tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57709855689008876362024-03-18T17:47:36.768+08:00Crumbs and CookiesAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.comBlogger557125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-29106815972094392112017-05-29T00:06:00.001+08:002017-05-29T00:06:39.124+08:00i've moved!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello world! It's been, wow, half a year since I've updated this blog. But I have been baking! In fact, I was setting up a new home for a few posts I've written but have yet to publish until recently, as well as for all future ones to come.<br />
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I'm really excited to have a platform with a layout that more accurately represents what I want my blog to look like, and it is a space that I truly, genuinely am enthusiastic about nurturing and filling up with ideas and inspiration. Although, nothing will ever replace Crumbs and Cookies - this space houses all my struggles, triumph and growth in terms of baking, and perhaps even personally, over the last 7 years. I can still remember the day this blog crossed the 1 million views mark and what I made to celebrate. Insane.<br />
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When I first started blogging I would occasionally chance upon blogs which owners have maintained for years and years. I don't believe I can condense the admiration I felt for their perseverance at that time in words. But having blogged for what I think is a considerable duration as well, I've learnt that blogging consistently is not a chore if you enjoy it. All those years just whizz by in a blink of an eye.<br />
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I believe I've mentioned this in a post before, but I've noticed that some blogs that I've been following almost since the inception of this blog have just slowly ceased to be updated. I'm pretty sure that this is not just a conjecture - there has been a growing tendency towards replacing carefully written blogposts with instantaneous social media updates, which appeal I can completely understand, but also saddens me a little. I feel that there is also an allure, a satisfaction, in constructing a comprehensive article. It's time consuming, definitely. But the amount of effort a person spends on each blogpost makes it that much more personal, and so much more valuable.<br />
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I love writing, I love words. Blogging has fuelled my fondness for both. This platform, this space, in particular. For that I'll forever be grateful to Blogger. I won't stop blogging anytime again soon - my hiatus made me absolutely miserable to be honest - but I will be taking it to a new and improved space. I don't know if I can make it as memorable as this one, though it will be special in its own way.<br />
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With that, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join me on the (slightly more) grown up version of Crumbs and Cookies, <a href="https://amandakjy.com/">C&C</a>.<br />
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See you there XxAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-46202147112524897772016-11-02T17:28:00.000+08:002016-11-02T17:29:25.273+08:00pistachio and raspberry financiers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that winter is almost upon us, and that I've adopted the boring habit of going on and on about the weather (which is piercingly icy right now by the way - I swear Tokyo's temperatures fluctuate more wildly than the most dramatic of mood swings), it occurred to me that it would soon be the time for making and breaking new year resolutions. And one that I've already decided on and will make sure to keep is to recreate an Alice in the Wonderland-esque tea party.<br />
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There will be a couple of cake stands, teacups with floral imprints and their matching saucers and maybe some uncoordinated, silver teaspoons with butterfly-shaped ends, elegant serving platters, a petite picnic basket for holding five types of jams and a vase of flowers because why the heck not. And there will be scones - maybe earl gray or green tea - and a layered cake piled with berries, sides unfrosted but with fresh whipped cream peeking out, chocolate cupcakes with pastel pink strawberry frosting and perhaps these pistachio financiers too.</div>
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<b>Pistachio and Raspberry Financiers</b><br />
makes about 36 mini cakes<br />
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi<br />
<br />
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter<br />
6 egg whites, at room temperature<br />
3/4 cup shelled pistachios<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2/3 cup all-purpose flour<br />
pinch of fine sea salt<br />
1/8 tsp matcha powder (optional - I find its contribution to colour hardly significant)<br />
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1 cup fresh raspberries<br />
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Put the butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it melts and only just begins to take on a pale golden colour. Pour the butter into a small measuring cup with a spout and set aside.<br />
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Use a fork to stir the egg whites in a small bowl just enough to break them up; set aside.<br />
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Put the pistachios and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are ground. Don't overdo it - it's better to have a chunk here and there than to end up with nuts paste. Add the flour, salt and matcha, if you're using it, and whir to blend. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.<br />
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Pour the egg whites into the bowl and, using a whisk or a flexible spatula, stir gently until they're blended into the nut mixture. Gradually and gently blend the butter into the batter. You might think you've got so much butter that the batter won't be able to absorb it, but keep stirring lightly and you'll have a thick, shiny batter. Press a piece of plastic film against the surface of the batter and chill for at least 8 hours. (The batter can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.)<br />
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Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the molds of a mini muffin (each cup should have a capacity of 2 tbsp), dust with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on a baking sheet. (If you want, you can bake more than one pan at a time.)<br />
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Fill each muffin cup to the halfway point with chilled batter. (Return any remaining batter to the refrigerator until you're ready to make the next batch.) Place 1 raspberry in the center of each cup.<br />
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Bake the financiers for 24 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan(s) at the midway point, or until they start to come away from the sides of the molds. Their tops should be springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into center of a financier should come out clean. Run a table knife around the edges of the cookies to detach them from the pan, then unmold them onto a rack. Turn them right side up to cool to room temperature.<br />
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Repeat with the remaining batter, if necessary, making certain that the pan is cool.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-29309873963220232832016-10-06T19:19:00.000+08:002016-10-06T19:19:17.620+08:00pierre hermé's passionately chocolate tartlets.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These images were ready to go weeks ago but I couldn't find the words to accompany them, so I thought that I would put the post off until I could, but let's just say that there are wiser strategies out there. So allow me to proceed with a straight up description: the shine of the ganache is immensely visually arresting; the combination of <a href="http://crumbsandcookies.blogspot.jp/2016/09/caramelized-cinnamon-milk-chocolate.html">passionfruit and chocolate</a> is no less tasty than it is fancy, although I thought that the ganache tasted better on day two, when the sharpness of the dark chocolate has mellowed slightly (or go for a lower cocoa percentage from the get go!); I have henceforth pledged to pipe ganache into tart shells as demonstrated and I hope I've convinced you to do so with me.</div>
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In short, treat your eyes to these tarts too.</div>
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<b>Passionately Chocolate Tartlets</b><br />
makes about 24<br />
from the book Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />
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For the apricots:<br />
10 moist, plump dried apricots, cut into small cubes<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />
1 tsp honey<br />
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper<br />
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Place all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed 2 quart saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to its lowest setting and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the apricots are soft and puffy. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and allow the apricots to steep in the liquid for 3 to 4 hours. When you're ready to use the apricots, drain them and and pat dry between paper towels. (The apricots can be prepared a day ahead and kept covered, in their liquid, at room temperature.)<br />
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For the crust:<br />
93g or 3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, softened<br />
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted<br />
2 tbsp + 2 tsp ground blanched almonds<br />
a little more than 1/4 tsp vanilla bean pulp or a drop of pure vanilla extract (literally)<br />
around 3 tbsp of an beaten egg<br />
163g or 1 1/6 cup all purpose flour<br />
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Make the dough: Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar, almonds, salt, vanilla, and eggs, and still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough may look curdled - that's alright. With the machine still on low, add the flour in three or four additions and mix only until the mixture comes together to form a soft, moist dough.<br />
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Gather dough into a ball and divide into half. Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each one in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days before rolling and baking.<br />
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To mold the tartlets, butter and set aside twenty four 1 1/2 inch tartlet tins. Also set aside a 2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, as many 3 to 4 inch square pieces of aluminum foil as you have tins, and some dried pea beans or rice.<br />
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Working on a floured surface with one piece of dough at a time (keep the other pieces in the refrigerator), roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many circles of dough as you can from the rolled-out sheet. Clear away the excess dough and set it aside for the moment. Fit each round of dough into a buttered tin. Place the tins on a jelly-roll pan and refrigerate them while you roll out, cut, and mold the second piece of dough. Place the second set of shells on the jelly-roll pan and chill the tins for at least 30 minutes. If you'd like, the scraps can be rolled and cut to make additional tartlets: gather the scraps from both pieces of dough, form them into a disk, and cover and chill for at least an hour before rolling out. <i>(Alternatively! You could do away with all the cutting and rolling by taking the freshly made dough and pressing a sufficient quantity in each tartlet tin, and then chilling the tins overnight, just to be on the safe side. I doubt Pierre Hermé would endorse this, but it worked perfectly fine for me.)</i><br />
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Bake the tartlets: Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the pan with the tartlet tins from the refrigerator and gently press a square of aluminum foil into each tin. Put a few beans or a spoonful of rice into each tin - just enough to keep the foil in place - and bake the tartlets for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake the shells for another 2 minutes or so, just until they are lightly coloured. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the shells to cool to room temperature.<br />
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For the ganache:<br />
5 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped<br />
1/3 cup heavy cream<br />
1/3 cup freshly pressed or bottled passionfruit juice<br />
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
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Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan; in another saucepan, bring the passionfruit juice to a boil.<br />
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Pour half of the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and stir gently, starting from the center of the bowl and then in increasingly larger concentric circles until the cream is incorporated. Repeat with the remaining cream and then, in the same manner, stir in the warm passionfruit juice. Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the ganache, stirring gently to combine. Chill ganache for 10 to 15 minutes until it is at a consistency that is firm but easy to pipe.<br />
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Assemble: Put a few small cubes of the steeped and patted dry apricots into the bottom of each tartlet shell, making sure to set aside a dozen or so cubes for topping. Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 star inch tip and pipe a swirl of ganache into each shell. Put a cube of apricot on top of each tartlet and serve.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-30277796582682457462016-09-29T20:13:00.000+08:002016-09-29T20:13:36.150+08:00caramelized cinnamon-milk chocolate passionfruit tart.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Regrettably, I have had an unexplained reluctance to write this post for so long - has stringing together a paragraph of words become a chore? - that the finer details of this tart are perhaps forever irretrievable, though it would be near impossible to forget the depth of the caramel-enriched chocolate ganache and its contrast against the fruity sweetness of golden yellow passionfruit, my little twist on the original recipe. The cinnamon unfortunately tasted as undetectable as it was visible but who knows, it might be what espresso is to chocolate cake batter - that is, a quiet supporter which presence seemingly makes no difference, yet all the difference.<br />
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<b>Caramelized Cinnamon-Milk Chocolate Passionfruit Tart</b><br />
makes an 9 inch tart<br />
mostly adapted from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan<br />
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For the ganache:<br />
1 1/2 cups heavy cream<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
2 cinnamon sticks, each about 3 inches long<br />
7 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped<br />
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />
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1 fully baked 9 to 91/2 inch tart crust, cooled (go-to recipe here; double quantity for a 9 inch tart)<br />
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pulp of 3 to 4 passionfruits<br />
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Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan or a microwave oven. Keep it close to the stove.<br />
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Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet and toss in the cinnamon sticks. Have a heatproof spatula or spoon and a small white plate at hand. Turn the heat to medium-high and when the sugar starts to melt around the edges of the pan, stir it in little circles. Work your way around the pan and as more sugar melts, move in toward the center of the pan. You want the sugar to caramelize to a burnished rust colour - put a drop on the white plate to check. When you've got the colour you're looking for, remove the skillet from the heat, stand back and slowly pour in the hot cream; it will bubble up furiously. When the seething has subsided, stir to make certain that the caramel and cream and blended. Let the mixture steep for 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
Strain the caramel cream into a 2-cup measuring cup; discard the cinnamon sticks (or wash and dry them and bury them in a jar of sugar to make cinnamon sugar). If the cream measures less than 1 1/4 cups, add additional cream to bring it up to the measure.<br />
<br />
Put the chopped milk and bittersweet chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Transfer the caramel cream to a nonstick skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour half of the caramel cream over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds, then using a small spatula and starting in the center of the bowl, stir the cream into the chocolate in small concentric circles. When the caramel cream and chocolate form an emulsion, pour in the remainder of the caramel cream. Once again, starting at the center and moving in ever-widening concentric circles, stir the cream into the chocolate.<br />
<br />
Refrigerate the ganache for about 1 hour, until it has just barely firmed up, think the consistency of a frosting that is suitable for piping. Scrape the ganache into the tart shell and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to create random swirls. Refrigerate tart until the ganache is set, roughly 2 hours. Spoon the passionfruit pulp into the hollows of the swirls and allow some to spill over for a more natural casual look; serve.<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-54947558879156637512016-09-24T17:05:00.000+08:002017-05-22T14:26:44.701+08:00classic carrot cake with dreamy creamy white chocolate frosting.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's funny how I would almost always pick carrot cake over chocolate yet have only made the former about a grand total of two times thus far.<br />
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Carrot cake is very much unlike the macarons that adorn this triple layered dessert - it's not hard to get right and it's hard to go wrong. It would take extreme inattentiveness to overbake an oil-based carrot-chocked batter with a cinnamon scent so alluring in the final minutes of baking. However, a decent carrot cake can be elevated to second serving status depending on its frosting, specifically this white chocolate cream cheese variation, which I hope all enthusiasts of the original would give a try. It has a more bearable sweetness than icing sugar despite its quantity and pipes like a dream. It's dense and creamy yet better enjoyed slathered on than spread thinly. All that's left is a sprinkling of a handful of toasted walnuts, macarons optional.<br />
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But here's <a href="http://crumbsandcookies.blogspot.jp/2016/09/white-chocolate-mocha-cupcakes-with.html">the link</a> if you live like there's no tomorrow.<br />
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<b>Classic Carrot Cake with Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Frosting</b><br />
makes a two layered 9 inch cake<br />
from Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum<br />
<br />
For the cake batter:<br />
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer without)<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 cup minus 2 tsp light brown sugar (personal preference - I would reduce the total amount of sugar by about 30%)<br />
1 1/4 cups canola or safflower oil<br />
4 large eggs, at room temperature<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
3 cups coarsely shredded carrots, firmly packed<br />
<br />
Prepare two 9 by 2-inch round pans; preheat the oven to 350F.<br />
<br />
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and cinnamon into a medium bowl.<br />
<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium speed for 1 minute, or until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed for about 20 seconds, just until incorporated. Add the carrots and beat for another 12 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces evenly with a small offset spatula. Each will be just under half full.<br />
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Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wire tester inserted in the centers comes out clean and the cakes spring back when pressed lightly in the centers. The cakes should just start to shrink from the sides of the pans. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans, and invert the cakes onto wire racks that have been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely before frosting.<br />
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For the frosting:<br />
9 ounces or 255g white chocolate, melted and cooled<br />
12 ounces or 339g cream cheese, softened but still cool<br />
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool<br />
1 1/2 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream<br />
<br />
In a food processor, process the cream cheese, butter and creme fraiche for a few seconds until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides. Add the cooled melted white chocolate and pulse it in a few times until it is smoothly incorporated.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-23804543507310250762016-09-21T18:04:00.000+08:002016-09-21T20:55:26.903+08:00white chocolate mocha cupcakes with lemon macarons {macaron recipe only}.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This summer vacation I flew back to the land of eternal summer. You know, Singapore's cityscape morphs so rapidly that a year away felt like five, but the humidity will always be an unchanging element.<br />
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I never thought that I would be able to execute a batch of successful macarons - in fact I didn't think at all - since the last time I made some was probably two years back or thereabouts, but the image of macarons on cupcakes, such a decadent dessert hybrid, was so compelling that all thoughts of feasibility were almost unconsciously forbidden to exist. Well it appears that positive thinking is also a crucial ingredient for getting those tricky little shells to behave. That, plus keeping an eagle eye on them; your oven is your computer screen for 12 minutes.<br />
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Before I knew I wanted a macaron to be the literal and figurative representation of a cherry on top of the cupcake, I was adamant that I would get the flavours of lemon and coffee to coexist in a dessert. Truthfully, I felt that having the lemon component of the dessert supported solely by the macarons would be insufficient; I wanted to pipe some lemon curd into the cupcakes as well but the baking powder I used was nearing its expiry date and did not provide enough height to the cupcakes. It was a disappointment but now I know to not trust the efficacy of baking powder with only a month to expiration. I didn't get to taste the cupcakes at their full potential, which is why I'll be leaving just the macaron recipe here today.<br />
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As much as I'm taken with richer flavours like nutella and caramel, I'm inclined to agree that macarons match best with fruity fillings. I would say that raspberry is my favourite, but lemon is quite all right too.<br />
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<b>Lemon Macarons</b><br />
makes around 24 macarons<br />
recipe from Pierre Hermé Macarons<br />
<br />
For the lemon cream:<br />
75g whole fresh eggs<br />
80g sugar<br />
2 to 3g lemon zest<br />
53g fresh lemon juice<br />
117g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature<br />
33g ground almonds<br />
<br />
Make the lemon cream the day before you bake the macaron shells.<br />
<br />
Rub the zest and sugar together between your fingers. In a heatproof bowl, mix together the lemon juice, the lemon zest and sugar mixture and the eggs. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and allow the temperature of the mixture to reach 83 to 84C while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 60C. Add the butter cubes and whisk until the cream is smooth then use a hand blender to blend for 10 minutes. <i>(I transferred my lemon cream to a blender since I didn't have a hand blender and I just blended it until it was completely smooth. It definitely took less time than the duration stated in the book, especially since I was making a smaller quantity than the original recipe. I would advise you to use your own judgement as to how long you should keep blending.)</i><br />
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Pour the cream into a shallow dish. Press clingfilm over the surface of the cream. Set aside in the fridge until next day.<br />
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For the macaron shells:<br />
100g ground almonds<br />
100g icing sugar<br />
37g "liquefied" egg whites<br />
approximately 1/2g golden yellow food colouring<br />
3g lemon yellow food colouring<br />
+<br />
100g sugar<br />
25g water<br />
37 "liquefied" egg whites<br />
<br />
Sift the icing sugar and ground almonds together. Stir the food colouring into the first portion of egg whites. Pour them over the mixture of icing sugar and ground almonds but do not stir.<br />
<br />
Bring the water and sugar to a boil and let it continue boiling until it reaches 118C. When the syrup reaches 115C, simultaneously start whisking the second portion of egg whites to soft peaks. When the sugar reaches 118C, pour it over the egg whites. Whisk and allow the meringue to cool down to 50C, then fold it into the almond-sugar mixture.<br />
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Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a round piping tip and pipe rounds of batter about 3.5 cm in diameter onto baking trays lined with parchment, spacing them 2 cm apart. Rap the trays on the work surface covered with a kitchen cloth. Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes until a skin forms on the surface.<br />
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Preheat the fan oven to 180C. Bake for 12 minutes, quickly opening and shutting the oven door twice during cooking time. Let the shells cool on the baking trays.<br />
<br />
Assemble: Stir together the lemon cream and ground almonds. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a generous mound of cream onto half the shells and top with the remaining shells.<br />
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Store the macarons in the fridge for 24 hours and bring them back to room temperature before serving.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-69188001279958063012016-05-22T11:47:00.000+08:002016-05-22T11:47:36.668+08:00cheesecake waffles sandwiches.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a little thing for sandwiches going on for quite some time now, with which my slight fixation means that even cheesecakes shall not go disregarded.<br />
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I was inspired by the fruit sandwiches often found in local convenience stores. The type of fruits used varies from store to store and season to season, but the formula is generally consistent - two triangular slices of fluffy white bread as white as snow, a row of fruits in the middle strategically cut to display their cross sections, and the gaps filled with whipped cream so generously that it threatens to overflow.<br />
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Following the formula with an added twist, I used a waffled cheesecake recipe from Sprinkle Bakes that has been stubbornly stuck on my mind since the day I saw it in place of the bread, picked up some whipped cream and chose melons to be the star of the sandwich as they were in season. The cheesecake waffles proved to be so delicious both warm and chilled that I found myself questioning the need for the extra cream and fruits, but the sandwiches were fun to make and fun to eat - and isn't that an ingredient we should frequently look for?<br />
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<b>Waffled Cheesecake</b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2015/03/waffled-cheesecake.html">Sprinkle Bakes</a><br />
<br />
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
4 eggs, at room temperature<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup cake flour<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
Beat the cream cheese and eggs together in a large bowl until combined. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Stir in the sugar, flour and salt.<br />
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Preheat your waffle iron. Cook waffles according to your manufacturer's instructions.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-91649890787794866822016-04-23T16:17:00.002+08:002016-04-23T19:04:08.977+08:00matcha chocolate babka.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The matcha ideas never seem to stop coming! I guess this is to be expected - after all, where else but the home to enough matcha lattes to supply an asian parallel of Willy Wonka's chocolate river would have the capacity to inspire a limitless amount of matcha creations with it's own impressive assortment?<br />
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To begin with, I would like to say that my initial plan was to do more than just adding matcha powder to the dough. I also wanted to incorporate into the filling some matcha chocolate that I can say with absolute confidence existed, but was nowhere to be found when I really needed it. There just has to be some sort of theory explaining this phenomenon, like a more specific version of Murphy's Law.<br />
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My attempt at spreading the chocolate paste evenly and braiding the loaf was somewhat disastrous and that resulted in rather weirdly interspersed pools of chocolate as opposed to the uniform swirls I was trying to achieve, but who would deny teeth-staining mouthfuls of chocolate right? And besides, brown lipstick is making it's comeback.<br />
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First babka down, many more to come.<br />
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<b>Matcha Chocolate Babka</b><br />
makes 1 loaf<br />
recipe adapted and modified from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/10/better-chocolate-babka/">Smitten Kitchen</a><br />
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For the dough:<br />
2 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour<br />
2 to 3 tbsp matcha powder<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 tsp instant yeast<br />
1 egg + 1 egg yolk<br />
1/4 cup water plus extra if needed<br />
3/8 tsp salt<br />
1/3 cup unsalted butter<br />
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For the filling:<br />
2 ounces dark chocolate<br />
1/4 cup unsalted butter<br />
1/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />
<br />
For the syrup (I omitted):<br />
2 1/2 tbsp water<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
<br />
Make the dough: Combine the flour, matcha powder, sugar and yeast in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs and water, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together. With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the butter a spoonful at a time, mixing until it's incorporated into the dough. Mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until the dough is completely smooth.<br />
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Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Leave in fridge for at least half a day, preferable overnight. If you want to speed up the process, let the dough double at room temperature then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the dough to firm up. This makes the shaping process considerably easier and less messy.<br />
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Make the filling: Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa powder; mixture should form a spreadable paste.<br />
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Assemble the loaf: Coat a 9 x 4 inch loaf pan with oil or butter and line the bottom of each with a rectangle of parchment paper (which I didn't - oops). Retrieve dough from fridge and roll out into a rectangle of roughly 10 by 12 inches. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around. Roll up the dough into a log and trim the last 1/2 inch off each end of the log. Slice 1/2 inch off each end of the log and slice it into half lengthwise. Lay the halves next to each other on the counter; pinch the top ends gently together. Lift one side over the other, forming a twist and trying to keep the cut sides facing out. Transfer into the prepared loaf pan.<br />
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Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for another 1 to 1/2 hours at room temperature.<br />
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Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for roughly 30 minutes. If the babka browns too quickly halfway through baking cover with foil.<br />
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While the babka is baking, make the syrup: Bring sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool somewhat. As soon as the babka leaves the oven, brush the syrup all over. Let the babka cool halfway in the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way before eating.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-76591737556999784962016-04-18T15:52:00.000+08:002016-04-18T19:41:05.408+08:00cheesecake brownie "ice cream" pops.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is for all the folks out there who when the degrees celsius and fahrenheit are rapidly ascending past the point of cool breezy comfort, ice cream is practically superimposed onto everything you see to the point that you suspect that your contact lenses are ice-cream-tinted but for the life of you you have not even the ghost of a clue why you purchased a fridge without a freezer compartment.<br />
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Can't empathise? Then how about this - you just feel like camouflaging a brownie as an ice cream pop because it's April and these are so dang cute.<br />
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The focal point of this idea is to transfigure anything but ice cream into an approximate resemblance to the aforementioned summertime treat; if cake is more your kryptonite, you need not use a brownie as your base. Having said that I must expound my reason for my favourite cocoa brownie recipe from Alice Medrich as a prime candidate for ice cream deception. This is a brownie of the fudgiest degree that when chilled, is near parallel to the texture of the richest dark chocolate ice cream.<br />
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Decorating the brownies post-ganache-jacuzzi was as exciting as witnessing a giant block of brownie transform into the likeness of popsicles with some light knife work. I went with a generous sprinkle of walnuts and lashings of salted rum caramel sauce but needless to say, you are free to adorn your creations with whatever toppings you please. That could mean more chocolate, popping candy, sugared petals, edible glitter etc - the available surface area's your only limit.<br />
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<b>Cheesecake Brownie "Ice Cream" Pops</b><br />
makes 8<br />
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For the brownie:<br />
10 tbsp unsalted butter<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 large cold eggs<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
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For the cheesecake swirl:<br />
1/2 cup cream cheese<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
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For the ganache:<br />
6 ounces chocolate, chopped<br />
3 ounces cream<br />
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For decoration:<br />
8 ice cream sticks<br />
any toppings you wish to use<br />
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Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare an 8 inch square pan.<br />
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Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl and set aside until the mixture is only warm, not hot.<br />
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Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick and shiny, add the flour and stir until just combined.<br />
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In a separate bowl, stir together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.<br />
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Scrape half the chocolate batter into the pan. Spoon alternating dollops of the cream cheese mixture and remaining chocolate batter on top. Swirl with the back of a spoon.<br />
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer plunged into the chocolate batter portion emerges slightly moist with batter. Let the brownie cool to room temperature on a rack then refrigerate until cold.<br />
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Make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it comes to a simmer. Pour into the bowl of chocolate and let the mixture stand for a minute. Stir until the mixture is combined and smooth. Set aside until ready to use. If the ganache is too fluid, place it in the refrigerator to let it firm up.<br />
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Assemble the brownie pops: When the brownie is completely cold, remove from the pan and divide it into eight smaller rectangles. Trim one end of each brownie rectangle into a semicircle. Insert an ice cream stick into one end of the brownie until three quarters of the way through. Dip the brownies into the ganache until fully coated. Decorate with your chosen toppings. Return to the fridge to let the chocolate coating solidify and decorations adhere before serving.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-69445422296712082462016-03-31T19:12:00.000+08:002016-10-03T16:49:46.090+08:00matcha loaf cake.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Presenting the second cake I made last week - a matcha (green tea) cake amped up with a generous dose of matcha syrup post-bake.<br />
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The cake is based on a white velvet cake recipe by Rose Levy Beranabum which I thought will best show off the matcha flavour due to its yolk-less composition. I also spooned - literally, as I didn't have a brush - an intense matcha syrup on top of the cake following its exit from the oven to further accentuate the presence of green tea.<br />
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I let the cake sit overnight before tucking in, although you don't necessarily have to. I get that it's hard to just leave the cake there and pretend that it doesn't exist but leave the house, go run a couple of kilometres (not that I would), do five rounds on a loopy whoopy rollercoaster (now <i>this</i> I would) - basically knock yourself out, and you'll be rewarded with dessert for breakfast.<br />
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<b>Match Loaf Cake</b><br />
makes an 8 x 4 inch loaf<br />
<br />
For the cake:<br />
2 large egg whites<br />
1/2 cup milk, divided<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour<br />
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 tbsp matcha powder<br />
6 tbsp unsalted butter<br />
<br />
For the syrup:<br />
3 tbsp hot water<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tsp matcha powder<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.<br />
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Combine the egg whites, 2 tbsp of milk and vanilla.<br />
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In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Add the butter and remaining milk and mix until ingredients are moistened; beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.<br />
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Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 25 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack.<br />
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While the cake is baking, make the syrup by combining all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.<br />
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Brush the syrup onto the cake after it has cooled for roughly 5 minutes. Let it cool completely in the pan before unmolding and slicing.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-58736351778966221962016-03-27T14:50:00.000+08:002016-03-29T17:53:04.753+08:00double chocolate marble cake.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The pink carpet of spring has been rescued from its lengthy confinement in the warehouse of seasons and unrolled with a grand push to excited whispers and barely concealed cheer. Spring might as well be the most anticipated season only second to Christmas, but unlike the latter where festivities are glitzy and glamorous and voices are loud and effervescent, this season is surrounded by a gentle elegance - people tend to stroll and children may skip but footsteps are never too rushed like they were in the dead of the unforgiving winter cold. Heavy coats are shrugged off for less burdensome jackets in more uplifting shades; lunches are ordered to go and consumed under petaled umbrellas of pastel pink and white while engaging in leisurely conversation.<br />
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They say spring heralds new beginnings. Already I find that this statement harbours much truth. A close friend of mine recently moved to Tokyo and has her own apartment that is equipped with an oven so I went over a couple of days ago to share in that privilege. I baked this double chocolate marble cake (and another which I will introduce very soon) by one my favourite cookbook authors of all time.<br />
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It may be due to the quality of the chocolates I picked up but the intensities of the white and dark chocolate batters were found somewhat wanting. However, the crumb of the cake was fine, which I personally prefer, and it's hard to deny that its cross section is visually stunning.<br />
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After the cake was baked and cooled, we cut ourselves hearty generous slices of cake - and took some pictures, naturally - before settling down on the couch, plate in one hand and fork in another, and commenced watching a popular Japanese animation series. We passed comments about the story's development and voiced random thoughts in between bites of cake.<br />
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Coming from a country that has only one season all year round (hot humid summer) it was hard to conceive that differences in celsius could so appreciably affect one's mood. But I now realise that it's not just possible but also entirely true.<br />
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All hail spring.<br />
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<b>Double Chocolate Marble Cake</b><br />
makes a 9 x 5 inch loaf<br />
adapted from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan<br />
<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
3/4 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature<br />
4 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled<br />
4 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled<br />
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Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.<br />
<br />
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.<br />
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In a separate bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for until mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time; beat until the first is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions and milk in 2, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing only until each addition is incorporated.<br />
<br />
Scrape half the batter into another bowl. Stir the white chocolate into one portion and the dark chocolate into the other.<br />
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Spoon dollops of the light and dark batters randomly into the prepared pan then plunge a table knife deep into the batter and zig zag it across the pan. It's best to move forward and not backtrack. Roughly 6 to 8 zigzags should suffice.<br />
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Bake the cake for 80 to 90 minutes or until a tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Let it cool completely to room temperature before slicing.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-21821445305187035532016-02-29T20:26:00.000+08:002016-03-01T17:15:29.801+08:00no-bake chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to Episode 3 (4?) of Baking Without an Oven, Wordless Monday edition. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRQSW2ehc2V0zqUIHV6Id6YTFK3zbycSuR0adXHSMlmWnIy8L54FqLs-kql4nCl_BPplBcb82sqQVcZvlcOAEVVFBMNZkAeztGM7J6L-nXNI_8EA3QDK-zTFIUsFfQ_OhJttqAqU3KzE/s1600/IMG_0648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRQSW2ehc2V0zqUIHV6Id6YTFK3zbycSuR0adXHSMlmWnIy8L54FqLs-kql4nCl_BPplBcb82sqQVcZvlcOAEVVFBMNZkAeztGM7J6L-nXNI_8EA3QDK-zTFIUsFfQ_OhJttqAqU3KzE/s640/IMG_0648.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PLUM BLOSSOMS, YOYOGI PARK</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuR-xSgA3NTfOw5dCotIxqPJLMbchqInhBXCTJJW4Y4G780NJ62_Uo1D4cyguG11wwtoUiQfZPZin3lngwoY1OFuaiEB5Wgp6ceiywvqgODa4lQ0trwqwVdUqwXswPkjWBiUZoJt8yao/s1600/IMG_0630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuR-xSgA3NTfOw5dCotIxqPJLMbchqInhBXCTJJW4Y4G780NJ62_Uo1D4cyguG11wwtoUiQfZPZin3lngwoY1OFuaiEB5Wgp6ceiywvqgODa4lQ0trwqwVdUqwXswPkjWBiUZoJt8yao/s640/IMG_0630.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RITUEL PAR CHRISTOPHE (AOYAMA)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFb3cM8i90jli56JclAjLp6xfkzLZcMKTpmrb6yD9tZ6kPyEJyH-kuoTdJLZ4ETcRAnSJwdpD42F_i-PJid0rR43DL3Es3_G0wkNGlYbsXASxvfuNW3n5DRulqcakkOmKA4LfDEBAhCM/s1600/IMG_0719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFb3cM8i90jli56JclAjLp6xfkzLZcMKTpmrb6yD9tZ6kPyEJyH-kuoTdJLZ4ETcRAnSJwdpD42F_i-PJid0rR43DL3Es3_G0wkNGlYbsXASxvfuNW3n5DRulqcakkOmKA4LfDEBAhCM/s640/IMG_0719.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YOKOHAMA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-14700754833706665882016-02-22T20:14:00.000+08:002016-02-23T00:50:56.392+08:00think spring (no-bake greek yogurt strawberry cheesecake).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring is almost upon us and in with Valentine's Day just over a week ago and Hina-matsuri approaching, the color pink is slowly making its appearance amongst dreary winter hues. I thought that now would be an apt time to dedicate an entire post to this cherry blossom shade.<br />
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I made a no-bake greek yogurt cheesecake with swirls of strawberry jam and the ratio of cream cheese to yogurt was not quite ideal - the cheesecake was not firm enough - so I shall refrain from providing a recipe until I've sorted out this issue, which won't be difficult nor long given how effortless assembling this cheesecake has been and downright delicious this combination of flavours is. I also took this opportunity to try out a decoration technique I've been wanting to test for the longest time, which is basically just arranging slices of strawberries that overlap slightly. </div>
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Resisting the urge to make pink frosting was an effort in vain. Tip: strawberry jam combined with cream cheese or greek yogurt make a pretty decent frosting and glaze respectively. In fact, since these versions spare you the acute sugar onslaught I think they earn an extra point.<br />
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Tis the season for pink ice cream, pink drinks, pink tumblers, pink sweaters... You get my drift.</div>
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And the best part of it all? Warmer weather.</div>
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Hell yes.</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-44438975536697220932016-02-15T01:39:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:13:53.790+08:00a trio of truffles + a couple of cafes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIzUq67n8pijNROumvyjTCwpdWx7gAcfVtWNGp6cZqnvvzCoRyUpe-uwhjjKUriL7rci8aVV7_xD6_V2TfQnEJywQD6foufwSl81xw46o8YTntZ3CbI6bo5qNYmV7Zs2GfURoLRKNCT4/s1600/IMG_5332+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gifts / dessert - chocolate chestnut rum truffles / dark chocolate honey truffles / tiramisu truffles" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIzUq67n8pijNROumvyjTCwpdWx7gAcfVtWNGp6cZqnvvzCoRyUpe-uwhjjKUriL7rci8aVV7_xD6_V2TfQnEJywQD6foufwSl81xw46o8YTntZ3CbI6bo5qNYmV7Zs2GfURoLRKNCT4/s640/IMG_5332+%25281%2529.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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When your room's a natural refrigerator-sometimes-freezer, it's somewhat of a shame to not make truffles. And croissants. And prepare batches of pie dough. I would have checked off the latter two except that my oven is imaginary.</div>
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<i><i>{cocoa-coated} chocolate chestnut rum truffles; {powdered sugar-coated} dark chocolate honey truffles</i></i></div>
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<i><i>{tiramisu truffles} white chocolate, cream cheese and rum</i></i></div>
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I didn't think I would be blogging about these so you have to excuse the limited pictures (and picture quality - they looked fine on instagram though...). I essentially tweaked <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-truffles-recipe.html">Alton Brown's recipe</a> to accommodate the flavours I wanted to achieve and as usual, I did stray very very far from the original. But I think it's pretty difficult to go wrong with truffles as long as you stick to a rough ratio of one part cream to two parts chocolate unless you're particular about the texture. My favorite of the bunch was hands down the tiramisu truffles because they are reminiscent of a white chocolate cream cheese frosting from one of Rose Levy Beranbaum's cake books I made yonks ago that I adore and remember to this day.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Most of last week was spent researching about cafes here, finding my way to them and getting lost in the process, and having long conversations over brunch or afternoon tea. Sarabeth's was one of the places I visited and clearly, as I hope this picture demonstrates, their eggs benedict is heaven on earth. Personally, I think that their twin cobalt blue front doors are equally instagram worthy.</span></div>
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Post brunch a friend and I wandered around the Daikanyama area where Sarabeth's is located and we concluded that it was nothing short of remarkably endearing. There are unique shops at every turn, not just along the main streets but also the back alleys, and the buildings are lovely to look at. It is an area that possesses a laid back tranquil atmosphere, not unlike a sleepy yet charming little town. </div>
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I consider camden's blue star donuts to be the find of the day. Can we all take a moment to appreciate the frosting of the donut sitting at the top left hand corner? It looks like the most perfect shade of gold-dusted pink in person and I was so devastated that I had only noticed it after I paid for my purchase.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLY1DdiCGg1RT2U1T2FmePViRYie_2o3I4gMBaS_s2NaUtqjo8qdQZFTaYsTgp5orO64hEo_jzyPZ3R-4p4uv0Ygg_7rOp7CS4yit6jsIf_y16xmKAHdlNEVZbc4ZyjJaSiEccAgu_MU/s1600/IMG_5340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLY1DdiCGg1RT2U1T2FmePViRYie_2o3I4gMBaS_s2NaUtqjo8qdQZFTaYsTgp5orO64hEo_jzyPZ3R-4p4uv0Ygg_7rOp7CS4yit6jsIf_y16xmKAHdlNEVZbc4ZyjJaSiEccAgu_MU/s400/IMG_5340.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Angelina's mont blanc was amazing. I know this brief description barely does it any justice but I wouldn't be able to stop gushing otherwise so let us just establish that a return trip is in order. </span></span> </div>
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And that's it for now! I have something planned for the next post already so I should update the blog again within the next ten days. Fingers crossed (for better lighting and less disgustingly grainy pictures) X</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-35732600801334056242016-01-05T17:26:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:16:31.612+08:00chocolate honey chestnut cream waffle sandwiches.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If these waffle sandwiches are any indication of the year to come, I think I'm off to a good start.<br />
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This year I'm more conscious of the fact that it's a brand new set of 365 days more than ever. Perhaps it's because I'm finally in a position where I'm entitled to more freedom to spend my time as I please i.e. in university. I feel that I have so many aspirations to achieve and goals to fulfil - and I am very excited to work towards them - and I think this is in part due to having gained the discretion to prioritise what would be most beneficial to me at present and in future. Also, my heightened awareness of the new year may be attributed to my current state of residence in a country that has four! seasons! where the passing of time is more acutely felt. And then maybe also because of the horrifying incontrovertible truth that I would cease to be a teenager in five months.<br />
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So, about these waffle sandwiches. What an unprecedented turn of events. I had initially planned to make chocolate honey liege waffles but then changed my mind and decided on chocolate crepe parcels with chestnut cream wrapped up in them instead because they were quicker to do, and lo and behold I had no milk in the fridge. I could have just gone out to buy a packet but "out" was approximately three degrees warm so there was no way those were happening. But I did have yogurt so thankfully I could still pull off the regular sort of waffles. I took my first idea of the chocolate honey liege waffles, searched for a regular chocolate waffle recipe, made some adaptations et voila.<br />
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When I read the reviews for the chocolate waffle recipe I've referenced, there were opinions that the waffles weren't sweet enough and that the batter was too thin. I guess I had terrific luck that the changes I had planned to make conveniently remedied these issues; I was meaning to replace the buttermilk with yogurt and add honey for an extra dimension of flavour even before I saw those comments.<br />
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I love love love how the waffles turned out. They are intensely chocolaty with a sweetness that has a touch of complexity to it, slightly dense and very moist. They could use a tad more flour to keep them from collapsing unto themselves after baking but I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever about the flavour. I'm already planning to make more.<br />
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These are so good you really don't have to take it a step further and sandwich-fy them but the according to the way my brain assesses such situations, the next logical course of action can only be to amp the waffles up with an additional complementary flavour and drastically transform the way they are meant to be eaten while I'm at it.<br />
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I really do hope that you'll give these a go! X<br />
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<b>Chocolate Honey Chestnut Cream Waffle Sandwiches</b><br />
adapted with modifications from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-waffle-recipe.html">here</a><br />
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For the waffles:<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
3 eggs<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
60g honey<br />
420g yogurt<br />
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For the chestnut cream:<br />
chestnut paste<br />
whipped cream<br />
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Make the waffles: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, vanilla, honey and yogurt together until combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Set aside while you preheat your waffle maker and when it's hot enough, cook waffles according to your machine's manufacturer's instructions.<br />
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Allow waffles to cool before filling with cream.<br />
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Make the chestnut cream: Whisk equal volumes chestnut paste and whipped cream together. You can adjust the ratio of chestnut to cream according to your taste. Transfer chestnut cream to a piping bag.<br />
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Assemble the waffle sandwiches: Halve the waffles lengthwise. Pipe alternating rows of chestnut and regular whipped cream on one half. Place the top half of the waffle on the top of the cream and halve the waffle sandwich on the diagonal or just down the middle such that you get two rectangles. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat them.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-11093849367120372142015-12-29T19:18:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:19:58.468+08:00chestnut mug cake.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/image_zps5xiskgnf.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dessert - an autumn parfait (chestnut mug cake, sweet potato, chestnut cream)" border="0" src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/image_zps5xiskgnf.jpeg" height="640" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Autumn, factually speaking, lasts three months. It didn't feel that way to me, however; the first few days of the season still bore the lingering heat of summer like a reluctant goodbye, then all of a sudden the leaves of trees all around burst into hues of fire and gold - a pretty picture too fleeting as strong unrelenting gusts of autumnal wind scattered them to the ground and stripped the branches bare. Alas, winter has arrived.<br />
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I wanted to make something to mark my first experience of autumn and it took me a while to decide on what, considering that my options are severely limited by the lack of an oven. I felt that a parfait was an obvious choice since I could easily combine multiple flavours representative of fall into one dessert. So to explain its contents starting from the bottom: maple walnut granola (though barely visible - apologies), yogurt, sweet potato chunks, cubes of chestnut cake, chestnut and regular whipped cream.<br />
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It was only recently that I realised that I could still bake - albeit with still numerous constraints - with a microwave and I can't stop obsessing over mug cakes, so much that I created a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/crumbsxcookies/m-i-c-r-o-w-a-v-e-m-a-g-i-c/">Pinterest board</a> dedicated to them. I'm so glad that this one turned out wonderfully because its success means dozens more dessert possibilities I can play around with before I get my own apartment and oven. The texture of the cake was most interesting - spongy and moist like that of a steamed cake. I was expecting it to have (for the lack of a better word) a more cakey texture but I rather like the way it turned out. If you prefer a more fluffy open crumb you might want to increase the baking powder to a third of a teaspoon.<br />
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And thus I conclude my ode to fall in hopes that winter would pass as swiftly.<br />
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See you in 2016.<br />
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<b>Chestnut Mug Cake</b><br />
recipe loosely adapted from <a href="http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/04/peanut-butter-mug-cake-eggless.html">here</a><br />
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4 tbsp all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 ~ 1/3 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
3 tbsp chestnut paste<br />
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Combine the brown sugar, milk and chestnut paste together in a large microwave-safe mug and whisk until combined. Stir in the flour and baking powder. Cook in the microwave for around two minutes. You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on your microwave. Let cake cool slightly before eating.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-60039797985724287222015-12-23T18:36:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:21:44.819+08:00yogurt pancakes with sauteed cinnamon apples.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I feel as though the universe is conspiring against me, such as today - on which I was planning to make pancakes and upload a post because winter break has finally, thankfully begun. Otherwise I wouldn't usually have enough time to bake and take decent pictures before the sun sets, which is crazy early here right now. But when I woke up this morning the sky was moodier than I typically am on Mondays and obstinately remained the same overcast shade of grey the entire day.<br />
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Consequently I had to rely on the artificial kitchen light which is mildly vexing not least because it is doing absolutely nothing for these pancakes and emphasising my embarrassing lack of photo editing skills. Oh and please don't mind the blackened surfaces of the pancakes, I'm still trying to adjust to the stove here. Really. Please don't. Thank god I had extra yogurt on standby.<br />
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It's quite unfortunate that I couldn't capture these pancakes in a more aesthetically pleasing manner because they are honestly delicious. Slightly eggy with a bit of chew and not in the least bit dry despite containing no butter or oil. I was anticipating that they would be thicker and fluffier but I don't feel betrayed at all.<br />
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On a separate note, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow! I'm genuinely bummed that I won't be able to have my traditional feast living alone overseas and all but it's appropriately freezing and streets everywhere are adorned with Christmas lights and so, it feels every bit like my favorite holiday. Merry Christmas everyone! X<br />
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<b>Yogurt Pancakes with Sauteed Apples</b><br />
pancake recipe adapted and modified from <a href="http://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/2014/07/extra-fluffy-blueberry-almond-pancakes.html">here</a>, sauteed apples' from<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/21672/sauteed-apples/"> here</a><br />
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For the pancakes:<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
2 tbsp sugar<br />
3/4 cup yogurt<br />
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.<br />
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Cook pancakes over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.<br />
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For the sauteed apples:<br />
2 large apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick<br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1/2 tsp cornstarch<br />
3 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
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In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-82351390404894882862015-12-06T15:24:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:23:25.189+08:00mini honey butter white chocolate crushed cookies donuts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have no idea how to start this post. Let's eat.<br />
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So I tried out the donut plates of my multi purpose sandwich maker today and that was an interesting experience. Baking donuts this way is unexpectedly challenging, not least because of my possibly inappropriate choice of batter, which is originally meant to be baked in a cake pan. Perhaps a batter with a thicker consistency is due, but I have no qualms polishing off this batch before working on the next.<br />
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<b>Mini Honey Butter White Chocolate Crushed Cookies Donuts</b><br />
makes around 20 mini donuts<br />
adapted with modifications from <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/3658-maple-yogurt-pound-cake">Food52</a><br />
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For the donuts:<br />
2 tbsp + 2 tsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />
2 tbsp + 2 tsp honey<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup yogurt<br />
1/3 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
2/3 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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For the toppings:<br />
white chocolate, melted and still warm<br />
chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Oreos)<br />
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Make the batter: Combine the butter, honey, egg, yogurt and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Set aside while preheating your donut maker and bake according to the manufacturer's instructions when ready.<br />
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When donuts are baked and slightly cooled, drizzle with half the melted white chocolate. Let the chocolate set, around 2 minutes. Place the chocolate cookie crumbs in a small bowl. Dip donuts, white chocolate side down, into the bowl of crushed cookies. Drizzle the tops of the donuts again with white chocolate.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-67786076252569238512015-12-01T02:13:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:25:28.626+08:00hello tokyo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And hello blog.<br />
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So hey, hi, konnichiwa. I've missed this so much.</div>
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I never thought that, given the baking slump I was in before I left for Tokyo for my university studies, I would miss baking as much as I do right now. I thought that with the endless brilliant patisseries over here I could stave off the need to bake at least until I get my own apartment with my own kitchen space sometime in 2017 but it's barely three months in and something just feels so wrong. I caved in around the two-month mark and got myself a handy waffle-sandwich-donut maker but there wasn't a convenient time to use it until recently. I didn't even make the waffles from scratch - I chose to put my faith in a Japanese waffle mix because it saves me so much time I don't have - but the process was immensely satisfying and relaxing as it always is.</div>
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I'm not sure if it's apparent but these pictures were taken minutes before the sun set, which means around 4.30pm Japan time these wintry days - insanely early. On Sundays I get only around 5 hours of natural light. If you do the math you'll know what time I wake up (and I am not ashamed). Unfortunately the pictures are grainy but I'm lucky they turned out pretty acceptable with some editing.</div>
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Since I was putting up a post with no recipe, I thought that I would introduce some amazing cafes I've been to since I got here.</div>
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For some dang good tarts and pies with a homey cottage-y atmosphere I would definitely recommend <a href="http://www.quil-fait-bon.com/">Quil Fait Bon</a>. I frequent the Aoyama branch but they have other outlets in and out of Tokyo.</div>
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For the most ethereal scrambled eggs, <a href="http://bills-jp.net/">Bills</a> is your go-to. Granted it's not local but for someone who has never eaten there until now i.e. me, it has set the unconquerable standard for this beloved breakfast (lunch? dinner?) dish and therefore stands as one of the top few cafes I would turn to for a good meal. Plus, the view is très magnifique.</div>
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For awesome French breads and pastries, <a href="http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13004626/">Viron</a>. If the quality of a croissant is determined by how flaky it is, judging from the mess my table and hair was in by the time I polished off my pain au chocolat, Viron does some mean croissants and I have reason to believe so of its other pastries. </div>
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<a href="http://kitchengarten.jp/">Garten</a> is another establishment not to be missed. It's so tiny it's really more like a food stand but it has a couple of adorable benches and tables around. Garten mainly serves sandwiches and the menu changes according to season. The fruit sandwich I had was great and unique - they replaced the traditional whipped cream with a soy version and spread a mixture of what I believe to be almond and honey on the thick fluffy slices of white bread; but the most captivating aspect of this place is really its comforting picnic atmosphere.</div>
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Apart from checking out new cafes, I probably spend most of my weekends looking for tableware. I found it extremely challenging to look for affordable yet stylish props back in Singapore so I consider Tokyo's availability of a wide variety of inexpensive crockery and such one of the greatest things I love about living here. I got most of the items you see here from this place called <a href="http://www.awesomestore.net/">Awesome Store</a> which I swear I have got to stop just casually dropping by. I love <a href="http://www.francfranc.com/shop/default.aspx">Franc Franc</a> as well but it's not the cheapest option. And of course, there's always <a href="http://www.muji.com/jp/">Muji</a>. The 100 yen shops also sell pretty decent tableware so my choices are practically limitless. If only my allowance was too.</div>
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So that's it for now. It's 3am and I gotta go. If you have any questions about the places I've just mentioned, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.</div>
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Ciao!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-55708343584383137912015-09-02T12:00:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:28:52.981+08:00recipe on repeat - cream cheese, walnut and chocolate chip cookies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/8e4a6cb4-fb04-4f49-9914-5a2ba2f55714_zpsxuaphfu4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dessert / snack - cream cheese, walnut and chocolate chip cookies" border="0" src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/8e4a6cb4-fb04-4f49-9914-5a2ba2f55714_zpsxuaphfu4.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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But always a little different.<br />
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I added walnuts this time, which is certainly not a surprising ingredient I agree, but instead of adding the toasted walnuts at the end I threw them into the warm butter-sugar-vanilla mixture - I was inspired by the buttered pecans concept - and let them sit in the mixture as it cooled, soaking up the delicious flavours. The result is walnuts that do not seem like an afterthought or mere sidekicks to the chocolate chips; the walnuts held their own despite the busy complex flavours of a cookie dough that has had close to 24 hours to mature. I found myself reaching for the cookies that had the most bits of walnuts showing instead of chocolate. I think that's a win for the walnut.<br />
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Unfortunately when I left the walnuts to take a bubble bath in the buttery sugary mix they soaked up quite a bit of liquid and caused the dough to be a little crumbly. Another consequence of this step is that the cookies would barely expand and remain mostly in the shape they were before they baked. I wasn't too troubled by either outcomes but if you prefer your cookies to be shaped like flat-ish rounds then you should probably just add toasted walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Either way as long as you take care to not overbake the cookies, you would have gooey delicious ones with that remain satisfyingly crunchy around the edges.<br />
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<b>Cream Cheese, Walnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies</b><br />
makes around 20 medium sized cookies<br />
adapted from <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/one-pan-dark-chocolate-chunk-skillet-cookie/">here</a> with minor modifications<br />
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1 stick butter, melted and browned<br />
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar<br />
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 egg<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup walnuts<br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips<br />
1/3 to 1/2 cup cream cheese, diced and kept chilled<br />
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Combine browned butter (that is still warm), sugars and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Beat in egg. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips and cream cheese chunks. Chill cookie dough for at least 2 hours.<br />
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When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Take around 2 tablespoons worth of dough, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Space each ball of cookie dough at least 1 inch apart from the next. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-82322284527978997412015-08-29T12:29:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:30:47.619+08:004-ingredient cream cheese cookies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/efd933a1-c84d-4125-957a-a0d8ced80121_zpsfue7lpe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dessert / snack - 4-ingredient cream cheese cookies" border="0" src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/efd933a1-c84d-4125-957a-a0d8ced80121_zpsfue7lpe1.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Quick, easy, minimal, fun. Flour, cream cheese, butter, sugar. Full stop.<br />
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And exclamation mark!<br />
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I'm gonna bypass all the boring stuff and fast forward to the point I retrieved these babies from the oven. And then maybe a little bit more to after I let them cool for a bit all the while inhaling the surrounding air. You know how cookies are when they're freshly baked - crunchy on the outside while the insides are meltingly soft. A cookie's greatest moment of glory in it's ephemeral lifespan. Now apply imagination of said cookies to these. The crunchiness of shortbread and tenderness of the softest sugar cookie (no doubt the work of the cream cheese) with the toasty aroma of sweet mild cheesecake. Bonus points for the kawaii square shape that resembles pats of butter and cream cheese.</div>
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<b>4-Ingredient Cream Cheese Cookies</b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://cookpad.com/recipe/1060097">here</a><br />
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150g all-purpose flour<br />
50g cream cheese<br />
50g butter<br />
50g sugar<br />
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Cream the cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in clingwrap and chill for at least an hour until the dough has firmed up. If making the cookies into squares like I did, you should flatten the dough out into a sheet before chilling so that it's easier to roll out later.<br />
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If you're making circular cookies, pinch of pieces of dough, roll into balls and place on a prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly. If you're making square cookies, roll out the sheet of chilled dough until it's roughly half-an-inch thick. You can choose to roll the dough out thinner or thicker depending on your preference but remember to adjust your baking time accordingly! Cut the dough into squares and place the squares of dough on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 cm apart. The cookies will hardly expand. Chill cookies while you preheat the oven.<br />
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Bake at 170C for 12 to 18 minutes. If you like your cookies softer with the dough still a bit raw in the middle, go for the shorter baking time and if you like your cookies crunchy all the way through, go for the longer end. I was aiming for the former but they are so much more fragrant when their tops have browned a little!<br />
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Cool on baking sheet and attack while still warm!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-91461240565180682632015-08-24T22:43:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:33:26.339+08:00melon bread /メロンパン<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/5b4d8f15-50eb-408c-900a-e4046c0c80a7_zpsndxdveos_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m63/amandabakes3/5b4d8f15-50eb-408c-900a-e4046c0c80a7_zpsndxdveos_1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Put your hands up for hands down the best bread I have ever made in my entire life.<br />
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For the uninitiated who must be burning with curiosity by now, melon bread, or as the Japanese call it, <i>melon pan</i>, is a type of sweet bun which defining characteristic is a topping of crunchy sugar cookie dough. The cookie dough cracks as the dough expands when it bakes, thus creating a heavily lined surface that somewhat resembles the texture of a melon. If you're confused, I admit that the ones I've baked are not fine enough examples to illustrate the bread's connection to its title.<br />
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I've been wanting to make this for a while (a not too unfamiliar line on this blog these days) because these consistently rank amongst the top of my favorite baked goods to eat, but I only just finally got down to baking these because I was inspired by a certain episode in the anime <i>Yakitate Japan</i>. It's a story about this young boy with an innate talent for bread-making and no less that of unbridled creativity. It's great fun to watch (read: borderline ridiculous) so if you have an hour or 23... But I digress.<br />
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I expected to the cookie dough to be the better of the two components knowing my incurable weakness for nearly anything buttery and crunchy but the excessive flour in the cookie dough and the fact that it wasn't rolled out thinly enough made the topping a massive letdown. The buns look like they survived an earthquake, frankly speaking. But apart from its unfortunate appearance the cookie topping tasted fine. Luckily the bread itself was unexpectedly delicious; I really was pleasantly surprised given how I've never genuinely truly wholeheartedly enjoyed the breads I made. Or if there was one that I mildly liked I don't remember a trace of it, which speaks volumes about my miserable past with bread-making.<br />
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But that changes today!<br />
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This bread is insanely soft and springy and chewy and moist with a hint of saltiness that balances so well with the sweet cookie dough. Hell-aaa delicious. Definitely the kind of bread that warrants multiple superlatives and a pat on the baker's back for a job well done.<br />
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This recipe is for keeps.<br />
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<b>Melon Bread/メロンパン</b><br />
makes 6 (large) to 10 (smallish) buns<br />
referenced from<a href="http://cookpad.com/recipe/1314243"> this recipe</a> with modifications<br />
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For the bread dough:<br />
200g bread flour<br />
20g sugar<br />
25g butter, softened<br />
3g salt<br />
4g dry yeast mixed with 2 tbsp of warm water and set aside for around 5 minutes<br />
1/2 egg + enough milk to make 100ml<br />
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For the cookie dough:<br />
110g cake flour (decreased from 130g)<br />
50g sugar<br />
40g butter<br />
1/2 egg<br />
1/4 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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15g coarse sugar, for rolling the cookie dough in<br />
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Make the bread dough: Combine the bread flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a spoon. Add the egg and milk mixture and then the yeast-water mixture. With the mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix on low speed until the mixture forms a dough then increase speed to medium. Knead for around 10 minutes then add in the softened butter. Continue kneading for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. When you pinch off a portion of dough and stretch it, it should be able to be stretched thin enough that it's translucent before breaking.<br />
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Shape the dough into a ball and leave to rise for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.<br />
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Meanwhile, make the cookie dough: Beat the butter until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until the sugar has been incorporated and mixture has lightened. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour until combined. Take the dough and place it on a large sheet of clingwrap, shape it into a log and wrap the clingwrap around it. Chill dough until the dough has finished the first round of proofing.<br />
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When the dough has risen to double its size, divide into 6 to 10 portions, depending on how large you want your buns to be. You'll deflate the dough as you work and that's okay. Shape each portion of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat.<br />
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Remove cookie dough from the fridge and divide into 6 to 10 portions, depending on how many rounds of bread dough you made. Take a piece of clingwrap and place each portion of cookie dough onto the top half of it. Fold the bottom half of the clingwrap over the cookie dough and flatten until it's large enough to wrap around the bread dough. Try to ensure that the cookie dough is not too thick or you'll have fissures in the surfaces of your finished buns like what you see above (uh-oh busted!). Place a portion of bread dough onto the middle of a cookie dough circle and gently wrap the cookie dough around the bread dough; dip the bread-and-cookie dough into a bowl of coarse sugar, cookie dough side down, until the cookie dough is coated with sugar granules. Return dough to baking sheet.<br />
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Leave the dough to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they have nearly doubled in size.<br />
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Bake at 160C for around 12 to 15 minutes depending on how large you made the buns. I baked mine for 15 minutes since they were on the larger side. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-59742158872517374822015-08-13T18:55:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:46:34.951+08:00maple blueberry jam tarts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Basically a suggestion as to how to eat some dang awesome blueberry jam.<br />
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The next time you plan to make some blueberry jam, put down that packet of white sugar and swap it for brown. Splash in a generous amount of maple syrup instead of plain ol' water. The result - blueberry jam with a bit of zing. Real exciting stuff. Put some cream on it.<br />
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<b>Maple Blueberry Jam Tarts</b><br />
makes 5 to 6 four-inch-ish in diameter tartlets<br />
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tart crust recipe <a href="http://crumbsandcookies.blogspot.sg/2015/01/blueberry-custard-tart.html">here</a><br />
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Bake the tart shells as instructed in the recipe and leave to cool before filling with jam.<br />
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For the maple blueberry jam:<br />
1 1/2 pounds fresh blueberries<br />
3/4 cup light brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup maple syrup<br />
2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
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Combine the blueberries, brown sugar, maple syrup and lemon juice in a large saucepan and stir. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring regularly, cook until the mixture thickens, around 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer jam to a bowl and cool to room temperature before filling the baked and cooled tart shells.<br />
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Refrigerate tarts until jam is cold.<br />
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For the cream:<br />
heavy cream<br />
confectioner's sugar (1 tbsp per cup of cream)<br />
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Combine the cream and confectioner's sugar in a bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Transfer whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around the edges of the tarts.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-82103361252840231802015-07-27T11:28:00.000+08:002016-02-17T14:48:31.519+08:00tarte grenobloise.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Think chocolate caramel pecan pie with an air of French sophistication - chocolate-almond pâte sablée, bittersweet chocolate cream ganache, a pecan caramel that balances on the delicate line between sauce-like and stodgy with tightrope walker perfection. <i>Oui, s'il vous plaît. </i><br />
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This tart is one of familiarity. Surely we are no strangers to the tried-and-tested-and-loved combination of caramel and nuts, nuts and chocolate, caramel and chocolate, and the three altogether - in a tart, no less. It's definitely not exotic, perhaps even a little uninteresting. But if you're searching for comforting flavours in a dessert that will make you feel glamorous while eating it, this is it.<br />
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As you can possibly tell from the light brown of the crust in my pictures, I didn't use the crust recipe that is specified in the book and I'm just deeply regretful right now because I can only imagine how wonderfully the chocolate-almond dough would pair with the caramel and chocolate ganache. I was trying to use up some leftover dough from my previous tart. I'm also annoyed at myself for procrastinating about taking the pictures until it was evening and the sun was about to slip away completely because the lighting is all horribly wrong. Cue note to self to brush up on editing skills as well.<br />
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Oh and see how the caramel flows over the sliced edges of the tart? Now <i>that</i> is perfection in a caramel.<br />
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<b>Tarte Grenobloise</b><br />
makes a 9 1/2 inch tart<br />
adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />
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For the crust:<br />
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
20g confectioner's sugar, sifted<br />
35g finely ground almond powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 large egg, at room temperature<br />
16g Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted<br />
130g all-purpose flour<br />
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Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. One by one, add the sugar, almond powder, salt and eggs and still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the paddle and the sides of the bowl as needed. With the machine on low, add the cocoa, mixing until it is absorbed, then add the flour in three of four additions and mix only until the mixture comes together to form a soft, moist dough - a matter of seconds. Don't overdo it.<br />
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Wrap the dough in plastic and gently press into a disc. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before rolling and baking.<br />
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Place a buttered tart ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll the dough to a thickness between 2 and 4mm on a lightly floured surface or in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Lift the sheet of dough and fit it into the bottom and up the sides of the ring. Trim off the excess. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork and chill it for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350F. Fit a circle of parchment paper or foil into the crust and fill with dried beans or rice.<br />
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Bake the crust for 23 to 25 minutes, just until it is very lightly colored. Remove parchment and beans and bake the crust for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is firm and uniformly browned. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.<br />
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For the chocolate layer:<br />
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
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Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring the cream to a full boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. While the cream is coming to a boil, work the butter with a rubber spatula until it is very soft and creamy. Set butter aside.<br />
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When the cream is at a boil, remove pan from heat and gently stir the cream into the chocolate. Start stirring in the center of the mixture and work your way out in widening concentric circles. Continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Leave the bowl on the counter for a minute or two to cool the mixture down a little before adding the butter.<br />
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Add the butter to the mixture in two additions, mixing with the spatula from the center of the mixture out in widening concentric circles. When the butter is fully incorporated the ganache should be smooth and glossy.<br />
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Pour the ganache into the cooled crust and put the tart in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set the ganache.<br />
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For the topping:<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
150g sugar<br />
200g pecan halves, lightly toasted and just warm<br />
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Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Keep it warm and at the ready while you work with the sugar.<br />
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Set a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat and sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sugar over a small portion of the center of the pan. As soon as it starts to melt and take on color, stir the sugar with a wooden spoon or spatula until it caramelizes. Continue cooking and stirring the sugar, adding the remaining sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it is a deep amber color. Still stirring, at the hot cream. Remove pan from heat.<br />
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Stir in the pecans, stirring only until the nuts are evenly coated with the caramel. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and leave the bowl on the counter until the caramel is just warm to touch.<br />
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Spoon the caramel over the tart, gently smoothing and leveling with a spatula. As soon as the caramel cools to room temperature the tart is ready to serve.<br />
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The tart can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770985568900887636.post-14461512745162911412015-07-18T22:29:00.001+08:002016-02-17T14:51:18.212+08:00cherry almond mascarpone tart.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi! I'm back! From a month's absence from this blog that is. I was hoping that a long break from baking would inspire me to make something and I guess it did, eventually. Somehow. But really this is just one of the seemingly thousands of recipes I've bookmarked and sworn to make at some point this year. I was just so restless this week and desperately needed something to occupy my time with, and I'd exhausted most other ideas I had by week four of no baking. Like reading a book - read 11 this month actually - and shopping for clothes for university life - never knew I could get sick of shopping.<br />
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And then it struck me. I could bake! I'd not thought about baking for such a long time that I forgot that I actually can bake. I actually find that pretty amazing. The moment that notion popped into my mind I was itching to get started, but on what exactly I was absolutely clueless about. I didn't have a specific ingredient that I wanted to work with - all I knew is that I wanted to do something - so I figured a fruit tart would be the perfect thing to make because I'll just let what fruit that's in season do the deciding for me, which happened to be cherries.<br />
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I rarely bake with fruits and if I do, I tend to use the most common ones like apples and bananas so cherries are definitely a first for me. And I was so thrilled. It's probably mildly strange for one to be this excited at the sight of cherries (stems on - important!) adorning a tart but it just struck me as picturesque. Some of the cherry stems were leaning to the left and some bent a little to the right resulting in a gentle crisscrossing of stems. They looked beautiful in a very unfussy sort of way. I wish I had thought to capture the tart at eye level. And I felt that the tinge of green from the stems amongst the deep maroon from the cherries with the whiteness of the cream and the uniform light brown of the tart shell that is peeking out from under it provided the right balance of color. I felt that the tart was a picture in itself.<br />
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Baking and assembling the tart were very satisfying but I daresay photographing it even more so. The moment the shutter clicked for the first time that day I knew instantaneously which part of blogging I missed the most. I definitely missed using my dslr itself too. I would bring it to Japan with me but it is bulky and my mother would probably find more use for it i.e. taking pictures for <i>her</i> blog. Aw damn I'm dreading the day I would have to leave it behind already. Taking pictures with an iphone or ipad is just not the same you know?<br />
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I thought the tart looked beautiful and I thought that it tasted as great as it looks, which isn't much of a surprise because I've made the tart shell and almond cream recipe before and loved them both. This time I just made sure to underbake the almond cream a little as I felt that it was on the dry side just a touch when I baked it last time. Try baking it for 30 minutes instead of 40 and I think you would love it too. The mascarpone cream is almost a bit too sweet so you might want to use one tablespoon of sugar instead of two if you prefer a more controlled sweetness.<br />
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Oh yes one announcement before I end. I have a<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/crumbsxcookies/pins/follow/?guid=JajTBfPeYtaf-0"> pinterest account </a>now! If you're looking for an easier way to pin my images or things that inspire me that you think might inspire <i>you, </i>you might want to check it out.<br />
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And now please excuse me as I cut myself a fat slice of the tart for tomorrow's breakfast. #dessertforbreakfastALWAYS<br />
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<b>Cherry Almond Mascarpone Tart</b><br />
makes a 6 inch tart<br />
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tart recipe <a href="http://crumbsandcookies.blogspot.sg/2015/01/blueberry-custard-tart.html">here</a><br />
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almond cream (frangipane) recipe <a href="http://crumbsandcookies.blogspot.sg/2015/01/almond-tart-with-sauteed-bananas-with.html">here</a><br />
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For the mascarpone cream:<br />
120g mascarpone<br />
2 tbsp sugar<br />
1 tbsp kirsch<br />
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around 200g worth of cherries<br />
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Make the mascarpone cream: Beat all the ingredients together until smooth.<br />
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Spread cream evenly on top of the baked and chilled frangipane-filled tart.<br />
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Arrange cherries on top of cream. Avoid pressing cherries into the cream.<br />
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Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12898182290490490554noreply@blogger.com0