Mocha Cupcake with Espresso Frosting

Like I told you before, I am into cupcakes now since I'm watching "cupcakes war" on food tv, it was fun to make it and let me tell you, after I found this site http://www.browneyedbaker.com/... oh yeah I am more into it. They have really amazing recipe for cupcakes. I baked banana, red velvet and now mocha cupcakes using their recipe, it always a huge HIT. But as for the frosting, I don't use powder sugar, I change little bit and I will keep it that way. I love my frosting I can even keep licking the spoon LOL..so here is the recipe

Ingredients

1-1/3 all-purpose flour

 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

 ¼ teaspoon salt

 ½ cup whole milk

 ½ cup strong brewed coffee

 1½ teaspoons espresso powder

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

 ½ cup granulated sugar

 ½ cup light brown sugar

 1 egg, at room temperature

Direction

1. Mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved; set aside to cool to room temperature.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners. Baking for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

Frosting

1 Cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup Sweetened condense milk (add more if you like more sweet)
1packed pudding powder (optional)==> i add this to mine
1 sachet instant coffee mix

Mixed all frosting together using electric mixer

 source : http://www.browneyedbaker.com/

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

We have (small) farewell party for our dear friend tomorrow, we're gonna have potluck. I already cook "semur daging" and thinking about baking something. Well, since my daughter and I become a big fans of cup cake war..LOL...so we decided to bake a cup cake. It is very hard to find good cup cake recipe until I found this site http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/11/08/red-velvet-cupcakes-cream-cheese-frosting/

OMGOSH!! the cupckes is the best one I've ever had, it is moist and delicious, the color is also pretty!! One thing that I dont follow from this recipe is the frosting. I am not a big fan of powder sugar frosting. so I decided to subsitute with sweetened condense milk instead. Taste still really good. I better add this recipe on my list :)...I have to say thanks to the website owner to let people try their good recipe :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 20 minutes
For the Cupcakes:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 can of sweetened condense milk
1 stick butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners.
2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting
Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth and add sweetened condense milk

Pandan Meringue Drop

Meringue is always my favourite cookie, I always wonder how that delicious cookie made, I was searching a recipe for cake and found this accidentaly, I gave my self a try and..VOILA...it didnt fail!!! YAY!!

Pandan Meringue Drops

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly (I let it cool completely)

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip (I usea 1/2-inch star tip) , then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.

Bake 300F about 25min (middle rack), turn the oven off and let meringue cool in the oven

Note :  For this meringue I didn’t use cream of tartar but I still like the result. Also some recipe said to bake in 200F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and you have to switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm. I found out that is really complicated so I’m thinking just to use this recipe and bake the way I did J

Macadamia Coconut Cake

I was thinking to make special cake for hubby's birthday, something different but yet good. One of my good friend told me about this site www.epicurious.com. Google it and found this recipe. What I like the most about this cake is the filling, it is really good and the icing that made from egg white. I'll keep this recipe and will try to make it again sometime :)

Ingdredients
For cake

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites

For filling

• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy cream

For frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut for coating cake
• macadamia nuts brushed with honey for garnish

Preparation

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a buttered 9-by-2 inch round cake or springform pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.

In a bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Onto a sheet of wax paper sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour into butter mixture alternately with milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla and blend batter until just combined well.

In another bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, tightly wrapped.

Make filling:
In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/3 cup sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Cook, stirring with a fork, until melted completely and a light caramel. Add macadamia nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are coated well and caramel is deep golden. Pour praline onto a sheet of foil and cool completely. Break praline into pieces and in a food processor grind fine. (Do not purée to a paste.)

In a small saucepan whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, milk, and cornstarch. Bring pastry cream to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill until cold, its surface covered with plastic wrap. (Pastry cream will be very stiff.)

In a bowl beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk pastry cream to loosen and whisk in praline. Fold in whipped cream and chill while making frosting.

Make frosting:
In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly.

Assemble cake:
With a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread filling between layers on a cake plate and spread cake with frosting. Coat cake with coconut. Cake may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Garnish cake with macadamia nuts.

 

Strawberry Gelato

Strawberry Gelato Recipe – Gelato di Fragola

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries
• 12 oz. granulated sugar, about 1.5 cups
• 1.5 cup cold whipping cream
• 1.5 cup cold water
• dash of lemon juice (only if fruit isn’t “bright” enough)

Directions

1. Clean and cut washed berries into quarters, or just smaller pieces.
2. Put berries, sugar and water into a blender or food processor and blend until liquid and smooth. (This is also where you’ll add lemon juice if necessary.)
3. Whip the cream until slightly thickened – like the consistency of buttermilk.
4. Combine the cream with the strawberry mixture and mix thoroughly until blended.
5. The mixture will lose a little of its sweetness when it goes through the freezing process, so if the finished product seems a bit too sweet to you, that’s a good thing.
6. Freeze as indicated by the manufacturer of your ice cream maker.

Note : I don't have ice cream maker, so I just put all ingridients on my magic bullet and store in a freezer, check after 30 min, stir using spatula..store back into freezer and check again after an hour.

SOURCE : http://www.italylogue.com/food-drink/strawberry-gelato-recipe.html

Garlic Chicken

Oneday my good friend told me about garlic chicken she made for her dinner. It's sound delicious but I thought it will be hard to make..nope, I was wrong. This is very simple chicken dish I've ever known. I bake thi garlic chicken many times now and still is our favorite dish.

1 Whole chicken
1 Bulk of garlic
2 Tbsp. salt.
Pepper

Mashed garlic,salt and pepper together. In a bowl rubbed the garlic mixture all over the chicken, inside,outside, under skin, just make sure they have enough marinade. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave it in a refrigirator all night. Bake in 400F for about 2 hr. If the chicken brown enough after 1 hour lower the tempt to 375F.

Note : To bake the chicken,  I'm using beer can holder for making beer can chicken so the chicken can stand instead  (of course I don't use beer at all on my recipe)

Chicken Pot Pie

It has been awhile since I make chicken pot pie for our dinner. So I think tonight is the night lol...anyway, for the pastry I always use Tyler Florence from Tyler Ultimate recipe. I’ve been using this pastry recipe since the first time I learned cooking and I like it. It is good and easy to follow. But the filling, I just make my own simple recipe by using secret ingredient (condensed soup cream of chicken), my friends, my husband and now my daughter love it and they think it is delicious

Chicken Pot Pie

Pastry recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, zested and finely grated

3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Directions

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water and work that in with your hands. (Or do the whole thing in a food processor, pulsing a couple of times to combine the dry ingredients, and then pulsing in the butter, and then the egg.) Check the consistency of the dough by squeezing a small amount together between thumb and forefingers: You want there to be just enough moisture to bind the dough so that it holds together without being too wet or sticky. If it's still crumbly, add a little more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. When you get it to the right consistency, shape the dough into a disk, cut a half and wrap it in plastic. Put it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

For filling

3 Boneless skinless chicken breast or leftover chicken

1 Can (10,75oz.) condensed soup cream of chicken

1 Bag (12 oz.) Frozen vegetable (peas and carrots)

Direction

Dice the chicken and cooked until no longer pink, add frozen vegetable and let it cook for a couple of minute and add the soup. Cook more until heated through. Set aside

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, use your hand to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle 12 in in diameter.