Individual Cinnamon Pavlova with Strawberries & Pistachios

Individual Cinnamon Pavlova with Strawberries & Pistachios

Please take note that my recipe may differ from other meringue recipes because of the climate in Hong Kong. It's up to 90% humidity here in summer so I have modified (after numerous failed attempts!) a classic meringue recipe I found in an American cookbook. Humidity may cause the meringue to flop in the oven. Over beating the egg whites may also cause the meringue to "weep"; you'll see sugar drops seeping through the meringue as it's baking.

All utensils need to be spotlessly clean to prevent any grease interfering with formation of the meringue; simply wipe bowls, spatulas, spoons, whisk etc with lemon juice.

Does it start to sound quite scary technical at this point?? I have to say, I failed a few times before I finally nailed this! How many times you may ask? Well, that week hubby came home and asked "Are you still trying to make pavlova again?"

Success have never tasted so yummy!!!

Individual Cinnamon Pavlova with Strawberries & Pistachios
Makes 6 individual or 1 large pavlova

4 large egg whites, room temperature
200g castor sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
100ml cream, whipped to serve
Fresh strawberries

Preheat the oven at 200 Celcius.

Beat egg whites until foamy, add sugar by spoonful and beat on medium/low speed.

When egg whites is stiff, sprinkle cornstarch and beat for 5 seconds. Add vinegar, vanilla & cinnamon powder. Beat 5 seconds or gently fold.

Shape the meringue on a baking tray lined with baking paper. You can get 6 individual meringues or 1 large meringue.

Place tray in the oven, reduce temperature to 140 Celcius and bake for 1 hour. Then lower the temperature to 120 Celcius and bake for another 1 hour.

Switch off the heat, leave the oven door slightly ajar. Let meringues cool completely overnight.

Serve with whipped cream, crushed pistachios and fresh strawberries. ENJOY!

Zie x 

Neapolitan Rose Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

Layers of chocolate and vanilla sponge cake with strawberry frosting. Looks and tastes amazing! :)

When rose frosting hit the web earlier this year, I caught the bug as well. I began frosting all my cupcakes with those romantic rose swirls and  forever gazing dreamily at the frosting before I actually ate them!

Hahaha look at how tacky this whole picture is!! Sorry but I can't help myself with the red rose as prop!

So cupcakes, done. Next, a whole cake covered with roses frosting and in my head the frosting had to be PINK! I envisioned the cake to look like a bouquet of pink roses, and it has to be delicious of course! So I decided to combine my favorite flavors; chocolate & vanilla and use fresh strawberry puree in the buttercream.

I used my favorite cake recipe of all time; from London's Hummingbird Bakery cookbook. Their recipes always turn out really well; moist and delicious!

Neapolitan Rose Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
makes 4 x 4" layer cake

Chocolate Cake:
100g/ 3/4 cup plus 2 TBS plain/AP flour
2 1/2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
140g/ a scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
40g/ 3 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
120ml/ 1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170 Celcius. Line 2 x 4" baking pan with butter and grease with butter and flour at the sides.

Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt & butter in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and well-combined.

Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl, then slowly pour half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer to high speed to get rid of any lumps.

Turn the mixer down to slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until mixture is smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Pour into the baking pans and bake for 20-25 mins. Let cool on a wire rack before you chill the cakes in the fridge (to prevent crumbs scattering all over when you frost the cakes).

Chill in the fridge for 20 mins.

Vanilla Cake:
120g/1 cup plain/AP flour
140g/scant 3/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
40g/3 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
120ml/ 1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170 Celcius. Line 2 x 4" baking pan with butter and grease with butter and flour at the sides.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.  Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl, then pour the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Continue mixing for a couple of minute until the mixture is smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack before you chill the cakes in the fridge (to prevent crumbs scattering all over when you frost the cakes).

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
For the frosting I used the recipe from Sweetapolita and it was sooooo smooth, light, butter-like texture..it was incredibly delicious!! Swiss Meringue Buttercream is really the best!

 ENJOY!

Zie x 

Triple Layer Pandan Steamed Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Does it look like a ferris wheel from here?

I love how those cute "Biskut Salji" (Snow Biscuit) as we call it back in Malaysia, adorn the cake. They look like they're resting on a snowy hill. A pandan snowy hill.

Pandan leaves holds a very special place in my heart. It's one herb you can find at almost every Malay house in the village or suburb. Those dark green shrub of long leaves are also haven for small spiders. Many a times I would catch one (with the help from my younger brothers!) and keep it in a matchbox, ready for the next spider match at a friend's house. Besides its uses in cooking, we also use it (thinly sliced, mixed with rose petals) as potpourri at weddings or placed around the house.

Pandan leaves will omit this heavenly aroma (not quite vanilla- you just have to smell it yourself!) when it's sliced and dried. Or blended and juice extracted, you can smell the aroma during baking. Pandan does not produce any of its fragrant in its raw state; it smells just like any other leave with a hint of that distinguished fragrant. I'm just so lucky I can get it fresh in Hong Kong!

I've made a few types of Pandan desserts; chiffon, cupcakes, puddings, mousse, sponge cake, traditional ones but this is my favorite simply because of the intense Pandan aroma & flavor and it stays moist for a week!

 Pandan Steamed Cake

Crockery required: Steamer

Ingredients:    

220g unsalted butter, room temperature

80g caster sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

60ml Pandan leave extract (juice from 8pcs Pandan leaves, blended)

Green food coloring

1/3 cup condensed milk

100g Horlicks

120g Lotus Flower Brand Self Raising Flour (special flour for steamed cake), sifted twice

150g kaya (coconut pandan jam)

Direction:

1.      Fill up a steamer with water and make sure enough water for 2 hours steaming. Boil water before start

2.      Line an 8” baking tray with baking paper or butter. If use butter, follow with a sprinkle of flour all around baking tray

3.      Whisk butter and sugar until light and fluffy (mixer with paddle attachment) at low-medium speed. Add egg one at a time, at low speed.

4.      Add kaya, condensed milk, Horlicks & pandan extract and whisk well at medium speed.

5.      Add flour and whisk just to combine. Don’t overmix. Divide the batter into 3 bowls and add green coloring to the 1st and 2nd bowl to create ombre effect. Pour batter into baking tray and cover with aluminum foil. Make sure water is boiling before you start steaming.

7.      Steam each cake for 1-1.5 hours. Let cakes cool before frosting.

8.      Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container, good for 7-10 days (unfrosted)

Coconut Buttercream

11.5 cups icing sugar

80g unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoon coconut milk

A pinch of salt

A couple drops of vanilla extract

- Beat icing sugar and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on a medium speed until mixture is well-mixed. Turn mixer down to slow speed

- Combine coconut milk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to butter mixture a little at a time. Once all the coconut milk is incorporated, turn mixer to high speed. Beat until frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. 

- Crumb coat the cake and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Frost the cake and decorate with your choice of dragees or just be creative!

 

Apple Crumble Cheesecake with Salted Caramel

 I don't quite like cheesecake (I found them too heavy! or maybe just bad menu choice?) but I do like apples + cinnamon aand salted caramel. This is one of those recipes (that actually works!) I found on Pinterest. The only exception I have for this recipe is perhaps add a dash of vanilla to the cheesecake filling? The McVities bickies base is good, the cheesecake is yummy (love the airy mousse-like texture) and it goes heavenly well with the apple crumble top and of course!! salted caramel drizzle. Need I say more??!

Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

I think this is my best chocolate cake so far (and my quest for Best of The Best Chocolate Cake isn't over yet!) Seriously there are too many chocolate cake recipes out there and I happen to have been trying quite a few. I used Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate and that makes a huge difference too. You can't skimp on the quality of the chocolate and expect grand results!

The only reservation I have is using the light corn syrup in the ganache (it makes the ganache glossy), but then you don't eat chocolate cake everyday. Nevertheless, for healthy-eating purpose I've vowed to myself that I'd find a substitute for corn syrup in making my glossy decadent rich chocolate ganache. I've mentioned in the recipe that you can use golden syrup to replace corn syrup, and even though I haven't tried that myself, let me know if the ganache turns out glossy!

I forgot to use the strips during baking (to prevent domed cake); won't forget this silly mistake next time!

Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 all purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee/2 tsp powder coffee
1/2 cup vegie oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 175 Celcius. Grease and flour 2 x 9" round pan

Stir sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl

Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil & vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 mins (batter will be thin)

Pour into baking pans. Use baking strips (if available) to prevent cakes from doming and cracking inthe middle. You will get flat & even surface cakes!

Bake for 30-35 mins. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 mins before you frost the cake.


Chocolate Ganache

3 tbs light corn syrup OR golden syrup
6 oz heavy cream
12 oz dark chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix dark chocolate and heavy cream in a heat proof bowl over bain marie. Melt dark chocolate, stir and add corn syrup/ golden syrup. Lastly add vanilla extract.

Remove from heat and let cool for a while before you frost the cake.

ENJOY!!

Oreo Surprise Cupcake with Oreo Buttercream

 Gotta love those dainty silicon teacups!

Bought them cuties in Adelaide in April and they're just the prettiest things! So convenient, from oven-to-table application. Which reminds me that I need to use them more often, creatively (jot that down to my list of 23,785 things to bake).

Surprise! another Oreo at the bottom! :)


Oreo Surprise Cupcakes with Oreo Buttercream
Makes 18 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup self-raising flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup milk
18 pcs Oreo cookies halves, with cream fillings attached (place at the bottom of cupcake liner)

Buttercream:
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
6 TBS Oreo cookies, finely crushed
9 Oreo cookies, cut in half for toppers

Preheat oven to 175 Celcius, line pan with cupcake liners. Twist Oreos in half and set aside the extra cookies for the frosting.

Place Oreo cookies halves in the cupcake liners, with cream fillings facing up.

Beat butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Add eggs one by one. Add vanilla and baking powder. Mix the flours in a separate bowl. Alternately add the flour and milk to the batter, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake liners with batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan before transfer to cooling rack.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter on medium-high speed until light & fluffy for 2-3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add sugar 1/2 cup at a time until thoroughly mixed. Add butter, Oreo crumbs and mix well.

Frost cupcakes as desired. Top cupcake with half Oreos and ENJOY!

French Vanilla Macarons with Vanilla Creme

the ambiance is a bit solemn, just like the weather (bummer)

This is my first attempt at making macarons after extensive (I think!) online researches which included BraveTart; I found it very informative and honest, which I really like cause I'm such a newbie at western dessert. I followed the recipe to the T..and very happy with the results although half of them cracked (well I end up with almost 30 good macs..took me & hubby a few days to finish!). Recipe here BraveTart..oh, I made this 2 weeks ago..before the first cyclone hit HK (yes so far we had 3 already..exciting times heh)

cute pinky morsels...

Hubby is watching "Raging Bull" while waiting for his wholemeal french loaf baking in the oven , look at how young De Niro was..I can barely concentrate while writing this post..

Damn they tasted really good! love the chewy texture in my mouth. Powder food coloring is the real deal. I used liquid pink rose and it didn't turn out as pastel pink as I hoped. A few days later I bought some powder colors for my Rainbow Cake and my oh my, while cyclone Vicente was out there uprooting a few trees in front of my house, it didn't bother me cause I had the prettiest Rainbow Cake in my kitchen!

my pretty pink macs

Onde Onde (Pandan Balls with Palm Sugar Fillings)

I can't live without coconut and pandan. This is one of my all time fave classic Malay desserts.

Onde-Onde or Buah Melaka (Pandan Balls in Palm Sugar Fillings)...I still remember this is the first Malay dessert my mom taught me..and I had such wonderful time making them..it was really fun even as a 7-year old kid...it's pretty quick and how can you not like those cute green balls with fragrant fresh coconut shavings?

Best served immediately. Refrigeration is not recommended; the balls will harden due to glutinous rice flour content. And try to use freshly grated coconut for maximum authentic flavour (texture and flavour are waaayyyyy better!), the dry dessicated coconut just won't cut it.

Onde Onde (Pandan Balls with Palm Sugar Fillings)

(makes app. 30 balls)

Ingredients:                                                                                                   

200gm glutinous rice flour

1 tablespoon flour

Half teaspoon green coloring

8 pcs Pandan leaves- blend and sift to get half cup of Pandan extract

100g palm sugar- cut into 0.5cm cubes                             

85g desiccated coconut- steamed

Pinch of salt

You can use dessicated coconut, but I'm a stubborn girl! :)

Instruction:

1.       Mix the steamed desiccated coconut with a pinch of salt. Spread the steamed coconut on a big plate. Set aside (This is the Rolling Station)

2.       Mix glutinous rice flour, flour and green coloring with the pandan extract until smooth and form a dough

3.       Form a small ball in your palm (about 2cm in diameter), press to flatten, add the cubed palm sugar and roll in between your palms to form a ball (ensure no leaks)

4.       Bring water to boil in a pot

5.       Carefully place the pandan balls in the boiling water, reduce heat to medium/low

Have everything ready so you can eat it ASAP!

6.       Scoop out any pandan balls emerge on surface of boiling water and spread the balls on the plate with desiccated coconut (The Rolling Station)

7.       Shake/rolls the balls on the plate to ensure even coating of coconut

8.       Ready to serve!

I was spoiled with fresh grated coconut back in Malaysia. Wanted to create the Onde Onde with fresh coconut in HK, and guess what??? Very rarely shops sells it here and bloody expensive!

I used an old socks to wrap the head of the axe and cracked open the coconut!