Bill's Chocolate Caramel Slices

The first time I got introduced to this lovely slice was when I started working in New Zealand. It was part of our daily preparation for the Te Papa Museum cafe. Oh yes! It was love at first bite! I got my recipe from my pastry chef then. However, I've tested a couple of recipes which I wasn't too happy with the results until I came across Bill Granger's version.It was perfect for my liking. The union of the coconut base, caramel and  dark chocolate is heaven.  Definitely not for the diabetics, sad to say. 


Here's the link to the recipe: Chocolate Caramel Slice

Some important notes:
It is quite important to get the right consistency of the cooked caramel because it won't set well even if it has been baked. I've experienced it before and it can be frustrating not to have those clean edges because the caramel slightly run.

Cooked caramel

Lastly, don't forget to dip your knife in hot water in between slicing to get those neat edges. Have fun! Best eaten with a good cuppa!

Leche Flan...An All Time Winner

I grew up always having leche flan during Christmas or special occasions such as town fiestas or birthdays. It is a traditional Filipino dessert which is similar to creme caramel. Although most of the creme caramel recipes use whole eggs or a combination of whole eggs and yolk, which makes the texture firmer due to the addition of eggwhites.

Here's my version of leche flan. For me and my children, our basis of a good leche flan is in the texture. It should be smooth and flan shouldn't have bubbles. Bubbles normally happens when flan is cooked on high temperature. Although, I know some people like it otherwise. I guess it's a matter of personal preference. It is cooked using a steamer but I prefer to bake it as I can control the temperature and it gives me the silky texture I am after. Steaming sometimes causes the bubbles,which I don't like, and I hate the the inconvenience of putting tea towels in between layers to prevent water droplets  into my flan.

Happy Eating!

Leche Flan

Ingredients:

Set A
Flan mixture:

1 can of evaporated milk

1/2 can of condensed milk

1/4 c sugar

6-7 pcs. egg yolks

Rind from one orange*

Set B

Caramel syrup:

1 c sugar

1/4 c water

1. Prepare the pan by lining it with caramel syrup.

2.Combine water and sugar (Set B )in sauce pot. Do not mix. Cook until amber in color.

3. Pour the caramel on the pan, use either llanera** or any container which is overnproof. Set aside. Careful as the syrup is hot.

4. Mix all the Set A ingredients in a bowl by using a wire whisk. The mixture can be strained to remove some of the egg white strands, known as chalazae,that comes with the yolk sometimes.

5. Equally pour the milk and egg mixture into the pans.

6. Bake at 150deg C on steam bath until done. Make sure water level is half the container. 

7. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the flan however, to check if cooked, the flan should jiggle if slightly shaken. It will set as it cools down.

* lemon or lime rind maybe used
** I bought the flan moulds from our local Filipino store

Mango & Melon Salsa ...Missing Philippine Mangoes

Tomorrow, summer officially starts here in Australia. Mangoes are everywhere but nothing beats Philippine mangoes, in my opinion. They might not be as huge as what we have here but the sweetness is so different. Most of the Philippine carabao mangoes are exported.  Oh well, I have to make use of what is available.

Sharing with you a great side dish for barbie...as what we call barbecues here. Mango and Melon Salsa. My younger daughter enjoyed it to my surprise. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 c Ripe mango, diced
3/4 c Rock melon, diced
1/4 c finely chopped onion or red onion
1/4 c red bell pepper, diced
2-3 tbsps. Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Few pieces of mint leaves, finely chopped

Procedure:
Mix all ingredients together. Chill for an hour or two for the flavours to blend together.
Serve with grilled meat or seafood.

Pecan and Walnut Tart

This is classic which is best eaten...trust me, slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

It is quite difficult to find American brands which I use in baking here in Australia. When I chanced upon Karo light syrup in a health store, I grabbed it and automatically thought of pecan tart.

As usual, I'm  pressed for time so I used store bought sweet crust pastry for the pie base. It turned out good, just what I expected. This is a combination of walnuts and pecan, as I didn't have enough pecan in my pantry.

Here's the recipe for this lovely tart:

Ingredients:
2 sheets of ready to use sweet pastry (I used 2 pans, 7 inch diameter)
1 c brown sugar (can be reduced to 3/4 c)
3/4 c light karo syrup
1/4 c golden syrup
1/4 c butter
3 eggs
1 T rum or vanilla
280 g chopped, roasted walnuts and pecan
Chocolate pieces, as desired

Procedure:
1. Grease and flour the tart pan. Shake off excess flour.
2. Line the pan with the ready to use pastry. Remove excess crust by trimming the sides.
3 . Using a fork, dock the pie to prevent puffing or creating pockets while baking.

4. Set aside inside the fridge.
5. For the filling, mix all remaining ingredients except nuts.
6 . Once blended, add nuts and mix.
7. Pour in the pie base and chocolate pieces can be added for better flavour.  Bake  in pre-heated oven at 350 degF or 180 degC (160 degC fan forced)for 35 mins.or more until done (bigger tart pans will take longer to bake, around 45 to 50 mins.)

8. Cool down and slice.

Steamed Puto... in a jiffy!

Again, someone posted in FB some native Filipino delicacies last night and I suddenly had craving for steamed puto at 10:30 pm. Traditionally, steamed puto is made from rice but that is quite tedious to make so I'll settle for a quick one. Yup, it took me less than an hour to make 10 medium size puto. Enough for our entire household. This recipe is flour based. Ingredients are pretty staple. Great for breakfast or eaten with pancit palabok or pancit guisado...our local noodle dishes.

The success of this puto lies in your baking powder and ensure water is boiling when you steam the puto as the volume or height will depend on those. Check expiry date of your baking powder or better yet, use self raising flour.


Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 c self-raising flour *
1/2 c sugar
2/3 c coconut milk or fresh milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp.melted salted butter*
1/2  tsp. vanilla essence or any flavouring such as pandan* or ube

1. Prepare steamer before mixing the ingredients by boiling the water.
2. For the batter, mix all liquid ingredients except melted butter and flavouring  in a bowl by using a wire whisk.

3. Add flour and blend until smooth and lump free.
4. Lastly add flavouring followed by melted butter. Mix.
5. Pour batter 2/3 full  in  a plastic or sillicone molds and steam for 10 to
15 minutes depending on size. Make sure water is boiling.

Sillicone molds (left) ; plastic molds (right)

6. Wait to slightly cool down for few minutes and unmold.

*Important Notes:
▪ self raising flour can be substituted with 1 c flour + 2 tsps. baking powder
▪ if using unsalted butter , a pinch of salt can be added to the flour
▪ liquid can be substituted with the flavour you desired, if it's pandan for example then, boil water and pandan leaves, once it cools down it can be substituted with milk

Sudden Surge for Chocolate Crinkles

My FB friend posted crinkles on her wall last week and since then, I had a bad craving for those fudgy cookies. Crinkles are quite common in the Philippines. I remembered baking and supplying it  to a "pasalubong" store way back in early 2001. No matter how stressful office work was  the past few days, I managed to bake a small batch last Tuesday night. Yes, I finished at 10pm. Sabina and I had a piece before going to bed.

For those who have a soft spot for crinkles, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

Yield: approximately 40 pcs.medium sized cookies

1/2 c canola oil
1 c Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 c sugar
4 pcs. eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 c plain flour
1 t baking powder
Powdered sugar, for rolling the cookie dough

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 350 degF or 180degC.

In a mixing bowl, combine oil and cocoa powder then, mix using a wooden spoon. Add sugar. Then gradually add eggs and vanilla then mix until blended. Lastly, add the dry ingredients. It will be a thick and heavy batter. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour or so for easier handling and for the nice crinkled look.

Once chilled, form into small balls and roll in powdered sugar.
Put them in cookie trays lined with grease proof paper. Bake straight away for 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: If the cookies spread too much that it doesn't have the nice cracks , make sure the dough is well chilled. Don't over work the dough while forming it into a ball as it will change the temperature.

Should you wish to bake few cookies, simply cut the recipe into half.

Choc Chip Pavlova with Berries

Sabina says:
This was my first pavlova, and it tasted really good. The meringue wasn't too sweet, and the dark chocolate chips helped that. I love berries, so their notable tartness and sweet acidity was a great addition to the dessert, and the fresh cream unites all the flavour together. Sure, I had a little trouble getting slices without spilling pavlova crust everywhere, but this dessert is a must-try!

Last Christmas, I prepared pavlova as Sabina hasn't tried one. I was a bit hesitant for she might not like it but due to limited time, I decided to have a go. My previous pastry chef boss used to fold heaps of icing sugar with the meringue to have a very stable and stiff meringue texture after. I prefer my pavlova crunchy outside and soft inside, though the addition of cornstarch makes it a bit chewy. I added a twist by folding in dark choc chips. I decided to use the Belgian chocolate chips my friend gave me as Christmas present, or should I say, 'prezzy' ha.ha.ha. It was good as the chocolate didn't melt and the little chunks added a nice texture to the pavlova. 

It turned out really nice as the sweetness of the meringue balanced with the fresh cream and the tartness of the berries. I used a combination of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.  It's summer here down under so berries are in season. Hope you'll try this recipe!

Choc Chip Pavlova with Berries

Ingredients:

4 egg whites (if using small eggs, use 5)

3/4 c to 1 c sugar

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 t vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c chocolate chips

Toppings:

Whipped fresh cream , as desired

Fresh berries, as desired (you can use other fruits like mangoes or kiwi)

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven at 150 deg C or 120 deg C if using a fan forced oven.

2. Using a mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium high speed . Make sure you're using a clean and grease free stainless or glass bowl and the egg whites are in room temperature. Otherwise, you won't get nice volume.

3. When it makes soft peaks, gradually add sugar and beat until shiny and it forms medium stiff peaks. Don't over mix as it will become dry and the egg whites will eventually settle at the bottom. You can check by slightly tilting the bowl, if it doesn't slide and you can no longer feel the sugar crystals then, you're all set.

To check if the sugar crystals have dissolved, get a small portion of the meringue and rub it in between your index finger and thumb.

4. Fold the vinegar and cornstarch. Don't overfold.

The cornstarch, as far as I know, gives the chewiness of the pavlova while, I'm not so sure on this the acid like cream of tartar helps in stabilising the egg whites. Traditionally, pavlovas have vinegar. 

5. Lastly, throw in the choc chips and slightly fold.

6. In a flat tray lined with baking paper, pour the meringue. I drew a circle at the back of the baking paper as a guide. Bake for an hour or so. A good indicator that it's baked is when you see slight cracks and it is crusty when touched. My pavlova, actually, sunk a bit in the middle but I'm not worried at all as this is not a culinary competition ha.ha.ha. It will be covered with cream and fruits anyway.

7. Tun off oven but don't take out the meringue yet. Leave the oven ajar by putting a wooden spoon.
Once it has completely cool down, you can finish the pavlova or store it in air tight container.

TO FINISH:

Smother the top of pavlova with slightly whipped cream and arrange the fruits nicely.

Lemon and Cranberry Butter Slice

Don't you just love old fashioned butter cake? Below is a basic butter cake recipe. I incorporated dried cranberries and some lemon zest as I have lots and for a twist, of course. It's best served slightly warm with vanilla ice cream but as it is, it is perfectly yummy. Ooops, a dollop of whipped cream is also good.


Lemon & Cranberry Butter Slice
Ingredients:

1 c butter,softened
1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
3 c plain flour* combined with
1 T baking powder
1 c + 1 T milk
Zest from one lemon
1/2 c to 3/4 c dried cranberries, as desired

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven to 150 C (fan forced) or 350 F.
2. Using a mixer, cream butter,sugar and lemon zest for few minutes until light in color and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time.
4. Starting and ending with flour, alternately mix in flour and milk. Curdling may be experienced in the process but as soon as dry ingredient is added, everything should be fine.
5. Lastly, fold in the dried cranberries.
6. Pour batter in a greased and floured pan and bake for 45-60 mins. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Note:   Recipe yields two 8 inch round pan or 2 loaf pans
        * plain flour can be replaced with cake flour if a softer texture is desired or  plain flour                            can be replaced with self-raising flour however, do not add baking powder

Lemongrass Pandan Tea

Finally got the chance to buy fresh lemongrass and frozen pandan leaves. It is quite expensive. Funny how it is the exact opposite in the Philippines.  These are considered grass hence, we don't buy it. We normally grow them in the backyard.

I'm not an avid fan of water. To increase my water intake, I add this to my glass of water.Try it! So simple.

Recipe:

1 stalk of lemongrass
2 pcs. pandan leaves
1 liter water
2 pcs. green tea bags

Procedure:
Boil water with lemongrass and pandan leaves. Turn off fire once it boils. Steep the green tea bags.
Cool.

Serving Suggestion: Add freshly squeezed lemon (approx.2 Tbsps.) to one cup flavoured tea and sweetened with sugar.

Cassava Cake

I'm blessed for having the opportunity to learn how to make some native kakanin. In my almost two years stay in Center for Culinary Arts Manila, I had a chance to work with Mrs. Annie Guerrero, who has an extensive knowledge of our native kakanin. While de-cluttering in April, I saw my old notes and recipes. I brought my clutter back here in Sydney ha.ha.ha.

Let me share with you one of my favorites, Cassava Cake or Cassava Bibingka for others. I have tweaked the original recipe for I find the base too sweet.

Recipe:

A.Base
1 kg of frozen grated cassava* ( approx. 4 cups each)
1 1 /2 c coconut milk*
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs

B. Cream Topping
1 c coconut cream
1 c condensed milk
1 Tbsp. flour
2 egg yolks
Grated cheese, as desired.

Procedure:
1. Put all the base ingredients in a bowl and mix until blended.
2. Pour mixture in an aluminum foil lined pan and bake at 350 deg F or 170 deg C for 40 minutes or until done.
3. Set aside.
4. Prepare the topping. Combine the coconut cream, condensed milk and flour in a sauce pan.
5. Use a whisk to blend the flour. Cook in medium heat until slightly thick.
6. In a small bowl, beat the yolks and add around 1/2 c of the topping that you are cooking.

Mix well. This is called tempering. You might end up having scrambled eggs in  your topping if yolk is added straight away. Slowly add the beaten yolks with topping back into the mixture you are cooking.

7. Continue stirring until thick.
8. Pour the cooked topping on top of the baked cassava base. Generously top with cheese.

9. Put back the cassava cake into the oven to melt the cheese and for the golden brown colour.

10. You may turn on the heat on top of your oven for a quicker result.

*Notes:

1. Frozen grated cassava can be found from Asian stores. Otherwise, a food processor or our reliable grater may be used to grate the fresh cassava.
2. Coconut cream in can can be diluted with water to make coconut milk. Ratio is 1:1 (one part cream and one part water).
3. For convenience, this can be baked in disposable aluminum pans.
4. To test if base is baked, insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it's ready.

Basic Pan de Sal

If France is known for its baguette, in the Philippines, we have our Pan de Sal. They are not alike though. It is our basic bread and every household buys pan de sal for breakfast or merienda (snack). I don't normally bake bread here in Aus for fear of breaking my precious Kitchen Aid. Hahaha. Even it has a dough hook, which is designed for making breads, I just feel so sorry for the mixer because I would prefer using a proper dough mixer. 

Anyway, I had a short lived love affair with pan de sal. We opened a bakery or panaderia in early 2000 and sell  basic and filled pan de sal. We had to close operation when I got pregnant with my younger daughter, Sabina, for I won't be able to look after the business as we have the coffee shop to manage too. I said goodbye to the bakery but not to my bakery equipment. They're all in my "bake lab" in the Philippines waiting for me. They are regularly maintained and my parents use it once a week to bake soft wheat bread and some muffins.

Here's my version of home made basic pan de sal (At last! a lot of my friends are asking for this recipe.):

3 c bread flour or high protein flour

1/4 c sugar

1/2 t bread improver*

1 sachet of instant dry yeast (7 g)

2 T butter or margarine or shortening

2 t salt dissolved in 1 c lukewarm water

*Note: Bread improver is a food additive combined to the flour that improves the quality of dough and bread. You can do away with it but it is highly suggested.

1. Combine dry ingredients and butter in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, mix until ingredients are blended then, gradually add water. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic. This make take 8-10 minutes.

If you wish to do it manually, form a well in the centre of the flour mix and slowly add the water. Mix with wooden spoon until combined then use hands to form into a dough. Transfer the dough in floured surface and knead for 12-15 mins. until smooth and elastic.

2. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a clean, lightly greased bowl . Cover with cling wrap and leave for 45 mins to one hour. It should double in size. (Leave in warm place if the weather is cold.)

3. Degas the dough by slightly punching the dough to release the gas. Turn the dough again in a floured surface and flatten. Form a rectangular shape. You are now preparing the dough for shaping.

4. Starting from top, roll the dough until you form a log. 

5. Using a dough cutter or plastic dough scraper, cut into one inch.

6. Roll in bread crumbs and arrange in tray,leaving small clearance in between.

7. Leave for another 30-45 minutes for final rising. While waiting, preheat the oven at 220deg C (200degC for fan forced) or 400deg F.

8. When ready, bake for 15 mins. or until done.

Calamansi Meringue Pie

When someone gives you calamansi, turn it into Calamansi Meringue Pie...

Exactly what I did few weeks ago. My cousin, Yvonne, gave me a bagful of calamansi. Aside from daily dose of calamansi juice, I decided to make  a pie. Calamansi is is a cross between lemon and lime. It is very acidic or sour but the size is small. It is our native lemon as we don't grow lemons in the Philippines. 

Here's my version of Calamansi Meringue Pie, for those who don't have calamansi, replace it with lemons.

Hope you'll love the contrast of flavours, tartness of calamansi and sweetness of meringue. Not everyone loves this dessert but I like it, because it is refreshing especially after a big meal.

The recipe has three components.

A. Pie Crust:

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c icing or powdered sugar
1/2 c  butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 Tbsps. water

Procedure.
1. Combine all dry ingredients in a  mixing bowl. Using a fork or two butter knives, cut and mix the butter until the size of peas.A manual pastry cutter or food processor can be used.
2. Gradually add water (a tablespoon at a time) until mixture can be formed into a ball.
3. Rest the pie dough and chill for 30 mins to an hour.
4. After resting, roll the dough by using a rolling pin and fit into your pie plate.(I use aluminium pie plate for convenience). Dock the pie with a fork to prevent having bubbles during par-baking.

5. Bake at 350deg F or 170degC for few minutes until slightly brown.
6. Cool and set aside.

B. Calamansi Curd:

3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c custard powder
3 egg yolks
1/2 c freshly squeezed calamansi or lemon juice

Procedure:
1. In a sauce pot, mix sugar, water, calamansi juice, yolks and custard powder by using a whisk.
2. Cook in medium heat until thick.
3. Lastly, add butter.
4. Set aside and slightly cool down.

(The curd can be prepared while the crust is baking. )

C. Meringue:
3 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
pinch of cream of tartar

1. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium high speed.
2. Gradually add sugar until stiff but not dry.

To assemble:
1. Pour the curd on the baked pie crust. Make sure that the curd has cooled down otherwise,
the crust will be soggy. The moisture will soften your crust. Spread evenly by using a spatula or the back of the spoon.
2. Top with meringue. You can use a piping bag and create rosettes or use the back of the spoon and create peaks.
3. Put the pie inside the oven for few minutes at 120 deg C or 250 deg F until slightly brown in color.
If dry meringue is desired, after the oven has been turned off, leave the pie inside.

This is how I do it! My Adobo.

Adobo is a common dish in every Filipino household because the ingredients are basic and easy to prepare. The meat (either pork, chicken or combination of both) is stewed in vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, black peppercorn and garlic. Extenders such as potatoes and boiled eggs can be added.

In other parts of the Philippines, Adobo is prepared differently. In Bicol, coconut milk is added; in Cebu, their version is dry;   Recently, I read about Yellow Adobo in Batangas.When I'm lazy, I cook it the traditional way. Mix everything together and once it boils, I lower down the fire and simmer until meat is tender and the sauce is slightly reduced. When I have the luxury of time, I do it extra special. 

And oh! Adobo is always best eaten the next day.

Here is my version:

PORK & CHICKEN ADOBO
Ingredients:

I      Basic Adobo
500 g pork belly, sliced in pieces
chicken, cut in small portions (3-4 pcs).
1 c vinegar
3/4 c soy sauce
4-5 pcs. garlic cloves, slightly crushed
black whole pepper corn
2 pcs. dried bay leaf (also known as laurel)

Procedure:
Put everything together in a pot. Boil and simmer until tender.
Set Aside. ( I,normally, finish it the next day).

II
2 T oil (Extra virgin olive oil is better, but canola is fine)
2 T chopped garlic
1/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c red wine (I use left over red wine)
Cooked Adobo
Salt, pepper & sugar (if desired), to season


Procedure:
1. Saute onion in oil.
2. When transparent, add garlic.
3. Add the cooked meat only. Set aside the liquid.
4. When the sides of the meat are slightly brown, pour red wine.Scrape the brown bits at the bottom using your wooden spoon. The liquid will evaporate and reduce in amount.
5. Pour the liquid that you have set aside awhile ago. Simmer until sauce is slightly thick.
6. Adjust taste (salt, pepper and I add a tsp. of sugar).
7. Extenders such as boiled eggs and potatoes can be added.

Bacon & Egg Muffin Toast

I'm back! It's been two weeks since I updated my blog. Last month was the busiest since January this year. More work transactions to finish, school and a whole shebang of family activities to deal with. Oh well, enough of that. Here's  my daughter's breakfast of the month, she calls it bacon and egg muffin toast.

I saw it being demonstrated on TV by an English lady who lives in Paris. This version is a quicker because hers had bechamel sauce. I skipped that part because I don't have the luxury of time to make a bechamel sauce in the morning.

It is so easy that photos (I think) are enough ha.ha. If you have questions, feel free to ask and leave a comment. Bon appetit!

BACON & EGG MUFFIN TOAST


Ingredients:
Butter spread (for brushing toast)
Slices of bread (with edges removed)
Pieces of bacon
Eggs
Grated cheddar or tasty cheese
Freshly cracked pepper

Pre-heat oven at 170deg C or 350degF.
Cooking time: 10 minutes (if you want eggs further cooked, extend to few more minutes)

Homemade Pizza Roll

It's been a busy month of May for me. I needed to do a lot of catching up with work, chores and school since I came back from a half month holiday to Singapore and home.

Anyway, I hope you'll like this recipe. Pizza roll  is getting popular in the Philippines lately. I think I first tried it in 2007 or 2008 at C Italian Restaurant, which was managed by Chef Chris. It is actually a thin square or rectangular pizza sliced diagonally. Then, it is filled with rocket, pesto and alfalfa. Lastly, rolled and eaten like a sandwich wrap.

My husband loves it so much that he requested it for dinner last Sunday. 

Quite reluctant for I'm not a savoury person, he is though. I tried and luckily, it was a success ha.ha.
So here's my version of the pizza roll.

Pizza Crust
Yield: 3 small rectangular pizza

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 T dry instant yeast

220-250 ml lukewarm water*

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*I used lukewarm water because it's autumn here. When I'm in the Philippines, room temp water or sometimes slightly cold is used. The warm weather is enough to have a dough temperature of 27-30degC after mixing.

Procedure:

1. Place all dry ingredients together in a  bowl. Start mixing at slow speed to incorporate them.

2. Add oil and gradually pour the water. Do not put all the water at once. Leave approx 15% of the total amount of water.

(Not all flour have the same level of absorption. It is always safe not to put everything).

3. When the dough starts to form together, check if the dough is dry, if it is, add water little by little until it  forms into a ball. The sides of the bowl will appear cleaner.

4. Mix until the dough is developed and appears finer in appearance. If manual kneading is done, this may take 12-15 minutes. Using my kitchen aid, it took me approximately 8-10 minutes. To check if the dough has developed, try getting a small piece of dough and slowly stretch. If it appears opaque, also known as the windowpane test, then it is ready. If it easily tears apart, more kneading is needed.

5. Rest the dough for 20 to 30 mins. Cover with plastic or cling wrap. It will somehow double in volume.

6. After resting, punch the dough to remove the gas. Divide the dough into three pieces.

Using a rolling pin, roll each dough thinly, slightly less than 1/4 inch. Transfer in slightly greased flat tray and dock the crust using a fork.

7. Put desired topping.

8. Bake at 350 deg F or 175 deg F for about 15 mins. or until done. (I didn't bake it at very high temperature because I don't want it to become crispy; Pizza are normally baked at 200 or 220 deg F.)

9. Slice diagonally and serve with rockets/arugula, pesto and alfalfa sprouts.

Boiled Icing (Italian Meringue)

Due to hot weather, boiled icing is the most common icing used for birthday or wedding cakes in the Philippines. Despite the popularity of fondant icing, some people still prefer boiled icing because it is more stable during the hot weather, lighter and cheaper.

Boiled Icing is also known as Italian Meringue. Meringue is basically whipped egg whites sweetened with sugar. There are different kinds of meringues and the differences lie in the method of preparation.

Sugar in Italian meringue is cooked at certain temperature while French is the easiest for no sugar cooking is required. Swiss meringue, on the other hand, is made by warming the egg whites and sugar together and beaten until double in volume.

Some pointers in preparing meringues:

1. Make sure that the egg whites are yolk free and the mixing bowl and mixer whisk are grease free.
It will affect the foaming property of your egg whites.

2. Egg whites whip best if at room temperature.

3. Cream of tartar helps in making your egg whites stable.

Recipe for Italian Meringue:

250 g sugar
1/3 c water
pinch of cream of tartar
4 egg whites

Procedure:

1. Heat sugar and water in saucepan. Using a candy thermometer, cook sugar until it reaches 220 deg F (105 deg C). At this stage, start beating your egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks.

2. Once the syrup reaches 240 to 243 deg F* (117 deg C) firm ball stage, turn off fire.
*better to turn off fire at 240 deg F because it continues to cook, temperature increases by few degrees sometimes.

3. Adjust the mixer speed to low and slowly pour the hot syrup in thin stream.

4. Put back to medium speed once all the syrup has been poured. Beat until the meringue has cooled down and firm peaks form.

5. Cover bowl with damp cloth while icing is not in use. This is to prevent drying.
6. Desired colour can be achieved by adding few drops of food colour.

C is for Cookie or B is for Bicky...

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe from one of the best pastry chefs, Jacques Torres. I have tried and tested several chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one, so far, is the best, for I prefer my cookie  soft and slightly chewy. Here in Australia, most of the cookies sold in the shops are not the American type. They're crunchy and the biscuit type, hence, they call it "bicky".

The recipe and video can be found in this link  . I used less chocolate chips and I didn't use an ice cream scoop which explains the edges, not smooth.

NOTES and TIPS on making cookies:

• The presence of bread flour in cookie recipes is responsible for its chewy texture.
• Should you desire for a soft cookie, bake just until the side or edge of the cookie is brown. If the recipe says 10 mins. baking time, reduce the time to 8-9 mins.  If a biscuit type of cookie is preferred, bake it a little longer, a minute or two.
• Carry Over cooking. Once the cookies are pulled out from the oven, leave the cookies in the tray for they are still "baking/cooking" in the process.  Don't worry if the center is a bit soft for the heat will continue to "bake" the cookie until the temperature goes down. 
• For convenience, cookie dough can be rolled into tiny logs and kept in the freezer (mostly what we do in catering functions). Slightly thaw in the fridge, enough for you to slice them to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness, and bake. For uniform size and the home made cookie look, use an ice cream scoop. 

• Chilled dough are better to work with. You won't have a very flat cookie if cookie dough is chilled. It takes a while for a cold cookie dough to expand in size or sideways inside the oven compared to a soft cookie dough.
• Baking times vary depending on the size of your cookies.
• Lining your cookie sheet with baking paper is the convenient way of baking cookies as you don't need to wash your flat sheets after. In the absence of paper, a slightly greased and floured tray is another option. We dust the greased tray with flour to control the spread of our cookies. 
• If your cookie tray is thin, you can double your tray so it won't burn quickly.

Cookies are easy to make and you can get your kids involved. It is always part of my afternoon tea when friends drop by to visit.

Yema Balls

For my daughter's Harmony Day celebration in school, they were asked to bring something from their country for morning tea. As week nights are busy, I thought of preparing an easy Filipino sweet, yema balls. It's a rich,custard tasting ball , either rolled in sugar or dipped in caramel. It is made from condensed milk and yolks. It is traditionally flavored with dayap or lime. I used lemon instead.

I hope you'll enjoy this simple piece of heaven.

Yema Balls

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
7 egg yolks
Lemon rind
2 T butter

Procedure:
1. Using non stick pan, mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon.
2. Cook on low heat by continuously mixing until thick.
   (  An indication that it is done is when it starts to come together into a solid mass and doesn't stick to the sides of pan.)
3. Cool. Form into balls and roll into sugar. Makes approx.24 pcs.

4. Wrap in cellophane or put in cupcake paper.

Green Tea Chiffon Cake with Azuki Bean

This is a very light cake and not so fattening. The union of green tea flavour and sweetened azuki is delicious. Azuki is a reddish brown type of bean. Canned sweetened azuki can be bought in Japanese stores. Otherwise, you can boil some red beans and cook it in sugar syrup. 

For beginners, you might find it a bit complicated because the mixing method is different. Don't worry. Take it as a challenge. Chiffon cake is the first type of cake I learned to bake. As they say, practice makes perfect.

Green Tea Chiffon Cake with Azuki Bean
Ingredients:
A.
250 g cake flour
200 g white sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp green tea powder *

(*can be omitted and replaced with vanilla essence, which makes it a basic vanilla chiffon cake)

B.
125 ml oil
7 egg yolks
190 ml water

C.
8 eggwhites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
125 g sugar

D.
1 can sweetened azuki
600 ml thickened cream or all purpose cream
3-4 Tbsp icing sugar
1-2 tsp green tea powder
chocolate bar, for garnish

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F or 170 deg C.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl  (A); Use a whisk until green tea powder is incorporated well.
3. Make a well and add all ingredients in set B.
4. Using a wire whisk, blend until lump free.
5. On a separate mixing bowl, add egg whites and cream of tartar.

6. Beat at medium high speed and gradually add sugar. Beat until it forms into stiff peaks. (It will look shiny at this stage. It is perfectly fine to stop once in a while and check whether it forms into peaks. Lift the beater and check if peaks are forming. Another test, tilt your bowl, the egg whites shouldn't slide. Careful not to over beat because it will liquefy again.) 

Beating egg whites.

7. Gently fold batter into the egg whites. For first timers, you may want to follow these steps: 

• Get 1/3 of the beaten egg whites and slightly mix into the batter. (This is being done to prevent all the batter from settling down at the bottom of the egg whites. Remember, the batter is heavier than the egg whites.)
• Now pour the batter into the egg whites and gently cut and fold. You can use a rubber spatula or scraper. Mix until blended together. Do not over mix for it may deflate the bubbles in your egg whites. 

8. Pour in ungreased pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until done. (I normally put baking paper at the bottom for convenience. Never put paper on the sides of the baking pan, otherwise, your cake will have a funny shape. It will form a waistline on the sides or the cake will look like a tree trunk.)

9. Invert the pan immediately in a cooling rack after taking the cake out of the oven. Cool completely before removing from the pan. A metal spatula can be glided lightly to loosen the sides of the cake. It is best to chill the cake before finishing with cream.

10. To finish cake:

      A. Prepare the green tea cream

• Set aside 1/4 c of cream and dissolve the green tea powder.
• Pour the green tea cream into the rest of the cream in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks (Do not over beat, you might end up having butter).
• Add icing sugar and mix.

      B. Assembly

• Slice the cake in half to create two layers.
• Get small amount of whipped green tea cream and mix the azuki.
• Spread it into the cake evenly. Put the other half cake on top.
• Cover the entire cake with whipped green tea cream by using a metal spatula.
• Finish with grated chocolate bar and dust with green tea powder.

Notes on beating egg whites:

• It is best to use a stainless or glass bowl, which is clean and oil streak free. Never use a plastic bowl for egg whites don't beat well or an aluminum bowl, your egg whites will turn grey in color.
• Egg whites don't whip best if cold. Make sure it is in room temperature and there are no traces of yolks in your egg whites.
• Cream of tartar is egg white stabilizer. In its absence, few drops of lemon juice will do.

Happy Baking! 

     

Banana Split with Walnut Toffee Shards

I thought of preparing banana split for Sabina and...yours truly so we'll have enough space in our small freezer ha.ha. You can make it healthier by using low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Ingredients:

A piece of banana
Ice Cream, flavour of your choice (traditionally, it is vanilla)
Ganache (link to previous post) or caramel sauce
Walnut toffee shards

For Walnut Toffee Shards:

1/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp. water
drop of lemon juice or pinch of cream of tartar
2-3 T chopped walnuts

Procedure:

Cooking sugar comes in stages. 

1. Prepare the pan where the toffee will be poured before you start cooking. A silicone mat (silpat) can be used or line your flat tray with aluminum foil brushed with butter.
2. In a non-stick pan, put sugar and water. Do not stir.
3. Cook until amber in color. (I slightly swirl once in a while, to distribute the liquid evenly).
4. Once desired color is achieved, off the fire, quickly add the walnuts and gently swirl aga to coat the walnuts with cooked sugar.
5. Pour in tray and slightly tap to even out the cooked sugar.
6. Leave to cool. 
7. Cut in pieces using knife.

To assemble banana split:

1. Cut the banana into half.
2. Using a boat plate, lay the banana and top with ice cream.
3. Drizzle with ganache or caramel sauce (I used my left over dulce de leche).
4. Top with toffee shards.

Notes: 

• Please be extra careful in cooking. You can burn your skin with boiling sugar syrup. No joke as it is as painful as boiling water. 
• It took me approximately 8 minutes to achieve the desired color.