Heavenly Chocolate Mousse

Here's the birthday boy, guess how old he is?

Hints: how many cupcakes on the table?

I found this recipe when I browsing at Allrecipes.com. Actually I'm looking some frosting to match my Triple Chocolate Cupcake, made for my son birthday.

We celebrate his birthday with his Godfather and Godmother, having dinner at Japanese restaurant.

Here the recipe :

1. 85 grams semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2. 60 ml water
3. 15 grams butter
4. 2 egg yolks
5. 150 grams whipping cream, whipped
   

Directions:

Using double boiler method, melt chocolate, water and butter until melted,

add egg yolks, mixed well, let it cool for 10 minutes,

fold in whipped cream,

spoon into dessert dishes,

refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

My Favorite Chicken Soup

This week was the busiest week for me, why???, my mom will be back to my hometown Jakarta on the coming Sunday Nov 30th,2008, then my father in law birthday on Nov 27th, '08, and my kids speech competition on this Friday Nov 28, '08.

Everyday is busy day than usual, I have to move and think fast, and at the end I lost more energy than before. But eating still my priority, with food I can bonding my relations with my family, especially my hubby and the kids.

Today I will share this easy "Chicken Soup" recipe. This recipe already modified by myself with some changes for modern life style.

This soup also my favorite soup, just put all things together (you know Chinesse soup should be cook about 2 hours or more!!), and the soup ready within half hour.

For this soup you will need:

(this recipe serves 2)

1. 3 bowls water
2. 2 pcs fresh chicken leg, peeled of the skin , cut small pieces
3. 1 pc potato, peeled and cut into square
4. 1 pc carrot, cut small pieces
5. 1 pack Knorr chicken dense soup
6. celery, cut into small pieces
7. 8 pcs quail egg, boiled and peeled off the skin
8. fried shallot (you can buy at indonesian shop)

Then what u have to do :

• Bring 1 to boil
• add 2, 3, 4, boiled until the potato and carrot tender
• then add 5, 6
• taste it.

How to serve :

• Pour the soup into serving bowl, add the eggs then sprinkle with some fried shallot.

TipS:

If you have left over, leave it in fridge thenyou can use as a base for your macaroni chicken soup for your breakfast.

Taro Choy Pan

I am still curious about how to make a smooth (unbreak) choy pan, I try to made another version of choy pan with taro and dried shrimp.

What is choy pan?, in Hakka Choy means vegetable and Pan means snack that made using steam method (usually we called dim sum) not fry or bake. What is inside the Choy Pan?, its Jicama and dry shrimp. Its easy for me to finds Choy Pan in my country (Indonesia), we can find it in tradisional market, we eat this dim sum as breakfast or tea time with some chilli sauce.

Here I post the recipe with taro filling.

Filling :

1. 1 medium size taro, peel and cut into matches size, steamed for about 15 minutes
2. 1 cup dry shrimp (small size, can find in chinese shop), wash and drain
3. 2 bulb garlic, minced
4. some pepper
5. some salt
6. some water

1. In frying pan, fry minced garlic untill golden fine (don't over fry or it will taste bitter), leave it for later use.
2. Heat the wok, fry dry shrimp until fragrant then add 4 tablespoon fried garlic, add steamed taro some pepper and salt, put into bowl.

Skin :

1. 200 grams rice flour
2. 1 1/2tablespoon tapioka flour
3. 2 tablespoon cooking oil
4. a dash of salt
5. 300 ml water and 3 tbsp water

1. In medium size bowl put all the ingredients and whisk untill blended well.
2. Pour the ingredients into pan, cook with small fire untill all stick together, put into large bowl.
3. Wait untill warm, knead all together then scale about 35 grams for each then I use a tools to make it round and flat, then fill with taro filling, make the border and put in the plate (cover your big round plate with cling wrap to prevent sticking).
4. Steam for about 5 minutes, put it out sprinkle each choy pan with some fried garlic together with the oil then ready to serve.

Note :

For this recipe, I made about 28 pcs.

Flourless Chocolate Cupcake

source : Godiva

After searching some chocolate recipe, I decided to try this recipe this weekend because its easy as 1, 2, 3.

Flourless here is means no need to add flour!! so I can make this cake everytime when I want it, even I don't have flour stock at home.

Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :

1. 150 grams Godiva Dark Chocolate, melted ( you can use another brand),


2. 120 grams confectioners sugar


3. 6 eggs, separated


4. 170 grams unsalted butter, softened


5. Pinch of salt

Directions :

1. Preheat oven at 175 celcius.


2. Line paper liner on the muffin pan.


3. Melt the chocolate, let stand 1 minute and stir until smooth.


4. Beat egg whites and salt with mixer at medium speed in a dry, clean bowl until frothy. Gradually add half sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.


5. Beat butter and remaining sugar with mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at atime, beating well after each addition.


6. Fold melted chocolate into butter mixture, gently fold egg whites into chocolate-butter mixture. Do not overmix(the mixture should have a few streaks of whites in it).


7. Pour 2/3 batter into paper liner, bake about 22 minutes. Be carefull not to overbake or cake will be dry. Cool completely in pan on a wire reack, upon cooling, the center of the cake will sink. Decorate as you like.

Note :

This recipe can make 18 pcs standard cupcake.

Mango Cheese Cake

It's summer time in Hong Kong now, we spent most our time playing in the swimming pool, the government gave us a free charge for 3 months, from June to September.

It's also mango time in here when summer, this exotic fruit is one of my kids favorite.

This cake is easy to make, no need to bake just put in the fridge for couple hours or overnight. If you plan to eat in night you can make in the morning .

Ingredients :

• 200 gram digestive/graham biscuit, crushed)
• 75 gram unsalted butter, softened
  400 gram cream cheese
• 200 gram mango puree
• 3 tablespoon gelatin powder, dissolve with 6 tablespoon boiled water
• 160 gram whipping cream
• some mango slice (as cake centre)

Directions :

1. Prepare 22 square cake pan, brush all side and bottom with butter and line with baking paper,


2. mix crushed biscuit with unsalted butter, press onto bottom cake pan, refrigerate for 30 minutes,


3. using double boiling with hot boiling water, stir cream cheese until soft add mango puree mix well, add gelatin, add whipped cream mix well,


4. pour into pan half, add mango slice, pour all the rest chilled for 3 hours, serve.

Tips :

For healty concern, choose low fat cream cheese rather than regular cream cheese.

Banana Cake (cupcakes)

This recipe was shared by flickr's friend : 4Goodness, thanks for your kindness to share this recipe.

This cake very moist and yummy.... a perfect match with a cup of tea

Ingredients :

• 125 gram butter
• 120 gram caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 large mashed ripe banana
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200 gram flour
• 2 tablespoon fresh milk

Directions :

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy,
2. add eggs one at a time,
3. put in mashed banana, mix well,
4. add in (shift flour, baking soda and baking powder),
5. lastly pour in milk,
6. using 20 cm ring pan bake for about 40 minutes on 180c
7. or using 18 standard size cupcakes liners, just pour about 2/3 batter, bake for 20 minutes.

Indonesian Thousand Layer Cake (Lapis Legit)

This recipe was my family's favorite,Lapis (means layer) legit (means sweet), it remainds me of my brothers and sister, a week before chinese new year we made this cake by order.

I woke up earlier to help break up the eggs and seperated them, because we only use the egg yolks, then my brother will bake it.

This recipe already adapted due to the sweetness and healthy,here on the picture I use half recipe.



Ingredients :

• 150 gram caster sugar
• 200 gram creamy butter (the smell stronger than butter)
• 100 gram margarine
• 30 pcs egg yolks, sift
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon milk powder

Directions:

1. Beat caster sugar together with butter and margarine until pale,
2. put in egg yolks, mix until blended well
3. put in flour and milk powder, blend well.

How to bake :

1. Heat the oven, using upper heat (about 270 celcius) 10 minutes before baking,
2. using square (20x20x5) or circle (diameter 20) cake pan, brush the bottom and all side the pan with butter, then line the bottom with baking paper.
3. pour 2 tablespoon of batter into the pan, spread evenly, bake with door open half,
4. repeat this for next layer untill the batter finished,
5. at the last batter, don't close the door, just turn the pan until the cake looks brown evenly then using lower heat about 160 celcius, bake the cake for more 10 minutes, put it out, let it cool.

How to serve :

If you use square pan, cut this cake into 5 (about 4 cm each) then cut them into 1/2 cm thick.

Notes :

• Remember do not leave the oven while you bake this cake because it easy to burn.!!!
• When you bake this cake, you will see some bubbles so stick the bubbles, then cover with next batter.

Tiramisu

Since my first tiramisu was finished already, today my daughter ask me to make another batch.

For efficiency here I use plastic cup rather than springform cake ring, it's easy and fast for beginners.

What is tiramisu? click here for detail : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramisu.

Here's the recipe,

Ingredients :

Cream :

• 4 egg yolks
• 100 gram caster sugar
• 60 cc kahlua
• 250 gram mascarpone cheese
• 350 gram fresh cream
• 5 tablespoon hot water
• 1 1/4 tablespoon gelatin powder

Coffee syrup :

• 2 pack instant coffee (3 in 1, coffee, sugar and cream)
• 200 ml hot water

Lady fingers (made one day ahead or you can buy at supermarket), click here for the recipe

Cocoa powder

Plastic cup about 8 pcs or square or rectangle Pyrex glassware

Directions :

1. Mix hot water and gelatin, let it cool,
2. mix all coffee syrup ingredients, let it cool,
3. whipped fresh cream, leave it in refrigerator for later use,
4. using double boiling with shimmering water, beat egg yolks and caster sugar until thick and pale,set aside
5. using another bowl beat mascarpone cheese until soft, add egg yolks, kahlua, gelatin mix well, then add whipped fresh cream, put into piping bag for easy decorating,
6. pipe the cream into the cup (about 1/2 cup) put lady fingers (about 1 to 2 pcs)that already soak into coffee syrup, pipe more cream until the cup full,
7. decorate with cocoa powder dust.

Notes :

• If you don't like the alcohol, you can skip the kahlua.
• Remember to soak the lady fingers into the coffee syrup until soft.