Fresh Peach Tart

This was the first time in my life that I made a fresh fruit tart with pastry cream. 
Let's see how it went....

TART SHELL:
Makes enough for an 18cm tart.
80g flour
20g almond meal
30g sugar
40g butter, softened

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add flour and almond meal.
Mix till the dough comes together.
Press the dough onto cling wrap, wrap it up, and chill it for about half hour.
Roll out the dough till large enough to cover tart pan.
Press into a greased tart pan, pressing around the edges firmly and trimming away any excess.
Chill for at least half hour.


Next, blind bake the tart shell. (This means baking the shell on its own, since it has to be pre-baked cos the filling and topping need not be baked.)


Fill the tart shell with pie weights, or beans or rice. Even coins if that's the only thing you have. Basically, anything that will weigh the shell down, so it doesn't balloon when you bake it. 


Bake at 180*C for 10-15 min or until the edges are golden brown. 
Remove pie weights and allow to cool completely.

PASTRY CREAM:
125ml milk
2 egg yolks
40g sugar
4 tsp flour
4 tsp cornflour
10g butter
1 vanilla pod or 1 tbs vanilla extract
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1 tsp Cointreau (orange liqueur)

Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod.
Add to milk and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar till thick and pale.
Sift in flour, cornflour and cinnamon and whisk till well combined.
Continue whisking, at the same time gradually pouring in the hot milk.
Strain the mixture back into the saucepan (to remove lumps).
Gently heat the mixture till mixture thickens, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
When the mixture resembles custard, remove from heat and stir in the liqueur.

Transfer to a clean bowl and cover the surface of the pastry cream with cling wrap. (The cling wrap must touch the cream; this prevents a skin from forming.)
Allow to cool completely before spooning onto tart shell.

Arrange your favourite fruit onto the top of the cream, sprinkle icing sugar, and serve!

My mother-in-law passed me some fresh peaches, so I used them for this tart. And since it was fresh peaches, the colour is paler and more varied than the canned peaches we are more familiar with.  If you are using canned peaches, remember to drain the syrup. Other fruits that would be great for this tart are any berries, cherries, grapes, kiwi... well, you get it, just about any fruit you like!


In the end, I never got to sink my teeth into this tart. 
Except for the pasty cream, which I tasted cos the little black vanilla dots in the pale creamy pastry cream was just too enticing. And boy was it amazing!  Imagine, the seeds of one whole vanilla pod crammed in a modest 18cm tart shell.  Mmmmm...


You see, since the peaches were from my mother-in-law, I thought I'd make a tart for all of us. I took the tart to her in the morning on my way out, so she could have some after lunch. By the time I returned in the evening, it was all gone  :(  Well, I guess on the bright side, it must mean that it was decent tasting at the very least. 

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink!

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Citrus Peel Rum & Blueberry Little Cakes

~~~ Freshly out of the oven! ~~~

Apple Cinnamon Minicakes

What could be a better combination than apple + raisins + cinnamon + maple syrup + brown sugar?  Hahaha... that's pretty much the secret to these soft, fluffy, aromatically perfumed minicakes. 


Oops... no longer a secret.

Apple Cinnamon Minicakes

Makes about 20 minicakes.

210g flour

130g brown sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon powder (depending on your preference for cinnamon)

120g butter

120ml milk

2 eggs

90ml maple syrup (the best quality you can get)

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

30g raisins

Dump all ingredients except the diced apples and raisins into your mixing bowl.

Beat till you get a smooth batter.  

Then fold in the diced apples and raisins till evenly distributed.

Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake at 160*C for about 20 min till done. 

Cool on a wire rack, and resist the temptation to pop one in your mouth while it's still hot!

My pictures really don't do justice to this recipe.  I assure you that these are one of the best bakes I've come across.  

Now, if any of you know of a better recipe than this, please please please tell me!  

Double Berry Cake

Mango Mousse Cake

Is it mango season?
At S$1 a piece, I couldn't resist.  I bought two to try.  Yes, just two.  Now I wish I'd bought more... One went to Mom, so I only had one left to for a Mango Mousse Cake I've been wanting to try.

Chiffon Cake 
Makes a short 8" round cake. For a more average-height cake, double the recipe. 
(A)
2 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
20g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
37ml oil
55ml water
(B)
75g cake flour
3/8 tsp baking powder
(C)
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
20g sugar


Combine all (A) ingredients, whisk till well combined and frothy.
Sift (B) over (A) and whisk till just combined. 
Whisk egg whites till frothy.  Add cream of tartar and sugar, and whisk till peaks have just turned stiff. 
Loosen egg yolk mixture with some whites. Then fold the remaining egg whites into the egg yolk mixture till the streaks disappear.
Push batter into baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
Bake at 170*C for 30-40 min till done. Invert on a rack to cool.
When completely cool, slice the cake into as many layers as you desire.


Mango Mousse
175ml whipping cream
2-3 tbs sugar
150g mango puree
100g diced mangoes

Whip the cream till peaks are soft. Add sugar, and whip till peaks are stiff. 
Add mango puree and whip briefly till just combined. 
If mixture is too soft, chill for an hour or so till the cream firms up. 

Once you have your cake layers and mango mousse ready, it's time to put it all together! On top of each cake layer, slather on some delicious mango mousse. Generously sprinkle the diced mangoes on top and cover with just a little bit more mousse. 

Place the other cake layer on top and press gently. Then slather on the rest of the mousse on top. As I made this on a weekday night, time was very limited, so I opted for the rustic look. 

With the tines of a fork and my trusty Ikea lazy susan, I dug the end of the fork into the mousse and gently turned the lazy susan. Gradually move the fork towards the centre of the cake and a simple decorative pattern emerges. 

Now, what d'ya think of that!

I'm submitting my rustic mango mousse cake to Aspiring Bakers #5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Jess of Bakericious.

Triple Berry Cake

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Rustic Strawberry Cake

Just for fun, I made a mini strawberry cake, and decorated it in rustic style.

What do you all think?

Pineapple Cheesecake on a peanut sesame crust

Friend K: Can you make a cheesecake with CNY flavours?

Me: Hmm... how about cheesecake with pineapple jam topping and a peanut crust?

Friend K: OK, but can you also add sesame to the crust?

So here it is... a CNY-inspired cheesecake. 

Pineapple Tarts - 1st attempt

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011).


And indeed my favourite CNY cookie is the humble Pineapple Tart.  I used to think that it was really difficult to make.  Maybe because of all the various p-tarts out there, I never really found one that quite compared to the one my cousin/aunt made every year.  I loved their buttery crumbly biscuit that would melt in the mouth, and the moist pineapple jam that had just the right amount of sweetness (no too sweet and dry like some awful supermarket brands).   

Initially, I hadn't planned on making pineapple tarts - because I was under the impression that it was difficult and time consuming.  But seeing so many bloggers share their experiences, and all their gorgeous pictures, I couldn't help but succumb to temptation. 


As I studied the recipes and methods, I realised the toughest part was the making of the pineapple jam from scratch.  Now that fairly good p-jam could be bought from the stores, the tough part was out of the way, and all I needed to do was to make the dough for the base.  Sounds easy enough for me :)

RECIPE FOR PINEAPPLE TARTS 
Makes about 50 tarts.

140g plain flour
10g cornflour
2 tbs icing sugar
1/8 tsp salt
90g butter, very cold
1 egg yolk
1 tbs cold water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
About 200g pineapple paste/jam
Milk or diluted egg yolk for glazing


Throw all ingredients from flour to butter into a food processor. 
Blitz till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Combine egg yolk, water and vanilla extract, and drizzle over the flour mixture.
With a spatula, gently fold and press the mixture into a ball. Do not overwork the dough and do not knead.  Chill the dough for 10-20 min till firm.

Roll out the dough evenly and cut out the tart base with a cookie cutter.
Glaze with milk or diluted egg yolk.
Then gently press balls of pineapple jam/paste in the centre of each tart.

Bake at 160*C for 15-20 min depending on the size of your tart.
It's done when the edges start to brown.
Let tarts cool on the baking sheet for about 2-3 min to let it firm up before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

So what is everyone baking this CNY??

Fruit & Nut Pound Cake

I remember the days when we bought frozen Sara Lee. And every time I pulled it out of the freezer, it was rock hard. Even after a few moments in the microwave to warm it up, it was still dry. And a tad too sweet for me. 


So when I started baking, pound cake was one of the first few recipes I attempted. It looked easy enough, but as with all simple things, there is more to it than meets the eye...

My first few attempts were either too dry or too wet. But today, I think I've found a recipe that's worth sticking to. It had just the right amount of moisture, was dense yet not heavy, and with just the right amount of buttery taste without being overwhelming. The photo doesn't really do the cake justice. It's either the lighting, or just simply my lousy camera skills. 

OK, enough yapping. Here's the recipe. 

FRUIT & NUT POUND CAKE

Makes a 9x5" loaf or 2 mini loaves. 

227g butter

200g sugar (up to 250g if you like it sweet)

4 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

1.5 tsp water

170g cake flour

60g raisins, currants, or cranberries

30g nuts (I used a mixture of pumpkin and sunflower seeds)

With your mixer on medium-high, whip butter till smooth and shiny. 

Gradually add sugar and beat till light and fluffy and almost white.

Stir together eggs, vanilla and water.

With mixer running, add egg mixture in a thin stream, and mix till fully incorporated.

Sift 1/3 of the flour over the batter.

Fold in gently with a spatula. Repeat twice more. 

Finally, fold in fruit and nut till evenly distributed.

Scrape batter into pan. Smooth top.

Bake at 160*C till skewer comes out clean, about 80 min for large loaf pan and 40 min for mini pans. 

When done, allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 min before unmoulding onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

One thing still baffles me:  Why does the pound cake always split on top?  Has anyone found a way to make pound cake with a nice smooth top?  Please tell me... 

Cognac Fruit Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I made this cake specially for my dear old friend, who has a sweet tooth but can't bake. Her birthday is round the corner and I thought this would be a nice treat for her and her family.


The rim of candies in crunchy shells were Hershey's special dark chocolate. They helped to complete the look.

You can find the cake recipe in a previous posting.
http://thebatterbaker.blogspot.com/2010/12/cognac-fruit-cake.html

Cognac Fruit Cake

I chanced upon this recipe in iweekly supplement 23 Dec 10 issue. The recipe was from Chef Ivan Liew, who started his baking career in 2000. Hotels and restaurants that he worked at included Les Amis, The Bakery Depot, Conrad Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, etc. Last year, he joined Mandarin Hotel as Pastry Chef. According from the quote in iweekly, "the longer you soaked the mixed fruits in liquor , the longer is the shelf life of the cake. Soak for 1 week, and the cake can last up to 1 month."

Ingredients:

• 200g butter
• 150g brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200g flour
• 300ml rum wine (I didn't have rum at home, so I replaced this with cognac)
• 300g dried fruit soaked in the rum wine for at least 1 day
• apricot glase (I skipped this step for my mini cakes)
• water (adequate)

Steps:

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a mixer.
2. Add egges and flour (sieved)
3. Add the rum mixer with dried fruits. Mix well.
4. Bake at 170 degree celsius for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Note shorter baking time for mini cakes.
5. (Optional) Boil the apricot glaze with water, portion 3:1. Once boiled, apply the apricot glaze on top of the cake, decorate with dried cherry and almond nuts.

Christmas Cupcakes

Flavour #1:  Double Chocolate Cupcakes (with green frosting)
Flavour #2:  Vanilla Fruit & Nut Cupcakes (with white frosting)
decorated with pearl dragees and marshmallow fondant stars

Fruit & Nut Loaf 2

The first time I tried a fruit & nut loaf, I used a rice cooker to bake it. Yes, a rice cooker. You can see the results here.


This time round, I decided I would bake it the traditional way - in an oven. I'm pretty pleased with how this loaf turned out. Texture was light and fluffy, the way I wanted it to be. The dough was moist and soft, and rose beautifully. 


The only improvements I would make are:
- add more fruit and nut; and
- knead the fruit and nut into the dough instead of just rolling it up (so that the fruit and nut will 'adhere' to the bread better).


Despite the imperfections, it received the thumbs-up from my mom (who loves fruit & nut bread), and she promptly handed me a bag of sunflower seeds. The only request she made was for a crunchy crust (vs soft crust). Looks like there'll be more fruit and nut loafs coming up...

Recipe for a small 8x4" loaf:
1-1/4 tsp yeast
10g sugar
150ml warm water
3/4 tsp oil or butter
3/4 tsp salt
220g bread flour 
dried fruit and nuts, amount according to preference 
(I used dried cranberries and currants, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)


1 - Combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside for 10 min till frothy.,


2 - Add oil/butter, salt and flour. Mix till you get a sticky dough. 


3 - Knead till smooth and elastic (10-15 min), adding extra flour if dough is too  sticky.


4 - Shape to a ball and place in a greased bowl, coating dough with oil. Cover with damp cloth and let dough rise till double in size (about 1 hour).


5 - Knock down. Press to a flat rectangle, and sprinkle dried fruit and nuts. Roll dough and knead gently a few times. Form into a loaf and place in a lightly oiled loaf pan. Cover with damp cloth and prove till double in size (about 40min).


6 - Bake at 190*C (or 180*C if using dark pan) for about 30 min. When done, cool on a wire rack. (Leaving the bread to cool in the pan for more than 3-5 min will cause the bottom to be soggy from the condensation.)

Special thanks to my dear friend, KL. 

Without your encouragement and your wonderful bread book,
I wouldn't have come this far in bread making  :)

Hash Brown Quiche & Apple Pear Crumble

When I first saw Jennifurla's post on her Ham & Cheese Quiche, I knew I had to try it.  The unusual thing about this quiche is that the crust is made with hash browns!  Now, that was a first for me.

I modified her recipe, since I didn't have ham.  Instead, I used minced pork, pre-cooked with some basil and oregano.  I also added some lettuce and tomatoes, since I had a whole bag of it in the fridge.

The verdict: I love the hash brown crust! First, no mess of having to make the pastry dough and having flour all over the countertop. Second, its crisp and crunchy texture, as well as savoury flavour, just added a whole new dimension to the quiche.  

Thanks for sharing, Jennifurla :)

And for dessert, while the quiche was baking in the oven, it gave me just enough time to whip up this Apple & Pear Crumble. It's easy, nutritious, and fabulous with vanilla ice cream!!

Although you don't see much from the picture, all the fruity goodness is under the crunchy crumble, all thanks to the rolled oats.

RECIPE for 4 portions:

Crumble topping:
65g flour
90g brown sugar (already reduced)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
40g rolled oats
25g almonds and walnuts
75g butter, straight from the fridge

Filling:
20-40g brown sugar (depending on how sweet/sour the apples)
1 tsp cornflour
1 apple + 1 pear, peeled, cored, chopped
30g raisins or dried fruit (optional)

1 - Combine all ingredients for topping. Blitz in a food processor till it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Set aside.

2 - Combine all ingredients for filling and mix well.

3 - Divide filling into 4 ramekins (or pour it all into a small pie plate).

4 - Sprinkle crumble topping over the filling.

5 - Bake at 190*C for about 20 min for ramekins or about 30-40 min for pie plate till crumble is golden brown.

6 - Allow to cool for about 10-15 min, then serve with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream!

Cocoberry Muffins (Eggless)

Here's another batch of eggless muffins, adapted from my Eggless Double Choc Chip recipe.

Why is it called Cocoberry? Because I threw in coconut and cranberries into the batter. 

I'm beginning to really like this eggless recipe. It's so so so so so quick and easy, and the fact that it's cholesterol-free is a real plus!

Alright, enough 'talking'. Here's the recipe:


The Wet Stuff:
125ml milk
50ml oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond essence (optional)


The Dry Stuff:
110g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
50g white sugar
20g brown sugar
2 tbs desiccated coconut (or to preference)
30-40g dried cranberries (or raisins)
30g nuts (I used sliced almonds)


1 - Combine wet stuff.
2 - Combine dry stuff.
3 - Pour wet stuff into dry stuff, and mix till just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix. 
4 - Pour into muffin cups or liners.
5 - Bake for 190 degC for 13-15 min till done. 


Tip: 
If you like your muffins with soft tops, cool them on a wire rack with a tea towel over them. Cooling them the usual way in the open will give you firmer, crusty tops. 

Craisin Nut Bread

I've been wanting to try a fruit and nut wholemeal loaf for a while. So when I stumbled upon a wholemeal bread pre-mix, I decided I'd give it a try. After all, the instructions looked pretty easy - mix the flour and yeast (included in pack), add water, knead, proof for an hour, then bake. 

So while kneading, I added cranberries + raisins = craisins, and some pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 

While the flavour was great (the fruits and nuts really jazzed up the bread), the texture left much to be desired - it was dense and heavy. Perhaps it was because the dough was proofed only once. But then, I followed instructions...

Oh well, next time, I'm going back to my good ol' traditional bread recipe, and take time to proof it twice. Lesson learnt: no short cuts to good baking. You just have to be patient; short cuts don't get you good results.

Mini Pound Cakes

with Cranberries & Pumpkin Seeds

I couldn't wait to try out my new mini bundt mould, and I was craving for pound cake. So without further hesitation, I whipped up some pound cake batter and into the bundt mould it went. 

(A)
90g butter (I used butter-flavoured Crisco + 3 tsp water)
30g sugar
pinch of salt
90ml condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eggs (45g each)

(B) 
90g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
cranberries and pumpkin seeds (a big handful of each)

1 - Cream all of (A) except eggs till light and fluffy.
2 - Add eggs one at a time. Mix till well combined.
3 - Add all of (B) and mix till batter is smooth.
4 - Bake for 170 degC for 16-18 min till done.

Four simple steps!
Can it get any easier?