Nastar Cookies / Pineapple Tart Cookies

2 times in a week I baked this cookies, first of all because the pineapple in store near by was crazy cheap .  Without hesitation I bought 5 of them, peel, granted and made pineapple jam since everyone loves eat bread with pineapple jam over the weekend.  Off course, I used some of them for my pineapple tart cookies .


Wanna try to make your own ? I adapted recipe from my blogger buddy, Annita..  thanks for the recipe dear ..

Nastar Cookies
350 gram unsalted butter, room temperature
100 gram sweet condensed milk
2 egg yolks
510 gram all purpose flour
Egg wash : 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp honey + 1 teaspoon milk

Direction :

Beat together butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Add egg, one and a time, beat until well mixed. Slowly add all purpose flour in batches into the mixture, beat until the dough becomes smooth, but not sticky. I find it easier if I just use my hand to incorporate the last batch of flour into the dough.

Scoop 10 gram of dough and make a round ball. Repeat until dough is used up.

Prepare 2 baking sheets, each lined with a parchment paper.

Flatten each dough, place the pineapple jam filling at the center, gather the edges of the dough and wrap the filling with the dough. Roll into a round ball, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of dough and jam filling.

Mix egg yolk, honey and milk together to make the egg wash. Brush the top of cookies with egg wash.

Preheat oven to 300 Fahrenheit. Bake the cookies for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Let the cookies cool completely before storing them in nice looking jars.

Pineapple jam

1 ripe pineapple, flesh only

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

3 cloves (optional)

200 gram brown sugar, or to taste

Directions :

In a food processor/blender, puree pineapple. Transfer pineapple puree into a heavy bottom pot along with cinnamon stick, cloves, brown sugar .Turn on heat to medium and cook until boiling,

Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the jam is really thick. Add more sugar if needed. Near the end, be sure to stir and scrap frequently to prevent burning.

Transfer jam to a mixing bowl to cool. Keep in refrigerator . Make this pineapple jam ahead of time, and let in room temperature before you using it

Hello June ..

J

June is here .. the weather is perfect one day. pouring rain one day, breezy in the morning, high humidity in the afternoon .. keep on going like that for almost 2 weeks.  Kids still enjoying the afternoon swimming, ice cone , they laughing, playing non stop ..  oh this kids grows big together too fast .. hope they will always be a best friend ..

I picked some fresh herbs a couple days ago, try to add more 'green' on our kitchen window .  Its smell good , thou .. I might pick some more next time I pass the Home Depot :) yep, that my favorite store for now beside fabric store hahaha ..  Right, I don't have much of sewing this day  since I have kid who has a summer break, it's hard to find a free time to do what I like to do but still excuse myself to picked some fabrics for summer clothes, its really sloooow progress from cutting to finish .. 

Baking ? well. still do but its really simple one .. like tea cake style like this one, blueberry cake I've been tag for a week from Patricia Scarpin blog - she always have a simple cake recipe which suit for me very well .. 

Cream cheese and blueberry cake

Adapted from Patricia Scarpin 

Blueberry compote:

1 cup (140g) blueberries – frozen blueberry works well too

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cake:

1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon table salt

½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

finely grated zest of 1 large orange

½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

180g cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons Cointreau (optional) 

Start by making the compote: place the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan and warm until the berries soften and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes – stir occasionally. Squash the berries with the back of a spoon as you stir. Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 5 ½ cup-capacity loaf pan, line it with baking paper and butter the paper as well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Add the butter and cream cheese and cream until light and fluffy – scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and the Cointreau (if using). On low speed, add the flour mixture mixing only until incorporated – do not overmix.

Pour the cake into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Top with the blueberries, keeping most of the juice (so the cake don’t get soggy). Swirl the berries through the cake with a butter knife. Smooth out the top without mixing too much.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Serves 8

Coffee Angel Food Cake with a Chocolate Drizzle

 

If life gives you tons of white eggs, what should we do than ? right !! bake an angel cake .  I have tons of white eggs sitting in the refrigerator for quite sometime after bake a thousand layer cake, worry that white eggs will getting bad, I made a quick decision last night to bake angel food cake for the first time.  To make a bit special, since everybody at our house hold loves coffee I add a coffee extract I brought from my country.

 

I bake after dinner, and the next day there is only 2 slices left . I even don't know how to cut those cake properly, is not easy to cut this cake nicely since the cake is way too soft , but I think that it doesn't matter anymore since everyone like it.

 

 

Angel Food Cake with a chocolate drizzle

Ingredients :

 

2 cups sifted superfine sugar

 

1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour or if you don't have just use regular flour

 

1 1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature

 

3/4 teaspoon  salt

 

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

 

2 teaspoon coffee extract

 

 

For the glaze:

 

200 gr semisweet chocolate chips

 

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

Directions :

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the flour and sift them together  Set aside.

 

Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on high speed until the eggs form medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Add the coffee extract and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Scrape the beaten egg whites into a large bowl. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it very carefully into the batter with a spatula. Continue adding the flour in 3 equal additions, sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.

 

Pour the  batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 45 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and put up side down. When cool, run a thin, flexible knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.

 

For the glaze : place the chocolate chips and the heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts. Pour the chocolate over the top of the cooled cake to cover the top completely and allow it to drizzle down the sides.

Lemon Cake

I'm glad I have a day off for 2 days in row , which mean I can do some chores around home like baking , oh how I miss my baking activity this day.  Well, I still do baking but pretty much simple like this recipe below, I found this recipe when I do blog walking .  Don't ask me if I have left over cake on the next day .. no way, my hubby love it so much...  he said.. "this is the kind of cake I like" ooh, really ? how come he said that every time I bake a new cake ?? LOL - ooh , man ..  either he does really love the cake or he actually cake eater ? :)))

 

I do love the texture of the cake, at the end of the day I make note to my self, I need add more lemon juice into the batter .. it will be perfect !!

Lemon cake with Greek  Honey glaze and pistachios
slightly adapted from : mylittleexpatkitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients
for the cake
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing the pan
250 g caster sugar
Zest of 2 lemons, grated
1 tsp lemon extract
4 large eggs
220 g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
125 g sour cream (or full-fat Greek yoghurt)

for the glaze
160 g icing sugar
75 ml heavy cream
1 Tbsp Greek honey
Pinch of salt

A handful of shelled, unsalted pistachios, chopped


Preparation

for the cake
Butter the bottom and sides of your loaf pan with butter and line it with baking paper.
Preheat your oven to 180°C.

In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl), add the softened butter, the sugar, the lemon zest and lemon extract, and using the paddle attachment (or your hand-held mixer), beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, for about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs into a jug and beat them lightly with a fork. Add the beaten eggs to the bowl in four additions, beating well after each addition to fully combine them.

Take the cooled cake, remove the baking paper from the bottom and place it on the wire rack. Using a spoon or a spatula, glaze the cake and top with the chopped pistachios.

You can keep it at room temperature, covered, for 4-5 days.









 

French Apple Cake

 

Rain is pouring hard today, some has hail too.. typical of April , I think. But when I said, much .. mean too much ... come and go, wind blew 2 of my umbrella this morning... and I was soaked wet when I drop my daughter to school .. oh my, what a funny was as soon as I enter the car with wet cloth, the rain is stop ..  and again the same in the afternoon.

 

Now is time to bake, so I will have delicious cake waiting for 2 people to come home this afternoon.  I saw this recipe a week ago, my finger was busy change the TV channel too many time, until I saw the chef who ate the cake give a 'funny' expression ... like "eeemm" ,"yuuum" , "aaah"  LOL - indeed, those expression really 'get' me .  And I searching through internet for recipe, aah.. what an easy recipe no mixer require at all... and yes, it is so delicious ... by adding flour for top batter, really make this cake is different than regular apple pie.. ooh, should I said this is apple pie ? well.. anyway, let's try...

 

French Apple Cake

Source : America Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise

1 tablespoon Calvados or apple brandy or white rum (I skip this) 

1 teaspoon lemon juice (I use 1 tbsp. since I skip the calvados) 

1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg plus 2 large yolks

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar 

 

Instructions

 

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.
   
   
2. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.
3. Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.
4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake.
5. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1¼ hours. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve.

Onde Onde / Sesame Seed Ball

 

 

I must to admit 'food' is my biggest weakness.. I love food, good food, soul food, may be because I am asian ! We always appreciate home cook food . Now, here a thousand miles away from home - I move to different land, I found myself miss my mom food alot - I do cook for family, but sometime the sensation is different than I ever feel before.

There is one sweet snack I miss alot is onde-onde / sesame seed ball - some called, 'Ma Tuan' One of the most beloved Asian sweet dumpling. The texture of dumpling itself is not hubby or little one fav. so, you know next ... I am the one who will enjoy the sweet ... I don't mind at all .. :)))

Onde-onde / Sesame Seed Ball

Recipe : Ika - Ikaray Kitchen

Ingredients :

For Dumpling

250 glutinous rice flour

50 gr tapioca flour

50 gr sugar

1 tsp salt

250 cc warm lite coconut milk

sesame seed

For Filling :

150 gr dried,hulled and split yellow mung beans

200 gr sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanila extract

about 200 gr water

Directions :

Making filling :

1.Rinse the mung bean, put them in a bowl, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak for 2hour or overnight.

2.In medium heavy pot, add water , beans , salt, let boiled and cook until tender and add the sugar , vanila. Stir and cooked until the bean firm and smooth out. Turn off the heat.

3. Transfer to plastic container and cool at room temperature before using. The paste can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for a month.

4. Measure 1 level tsp of paste for each dumpling and roll each portion into a small ball. Put on a plate, cover, and set aside.

Tips : an easy way, skip (1)-(2) by put all the ingredients into the pressure cooker, close the lid, turn the heat to medium high. Wait until pressure cooker give a wishtle sound than start to set the time for 7 minute. And you are done !!

Making Dumpling :

Put the flours , sugar, salt, in a bowl and make a large well in the centre. Pour the warm coconut milk into the flour mixture . Use the wooden spoon or spatula to combine, stirring and eventually pressing the ingredients into the ball. Transfer to a work surface, the dough will still be warm , so be carefull and knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap

take about 1 tbsp of dough, roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces to yield 15-18 balls total.

for each dumpling, take a ball of dough and make a deep indentation to create a little cup. Aim to make the cup about 1 inch deep. You can build up the wall by pressing it between your tumb and index finger. Put a ball of paste in the well, tapping it down a bit. Close the cup, making sure that the filling is closed. Pinch and twist off any extra dough and seal well.

Roll the dumploing between your hands to make it perfectly round and smooth, slightly wet your hands before this final roll if the dough feel dry . Set aside and repeat to make more. cover the filled ones to prevent drying.

Put the sesame seed in a small bolw. Dunk each of dumpling into the bowl of water, shake off the excess water and then put it in the bowl of sesame seeds. Dredge the dumpling to coat it well with sesame seed, the place it back on your work surface. Repeat the remaining balls.

Use a wok or a pot, (about 4 quart pot) . Pour in the oil to a depth of 2 1/2 inches. Heat over medium . Fry the ball, 5 at a time, for 7 minute, frequently turn and stir the balls to prevent uneven browning.

To better taste, try to eat them the day after they are made !! :)

Matcha Macaron

Aaah, I tough my 'magic wand' is fade , since I never bake macaron for almost a year. .. surprise I still can make a perfect macaron ; you know when you talk about macaron mean you talk about "distinctive crust" and a "foot" of the cookies.  Is only 4 ingredients for sure, but there are number of ways to go wrong.  Macaron , a pretty simple cookies yet mysterious. Every thing must be perfect, time is so crucial when baking macaron - when you must to stop running the mixer, when you must to stop folded the batter etc.  But don't worry ; don't be intimidate .. just relax and bake macaron ; you will learn from your mistake.

 

Matcha Macarons

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups whole almonds, with skin // this is work with hazelnut too

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 large white eggs - room temperature ! ** MUST **

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp. of green tea powder

 

Chocolate Ganache for filling

10 ounces chocolate (62% or semi sweet) ; chopped

2/3 ounces sifted powdered sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 eggs yolks

3 tbsp. unslated butter ; room temperature

 

Directions :

Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Divide almond and powdered sugar into half portion - Place almond and powdered sugar in food processor. Process 30 second,  until almond finely ground. Repeat the process with the remaining almonds and powdered sugar.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine white eggs and cream of tartar ; whisk on high speed until very stiff peak from 3-4 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about 1/3 of the almond mixture into white eggs. Fold in the remaining mixture in two more addition, just until the ingredients are completely combine. Add the green tea powder. You don't want over fold too or your will have a running batter. (use your instinct, though..)

 

Fit a pastry bag with a medium plain round tip and fill the bag just a half of bag, don't put too much batter. Pipe 1-inch circle onto baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hours, this allow the macaron to develop their base on the bottom {signature foot}

 

Preheat oven to 325 F - bake for 10 to 12 minute, transfer the baking sheet to wire racks and let it cool completely on the pans. Filled the shell with chocolate ganache or any kind of buttercream you prefer.

 

 

 

Making Chocolate Ganache

Combine the chocolate and powdered sugar in a heatproof bowl.

In sauce pan over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stir until sugar is dissolved.  Heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Whisk the yolks in a small heat proof bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup of the melted chocolate mixture into the yolk. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pan of chocolate and whisk to combine. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Pour the hot ganache through a fine mesh sieve ito a clean heatproof bowl.

 

Use the ganache immediately

White Eggs Brownies

 

Here the things I don't like when I bake spekkoek layer cake, I will end up with gallons of white eggs  and sit on my freezer for long time. I really don't like to waste the food, even just white eggs.. After tired of making white scrumble eggs for me and my little one for our breakfast. I start looking another way to finish the left over white eggs. Don't be surprise you will find that I will posting more of recipe using white eggs.

Should I remind you first, that don't expect "WOW" effect like you always get from a real brownies recipe. To me, the taste of white eggs brownies is fair enough - kind of light compare with regular brownies. BUT .. still delicious according to my taste especially eating with scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So, here is the recipe :

White Eggs Brownies
source : NCC Indonesia

Ingredients :
A. 100 gr all purpose flour
     50 gr granulate sugar

B. 250 gr dark cooking chocolate
     100 gr un-salted butter

C. 100 gr granulate sugar
     150 gr white eggs

D. 100 gr almond slice

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
Mix the A ingredients, set aside
Melt the B ingredients, with double boiler method. Mix with the flour mixture. set aside
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the white eggs at medium speed until soft peak add sugar slowly, beat until medium peak. Turn of the mixer. Add the white eggs to flour batter, stir with spatula until mix well.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan , sprinkle with almond slices and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

 

 

Klepon Ubi

 

This recipe is a little bit of modification from original recipe, as I know the original recipe just using glutinous rice flour. But the new one add sweet potatoes - to me, the texture is more soften than regular one and yet delicious. And this dessert become popular among Indonesian's Food Blogger - I tell you, how easy media attract you ^_^

Thought using purple potatoes giving more pretty colors too, but too bad I couldn't fine the purple one so just grabbed the red / yellow sweet potatoes than.

KLEPON UBI
Recipe Ingredients:
200 grams of sweet violet / red/ yellow potatoes (steamed, mashed)
150 grams white glutinous rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
approx. 100 ml or less cold water water (for dough)
500 ml of water (for cooking)
100 gr grated coconut (steamed + add a pinch of salt)
50 g brown sugar (chopped)

Directions :
Combine sweet potatoes, white glutinous rice flour, salt and water. Stir well.
Take a little dough, fill with brown sugar. Make a round shape as big as lime size
In medium pot, boiled water. Add the potatoes ball , cooked until the dough are floating. Try not to put too many dough so not over crowded.
Roll in shredded coconut.
Serve.

Almond Blackberry Cake

My 6yo daughter is having summer break for almost 3 months, she spent 6 weeks on summer camp, and the rest, mom must to entertain her. I tell you, is not always easy, she always asking 'what should I do next' or she will say 'oh.. I getting borred'

Before she said that I always giving her many activities, every night I always thinking what should I give for her next day. Either she is doing crafting with me, or I let her baking with me.

This is one of cake she bake, well..I help for some stuff too, but overall this is a pretty simple baking especially when you don't need mixer at all, just mix every ingredients on food processor. She was so proud with her baking skill, and told her dad how she spent the day with me. You can do with your kiddo, too.

Almond and Blackberry Cake
Recipe from : Stephanie – Dessert for Breakfast

for cake:
3/4 (105 g) + 1/4 (35 g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 (250 g) sugar
8 oz (225 g) almond paste
1 cup (8 oz/225 g) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp orange blossom water
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature

for topping:
12 oz. blackberries
1 Tbsp sugar
juice of half a Meyer lemon
1/4 tsp orange blossom water, opt.
bittersweet (72%) chocolate curls

Directions :

1. for cake. Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour the insides of an 8 x 3-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment round. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk to combine ¾ cup (105 g) flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the remaining ¼ cup (35 g) of flour, sugar, almond paste, and butter. Process until the almond paste is finely ground and well-combined with the butter.

4. Add in the orange blossom water and the almond extract and pulse briefly to combine.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing well between each addition. Continue to process until the mixture is smooth and light.

6. Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, pulsing briefly after each addition just until combined, but do not over mix.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 60 – 65 minutes, until the top is brown and the sides are just beginning to pull away from the pan. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

8. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan and turn the cake out. Place upright on a wire rack and let cool completely.

9. for topping. In a bowl, gently toss to combine the blackberries with the sugar, Meyer lemon juice, and orange blossom water, if using. Let sit for 10 minutes. Top the cake with the blackberries and sprinkle liberally with chocolate curls before serving.

I got the blackberry from Eckert's Farm , their were so sweet so I skip the sugar for topping.

 

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Not much of comment from me for this cake , but let me copied what my daughter said about this cake when I cut a slice for her for after school snack *grin* : "this is a 14,000% yummy delicioso,bunda" - oh well, she always loves giving compliment with a very strange percentage - LOL   But she wasn't lie, this is delicious cake .. wanna try ?

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Source : Taste Home

 

Ingredients :

•7 eggs, separated

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1-1/2 cups sugar

•3 teaspoons baking powder

•1 teaspoon salt

•3/4 cup water

•1/2 cup canola oil

•4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

•2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

LEMON FROSTING:

•1/3 cup butter, softened

•3 cups confectioners' sugar

•1/4 cup lemon juice

•4-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

•Dash salt

Directions

•Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

•In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, water, oil, lemon peel and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Add cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold into batter.

•Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour.

•Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. In a small bowl, combine frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost top of cake. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Celebrate 42nd Birthday

Inside every older person is a younger person – wondering what the hell happened yeah.. right ! Anyway, I feel blessed and lucky at 42 ; with a great families I have, with many nice people around me ..

 

Pecan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients :
7 oz. dark chocolate
1/2 lb. salted butter
2/3 c. plus 1 Tsp. sugar
1/2 c. half and half
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs

Directions :
Preheat oven to 350.
Using butter or shortening, grease a 10" spring form pan.
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and dark chocolate.
Once melted and combined, remove from heat and add sugar, stirring to dissolve.
Stir in the half and half, vanilla and salt.
Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.
Slowly pour and mix the chocolate mixture into the eggs, mixing completely until very well blended.
Pour the batter into the spring form pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake is just set.
And be sure the ring is properly attached to the base of the spring form pan before pouring the batter in or you are in trouble!
Remove cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before removing the ring.
Remove the ring and refrigerate the cake until chilled, leaving the cake on the spring form base.

Decorate your cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Dark Chocolate Ganache

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions

1.In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil. Remove from heat; add 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, and let stand, without stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk just until combined. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake

This kind of late posting, but that just OK , better than not *i think :D - well, just a week late LOL *. Actually we did not plan anything for my dauhter's birthday, but since this month gonna be her last month at pre-K before attending Kindergarten so why not to celebrate her birthday at school, than I ordered a cake from the store near by house. For you who wonder why must to order the cake ? this is the rule, every food we bring to school must be purchase from local store, in case the kids which many of them probably has allergy with some of ingredients and get stomach problem or any major problem, as parent who bring food to school won't get trouble. That is the main reason.

But, since i love to bake, my hand get 'itch' if didn't do baking LOL. I made this cake for her so she still can taste home-made birthday cake

Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon(s) granulated sugar
3/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoon(s) unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 cup(s) canola oil
1 cup(s) milk
2 large egss
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
2 tablespoon(s) anisette liqueur
1 1/2 cup(s) heav cream, cold
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup(s) mini chocolate chips

Directions
Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans and fit with two circles of parchment paper. Butter the paper and pan sides and dust with flour. Set aside.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and maintain.Combine the flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat in the oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, and anisette liqueur using a mixer set on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add 1 cup of the boiling water. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- about 35 minutes.

Cool the cakes in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and return to the wire rack until completely cool.

Make the frosting: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa until combined.

Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread a third of the frosting over the layer. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Decor the cake with chocolate slice.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.Read

And this is the birthday girl, wearing a smocked-dress that I promised to made for her birthday, but again, i was too busy, so i just finished it day after her birthday, so far she never complain about that. :)

Joy of being a mom ..

I love being a mom, don't ask me why, but every mom will understand why. Being a mother is so much more fulfilling than anything I’ve ever done and doing things with my kid gave me the most joy of anything I had ever experienced. Even in its worst moments, motherhood is the one job that is always surrounded in love. Lots and lots of love. Many hugs and tickles and smiles and tears all wrapped in pure unconditional everlasting love

To see my kid grow day by day, become priceless moment in my life. Now I do, understand how hard my mom tried to raised the kids!.. three little musketeers !!.. I don't think i can pay back what you did to us, but i believe you know that i loves you so much.

On Friday, when I picked my daughter up from pre-K school , she handy a bunch of tissue-paper flower she made at school and note said that 'she love me' :) ooh, I love you too , dear.. Happy Mother's Day to my mom, and every mom in the world. Ahh.. i wish i can share this little cute cream puff with my mom, to bad, we live faraway from you .. :(

CREAM PUFF WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING

CREAM PUFF RING:
1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs

FILLING:
1 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels, divided 2

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp raspberry flavored liqueur (optional)

1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped

Cream Puff :

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium saucepan, combine water and butter. Bring to boil over low heat. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly until mixture cleans the sides of pan. Remove from heat.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop by 2 rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, connecting to form circle. - i using plain tip, this time.

Bake at 400 degrees, for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling :
Melt over hot (not boiling) water, 1 cup sweet chocolate morsels; stir until smooth. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and raspberry flavored liqueur; beat until creamy.

Gradually add melted morsels; beat well. Fold in whipped cream.

Slice cream puffs in half horizontally. Fill with Filling. Cover with top half. Drizzle with Glaze.