Hi-hat Cupcakes

Wow these past couple of months have been crazy but fun. All the party and wedding planning that I've been doing recently has left me flustered with not much time for my blog. I've been baking up a storm but have never had the time to post. I don't know how much time I'll have over the next 3 months to sit down and write but I've missed my blog so much and will definitely make some time for it.

For a long time I had this recipe for hi-hat cupcakes sitting on the desktop of my laptop, sitting patiently and calling out to me. One day I decided to take some time out of my hectic schedule to make them and boy was I glad. These delicious cupcakes left my heart singing for joy. The velvety chocolate cake topped with creamy meringue and decadent chocolate was to die for.

These cupcakes are easy to make but time consuming - trust me to chose a recipe like this on a hectic day. First step is to make the cupcakes. For these cupcakes you can use your favourite vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. I decided to make chocolate blackout cupcakes for the chocolate lover in me. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled to room temperature you would need to place them in the refrigerator to cool even further.

The next step is to make the meringue. It is the meringue that really makes these cupcakes what they are. If your meringue is good then it really doesn't matter which cake you use for the cupcakes because most people who eat these cupcakes really go crazy for the meringue and chocolate topping. It's not to say that that cake shouldn't be good but I feel that the success of the meringue will determine the success of these cupcakes.

The meringue used on these cupcakes is an Italian meringue made with egg whites and sugar. There are different ways to make the meringue but I find this method a lot better than others I have tried. For this recipe I used 4 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp glucose syrup, 4 tsp cream of tartar and 1 cup of water. You could flavour the meringue with 1 or 2 tablespoons of your favourite extract or essence. I used strawberry.

First you will need to place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Place the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a saucepan and bring boil. Cook until the syrup registers 115C or 238F on a sugar thermometer. I don't have a sugar thermometer so I cooked the syrup until soft ball stage.

Before the syrup reaches the required temperature you would need to start whipping the egg whites to firm shiny peaks.

When the syrup is ready, slowly and carefully pour the syrup into the firm egg whites with the mixer is running on high. Pour the syrup in a thin stream so as not to curdle the eggs and be careful not to pour any of the hot syrup over the beaters or you could find yourself in hot water - or should I say hot syrup. Add your extract of choice and continue to whip the egg white mixture until it has reached room temperature.

The mixture will be fluffy and thick.

Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature spoon it into a large piping bag with a large plain nozzle. You could also just use the coupler. I used a large Ziploc bag with the tip of one corner cut off.

The next step would be to top the cupcakes with this luscious meringue. Pipe swirls of meringue onto the top of each cupcake - the same way that ice-cream is swirled on a cone. Pipe about 3 of 4 swirls depending of the width of your nozzle. Place the cupcakes in the refrigerator again to help the meringue set up a bit.

Now for the fun part, dipping the cupcakes into chocolate. Even after placing the meringue topped cupcakes in the refrigerator for some time I still had a bit of trouble dipping them into the chocolate. The meringue kept sliding off the cupcake as is evident in the picture below.

With images of men dressed in white coats forcing me into a straight jacket flashing over and over in my head I decided to pour the chocolate glaze over the cupcakes. It was a lot more messy than anticipated but keeping my sanity is far more important to me.

The next part was the hardest part for me - waiting for the chocolate glaze to set. I placed them back into the refrigerator to help speed up the process. I lined the shelves with newspaper because by then I felt I had my fair share of wiping up chocolate.

One bite from these decadent cupcakes and all my troubles flu out the window. It was sure worth it. The light dreamy meringue, topped with a delicious glaze had me floating one foot off the ground. Give these a try you won't be sorry.

A Party Fit For A Princess

This past month has been one hectic month with very little room left for me to breath. Earlier in the month we celebrated the 7th birthday of my niece Tiana. She selected a Barbie Princess theme for her upcoming birthday and then it was all systems go.

I took on a lot, as usual, which left me trying to recover for over a week but it was all well worth it. The party was a great success and Tiana absolutely loved it.

I love kiddies parties and I loved helping my sister-in-law plan this one. I did almost everything from the party packs to the birthday party while by sister-in-law handled all the logistics. Did I mention we had a lot fun?

Her birthday cake was a pillow cake topped with a royal icing tiara. For the previous year I had baked her a princess cake so this year I decided to change it up and for the first time attempted a pillow cake and tiara. The tiara was very time consuming and at the end of the third day I had spasms in my right hand but I enjoyed every minute of it. My greatest fear was the tiara breaking into pieces and the day of the party it broke to several pieces. My sister and I managed to save a bit of it which we put back together to form a smaller tiara. It wasn't as big is the inital tiara but nobody could even tell the difference so we were satisfied. I had a few issues with this cake, mainly the fondant. I kneaded, rolled it but when I was placing it onto the cake it wasn't elastic enough so it begain to crinkle and tear. I think it is due to the fact that I was so rushed and didn't knead it enough to make it more elastic. Oh well I know for next time.

For the party food I decked the table in everything pink. From pink lamingtons to red velvet cupcakes with pink frosting. The cupcakes were a huge hit with the crowd and so were the lamingtons.

For the party packs we decided to create something pretty for the little princess attending the party. We even included little thank you notes which were addressed to each princess personally to make them feel more special.

At the end of the day after we had taken down the last balloon we sat down to a well deserved piece of birthday cake and I found myself wishing I could rewind time and start again.

Banana Crumb Muffins

A couple of weeks ago I walked into the kitchen and all I could smell was bananas. The bananas that we had were beginning to ripen too and the aroma that they were giving off made me long for some sought of banana cake. I settled on banana bread. I took out my flour and…. no wait… hold that thought.



A few days prior to that I was visiting my SIL and she asked me to make a chocolate cake. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my chocolate cakes rich and chocolaty. All she had was flour and cocoa so I had to settle on a light chocolate sponge cake.


With my niece and nephew fighting over who is going to stand next to the bowl I started baking. I mixed everything up, poured it into a baking tray and placed it in the oven as usual. After twenty minutes or so I decided to check the cake. It had risen only slightly and was unusually flat on top. I pondered over what could have gone wrong and then I took one look to the right and saw the unopened tin of baking powder. No worries though my SIL rushed to the shop to get some fresh cream and we turned it into a good tasting “chocolate brownie” trifle.


I realized that day how important it is to plan and prepare when baking so I paused, took out my little ramekins and for the first time did my mis en place.


The banana bread turned out quite good but I wasn’t satisfied. Being banana bread it wasn’t as moist and fluffy as I normally like my cakes.

With that I decided to give it another go and this time decided to make banana muffins. I searched and found this great recipe for banana crumb muffins. These muffins didn’t disappoint. They turned out moist and fluffy and were great even the next day. A word about the crumb topping… I found that it was great the same day but became soft and sugary the next day. I think it was from the humidity, but if you have sensitive teeth you not going to like biting into the sugary crumb mixture on top.

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 3 bananas, mashed
· 3/4 cup white sugar
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 1/3 cup butter, melted
· 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Daring Bakers' Chocolate Flourless Cake with Vanilla Ice-Cream

When I saw the challenge for February I was rather excited, so excited that I finished it 4 days after it had been posted. It was a long wait for posting day and when the day came I was busy helping my brother move so I didn't even have enough time to turn my laptop on. It was disappointing for me since I couldn't wait to share my experiences from the challenge with the rest of you.

As I said I was rather excited when I saw that the challenge was all about chocolate and ice-cream my two favourite things in the world. I was even more excited to finally get the chance to make my very own ice-cream from home.

I started with the chocolate cake since I'm such a chocoholic. I've never attempted a flourless chocolate cake before simply because I've always been afraid to try it. I wish I'd tried it sooner because it is absolutely a divine cake - like eating baked chocolate. The only problem that I had with this cake is that I found it a bit too strong for my tastes. Next time I'll mix in some milk chocolate

Chocolate Valentino

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
   



2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
   
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
   
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
   
   


5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
   



6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
   
   


7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.
   



8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C.
   
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
   
   


10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

For the ice-cream I decided to use Dharm's recipe and I don't regret it. The ice-cream was very successful for a first attempt and especially since I made it by hand. Next time I'm going to buy an ice-cream maker since the whole process was too aerobic for me. I was afraid that too many ice crystals will develop in the creamy custard base so I beat it every forty minutes for about 5 times before I left it to set completely.

This ice-cream was decadent, rich and creamy. I'm going to try different flavour variants using this recipe as a base. Absolutely decadent.

Dharm's Ice Cream Recipe - Classic Vanilla Ice Cream

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Recipe comes from the Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis (tested modifications and notes in parentheses by Dharm)

Ingredients:

• 1 Vanilla Pod (or substitute with vanilla extract)


• 300ml / ½ pint / 1 ¼ cups Semi Skimmed Milk – in the U.S. this is 2% fat (or use fresh full fat milk that is pasteurised and homogenised {as opposed to canned or powdered}). Dharm used whole milk.


• 4 large egg yolks


• 75g / 3oz / 6 tbsp caster sugar {superfine sugar can be achieved in a food processor or use regular granulated sugar}


• 5ml / 1 tsp corn flour {cornstarch}


• 300ml / ½ pint / 1 ¼ cups Double Cream (48% butter fat) {in the U.S. heavy cream is 37% fat){you can easily increase your cream's fat content by heating 1/4 cup of heavy cream with 3 Tbs of butter until melted - cool to room temperature and add to the heavy cream as soon as whisk marks appear in the cream, in a slow steady stream, with the mixer on low speed. Raise speed and continue whipping the cream) or use heavy cream the difference will be in the creaminess of the ice cream.

1. Using a small knife slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuseLift the vanilla pod up. Holding it over the pan, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife so that they fall back into the milk. SET the vanilla pod aside and bring the milk back to the boil.
   



2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy.
   
   


Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle hear, stirring all the time.


When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it back into the bowl. Cool it then chill.




By Hand: Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon. Fold it into the custard and pour into a plastic tub or similar freeze-proof container.


Freeze for 6 hours or until firm enough to scoop, beating it twice (during the freezing process – to get smoother ice cream or else the ice cream will be icy and coarse)By Using and Ice Cream Maker: Stir the cream into the custard and churn the mixture until thick (follow instructions on your ice cream maker)

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cake is not as popular in South Africa as it is in America. In fact the first time I heard of red velvet cake was a couple of years ago. My brother Jason, who had never baked a cake before, decided he was going to spoil me with a home made cake. He fervently sifted through a recipe book looking for the perfect cake to bake. His eyes settled on a strange red looking cake with cooked flour frosting which I kind of snubbed because it wasn't the kind of cake that I'd usually go for.

We argued and debated, he won, and for the first time in my life I tasted red velvet cake. It was hard for me too judge the success of the cake since I didn't know what red velvet cake was supposed to taste like. I do remember telling him though that it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. That was the first and last time I had eaten red velvet cake up until a few days ago.

For a long time I've been wanting to bake this "strange red cake" but never had enough courage to give it ago until I watched a wedding show where the bridal party were swooning over a red velvet cake baked by Raven Dennis of Cake Man Raven for their cake tasting. It was that day that I decided to give it a go.


I googled Cake Man Raven and found that he actually has a copy the recipe for his famous red velvet cake posted on his website. One thing is for sure I'm glad that his recipe includes a cream cheese frosting - which I love since I haven't yet gathered to courage to try the traditional butter roux icing.

One bite of this cake and I knew why so many people have fallen in love with it. A light chocolate cake that is slightly dense, tender and so moist, what else can anyone ever want from a cake. I have to wonder though if all that food colouring is healthy. Oh well I don't eat it everyday.

I decided to make cupcakes since it's all the craze right now. Another thing I am sure of is that I will definitely be making red velvet cake again and again.

Find the recipe here.

A Whisk, A Spoon and A Camera

It's been a really long time since I've been in the kitchen and with all the hot humid summer days who can blame me. It seems summer gets hotter and hotter each year. I started getting serious withdrawal syndromes and that’s when I knew it was time for me to brave the summer heat and get back to doing what I love. With that I took my bowls off the shelf, dusted my web entangled whisk, dug deep for my camera and started baking.

It was a hard decision deciding what I was going to make. It had to be something I had never made before but something I was sure to enjoy. I settled on a few ideas and decided I was going to make all of them.

First up red velvet cupcakes (the star of the show). I've been meaning to make this for a long time but never got round to doing it.


Next a beautiful banana loaf. I've made this before but it's been such a long time so it felt kind of new to me.


Then a wonderful malva pudding which as a South African am embarrassed to say I have never made before.


Then something to go with the malva pudding, a rich and creamy crème anglaise.


Wow this was enough to keep me in the kitchen a good few days (I even threw in a carrot cake) but I didn't mind.

With the sweet smell of vanilla lingering off my fingers and the flour dusted off my shirt and I can now sit down and share it all with you.

Heavenly Caramel Cake With Caramel Sauce

...like nectar from heaven.



We all imagine heaven and what it would be like; well the heaven I imagine in my mind has streets of gold and rivers of caramel running through chocolate capped mountains. There's something about eating Caramel that makes you feel like a kid again no matter what your age...I know I do. I always always lose all inhibition when getting my caramel fix. Whether it's caramel sauce or caramel milkshake or this decadent caramel cake, I ...

This is the challenge I've been waiting for ever since joining the Daring Bakers. Thumbs up to Dolores, Alex (Brownie) and Jenny for a wonderfully sweet challenge.

I couldn't stop at the caramel cake so I decided to make the caramels as well as the caramel sauce. I love Brazil nut caramels so I added that to my caramels at the end of the recipe.

The cake turned out moist and dense. I was hoping for a lighter cake but was happy with the results. Next time I will double the recipe to make a nice layered cake since I found that I could only get a single layer from this cake.

The caramels...OMG...what can I say...These were turned out even better than what I expected even thought I didn't have a sugar thermometer to begin with. I used the cold water test and it worked out perfectly. I cooked the caramel to firm ball stage and they turned out just right. These were so good I had to make them a second time.

The buttercream was like eating caramel except that you knew it was buttercream. It had the same caramel taste you would expect from caramel sauce and the brown butter added a whole new dimension to this frosting.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
Recipe from bay area bites by Shuna Fish Lydon

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.

Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

CARAMEL SYRUP

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)
In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light

(recipes above courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon)

Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels
- makes eighty-one 1-inch caramels -
recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

Ingredients
1 cup golden syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened

Equipment
A 9-inch square baking pan
Candy thermometer

Procedure

Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.

When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°f for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F; for firmer chewy caramels.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.

Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.

Variations

Fleur de Sel Caramels: Extra salt, in the form of fleur de sel or another coarse flaked salt, brings out the flavor of the caramel and offers a little ying to the yang. Add an extra scant 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt to the recipe. Or, to keep the salt crunchy, let the caramel cool and firm. Then sprinkle with two pinches of flaky salt and press it in. Invert, remove the pan liner, sprinkle with more salt. Then cut and wrap the caramels in wax paper or cellophane.

Nutmeg and Vanilla Bean Caramels: Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg to the cream before you heat it.

Cardamom Caramels: Omit the vanilla. Add 1/2 teaspoon slightly crushed cardamom seeds (from about 15 cardamom pods) to the cream before heating it. Strain the cream when you add it to the caramel; discard the seeds.

Caramel Sauce: Stop cooking any caramel recipe or variation when it reaches 225°F or, for a sauce that thickens like hot fudge over ice cream, 228°F. Pour it into a sauceboat to serve or into a heatproof jar for storage. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for ages and reheated gently in the microwave or a saucepan just until hot and flowing before use. You can stir in rum or brandy to taste. If the sauce is too thick or stiff to serve over ice cream, it can always be thinned with a little water or cream. Or, if you like a sauce that thickens more over ice cream, simmer it for a few minutes longer.

Pizza My Heart

Wow..what can I say about this pizza crust. It was more than what I expected it to be and then some. The crust baked up perfectly. Crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. It made me look (and feel) like a gourmet chef. Everyone that had the pizza raved about it.

Because of the nature of my blog I had initially decided to make a dessert pizza but then I thought that it would be such a waste of good dough since I love pizza so much and so does everybody else in my household.

I decided to make a chicken and mushroom pizza but when I realised that I forgot to buy mushrooms I used Hawaiian stir fry vegetables instead. I also found this recipe for a great sauce on the Internet which turned out to be really great.

The first time I read the challenge I somehow overlooked the part where we were required to toss the pizza dough instead of rolling it. I thought to myself I would never even considered this cause I would hate to waste whatever dough ended up on the kitchen floor. It wasn't until I found this great video on YouTube that inspired me to give it a go.

My great intentions of tossing the dough fell flat since my dough didn't seem elastic enough and was on the delicate side. I don't know if I didn't need it long enough or if I needed to add more flour...it was so delicate that I didn't even need to roll it. I just stretched to size and that worked perfect for me.

There were a few good things that I learned about making pizza. Like how it is necessary to brush the dough with a little olive oil (or vegetable oil I suppose) before adding the sauce and toppings as this helps prevent the dough from getting soggy while it bakes.

I also learned the correct order of adding toppings - I didn't even know there was an order. Oil first, then sauce (not too much otherwise your pizza will be soggy), then cheese, then toppings and then more cheese if you want. I also learned that you should use more of the milder cheeses like mozzarella or Gouda and less of the stronger sharper cheeses like cheddar.

This pizza turned out so great and the dough was excellent. After making this I realised that if you want to have a good pizza then you need to have a good crust.

I've fallen in love all over again.

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled
• 1 3/4 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Instant yeast
• 1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
• 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
• 1 Tb sugar
• Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

Method:

DAY ONE

1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).
   
2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water. NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.
   
3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.
   
4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas). NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.
   
5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball. NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.
   
6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.
   
7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.
   
   DAY TWO
   
   
8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.
   
9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C). NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.
   
10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss. NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and re-flour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn't as effective as the toss method.
    
11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.
    
12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
    
13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.
    
14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

NOTE ON SAUCE: Your sauce (any) should not be too thick as it will thicken in the hot oven. Less is more but make the less truly more by using quality ingredients.

SAUCE IDEAS: Pestos, white or brown sauce, tomato sauce, sour cream, thick cream, Bolognese sauce, etc…Check here for sauce recipes: http://www.tenspeedpress.com/page.php3?ftr=300

TOPPING IDEAS: Seafood, fish, meat (dry, cured, smoked or ground), cheeses (Gruyère, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, Maroille, Munster, etc…), nuts, tofu, veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, hearts of palm, zucchinis, pumpkin, red onions, etc…), herbs (mixes, fresh or dried), spices (garlic, gourmet salt, pepper, curry, berbere, ras-el-hanout, za’atar, etc…), nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashew nuts, Brasil nuts, macadamia nuts, etc…)….

All-Purpose Marinara Pizza Sauce

The flavors are fresher and brighter in this sauce than they are in any commercially bottled or canned pizza sauce. Dried herbs are preferable to fresh herbs here, but if you want to use fresh herbs, sprinkle them on the pizzas either just before you put them in the oven or as soon as they come out. Also, if you do not have thyme or marjoram, you can substitute additional oregano or basil to taste. Makes about 6 cups

• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato purée
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder, or 10 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed, and lightly sautéed in the olive oil, above
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, or a combination
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients, starting with 1/2 teaspoon salt and adding more to taste. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Thanks to this months host Rosa for a great challenge. Hope you have as much fun as I did.

Tartine Brownies

Tartine Brownies
Originally uploaded by uqbar!

So I finally decided to make something from the Tartine recipe book which I purchased recently. There are so many good things in the book it was hard for me to choose what to make first.

I settled on the brownies cause I love chocolate and their require very little time to make compared to other things in the book. I have decided to leave the more complex and time consuming recipes for the weekends.

Understanding the recipe and putting all the ingredients was easy. The only problem I had was knowing what the browinies should look like once they're done.

First of all the recipe states that the brownies should be baked in a glass baking tray. I don't have one so I decided to use my normal baking tray. Secondly I wasn't sure how long to bake them for since it was my first time baking brownies of this nature. The recipe says 25 minutes but we all know - if you bake regularly that is - that this time can vary depending on your oven.

I checked mines after 20 minutes cause our oven gets quite hot. The brownies looked cooked around the edges but when I poked a knife in the centre it looked as if the centre hadn't cooked at all. Now I know that the recipe says that testing this batter this way doesn't work because of the high percentage of chocolate used in the recipe but I thought even still it shouldn't look that raw. So back into the oven it went.

I checked again 5 minutes later and then about 3 minutes later but because it started to burn around the edges I decided to remove them from the oven. I let it cool next to an open window while I took a bath. When I felt they were cool enough I decided to cut them into squares. They were nice and firm around the edges but when I got to the centre I found them too gooey to cut. It's the reason I don't have any pictures.

At first I wondered is it because I baked them in a metal baking tray instead of a glass one. It couldn't be because I had underbaked them since I left them in the oven so long. I was a bit disappointed but loved the ones that I could eat from around the edges.

The next morning the brownies had set nicely but were still fudgy and gooey. The next time I bake these I will definately give them enough time for the chocolate in the brownies to set nicely. Loved this recipe and I will be definately making these again.

Tartine

The first time I heard of Tartine Bakery, a high end pastry shop in San Francisco, was when I saw their book on Amazon.com.

I was attracted to the Tartine book by its cover and decided to buy it after having searched inside the book.


When I received the book a few days ago I was so glad that I had chosen it from the many choices. I have yet to try a recipe only because I can't make up my mind which recipe to try first - kinda like a kid in a toy store. I will definitely be trying one later this week but I know it's going to hard try to decide which one to try first.

Because I fell in love with the book so much I decided to look the bakery up on the Internet. From what I've read the restaurant seems rather popular.




Everything in their bakery looks so divine. I've never been to Tartine so I had borrow a few pics from Flickr.

The death by chocolate cake I will be making for my sisters birthday end of the month.


Lemon Meringue Cake...I cant wait to try this cake. I love lemon meringue and I know I'm going to love this cake.

Chocolate Hazelnut tart...Ooh chocolate and nuts what more can I say. This one I will make for my SIL who loves chocolate and nuts.

Chocolate Souffle cake...Now this one is for me (and Kristy who can't eat nuts). I just love the little gold leaf.

The morning bun loved by many. From what I've gathered this bun is a favourite of many who have visited Tartine. It's not in their recipe book but the bun is basically a cinnamon and orange bun baked in muffin trays. Looks delicious though.

An array of decadence. Next to Pierre Hermes pastry shops this one is my next favourite and I've made that decision merely by what they have to offer and the obvious talent and creativeness that goes into making these beautiful desserts. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting any of these pastry shops.

I've always wanted to visit New York but I think I will be visiting San Francisco first.