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