purpose flour
57g ----------------------- cake flour
92g ----------------------- dutch-processed cocoa power
2 1/4 tsp ----------------- baking powder
1/2 tsp ------------------- salt
340g --------------------- unsalted butter
500g --------------------- granulated sugar (i used only 380g)
4 large eggs
2 tsp ---------------------- vanilla extract
242g --------------------- sour cream (i replaced about 1/5 of it with plain yoghurt)
Method:
1. preheat oven to 163degC. grease the inside on a 10-in bundt pan and dust with flour
2. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
3. using an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter until very creamy (~2min). gradually beat in the sugar. increase speed of electric mixer to medium high and beat the mixture until well-blended and light (~4min)
4. reduce speed to medium. beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
5. stir the vanilla extract into the sour cream.
6. now add the dry ingredient into the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just well-blended (note: the flour mixture is prone to splatter during mixing. use a splatter shield on the mixing bowl if you have)
7. scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top
8. bake the cake for 75 mins, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15minutes. after that, invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely
sadly, the pictures cannot really show how great the cake actually tasted. most of the comments i gathered were really positive. to perfect it, go with vanilla/chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream..
to those who have tried it, i really hope you will crave for more, because i shall be baking more of it for others to try. one of my most satisfied bakes till date. ;)
Chocolate Bundt Cake (adapted from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book)
Ingredients:
181g ---------------------- all-purpose flour
57g ----------------------- cake flour
92g ----------------------- dutch-processed cocoa power
2 1/4 tsp ----------------- baking powder
1/2 tsp ------------------- salt
340g --------------------- unsalted butter
500g --------------------- granulated sugar (i used only 380g)
4 large eggs
2 tsp ---------------------- vanilla extract
242g --------------------- sour cream (i replaced about 1/5 of it with plain yoghurt)
Method:
1. preheat oven to 163degC. grease the inside on a 10-in bundt pan and dust with flour
2. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
3. using an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter until very creamy (~2min). gradually beat in the sugar. increase speed of electric mixer to medium high and beat the mixture until well-blended and light (~4min)
4. reduce speed to medium. beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
5. stir the vanilla extract into the sour cream.
6. now add the dry ingredient into the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just well-blended (note: the flour mixture is prone to splatter during mixing. use a splatter shield on the mixing bowl if you have)
7. scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top
8. bake the cake for 75 mins, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15minutes. after that, invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Feliz Navidad
I havent been updating my blog for a long time. too many life events but i have baked several stuffs. they shall be blogged about soon.
it is the first day of winter... Snowing is falling, Christmas bells are ringing. My favorite time of the year has come. lots of love, laughter and joy in the air.
wishing everyone and especially my Penguin, Mom, family and friends a lovely and merry Christmas...
and dedicated to everyone in my life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtuVP8Mj4o
my favorite-st christmas song..
it is the first day of winter... Snowing is falling, Christmas bells are ringing. My favorite time of the year has come. lots of love, laughter and joy in the air.
wishing everyone and especially my Penguin, Mom, family and friends a lovely and merry Christmas...
and dedicated to everyone in my life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtuVP8Mj4o
my favorite-st christmas song..
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