Fresh Fruit Puff Pastry

Puff Pastry Ingredients

400g flour sifted
220ml water room temperature
10g salt
80g butter (melted and cooled)
260g unsalted butter (solid)

Instructions

In a mixing bowl put flour and salt.
Pour over water and melted butter and mix quickly to form a ball.
Knead dough in bowl until it has a smooth surface.
Rest dough for 10 minutes in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap before starting pastry turns.

After 10 mins

Dust workspace with flour.
Put dough ball on surface and make a cross with a slight lump in the middle by rolling out the edges.
Place butter in a square on top of mound and fold flaps over it like an envelope.
With a rolling pin, press down in an "X" on top of envelope.

Pastry turns:
a. Roll out dough carefully the length and width of the rolling pin.
b. Fold in thirds. Turn dough towards you like a book.

Repeat the pastry turns (process a-b)
Cover with parchment paper and chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

After 10 mins

Take dough out of fridge
Repeat pastry turns twice
Chill again for 10 minutes.

Take dough out again and finish 5th and 6th pastry turn.
Roll out 1/8" and cut to desired shape
Brush with fruit jam and cut fresh fruit on top.
Bake about 10-12 minutes at 190 degree celsius or until pastry turns golden brown.

Chocolate Whoopie Pie

Ingredients:

Servings:

36

Whoopie Pie

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons milk

Filling

1 cup whipped cream  

1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (OR mint extract is good)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 218 degree celsius. Lightly coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whoopie Pies: In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil until crumbly. Add eggs and beat well. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar mixture. Add milk and mix together well.
4. With lightly lightly floured hands, roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Place balls 2" apart onto cookie sheets lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten balls slightly with bottom of lightly greased flat-bottom glass.
5. Bake at 218 degree celsius for 5-6 minutes or until tops are cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.
6. Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together cream and confectioners' until fluffy.
7. Pipe filling using pastry bag (or spread w/ knife) on to flat bottom of cooled whoopie pie and top with another whoopie pie to make a sandwich.

Cake Pops

Cake Pops

1 (14.25 oz) box cake mix, any flavor
1 (16 oz) tub frosting, any flavor (you will not need all of it)
or 1/3-3/4 cup homemade frosting
1 (24 oz) package of almond bark/candy coating (white or chocolate)
Sprinkles
Lollipop sticks
3″x4″ cello bags*
Curling ribbon

Directions:
Bake the cake mix according to package directions. Once it’s cool, crumble the cake into a large bowl. I prefer to process mine in the food processor to fine crumbs. Place in a large bowl and stir in about 1/3 cup of frosting. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and thick like a truffle center. Mix in additional frosting if necessary. You only need enough to get the crumbs to stick together when you roll them into balls. Do not add so much that the mixture becomes soft and mushy!

Roll mixture into 1″ balls and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. I usually do this step the day before and then dip them the following day. Do not freeze them before dipping or the chocolate coating may crack.

Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the flat end of the cake balls. (Bakerella says to insert a little less than halfway, but I go more than halfway b/c I imagine they stay put a little better when dipping.)

Carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered, remove and softly tap and rotate the stick on the edge of the bowl until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too. Immediately cover with sprinkles before the chocolate has a chance to set, then insert in a styrofoam block to harden. Continue with remaining cake balls.

Once finished with all the cake pops, begin packaging them in the same order they were dipped. This part is easiest if you have a helper. Place a cello bag over the top, bring it down and while someone holds it, tie some curling ribbon below the base of the ball. Curl the ribbon and continue with the remaining pops. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to freeze them, I'd recommend moving them to the refrigerator the day before serving so they can thaw at a slower rate and you don't risk as much condensation. They will get quite wet if you move them directly from the freezer to the counter top, and if you have sprinkles, the color will run. Serve cold (not frozen)or at room temperature.

Makes 40-50 pops

Basic Waffles Recipe

To make an amazing waffle dessert, try drizzling the waffles with fresh berries.

Yield: Makes 10 to 15 waffles

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat waffle iron.
Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy.
Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons gelatin
4 teaspoons cold water
1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine gelatin and cold water. Place over hot water bowl, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin dissolves.
2. Whip the cream, and add confectioner's sugar.
3. Add gelatin mixture and vanilla extract.
4. Continue whipping until the gelatin is incorporated.

Lovely firm texture and beautifully spreadable. Can put in piping bag for decorating!

Chiffon cake

Pan measures 8-inch diameter and 5-inch deep

Egg 1 pcs
Oil 10g
Milk 20g
Cake Flour 30g
Sugar 30g
A pinch of salt

For 5 eggs recipe:

Egg yolks 5 pcs
Oil 50g
Milk 100g
Cake flour 150g
Sugar 50g
A pinch of salt

Egg white 5 pcs
Sugar 100g


Preheat oven at 160 degree
Separate egg white and yolks

Mix 1/3 sugar with egg yolks
Add oil, milk and salt to the yolk mixture

Sift in cake flour
Mix until batter can draw

Whisk egg white with 2/3 sugar until peak form
Add 1/3 egg white mixture to yolk mixture, stir well
Add all egg white mixture and mix well.

Bake in oven at 160 degree for 10-15 mins
After baking, put to cake to cooling rack upside down

Strawberry Mousse Cake

8" round strawberry mousse cake


Mousse:
12g unflavored gelatin + 50g cool water
200g whipped cream
40g sugar
150g fresh strawberries puree
50g milk

1. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the 50g cool water and let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Using an electric mixer, whip 200g whipped cream and 40g powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.

3. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the strawberries purée and milk into the mixture.

4. Stir the gelatin mixture into the cream and strawberries mixture.

5. Pour the mousse mixture on top of cooled sponge cake.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, prepare the jelly.

Jelly:

45g Strawberry flavor jelly powder
1 tsp gelatin
180g water

1. Mix water with Strawberry flavor jelly powder and gelatin powder

2. Add a few slices of strawberries on top of the mosse

3. Pour in jelly mixture.

4. Keep in refrigerator for several hours, or even over night (cover with plastic wrap)

If it's difficult to remove the ring, use hot towels to surround the mousse ring to soften the mousse till it can be easily removed from cake.

Red Bean Paste

Ingredients:
 
1 cup (180 grams) red beans
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions:

To Prepare the red beans:
Wash the red beans and place in a large pot filled with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, drain, and discard the water.

Add about 3 cups of water to a pot containing the par-boiled red beans. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer the red beans until soft, approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours. The water should be almost completely absorbed by the time the beans are done. Add water as needed while simmering to prevent the beans from scorching.

Add the sugar, stirring gently until the red bean paste is heated through and glossy. Season with a pinch of salt and mix well. The paste should be thick with some whole and half-crushed red beans.

Matcha and Red Bean Cake Roll

Matcha and Red Bean Cake Roll

For the cake:


- Egg 2 pcs
- Olive oil 20g
- Milk 40g
- Cake Flour 60g
- Sugar 60g
- A pinch of salt

- 1 tablespoon matcha (finely powdered green tea)

For the filling:
- 280 grams sweetened red bean paste (see Red bean paste instructions)
- 80 grams whipped cream

For the topping: (optional)
- confectioner's sugar
- matcha (green tea powder)

Prepare the cake. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a 35-by-25-cm pan with parchment paper

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with 1/3 sugar.
In another bowl, sift together the flour and matcha. Stir the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture until just blended, without overmixing.

Place the egg whites, 2/3 sugar and the pinch of salt in a clean, grease-free mixing bowl, and whisk until stiff. Stir one third of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the rest with a spatula, lifting the mixture to keep as much air as possible in the egg whites.

Pour the batter onto the prepared pan or sheet, making sure it reaches the corners, and smooth out the surface gently with the spatula. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until just set.

While the cake is baking, prepare the filling: combine the red bean paste and whipped cream in a bowl, and stir well. Set aside.

Once the cake is baked, you have to work quickly while the cake is still warm, otherwise it will be too stiff to roll. Slide the parchment paper and cake on a cold baking sheet or a tray. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges of the cake if necessary to get a neat rectangle, or if the edges have gotten a bit crisp in the oven.

Cover with a clean dishtowel (or a fresh sheet of parchment paper, which you can reuse several times) and flip cautiously onto your work surface, so that one of the short edges is close to you. Remove the cold baking sheet or tray and carefully peel off the sheet of parchment paper on which the cake baked. The cake will now be upside-down, the spongiest side facing the ceiling.

Spread the filling onto the cake, leaving a margin all around. Roll the cake tightly onto itself, starting from the edge closest to you. It will feel a little awkward at first -- you can use the dishtowel to help your grip -- but will get easier after the first few inches. Wrap the rolled cake tightly in the dishtowel and place it seam side down in the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight.

Just before serving, slice off the ends of the roll -- at an angle if you like -- for a neater look, place the cake on a serving dish, and dust with confectioner's sugar and/or a little matcha powder. Serve on its own, or with a dollop of yogurt. The leftovers will keep for a few days, well wrapped in the fridge.

Blueberry Mousse Cake

Adapted from: http://www.wildblueberries.com/recipes/cassis.php

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 cups frozen Wild Blueberries, thawed
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 6 tablespoons crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 8 vanilla meringue cookies
• materials: 10” springform pan
• materials: parchment paper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Separate eggs. Beat egg whites with a third of the sugar until stiff. Beat egg yolks with remaining sugar and water until creamy. Combine egg mixtures. Mix flour with cornstarch and baking powder and sift into the egg mousse; stir in with whisk. Cover base of springform pan with parchment paper. Pour in mixture and smooth it out. Bake for approx. 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Sprinkle gelatin packets over 1/2 cup of water in small saucepan; let stand 1 min. Cook on low heat 3 minutes or until gelatin is completely dissolved, stirring constantly; set aside.
Purée 2 1/2 cups of Wild Blueberries. Add 1/2 cup of purée to slightly cooled gelatin mixture and combine throughly. Add cassis and remaining purée to gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until it begins to set. Whip cream in medium bowl and gradually add sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold blueberry gelatin mixture into whipped cream and then add the rest of the Wild Blueberries.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake base layer, but do not take off springform ring. Top the cake layer with the blueberry-cream layer, spreading evenly. Refrigerate the cake for 3-4 hours.
Carefully loosen the cake from the springform pan with a hot, wet knife. Remove the pan ring and transfer the cake to a cake plate. Crumble the meringue cookies and sprinkle them over the top before serving. Preparation Time: Approximately 40 minutes, plus thaw and cooling time. Serves 12.

Chocolate pudding

Thanks my dear friend Meiling for this secret receipe!

Ingredients :
100g 60% - 85% dark chocolate button
100g Unsalted butter (room temperature)
2pcs Egg yolks
2pcs Eggs
50g Sugar (depends on personal flavor)
50g Cake flour (sifted)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven at 180
2. Grease 6 muffin tins
3. Beat egg yolks, eggs and sugar by mixerfor 7 mins
4. Melt butter and chocolate button in another bowl, mix well
5. Fold eggs into chocolate mixture in step 4 , mix well
6. Fold sifted cake flour into the above mixture, mix well
7. Fill 6 muffin tins with well prepared chocolate mixture (70% full)
8. Insert a chocolate button in the middle of mixture in each tin
9. Keep in fridge for 15 mins
10. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 for about 9 mins

While serve, sift icing sugar on top
Eat with ice cream, grapes, strawberry or other fruit
Remember, eat it when it's still warm.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
425g cooked pumpkin
100g cream cheese
sunflower seeds, as garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
Beat the brown sugar and the eggs together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
Add all the vegetable oil and the pumpkin; continue beating until integrated.
Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Fill the prepared muffin cups about half-full with the batter.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon cream cheese into the center of each muffin cup and poke it down into the middle of the batter with a finger. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over each muffin.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes.
Let cool in pan 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely.
Be extra careful; the cream cheese stays hot for a while!

Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients

12g unflavored gelatin + 50g cool water
150g strawberries purée
50g milk
200g whipped cream
50g powdered sugar
45g Strawberry flavor jelly powder + 1 tsp gelatin 180g water

Method

1 Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the 50g cool water and let sit for 5 minutes.

2 Using an electric mixer, whip 200g whipped cream and 50g powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.

3. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the strawberries purée and milk into the mixture.

4. Stir the gelatin mixture into the cream and strawberries mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

After 1 hour

5. Mix water with Strawberry flavor jelly powder and gelatin powder

6. Add a few slices of strawberries on top of the mosse

7. Pour in jelly mixture

8. Keep in refrigerator for several hours, or even over night (cover with plastic wrap).

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

The classic Italian dessert made into individual cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the cake
1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean pod, or 1 tsp vanilla essence
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 large eggs + 3 egg yolks, at room temp
1 cup sugar

For the coffee-marsala syrup
3/8 cup espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)
1 oz sweet Marsala (I used port)
1/4 cup sugar

For the frosting
1 cup heavy cream
8oz mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325. Line two muffin pans with paper liners (18 total).
Use nonstick spray or butter to grease the tops of the muffin pan.
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Heat in 15 second intervals until butter is melted, add milk, vanilla bean pod halves and seeds
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar on high speed.
Whisk mixture until pale, fluffy and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when the whisk is lifted.

Remove vanilla pods from the bowl of milk and discard.
Fold in the flour mixture and slowly add the milk mixture, mixing until just combined.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.
Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean.
Let sit in pan until just warm to the touch.
Using a knife, poke 4-5 holes in each cupcake

To make the coffee-Marsala syrup:
Mix coffee, sugar, and Marsala until the sugar has dissolved.
Using a silicon pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcakes, letting the first round soak in completely before making another pass.
Repeat until all of the syrup has been used.

To Make the mascarpone frosting:
Whisk the cream on high until stiff peaks just form.
Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla and whisk on medium-high for 1-2 minutes.
Frost cupcakes when they have completely cooled.
Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powdered and coffee beans.

Notes
Yields: 18 cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Focaccia

Traditional Italian hearth bread.

200ml water
75 ml olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
450g strong flour
2 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
Olive oil to glaze

1. Pour the water and olive oil into the bread maker bucket 
2. Add sugar and salt
3. Add sifted flour and sprinkle over the yeast
4. Fit the bucket in the brad maker and set to dough Programme
5. Once complete, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth
6. Roll the dough, cut it with ring shape mold
7. Place on oiled baking sheet 
8. Cover with a clean tea towel 
9. Leave to prove until double in size
10. Using your fingertips, dimple the top of the dough tobgive the distinctive focaccia appearance.

Yogurt Cupcake

Ingredients:

Milk 30ml
Yogurt 70g
Egg 1 pcs
Olive oil 80g

Cake flour 130g
Sugar 70g
Baking powder 4 g

Sift cake flour and baking powder.
Separate egg white
Whisk egg white for 5 mins high speed, add sugar and whisk for another 1 mins
Add egg yolk, yogurt, milk and olive oil, mix well.
Add dry ingredients to wet one, stir until smooth.

Fill each paper liner with batter 3/4 full.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Makes about half dozen 4cm cupcakes.

Lady finger and Charlotte Russe

Adapted from http://cilantropist.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-ladyfingers-and-pomegranate.html

Homemade Ladyfingers
3 eggs, separated
6 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
about 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Whisk the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. (Use very clean bowl, no water, no egg yolk)
2. Add sugar gradually, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the whites hold stiff glossy peaks.
3. Lightly beat the egg yolks. Gently fold the yolks into the whites. (not to deflate the batter)

When the yolks are completely incorporated, the batter will be fluffy and a pale golden yellow color.

1. Sift the cake flour to the batter all at once.
2. Carefully fold the mixture together once more,

The batter will still be slightly lumpy and will have ‘pockets’ of air.

Pipe out the ladyfingers:

1. Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag
4. Pipe out ladyfingers that are ¾ inch wide and any length you like.

The ladyfingers can be piped into any shape; to make the charlotte dessert, pipe out at least one ladyfinger disc that is just about ½ inch smaller than the diameter of your charlotte mold.

1. Sift a light layer of confectioners sugar over the ladyfingers.
2. Wait 10 minutes, then sift the confectioners sugar a second time;
3. Wait another 5 minutes, and then put the ladyfingers into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

After baking, cool the ladyfingers on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to the cooling rack to cool completely.

Blueberry Charlotte
Ladyfingers to fit your mold of choice: using recipe above, make enough traditional ladyfingers to go around the ring of your mold, and make at least one disc using my instructions above.

1. Whipped Cream, approximately 1 1/2 cups depending on your charlotte size
2. Blueberry for the topping

Start out by preparing your charlotte mold.  fitted the inside with parchment paper.

Next take your ladyfinger disc and place it inside the ring mold, allowing space around the outside to fit the additional ladyfingers.

Take the traditional ladyfingers, and align them so the tops are even; using a sharp knife, cut off the bottoms so that they one flat edge and all the ladyfingers are the same height.

One at a time, add the ladyfingers into the mold, the cut edge towards the bottom, until they completely form a border around the disc at the bottom.

Mousse filling

1. combine 1 cup of whipped cream with blueberry curd
2. Spoon this into the center of the charlotte mold, and fill almost completely. (you can fill halfway, and add another ladyfinger disc, or a layer of curd alone, and then fill the remainder with mousse.)
3. Put the charlotte into the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours to let the mousse set.

Before serve, add the remaining whipped cream to the top of the charlotte, and smooth out. Top the whipped cream with blackberries.

Butter Cupcake

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour 200g 

Baking powder 2 tsp 

Butter 30g (room temperature)

Sugar 85g

Salt 2g

Egg 3 pcs

Milk 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In mixer bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Mix in vanilla flavor.

Mix flour with baking powder and salt, sift.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting with the flour.

Fill paper liner with 3/4 batter

Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove and cool completely before decorating.

Makes about 12 standard cupcakes. Each cupcake serves 1.