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March 17 Happy St. patrick's Day - Have a Guinness Cake Chocolate Guinness cake
TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
March 14, 2009 Susan SampsonFood Writer This St. Patrick's Day, you can enjoy Guinness by the glass – or the slice. The famous Irish stout moistens this rich, dark chocolate cake.
Adapted from a recipe originating at the Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub chain on the U.S. west coast. Give the foam a chance to subside when measuring the stout. You can pour leftover ganache over ice cream. INGREDIENTS Cake: 1/3 cup Guinness draught stout 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Syrup: 1/4 cup Guinness draught stout 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Ganache: 3/4 cup heavy cream 6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped DIRECTIONS For cake, liberally grease and lightly flour 9-inch cake pan. If desired, line bottom with parchment circle, as cake tends to stick. In small pan, whisk together stout and cocoa powder on medium-low heat until smooth. Cool. Stir in buttermilk. Sift flour, baking soda, powder and salt into medium bowl. In large bowl, beat butter until creamy with electric mixer on medium-low speed. Gradually beat in sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one a time, until blended. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on medium-low, add third of flour mixture until moistened. Beat in half of stout mixture until blended. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture until moistened. Beat in remaining stout mixture until blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture until moistened. Scrape bowl. Beat just to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350F oven about 30 minutes, until cake starts to pull away from sides of pan and tester comes out clean. Set wire rack over sheet of waxed paper. Cool pan on rack 10 minutes. Slide blunt knife around edge of pan. Invert to release cake onto rack. Cool. For syrup, whisk ingredients in small pan over low heat until smooth and warm, at least 5 minutes. If you used parchment, peel it off cake. Use fork or toothpick to poke holes in bottom of cake. Pour three-quarters of syrup over cake, spread with bottom of spoon and let it seep in, at least 5 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter. Poke holes in top. Spoon remaining syrup over top and let it seep in for 5 minutes. Reserve syrup pan. For ganache, pour cream into syrup pan. Bring to simmer on medium heat. Remove from burner. Stir in chocolate until smooth and creamy. Cool briefly, until thickened but still pourable. Pour ganache gradually onto centre of cake, smoothing with offset spatula until it runs down sides. (You will have some left over.) Cool cake until ganache sets. Place pan with remaining ganache on low heat. Stir until pourable. Drizzle zigzag or whirly lines across top using whisk or fork. Or pour ganache into zip-lock bag, snip off one corner and squeeze lines or design onto cake. Refrigerate to set before serving. Makes 12 servings.
June 27 Ginger Ice CreamThis recipe is taken from today's Toronto Star. It is a part of a story aabout Ontario foods and produce.
Ginger Ice Cream Enjoy this ice cream on its own, or serve on top of almost any fruit pie. 4 large egg yolks 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger 1 tbsp grated peeled ginger root 3 tbsp water 2 cups heavy cream (18 per cent) 1 cup whole milk 1 tsp pure vanilla extract In large bowl, whisk yolks. In medium heavy saucepan over low heat, cook sugar, crystallized ginger, ginger root and water, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium-low; add cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat; gradually whisk into yolks. Return mixture to clean pan; add milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 12 minutes or until thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon. Immediately strain through fine sieve into large bowl; stir in vanilla. Cover tightly. Refrigerate 3 hours to overnight. Transfer to ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to airtight container; freeze at least 2 hours to reach denser consistency. Makes 2 cups. May 07 Dessert for Mother's Day - Rose Scented Panna Cotta 玫瑰奶凍 This is a most elegant dessert - glistening white, smells as sweet as a rose, and cool and light on the tongue. It is Italian in origin, and the name means cooked cream. That's just what it is, gently cooked cream. I have tried making variations of this dessert with orange blossom flower water and rosewater with great results. For this Mother's Day, I am sharing the rosewater version with you.
INGREDIENTS
(6 servings)
1 envelope, or 21/4 tsp unflavoured gelatin
3 Tbsp water
1.5 cup heavy cream (36 to 38% fat)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split legthwise, with the seeds scraped out; or
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp rosewater
1. Dissolve gelatin in cold water. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Pepare six 4- to 6- oz ramekins or cups by running a stick of butter along the surface.
3. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, bring heavy cream, milk, sugar and the seeds of a vanilla bean to a boil, Add the gelatin mixture and stir for one minute until completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Add rosewater and stir to mix.
4. Pour misture into prepared cups and refrigerate until set, aproximately 3 hours. When serving, dip the cup into hot water and the panna cotta will loosen. Serve with edible (organic) rose petals and raspberries for a beautiful red and white presentation.
Tip:
1) If you are not consuing te cream immediately, you can gently press some plastic wrap directly onto the
 surface of the cream and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.2) For best results, use heavy cream and whole milk. If you seriously want a slimmer dessert, you can substitue te heavy cream to an 18% cream, but if you go any lower, you will completely lose the mouthfeel and fragrance of this dessert. If you want lean, make something else!
3) Rosewater is available in most mainstream supermarkets. April 30 Egg White-only Baked Sponge Cake A Mrs. Wong called in this morning looking for a cake recipe using only egg whites. I myself haven't made that before, so I went a-searching on the net. Interestingly, none turned up in English sites, but I did find a few Chinese ones. After looking at their ingredients and ratios, I suggest that you can try this baking recipe.
The key ingredient in this recipe is Cream of Tartar. Cream of tartar is actually a by-product of wine making, and its chemical makeup is potassium acid tartare. It helps to stabilize egg wites and it also prevents sugar syrups from forming crystals.
INGREDIENTS
125g/4oz cake flour (all purpose flour could also work)
 125g/4oz sugar8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar powder.
1) Sift flour and half the sugar. Set aside.
2) Add tartar to egg whites and beat until foamy. Slowly add the reamining sugar and beat until you reach the consistency of a marshmallow.
3) Add the sifted flour and sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. Do not overmix.
4) Pour into cake mould and bake at 375F for 30 minutes, or when a bamboo skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
March 26 Oreo Mini Cheesecakes 我係Cook奇仕首次與大家見面，送上卡夫的迷你芝士蛋糕食譜.
What I like about this recipe is that you don't have to waste time on making the crust. Just use Oreo cookies! the original recipe called for melting baking chocolate and using frozen whipped topping as garnish, but I have a better idea. Just use Nesquik, a bottled chocolate sauce, and canned fresh cream! It's much simpler!
 INGREDIENTS
2 pkg. (250g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
12 Oreo Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350F. beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended.
3. Place 1 cookie in the bottom of each of 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Fill evenly with batter.
4. Bake 20 mins. or until centres are almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
5. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and fresh cream, if desired.
Source: www.kraftcanada.com
November 06 Sweet Pumpkin DumplingsA twist to the traditional Chinese dessert, pumpkin dumplings are easy to make and beautiful to eat. The orange color and the slight sweetness of pumpkin would surely make it a big hit with the kids! Thank you, F. Tsang, for sharing this recipe!
 INGREDIENTS
150 g pumpkins
150 g glutinous rice powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp canola oil
(optional) shredded coconut
1. Peel pumpkin and cut into thin slices. Steam for 10 minutes and let cool.
2. Add glutinous flour and oil to the cooled pumpkin. Mash together, knead until thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4 equal parts. Shape each part into a ball.
3. Score each pumpkin ball twice. Place on an oiled flat platter and steam for 8 minutes.
4. Roll steamed balls in shredded coconut and serve cooled.
August 23 「新時代電視八月好滋味」食譜 - 士多啤梨／咖啡曲奇材料: 砂糖 100克
做法: 1. 先將砂糖及牛油攪勻。 「新時代電視八月好滋味」食譜 - 日式芝士蛋糕材料: 蛋白 x 4個 「新時代電視八月好滋味」食譜 - 芝士蛋糕這是一個材料簡易且易做的美味芝士蛋糕食譜，你可以在打cheese時加入檸檬汁，檸檬皮屑或柳橙汁，柳橙皮屑或簡單的香草等香料，就成了各種口味的 cheese cake 材料:
作法:
「新時代電視八月好滋味」食譜 - 黑森林蛋糕材料:
作法:
July 28 Original Recipe - Coconut Fried BananasThe hot weather is crying out for South Asian food - strong, sharp flavours and crisp texture to excite sleepy appetites.
Here's a simple dessert recipe that can easily be adapted to make coconut fried shrimps, scallops or even apples.
INGREDIENTS
6 bananas
120 g shredded coconuts
2 eggs
40g flour
1. Beat eggs and flour thoroughly to make a smooth batter.
2. Peel bananas and cut into 2-inch chunks. Dip into egg batter until fully covered.
3. Spread shredded coconut on a flat surface. Roll batter-covered bananas so that the coconut stick firmly to the banana.
4. Deep fry in hot oil until golden. Serve immediately.
If you like, you can dust some icing sugar on top for a nicer presentation and an extra touch of sweetness.
July 21 Recipe Exchange - Mango Pancake with Zabaglione SauceHow decadent! Honey-like mangoes and custarday zabaglione sauce - why didn't I think of that before? Thank you, Helen, for sharing this recipe!
INGREDIENTS
Mango Pancake
4 mangoes, peeled and the flesh cubed
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
30g butter, melted
130g flour
40g sugar
340 ml milk
400 ml fresh cream
1) Using an electric mixer, beat together flour, whole eggs and egg yolk, sugar and melted butter with 1/3 of the milk (approx. 110ml), 2 minutes at high speed, then 5 minutes at low speed. Add remaining milk, mix well, and pour mixture through a sieve to remove larger bits.
2) Heat a non-stick pan to low - medium heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture above, twirl the pan gently until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan. Heat until the edges turn golden and the surface loses its sheen. Turn and heat for a minute longer, turn out and set aside. Repeat to make more pancakes.
3) Beat fresh cream till peaks form. Spoon evenly on each pancake, add mango cubes and roll up.
Zabagliojne Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp rum
1) In a metal bowl, whisk together all ingredients for 2 minutes, thn set the bowl over hot water and continue whisking for 7 to 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Note that the water should be hot but not boiling, or the sauce will cook and curdle.
2) Spoon sauce on pancakes. If desired, heat the top of the pancake using a culinary blow torch to make for a crispy skin.
Enjoy this with some chilled Canadian Vidal icewine! July 14 Recipe Exchange - Mango Sago Pudding 芒果西米糕Philipino mangoes are in season now! Who doesn't love the sweet, juicy bite of ripe mangoes? Audience Yin suggests using fresh mangoes to make a Mango Sago Pudding. Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
400g cooked sago (approx. 50g dried sago)
100g sugar
50g gelatin
350ml boiling water
20ml fresh cream
1 ripe mango, flesh taken out and pureed
8 to 10 ice cubes
1. Cook sago in hotwater until it turns transparent. Flush with cold water to stop the cooking process and reserve.
2. In a bowl, add the sugar, then the gelatin, finally adding boiling water, stir until well dissolved. Add ice cubes and stir to speed cooling. The mixture will start to congeal and thicken.
3. In a large bowl, mix in the following according to this order: fresh cream, gelatin/sugar mixture, sago and mango puree. Mix well. Spoon into small molds and refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes or until firm. Serve.
Tips
1. Whenever you need to dissolve gelatin and sugar at the same time, you should add the sugar first and then the gelatin. Otherwise, when you pour hot water, the gelatin would congeat at the bottom of the bowl and make it very hard to dissolve properly.
2. Do not add mango purree until the gelatin/sugar mixture has cooled down, because mangoes turn sour when heated.
July 09 Recipe Exchange - Strawberry Yogurt DessertHelen proposes this healthy dessert at our call for strawberry recipes. I have tried a similar version in Las Vegas and really liked it. I think you will enjoy this simple to make dessert too!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
2 cups strawberries, diced
1 Tbsp oatmeal
2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
strawberries and toasted peanut bits for garnish
1. In a tall glass, add each ingredients layer by layer, repeating alternately.
2. Garnish the top with halved strawberries and peanut bits.
Helen suggests substituting mangoes for strawberries while they are in season. Chinatown has jumbo sized mangoes, 3 for $5! June 22 Original Recipes - Strawberry Blossoms 士多啤梨之花Pick-your-own strawberry season is just around the corner. What do you do with all those strawberries? Before you resolve to freezing them, try this little recipe where strawberries are cut and arranged to resemble flower petals, and are stuffed with sweetened cream cheese. Great as a dessert, or a cocktail hors d'oeuvre!
INGREDIENTS
36 large fresh whole strawberries
1 package light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
squeezable chocolate sauce, icing sugar and mint leaves for garnish
1. Slice off stem end from straberry, arrange each tip side up on a mint leave (optional) on a serving platter.
2. Carefully cut each berry into 4 even wedges, leaving about 1/2 inch above the bottom. Do not cut through.
3. WIth your fingers or a small spoon, fan out the wedges slightly.
4. Mix together cream cheese, icing sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Using a teaspoon, fill the 'open heart' of the strawberry. Garnish with chocolate sauce, either by placing a few dots on the cream cheese to resemble the stamens of a flower, or draw simple patterns on the serving dish. Sprinkle more icing sugar on the strawberries using a fine sieve for added interest.
May 20 Original Recipes - Mango Pudding, Many WaysMango Pudding is my childhood favorite. I still remember ordering 2 servings everytime I have dimsum with my late grandfather.
There are a gazillion ways of making it. You can use mango-flavoured jello as the base, you can use corn starch as the thickener, or you can even buy mango-pudding powder in a box.
The most traditional way is to make it using agar agar, a type of seaweed with great binding power. Using gelatin is another favorite substitute. Of course, the texture will be slightly different. Thanks to the input of our audience, we now have several different ways of making it. I encourage you to try all different ways to find your favorite recipe. Experiment and create your own secret recipe! Whichever way you choose, you will be sure to find that it won't taste chalky like so many restaurant productions now.
MANGO PUDDING WITH GELATIN
INGREDIENTS
3 cups diced fresh Philippino mangoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 envelopes of gelatin
1 cup evaporated milk
8 ice cubes
1) Boil water and dissolve the gelatin and the sugar.
2) Mix mango, evaporated milk and ice cubes in a large bowl.
3) Pour gelatin syrup into mango mixture and stir until the ice cubes are melted.
4) Pour into a large mould or into smaller individual moulds. Chill until set, about 3 hours.
5) Serve, with a traditional maraschino cherry, more evaporated milk, or straight up!
MANGO PUDDING WITH AGAR AGAR
INGREDIENTS
1 large mango, diced
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
1/4 oz agar agar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
4 cups water
1) Soak the agar agar in 2 cups of warm water in a pot for 30 minutes.
2) Add 4 cups of water, bring to boil and stir until agar agar is completely dissolved.
3) Remove from heat. stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Add mango and evaporated milk. Stir thoroughly.
4) Pour into mould and let stand until room temperature. Transfer to fridge and chill until set, which would take only about 30 minutes. May 04 Original Recipe - Speedy Lemon Souffle 特快檸檬疏乎厘Souffle is not hard to make. First of all, you need to understand the physics behind - it rises because of the air trapped inside the beaten egg whites, as well as by the vapour rising from the liquid base as it gets heated. Because gas contracts when cooled, it is inevitable that a souffle will fall after it gets out of the oven. Thus, a baked souffle must be served at once.
I call this a Speedy Souffle because most souffles take more than double the time to bake, but because of the custard base we are using, it can be done in just 15 minutes. This Lemon Souffle is a little different from the Blood Orange Souffle I listed earlier on this website. You will need a ramkin. It is particularly refreshing after a heavy meal, and would even go with a Canadian late harvest dessert wine.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup or 1 oz flour
1/2 cup whole homo milk
1/4 cup or 2 oz sugar
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
butter and sugar for ramkins
1) Preheat oven to 375F.
2) Prepare ramkins - rub stick of butter around the ramkin to coat the bottom and the sides. Sprinkle with enough sugar to coat the sides. This help the souffle rise properly. This recipe should make 8 small souffles in 6-oz ramkins.
3) In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Remove from heat.
4) Stir in the milk and the sugar. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, remove from heat again.
5) In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks. Then, slowly stir in the warm mixture, and then stir in the lemon juice.
6) In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until peaks form. It is best to use an electric mixer on medium speed. Add in a pinch of salt when it is almost ready.
7) Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture, mix gently, then fold in the rest.
8) Pour mixture into the sugared ramkins, and bake in a water bath for 15 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or slightly moist.
9) Serve immediately.
Look at the time of this posting - I am doing a midnight recipe test... The souffle has started to rise in the oven and should be ready in about 10 minutes. I am already drooling!
April 29 Original Recipe - Green Tea Cheesecake 綠茶芝士蛋糕Judging from audience request, dessert is still the most popular dish!
Green Tea Cheesecake is a Japanese invention. Remember the Japanese cheesecake craze in Hong Kong a few years ago? Its moist and fluffy texture suggests that the recipe is based on sponge cake, which uses flour, baking powder,milk, eggs, butter and cheese, rather than traditional cheese cake, which is basically cheese and eggs.
My answer to an audience's request for Green Tea Cheesecake is yet another type. It is a no-bake recipe which is quite simple to make, and the resulting texture is similar to a pudding. In order to accentuate the flavour of green tea, all other aromatic elements should be kept to a minimum.
INGREDIENTS
125g Cream Cheese (half of regular brick), at room temperature
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2g or 1 small envelope gelatin
1.5 tsp Japanese green tea powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1. With an electric mixer or a wooden spatula, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, mix well, then add lemon juice, green tea powder and cream, mixing each addition well before adding the next.
2. Warm milk over medium heat, do not let boil. Add gelatin and whisk with a fork until thoroughly dissolved. Simmer for 1 more minute.
3. Mix milk mixture into cream cheese mixture, mix well. Pour final mixture through a sieve to remove any large pits into a flat bottomed mould.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into squares or diamonds and serve.
For a nicer presentation, after the green tea layer has been in the fridge for about 2 hours, use the remaining half of the cream cheese and follow the above recipe, substituting green tea powder with 2 tsp of kemon juice. Pour on top of the green layer to make a two-color, white on green cake. Decorate with a raspberry on top and you have yourself a very nice looking dessert.
Wrapping the mould with a warm tower will help remove the cake.
Green Tea Cheesecake would go well with a hot mug of chai or green tea. April 22 Recipe Exchange - Chocolate Banana Bread 朱古力香蕉蛋糕Kudos to Vera for sharing her Chocolate Banada Bread recipe!
Vera says that it is very simple to make and only takes 20 minutes to prepare. She recommends making extra and put it in the freezer so you can heat it up as an afternoon snack or as a dessert after dinner. It would go well with coffee, tea or milk (for kids)!
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
80g or 2 small bars of chocolate, finely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350C. Butter botom and sides of loaf pan.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and cacao powder.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, chocolate, vanilla extract, sugar and salt at low speed, mixing until combined.
4. Blend in flour mixture and chocolate. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Slice to serve.
Vera recommends looking for ripe bananas in the clearance section of a supermaket in order to save money and time waiting for the bananas to ripen! |
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