Chocolate Pear Tartlets

It's Friday! I love Friday-who doesn't? It's a special day that brings joy to everyone. Well, it is the last working day of the week. For some people. It's the day that gets you into the holiday mood. The day when you get to catch a new-released movie, have dinner outside or do laundry, at night-leisurely. Or have a pizza night like Kak Min& Family :D It's the day when you get to see your friends posted that classic "TGIF' quotes on your timeline-why haven't they given up on that yet? He he 

So, how's your Friday so far? Any plan for the weekend? As for us, we're going for a short hols this weekend! Yeay! We're going to PD. Double Yeay! And, we're going to take my parents along! Triple Yeay!-Enough with the Yeays :P Hopefully, Husband will get his much needed rest since he's been travelling a lot these few weeks...and for me, hopefully, I'll get to continue my love-affair with my handsome Fifty Shades (with my shades on, of course :D)..Adam? He will surely has a good time with his Atuk and Nenek :) 

Okay, to the tartlets. I love everything about it and the only comment that came out from Husband's mouth is to add more nuts next time-Noted, Sir. :P 

So, here's the recipe. Have a lovely weekend! :)

Chocolate Pear Tartlets

Adapted from VersesfromMyKitchen's recipe. TQ :D

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup almond meal

1 tsp. baking soda

3 melted butter-the quantity is not mentioned, so I used 3 tbsp and I'm glad it worked for me!

1 large pear, thinly sliced (using a mandoline)

150 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Grease 4 tartlet pans.

2. Using a large mixing bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, almond meal and baking soda in and stir to combine. Add in melted butter and whisk until well combined.

3. Divide dough in four. Press each one into the tartlet pan. 

4. Using fingers, press each one evenly along bottom and up the sides. 

5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place tartlets on a baking sheet and bake in center of oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

7. While the shells cool, make the ganache. Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to boil remove from heat and add in the chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth.

8. With tartlet shells now cool, place a slice or two of pear in the bottom and pour the chocolate ganache over top. Place one pear slice over top and chill.

9. When ready to serve, finely grate chocolate over top. 

50 Shades of Grey's Breakfast Set

Fifty Shades of Grey, a book that needs no introduction. Yes, this is THE book everyone is talking about. Most female I know are currently putting their nose into it. And so do I. Hihi 

I first heard about it from Ellen a couple of months ago.. The clip below made me ROTF hard followed by a huge curiosity on all the hype surrounding this book. An erotic novel? I passed. I'm not going to spent my $ on some steamy provoking paperback... But not until DrLurpak mentioned it again last week. Intrigued by her so called 'recommendation', I bought a copy, a $5 e-book, and I was immediately hooked.

Do not eat the pancakes!

The book is popularly dubbed as Mommyporn. A novel, targeted for matured readers, is about a young girl named Anatasia Rose Steele, who is seduced by insanely hot, sexy, handsome, young, multi billionaire CEO, Christian Grey. The whole story is kind of plain and straight forward-err..except for the 18SX part..But what I like the most about this book is the way the author wrote it-simple, tasteful, and witty (the way Ana talked to her 'subconscious.. and the flirtatious emails between Ana & Christian..;)). It's a page-turner and an "eye-opener" *rolling eyes*-->spank! 

The book is not perfect though. The repetition of certain words and phrase like flush & blush, frown, "stop biting you lip", "Icarus flying too close to the sun?", gray eyes,gray eyes, gray eyes and the same old arguments between Ana and Christian, make me yawned somehow. And some of its erotic scenes made me cringed. It was too disturbing and unbearable..ouch.. Red flag means NO!..But my interest in Christian-perfect-handsome-super rich-sexy-Grey and how he ended up as a sadist made me keep the reading on.

The movie deal had been secured by Universal Pictures and whoever they cast as Christian Grey better be mind-blowing hot. Ian Somerhalder is not a bad choice, but I'll keep my finger crossed for Matt Bomer of "White Collar". He's a gay btw..what a waste..

Well, I'm on the last book of the Fifty Shades trilogy now-I finished the whole first book overnight :P Again, this is absolutely one of those books that keep you glued to the pages. To me, the second book is the most satisfying (so far); it has romances, a bit of tense and less weird 'action'..err.. Read it and you'll get what I mean. Just don't read it in the train/bus..you might get a stare..

Now on the food. I figured I'd fix myself an Ana Stele's breakfast set, just to celebrate the whole idea of Fifty Shades. This breakfast set is based on Ana's favorite morning meal. Pancakes with maple syrup, bacons and a cup of Twinning English Breakfast tea. Sometimes, she added scrambled egg whites with it. They both seem to have it almost every morning. Love the Twinning Tea..I might keep it beside me while finishing the last installment of the trilogy. Have a lovely day guys! And go figure the book! :P

Laters, baby..hihi;) 


The pancake recipe is from here. 

The Making of Teh Tarik

I know...I've been missing in action for days now.. Husband is busy travelling here and there almost every week. I simply don't have much time to cook, shoot and blog. I cook and eat, and that's it. No fancy cooking whatsoever. :P (No aneh-aneh baking either.. CC: K Rima ;p)

But, this morning,  I managed to shoot some pictures while fixing myself a mug of teh tarik. I miss shooting and blogging, so teh tarik pun jadilah.. Adam was on iPad btw..Thank God for iPad (TGFI).. he he 

My friend, Melisa, dropped me a tip on how to get those teh tarik bubbles without having to pull the tea. Just whisk it!  I did, but the bubbles stayed not long. It popped seconds after I finish whisking it. I had to pull my tea and god knows how messy it was he he. I guess I have to settle with non-bubbly teh tarik. Or buy it outside when the craving comes in. :P Thanks Mel! :D

Ginger-Citrus Carrot Cake

I've to make this short, coz I'm leaving for my groceries trip in 10 mins. It's still dark outside, if you'd to ask why I have to wait for another 10 mins. Plus, the rain that started at wee wee hour in AM shows no signs of giving up yet.

Okay, the carrot cake. As usual, I'm gonna write my usual stuff which is "this is the most delicious carrot cake I've ever made so far", " I love this cake to bits", and " you must try this now". he he Seriously, I've to finish this in 10 mins, so that's the best line to sums up everything about this cake. I've made carrot cake, at least 5 times, possibly more and the recipe is sort of the same. The different between each recipe is the additional stuff you put inside. Is it raisin & walnut? or pineapple and coconut? Date & walnut.. The spices variation..?etc2.. Sometimes, the same old stuffs make me tired of repeating them. So what make me try this one?

Well, let's just say the picture on Hungry Rabbit site really got me. It looks really good on screen.. I never add lemon or orange zest in my batter/frosting before, so why not give it a try and see how it goes. 

The taste is out of this world. We finish the whole cake in 2 days. New record. :P (Husband had 5 slices.. :P, not in one sitting lah of course..) 

This cake needs a minimal prep and that what I like about it the most. You don't need a mixer for this cake. Just a bowl and a whisk, literally. And in 1 hour time, your kitchen will smells good. 

Okay, GTG. It's more than 10 mins.. :P

Ginger-Citrus Carrot Cake
(adapted from Hungry Rabbit)

(RC Note: I halved the recipe and used 1 egg)-I'll put up the half batter recipe soon.

yield: 10-12 servings/slices

INGREDIENTS
1-3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon orange zest, freshly grated
1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
1 1/4 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups shredded carrots (4 medium carrots)

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt together in medium bowl.

2. Add zests and granulated sugar to a large bowl, knead wit finger tips until zests are fully incorporated into the sugar and resembles wet sand. Whisk in light brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until mixture is smooth. Stir in carrots, add flour mixture and fold with rubber spatula until mixture is just combined.

3. Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet and smooth surface with offset spatula. Bake until center of cake is firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack (do not remove parchment) and then reinvert onto second wire rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
2 teaspoons orange zest, freshly grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest, freshly grated
3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup malted milk powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add malted milk powder, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.

2. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time; and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 30 seconds.

ASSEMBLY
1. Transfer cooled cake to cutting board, parchment side down. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut cake and parchment lengthwise in 3 equal rectangles.

2. Place 1 cake rectangle, parchment side up, on serving platter and carefully remove parchment. Using offset spatula, spread approximately 3/4 cup frosting evenly over cake layer. Repeat with two more layers of cake and frosting, pressing gently on each layer to level. Use remaining frosting to coat top and sides of cake.

3. Press chopped walnuts onto sides with hand. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Angle Hair with Garlicky Bread Crumb

I recently stumbled on this pasta recipe and it has been our favorite pasta dish ever since. I make this once a week or every fortnight, varied it with minced chicken or mushroom. All you need is any type of long strand pasta, garlic, bread crumb, and parsley. You can skip parsley if you want. 

This is actually a good way to get rid of any stale bread you have on your counter. I used store-bought bread crumbs as bread is hardly ever lasts in this house. It quickly gets eaten by you know who.

Serve immediately and eat them while they're still warm. 

As for the kindy, the appointment was a thumb down. The principal was so cold during the tour, which was not really a tour for me. And the kids, they all behave like they're in an army camp. Kindergarten are supposed to be fun. Anyway, my visit is short, I might be wrong. We found another kindy though. Everything sounds so right, but the waiting list is so loooong. Hmmm..

No more sigh. We are going to keep looking. Ganbatte to us!

Angle Hair with Garlicky Bread Crumb

(Recipe is loosely adapted from My Recipes:Linguine with Garlicky Bread Crumb)

Yield: 4 serving

Ingredients

4 slice day-old hearty white bread, torn (I used store bought bread crumb)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided-up to you
6 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder-1 tsp)-suit yourself
8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used angle hair pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(I added minced chicken)

1. Preheat oven to 250°.

2. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 2/3 cup. Place breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes or until dry.

3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Return pan to heat. 

4. Stir in breadcrumbs, and cook 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.

5. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

RC Note: If it is too dry for your liking, add more olive oil, or reduce the amount of breadcrumbs.

Blueberry Oreo Chiffon Cake

Yippee! My first Chiffon Cake. Some people said you can't call yourself a baker unless you've baked a Chiffon Cake..Hmm..really? It seem tricky, but they aren't that bad. I seriously enjoyed the whole process of making this cake.

The cake is so soft and moist. The sweetness level is just perfect, and the blueberry taste is quite prominent. I ate few slices in one sitting and my oh my, it was so gooooood. The cake is known for its lower cholesterol and fat content, so it make me feel less guilty eating it. 

As for the guys, Adam hates blueberry, so he only had one small piece of it (He used to love berries..sigh). Husband, on the other hand, had no idea why am I so happy over a piece of fluffy cake :P He he Let him be. He won't understand the art of making a chiffon cake. He just do what he's best at, which is eating and splurging me with kitchen toys :P

The recipe is from Bisous A Toi. Thanks K Rima for sharing this recipe :) 

Oppss..too much sugar! 

Btw, today is the first day of Rejab. So "Slamat Berpuasa" to those who're fasting today. :)  


Blueberry Oreo Chiffon Cake
Source: Bisous A Toi

(I half the ingredients to suit my 17cm chiffon pan)

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
100g blueberry yogurt
150g flour - i used cake flour
4g baking powder
100g caster sugar
3g salt
100g vegetable oil - i used canola oil

6 egg whites
1g cream of tar tar
100g sugar
50g of blueberry oreo - cut into tiny bits
enough blueberry paste or purple colour

Method
1. Preheat oven 150C

2. Whisk egg yolks with sugar till pale in colour.. add in yogurt and also oil.. add in ur sifted flour, baking powder and also salt.. lastly add in purple colour- set aside
3. In another bowl.. whisk egg white with cream of tar tar till foamy.. slowly add in sugar a little at a time and whisk till soft peak.
4. Scoop 1/3 egg white meringue and add to egg yolk mixture.. fold in gently. once combined.. pour ur egg yolk mixture into meringue and continue to fold in gently and lightly.. once mixed pour half of ur mixture into a 22cm tube pan.. sprinkle half of ur oreo blueberry.. pour the rest of ur mixture and lastly throw in the rest of ur oreo blueberry. [RC Note:Tap your pan one or two times]
5. Bake it for 50mins.. once baked.. turn ur chiffon pan and once its cool.. take it out of ur pan..

Adam Bakes: Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I am here to praise two things- brown butter macadamia nut cookies and that little boy's mixing skill. Great, both. I believed this is the best cookies I've baked so far. I might have said something similar before, but naah..this is it. This is the best cookies ever!

Have you guys ever browned butter? It's the best scent you'll smell. It adds nuttiness flavor in the cookies. I'll definitely bake this again for Eid. :P 

Below is Adam's cookies tray. He scooped them himself. The little guy was supposed to take his afternoon nap. But he insisted to watch some BumbleBee (the robot) videos than hitting the sack. He was watching it for almost an hour and showing no signs of giving up his iPad. Well, that's the bad side of iPad-he never wanted to stop tapping away. Once he grabs it, he doesn't want to let go of it. Sometimes, it's easier to persuade him to stop tapping and hand us the iPad. But during his bad hair days, we (me, actually) had to force him to pass it, and he eventually cries a river after that. I always feel bad for doing that. But that's the only way to terminate the iPad session. 

Yesterday was different. Instead of taking the iPad away, the brilliant side of me asked him to help me bake some cookies in the kitchen. And just like that, he jumped out of his bed, left the iPad and went straight to the kitchen. Hurray to no drama!  As for the iPad, I'm still saying YES to it. There are many good quality apps for children, we just have to choose them wisely. 

He helped me pour all the ingredients inside the bowl, except the browned butter. Then, he insisted on mixing the wet batter with the dry ingredients himself. Okay fine, mix it. He did, and he done it quite well.#confetti

So here the best part of this entry: the recipe. Beware! You'll never stop munching on it :P

Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

(From Joy the Baker, adapted from Betty Crocker)

Yield: 2 dozen small cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, swirling and stirring the butter until nicely browned bits appear in the bottom of the pan. This may take about 5-7 minutes. Once the butter is browned, remove pan from heat and set aside to cool a bit while you measure out the dry ingredients and set them aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the brown sugar and slightly cooled butter. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat for one minute more. Add milk and vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients all at once. With either the stand mixer on low, or by hand with a spatula, incorporate the dry ingredients until just mixed in. Fold in the chopped nuts and white chocolate chips.

Scoop two teaspoon sized balls onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are deliciously golden. Remove from oven and let rest of the baking sheet for 3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Poached Pear in Cage {Bosc Pear}

Bosc Pear. I found it while I was doing my groceries shopping at Cold Storage. Bought it simply because of its beautiful russeted skin. According to Saveur.com, these pears are a favorite for poaching and baking because of its firmer texture which can retain their shape when cooked. It has a bold sweet aromatic flavor and quite a pleasure to eat.

Anyway, it didn't take me long to figure out what should I do with these pears :). I poached four pears and wrapped it with pastry while kept the other two pears for Adam's Fruity Friday class. He loves this pear more than the Forelle type. 

This is how I wrapped the pears. I wish I could do time-lapse, but I haven't got much time to explore it yet. For a while, please bare with the gif image first :P The lattice pattern can be found in this entry.

My previous post on the same recipe can be found here and here. 

Seri Muka a.k.a Putri Salat

I'm always on a lookout for good Seri Muka's recipe. This one probably the closest to perfect Seri Muka I've ever produced. My previous attempts in making one have always turned bad. Who else to blame except myself as steaming is really not my cup of tea. 

If you have troubles in making seri Muka (like myself), how about give yourself another chance with this recipe. The recipe came to me from Pick Yin of Life is Great. Unlike Pick Yin, I'd to substitute the pandan extract with pandan paste because I was out of pandan leaves. Besides, I was too eager to try it and I can't wait for tomorrow. 

Anyway, Adam is a true fan of this kuih. Husband, on the other hand, commented on how thin the bottom layer is he he. I ate one piece and I am pleased with the taste. However, what I am most content with, is the feeling of success. Finally...after many failed attempts, I can ticked this kuih off my list. Phew~