New Year 2012

Happy New Year to all my blogger friends ! Happy wishing you a fabulous new year

*foto taken at : Creve Coeur Lake - St.Louis*

Say Cheese

My fellow blogger, Ira from Cooking Tackle is a great food photographer, she knows how to make your jaw drop with her beautiful pictures, She posted this recipe about month ago and since than I can't stop thinking to make my own. A very easy loaf recipe, a perfect cake for a rainy afternoon

Butter Cream Cheese
Source : Ira Rodrigues - http://beelittlefood.blogspot.com/

Yields one 9×5 x 3-inch loaf

Ingredients A:
250 gr unsalted butter
220 gr granulated sugar
150 gr cream cheese

Ingredients B:
4 large eggs

Ingredients C:
80 gr sharp Cheddar cheese, grated, set aside 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top

Ingredients D:
50 gr whole milk

Ingredients E:
220 gr all-purpose flour
50 gr cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder


Cream (A) until light and fluffy. Add (B) and cream until light and smooth.

Add (C) and mix until well combined.

Sieve (E) ingredients together. Add part of (D) and then part of sieved (E) ingredients alternately while stirring in between each addition. Mix until well incorporated.

Pour it onto greased and lined loaf tin. Sprinkle some grated sharp Cheddar cheese that was put aside on top. Bake at 180 degree C for 50 minutes or until done. Do a skewer test, the skewer should come out clean from the middle of the loaf. Cool in rack for 10 minutes. Release from the pan and let cool in rack.

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.