Friday, March 25, 2011

No bake biscuit cake

P1180637

This is going to be a great recipe for the hot summer months especially when I crave Gerbeaud cake / slice . To me this is a cheat version of the classic Hungarian confection ; one of my favourite sweets from Hungary!

No bake biscuit cake

source : Local Hungarian cooking mag

Ingredients
250gm biscuit crumbs
200gm powdered sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar / or use vanilla extract
120gm margarine (I used butter, melted)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp rum
100gm ground walnuts
grated zest of 1 orange (I used lemon)
Milk, as needed to combine

Chocolate icing
100gm dark chocolate

Method
1)Mix together dry ingredients and then combine in the wet ingredients. Press the mass into a rectangular tin and spread to get 2cm thickness

2)Melt chocolates and cover the top of cake.

verdict
I like it! need to be brave with milk! the "cake" base was a bit loose. Perhaps next time I'll try with vanilla cream filled biscuit crumbs.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dim sum ~ Chinese steamed bun

P1180624

I have left over baked meat balls in the fridge and wanted to use some as filling for Chinese steamed buns ; one of my favourites dum sum. Searching my bookmarks I decided upon Lily's layered pau's dough as I have all ingredients in my pantry.

I have tried making chinese steamed buns before without much success. I think it was due to my lack of natural touch for kneading. However, I'm satisfied with how this dough turned out. The scent of the buns when freshly steamed was very much like the ones I had at home. One negative was the dough wasn't leaven fully ; perhaps due to the old instant yeast I had in the pantry.

Chinese steamed bun

Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder*
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk, warm
1 tbsp oil


To make the dough:

1) Mix together warmed milk, sugar and yeast. Set aside to ferment. It is ready when mixture is frothy.

2) In another bowl, mix flour and salt. Create well in the centre of the bowl and pour in the yeast mixture and oil.

3) Knead dough. let dough rise until it is double in bulk.

4) Before you divide the dough, roll the dough into a rectangle and mix baking powder with a little water and spread it onto the surface, roll it up and knead dough until it is well mixed and smooth. Then divide dough in to dough into 4 portions.

5) Spray or grease a pan with oil and line with parchment paper.


6) Roll each portion into thin circle and put in your choice of filling (it can be sweet or savoury) . Seal by pinching the edge together and place of steaming tray.

7) Brush top of dough with oil to prevent drying out.

8) Let it rest for 30 - 45 minutes and in the meantime, bring the water in a steamer to the boil.

9) When dough has rested and risen, put into steamer and steam on high heat for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when pricked into the middle of the bun.

10) Let cake cool a bit and serve warm.


Read Lily's how-to on pleating bun
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Monday, March 14, 2011

Lemon cottage cheesecake

P1180601
With lemon in season, I've been addicted with lemon curd since I made my first batch about a month ago. In fact, this batch is the third I've cooked consecutively!

Lemon cottage cheesecake
source : credited respectively below as I was combining 3 recipes

Crust ~ adapted from Joy of Baking
100 gm crumbs of vanilla cream biscuits
57gm unsalted butter, melted
* sugar was eliminated as vanilla cream from biscuits should give enough sweetness. You can add sugar if you will.
Lemon curd ~ from Joy of BakingMakes 360 ml

3 large eggs
80 ml fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
1 Tbsp finely shredded lemon zest
150 grams granulated white sugar
56 grams unsalted butter , at room temperature

Cottage cheese filling adapted from Not quite Nigella
250gm local cottage cheese
2 eggs
24 gm vanilla infused caster sugar


Method

Pre-heat oven at 180°c

For crust
In a bowl combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For lemon curd
In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
For cottage cheese filling
In a bowl, mix cottage cheese, eggs, , vanilla sugar until smooth using hand blender. Mix with 3/4 of lemon curd, set aside
Take the crust-lined springform pan out of the fridge. Place the pan in a larger pan. Pour the cheese mixture over the crust.
Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the height of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for an hour and 45 minutes. The center should be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven to cool completely. Decorate top of cake with remaining 1/4 of lemon curd. Then, chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.


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Friday, March 25, 2011

No bake biscuit cake

P1180637

This is going to be a great recipe for the hot summer months especially when I crave Gerbeaud cake / slice . To me this is a cheat version of the classic Hungarian confection ; one of my favourite sweets from Hungary!

No bake biscuit cake

source : Local Hungarian cooking mag

Ingredients
250gm biscuit crumbs
200gm powdered sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar / or use vanilla extract
120gm margarine (I used butter, melted)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp rum
100gm ground walnuts
grated zest of 1 orange (I used lemon)
Milk, as needed to combine

Chocolate icing
100gm dark chocolate

Method
1)Mix together dry ingredients and then combine in the wet ingredients. Press the mass into a rectangular tin and spread to get 2cm thickness

2)Melt chocolates and cover the top of cake.

verdict
I like it! need to be brave with milk! the "cake" base was a bit loose. Perhaps next time I'll try with vanilla cream filled biscuit crumbs.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dim sum ~ Chinese steamed bun

P1180624

I have left over baked meat balls in the fridge and wanted to use some as filling for Chinese steamed buns ; one of my favourites dum sum. Searching my bookmarks I decided upon Lily's layered pau's dough as I have all ingredients in my pantry.

I have tried making chinese steamed buns before without much success. I think it was due to my lack of natural touch for kneading. However, I'm satisfied with how this dough turned out. The scent of the buns when freshly steamed was very much like the ones I had at home. One negative was the dough wasn't leaven fully ; perhaps due to the old instant yeast I had in the pantry.

Chinese steamed bun

Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder*
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk, warm
1 tbsp oil


To make the dough:

1) Mix together warmed milk, sugar and yeast. Set aside to ferment. It is ready when mixture is frothy.

2) In another bowl, mix flour and salt. Create well in the centre of the bowl and pour in the yeast mixture and oil.

3) Knead dough. let dough rise until it is double in bulk.

4) Before you divide the dough, roll the dough into a rectangle and mix baking powder with a little water and spread it onto the surface, roll it up and knead dough until it is well mixed and smooth. Then divide dough in to dough into 4 portions.

5) Spray or grease a pan with oil and line with parchment paper.


6) Roll each portion into thin circle and put in your choice of filling (it can be sweet or savoury) . Seal by pinching the edge together and place of steaming tray.

7) Brush top of dough with oil to prevent drying out.

8) Let it rest for 30 - 45 minutes and in the meantime, bring the water in a steamer to the boil.

9) When dough has rested and risen, put into steamer and steam on high heat for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when pricked into the middle of the bun.

10) Let cake cool a bit and serve warm.


Read Lily's how-to on pleating bun
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Monday, March 14, 2011

Lemon cottage cheesecake

P1180601
With lemon in season, I've been addicted with lemon curd since I made my first batch about a month ago. In fact, this batch is the third I've cooked consecutively!

Lemon cottage cheesecake
source : credited respectively below as I was combining 3 recipes

Crust ~ adapted from Joy of Baking
100 gm crumbs of vanilla cream biscuits
57gm unsalted butter, melted
* sugar was eliminated as vanilla cream from biscuits should give enough sweetness. You can add sugar if you will.
Lemon curd ~ from Joy of BakingMakes 360 ml

3 large eggs
80 ml fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
1 Tbsp finely shredded lemon zest
150 grams granulated white sugar
56 grams unsalted butter , at room temperature

Cottage cheese filling adapted from Not quite Nigella
250gm local cottage cheese
2 eggs
24 gm vanilla infused caster sugar


Method

Pre-heat oven at 180°c

For crust
In a bowl combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For lemon curd
In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
For cottage cheese filling
In a bowl, mix cottage cheese, eggs, , vanilla sugar until smooth using hand blender. Mix with 3/4 of lemon curd, set aside
Take the crust-lined springform pan out of the fridge. Place the pan in a larger pan. Pour the cheese mixture over the crust.
Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the height of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for an hour and 45 minutes. The center should be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven to cool completely. Decorate top of cake with remaining 1/4 of lemon curd. Then, chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.


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