Thursday, September 25, 2008
Coffee Chantilly Cake
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Posted by The Inflamed at 3:30 PM
Cherry Trifle
Cherry Trifle
Custard:
720 ml Heavy cream
350 g Instant custard powder
875 ml fresh milk
Glaze:
226 g strawberries
114 g sugar (or to desired taste)
15g lemon juice (or to desired taste)
Filling:
255g vanilla sponge cake, cut into small cubes
500g canned cherries
Preparation method:
1) Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and reserve under refrigeration.
2) Whip the custard powder and milk together for 3 minutes.
3) Combine the custard with just enough whipped cream until it becomes lighter and softer but has to be solid enough to pipe.
4) To prepare the glaze, blend the strawberries until smooth and cooking over a small fire, add the sugar and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste.
5) Fill each cup with a few cubes of sponge cake and cherries, dividing the recipe according to the size of cups.
6) Moisten each cake with a little of the canned cherry syrup. One may choose to add a little of the syrup to the strawberry glaze.
7) Using a piping bag, pipe a serving of the custard cream into each cup, again depending on the size of the cups prepared.
8) Flatten the layer of custard and glaze it with the strawberry sauce. Chill until it is ready to serve. Garnish with strawberries or cherries if desired.
Posted by The Inflamed at 3:29 PM
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Creaming ingredients:
250 g butter
144 g sugar
Wet ingredients:
1½ egg
3 g vanilla essence
Dry ingredients:
3 g salt
430 g cake flour
5 g baking powder
5 g baking soda
Filling:
263 g chocolate chip
95g chopped walnut
1. Weigh out the ingredients according to their categories. Dry ingredients together, wet together and so on.
2. Place the creaming ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whip with a whip attachment on low speed until just combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients and whip until just combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Add the filling and mix thoroughly until the entire cookie dough is one solid mass, yet moldable. The ingredients should be well mixed and evenly spread throughout.
6. Roll each cookie into a 5g-10g weight ball and flatten gently on a parchment lined sheet pan.
7. Bake at 180 degrees until the cookies are cooked through and browned. It should take about 10-15 minutes.
Caution* Do not over-whip the ingredients or the cookie will not bake well.
Posted by The Inflamed at 3:28 PM
Banana Crumble
Banana Crumble
Caramelized bananas:
1 bunch ripe bananas
227 g Sugar
Crumble:
100 g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
146 g sugar
116 g cake flour
116 g ground almonds
1 pinch cinnamon powder
Preparation method:
1) Prepare aluminum cups for baking.
2) To prepare the caramel, add a little sugar to a pan and let it melt in a medium-hot pan. Continue adding the sugar, allowing each portion to fully melt before adding the next. Continue until all the sugar has been added and the caramel has reached its desired colour.
3) Add the bananas, coating it with the caramel until it has nicely browned and coated.
4) To prepare the crumble, mix together all the ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl.
5) Add the butter one piece at a time, rubbing it together with the flour until it resembles course grains of sand. Continue adding until all the butter has been added.
6) Lay half of the aluminum cup with the bananas and top with the crumble until it is filled.
7) Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until the tops have turned brown and the crumble is cooked through.
8) Remove from the oven and dust with snow powder.
9) The crumble may be served warm or chilled.
Variations: Blueberry crumble and apple crumble. Try other fruits!
Posted by The Inflamed at 3:25 PM
Tang Yuan (Plain)
Tang Yuan (Plain)
Balls:
120 g glutinous rice flour
100g water
2 drops of Food colouring
Sugar syrup:
400ml water
1 pandan leaf
Sugar (to taste)
Other important preparations:
Pot of boiling water for cooking tang yuan
Cool water for rinsing cooked tang yuan
Wet cloths for tang yuan preparation
Cooking method:
1) Prepare the sugar syrup one night before by boiling the water and pandan leaf together, adding the sugar to desired sweetness.
2) Mix the flour and water together until it forms a mouldable paste resembling clay.
3) Add the desired food coloring and mix well.
4) Divide the paste into smaller pieces and roll each one into a small ball.
5) Place each rolled ball onto a plate covered with a wet cloth to prevent sticking.
6) Bring a pot of water to boil and have the Tang Yuan boil in the water until it floats on the surface.
7) Scoop out the floating balls and place them in a small bowl of cool water to rinse.
8) Place them in the prepared sugar syrup. Serve.
9) Repeat this process for different coloured Tang Yuan, always cooking the lighter colors before the darker ones.
Note*: Tang Yuan dough hardens when exposed to air for long periods of time. Be sure to cover the dough with a wet cloth if not using.
Posted by The Inflamed at 3:05 PM
Home made Siew Mai
Seasoning:
1 tsp Hua diao jiu
2 tbsp light soya sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn flour
1 egg
½ tsp white pepper
Filling:
285g minced pork
225g prawns, shelled and cut
Wrap:
115g square wanton skins
Cooking method:
1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
2) Mix the filling ingredients together.
3) Add the seasoning and filling together, using a gloved hand to mix and mash the filling until it is evenly mixed and seasoned. The filling should resemble a meat paste.
4) Cut off the four corners of the wanton skin.
5) Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each skin and enclose the dumpling such that the filling is still visible from the top.
6) Brush the plate with a little oil and place the dumplings on the plate, flattening the base of each siew mai. Steam until the siew mai is cooked through.
7) Serve immediately with some chilli sauce.
Posted by The Inflamed at 3:01 PM
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mushroom Crepe
Crepe Ingredients (Makes 40 crepes)
9 eggs
63 honey
63 g sugar
100 g butter, melted
300 g cake flour
750 g milk
Sauteed mushrooms ingredients
For 1 crepe, 4 shitake mushrooms, cut into 1/4
Oil or butter as needed
A scattering of parsley
2 g garlic
Heavy cream as needed
Salt and pepper as needed
Cooking Method:
1) Heat a little oil or butter in a frying pan or saute pan and add the garlic, cooking until the aroma is apparent.
2) Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until it is soft.
3) Add the parsley and cream to desired texture. For a wetter mushroom mix, moisten with more cream. For a dryer mix, add just enough to coat the mushrooms.
4) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5) Mix all crepe ingredients everything together with a whisk.
6) Heat a small, round, non-stick pan and ladle a little of the mixture into the pan and swirl it around to create a thin-pancake.
7) When the edges begin to brown, use a skewer or a small pair of tongs to lift up one side and then flip it over entirely.
8) Cook until both sides have turned an omelet-brown color.
9) Lay each one out, spoon a thin layer of mushroom onto the crepe. Roll up and serve.
Posted by The Inflamed at 10:45 PM
Poached Warm Berries
Poached Berries
This is a simple accompaniment to desserts. It creates a visual impact and gives variety of colour. Creatively used, it may be used to top warm cakes, eaten on its own, cooked and flamed with fruit liqueur or used to fill pies and crepes. It can be served with ice cream, whipped cream, nuts and other fruits.
Ingredients:
20 g butter
100 g Strawberries, washed and cut into quarters
100 g Blueberries
100 g Raspberries
100 ml hot water
100 g sugar
Cooking method:
1) Prepare the sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar into the hot water.
2) Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and heat it.
3) Add the blueberries and strawberries and coat them with the butter. Add the sugar syrup, just enough to lightly poach the berries.
4) After half a minute, add the raspberries and let the berries poach until the sugar syrup has reduced to a thick, saucy consistency.
5) Remove the berries to a plate and serve warm.
Posted by The Inflamed at 10:35 PM
Banana Cream Baked Rice
Banana Cream Baked Rice (original idea by Casandra Chai)
Cream sauce ingredients (makes 190 ml cream sauce)
15 g butter or oil
220 milk (prepare more for standby)
10g all purpose flour
25 g heavy cream
Salt as needed
Cooking method:
1) Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and cook until a paste (roux) begins to form. Take care not to let the roux brown. If the paste doesn't form because of lack of flour or oil, add a little more.
2) Once the paste has formed, add the milk and whisk well. Keep on whisking until the milk comes to a boil. The sauce should thicken at this point.
3) Let the sauce simmer (small bubbles) until the sauce cooks smooth. Test the consistency of the sauce by dipping a spoon into it. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
4) If the sauce is too thick, thin it with more milk.
5) Add the cream into the sauce and stir. It is ready for use.
Ingredients for Banana baked rice
100 g cooked white rice
40 g sliced ripe bananas
Grated mozarella cheese as needed
Cream sauce as needed (recipe above or buy Prego)
Salt or sugar to taste
Cooking method:
1) Cook the rice and cream together in a small pan until the rice is evenly coated with the cream. Season with salt and taste. For a sweet rice dish, add no salt but add a little sugar.
2) Place the rice in a small pan, ramekin or bowl. Press the sliced bananas into the rice. Add as many as you desire.
3) Top the rice with the grated cheese, ensuring that no rice is exposed and bake in an oven until the cheese turns brown. Serve warm.
Note* If the rice dish is very deep, one may wish to add layers of cheese inside the rice as well as the top.
Posted by The Inflamed at 9:48 PM
Cold Carrot Soup
Cold Carrot Soup
Ingredients
160 g carrots, peeled
250 g vegetable/chicken stock
1 g garlic
9 g sliced onions
1/2 shallot
Oil as needed
6 ml white wine
20 g yoghurt
75 ml carrot juice
75 ml orange juice
Cooking method
1) Slice the carrots as thin as possible in any way, shape and size, discarding the head and tail of the carrot.
2) Add a table spoon of oil (or more) to a soup pot and begin to saute the onions, garlic and shallots together until an aroma is evident.
3) Add the thinly sliced carrots and saute them until they have become slightly soft.
4) Add the stock, wine and orange juice and bring the soup to a boil.
5) Reduce the soup to a simmer and place a lid over the pot and let the carrots simmer until a fork is able to pierce them without resistance.
6) Use a blender to blend the soup mixture into a course orange carrot paste.
7) Pour the orange paste into a bowl and add the yoghurt. Add enough carrot juice to thin the paste until it reaches the texture and consistency of a soup. For a thicker soup, add less juice and for a more watery soup, add more juice.
8) Chill overnight or until it is thoroughly chilled and serve.
Posted by The Inflamed at 5:22 PM
Tomato Baked Rice
Tomato baked rice
Ingredients
100 g cooked white rice
5 g sliced white onions
20 g minced pork
20 g sliced shitake mushrooms
Grated mozarella cheese as needed
Prego tomato sauce as needed
Cooking method
1) Saute the onions in a small non-stick pan until the onions have emitted an aroma.
2) Add the mushrooms and minced pork and saute until the mushrooms are soft and the pork has turned brown.
3) Add the rice and mix thorougly. Add enough tomato sauce to just coat the rice.
4) Season with salt and pepper and taste.
5) Place the rice mixture into a small baking dish, porcelain bowl, cake pan or ramekin and cover the top of the rice mixture with grated cheese. Ensure that all the rice is covered to prevent burning.
6) Place it in a convection oven or salamander until the cheese has melted and turned brown. Serve immediately.
Posted by The Inflamed at 5:14 PM
Mango Granite
Recipe for Mango Granite
This is a dessert resembling crushed ice. It can be made with any form of flavoured liquid. Try different ones for different effects and tastes! This can be made at home at ANY time with almost any form of liquid!
Some liquids to consider:
Fruit juice
Syrups
Cordials
Fruit puree
Commercial drinks
Fruit Teas/ Green Tea
Mango Granite Ingredients
113 g mango sweetened mango puree
330 g water
50 g sugar
25 g rum
Cooking method:
1) Mix everything together with a whisk in a shallow pan with a wide surface area, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2) Place in the freezer and stir the mixture every 15 - 30 mins until the mixture resembles crushed ice.
3) Enjoy =)
Posted by The Inflamed at 5:08 PM
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Pasta Carbonara
500 g spaghetti
25 g butter or oil
140 g minced bacon
4 egg yolks
180 ml cream
50g grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper as needed
Cooking method:
1) Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the spaghetti and cook al dente (with some resistance to the tooth). The spaghetti should be stirred occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2) Drain the spaghetti in a colander. If the spaghetti is to be reserved for later use, rinse with cold water and rub some oil in between the strands to prevent sticking and refridgerate until it is ready to serve.
3) Heat the butter or oil in the pan and saute the bacon until it is cooked through and slightly crispy and the fat has been rendered.
4) Add the spaghetti to the bacon and mix well, cooking until the spaghetti is very hot.
5) Mix together the yolks, cream and cheese and add it to the pasta.
6) Mix the pasta with the sauce, stirring until the sauce is heated. Do not overcook or the sauce will curdle due to the presence of egg yolks.
7) Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. One may choose to garnish with some parsley.
Posted by The Inflamed at 9:12 AM
Potato, Crab and Leek Croquette
1 Russet Potato
100g Leek
227g Crab meat (frozen or fresh)
200g Bread crumbs
50ml milk
10g softened butter
Vegetable oil as needed
Cooking method:
1) Steam the potatoes until the fork is able to pierce the potato without any resistance.
2) Add the butter and slowly add the milk in parts and mash the potato with a masher. Take care not to make the potato too wet. Not all the milk has to be used.
3) Dice the leek medium and add it to the potatoes, mixing well.
4) Add the crabmeat and continue to mix until the entire mixture is evenly blended.
5) Pat the mixture into small patties.
6) Place the bread crumbs onto a large flat plate and coat each patty with the crumbs first on one side, pressing down gently and then flipping it over with a fork.
7) Pour the vegetable oil until it covers the base of the pan and rises to roughly half the height of the croquette patties.
8) When the oil is hot, quickly pan-fry the patties until the bread crumbs turn a golden brown.
9) Place the ready-fried croquettes onto some paper towel to absorb the oil for roughly 5 mins.
10) Remove to a clean plate and serve warm.
Posted by The Inflamed at 8:56 AM
Mushroom Bruschetta
Mushroom Bruschetta (makes 30 pieces)
454g Oyster Mushrooms
105 ml Olive oil
5g Minced garlic
1g Chopped thyme
1g Chopped oregano
1 no.s Baguette
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese as needed (optional)
1) Cut the baguette into 6mm thick slices and brush with some oil and toast in an oven until lightly golden along the edges.
2) Trim the mushrooms.
3) Heat the oil over low heat and sauté the mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
4) Add the thyme and oregano herbs and remove from the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5) Spread the mushrooms over the sliced toasted bread. The mushroom bruschetta may be served now or topped with grated cheese and melted in an oven before serving.
Note*: Any kind of mushroom may be used. Mixed mushrooms consisting of button, swiss, shitake, oyster, enoki and shimeiji mushrooms cooked together with the above aromatics and herbs makes a great mushroom salad with the addition of salad leaves and vegetables (arugula/rocket, lettuce, baby spinach, asparagus). All products may be found at NTUC.
Posted by The Inflamed at 12:29 AM
Duxelle Canape
30 no.s Carr's Table Water Crackers
50g Minced shallots
30g Butter
240g Diced shitake mushrooms
60ml Cream
110g Bread crumbs
4g Chopped parsley
1 no.s Egg
1/2 no.s. Carrot, small dice and blanched for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1) In a small pan, heat the butter and add the shallots until an aroma is present.
2) Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season the duxelles with some salt and pepper to taste.
3) Add the cream, bread crumbs and parsley and mix well. Remove the mixture from the pan.
Break the egg into a bowl and whip until evenly blended.
4) Add the egg, a little at a time to the duxelles mixture until the egg has just coated the mixture.
5) Fill small portions of the mix into a 4-cm ring cutter and press down gently with a small spoon. Gently lift up the ring and release the small duxelles cakes.
6) Place them onto an aluminum foil sheet, onto a sheet pan and bake the cakes in an oven at 180 degrees until the tops and sides of the cakes have begun to brown and oil seeps out from the sides.
7) Place each ready baked cake onto a cracker base and serve.
Note*: The duxelles above (without the egg) is a stuffing used for chicken.
Posted by The Inflamed at 12:25 AM
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich 454g Chicken thigh
360ml Mayonnaise
14g Curry powder
1 head Butter or Iceberg lettuce
113g Butter
1 no.s Baguette
1 no.s Small diced green capsicum (optional)
Salt and pepper as needed
Cooking Method:
1) Steam the chicken to an internal temperature of 74 degrees or until it is thoroughly cooked.
Shred or dice the chicken into small pieces.
2) Combine the chicken, mayonnaise and curry powder and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3) Tear the lettuce leaves to match the size of the bread.
4) Spread a thin layer of butter on the bread, top with a piece of lettuce and a layer of curry chicken salad.
5) Garnish with the capsicum if desired, for colour and flavour. Serve immediately.
Note*: To create a salad, shredded iceberg lettuce, fresh cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, carrot strips and other vegetables may be tossed together with the curried chicken. Add small cubes of toasted bread croutons for texture.
Posted by The Inflamed at 12:15 AM
Monday, September 01, 2008
White and Dark Chocolate Cake
White and Dark Chocolate Cake (Round) 