Buche De Noel

It's almost the end of the year ? Again ? Gosh, where the time goes ? Did I do nice things during this year ? Did I make a great progress like I promise beginning of this year ? Some may be Yes, Some probably needs to modify ^__^ Just wait until 'Santa' coming, and show the list ! if I'm the good one or not LOL

Well, no matter what I feel blessing with what I've got and with family and nice friends around me. That is the important thing.

Anyway, since 'Buche De Noel' become a Christmas 'trade mark' cake. I challenge my self to make it, never though i can do it. It's come very easy and perfect *according to me ... hehehhehe.. So, why you not try to make too ? Let's do it

Chocolate Buche De Noel

Ingredients
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup sifted cake-and-pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp icing sugar

Chocolate Icing
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Chocolate Bark

8 oz (225 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Line 16x10-inch (40x25-cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In bowl over saucepan of simmering water, heat milk with butter until melted. Remove pan from heat, leaving bowl on top to keep warm enough that finger can remain in bowl for no longer than 10 seconds.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Separate yolks and whites of three of the eggs into separate bowls. Beat egg whites until foamy; beat in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the granulated sugar, about 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time, until soft peaks form.

Beat egg yolks, remaining eggs and granulated sugar until thick enough that batter leaves ribbons on surface when beaters are lifted, about five minutes. Fold in one-third of the whites; fold in remaining whites. Sift flour mixture over top; fold in. Pour in milk mixture; fold in just until blended. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake in centre of 350 F (180 C) oven until golden and cake springs back when lightly touched, about 12 minutes. Loosen edges with knife; place flour-dusted tea towel over cake. Top with tray larger than pan. Invert and lift off pan. Starting at corner, peel off paper. Starting at short side, roll up cake in towel; let cool on rack. (If making ahead, store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

Chocolate Icing:

In bowl and with electric beaters, beat butter until fluffy; gradually beat in cream then vanilla. Beat in sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) at a time.

Beat in chocolate until fluffy and smooth.

Chocolate Bark:

Line 16x10-inch (40x25-cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, spreading to scant 1/8-inch (3-mm) thickness. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Break or tear chocolate into about 3x1-inch (8x2.5-cm) pieces or use knife or fruits shredder like I did to make decoration

Arrange in single layer on tray; cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (If making ahead, refrigerate for up to 48 hours.)

Unroll cake; spread with 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the icing. Re roll without towel; place, seam side down, on flat serving platter. Spread remaining icing all over log. Arrange Chocolate Bark over log.
Refrigerate until cold. Dust bark with icing sugar.

Does life really begin at 40 ?

Another year in my life. Do I getting old ? May be YES, May be NOT! The fact is I more enjoy my life. The sweetest things in life grow sweeter as the years roll on

Hmmm.. lets forget about getting old, more white hair coming, more wrinkle at my face. Life begins at forty, and I'm just living all over again.

Happy Birthday to me, and every December friends. And NO DIET for birthday girl :D

Chocolate-Pomegranate Torte

Source : Fine Cooking Magazine

For the Cake:
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) softened unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces; more for the pan
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% or 72% cacao)
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Pomegranate Jelly:
1 medium Pink Lady or Braeburn apple
1-1/2 cups pure unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
12 fresh or frozen cranberries

For the Glaze:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% or 72% cacao), chopped medium fine
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 Tbs. honey or light corn syrup Pinch table salt

Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)


Make the Cake:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Finely grate 2 oz. of the chocolate and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining chocolate and combine with the butter and 3 Tbs. water in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water and stir frequently until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt until thick and lightened in color.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating to stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Whisk the warm chocolate and the flour into the yolk mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate batter. Scrape the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture and sprinkle the grated chocolate on top. Fold together. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out smudged with a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto another rack. Remove the pan and parchment and invert the cake onto the first rack (it's normal for the cake to have a crusty exterior that may crack with handling). Let cool completely.


Make the Pomegranate Jelly:

Grate enough of the apple (including the peel) to yield 3/4 cup. In a medium saucepan, bring the grated apple, pomegranate juice, sugar, and cranberries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered, until the apple is softened and the mixture has thickened a little, about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly towards the end, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

With a rubber spatula, press the pulp through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl until you can't get any more juice out of the pulp. Scrape all of the juice clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl and discard the pulp in the strainer.

Brush away any loose crumbs and easily detachable crusty pieces from the sides and top of the cake. Transfer the cake to a cardboard circle or tart pan bottom.

Stir the jelly to blend it, scrape it onto the cake, and spread it evenly over the top. Let the jelly cool until it's set, about 1 hour. At this point, the cake may be covered with an inverted cake pan, wrapped in plastic (the pan keeps the plastic from touching the cake), and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.


Make the Glaze:

Put the chocolate, butter, honey, and salt in a heatproof bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water. Stir gently until the chocolate melts and the mixture is perfectly smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 Tbs. cool water. Let cool to room temperature without stirring. If not using right away, cover and store at room temperature. Set the cake on a rack set over a baking sheet. With an offset spatula, spread 1/3 cup of the glaze around the sides of the cake and on top of the gel (be careful not to disturb the gel) to smooth the surfaces and glue on any crumbs. Re-warm the remaining glaze gently to 90°F in a skillet of barely simmering water—the glaze should have the consistency of thick, pourable cream.

Scrape all of the glaze onto the top of the cake. Spread the glaze over the top and all around the sides. For the shiniest glaze, work quickly and use as few strokes as possible. Scoop up any excess glaze from the baking sheet and use it to cover bare spots.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds (if using) and let the cake rest on the rack for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cake plate and let sit at room temperature until set, 15 to 30 minutes, or up to several hours before serving

What a surpraise ..

Surprise is a good word ! And I always love surprise. Like surprise I’ve got through my e-mail this morning said that I won DMBLGIT award November 2009 edition. Yeaaaay… this is cool ! Well, since I started blogging a year ago, I never think that I will win any kind of event including DMBLGIT . For me, baking , taking picture are part of my ‘crazy’ hobby right now and when some people think my picture is nice looking pic, that is bonus for me. :D

This time I would like to say thank you to the judges : Bron, Sabra, Julia, Mowie and Claude-Olivier and the host, Sandra. You guys did such a great job

And another person I like to say thank you is : Kris, hey ya! Do you think we need to send ‘macaroon’ for every event ? LOL. Kris was right, I always teased him for every award he get,, and the funny thing was we’ve been thinking the same idea, I though he will win the competition and he though the same about me too. And today I can say : “both has same ‘crazy’ mind “ . We won award together , Is that what they call : that’s what friends are for ?

Is this an early birthday present for me ? May be LOL. *story is to be continue :D

Edibility Winner

Judge comments: nice composition and light. Bright, fun

Another Year ..

Today is our wedding anniversary,

Today is your birthday, my dear beloved husband

Today is another year to celebrate

Another year to create precious memories together.

Another year to discover new things to enjoy about each other.

Another year to build a life rich in love and laughter.

Another year to strengthen marriage that defines "forever."

No party, no fancy vacation, no present .. we just celebrate our special day at home with the first time 'turkey' that I ever made :)

And the funny things was when I went to flea market 2 days before, I found this "cute" little plate for only 40cent. There is a label behind the plate said Made In Italy. And that made me wonder, about the year of production but didn't find any specific information about this plate but you still can find in eBay with price $12,- Oh, well.. not really treasury things ^__^ but I buy with a really..really good price

So, what you think ? Doesn't it look cute ..

My Little Sunshine wants a rainbow ..

I quite busy to take care of my sick baby since last week . She complained about throat-ache after came back from Science Centre with dad. And it got worse the day after, her body temperature so high, i knew that I can't just wait . So, we decided to take her to Emergency Room. That was late night, and we came back home 5 hours latter. The result came negative. It was mean, she just got common flu, no need to worry.

2 days after, she still sick and more worse than before. Sometime she look normal in the morning, but always has high fever at night , got bad dream and screamed alot. And with the swine flu out-break around the world, I more and more worry. Again, I took her to pediatrician. This time, doctor said.. 'she is actually healthy kid, just common flu and no antibiotic need, just buzz with vitamins only'

Hmm.. i can take a breath a little bit, no need to worry.. but honest to GOD, I couldn't do regular activity, she just want me 'around' her . That was probably good for me too. To take a rest for while.

No bake(ing), No 'hard' cook(ing), No chatt(ing), No face book(ing) !! LOL. But, you know me, I can't just relax do nothing, so I made a little toy for her, to make her smile . It was hard little bit, since I have no basic sewing skill, and finally I made it after 3 days struggle to put leg together hahahahah..

Finally after 10 days , she back on the track, she feels more better and already has special request, she said : "mommy, I want a rainbow cake"

Oh, well.. its time to back to the kitchen :D

A Rainbow Cake

8 eggs

220g caster sugar

150g all purpose flour, sifted

50 g corn flour (maizena)

100g butter, melted

1 tbsp emulsifier

1 tsp rosen water (I found this from International Grocery Store, the aroma was good)

1 tsp pandan food coloring

1 tsp chocolate powder, dissolved with 1 tsp hot water

Chocolate for decorating (additional)

Butter Cream frosting

100g butter

100 g vegetable shortening

300g powder sugar (icing sugar)

2 tbsp condense milk

Direction :

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 3 - 8inch round cake tins, lined with baking paper.

Beat the eggs , sugar, emulsifier until pale, thick and tripled in volume. Fold in the flour and butter . Divide into 3 medium bowl, and add food coloring in every bowl, mix gently. Pour into the tins.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until springy to the touch.

Meanwhile, make the frosting.

Beat all ingredients until pale and creamy, about 6-8 minutes. Spread into the cake and decor with chocolate if desire

Banana Cheese Cake

Banana .. Banana .. who doesn't like banana ? I love banana especially now, since I getting lazy to eat *huh.. is this part of my Diet ? could be *LOL* . My husband is not "crazy" about banana, but loves banana bread. Ok, than we share :P one for banana cake and the rest for 'new monkey' at home .

Wanna try this ? go ahead.. very easy and yummy

Banana Cheese Cake

Recipe : Mr. Toni Wahid


Ingredients :

5 pieces of Cheddar slice

100 ml milk

200 gr butter

100 gr granulated white sugar

100 gr riped banana , mashed well

3 eggs

150 gr all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp pured vanilla extract

Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 8 inch round pans.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Simmer the milk into medium heat , add the cheese until dissolved , let it cooled , set aside

In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a damp tea towel to cool

Sprinkle with powder sugar before serving.

Bakpao / Pao / Baozi

Indonesian cuisine is as varied as its culture. With the world’s fourth largest population made up of 250 ethnic groups and spread out over 6,000 populated islands, Indonesia, as can be imagined, is a land of huge diversity.

The archipelago once lay along the ancient trading routes between the Middle East and the Far East, a position that opened it wide to the influences from many far-off places. The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across most of Asia. Popular Indonesian dishes such as bakpao, siomay also easy to find in Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand and others Asian country .

Bakpao is a type of steamed, filled bread item in various Chinese cuisines as there is much variation as to the fillings and the preparations. It can be filled with meat and / or vegan fillings . It can be eaten at any meal and is often eaten for breakfast.

What a wonderful day ?? woke up early morning, check my e-mail and got message like this :

"Bakpao/ Pao/Baozi made the Foodbuzz Top 9 today! The Foodbuzz Top 9 is a photo-driven collection of top-buzzed posts within the Foodbuzz community. You may also see your photo in some of the dynamic Top 9 ads running today in the Foodbuzz community. Congratulations again, and thanks for being a part of Foodbuzz!Cheers,The Foodbuzz Editorial Team"

Yeaaaaaaaaah.. !! :D

BAKPAO / PAO / BAOZI

Source : Mr.Sahak Pribadi

Ingredients:

Skin :

250 gr white starch flour / hongkong flour

250 gr flour

50 gr sugar

1 sachet Instant Yeast

1 tsp. baking powder

50 gr. sugar

30 gr. milk powder

250 ml cold water

50 gr shortening

1/2 tsp. salt

Fillings:

100 gr ground beef meat or chicken

2 chopped garlic

1 small onion

5 shallots, thin sliced

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp tapioca water

Method:

(1) Beat all the skin ingredients together in a mixer till it's not sticky. At this stage the skin will be very soft. Leave to proof for 45 minutes

(2) Fillings: Fry shallots and garlic till fragrant then add in all the sauce, and the rest ingredients and then thicken with tapioca water. Off the heat, let it cool

(3) Divide the dough into small balls of 40 gr

(4) Roll out the dough, place the fillings in the middle and the pinch the dough together to make into a flower shape.

(5) Rest pao for 30 minutes and then steam over high heat for 10 minutes.